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About Us

Learn more about who we are, what we care about and how we’re working to benefit the lives of DOs and their patients.

Advancing the distinctive philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine

We represent more than 186,000 osteopathic physicians and medical students across the U.S.

Osteopathic physicians, or DOs, believe there’s more to good health than the absence of pain or disease. Their whole-person approach to medicine focuses on prevention, helping promote the body's natural tendency toward health and self-healing.

Osteopathic medicine is one of the fastest-growing health care professions in the country. Approximately one in four medical students attends a college of osteopathic medicine.

As the primary certifying body for DOs, the AOA works to accentuate the distinctiveness of osteopathic principles and the diversity of the profession.

In addition to promoting public health and encouraging scientific research, the AOA advocates at the state and federal levels on issues that affect DOs, osteopathic medical students and patients.


AOA BY THE NUMBERS

DOs & Students

186 k
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Increase in last five years

30 %
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Trained in Primary Care

57 %
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Osteopathic medical schools

41
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Osteopathic Medical Schools

The AOA is committed to:

Why belong?