Legality of Cannabis by U.S. Jurisdiction

Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Random user 39849958 (talk | contribs)
19,517 edits
m →‎History: fix format error
Random user 39849958 (talk | contribs)
19,517 edits
Please read WP:SYN. Here we have fact A and fact B and we are putting them together to synthesize C. This is a violation. Again, cite a source which claims C. Otherwise, leave out.
Line 11: Line 11:


As with Doctors of Medicine ([[M.D.]]s), D.O.s educated in the United States are fully [[Licensure|licensed]] [[physician]]s and [[Surgery|surgeons]] who practice the full scope of [[medicine]]. Currently, there are 27 accredited [[List of osteopathic medical schools in the United States|osteopathic medical schools]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aacom.org/colleges/|title=AACOM Medical School Information|accessdate=2006-08-23|publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine}}</ref> in the United States and 125 accredited U.S. [[allopathic medicine|allopathic]] medical schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aamc.org/medicalschools.htm|title=AAMC Medical Schools|accessdate=2006-12-13|publisher=Association of American Medical Colleges}}</ref> D.O.'s may be found within any medical specialty but a majority of them work within primary care medical fields.
As with Doctors of Medicine ([[M.D.]]s), D.O.s educated in the United States are fully [[Licensure|licensed]] [[physician]]s and [[Surgery|surgeons]] who practice the full scope of [[medicine]]. Currently, there are 27 accredited [[List of osteopathic medical schools in the United States|osteopathic medical schools]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aacom.org/colleges/|title=AACOM Medical School Information|accessdate=2006-08-23|publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine}}</ref> in the United States and 125 accredited U.S. [[allopathic medicine|allopathic]] medical schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aamc.org/medicalschools.htm|title=AAMC Medical Schools|accessdate=2006-12-13|publisher=Association of American Medical Colleges}}</ref> D.O.'s may be found within any medical specialty but a majority of them work within primary care medical fields.
In terms of admissions, the average GPA and MCAT for osteopathic (DO) medical schools is lower than that of allopathic (MD) medical schools - [[Grading in the United States#Grade point average|GPA]], <!-- Please provide references if changing these figures --> 3.46 for osteopatic vs 3.64 for allopathic matriculants, and [[Medical College Admission Test|MCAT]] scores, an average of 24.6 for DO vs 30.4 for allopathic matriculants.<ref>[http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2006/2006mcatgpa.htm US Allopathic GPA and MCAT Entering 2006]</ref> <ref>[http://www.aacom.org/data/cib/06-mcat-gpas.html US Osteopathic GPA and MCAT averages]</ref> <!-- Please provide references if changing these figures -->


Osteopaths educated in countries outside of the U.S. do not follow the same curriculum as U.S.-trained D.O.s. Their scope of practice is limited mainly to [[musculoskeletal]] conditions and treatment of some other conditions using OMM and various [[alternative medicine]] methods.
Osteopaths educated in countries outside of the U.S. do not follow the same curriculum as U.S.-trained D.O.s. Their scope of practice is limited mainly to [[musculoskeletal]] conditions and treatment of some other conditions using OMM and various [[alternative medicine]] methods.

Revision as of 03:14, 21 June 2007

This article is about osteopathy in the United States. For osteopathy (alternative medicine) in other countries, see osteopathy.
DO also can refer to Dissolved Oxygen or to Denominación de Origen.


Within the United States, Osteopathic medicine is a form of medical training and practice that provides all of the benefits of modern medicine including prescription drugs, surgery, and the use of technology to diagnose disease and evaluate injury. It also offers hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine. Osteopathic Medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health education, injury prevention and disease prevention.[1]


As with Doctors of Medicine (M.D.s), D.O.s educated in the United States are fully licensed physicians and surgeons who practice the full scope of medicine. Currently, there are 27 accredited osteopathic medical schools[2] in the United States and 125 accredited U.S. allopathic medical schools.[3] D.O.'s may be found within any medical specialty but a majority of them work within primary care medical fields.

Osteopaths educated in countries outside of the U.S. do not follow the same curriculum as U.S.-trained D.O.s. Their scope of practice is limited mainly to musculoskeletal conditions and treatment of some other conditions using OMM and various alternative medicine methods.

Training of Osteopathic Physicians

D.O. and M.D.-granting U.S. medical schools have similar curricula. Generally, the first two years are classroom-based, while the third and fourth years consist of clinical rotations through the major specialties of medicine.

Upon graduation from medical school, both D.O. and M.D. physicians may opt to pursue residency training programs. Depending on state licensing laws, osteopathic medical physicians may also be required to complete a one-year rotating internship at a hospital approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Osteopathic physicians are not limited to osteopathic residency programs and may also apply to allopathic Graduate Medical Education programs.

There are currently 24 osteopathic medical schools in the United States that graduate more than 4,000 students every year.

History

Osteopathy was founded by Andrew Taylor Still M.D. (1828 - 1917) in 1874 in reaction to what he perceived as inadequate medical treatment of his day. Specifically, he believed that other conventionally trained physicians over-prescribed to patients harsh and often toxic medications.

