DO vs MD: What are the Differences and Which is Better? (2027)

Learn about the differences between DO and MD with regards to the medical school application, your medical school education, and your future salary and career.

Introduction

DO vs MD at a Glance

Sources: AACOM, AAMC, LCME, NRMP 2026 Main Residency Match.

What is a DO vs MD?

First, let's review some basics about a DO vs. MD.

What does DO Stand For?

DO stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. You can only earn this degree from osteopathic medical schools in the United States. Therefore, if you see DO after a doctor's name, it means they graduated from an osteopathic medical school.

Osteopathic medical schools are accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association.

What is an MD?

MD stands for Doctor of Medicine and is the degree offered by all allopathic medical schools.

Allopathic medical schools are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), which is jointly sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association.

DO vs MD Similarities

Both degrees, a DO or MD, allow you to practice medicine and surgery in the United States.

DO and MD schools have the same medical school requirements, and both require the MCAT. Medical school is four years for both degrees, and DO and MD students both apply to residencies accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

DO vs MD Differences

Ideally, DO applicants should shadow an osteopathic physician from whom they receive a letter of reference, although not all osteopathic medical schools require a DO letter of recommendation. DO medical students receive 200 hours of education in osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).

DO students must take the COMLEX, and depending on the residency and specialty they hope to pursue, many also take the USMLE. DO students may not be as competitive for the most selective specialties in the residency match, and DO graduates gravitate toward primary care fields.

DOs have full practice rights in all 50 states and, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, in more than 65 countries. In some countries, however, osteopathic practice rights are limited to manipulation, so applicants interested in global health or practicing abroad should confirm the rules in their destination country.

There are 161 accredited allopathic (MD-granting) medical schools in the 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to the LCME, and 48 accredited osteopathic (DO-granting) medical schools operating at 75 teaching locations, according to AACOM.

DO vs. MD: Historical Perspective

While both osteopathic and allopathic physicians are medical doctors, there are some differences in education and training that set them apart from one another, primarily the practice of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).

OMT was originally conceived as a form of medical treatment in the 19th century by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy and the American School of Osteopathy in 1892 (now A.T. Still University in Kirksville, MO). OMT is a set of hands-on techniques used to treat, diagnose, and prevent illness and/or injury that involve stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance.

Some of the more common problems treated through OMT are asthma, sinus disorders, and migraines, as well as some musculoskeletal problems like lower-back pain. Along with standard medical education, OMT is taught exclusively in osteopathic medical schools and is used as a complement to, or in some cases a replacement for, some drug or surgical therapies.

DO vs MD: Is it Easier to Get into Osteopathic Medical School?

The primary factor that determines your competitiveness for DO versus MD schools is your MCAT and GPA.

Because the average MCAT and GPA are lower for osteopathic medical students, DO schools are the more accessible option if your stats are not high, and many applicants apply to osteopathic medical schools if they are not competitive for MD medical schools.

That said, osteopathic admissions are becoming more competitive. In the 2026 application cycle, AACOM reported a 12.83 percent increase in applications to osteopathic medical schools, the most since 2021, and the most selective DO schools now enroll classes with mean MCAT scores between 505 and 509, which overlaps with many MD programs.

To determine your competitiveness, consider the most recently reported average GPAs and MCATs for DO and MD medical school matriculants, which are listed below.

MD Medical School Average MCAT and GPA for Medical School Matriculants (2025 to 2026)

Source: AAMC FACTS, 2025 to 2026 matriculants.

DO Medical School Average MCAT and GPA for Medical School Matriculants (2025 Entering Class)

Source: AACOM, 2025 mean scores for entering osteopathic medical students.

As you can see, the stats for allopathic medical schools are much higher than those for osteopathic medical schools. Therefore, your decision of where to apply should, in part, depend on your overall competitiveness. Many students apply to both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools simultaneously.

For the most selective DO programs, along with current MCAT, GPA, tuition, and outcome data for each, see my ranking of the best osteopathic medical schools. You can also review average MCAT and GPA data from all medical schools.

DO vs MD Medical School Application Differences

There are two application services for MD and DO medical schools.

When applying to MD or allopathic medical schools, students must complete the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application, which requires a 5,300 character personal statement and application entries.

