MD vs DO: What's the Difference? Over 11% of US Physicians Are DOs

Is a DO a real doctor? What patients should know

Yes. “Like all physicians in the U.S., Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, are licensed to practice medicine by licensing boards in each state.” That is the same licensing MDs go through, per the AOA. After four years of medical school, DOs complete residency, and the AOA says “This training lasts three to eight years”. Board certification works the same way too: “Physicians in the U.S. can become board certified through the American Osteopathic Association or the American Board of Medical Specialties.”

On scope, AACOM notes that “In more than 65 countries, DOs have full practice rights as they do in the United States.” So a DO can be your family doctor, your surgeon or your psychiatrist, and more than 1 in 10 US physicians is one, per AACOM. Choose a DO or an MD the way you would choose any doctor: board certification, the hospitals they work with and whether they take your insurance. The one thing a DO may add is hands-on treatment called OMT, used for problems like back and neck pain. If you want to check any doctor's license, the AOA notes that “The Federation of State Medical Boards provides a directory of state licensing boards”.

What do DOs learn that MDs do not?

Osteopathic principles and OMM. AACOM describes a whole-person approach built on four tenets, among them that the body is a unit of body, mind and spirit and that “The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance.” On the hands-on side, “OMT is the therapeutic application of manual pressure or force to restore functionality and/or remove barriers to motion and healing.” “OMM is a required and foundational element of osteopathic medical school curricula.” Around that, AACOM's sample DO curriculum starts with the basic sciences, such as anatomy, physiology and pathology, then moves to clinical clerkships in years three and four.

USMLE vs COMLEX-USA: which exams do you take?

MD students take the USMLE, which is “accepted by all 50 state medical boards”. DO students take COMLEX-USA. “COMLEX-USA Level 1 and 2-CE are required for graduation from an osteopathic medical college.” “All 50 states in the United States accept COMLEX-USA as a licensure exam for the practice of medicine by osteopathic physicians.” “Osteopathic medical students and residents also are eligible to take the USMLE.” The AMA says that, though it varies by specialty, “most residency programs will accept the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) taken by DO students”. A DO student who takes both pays two fees and studies for two exam styles, so ask the programs you want whether they accept COMLEX alone.

Do MDs and DOs go to the same residencies?

Yes. Since the move to one accreditation system finished in 2020, the ACGME says “It also allows all US medical school graduates to complete their residency and/or fellowship education in ACGME-accredited programs”. MD and DO seniors now go through one Match, and the AMA says the 2026 Match “yielded positive results for graduates from both types of schools”. For the rates by applicant type, see the NRMP's 2026 Advance Data Tables.

Where MDs and DOs end up differs more by specialty. The AMA, citing 2024 AOA figures, says 57% of DOs practice in primary care, against about one-quarter of MD graduates historically. It adds that “MD applicants tend to have the largest representation, in terms of percentage of positions matched, in procedural fields”. If you already know you want a competitive surgical field, check that specialty in the NRMP data before you choose.

MD vs DO admissions numbers

MD schools drew 54,699 applicants in 2025-26 and enrolled 23,440 new students, per AAMC FACTS Tables A-16 and A-1. Those new MD students averaged a 3.81 overall GPA, a 3.75 science GPA and a 512.1 MCAT.

On the DO side, AACOM counts 23,114 applicants and 11,687 first-year students in 2025-26. DO students who entered in 2025 averaged a 3.62 overall GPA, a 3.53 science GPA and a 502.95 MCAT, per AACOM.

By our arithmetic, new MD students equaled about 43% of that year's MD applicants, and new DO students about 51% of DO applicants. These are not acceptance rates. Many people apply to both, so the two pools overlap. AACOM's list of what DO schools look for also includes “Have shadowed an osteopathic physician”. Letter rules vary by college, so check whether yours wants one from a DO.

If your GPA is the deciding factor, read medical school with a low GPA and our GPA guide.

AMCAS vs AACOMAS: what changes when you apply

MD schools use AMCAS, run by the AAMC. DO schools use AACOMAS, AACOM's application service. Most of your application carries over. These rules differ.

The rule that surprises people most is grade replacement. The AMCAS Applicant Guide says “The AMCAS program counts grades for all attempts of a repeated course, even if your school does not.” AACOMAS works the same way: “AACOMAS does not recognize an individual school's policies for forgiveness, academic renewal, or grade replacement for repeated courses.”, per its GPA page, and “AACOMAS is required to include all repeated courses in GPA calculations, regardless of an institution's or state's academic forgiveness policies.”, per its transcript entry page. So a retake helps your GPA in both services only by adding a new grade to the average. Check yours in our AMCAS and AACOMAS GPA calculators, since each service builds its science GPA from its own course categories.

On letters, AMCAS says “You may have up to 10 letters associated with your AMCAS application.” and AACOMAS says “You can enter information for a maximum of 10 evaluations.” On activities, AMCAS caps you at 15 experiences of 700 characters, with up to three marked Most Meaningful for 1,325 more characters each. AACOMAS sorts experiences into six types on its Experiences page and adds: “Note that you cannot repeat hours between experience types.” Both personal statements allow 5,300 characters, per the AMCAS guide and the AACOMAS help center.

What does it cost to apply to both MD and DO?

“The 2027 application fee is $180 for the first school and $48 for each additional school.” per the AAMC. For AACOMAS, “For the 2026-2027 cycle, the application fee is $198 and includes submission to one designated college.” Each added college is $60, per AACOM. Here is what common lists cost in primary fees alone:

How do you choose between MD and DO?

Pick the training you want, then build the list around your numbers. Ask each school where third-year rotations happen. AACOM says DO clinical training follows a distributive model, with much of it in community hospitals and outpatient settings, and many DO schools require a rural or underserved primary care rotation. This is our guide, not an official rule:

How are MD and DO interviews different?

Mostly in format and in a few extra questions. MD schools use the MMI more often than DO schools, and some also ask for the AAMC PREview (schools that use the MMI, schools that require PREview). DO interviews add why osteopathic medicine, OMM and the DO you shadowed. Our DO interview questions guide counts the formats school by school and gives a plan for each DO question, and why osteopathic medicine has a full example answer. If you applied to both, expect this one:

More in MMI vs traditional interviews, the school-by-school interview guides and how to prepare for medical school interviews.

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