<unk>  (D.O. or DO) is an academic degree offered in the United States.  It is a graduate-level first professional degree for physicians and surgeons, requiring four years to complete.  Holders of the D.O. degree are known as<unk>  physicians. D.O.s are trained much in the same way as M.D.s, with the<unk>  manipulative<unk>  philosophy and techniques woven into the curriculum.  DOs are licensed to practice the full scope of<unk>  and surgery in all 50 states. Depending on state, licensure may be issued from a combined board (DO & MD) or a separate board of medical examiners; regardless, all of the 70 state boards are members of the Federation of State Medical Boards. Many DOs practice in primary care (family<unk> , internal<unk> , pediatrics, OB/GYN) or emergency<unk> , but DOs can be found in every medical specialty, from psychiatry to neurosurgery.
In the United States, the D.O. and the M.D. are the only two degrees permitting licensure as medical physicians.<unk>  medical school curricula closely mirrors those of allopathic (MD) medical schools, both requiring 4 years of training in the basic and clinical sciences and include licensing exams). The first two years focus on the biomedical and clinical sciences, followed by core clinical training in the clinical specialties.<unk>  medical school accreditation standards require training in internal<unk> , obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, family practice, surgery, psychiatry, emergency<unk> , radiology, preventive<unk>  and public health. According to Harrison's Principles of Internal<unk> , "the training, practice, credentialing, licensure, and reimbursement of<unk>  physicians is virtually indistinguishable from those of allopathic physicians, with 4 years of<unk>  medical school followed by specialty and subspecialty training and [board] certification." However,<unk>  physicians also receive an additional 300 - 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual<unk>  and the body's musculoskeletal system integrated into the medical curriculum.
Although U. S.<unk>  medical physicians currently may obtain licensure in 65 countries,<unk>  curricula in countries other than the United States differs. D.O.s outside the U. S. are known as "osteopaths" and their scope of practice excludes some conventional medical therapies, relying more exclusively on<unk>  manipulative<unk>  and other alternative medical modalities.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Nurse practitioner
Hand surgeon
Mental health professional
Medical technologist
Geneticist
Doctorate in Nursing