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Future Osteopathic Physicians Find Their Perfect Matches Just in Time for Valentine's Day

This figure is slightly up from the 1,433 successful matches from last year. In addition, this year there also will be an additional 218 osteopathic graduates who will serve in the military.

Osteopathic medical students and recent graduates interview with hospitals around the country to determine which programs they would like to consider for their graduate medical education. After the interview process, match participants submit a rank-order list of programs while residency programs submit a list of their preferred applicants in rank order. Using a computer program, the National Matching Services, Inc., coordinates the match of osteopathic students and recent graduates to internship and residency programs.

"The graduate medical education opportunities provided by internships and residencies are an important training component in preparing tomorrow's physicians," said Michael Opipari, DO, chair of the AOA Council on Postdoctoral Training. "Many students choose to participate in a program where they complete their internship and first year of residency simultaneously, prior to continuing their residency training. This option, offered by most osteopathic specialty programs, affords participants the opportunity to be exposed to their specialty right away."

Upon earning degrees as doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), graduates will begin their programs on July 1, 2010.

To view full match results listed by state, click this link.

DOs and MDs are the only two groups of physicians fully licensed to prescribe medication and to practice in all specialty areas, including surgery, in the United States. They both complete four years of basic medical education followed by graduate medical education through such programs as internships and residencies, which typically last three to six years. In addition, DOs receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system, providing them with an in-depth knowledge of the ways that illness or injury in one part of the body can affect another. With this knowledge, DOs incorporate osteopathic manipulative treatment into their patient care, using their hands to diagnose illness and injury and to encourage the body's natural tendency toward good health.

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) proudly represents its professional family of more than 67,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs); promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical colleges; and has federal authority to accredit hospitals and other health care facilities. More information on DOs/osteopathic medicine can be found at www.osteopathic.org.

SOURCE American Osteopathic Association