Am I able to work internationally as a DO?

[SSSMDt]

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Specifically, my fiancé is from South Africa and I hope to one day spend a significant amount of time working there. Is this an option if I were to pursue DO? Does the MD/DO merger affect anything?

 

[parpar2222]

A D.O. is a trained physician. In fact, you would learn an additional element that MD students don't, the osteopathic manipulative part. I don't see why being a D.O. rather than MD would affect your ability to practice internationally

 

[ChrisMack390]

Actually, there are some countries that do not recognize the DO degree, though the number of them is shrinking.

Per the AOA, South Africa is OK, but the majority of Africa is not.

http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-a.../Pages/international-practice-rights-map.aspx

 

[Dustbowl12]

some countries don't allow foreign physicians regardless of MD DO

 

[Espressso]

The tide is shifting, in terms of nations recognizing DOs. I believe MSF is beginning to incorporate them into their projects overseas. PIH also allows them to practice.

 

[SSSMDt]

Actually, there are some countries that do not recognize the DO degree, though the number of them is shrinking.

Per the AOA, South Africa is OK, but the majority of Africa is not.

http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-a.../Pages/international-practice-rights-map.aspx

Thank you this is exactly the information I was looking for. I saw a similar post about this from 2006 stating the DO's in South Africa are limited to OMM only but figured this must have changed in the last decade.

The tide is shifting, in terms of nations recognizing DOs. I believe MSF is beginning to incorporate them into their projects overseas. PIH also allows them to practice.

Excellent because I am very interested in programs like MSF. They are only getting around to incorporating DO's now?

 

[Seth Joo]

Specifically, my fiancé is from South Africa and I hope to one day spend a significant amount of time working there. Is this an option if I were to pursue DO? Does the MD/DO merger affect anything?

A number of countries recognize DOs as full fledged physicians, the caveat is that you have to deal with the general public in those countries who might not realize that DOs are Western trained doctors, that could be a big hurdle right there even if the local governments are willing to grant you a medical license. Even in this country it took quite a while for the mainstream medical community to accept DOs, DOs were granted full rights into all 50 states in 1989 but its been only in recent years that we have become part of mainstream medicine.

 

[DrMikeP]

Not sure how things are going in SA in regards to DO status, but they do at least right now recognize DO's. You should check to see if there is a DO organization there and contact them to make sure they aren't fighting to survive. The merger isn't of the profession, just residency.

 

[Medic741]

Thank you this is exactly the information I was looking for. I saw a similar post about this from 2006 stating the DO's in South Africa are limited to OMM only but figured this must have changed in the last decade.



Excellent because I am very interested in programs like MSF. They are only getting around to incorporating DO's now?

Know this is an old thread, but DWB/MSF now ok with do's!

Physicians