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To the Editor: Dr McPartland¹ raises an interesting issue in criticizing my book on alternative medicine for excluding osteopathy. Is osteopathic medicine "alternative"?

Contrary to McPartland's belief, but according to the American Osteopathic Association, mainstream training and licensure requirements, and the American Medical Association, which includes doctors of osteopathy among its members, osteopathic medicine is decidedly not alternative. Students of osteopathic medicine train for the same length of time and according to the same standards applied in allopathic medical schools, often must pass the same tests and licensing examinations, and, like doctors of medicine, may be licensed for the full practice of medicine in all 50 states. No other group is so trained or permitted.^2-3

Further, osteopathic medical school accreditation is recognized by the US Department of Education. Applicants to schools of both allopathic and osteopathic medicine are required to take the medical college admission test.

Alternative medicine by definition . . . [Full Text of this Article]