A growing profession Number of DOs increased by nearly 40% over 6 years, new physician census reports There are now more than 81,000 actively licensed DOs in the U.S., a new report from the Federation of State Medical Boards reveals. July 26, 2017Wednesday The DO Staff Contact The DO Staff Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email From 2010 to 2016, the number of actively licensed DOs in the U.S. increased by nearly 40%, from over 58,000 to over 81,000, reports the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) in its most recent physician census, released last week and published in the Journal of Medical Regulation. Over the same time period, the number of actively licensed MDs in the nation went up by 10%, from nearly 790,000 to over 870,000. By the AOA’s count, there are more than 102,000 DOs total in the U.S., with a combined total of more than 129,000 osteopathic medical students and osteopathic physicians. Here are the FSMB report’s other key findings: The nation’s total number of actively licensed physicians, including U.S.-trained MDs, DOs and international medical graduates, is nearly 954,000. One-third of the nation’s physicians are female. The number of women physicians increased by 26% from 2010 to 2016. Related Nearly 79% of actively licensed physicians are board-certified by either the AOA or the American Board of Medical Specialties. Among the 50 states and Washington, DC, the nation’s capital has the greatest physician density per capita, with 1,838 physicians per 100,000 people. Following DC are Hawaii (662/100,000), Wyoming (645/100,000) and Vermont (567/100,000). The physician shortage is most severe in Texas, which has 280 physicians per 100,000 people, followed by Nevada (301/100,000) and Kansas (329/100,000). To learn more, check out the complete report. More in Profession A brotherhood of veterans: Read about the enduring bond between A.T. Still, MD, DO, and his Civil War colonel A.T. Still, MD, DO, and Col. Sandy Lowe survived the hardships of the Civil War together. Their lasting friendship exemplifies the resilience and shared commitment to service that later influenced the founding values of osteopathic medicine. Funding available for osteopathically focused research projects Research funding is available to DO, MD, PhD and osteopathic medical student researchers conducting studies that address the tenets of osteopathic medicine and explore the profession’s patient-centered, empathic approach to care. Previous articleA.T. Still Memorial Lecture: Celebrating change and innovation in the profession Next articleSummer travel: Are you ready to answer the call for a doctor on the plane?
A brotherhood of veterans: Read about the enduring bond between A.T. Still, MD, DO, and his Civil War colonel A.T. Still, MD, DO, and Col. Sandy Lowe survived the hardships of the Civil War together. Their lasting friendship exemplifies the resilience and shared commitment to service that later influenced the founding values of osteopathic medicine.
Funding available for osteopathically focused research projects Research funding is available to DO, MD, PhD and osteopathic medical student researchers conducting studies that address the tenets of osteopathic medicine and explore the profession’s patient-centered, empathic approach to care.