Osteopathic medicine is one of the fastest growing segments in healthcare, according to the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) Osteopathic Medical Profession Report. The number of osteopathic medical students has grown by 77 percent in the last ten years, which has led to an 81 percent increase in the total number of DOs (including practicing physicians, residents, and medical students). Today, there are an estimated 122,236 in the physician workforce, just over one in four medical students are currently pursuing a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree, and an estimated 36,500 medical students are expected to matriculate into a DO program this school year (up 2,700 from last year).
Demographic highlights:
Practicing DOs predominantly fall within a younger cohort. Just over two-thirds of practicing physicians are under 45 (35 percent are under 35, and 32 percent are between 35 and 44).
In 2022, 43 percent of the practicing DOs were female, an upward trend that has continued over time (40 percent in 2015, and 32 percent in 2010). Almost half of practicing physicians (47 percent) are female and under 45.
Most DOs tend to practice near where they completed their education, and DO programs are typically located in medically underserved regions. The states with the largest number of DOs include: California (8.3 percent), Pennsylvania (8.1 percent), Florida (7.9 percent), Michigan (6.6 percent), New York (6.4 percent), and Texas (6.1 percent).
Since 2020, the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has overseen the accreditation of all graduate medical education (allopathic and osteopathic). DO graduates also participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). The report notes that 2022 brought a new record level of placement for participating DOs, with 7,049 graduates placing into residency programs in 41 specialties. This is up 7 percent from the previous year.
DOs predominantly work in primary care specialties. The top fields include family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Among the remaining 43 percent who opt into other specialties, the top fields include: Emergency medicine, Anesthesiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, General surgery, and psychiatry.
Related: Alternatives to Allopathic Medical Programs in the United States