Today's Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine continues to be a leader in primary healthcare. More than 60,000 D.O.'s practice medicine in the United States, and by 2020, the number of practicing D.O.'s should reach nearly 100,000.

Canada and 49 other countries now recognize U.S. trained osteopathic physicians. Every state offers full medical licensing to osteopathic physicians who practice in every field of medicine.

Because of the whole-person approach to health care, more than half of all D.O.'s choose to practice in the primary care areas of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Osteopathic physicians can be found practicing in every medical specialty.

Since LECOM opened in 1993, osteopathic medical school numbers have grown from 16 to 26 colleges of osteopathic medicine, offering instruction at 34 locations in 25 states. Osteopathic colleges have more than doubled the number of their graduates to more than 3,500. With growth planned in existing schools, and as many new schools currently in some stage of planning, the number of D.O. graduates could increase to more than 5,000 by 2015.

With more than 18,000 students attending colleges of osteopathic medicine, one out of five medical students will become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. One out of 10 of those osteopathic medical students attend LECOM, which has the largest enrollment of all medical schools in the country.