American Osteopathic Association

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) began in 1897 as the American Association for the Advancement of Osteopathy. From a committee of 16 students of Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the organization has grown to over 36,000 members. From the early outset, the members included both men and women. The initial [Page 108]first and second vice-presidents, as well as the secretary and another member of the board, were female graduates of the American School of Osteopathy.

At the time of organization's inauguration, osteopathic medicine and osteopathic physicians (doctors of osteopathy or DOs) were neither well known nor well accepted. Aside from the need for camaraderie, the members sought to increase the general and official recognition of the profession, unmask and eliminate diploma mills and their constituency, and establish educational regulations for reputable colleges of osteopathy. With the 1901 annual convention, the organization changed its name to the current one and established the official journal, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. By then, only 14 states had laws recognizing and regulating the practice of osteopathy. Within a dozen years, 39 states had practice laws for osteopathic physicians and eight other states joined the list by 1923.

The process did not occur without opposition. The American Medical Association (AMA) ruled that it was unethical for a member of their organization to consult with DOs. Despite efforts on the part of the AOA, as well as passage of such laws as the Military Appropriations Act in the 1940s and directives from the Armed Services Subcommittee in the 1950s, DOs were not accepted as U.S. military physicians until 1966.

The AMA appeared to reverse its position from rejection to assimilation in the late 1950s when a contract was signed by the California Medical Association and the California Osteopathic Association to amalgamate. Rather than causing the dwindling of membership or osteopathic organizations, the event became a rallying point to increase efforts for the profession to remain independent, parallel, and distinctive. Currently, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the United States military, and the United States Public Health Service recognize DOs as fully licensed physicians and surgeons.

The AOA is the recognized body for certification of osteopathic specialists through boards representing all areas of medical practice as well as the accrediting organization for undergraduate, graduate residency, and continuing medical education processes. Osteopathic state, military, and specialty associations form component societies of the AOA with members as delegates to the governing body, the AOA House of Delegates.