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Whats in a Name? The Ongoing Debate Behind Your Designation
Student Doctor Johnson from Texas proudly tells his family that he is training to be an osteopath while Student Doctor Richards from Michigan proclaims that she will soon be an osteopathic physician. Both are receiving the same education, yet theyve embraced different titles. So whos correct?
According to resolutions conceded during past sessions of the AOA's annual House of Delegates meeting, Student Doctor Richards is correct. But the debate over your designation and proper terminology is still a heated one.
Historical Significance
When the osteopathic profession was founded in 1874, Dr. A.T. Stills students were known as osteopaths. This title remained in tact until 1960 when members of the profession began advocating for a change in name from osteopaths to osteopathic physicians and from osteopathy to osteopathic medicine. It seemed that too often they were not being recognized as fully trained physicians but as manipulators, and that osteopathy was not being accepted as a complete form of healthcare.
The AOA agreed with this reasoning and approved a policy that all written and verbal communications issued by the AOA contain the new terms. This new policy trickled down to the colleges of osteopathy, which eventually began calling themselves colleges of osteopathic medicine as they all remain today.
Educating the Public
Today, the AOAs official position is that the terms osteopath and osteopathy be reserved for historical, sentimental and informal discussions because they are the historical descriptors for the profession.
In accordance with this position, the AOAs Communications Department has been issuing a style guide since the mid-1990sencouraging the media to use the terms osteopathic physician and osteopathic medicine exclusively.
Karyn Szurgot, Director of the Communications Department, is a strong advocate of the revised terminology. Have you ever noticed that the media often separates DOs from MDs by saying things like physicians and osteopaths? Stressing that DOs are physicians and that MDs and DOs receive comparable training is important in order to educate the public.
There are a couple of other reasons why you should use the terms osteopathic physician and osteopathic medicine:
Osteopathic medicine and osteopathic physician indicates that DOs offer complete and comprehensive medical care.
Osteopath often refers to a foreign-trained practitioner who has not undergone the stringent medical training required by DOs educated in the United States. Using this term interchangeably with osteopathic physician can be confusing and misleading to patients.
Another aspect of terminology that is sometimes neglected is the importance of identifying yourself as an osteopathic medical student by using the terms OMS I, II, III or IV instead of MS.
From Jan/ Feb 2006 edition of OMS Express - from the AOA.
Student Doctor Johnson from Texas proudly tells his family that he is training to be an osteopath while Student Doctor Richards from Michigan proclaims that she will soon be an osteopathic physician. Both are receiving the same education, yet theyve embraced different titles. So whos correct?
According to resolutions conceded during past sessions of the AOA's annual House of Delegates meeting, Student Doctor Richards is correct. But the debate over your designation and proper terminology is still a heated one.
Historical Significance
When the osteopathic profession was founded in 1874, Dr. A.T. Stills students were known as osteopaths. This title remained in tact until 1960 when members of the profession began advocating for a change in name from osteopaths to osteopathic physicians and from osteopathy to osteopathic medicine. It seemed that too often they were not being recognized as fully trained physicians but as manipulators, and that osteopathy was not being accepted as a complete form of healthcare.
The AOA agreed with this reasoning and approved a policy that all written and verbal communications issued by the AOA contain the new terms. This new policy trickled down to the colleges of osteopathy, which eventually began calling themselves colleges of osteopathic medicine as they all remain today.
Educating the Public
Today, the AOAs official position is that the terms osteopath and osteopathy be reserved for historical, sentimental and informal discussions because they are the historical descriptors for the profession.
In accordance with this position, the AOAs Communications Department has been issuing a style guide since the mid-1990sencouraging the media to use the terms osteopathic physician and osteopathic medicine exclusively.
Karyn Szurgot, Director of the Communications Department, is a strong advocate of the revised terminology. Have you ever noticed that the media often separates DOs from MDs by saying things like physicians and osteopaths? Stressing that DOs are physicians and that MDs and DOs receive comparable training is important in order to educate the public.
There are a couple of other reasons why you should use the terms osteopathic physician and osteopathic medicine:
Osteopathic medicine and osteopathic physician indicates that DOs offer complete and comprehensive medical care.
Osteopath often refers to a foreign-trained practitioner who has not undergone the stringent medical training required by DOs educated in the United States. Using this term interchangeably with osteopathic physician can be confusing and misleading to patients.
Another aspect of terminology that is sometimes neglected is the importance of identifying yourself as an osteopathic medical student by using the terms OMS I, II, III or IV instead of MS.
From Jan/ Feb 2006 edition of OMS Express - from the AOA.
