International practice rights

International variations in the D.O. degree

Template:Osteopathic medicine In the United States, doctors of osteopathic medicine are physicians who are also trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine.

In France, Germany,and Switzerland, osteopathic practitioners are M.D.s who take additional courses in osteopathy after completing their medical training.

In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, “osteopaths" are trained in osteopathic principles and osteopathic manipulative treatment but are not physicians.

International practice rights

Every country has different requirements and a different way of licensing or registering osteopathic physicians and osteopaths. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes as physicians graduates of osteopathic medical colleges in the United States. Osteopaths who have trained outside the United States are not eligible for medical licensure in the United States, however, U.S.-trained D.O.s are currently able to practice in 45 countries with full medical rights and in several others with restricted rights.Template:Fact

The following is a table of International Practice Rights of U.S trained Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, as listed by the American Osteopathic Association.Template:Fact An update of this listing was released in December 2007.Template:-Template:Fact

Country		Year of latest policy	Medical Practice Rights	Requirements for Licensure
Argentina		1994	Unlimited.	Full license granted to US-trained D.O.
Australia		2000	Restricted.	Varies by state.
Austria		1994	Unlimited.	Hospital must have position unable to be filled by Austrian physician.
Bahamas		1997	Unlimited.	US license recognized.
Bolivia		1988	Unknown.	No response from embassy.
Brazil		2000	Unlimited.	Completion of Brazilian board exam & some training in Brazilian hospital is required.
Canada (varies by province)	Alberta		Unlimited.	LMCC, Step 1&2 required
	British Columbia		Unlimited.	LMCC required
	Manitoba		Unlimited.	US license recognized.
	New Brunswick		Unlimited.	LMCC required, except DOs registered in Maine
	Newfoundland		Pending.	Currently under review.
	NW Territories		Unlimited.	US license recognized.
	Nova Scotia		Unlimited.	Only D.O.s from ACGME (US or Canadian) residency.
	Ontario		Unlimited.	Only D.O.s from ACGME residency.
	Prince Edward I.		Restricted.	No provision for US D.O.
	Quebec		Unlimited.	1 year GME in Quebec & French fluency required.
	Saskatchewan		Limited.	OMM only.
	Yukon Territory		Unlimited.	US license recognized.
Cayman Islands (UK)		1983	Unlimited.	US license recognized.
Chile		1993.	Unlimited.	A written exam, in Spanish, is required.
China		1994	Unlimited.	US-DOs are permitted to apply for "Short Term Medical Practice" only.
Costa Rica		1993	Unlimited.	Several requirements. (Same as for any foreign MD.)
Denmark		1995	Unknown.	No response from embassy.
Dominican Republic		2000	Unlimited.	US license recognized.
Ecuador			Unlimited.	Several. Same as for any foreign MD.
Finland		1996	Unlimited.	Several. Same as for any foreign MD.
France		1988	Restricted.	OMM only. French government does not recognize osteopathic medicine.
Germany		1993	Unlimited.	No special requirements. Decisions made on individual basis.
Greece		2004	Unlimited.	Difficult. Greek citizenship required.
Hong Kong		1998	Unlimited.	Written examination. Personal interview. Training approval.
India		1999	Undetermined.	Indian nationality status required
Indonesia		1992	Unlimited.	All foreign physicians affiliated with a University project or a mission have unlimited practice rights. No private practice allowed.
Ireland		1999	Under review.	The Irish government has repeatedly declined to recognize US trained D.O.s as physicians. The American Osteopathic Association president has said that obtaining unlimited practice rights for US-trained D.O.s in Ireland is a top priority in 2007.
Lebanon		2004	Unlimited.	AOA letter required. Examination required.
New Zealand		2005	Unlimited.	Hearing required. Case-by-case basis.
Nigeria		1999	Unlimited.	An appearance before the Nigerian Medical Council & an oral quiz.
Singapore		1993	None.	Singapore does not recognize US DO degree. Only recognizes US MD degree from 37 US conventional medical schools. However, it does recognize post-graduate qualifications- ACGME residencies. Candidates may be considered on a case by case basis.
Spain		1994	None.	No medical practice rights.
Sweden		1996	Unlimited.	US license recognized.
Taiwan		2005	Unlimited.	The ROC government recognizes US D.O. degree. Applicants must take Taiwan Examination Yuan to obtain Taiwanese license.
United Kingdom		2005	Unlimited.	US-trained DOs eligible for full medical practice rights. Applicants must pass the PLAB examination and work for one year in the National Health Service. Following that year, the applicants will be able to apply for a license to practice privately.
Table data from AOA International License Summary., updated December 2007.

DOs compared to MDs

&nbsp In the United States, the D.O. and the M.D. are the only two degrees permitting licensure as medical physicians. D.O and M.D. physicians have similar training, both requiring four years of training in the basic and clinical sciences and the successful completion of licensing exams (D.O. physicians must pass the COMLEX, while the M.D. physicians must pass the USMLE). It is common for D.O. physicians to take both the COMLEX and the USMLE. D.O. physicians typically train at community hospitals and in more rural areas, while M.D. physicians typically train at more academic medical centers. Osteopathic medical physicians receive training in Osteopathic Manual Manipulation. Although U.S. osteopathic medical physicians currently may obtain licensure in 47 countries, osteopathic curricula in countries other than the United States differ, and in many countries they are not recognized as physicians; rather D.O.s are known as "osteopaths". In the United States osteopaths utilize the same medical practices as their allopathic counterparts along with osteopathic manipulative medicine.