![Laughy :laugh: :laugh:](/smilies/laughy.gif)
OOOPs...I may have opened up a can, sorry. I was unclear of the difference...obviously . I didn't mean to get everyone's feather ruffled,,just an explanation.
![Roll eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Next time, PLEASE do a search. You'll find more threads than you can read in one sitting about your question and other questions related to it. This topic has been completely done to death...several times over.
Obviously it seems that those who are allopathic are sorta looking down on DO. that's what I am getting. So if I don't get in to M.D. and have to go to DO..will I be looked down on by the med field and patients?
The generally poor attitudes you are seeing and the blatant discrimination you are seeing is
predominately associated with
premedical students, old school allopathic doctors (they remember a time when DO's weren't complete physicians), and perhaps areas that don't have that many DO's (they don't know what DO's are). This is not to say that prejudicial thinking and discrimination doesn't occur later on in the field (remember, DO's are still the minority, although they are fast-growing), it probably does exist, only on a much smaller scale, if at all, and is usually the result of inaccurate information and remedied by appropriate education. So, yes, you might be looked down on by
some people, but you know, whether it is DO, or something else, some people tend to be prejudicial and will often discriminate with one thing or another. There's always something that can be picked on, if you are looking to do so. So, whatever.
Anyway, later down the field, there isn't the same tension between DO's and MD's you see here in the pre- forums; they tend to work pretty seamlessly together as there is essentially no difference in how the two practice in the field. Remember, all physicians practice to a common standard of care. What is important isn't the degree you have as how good of a doctor you are based on outcome, your attitude, the care that you actually give, and perhaps word of mouth. Honestly, most people won't know if you are a DO or an MD, just that you are a physician and you are giving them care. I doubt that DO's are hurting for business any more than most MD's. Indeed, OMT is so popular right now, there is a wait list for treatment. Will some patients be confused about DO? Yes. This is easily remedied, however.
Oh, whatever, I written similar posts before. I give up. Do some physician-shadowing, both MD and DO to get a fuller picture.