When applying to DO or osteopathic medical schools, students must complete the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) application, which also consists of a 5,300 character personal statement and application entries.

Since most osteopathic medical schools have a secondary essay with the prompt "Why osteopathic medicine?", most students use the same personal statement for both allopathic and osteopathic systems.

Both application services open in May. AACOMAS allows you to submit your application as soon as it opens, while AMCAS begins accepting submissions several weeks after it opens.

Here is a summary of the major AMCAS and AACOMAS application components:

When preparing for medical school, the admissions process does not vary much between the two paths. Individual schools may place specific requirements on applicants in order to be considered for admission, such as a certain number of letters of recommendation or preferred extracurricular activities, but generally speaking, admission requirements between osteopathic and allopathic schools are identical.

Both will require the completion of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and the completion of biology, physics, and chemistry courses.

The only notable difference between the admission practices of the two types of schools is that osteopathic schools tend to place heavier weight on whether or not an applicant has participated in an observership or shadowing opportunity with an osteopathic physician.

We therefore recommend that all osteopathic medical school applicants shadow an osteopathic physician and request a letter of reference from that physician.

DO vs. MD: School Differences

The general philosophy behind osteopathic training is also different from that of its allopathic counterpart; the focus of osteopathic medicine is to look beyond symptoms and examine the patient as a whole.

The largest difference between allopathic and osteopathic medical education is that osteopathic medical students are required to take 200 hours of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) during medical school.

During a patient interaction, emphasis is placed on performing thorough physical exams, using touch and OMT to help diagnose and provide treatment. There is also a large focus on primary care in osteopathic medical schools, and career choices and options reflect this (see below).

DO vs MD Career Options

Aside from the differences in training practices, osteopathic physicians are significantly less prevalent than allopathic physicians. Allopathic medical schools span the globe and can be found in nearly every country, while medical schools granting the DO degree are located only in the United States, totaling 48 osteopathic medical schools.

According to the American Osteopathic Association's 2026 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report, there are 151,240 DOs in the United States, about 14.1 percent of U.S. physicians, and 55 percent of DOs practice in a primary care specialty. A record 41,001 students, about 29 percent of U.S. medical students, attend osteopathic medical schools. With new osteopathic medical schools being established, these percentages are likely to continue increasing.

Related Article: Average Medical School MCAT Scores (By School)

DO vs. MD: Differences in Standardized Testing

Within medical school, both allopathic and osteopathic students must complete a series of exams in order to progress and ultimately graduate. Osteopathic medical students must complete the COMLEX exam to graduate, and allopathic medical students take the USMLE.

However, and this is important to note, to be competitive for the most selective residency programs and specialties, DO students should also sit for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

Both series of exams are designed to assess a student's medical knowledge, concepts, and principles, with the COMLEX also assessing osteopathic knowledge and skills. Osteopathic students have the unique opportunity to complete the USMLE alongside the COMLEX if they so choose, and because these results can impact an applicant's competitiveness for residency, taking both exam series can be markedly beneficial or hindering depending on the final scores.

Many residency programs, particularly in competitive specialties, prefer or require USMLE scores. Therefore, osteopathic students should take both exams if they want to have the most options when applying for residency.

USMLE Step 1 has been scored pass/fail since January 2022, and COMLEX Level 1 has been pass/fail since May 2022. As a result, USMLE Step 2 CK and COMLEX Level 2-CE, which are still scored numerically, now carry more weight in residency selection. For DO students deciding whether to take the USMLE, a strong Step 2 CK score is one of the most valuable assets in a competitive residency application.

DO vs. MD: Differences in Residency Specialties, Training, and Match Rates (2026)

Since the transition to a single graduate medical education accreditation system was completed in 2020, DO and MD graduates apply to the same residency programs across the United States, all accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This means that allopathic and osteopathic students compete for the same positions, where before there were separate allopathic and osteopathic residency programs.

Historically, osteopathic programs were more likely to interview and match osteopathic students, and many of those programs now hold osteopathic recognition within the ACGME system. A number of osteopathic students were also already able to secure positions at historically allopathic programs.

