Deciding what branch of medicine to enter into can be a difficult decision to make. Applicants to medical school have to consider several options, including allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, and chiropractic medicine. Allopathic medicine is the branch of medicine that most people commonly think of, and the physicians who practice allopathic medicine have an MD degree. The focus for allopathic medicine is predominantly science-based, focusing on ways to counteract disease in the body. However, there are also other categories of medicine, which do not focus solely on a scientific approach [1].

Osteopathic medicine is rapidly gaining popularity these days. Dr. Andrew T. Still, unsatisfied with the medicine of the nineteenth century developed this form of medicine in 1894 [2]. He believed that many of the medications used were useless or even harmful. Still, he studied the attributes of good health so that he could more fully understand the process of diseases. He eventually identified the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health [3]. Years later, osteopathic medicine is still being practiced. As in Still's time, it encompasses the holistic way of looking at medicine: mind, body, and spirit [3]. The physicians who practice this type of medicine possess a DO degree. DOs and MDs are alike in many ways. Like MDs, DOs complete four years of basic medical education. After medical school, they complete a residency program, which requires an additional two to six years and then may choose to practice in a specialty and must also pass comparable state licensing examinations [4].

However, there are some additional aspects that DOs bring to the practice of medicine. In general, DOs practice a "whole person" approach to medicine. Instead of just treating specific symptoms or illnesses, they assess the overall health of their patients. Osteopathic medical schools emphasize training students to be primary care physicians, and osteopathic physicians tend to focus on preventative health care [3]. DOs receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system, which makes up the nerves, muscles, and bones. This allows for them to have a better understanding of how an injury or illness can affect the entire body [3]. DOs also use osteopathic manipulative treatment (OTM) in their practice. With OTM, DOs use their hands to diagnose injury and illness, and to encourage the body's natural tendency towards good health [2].

Chiropractic medicine is a branch of medicine that diagnoses and treats patients whose health problems are associated with the body's muscular, nervous, and skeletal systems, especially the spine [5]. Physicians who practice chiropractic medicine possess a DC degree. Most state boards require at least two years of undergraduate education, and an increasing number require a four-year bachelor's degree. All boards require completion of a four-year chiropractic college course at an accredited program leading to the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree [5].

Chiropractic medicine can be comparable to osteopathic medicine on the basis of a holistic approach to medicine. Chiropractors believe interference with these systems impairs normal functions and lowers resistance to disease. They also hold that spinal or vertebral dysfunction alters many important body functions by affecting the nervous system, and that skeletal imbalance through joint dysfunction, especially in the spine, can cause pain [5]. The chiropractic approach to healthcare is holistic, stressing the patient's overall health and wellness. It recognizes that many factors affect health, including exercise, diet, rest, environment, and heredity. Chiropractors provide natural, drugless, non-surgical health treatments, and rely on the body's inherent recuperative abilities. They also recommend lifestyle changes-in eating, exercise, and sleeping habits, for example-to their patients. When appropriate, chiropractors consult with and refer patients to other health practitioners.

Allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, and chiropractic medicine all present different aspects of healthcare. While there are some similarities among the three branches, the variations in practice contribute to their unique features in medicine.

Krystal is a second-year student majoring in Biology. She aspires to enter the field of medicine.