The Doctor of Osteopathic medicine (D.O.) is a complete system of medical training, much

like the allopathic (MD) training in the US or the British system of medical education, with

all of the medical & surgical specialties and subspecialty training available to its graduates. However, it is unique in that in addition to the usual course of medical study, osteopathic medical students spend additional time studying the musculoskeletal system as it relates to functional ability,

as well as osteopathic manual medicine treatment methods to aid in the restoration of their patients’ health. Disease prevention is a central tenet of this philosophy. There is an emphasis on treating the whole person – body, mind and spirit, rather than just the presenting symptoms.

The Core Principles of Osteopathy Are:

• The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind and spirit.
• The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
• Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.