What is the difference between an American DO and a DO trained outside of the United States?
In the United States, DOs have an unlimited license to practice medicine, surgery, and obstetrics. We have the same training as MDs, but have additional training in Osteopathic philosophy, anatomy, biomechanics, and in OMT. Outside of the United States interest in Osteopathy philosophy and Osteopathic Manipulation is expanding exponentially. The vast majority of DOs in Canada, the UK, the rest of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and in Brazil have a limited license to exclusively practice Osteopathic Manipulation and are not fully licensed physicians. The training of non-American DOs is very diverse with some having full-time three or four year schools and some being part-time schools. A very small percentage of non-American DOs are medical doctors who attend Osteopathic school, outside of the United States, after receiving their MD degree and then practice Osteopathy and medicine similar to Osteopathically-oriented American DOs.
