Best Do Schools

We’ve devoted an entire guide to the differences between MD and DO programs, so we won’t spend too much time comparing the merits of each degree here. But we will help you determine if a DO program is the right fit for you.

The DO schools on U.S. News’ best medical schools list for 2023-2024

The lists of the best medical schools for research and primary care included 16 and 15 DO schools, respectively. Also, the lists of the medical schools producing the most graduates practicing in primary care, rural areas and underserved areas included many osteopathic medical schools.

Dr. Vallejos is an internist.

Topics

U.S. News and World Report recently released its 2023-24 lists of the best medical schools in the U.S. The lists of the best medical schools for research and primary care included 16 and 15 DO schools, respectively. Also, the lists of the medical schools producing the most graduates practicing in primary care, rural areas and underserved areas included many osteopathic medical schools.

Of note, 13 medical schools have opted against giving their data to the U.S. News and World Report editors for their annual medical school rankings in 2023. The exodus of these schools was prompted by their concerns that there is too much reliance on peer and faculty opinions, which in turn can lead to an elitist “legacy” mentality. Likewise, there is a strong focus on test scores and GPAs that can result in students being well-resourced but not well-equipped for the medical profession, some schools noted.

It is advisable to turn to the medical schools’ websites and other resources to determine what would be a good fit for you.

You can navigate to the full lists here.

DO schools make U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 best medical schools lists

Top medical schools for primary care

The rankings for these medical schools were based on peer assessment scores, residency director assessment scores and student selectivity scores, which include MCAT scores, GPA, acceptance rates, faculty resources and primary care production. The following osteopathic medical schools were listed as notable institutions for training in primary care. #11 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine #40 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine #49 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine #50 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific #58 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine #71 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine #80 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine #84 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine #92 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine — CA #103 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine #103 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine #108 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine #112-123 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine #112-123 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Top medical schools for research

The following osteopathic medical schools were listed as notable research institutions. The metrics used to determine the rankings included two measures of research productivity such as total federal research activity (funding and grants from the U.S. government) and average federal research activity per faculty member. #111 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine #113 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine #114 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine #115 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine #116 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine #117 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific # 118-130 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA #118-130 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine #118-130 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical schools with the most graduates in primary care

These rankings were compiled by measuring the proportion of a medical school’s 2013-2015 graduates who are practicing in a primary care specialty as of 2021. It’s a fuller measure of a school’s imprint in primary care than exclusively assessing the proportion of graduates in primary care residencies. Notably, seven of the top 10 schools on the list are DO schools, which shows that the osteopathic profession is a significant contributor to the primary care workforce in the U.S. #1 Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine #2 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine #3 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine #5 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific #7 A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine #8 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine #10 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine #11 A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona #12 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA #13 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine #15 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine #21 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine #22 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine #26 Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine #29 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine #30 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine #32 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine #33 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine #33 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine #37 Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine #48 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine #49 New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine #56 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine #57 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine #90 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical schools with the most graduates practicing in underserved areas

U.S. News ranked medical schools by the percentage of each school’s 2013-2015 medical and osteopathic graduates practicing direct patient care in medically underserved areas, also known as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). The graduates are six to eight years established in their location and specialty. The HPSAs, also known as medical deserts, are determined to contain a shortage of medical professionals calculated by the physician to population ratio. Below are the DO schools that made this list. #1 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine #3 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine #6 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine #12 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine #13 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine #24 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine #25 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine #26 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine #39 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine #43 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine #55 Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine #58 Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine #62 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine #74 A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona #76 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA #78 New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine #84 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine #87 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific #99 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine #106 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine #124 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine #133 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine #146 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical schools with the most graduates practicing in rural areas

These rankings were derived by taking the medical school’s percentage of each school’s 2013-2015 graduates practicing direct patient care in rural areas of the U.S. These areas are defined via the USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Classification. Below are the osteopathic medical schools on this list. #1 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine #3 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine #4 A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine #6 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine #9 Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine #10 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine #12 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine #17 Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine #19 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine #24 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine #26 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine #27 Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine #30 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine #31 A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona #47 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine #53 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine #56 (tie) Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine #56 (tie) Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine #63 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific #82 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine #84 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA #95 New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine #107 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine #136 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine #155 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of The DO or the AOA.

