Valentine's Day Brings Future Osteopathic Physicians Their Perfect Matches

CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For many osteopathic medical students, this Valentine's Day will be the day they find out where the next chapter in their love of medicine will take them as the National Matching Services, Inc., announces the results of the 2011 osteopathic match.

Of the 2,212 individuals who participated in the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Intern/Resident Registration Program, 74% of students and recent graduates successfully matched for a total of 1,640 placements. Last year, there were 1,473 successful matches.

Primary care specialties of family practice saw a 15% increase and internal medicine saw a 28% increase. Family practice was the largest matched specialty with 373 positions filled.

"Each year, more and more osteopathic medical students are being successfully placed in internship and residency training programs," said Michael I. Opipari, DO, chair of the AOA Council on Postdoctoral Training. "Since osteopathic medical education places a strong emphasis on primary medical care, approximately half of osteopathic physicians choose to practice in the primary care areas, such as family medicine and internal medicine. It is encouraging to see an increase in our medical students seeking residency training in these areas."

"I would like to congratulate every student who participated in this year's osteopathic match," said AOA President Karen J. Nichols, DO. "The invaluable lessons these soon-to-be DOs will learn during their internship or residency will help prepare them for the challenges they will face as practicing physicians."

For more information about the 2011 osteopathic match, see full match results listed by state at www.osteopathic.org. To see osteopathic match data from previous years, see the JAOA—

The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association at www.jaoa.org.

How the Osteopathic Match Works

Osteopathic medical students and recent graduates interview with internship and residency training programs at medical facilities around the country to determine which programs they would like to apply to for their osteopathic graduate medical education. After the interview process, match participants submit a rank-order list of training programs while the programs submit a list of their preferred applicants in rank order. Using a computer program, the National Matching Services, Inc., coordinates the match of osteopathic medical students and recent graduates to internship and residency programs.

Osteopathic Match Schedule

Applicants who learn on Feb. 14 that they did not match into an internship or residency training program can participate in what is known as "the scramble." During this process, listings of unfilled programs are released to unmatched applicants. The applicants then have the opportunity to contact these programs with their interest in the open positions.  

Upon earning degrees as doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), graduates will begin their training programs on July 1, 2011.

What is a DO?

DOs and MDs are the only two groups of physicians fully licensed to prescribe medication and practice in all specialty areas, including surgery, in the United States. They both complete approximately four years of medical school followed by graduate medical education through internship and residency programs typically lasting three to eight years. In addition, DOs receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system, providing them with an in-depth knowledge of the ways that illness or injury in one part of the body can affect another. With this knowledge, DOs may incorporate osteopathic manipulative treatment into their patient care, using their hands to diagnose illness and injury and to encourage the body's natural tendency toward good health.

About the American Osteopathic Association

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) proudly represents its professional family of more than 70,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs); promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools; and has federal authority to accredit hospitals and other health care facilities. More information on DOs/osteopathic medicine can be found at www.osteopathic.org.

SOURCE American Osteopathic Association