I am a graduate of an osteopathic medical school. Osteopathic physicians (D.O.)are virtually identical to the allopathic (M.D.) physicians. A difference is the osteopathic folks are also taught manual medicine (osteopathic manipulation) skills.
On paper, the osteopathic folks are seen as holistic, but on reality, with some individual exceptions; they are mare like their allopathic counterparts than not.
One question that is not really pursued or answered in either school of thought is, "What is health?".
Physicians are taught pathology, disease, diagnosing and treating conditions after they manifest!
They have metrics that guide them to diagnosing the disease, but are not taught how to prevent disease or cure disease, only how to treat the disease.
"It's the practice of medicine!" An attending said, "There's nothing proactive about it."
It is discerning to go through a chart and see a patient with eighteen pharmaceuticals to take everyday! Many of the 'meds' are to treat side (direct) effects of other meds. The bottom line is the bottom line is fed by chronic conditions that can be treated in hospitals and outpatient clinics for years; keeping the hapless patient/victim alive to feed the profits of the medical industrial complex! There is no desire to seek or promote health!
One of the mantras I frequently heard is, "Procedures pay more". We were encouraged to try to work in a procedure to boost the reimbursement rate! The patient did not always require the procedure!
There are many examples of this practice. One example is the resurgence of ECT, Electro-convulsive therapy, formerly known as 'shock or electroshock' therapy for recalcitrant depression. Even though it can cause antegrade amnesia and other neurological deficits, it has returned! I have to wonder if it's return is due to the patient's best interest or the bottom line of the clinics?
So what is health? Is it limited to the absence of a diagnosed disease? The truth is the definition of health is likely dynamic, and broader in it's scope than we realize. Health involves our mind, body, and spirit. It's definition cannot likely be contained in a few sentences.
For a start, perhaps health could initially be understood as, being able to do what we wish to do. That is very limited, but it's a start, what do you think?