What percentage of medical students get a residency match? (2026)

According to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), U.S. osteopathic seniors matched into PGY-1 positions at a rate of 93.2 percent in the 2026 Main Residency Match, their highest rate on record, compared with 93.5 percent for U.S. allopathic seniors. According to the American Osteopathic Association, 7,928 DO seniors matched in 2026, and 4,026 of them, about half, matched into primary care specialties: family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

Keep in mind that the specialties and programs these two groups match into are quite different, however.

Ultra competitive specialties, such as otolaryngology, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, and dermatology, are very competitive for all applicants and even tougher for osteopathic residency applicants. Review the National Resident Matching Program 2026 Main Residency Match data here.

In the 2026 Main Residency Match, 1,403 U.S. DO seniors matched into family medicine, about 18 percent of all matched DO seniors. In part, this is because the specialty is well aligned with osteopathic principles, and in part because matching into more competitive specialties is very difficult. The top five specialties for U.S. DO seniors in 2026 were:

Source: NRMP, Results and Data: 2026 Main Residency Match. Internal medicine and pediatrics include categorical and primary care tracks.

The share of matches in the most competitive specialties that went to U.S. DO seniors in 2026:

Source: NRMP, Results and Data: 2026 Main Residency Match, Table 2. Dermatology and radiation oncology combine PGY-1 and PGY-2 positions.

As you can see, osteopathic medical students make up a small percentage of matches in the most competitive specialties in medicine, so an osteopathic degree may limit the specialties you can pursue.

DO vs. MD: Medical Practice and Career

In the end, the differences between allopathic and osteopathic physicians do not get in the way of the primary purpose of the profession: providing quality care to patients. Both are equally capable of providing care in any environment, whether it is the operating room, the hospital floor, the emergency department, the urgent care facility, or the private office. In fact, most allopathic and osteopathic physicians practice in the same way.

DO vs. MD Salary

DO and MD graduates make similar salaries within the same specialty. Ultimately, a physician's salary depends less on the degree and more on the chosen specialty. MD physicians are more likely to earn higher salaries overall, but this is because more allopathic medical school graduates specialize and pursue the most lucrative specialties in medicine. A higher percentage of DO physicians practice in lower-earning primary care specialties.

Final Thoughts

When deciding which medical career path to take, consider the differences between the two medical educations, your competitiveness for each path, and your future goals, career, and salary ideals. You can have a fulfilling career with either degree.

If you are weighing DO and MD programs, our physician advisors at MedEdits help applicants assess their competitiveness for each path and build a balanced school list that reflects their goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a DO a real doctor?

Yes. A DO, or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, is a fully licensed physician who can practice medicine and surgery in all 50 states. DOs complete four years of medical school, train in the same ACGME-accredited residency programs as MDs, and practice in every specialty.

Can a DO become a surgeon?

Yes. DOs match into every surgical specialty, including orthopedic surgery, where osteopathic applicants made up 12.6 percent of matches in the 2026 Main Residency Match. Matching into the most competitive surgical specialties is tougher for DO graduates, so strong board scores and research help.

Do DOs make less money than MDs?

DO and MD physicians earn similar salaries within the same specialty. A physician's salary depends more on specialty than on degree. MDs earn more on average because a higher percentage of MD graduates enter the highest-paying specialties, while a higher percentage of DOs practice primary care.

Is it easier to get into DO school than MD school?

On average, yes. Students entering osteopathic medical school in 2025 had a mean MCAT of 502.95 and a mean GPA of 3.62, compared with 512.1 and 3.81 for MD matriculants in 2025 to 2026. However, DO admissions are becoming more competitive: applications rose 12.83 percent in the 2026 cycle, and the most selective DO schools enroll classes with mean MCAT scores between 505 and 509.

What is the residency match rate for DO vs MD students?

In the 2026 Main Residency Match, U.S. DO seniors matched into PGY-1 positions at a rate of 93.2 percent, their highest on record, compared with 93.5 percent for U.S. MD seniors.

Is a DO or MD better?

Neither degree is better for patient care. DO and MD physicians practice alongside one another in every clinical setting. The main practical difference is that matching into the most competitive residencies and specialties is tougher for DO graduates, so applicants set on a highly competitive specialty should factor that into their decision.