Surge in DO students could help ease physician shortage

A report touted this week by the American Osteopathic Association shows an 85 percent increase in osteopathic medical students since 2007. Now, about 1 in 4 medical students attends an osteopathic medicine college—an enrollment figure that has increased an average of 25 percent every five years.

The report comes amid concerns that the United States is facing a physician shortage: The gap between physician supply and demand will range between 61,700 and 94,700 physicians by 2025, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges. A chunk of the shortfall is projected to be in primary care, a field in which many osteopaths specialize.