Why would someone get both a DO and MD?

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I'm not sure of the incentive to obtain both degrees since they're practically the same. Maybe he wasn't competitive for an ophthalmology residency as a DO so he decided to do the MD as well? What do you guys think?

Reference: http://www.lasiktoday.com/hratch-kourouyan-md.html

Originally Posted by xXRAYNEXx

I'm not sure of the incentive to obtain both degrees since they're practically the same. Maybe he wasn't competitive for an ophthalmology residency as a DO so he decided to do the MD as well? What do you guys think?

Reference: http://www.lasiktoday.com/hratch-kourouyan-md.html

It says he is a DO not an MD. I can pretty confidently say nobody currently living has both an US obtained MD and DO.

Yeah, he does not have an MD degree. MDeye or whatever is not the same thing.

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He then pursued medical training, first completing a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine in California, and then a medical degree from International University of Health Sciences.

He got a DO degree, then an MD degree from a school in St. Kitts (an internet university or something?).

Anyway to answer OP -- maybe he felt insecure about having "just" the DO degree. Seems like a waste of several years to me to go back and get another degree.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

He got a DO degree, then an MD degree from a school in St. Kitts (an internet university or something?).

Anyway to answer OP -- maybe he felt insecure about having "just" the DO degree. Seems like a waste of several years to me to go back and get another degree.

I'm sure there are Internet offshore companies that will sell you a meaningless degree. I doubt he spent several years.

MBBS or the equivalent might get a DO to lose the IMG label, but, as stated above I highly doubt someone has an American MD and DO degrees.

There are some places that advertise a "D.O to M.D." thing, but these are pretty much just diploma mills so you can put LossforWords M.D. instead of LossforWords D.O. on your monogrammed paper weight.

Maybe to author a book and they want more recognition by the general public

Tired of explaining what a DO is, want more lay prestige, feelings of insecurity, etc. Seems like a huge waste of time and money and purely ego driven.

why the hell go to a school in west indies that is not even recognized by all states after getting a perfectly good DO?

something about the way this all stacks up doesnt make much sense though.... if the guy had an MD he would list it. He lists eyeMD but I think that is an affiliation more than a degree. and his bio says "Doctor of osteopathic medicine" but the indies deal is just a "medical degree"....

http://www.globaleyeandlaser.com/DrKao.aspx

Link above does state explicitly that he has MD and DO. The MD is from a public university in Florida. At first glance, the school doesn't seem like a diploma mill.

http://www.vitals.com/doctors/Dr_James_Kao

Link above does show his full credentials with DO, MD, MPH.

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something still seems off... google is unaware of an "international university" in southern florida. There is a Florida International University in Miami, though...

no idea why he did it, but it looks like FIU is a brand new school and they dont appear terribly selective. Maybe he figured he had a shot at an MD by gunning for a school that is newly opened... I cant imagine any other US MD schools taking on someone who already has a medical degree. But I could be wrong

Originally Posted by link2swim06

I can pretty confidently say nobody currently living has both an US obtained MD and DO.

You would be wrong.

Originally Posted by SpecterGT260

something still seems off... google is unaware of an "international university" in southern florida. There is a Florida International University in Miami, though...

no idea why he did it, but it looks like FIU is a brand new school and they dont appear terribly selective. Maybe he figured he had a shot at an MD by gunning for a school that is newly opened... I cant imagine any other US MD schools taking on someone who already has a medical degree. But I could be wrong

First off, FIU opened it's medical school in 09. It won't even have a graduating student for another year.

Second off, you are making a crap ton of assumptions with out actually researching the issue.

Third off, the school he he saying he got his MD from is an international school that you can attend distance in the US. It is not an accredited US medical school. I have not a clue as to why he did it but I'm guessing he had his reasons. His practice looks pretty successful so you can't really say he doesn't know what he is doing.....

Originally Posted by OneTyme

First off, FIU opened it's medical school in 09. It won't even have a graduating student for another year.

Second off, you are making a crap ton of assumptions with out actually researching the issue.

