Osteopathic Physicians
Overview
Introduction
Doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.s), more commonly referred to as osteopaths, practice a medical discipline that uses refined and sophisticated manipulative therapy based on the late 19th-century teachings of American Dr. Andrew Taylor Still. This field embraces the idea of "whole person" medicine and looks upon the system of muscles, bones, and joints—particularly the spine—as reflecting the bodys diseases and as being partially responsible for initiating disease processes.
Osteopaths (D.O.s) represent one of two types o...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Osteopaths (O.D.) are doctors and earn incomes comparable to their M.D. counterparts. The potentially high income that comes with being a seasoned physician can be an enticing perk. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the mean annual salary for physicians and surgeons was $208,000 in May 2019. Some physicians earn less than $82,380. Physicians with a specialty can earn much higher annual...
Work Environment
In private practice and employer-based situations, osteopaths occasionally work alone, directly with a patient, and as part of a team. Osteopathy, like all medical professions, is a field of contrasts, requiring both collaboration and personal insight. Similar to many fields of medicine, the hours can be long and erratic, particularly during training.
Outlook
According to the American Osteopathic Association, the number of osteopathic graduates has increased about 63 percent in the last decade, and has grown nearly 300 percent in the past three decades, making osteopathic medicine one of the fastest-growing health professions in the country. The AOA also notes that "as the profession grows, its also trending younger, especially among actively practi...
