Osteopathic physicians or D.O.s are very similar to allopathic physicians or M.D.s. They are both licensed to practice in every field of medicine, from the operating room to academia. Their training programs are also similar right down to the job opportunities available. However, they start to differ in the other areas; most noticeable is their numbers. Osteopathic doctors only comprise 6 percent of practicing physicians as of 2008. This large difference in numbers means that a lot of people, even other premeds, are not well acquainted with the osteopathic tradition.
Osteopathic medicine is an alternative to allopathic medicine that differs in philosophy and purpose. Osteopathic medical schools give additional medical training in regards to muscular-skeletal manipulation, and have a unique “whole person” perspective on diagnosis, practice, and consultation.