You are more than just the sum of your body parts. That’s why doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.s) practice a whole person approach to medicine. Instead of just treating specific symptoms, they concentrate on treating patients as a whole.

Osteopathic physicians understand how all the body’s systems are interconnected and how each one affects the others. They focus special attention on the musculoskeletal system, which reflects and influences the condition of all other body systems.

This system of bones and muscles makes up about two-thirds of the body’s mass, and a routine part of the osteopathic patient examination is a careful evaluation of these important structures. D.O.s know that the body’s structure plays a critical role in its ability to function. They can use their eyes and hands to identify structural problems and to support the body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing.

Osteopathic physicians also use their ears to listen to patients and their health concerns. They help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don’t just fight illness, but help prevent it, too. Millions of Americans prefer this concerned and compassionate care, and have made D.O.s their doctors for life.

To become an osteopathic physician an individual must be a graduate of one of 17 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. Like M.D.s, doctors of osteopathic medicine spend four years studying medicine — the first two years in classrooms and labs, the last two on clinical rotations in clinics and hospitals throughout the country. In addition to traditional studies, the curriculum emphasizes preventive medicine and holistic patient care.

After completing medical college, D.O.s serve a one-year internship, gaining hands-on experience in internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, family practice, pediatrics and surgery. This experience ensures that they are first trained as primary care physicians, even if they plan to pursue a specialty. It also provides every D.O. with the experience required to see and treat patients holistically. Many D.O.s then choose to take a residency program in a specialty area, such as internal medicine, pediatrics, radiology or surgery. A residency typically requires from two to six years of additional training.