Women now make up 50.2% of osteopathic primary care physicians, the first majority in American Osteopathic Association records.
Less than a decade ago, women held 46.3% of DO primary care roles, according to the AOA’s 2026 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report. The profession also passed another milestone: More than 50,000 female DOs under age 45 are now in practice, the first time that threshold has been crossed.
The shift mirrors broader changes in the physician pipeline. In the 2024-25 academic year, women made up 50.2% of all residents and fellows, surpassing men for the first time, Becker’s reported in January.
Across the active physician workforce, women’s share is still smaller. Women made up 38.7% of active physicians in 2024, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Women made up 66.7% of pediatricians and 64.1% of OB-GYNs, but 6.8% of orthopedic surgeons.
More women are coming up the pipeline. They were 55% of first-year medical students in 2025 and 57.2% of applicants, the AAMC said in December.
The growing share of women brings workforce questions health systems are still working through, including pay gaps, the lack of women in leadership and inflexible schedules. In primary care, men earned $307,000 on average in 2024 compared with $268,000 for women. Within six years of finishing training, 22.6% of women physicians worked less than full time, compared with 3.6% of men, according to AAMC data.
Here are five more findings from the AOA report, based on data as of May 31:
1. There are 167,740 DOs in active practice in the U.S., and the total count of DOs and osteopathic medical students tops 218,000.
2. DOs account for approximately 14% of all U.S. physicians.
3. Osteopathic medical schools enroll a record 41,001 students, or 29% of all U.S. medical students.
4. In the 2026 National Resident Matching Program Match, 93.2% of DO seniors matched, a record high. Counting placements after the Match, 98.8% were placed in residency.
5. The number of DOs grew in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Twenty states beat the 6% national growth rate, led by Louisiana (13.8%), Idaho (11%) and Nevada (10.4%).