The Best Osteopathic Medical Schools: DO School Rankings List (2023)

Which are the best DO schools? Explore top-ranked osteopathic medical programs and the best strategies to increase your admissions odds

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Who should consider osteopathic medical schools?

Part 3: Osteopathic medical school admissions strategies

Part 4: The best DO schools: rankings and admissions statistics

Part 1: Introduction

Your heart is set on becoming a physician. You’re taking medical school prerequisites and working on your extracurricular requirements. But as you start compiling your med school list, you’re intrigued by osteopathic medical schools, or DO programs. You begin to wonder, should you apply to DO programs? And if so, which ones?

We’ve devoted an entire guide to the differences between MD and DO programs, so we won’t spend too much time comparing the merits of each degree here. But we will help you determine if a DO program is the right fit for you.

Maybe you’re considering DO programs for the first time and don’t know where to start. Or perhaps you already know you want to go into osteopathic medicine, but you’re not sure which programs to apply to and how to make yourself a competitive applicant.

To help you reach the next stage in your medical journey, in this article we’ve provided:

• A discussion of who should apply to DO programs
• Admissions strategies you can use to improve your odds of getting accepted to these competitive programs
• A list of the best osteopathic medical schools

Part 2: Who should consider osteopathic medical schools?

Osteopathic medical schools attract promising applicants every year because they teach a holistic approach to medicine. For many students, the specialized focuses on prevention, the body’s ability to heal itself, and the patient as a whole are exactly what they’re looking for in their medical training.

The majority of osteopathic med school graduates become primary care physicians in rural areas, even though DO physicians have the same opportunities to specialize as MD physicians do. This is because the philosophy of osteopathic medicine is most applicable to a primary care practice.

But not every DO physician becomes a rural primary care doctor, so even if that’s not your career goal, an osteopathic medical school could still be a good choice for you.

Bear in mind, however, that when it comes to the most competitive medical specialties, DO graduates have a harder time matching into residencies than their MD counterparts. While overall match rates are fairly close (91.6 percent for DO seniors vs. 93.7 percent for MD seniors in 2023), a significantly higher percentage of DO grads go into primary care.

One of the most distinguishing factors of DO physicians is that they receive 200 hours of specialized osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). This is a set of techniques used to treat and prevent illness or injury by stretching and applying pressure to patients’ muscles and joints. In practice, OMT can seem similar to chiropractic techniques, but instead of just fixing a patient’s alignment, OMT also treats health problems like asthma, migraines, and sinus disorders, to name a few. In some cases, OMT works as a replacement for drugs or surgery. This treatment method attracts many students to osteopathic medical schools because they’re interested in exploring more natural, holistic approaches to healing.

Holistic medicine takes a big-picture approach by looking beyond the diagnosis and treatment of disease. If you’re passionate about improving community health and preventing disease, a DO program will provide the training to help you pursue those aims in your medical career.

Beyond the emphasis on holistic medicine, osteopathic medical schools appeal to premed students with low stats because they have a better chance of getting accepted to a DO program than an MD program (more on this later). So if your stats aren’t quite competitive enough for allopathic medical schools, applying to DO programs gives you an option to continue pursuing a medical degree instead of taking a gap year to enroll in a post-bacc or retaking the MCAT to improve your stats before reapplying.

However, an osteopathic medical school might not be a great fit for you if you’ve dreamed of attending a medical program attached to a prestigious university or a large medical center. Because many DO programs are aimed at training rural primary care physicians, they’re located in the midst of the rural communities their graduates are meant to serve. You’ll spend more of your clinical rotations in community clinics than acclaimed hospitals. And you won’t find DO programs attached to Ivies or highly selective undergraduate institutions.

