In particular, Dr. Still felt that the musculo-skeletal system was of primary importance in promoting the health of individuals and that stimulation of the muscular system encourages wellness. Today, osteopathic physicians continue in Dr. Still's tradition, seeking out less invasive alternatives to traditional medicine, and focusing on the relationship between form and function, particularly with regards to the musculo-skeletal system.

Pre-Clinical Coursework
The osteopathic medical curriculum is similar to traditional allopathic training, with a few exceptions. Like M.D. programs, osteopathic programs are four years long and are generally divided into two parts: pre-clinical coursework followed by clerkships in a community hospital or clinical facility. The first two years are devoted to labs and lectures in the basic medical sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, histology, and biochemistry. Coursework also includes subjects such as doctor-patient relationships, communication skills, and ethics, as well as osteopathic philosophy, diagnosis and treatment.

While the majority of these courses contain the basic elements that you might receive in an M.D. program, all osteopathic students receive approximately 200 additional hours in lecture and labs learning osteopathic manipulative medicine. During this coursework, osteopathic medical students learn to use their hands to diagnose and treat illness, and to encourage the body's innate tendency towards health. Because a problem in one part of the body's structure may affect function in that area or elsewhere in the body, OMT focuses on balancing the relationship between body structure and body function. Osteopathic medical students also learn how to integrate this hands-on treatment modality into practical patient care situations through a variety of learning scenarios.

This combination of contemporary and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine is unique to osteopathic medicine, and many osteopathic physicians feel that OMT gives them something extra to help diagnose and treat their patients. Says one Emergency Medicine D.O., "I was trained to carry an additional therapeutic modality in my armamentarium (manipulative medicine) as well as to approach patients considering the 'big picture,' providing me with more to offer my patients."

Clinical Training
After the first two years of coursework, osteopathic students begin clinical training through clerkships in a hospital, clinic, or doctor's office. Here osteopathic programs differ from allopathic programs in two key ways. First, osteopathic medical schools require students to spend more time rotating in primary care areas, rather than medical subspecialties. While some allopathic schools may require students to spend 3 months in a surgery rotation, osteopathic students are more likely to spend a comparable amount of time in family medicine or pediatrics.

The second difference is that most osteopathic medical schools do not have an affiliated teaching hospital; therefore, schools usually partner with a number of medical facilities and doctor's offices in the local community. This model can be advantageous for students who want to learn in a variety of settings. However, it does preclude early exposure to research, cutting edge treatments, or instruction found in a traditional teaching hospital.