doctor of osteopathic medicine

noun

variants or less commonly doctor of osteopathy

plural doctors of osteopathic medicine also doctors of osteopathy

: a physician who has earned a degree in osteopathic medicine or osteopathy

Doctors of osteopathic medicine … are fully licensed to practice in many areas of medicine, and many of them work in primary care.

—Morgan Eichensehr

There are two types of fully licensed physicians in the United States, osteopathic and allopathic, said Dr. James R. Smith, doctor of osteopathy, board-certified in family medicine and urgent-care medicine at Aurora Manitowoc Clinic.

—Suzanne Weiss

also : an academic graduate degree conferring the rank or title of doctor of osteopathic medicine

She received a bachelor's degree from Grace College in Winona Lake and a doctor of osteopathic medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia.

—South Bend (Indiana) Tribune

—abbreviation DO, D.O.

Examples of doctor of osteopathic medicine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Previously, only medical doctors or a doctor of osteopathic medicine could complete the TPD certification. —Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

Many of the companies don’t employ their own medical staff, but contract with telehealth companies staffed by a range of healthcare professionals, including doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioners, and more. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 2 Jan. 2024

Florida also has two schools that graduate doctors of osteopathic medicine, known as D.O.s. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

doctor of osteopathic medicine

noun

variants also doctor of osteopathy

plural doctors of osteopathic medicine also doctors of osteopathy

: a physician who has earned a doctorate degree in osteopathic medicine or osteopathy

also : an academic graduate degree conferring the rank and title of doctor of osteopathic medicine

—abbreviation DO, D.O.