That doesn’t mean osteopathic medical schools offer inferior training or produce second-rate physicians. As we’ve mentioned, the approach to medicine is different—not better or worse. But if the name or prestige of your medical school is a key factor in which program you decide to pursue, you’re better off looking at top-ranked MD programs.

It’s important to note that many premed students apply to both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. So if you’re still not sure if an MD or DO program would be better for you, we’d suggest you apply to a mix of both.

Part 3: Osteopathic medical school admissions strategies

In this section, we’ll explore the admissions strategies—beyond having competitive stats—that will help you increase your chances of getting accepted to a DO program.

Demonstrate interest for holistic medicine through your extracurriculars

DO programs require the same medical school extracurricular activities that MD programs do, including shadowing, research, volunteering, and patient experience. But to be an impressive candidate, you need to convince admissions committees that you’re truly interested in osteopathic medicine—not just looking for an easier route to becoming a physician because you have less competitive stats.

You can demonstrate your passion for holistic medicine while fulfilling your volunteer and community service requirements. You might volunteer to teach healthy living or nutrition classes at your local library. If you have your heart set on pediatrics, become a volunteer at an after-school physical activity program. Look for other opportunities in your community to be a health advocate or spread information about healthy lifestyles and prevention.

If possible, arrange your patient experience to take place in a holistic health clinic where you can witness holistic medicine in action. But you can apply a holistic approach to any clinical experience you gain—look beyond easing symptoms and consider how to improve patients’ overall health through better healthy living practices.

Osteopathic medical schools may not prioritize research experience as highly as MD programs, but they still expect to see that you’ve spent time in a lab. This will demonstrate your ability to understand and incorporate research findings into your practice as a DO physician. You’ll get bonus points if your research focus is related to an aspect of holistic medicine or OMT.

And don’t worry if you’re applying to both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Weaving a holistic medicine approach through your extracurriculars will look good on MD program applications, too. Many MD physicians apply holistic principles to their practices. As long as it’s your authentic interest, you’ll impress adcoms across the board with your holistic medicine experience.

Obtain a strong letter of recommendation from a DO physician

Some osteopathic medical schools specifically require applicants to submit a letter of recommendation from a practicing DO physician. This is another way DO programs screen applicants to see if they have a true understanding of and interest in osteopathic medicine.

Shadowing a DO physician is the best way for you to obtain a strong letter of recommendation. And, you get to see how an osteopathic doctor treats patients, which will help you determine if you’re compatible with a holistic medical approach. If you have the time and ability, you could shadow both a DO and an MD physician to compare the differences in their day-to-day medical practices and see which appeals to you more.

How do you find a DO physician to shadow? Start by seeing if your own primary care doctor is a DO physician. If not, perhaps they can recommend you to a colleague or another doctor in their practice. You can also use an online directory of Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine to find potential physicians to shadow.

Express your passion for osteopathic medicine in your personal statement

Your med school personal statement—whether you apply to osteopathic medical school, allopathic, or both—should include your reasons for pursuing medicine, the experiences that led you to a medical career, and evidence for why you’ll be a successful physician. We offer an in-depth look at crafting your statement in our guide to writing medical school personal statements.

Since many students apply to both MD and DO programs, it’s tempting to use the same personal statement for both applications. And, certainly, using the same anecdotes or theme is a smart way to save you time and effort. But be careful about just adding “holistic” throughout your MD personal statement in an attempt to demonstrate your interest in osteopathic medicine—adcoms will see right through you.

Osteopathic medical schools want to see your interest in becoming an osteopathic doctor specifically, not just that you’re applying because DO programs are easier to get accepted to than MD programs. If you’ve committed to the above strategies of gaining holistic and osteopathic medical exposure, you’ll have plenty of meaningful experiences to pull from when writing your statement.

Craft an authentic statement focusing on the aspects of holistic medicine that appeal most strongly to you, whether that’s OMT, prevention, or treating the patient as a whole. Use anecdotes to demonstrate your exploration of and commitment to osteopathic medicine.