Writing MD after name?

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so721

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Hi,
As I get more correspondence from my program, it seems they are putting MD after my name continuously. It's an ACGME program and I will be the only DO in the class. In fact, I am the only one who has not graduated yet. But, is it customary to do this for billing purposes or recognition amongst ancillary support staff? I was thinking about correcting them, but I'm not sure if it will change anything since the coordinator has put that on every piece of contract she's sent me. Also, they keep on asking me for an ECFMG certificate and diploma, but I don't have those things yet, as I am still finishing up my last rotation of 4th year.

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Sounds like a place that doesn't take too many DOs. Some hospitals do refer to MDs as DOs still internally. It's one thing if it's an internal thing. But for all legal papers (i.e. contracts, names on doors, EMR, etc.) I'd make sure to email them with corrections. Don't want to later get hit with liability over misrepresentation to patients. ECFMG refers to an FMG certificate we're not able to get. Diploma's won't be coming for awhile but a lot of places have a form you can get the registrar to fill out X amount of days before graduation, attesting that we will graduate, and this substitutes for licensing purposes.
 
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Why would the hospital ask for ECFMG certificate when you graduated from an American medical school? And I would definitely request the name change, especially on legal papers as mentioned above.
 
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I"ve seen a couple hospitals that for the sake of uniformity just put MD on all physician name badges, however when you look at the charts, you see that it's DO after their name and on any paperwork it says DO. The MD is just to differentiate from the RN's, Techs, Etc.
 
Yes, I will have to ask the PC to change things. I think its because they haven't had anyone other than MD/MBBS thats where the confusion is.

Also, I think most of my fellow residents have the ECFMG/Visa stuff so that's probably why she asked.
 
Sounds like a place that doesn't take too many DOs. Some hospitals do refer to MDs as DOs still internally. It's one thing if it's an internal thing. But for all legal papers (i.e. contracts, names on doors, EMR, etc.) I'd make sure to email them with corrections. Don't want to later get hit with liability over misrepresentation to patients. ECFMG refers to an FMG certificate we're not able to get. Diploma's won't be coming for awhile but a lot of places have a form you can get the registrar to fill out X amount of days before graduation, attesting that we will graduate, and this substitutes for licensing purposes.

Regarding the registrar form, can it also be used to give someone the ability to take COMLEX 3 early?
 
Get used to it. Most staff don't understand what a DO is and they see you as "doctor" and automatically put MD. I just had the same problem with the state of Wyoming who issued my license with an MD after my name. I had to get it corrected. Some secretary put the wrong credentials.
 
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Get used to it. Most staff don't understand what a DO is and they see you as "doctor" and automatically put MD. I just had the same problem with the state of Wyoming who issued my license with an MD after my name. I had to get it corrected. Some secretary put the wrong credentials.

It is fascinating to me that we can be held to such extraordinary standards with regard to credentialling, only to have best efforts sabotaged by a single clerk who is not even subject to a single QA review process. At least you were able to get it sorted... but I wonder if anyone would have given you trouble if you hadn't.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I can see all the reasons why you would want it to be correct. But if you hadn't noticed, would it have caused you any real problems down the line?

EDIT: I ask because there was an error on my driver's license. It was issued with an error that affected everyone who got their license at that location that day. I never really looked closely at it, just winced at the photo and shoved it in my wallet. I was pulled over for speeding and the cop looked at it, apparently not too closely. (And I just got a warning, no ticket, bonus!) I've used it any number of times since, without anyone picking up the mistake.

Yesterday, I got the replacement in the mail with a letter from the DOT, instructing me to destroy the wrong license. That was my first indication that something was wrong. For three months, I'd been carrying around an identity document, using it about once per day, and no one pointed out that my height was listed as 8 foot, 5 inches. People see what they expect to see, not what is there. It isn't the same as getting the wrong credential on a license to practice, but it makes me wonder... if you were as inattentive to that detail as I might have been, would it have ever mattered?
 
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Regarding the registrar form, can it also be used to give someone the ability to take COMLEX 3 early?

Alas, no. AOA has to verify you have physically graduated not that you're on track to.
 
Alas, no. AOA has to verify you have physically graduated not that you're on track to.

Ah, darn it. I would have loved to get this exam over and done with before I make my cross country trek for residency! :( oh well, I guess we'll see if I'll get a free day during intern year to do it.
 
Just looking up a few programs this morning and came across one where a good 5 D.O.s were listed as M.D. Interestingly enough some of the D.O.s were actually identified as D.O.s. Odd.
 
It is fascinating to me that we can be held to such extraordinary standards with regard to credentialling, only to have best efforts sabotaged by a single clerk who is not even subject to a single QA review process. At least you were able to get it sorted... but I wonder if anyone would have given you trouble if you hadn't.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I can see all the reasons why you would want it to be correct. But if you hadn't noticed, would it have caused you any real problems down the line?

EDIT: I ask because there was an error on my driver's license. It was issued with an error that affected everyone who got their license at that location that day. I never really looked closely at it, just winced at the photo and shoved it in my wallet. I was pulled over for speeding and the cop looked at it, apparently not too closely. (And I just got a warning, no ticket, bonus!) I've used it any number of times since, without anyone picking up the mistake.

Yesterday, I got the replacement in the mail with a letter from the DOT, instructing me to destroy the wrong license. That was my first indication that something was wrong. For three months, I'd been carrying around an identity document, using it about once per day, and no one pointed out that my height was listed as 8 foot, 5 inches. People see what they expect to see, not what is there. It isn't the same as getting the wrong credential on a license to practice, but it makes me wonder... if you were as inattentive to that detail as I might have been, would it have ever mattered?

