These degrees are awarded by allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) medical schools.
Doctors that graduate from these schools complete the same residencies– the on-the-job training programs for physicians. Both are licensed to practice in all 50 states and complete the exact same internships and residencies. Both must pass the same licensing exams and are board-certified by the same organizations. They can both practice in any specialty and go on to complete fellowships.
Osteopathic medical schools offer exposure to more holistic approaches to practicing medicine and treating the patient as a whole. They are sometimes trained to correct structural problems in the musculoskeletal system.