School of Osteopathy Education and training for osteopathic physicians are similar to those for medical physicians, requiring four years of basic training and an additional three to seven years of residency training in specialty fields. The first two years of professional school include course offerings in basic science and medical subjects and the third and fourth years begin training in clinical perspective. In addition, a good background in communication and social skills is helpful. These include well-equipped chemistry, physics, and biology laboratories. The opportunities in osteopathy continue to be outstanding in both rural and urban settings.
Great demand continues in family practice, as well as specialty fields.
More physicians are also needed for medical research, medical education, and the growing fields of public health, rehabilitation, and industrial medicine. Several reasons for high demand of physicians include population growth, public awareness of the importance of health care, and higher standards of medical care. Certainly, health care continues to be one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. See our Placement Job Search Links for more information on finding jobs in this area. There are 15 schools of osteopathic medicine in the United States and all have similar admission requirements.