They are similar but not the same. Here are some stats. In 2004 91% of MD students passed step 1 while 67% of International medical students passed. Everyone always rags on the FMGs as being poorly educated but DOs only out scored the international students by 2%. DO's passed at only 69% . Thus you kinda have to conclude that there is something quite different.
That being said, DO's approach the MDs in terms of pass rate for the step 2s and are virtually the same for the step 3 pass rate. So basically all the DOs that can't cut it are eventually weeded out so those that are left are on a similar level.
So the level of education is not the same but if a DO gets an MD residency, chances are they are on comprable footing.
Recently I have softened my stance on the whole MD/DO question but I agree that the fact that there is a different degree with a different licensing committee is suspect. If a DO can pass USMLE then he/she should be considered a doctor w/o issue. If he/she can't pass it yet can pass the COMLEX what does that say about COMLEX?
For DO's COMLEX 1 pass rate is ~90% yet those that choose to take Step 1 have only a 69% STEP 1 pass rate. You would also assume that the DO students that chose to take Step 1 are not as likely to be part of the 10% that fail the COMLEX either. They are more likely to be the better students looking to get into an MD residency so one could assume more than 90% of the DO students that take Step 1, pass the COMLEX.
If you then adjust the DO's scores one could say that at worst (if none of the 10% that failed COMLEX took STEP 1) only 62% of DO students could pass STEP 1. That is almost a 30% difference from the MD students. The best case adjusted score is around 76%, still 15% below MD students.
If all of this stuff wasn't so suspect I think more people would think that, in general, DO is just as good as MD, but as it stands now I think the evidence does not support this. Sure there are those DOs practicing along side MDs after going to an MD residency. You cannot assess the whole DO degree just on these people working along side MDs because that does not take into account the overwhelming number of DOs never made it to that point.
Can you please quote your "source" for these numbers? Thanks.
Edit: I have found similar numbers at
usmle.org so I'm assuming he got the numbers from here.
First off, you are making alot of "assumptions" based on your stance that the DO education is inferior to MD. So until you have some hard numbers about the number of test takers, I would tread lightly on that subject. You start making assumptions and to me they don't really make that much sense.
For instance I want to note that the first two years of most DO schools are different than MD schools. So to that (and to the fact that it is plain knowledge that COMLEX is a completely different test than USMLE) I'd offer some explanation of why DO's do poorly on Step I. They have additional coursework which might take the place of clinical experience and more in depth basic sciences with the additional of OMM. They do much better on step II though. If you compare sciences to most DO schools, MD's have the better preparation hands down. I have heard of some of my current osteopathic friends "complaining" about the lack of biochem teaching in which they have to teach themselves. Not all osteopathic schools are equal, same as with allopathic.
I just don't always buy into "statistics" because yes, they can be manipulated. I wonder if anyone has looked into why DO students don't perform as well on USMLE over COMLEX. Besides the fact that those two tests have different focuses (drugs/bugs vs. biochem) Does anyone have any input on this? When trying to figure out the numbers they didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me. Especially because only a little over half of all DO students are taken USMLE.
And in my opinion throwing out the numbers for FMG's vs. DO's are bunk because look at the number of FMG's who have "retaken" the exam and still they can't pass and you also have to look at the volume compared to the percents as well.
There is more analysis but I have to get back to my studying. I'm just saying that for those who know the two exams (USMLE and COMLEX) they know there are differences in material just like there are difference in MD and DO schools. As well as straight statistics can be manipulated for USMLE just like they are manipulated for COMLEX.
As stated its not "good or bad" just different. I wish they'd post the avg scores of the students as well. That might be an indicator that could be used.
For a guy going for ortho that's not in my best interest, however, what's fair is fair. Lastly, it makes good financial sense to make OMM an acceptable standard of care for common musculoskeletal complaints. If you perform muscle energy for say..piriformis syndrome you could bill for an office procedure which means a higher reimbursement for the visit...which means higher pay for doctors 👍
