What Is Osteopathic Radiology?

Aspiring physicians can choose between two medical degrees and become a Doctor of Medicine (MD), sometimes called an allopath, or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Regardless of which degree the physician obtains, he or she must be licensed by the state of practice, which gives the doctor the right to treat patients, order tests and prescribe medications. Many doctors, both DOs and MDs, chose to continue their educations to become specialists in fields such as pediatrics, internal medicine or radiology. Osteopathic radiology is the specialty chosen by doctors who want to devote their careers to imaging techniques, such as fluoroscopy and ultrasound, and who obtain their advanced training in radiology from an osteopathic institution.

The practice of osteopathic radiology varies little from the practice of mainstream radiology. Radiologists perform the same basic tasks, regardless of the designation of their medical degrees. Their primary function is to use imaging equipment to get a look at the bones and organs that lie beneath the patient's skin and muscles, but some radiologists choose to focus on radiation therapy for cancer patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are two commonly used techniques, but radiology also encompasses ultrasound imaging, such as is commonly used during pregnancy, mammograms and fluoroscopy, which includes the technique most people refer to as X-rays. Radiologists review the images created, interpret what they see and prepare reports containing their diagnosis for the referring physician's use.

Compared to MDs, DOs receive more training in the holistic, or whole-body, approach to patient care. Many DOs include the manipulation of the bones and muscles in their practice. Similar to chiropractic care, the manipulation is intended to boost the body's ability to heal itself. This focus on the whole body and the complete patient means that many doctors of osteopathic radiology spend more time with their patients than is standard for non-osteopathic radiologists.

Osteopathic radiology programs require four to five years of study beyond medical school. During this time, referred to as the student's residency, aspiring radiologists receive training in all of the various imaging devices and in how to use each device to obtain the best results on individual parts of the body. Some radiologists may choose to pursue a radiology sub-specialty, such as pediatric radiology or oncology, which can extend the time needed to complete their training.

Most physicians entering osteopathic radiology programs are Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. Many of the programs, however, will also accept MDs into the program. Like medical schools, admission to osteopathic radiology programs is competitive, and there are typically far more candidates than there are available openings.