DO Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield DO facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Since doctors of osteopathy may manipulate the spine physically to aid in the body's healing, they are frequently mistaken for chiropractors. → True
2. A DO notes tissue texture changes at T6–T8 in a patient with epigastric pain. This represents which reflex? → Viscerosomatic reflex
3. A patient on carbamazepine for epilepsy presents with hyponatremia. What is the most likely mechanism? → Stimulation of ADH secretion and enhanced ADH activity causing SIADH
4. Counterstrain technique involves positioning the patient at the point of what? → Minimum pain (greatest comfort)
5. Approximately how many DOs are currently practicing in the United States? → 180,000
6. A woman on oral contraceptives is prescribed an antibiotic for a UTI. Which antibiotic poses the greatest risk of reducing OCP efficacy? → Rifampin
7. How long is the osteopathic medical school curriculum before residency? → 4 years
8. Which statement about COMLEX and USMLE scores is most accurate? → They measure overlapping but distinct competencies and cannot be directly compared
9. Probenecid is sometimes co-administered with penicillin to enhance its therapeutic effect. What is the pharmacokinetic mechanism? → Probenecid inhibits renal tubular secretion of penicillin
10. A DO student applying to a highly competitive ACGME residency should consider which additional examination? → USMLE
11. Which clinical presentation most warrants assessment of Chapman's reflex points for the kidney? → Flank pain with posterior T10–T11 tissue texture changes
12. In Fryette's mechanics, Type II (non-neutral) dysfunction is characterized by which coupling pattern? → Sidebending and rotation to the same side
13. Which of the following best describes osteopathic medicine's guiding principles? → All of the above
14. What is the mechanism by which unfractionated heparin exerts its anticoagulant effect? → Potentiates antithrombin III, accelerating inactivation of thrombin and factor Xa
15. Which nerve passes inferior to (or through) the piriformis and is compressed in piriformis syndrome? → Sciatic nerve
16. The osteopathic principle that 'structure governs function' means which of the following? → Abnormal structural relationships impair normal physiological function
17. Which drug class is the first-line treatment for hypertension in a patient with type 2 diabetes and proteinuria? → ACE inhibitors
18. Osteopathic medicine has been practiced for more than a century! → True
19. Manipulation by osteopaths Doctors of osteopathic medicine employ treatment, a hands-on method, to promote wellness and recovery. → True
20. Facilitated spinal segments are characterized by which physiological state? → Increased neural excitability from sustained afferent input
21. A rib that cannot expand fully during inspiration is classified as which type of rib dysfunction? → Inhalation restriction
22. OMT procedures might be uncomfortable. → False
23. When diagnosing pelvic somatic dysfunction, asymmetric iliac crest height combined with an asymmetric PSIS position most suggests which finding? → Innominate (hip bone) somatic dysfunction
24. What is the unique clinical contribution that osteopathic medicine has made to modern healthcare? → Integration of hands-on manipulative treatment into whole-person medical care
25. The 'red reflex' in osteopathic palpatory diagnosis refers to which finding? → Skin erythema persisting after a palpatory drag, indicating sympathetic activity
26. The primary respiratory mechanism (PRM) in craniosacral therapy operates at approximately how many cycles per minute? → 6–12
27. Lymphatic OMM techniques are most indicated in which clinical scenario? → Post-surgical edema and respiratory infections
28. A patient receiving IV vancomycin develops flushing and erythema over the face, neck, and chest. What is the mechanism? → Direct mast cell degranulation causing histamine release
29. Like MDs, DOs can get a license to practice in all 50 states. → True
30. Which OMM technique uses slow, rhythmic passive joint motion at approximately 1-2 cycles per second to restore range of motion? → Articulatory technique