Third off, the school he he saying he got his MD from is an international school that you can attend distance in the US. It is not an accredited US medical school. I have not a clue as to why he did it but I'm guessing he had his reasons. His practice looks pretty successful so you can't really say he doesn't know what he is doing.....

easy there trigger finger.

first off: good call I didnt think about that.

second off: I havent made any assumptions aside saying that I cannot find this "international university" written as a proper noun on his bio and offered my best guess

third off: which school? since I am the one making assumptions and you are the one with the level-headed info, care to link us to their admissions page? I dont recall commenting on whether or not he knows what he is doing other than to say things seem odd based on what was linked which brings me to my final point....

fourth off, eff off

http://www.boydobgyn.com/pdf/Boyd_CV.pdf

This guy bought an MD from the Caribbean after 10 years in practice. Why? Did it improve his practice? ??

I also read of a dentist doing a Caribbean 'health professional-to-MD' type of program so he could advertise as an MD, but was shut down by the state board of medicine.

Originally Posted by SpecterGT260

easy there trigger finger.

first off: good call I didnt think about that.

second off: I havent made any assumptions aside saying that I cannot find this "international university" written as a proper noun on his bio and offered my best guess

third off: which school? since I am the one making assumptions and you are the one with the level-headed info, care to link us to their admissions page? I dont recall commenting on whether or not he knows what he is doing other than to say things seem odd based on what was linked which brings me to my final point....

fourth off, eff off

Well, if one takes the time to read the listed documents.... One would see that " International University of Health Sciences" is listed as the MD granting school. (http://www.valuemd.com/international...sciences-iuhs/) Then all one has to do is GOOGLE the school.

Pretty peachy keen way to speak legitimately to the issue.....

which brings us right back to the west indies. I'm not entirely sure how much sleuthing needs to be done per your requirements before saying "something doesnt smell right" is no longer such an inappropriate statement.
here is what google finds http://www.iuhs.edu/
I suppose we could go through the oober legit-looking value MD link on caribbean schools. As SDN has shown us nothing posted on vbulletin could ever be misleading not when the 4th thread in their subforum is "1996 toyota corolla for sale" and I am simply not digging around in all of that enough to confirm a south florida campus as was indicated in another link.

I am seeing very little here to justify your itchy trigger finger, to show what I posted was inappropriate, or to validate your further use of said search in addressing the above two points. We had already found UIHS... and nothing other than an oddly restrictive promo pamphlet seems worthwile and even less speaks about florida. So are you saying this evidence points undeniably to a situation where he did not buy a caribbean MD for some bogus advertising purposes?
oh, and on what basis do you claim that his practice is doing so well? I have no idea how he is doing but I find it interesting that this is one of your leading arguments.... was it the super schnazzy website?

and before you get overly excited and post prematurely again (because everyone leaves unsatisfied when that happens...) you should note that I still havent taken a hard position other than "this is odd". Doing extra digging IS what this thread needs, but one should be a little embarrassed for thinking doing said digging is somehow grounds to harp on another poster just for saying things are weird.

http://www.uhsa.ag/index.php?option=...194&Itemid=160, interesting

im not sure what your point is.... UHSA is not IUHS...

I think it became clear to me why he got both degrees. I'm not sure how much the MD from an island enhanced his career, but I wouldn't raise any yellow flag if he left it out entirely in his bio. I think his DO holds enough weight to stand by itself magnificently with his other achievements. Mentioning the tainted MD does not really give him the edge--at least not within the medical community. Although I'm sure it is hard to ignore a $68k/year tuition + misc. cost investment on his part. Was it a mistake or a good investment? Only he has a better answer. Thanks everyone for your input and taking the monkey off my back.

Because he was dropped on his head as a baby!

Originally Posted by auburnO5

You would be wrong.

And who is this person?

apparently these guys who buy caribbean MDs....

can you guy a Caribbean DO? May do it for fun some day

Originally Posted by SpecterGT260

apparently these guys who buy caribbean MDs....

can you guy a Caribbean DO? May do it for fun some day

haha thatd be pretty funny

Originally Posted by SpecterGT260

apparently these guys who buy caribbean MDs....

can you guy a Caribbean DO? May do it for fun some day

I'll sell u one for much cheaper. Comes with its own frame to hang in ur bathroom.