For the first time in AOA Physician Masterfile records, women make up the majority of osteopathic physicians (DOs) practicing primary care, according to the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) 2026 Osteopathic Medical Profession (OMP) Report. Women now account for 50.2% of DOs in active primary care practice, up from 49.6% in 2025.
The shift is driven by the profession’s youngest physicians. Among primary care DOs under age 35, 55.4% are women. Across the profession, women represent 46.1% of DOs in active practice, and more than 50,000 female DOs under age 45 are practicing today, a milestone crossed for the first time this year.