About Us

For more than 70 years, the AOCA has been a strong, influential specialty college of the American Osteopathic Association. Just as the osteopathic profession has grown over the past 70 years, the AOCA has also grown, and we now have more than 1200 Fellows.

The AOCA is a strong and diverse community of attending physicians, residents and medical students who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of the field of anesthesiology and pain management.

Vision Statement 

AOCA is the professional home for physician anesthesiologists, advancing and promoting the distinctive philosophy and practice of osteopathic anesthesiology. 

Mission Statement

AOCA is the primary resource for clinical education and professional development for physician anesthesiologists, and facilitates networking, advocates, and promotes the practice of osteopathic anesthesiology. 

Definition of Osteopathic Anesthesiology

As physicians trained in the Osteopathic Principles emphasizing the body’s natural tendency towards self-healing, osteopathic anesthesiologists take every opportunity to promote the importance of the body as a unit (body, mind, and spirit) during the perioperative period. Osteopathic anesthesiologists apply the osteopathic philosophy by advocating for better habits in physical health, nutrition, and mental well-being for every patient. They are also trained to recognize changes in body structure that alter function which may contribute to perioperative complications. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is the therapeutic application of manual techniques by an osteopathic physician to address the changes in body structure to improve physiologic function.