The DO medical abbreviation most often stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, a physician who is fully licensed to diagnose, prescribe and perform surgery in the United States, just like a doctor with an MD. It appears after a physician's name on badges, clinic listings and the signature line of visit notes.
There is a second use worth knowing. In lowercase form with a slash, d/o is shorthand for disorder, which is why people search for the D O medical abbreviation in psych and diagnosis notes. A line such as "anxiety d/o" has nothing to do with a doctor's degree. Below you will find how DO physicians train, how they compare with MDs, how to tell the two uses apart and a few other meanings. Other degrees and team titles are grouped on the credentials, teams and places hub.
At a glance
Stands for
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (the credential D.O.)Other meanings
d/o for disorder in problem lists and psych notesWritten as
DO, D.O., and d/o when it means disorderScope in the US
Full medical and surgical practice, same as an MDExtra training
Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)Where you see it
Name badges, signatures, referral letters, problem lists (d/o)Do not confuse with
OD (Doctor of Optometry), DOE
DO medical abbreviation meaning: the osteopathic physician
A DO earns a medical degree from a college of osteopathic medicine. The path looks much like the one for an MD: an undergraduate degree, four years of medical school, national licensing exams, then a residency that can last three to seven years or more depending on the specialty. After that, a DO can be licensed in every US state.
DOs work in every field, from family medicine and pediatrics to emergency medicine, anesthesia and surgery. A large share choose primary care, so many patients meet a DO as their PCP. When a DO signs your note, orders a test or writes a prescription, it carries the same authority as one from an MD.
How a DO compares with an MD
| Point | DO | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine | Doctor of Medicine |
| Licensed to prescribe and operate | Yes | Yes |
| Residency | Same graduate training system | Same graduate training system |
| Extra coursework | Osteopathic manipulative treatment | Not required |
| Training philosophy | Whole-person care and the musculoskeletal system | Broad scientific medicine |
The extra training is in osteopathic manipulative treatment, often charted as OMT. It uses the hands to stretch, apply pressure or gently move muscles and joints, mostly for back pain and other MSK complaints. Not every DO uses OMT in daily practice.
Outside the United States
The term can mean something different abroad. In many countries, an osteopath is a manual therapy practitioner rather than a physician, and may not prescribe medicines or perform surgery. US-trained DOs, by contrast, hold full physician licenses and can practice in a number of other countries, though rules differ by nation.
So if you see DO on a document from another country, the role behind those letters may not match the US meaning. The issuing clinic can confirm what the title covers there.
d/o as disorder in psych and diagnosis notes
In medical terminology, d/o with a slash is a short way to write disorder. It turns up most in mental health notes, problem lists and diagnosis fields. A psychiatric intake might list "bipolar d/o," "panic d/o" or "substance use d/o," and a sleep clinic might write "sleep d/o."
Problem list: "1. MDD, recurrent. 2. Generalized anxiety d/o." Here d/o simply means disorder, so the second item reads generalized anxiety disorder. This problem list is made up to show the pattern.
Nursing students sometimes see the same idea written as D/O in capitals. If a note puts it next to a condition name, disorder is almost certainly meant. If it comes after a person's name, it is the degree.
Other uses and look-alike abbreviations
A handful of short forms look close enough to DO that a fast reader can slip. Each has its own meaning and its own setting.
Tips for reading DO correctly
Look at position first. Capital DO after a name and a comma is a degree. Lower case d/o after a diagnosis word means disorder. If neither pattern fits, the clinic and the kind of form usually settle it, and the writer of the note can always confirm.
As a medical acronym, DO is short, and short codes often carry more than one job. For nursing students wondering what is the DO medical abbreviation on a staff board, one rule covers most cases: the D.O. medical abbreviation after a name is the degree, whether it is printed with periods, as D.O without the last one, or as plain DO.
When choosing a clinician, patients can treat a DO and an MD as equally qualified physicians. Questions about a doctor's specialty or board certification can be answered by the practice itself.
This page explains a credential and a piece of chart shorthand in general terms. For anything about your own diagnosis or care, your own doctor or nurse is the best source.
Frequently asked questions
Is a DO a real doctor?
Yes. In the United States, a DO is a fully licensed physician who can diagnose illness, prescribe medicines and perform surgery. DOs complete medical school and residency just as MDs do.
What does d/o mean in a psych note?
In mental health notes, d/o means disorder. For example, "panic d/o" means panic disorder. It is a diagnosis shorthand, not a credential.
What is the difference between DO and MD?
Both are physicians, and US law gives them identical practice rights. DOs receive extra training in osteopathic manipulative treatment, a hands-on approach to muscles and joints, and their schools stress whole-person care.
What medical term does DO stand for after a doctor's name?
DO after a name is the degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, sometimes written D.O. It tells you the physician trained at a college of osteopathic medicine.
Can a DO be a surgeon?
Yes. DOs train in every specialty, including general surgery, orthopedics and other surgical fields, after completing the matching residency.