The Growth of Osteopathic Medicine: An Answer to the Physician Shortage

Osteopathic medicine has enjoyed exponential growth over the past three decades while enrollment at M.D. schools has remained stagnant. In 1980, there were 17,620 practicing D.O.s and 1,059 D.O. graduates. In 2010, there are 63,000 practicing D.O.s and 3,845 D.O. graduates. The number of colleges of osteopathic medicine has increased from 15 to 26 colleges and 5 branch campuses. At least three schools and two branch campuses are being planned. Marian University in Indianapolis, IN, Campbell University at Buies Creek, NC, and Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan are applying for accreditation. Interestingly, because of the continuous growth, one in five medical students in the United States is currently enrolled in an osteopathic medical school. Osteopathic medical schools are remarkably diverse.  In fact, 32% of the D.O. student body is made up by minority groups. By 2020, there will be 100,000 D.O.s practicing in the U.S., more than 6,000 D.O.s will graduate yearly, and one in four medical students will be a D.O. student.

A shortage of 160,000- 250,000 physicians is projected in 2030.  This shortage will be especially serious because the U.S. population will grow to 350 million, the number of people over 65 will double, a third of current physician work force will retire, and the new healthcare law will provide more coverage to 32 million persons. In 2006, the Association of American Medical Colleges called for a 30% increase in M.D. student enrollment by 2020, i.e., an additional 5,000 students. Despite this expansion, shortage of physicians can not be prevented. The continuous growth of osteopathic medicine will somewhat alleviate the future physician shortage, and its unique blending characteristic of holistic and conventional medicine makes it a special and leading force responding to the healthcare needs of the nation. The separate osteopathic medical education pathway uniquely addresses national needs.