This year, 7,300 doctors of osteopathic medicine have entered the workforce, making DOs 25 percent of the medical school student population, according to a Sept. 8 report from Medscape.
According to the American Osteopathic Association, there are currently 36,500 in the pipeline to become DOs.
The association's commission on osteopathic college accreditation also plans to accredit 38 new colleges spanning 60 locations this year to meet the growing demands of students.
In many states, DO and medical licensing are the same, meaning that oftentimes patients don't know if they are being treated by a DO or an MD.
"Coming out of the pandemic, people are more focused on staying healthy and osteopathy offers an appealing approach," Joseph Giaimo, DO, a practitioner in Florida, told Medscape. "There's no better time for the two houses of medicine to come together, and it's a great time to be in osteopathy."