A Career In Osteopathy

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1. Background
In the field of sports medicine, physicians and physical therapists work closely together. A sports injury is rarely treated without a follow-up by a physical therapist. There are two types of major physicians: doctors of medicine (M.D.s) and doctors of osteopathy (D.O.s). The length of education for both types of physicians is about the same, except they both attend different schools. Doctors of osteopathy work in the prevention of injuries, holistic health, and in disorders of the muscles and bones. D.O.s are licensed to practice the whole spectrum of medicine, but many mainly focus on the musculoskeletal system. Osteopaths use a technique called osteopathic manipulative treatment to relieve soreness, relax muscles, and restore …show more content…

Those who choose to work in this field must be dedicated and committed into doing all they have to in order to progress. The training for this career is long, difficult, and expensive. A minimum of three years of college working on a bachelor’s degree and scoring high on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) are required for entrance into any college of osteopathic medicine. Some osteopathic colleges offer a four-year program and a few offer an accelerated three-year program. After completion of the program, the Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree is given and a twelve-month internship is then required. If those who choose to specialize further, additional residencies are necessary; these last from one to five years (Miller 54). Once a D.O. is in practice, they must complete at least 150 credit hours of continuing medical education. There are currently 30 accredited osteopathic medical schools in the United States that grant the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree (Miller 68). The admission requirements in becoming an osteopathic doctor requires a grade with a 2.0 or higher in 8 semester hours of Biological Science, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and 6 semester hours of Humanities and English. There must be 3 semester hours of English included. A minimum cumulative and science GPA of 3.0 is required. A letter of recommendation is required as well …show more content…

The salary of the osteopathic physician is comparable to the practicing M.D. Median income per year after expenses is currently between $140,000 to $300,000. An osteopathic doctor’s salary is based on a diversity of years of work experience, geographical location, field of specialization, and type of employer. “According to the Health Care Training Center website, the average salary for an osteopathic physician based on the type of specialty is as follows: An osteopath in the field of radiology receives a highest median salary of about $276,684 per annum when compared to osteopaths in other specialties. An osteopath in a pediatric field receives a lowest average salary of about $142,254. Other physicians of osteopathy receive an annual salary of average salaries of about: a surgeon earns about $249,504, in internal medicine field earns about $149,136, psychiatrist earns about $162,469, an oncologist receives about $235,381, ob gynecologist earns about $220,180 and a neurologist earns about $178,564” (http://www.healthcare-salaries.com/physicians/osteopath-salary). The best paying states for an osteopathic physician are Washington $290,000, Arizona $182,466, California $179,010, Florida $147,782, New Jersey $128,380, Ohio $140,000, and Pennsylvania $111,000. An osteopath working

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