Osteopathic Physicians

Certification or Licensing

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) offers board certification, which entails passing a comprehensive written exam as a well as a practical test demonstrating osteopathic manipulative techniques. The AOA offers specialty certification in 29 primary areas. To retain certification, physicians must complete 120 hours of continuing education within a three-year period. Continuing education can be acquired in a variety of ways, including attending professional conferences, completing education programs sponsored by the AOA, teaching osteopathic medicine, and publishing articles in professional journals. Some osteopathic physicians are certified by both the AOA and the American Medical Association.

At an early point in the residency period, all physicians, both M.D.s and D.O.s., must pass a state medical board examination in order to obtain a license and enter practice. Each state sets its own requirements and issues its own licenses, although some states will accept licenses from other states.