The nation faces a critical physician workforce shortage. According to a report by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), by 2025, the gap between our physician supply and demand will range from 34,500 to 88,000.

Colleges of osteopathic medicine are graduating more and more students each year. More than 7,000 new osteopathic physicians enter the workforce each year.

The nation’s approximately 142,000 fully-licensed active and practicing osteopathic physicians practice the entire scope of modern medicine, bringing a patient-centered, holistic, hands-on approach to diagnosing and treating illness and injury.

Today, more than 25 percent of medical students in the United States are training to be osteopathic physicians.

Osteopathic physicians can choose any specialty, prescribe drugs, perform surgeries, and practice medicine anywhere in the United States.

Osteopathic physicians bring the additional benefits of osteopathic manipulative techniques to diagnose and treat patients.

Osteopathic physicians work in partnership with patients to help them achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health education, injury prevention, and disease prevention.

There are 38 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. with 61 locations in 35 states and more are being established.

Over the last decade, the number of students attending osteopathic medical school has grown by 77%, helping lead to an overall 81% increase in the total number of DOs and osteopathic medical students in the U.S.