Category: Physicians

2025 Osteopathic Medical Profession (OMP) Report

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.

 

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AOA Offers Patient Access Impact Amid Government Funding Concerns

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.

 

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Medicare Physician Fee Schedule & Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule

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

 

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AOA 2025 Annual Report

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:

 

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2024 Osteopathic Medical Profession (OMP) Report

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.

 

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A Guide to Fall Vaccine Options

It’s the first time we have vaccines for all three fall respiratory viruses that hospitalize and kill hundreds of thousands annually. This is a big deal, that is, if we utilize them. So, we thought collecting information about them in one place would be helpful. This is the what, who, and when for each.

 

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Why America Needs More Diversity in the Doctor’s Office

In an increasingly diverse country, connecting patients with providers who look like them and feel culturally relatable will lead to better health outcomes for all.

Picture this: Two dozen men gather in a classroom in rural south Georgia to get their hair shaped up and talk about life. The barbers are the main attraction, but the get-together is organized by medical students – specifically Black medical students – as a way to reach people who might not otherwise see a doctor. They check blood pressure amid the buzz of electric clippers. No surprise, nearly everyone in the room is hypertensive.

 

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More Women, DO’s Among Licensed Physicians

The latest census of physician licensees shows a growing population of female physicians and those with a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) degree.

In 2022, 37% of the physician workforce was female, compared with 30% in 2010, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards’ (FSMB) biennial “Census of Licensed Physicians in the U.S.” The number of licensed female physicians grew by 54% since 2010, compared with an 11% increase for male physicians, reported Aaron Young, PhD, of the FSMB, and colleagues.

In addition, the percentage of DOs in the physician workforce rose to 11% from 7% during that time, and the number of doctors with a DO degree grew 89% from 2010 to 2022, compared with an 18% increase for MDs, they noted in the Journal of Medical Regulation.

 

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With Few MD’s Practicing in Rural Areas, A Different Type of Doctor is Filling the Gap

For 35 years, this town’s residents have brought all manner of illnesses, aches, and worries to Kevin de Regnier’s storefront clinic on the courthouse square — and he loves them for it.

De Regnier is an osteopathic physician who chose to run a family practice in a small community. Many of his patients have been with him for years. Many have chronic health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or mental health struggles, which he helps manage before they become critical.

 

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Are Health Outcomes Any Different With MDs vs DOs?

Quality and cost of care were similar between allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) physicians who care for older patients in hospital settings, according to a retrospective observational study.

Of over 300,000 Medicare admissions, the adjusted 30-day mortality rate was similar between MDs (9.4%) and DOs (9.5%), with an average marginal effect (AME) of -0.1 percentage point (95% CI, -0.4 to 0.1, P=0.36), reported Atsushi Miyawaki, MD, PhD, of the University of Tokyo in Japan, and co-authors.

 

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