This annual report provides an overview of the osteopathic medical profession’s impressive strides forward in growth, advocacy and many other areas this past year.
In addition, this year’s report outlines the proposed AOA 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, which is centered on raising the profile of osteopathic medicine, lifelong professional development and physician leadership.
Millions of Americans No Longer Have Hospital Care in Their Community
Over the past decade, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed. As a result, more than 3 million Americans who live in those communities no longer have access to an emergency room, inpatient care, and many other hospital services that citizens in most of the rest of the country take for granted.
In addition, 52 hospitals have eliminated inpatient services since the beginning of 2023 in order to qualify for federal grants that are only available for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs).
More than 13,000 rural residents had received inpatient care in those hospitals each year, but now seriously ill individuals in their communities will have to be transferred to a hospital far from home in order to receive the services they need.
Today, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) released its 2026 application cycle report showing a 12.83 percent increase in applications to osteopathic medical schools from the previous year. The 26,506 applications are the most received since 2021 and represent an 18 percent increase from 2024. During the process, applicants can designate which schools get their information. This cycle’s 242,076 designations represent a 15 percent increase from 2025.
“We are very proud that prospective students continue to seek out osteopathic medical education in growing numbers,” said AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO. “This is a testament to the quality of our colleges and future physicians’ growing interest in treating the whole person. These applicants see osteopathic graduates practicing across the full spectrum of medicine and making life changing impacts on rural and underserved communities. It is not by accident that osteopathic medicine is the fastest growing segment of medical education.”
Colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) have a unique role in academic research and growing capacity to address the nation’s most pressing health challenges.
COM research expands the reach of the national research enterprise into communities and clinical settings that are often underrepresented in traditional academic medical centers, generating highly impactful insights for communities with the highest needs for care.
To understand the landscape, capacity and impact of COM-affiliated research, AACOM conducted a three-part study, titled Research at Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: Inventory, Analysis and Future Directions, to:
Together, these analyses offer a comprehensive picture of the state of COM research – and a roadmap for strengthening its future.
Osteopathic medical schools continue to lead the nation in training physicians for primary care and high-need communities, according to new U.S. News & World Report rankings released today and highlighted by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). This year, colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) accounted for:
2025 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report announces the profession has surpassed the 200,000 mark. There are now 207,158 osteopathic physicians and medical students! The AOA’s 2025 Osteopathic Medical Profession (OMP) Report provides an annual update on the growth within the osteopathic medical profession. Read on for a summary of current demographics and trends related to the practice of osteopathic medicine.
What began as a revolutionary set of founding principles introduced by frontier physician A.T. Still, DO, in 1874, has expanded into a community of physicians and medical students dedicated to caring for the body, mind and spirit of millions of patients across the nation. There are now 207,158 osteopathic physicians and medical students. Since the AOA began keeping these records in 1935, the total number of DOs has increased by 158,000 (1,721%).
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, now practice across a wide range of medical disciplines, combining their expertise with a whole-person approach centered on listening to and partnering with their patients. Today the osteopathic medical profession represents approximately 11% of all physicians and more than 25% of all medical students in the U.S.
More prospective physicians than ever are choosing to become DOs, with nearly 40,000 medical students attending 44 colleges of osteopathic medicine across 71 campuses. DOs hold some of the most distinguished positions in medicine today, caring for the U.S. President, overseeing the NASA medical team and leading some of the nation’s top-ranked hospitals and health systems. About 38% of military physicians are DOs.
Letter from the AOA: The American Osteopathic Association is disappointed that Congress could not come to an agreement to continue funding the government, and we are deeply concerned about the impact a lapse in funding will have on patients and physicians across the country, particularly the disruptions this will cause to patient care. While the AOA will continue to advocate in Congress toward a swift resolution, we wish to share critical resources and information to support physician practices as they navigate the outcomes of this funding lapse.
On July 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the CY2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule which includes updates to physician payment policies, the Quality Payment Program (QPP), and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. AOA’s strong advocacy secured enactment of legislation that includes a positive 2.5% increase to the 2026 conversion factor (CF), and successfully defended the .75% and .25% positive increase to the CF that was included in MACRA, which takes effect in 2026, from being repealed. Key takeaways include the following
This annual report highlights the many ways the AOA supports and advances the osteopathic medical profession. From federal and state advocacy and osteopathic medical student parity to board certification, strategic partnerships and affiliate relations updates—you’ll find so much more to explore on key strategic topics:
2024 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report tracks expansion of osteopathic medicine. The number of osteopathic physicians in the U.S. has increased by more than 70% in the past decade.
The AOA’s Osteopathic Medical Profession (OMP) Report provides an annual update on the expansion and growth within the osteopathic medical profession. Read on for a summary of current demographics and trends related to the practice of osteopathic medicine in 2024.