I think it matters most with the CMS paperwork. That part is SO SUPER PICKY, everything must match perfectly, your signature in blue ink, dated within so many days, etc. Your degree on your diploma better match your state license better match their forms, etc. or the site does not get paid for any medicare/medicaid patient. Can hold up payment for months.
 
It works the other way around. A staff psychiatrist at a hospital I used to work for graduated from Harvard and did his residency at Hopkins and was listed as a D.O. on the website for over a year. His wife was a DO in another specialty at another hospital. That's the only link I can think of.
 
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I don't know if this is a big issue, but in my state residency PGY 1 app, there is a constant mention of USMLE 3 on the app and the need to attempt it at the end of year 1, but im going ot be taking comlex3, everything is handwritten for my state, so I don't know if this is a big deal or not...I don't even know who to talk to at the Medical Board.
 
It is fascinating to me that we can be held to such extraordinary standards with regard to credentialling, only to have best efforts sabotaged by a single clerk who is not even subject to a single QA review process. At least you were able to get it sorted... but I wonder if anyone would have given you trouble if you hadn't.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I can see all the reasons why you would want it to be correct. But if you hadn't noticed, would it have caused you any real problems down the line?

EDIT: I ask because there was an error on my driver's license. It was issued with an error that affected everyone who got their license at that location that day. I never really looked closely at it, just winced at the photo and shoved it in my wallet. I was pulled over for speeding and the cop looked at it, apparently not too closely. (And I just got a warning, no ticket, bonus!) I've used it any number of times since, without anyone picking up the mistake.

Yesterday, I got the replacement in the mail with a letter from the DOT, instructing me to destroy the wrong license. That was my first indication that something was wrong. For three months, I'd been carrying around an identity document, using it about once per day, and no one pointed out that my height was listed as 8 foot, 5 inches. People see what they expect to see, not what is there. It isn't the same as getting the wrong credential on a license to practice, but it makes me wonder... if you were as inattentive to that detail as I might have been, would it have ever mattered?

I agree with you wholeheartedly. These folks should be educated regarding the differences between MD an DO exams for licensing purposes. The COMLEX is what gives us the license.
 
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Maybe this would have happened because D.O.s (Doctor of Osteopathy) and M.D.s (Medical Doctors) are alike in many ways.
 
Maybe this would have happened because D.O.s (Doctor of Osteopathy) and M.D.s (Medical Doctors) are alike in many ways.
? That's not what either degree even stands for. And in practice, 99% of the time, they are alike in every way.
 
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I don't know if this is a big issue, but in my state residency PGY 1 app, there is a constant mention of USMLE 3 on the app and the need to attempt it at the end of year 1, but im going ot be taking comlex3, everything is handwritten for my state, so I don't know if this is a big deal or not...I don't even know who to talk to at the Medical Board.
It's not, they want you to be licensed by the end of your first year. As a DO you do this by passing all COMLEX exams.
 
It's not, they want you to be licensed by the end of your first year. As a DO you do this by passing all COMLEX exams.

Thanks, I was getting worried because in all the contract and paperwork it states USMLE Step 3, no where is COMLEX listed.
 
Kind of a tangent, wondering if people are planning on having their stuff embroidered [name], DO vs Dr. [name]. Order forms for my residency program are due soon and I'm not sure which way I'll go. Leaning towards Dr. [name] since DO is less understood by patients and because I won't be wearing a white coat I'll be otherwise indistinguishable from nurses/techs.
 
Kind of a tangent, wondering if people are planning on having their stuff embroidered [name], DO vs Dr. [name]. Order forms for my residency program are due soon and I'm not sure which way I'll go. Leaning towards Dr. [name] since DO is less understood by patients and because I won't be wearing a white coat I'll be otherwise indistinguishable from nurses/techs.
Some non-physicians get doctorates these days.
 
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Some non-physicians get doctorates these days.
Yup. Seen a few NPs rock the "dr" on their white coat in the hospital. It's pretty damn unethical and confusing to patients if you ask me.

Personally, I'm just gonna do the grey coat if possible. You don't see chaplains and techs wearing those.
 
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Yup. Seen a few NPs rock the "dr" on their white coat in the hospital. It's pretty damn unethical and confusing to patients if you ask me.

Personally, I'm just gonna do the grey coat if possible. You don't see chaplains and techs wearing those.

That should be illegal.
 
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In the ED I'm not concerned about patients confusing me for a DPT or a PharmD. NP's work as providers in the fast track but there isn't overlap in patient care unless a patient was mis-triaged initially. Patients do seem to have a hard time figuring out who their doctor/provider is sometimes, especially when nurses gather their own H&P on top of ours, wear similar scrubs, etc.
 
I am not sure if my question is misplaced. but what do you guys do if you are filling out an application and it asks something but the only choice is MD and not DO? Do you just put MD?
 
Yup. Seen a few NPs rock the "dr" on their white coat in the hospital. It's pretty damn unethical and confusing to patients if you ask me.

Personally, I'm just gonna do the grey coat if possible. You don't see chaplains and techs wearing those.

I'm sure your state medical board would like to hear about that.
 
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Yup. Seen a few NPs rock the "dr" on their white coat in the hospital. It's pretty damn unethical and confusing to patients if you ask me.

Personally, I'm just gonna do the grey coat if possible. You don't see chaplains and techs wearing those.

Are grey lab coats a Chicago thing? I've noticed it on residency websites for programs in Chicago but I've never seen it out here in the west.
 
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