He intended his new system of medicine to be a reformation of the existing 19th century medical practices he knew and imagined that someday "rational medical therapy" would consist of manipulation of the musculoskeletal system, surgery, and very sparingly used drugs. He invented the name "osteopathy" by blending two Greek roots osteon- for bone and -pathos for suffering in order to communicate his theory that disease and physiologic dysfunction were etiologically grounded in a disordered musculoskeletal system. Thus, by diagnosing and treating the musculoskeletal system, he believed that physicians could treat a variety of diseases and spare patients the negative side-effects of drugs.

Early in the twentieth century, the American osteopathic profession adopted the use of medicine and surgery. As biomedical science developed, osteopathic medicine gradually incorporated all its proven theories and practices. D.O.'s have been admitted to full active membership in the American Medical Association since 1969.

Becoming accepted into the medical community was not without struggle. In the 1960s in California, the American Medical Association (AMA), sensing increased competition from osteopathic medicine, spent nearly $ 8 million to end the practice of osteopathy in the state. With considerable financial support from the AMA, a state-wide referendum was passed (Proposition 22) ending the practice of osteopathic medicine in California. California D.O.s were offered the M.D. degree in exchange for paying $65 and attending a short seminar. The California Medical Association may have been attempting to eliminate osteopathic competition by a process of amalgamation by converting thousands of D.O.s to M.D.s. The College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons became the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. However, the decision proved quite controversial. In 1974, after protest and lobbying by influential and prominent D.O.s, the California Supreme Court ruled that licensing of D.O.s in that state must be resumed.

File:COPSLA2.jpg
College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons in Los Angeles, c.1920s. From California College of Medicine Records, AS-027 The osteopathic college was eventually absorbed into the University of California system following a state-wide ballot referendum and became the UC Irvine Medical Center.

This decision by the California Medical Association in the 1960s to grant D.O. physicians an M.D. license was one of two turning points for D.O.s in their early struggle for parity; the other being the U.S. Army's decision to allow D.O.s to enter the military as physicians. These two turning points provided the osteopathic community with the stamp of equivalency they desired.

Today, except for a stronger primary care emphasis in most osteopathic medical schools and additional education in musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment, the training and scope of osteopathic medicine practiced by D.O.'s in the United States is identical to that of allopathic medicine as practiced by M.D.'s.

Current status and scope of practice

There are approximately 55,000 D.O.s practicing within the United States. This number represents only 6% of all practicing physicians. D.O.'s may obtain licensure in any of the fifty states and practice in all medical specialties including, but not limited to, family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, dermatology, surgery, and radiology. The D.O. degree is the legal and professional equivalent of the M.D. degree. There is no difference in compensation between allopathic and osteopathic physicians. Physician salaries do differ among the various medical specialties.

Outside the U.S., Osteopaths are usually limited to practicing manipulative medicine-- similar to the scope of Chiropractors or Physical Therapists within the United States.

Criticisms

The majority of osteopathic medical school graduates go on to specialize in family medicine, a trend that has resulted in osteopathic medical schools being criticized for being less focused on research and scientific discovery and more focused on practical application than allopathic medical schools. More recently, osteopathic medical schools have consciously worked toward becoming more research-focused.

Osteopathic medicine has been both criticized and applauded for offering non-traditional and alternative therapies such as cranial and cranio-sacral manipulation along with traditional medical treatment options. This expanded scope of practice has lead to some question as to the therapeutic utility of osteopathic manipulative treatment modalities. The scientific merit of all manipulative therapies continues to be controversial. Within the osteopathic medical curriculum, manipulative treatment is taught as an adjunctive measure to other biomedical interventions for a number of disorders and diseases. The American Osteopathic Association has made an effort in recent years to both support and promote scientific inquiry into the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulation as well as encourage D.O.s to consistently offer manipulative treatments to their patients. However, the number of D.O.s who report consistently prescribing and performing manipulative treatment has been falling steadily. The reasons for this are not known, but are believed to be related to changes in the general financing and delivery of health care, fewer D.O.s training in exclusively osteopathic post-graduate residency training programs, and a lack of perceived relevance to a number of specialties and sub-specialties pursued by D.O.s.


File:DO logo.gif
In Greek and Roman mythology, the gods Hermes and Mercury carried a staff with two serpents. In contrast, the Roman god of healing, Aesculapius, carried a staff with a single snake. Snakes were sacred to Aesculapius because it was believed that they could renew their youth by shedding their old skin and growing a new one.

See also

References

  1. ^ Glossary of Osteopathic Terminology Usage Guide
  2. ^ "AACOM Medical School Information". American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Retrieved 2006-08-23.
  3. ^ "AAMC Medical Schools". Association of American Medical Colleges. Retrieved 2006-12-13.

Further reading

  • The DOs: Osteopathic Medicine in America, Norman Gevitz, 2004 (2nd Edition), paperback, 264 pages, The Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN 0-8018-7834-9 (An excellent review of the history and development of ostepathic medicine and medical education in the United States)
  • Science in the Art of Osteopathy: Osteopathic Principles and Models, Caroline Stone, Nelson Thornes, 1999, paperback, 384 pages, ISBN 0-7487-3328-0
  • An Osteopathic Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment , Eileen DiGiovanna, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2004, hardback, 600 pages, ISBN 0-7817-4293-5

External links

US Osteopathic associations and regulatory bodies

Journals

Other links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Osteopathic_medicine&diff=139575737&oldid=139575156