Volume 103, Issue 1

The purpose of this study was to determine where the graduates of an inaugural class of a college of osteopathic medicine came from, what influenced their school selection, how their osteopathic medical school experience affected them, and how they chose what and where they would study after graduation as well as where they would practice. These data have significant implications for the osteopathic profession and its future recruitment efforts into the profession and into its postgraduate programs.

The authors mailed a survey designed to determine the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to the 2,318 active osteopathic physicians registered with the Ohio Osteopathic Association; 871 responses were received, for a response rate of 38%. Approximately 75% of the respondents had not or had rarely used OMT: 44% of these respondents did not use any OMT and 31% reported treating fewer than 10 patients with OMT during the week before the survey. Approximately 25% of the surveyed osteopathic physicians treated more than 10 patients with OMT, and about 6% of these treated more than 30 patients with OMT. Respondents represented 40 specialty disciplines. All of the osteopathic physicians in 17 specialties reported no OMT use, osteopathic physicians in 9 specialties reported using OMT for fewer than 10 patients during the previous week, and osteopathic physicians in 9 specialties reported using OMT for more than 10 patients during the previous week. Of the somatic dysfunctions listed in the survey, low back disorders were treated with OMT most often. Few osteopathic specialists used OMT for patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The data suggest that a great opportunity exists to increase the use of OMT by osteopathic physicians, especially those who are specialists.