Osteopathic Physicians

After graduating medical school, osteopaths continue gaining experience through internships, residencies, or fellowships. Scientific ability is critical to success, as well as the ability to communicate with patients.

The practice of osteopathy usually involves a lot of personal interaction and a lot of touching, which can make some patients—and some prospective doctors—feel uncomfortable. If you plan to become an osteopathic physician, you will need excellent communication skills to tell patients what to expect and what is happening at any one moment. If patients don't understand what you are telling them, they may not pursue treatment. For this reason, good communication and interpersonal skills are crucial.

Since a large number of osteopaths go into private practice, business and management skills are useful. In addition, good manual dexterity is important. Finally, and most importantly, you must have a commitment to caring for people.