Doctor of Osteopathy Definition
Osteopathic medicine was created to address the lack of preventive care and to focus on the whole body as a system. Doctors of osteopathic medicine have all the same training and education as medical doctors with the exception of additional focus on preventive care.
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History
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In 1874, Dr. Andrew Taylor Still started a kind of medical care that focused on the individual as a whole. Osteopathic medicine, as this care became known, looks at diseases and conditions in light of patients' health habits and environment.
M.D. vs D.O.
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A medical doctor (M.D.) and a doctor of osteopathy (D.O.) both have medical degrees from accredited institutions. Both types of doctors take part in residency and internship programs leading to treating patients and prescribing medication.
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Focus
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Doctors of osteopathy pay special attention to preventive medicine. Preventive medicine is all about taking steps to avoid disease in the first place.
Primary Care
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Doctors of osteopathy fit particularly well in primary care because of their education's emphasis on preventive care. Primary care is all about regular health check-ups, proper vaccinations and treating diseases as soon as they appear and before they become serious.
Licensing and Regulation
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As with M.D.s, D.O.s must be licensed by the states in which they wish to practice medicine. That is, states have regulatory authority over D.O.s just like they do with M.D.s.
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