Philosophy

• DOs are doctors who are specially trained in osteopathic manipulations. They focus more on preventive care and view the body as a whole when treating illnesses. They use Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) which involves using their hands to diagnose injuries and illnesses. MDs are considered more conventional, treating the illness at hand based on the symptoms.
  
  

Education

• Both types of physicians generally complete four years of undergraduate study prior to attending medical school. Both then take the Medical College Admission Test and complete four years of medical school. Depending on the specialty of the doctor, most student-doctors spend three to seven years in a residency program. After this, a DO is required to take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, while an MD must take the United States Medical Licensing Exam. Both types of doctors must also pass a state licensing exam.
  
  

Specialization

• About 60 percent of DOs do not specialize in a particular area because much of their training is spent learning preventive care for the body. MDs are more likely to specialize in one particular type of medicine, such as cardiology or cancer care (oncology). DOs and MDs use the same types of technology and diagnostic tests and both can be fully qualified to perform surgery and prescribe all levels of drugs.
  
  

Prescribing Medication

• DOs are less likely to prescribe medicine to patients initially. They generally try to find the causes of the problem and assess a person's total health needs. DOs also commonly consider alternative approaches, such as performing manipulations, when treating injuries and illnesses. For example, if a patient has a migraine, a DO is more likely to look at underlying factors, such as stress, whereas an MD tends to focus more on treating physical symptoms with medication.