It seems there’s a parallel medical world out there. One where fully qualified physicians and surgeons have a “DO” after their name rather than an “MD." So is a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) a licensed medical doctor, just like an MD?
You might be surprised how often this question is still asked—even by physician recruiters. Last year, in fact, the American Osteopathic Association conducted a survey and discovered that 29 percent of adults in the U.S. didn’t know DOs are licensed to practice medicine; 33 percent didn’t know DOs can legally prescribe medicine; and 63 percent didn’t know DOs can perform surgery.
