Osteopathic medicine highlighted in recent New York Times article

The New York Times published an article providing a broad overview of the current state of osteopathic medicine on July 13, 2025. The article shared many positive attributes of the profession, including its recent growth, the fact that DOs hold some of the highest medical posts in the country and the osteopathic profession’s dedication to providing health care in rural areas.

“I do think we are—I don’t want to say infiltrating—but we are everywhere,” AOA President Teresa A. Hubka, DO, FACOOG (Dist.), FACOG, CS, told the newspaper.

The article noted that the number of DOs has grown 70% in the last decade and that more than one-quarter of all U.S. medical students attend osteopathic medical schools.

The article also referenced some of the most noteworthy positions in government and media held by DOs, including:

• Overseeing NASA’s medical team (NASA Chief Medical and Health Officer J.D. Polk, DO)
• Running the most followed medical page on social media (Mikhail “Doctor Mike” Varshavski, DO)
• Overseeing the medical care of the U.S. President during the last three presidential administrations (Capt. Sean Barbabella, DO, 2025-present; Kevin O’Connor, DO, 2021-2025; Sean Conley, DO, 2018-2021)

“The author did a great job bringing balance and truth to our profession,” Alyssa Cole Mixon, DO, who recently wrote an article in The DO about coverage of the osteopathic profession in mainstream media, told The DO. “It’s amazing because the article I wrote had the call to action for more accuracy in mainstream media, and her article features exactly what I have wanted on the front page of The New York Times, including a quote from the AOA President. Of course there is more that could be expanded on, but I’m glad to read something positive about our profession in the news.”

Read the full article on The New York Times’ website.