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    Osteopathic medicine: What kind of doctor is a D.O.?

    By Mayo Clinic Staff
    Dec. 12, 2025

    What kind of doctor is a D.O.? Does a D.O. have the same training as an M.D.?

    A doctor of osteopathic medicine, also known as a D.O., is a fully trained and licensed doctor. A doctor of osteopathic medicine graduates from a U.S. osteopathic medical school. A doctor of medicine, also known as an M.D., graduates from a traditional medical school.

    A major difference between D.O.s and M.D.s is that some doctors of osteopathic medicine use manual medicine as part of treatment. Manual medicine can include hands-on work on joints and tissues and massage.

    After medical school, both kinds of doctors must complete training as residents in the specialty they choose. They also must pass licensing exams before they can treat people and prescribe medicines.

    1. What is a D.O.? American Osteopathic Association https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/what-is-a-do/. Accessed Oct. 27, 2022.
    2. Roberts A, et al. Osteopathic manipulative medicine: A brief review of the hands-on treatment approaches and their therapeutic uses. Medicines. 2022; doi:10.3390/medicines9050033.
    3. Chin J, et al. Assessing the knowledge of the osteopathic profession in New York City's Easter European communities. Cureus. 2022; doi:10.7759/cureus.21664.

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