Can ODs practice in the UN? Can ODs somehow get recognized as MDs?

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lostnconfused

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I am asking because I may be interested in working for the UN after residency, or may be interested in volunteering or partaking in international programs but would still like to become an OD.

Does anyone know the answer?

Is there a way for ODs to become recognized as MDs after medical school?

Thanks!

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UN as in the United Nation
It's a good thing you clarified that UN stands for United Nations. i thought you were going to work for the University of Nigeria.

OD as in DOs? first be sure you know what a DO is before you apply (Quick hint, it's doctor of osteopathy). otherwise, the optometrist threads are over thataway -->>

(and yes, DOs have international practicing rights in many countries, just google osteopathic international practicing rights and there's a wikipedia dedicated to it. go nuts buddy. )
 
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I am asking because I may be interested in working for the UN after residency, or may be interested in volunteering or partaking in international programs but would still like to become an OD.

Does anyone know the answer?

Is there a way for ODs to become recognized as MDs after medical school?

Thanks!
First of all, an OD would never be recognized as an MD because OD is an optometrist. A DO on the other hand has the same practice rights as an MD since both are licensed to practice medicine and perform surgery.
 
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I am asking because I may be interested in working for the UN after residency, or may be interested in volunteering or partaking in international programs but would still like to become an OD.

Does anyone know the answer?

Is there a way for ODs to become recognized as MDs after medical school?

Thanks!
and no, you can't change the letters that come after your name. once you finish DO school you are Lostnconfused, DO. like O Grady mentioned, DOs and MDs are both licensed to practice medicine and perform surgery
 
OP you should look into "doctors without borders."
 
OP you should look into "doctors without borders."
Yeah, if he wants an incredibly dangerous job. Five Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) doctors were recently kidnapped. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

Even when the Red Cross/Crescent pulls out, MSF stays.
 
Yeah, if he wants an incredibly dangerous job. Five Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) doctors were recently kidnapped. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

Even when the Red Cross/Crescent pulls out, MSF stays.
Oh boy! This is not good news as I plan to work with them after I am done with med school.
 
If you want to work internationally it would be best to get an MD degree. Although DOs and MDs have the same practice rights in the US, this is not necessarily true everywhere in the world. I do remember reading that various countries around the world do not recognize the DO degree.
 
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If you want to work internationally it would be best to get an MD degree. Although DOs and MDs have the same practice rights in the US, this is not necessarily true everywhere in the world. I do remember reading that various countries around the world do not recognize the DO degree.

You are talking about unlimited practice rights in a country if you plan to move/live there, in which case its harder as a DO than an MD in some countries (not sure how ODs get medical practice rights in other countries :p). Even as an MD though, it is very difficult to get licensure in many countries (the process itself, not getting the degree recognized).

I believe OP is talking about joining aid organizations like Doctors Without Borders, in which case DOs and MDs are treated equivalently. As far as the UN goes, I have no idea about that one. I'd contact them to be sure.

EDIT: Also, to be clear, I'm talking about US MD and DO degrees. Non-US MD degrees (like CaribMD for example) will also have issues getting recognized internationally, and has more to do with the degree granting institution. E.g. a degree from Ross may have different recognition than a degree from SGU.
 
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I think optometrists can do anything they set their eyes to.
 
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A US MD doesn't automatically make you eligible for international practice rights. A lot of places practice some form of provincialism. Some countries are very restrictive on whom they allow to practice in their country (this is for an unrestricted license, not a humanitarian/volunteer license). They also have other criterias (citizenships, language test, sponsorship/LOR from local physician or physician society, taking their medical license exam, etc). Also realize that more than likely you will be taking a significant pay cut if you want to practice abroad. Check out the average salaries of physicians in various countries.

As for ODs and international practice rights - it's actually pretty limited. The Doctor of Optometry degree is not really recognized outside the US and Canada. In many countries, they don't have optometrists. They might be consider opticians, or there might not even be a local equivalent to an optometrist. However, this matters if you plan to move to another country and practice as an optometrist. If you want to volunteer your service for humanitarian reasons, there are international groups available to optometrists, such as Volunteer Optometric Services for Humanity (VOSH), and Doctors without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres).

As for DOs and international practice rights - it's slowly gaining worldwide acceptance. Here's the latest map from the AOA
http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-a.../Pages/international-practice-rights-map.aspx
Practice%20Rights%20Map.png



As for medical missions, many organizations do not differentiate US DOs from US MDs.

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/work/field/faqs.cfm#osteo
Does MSF consider Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine?
Yes, as long as applicants fulfill the other minimum requirements, i.e. completion of residency and appropriate licensure.
 
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Yeah, if he wants an incredibly dangerous job. Five Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) doctors were recently kidnapped. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

Even when the Red Cross/Crescent pulls out, MSF stays.
I'm ready.

Although if I have a family by the time I get ready to sign up for MSF, my attitude might change. I know that during 4th year I'm hellbent on doing an international rotation in SE Asia (one of the reasons I'm at this school, actually).
 
It's a good thing you clarified that UN stands for United Nations. i thought you were going to work for the University of Nigeria.

OD as in DOs? first be sure you know what a DO is before you apply (Quick hint, it's doctor of osteopathy). otherwise, the optometrist threads are over thataway -->>

(and yes, DOs have international practicing rights in many countries, just google osteopathic international practicing rights and there's a wikipedia dedicated to it. go nuts buddy. )

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Doctors of Osteopathy no longer applies to DO medical school graduates since we'd be full fledged equivalent physicians. Osteopaths these days are mostly considered those who just learn OMM, especially in the international countries.
 
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thanks for backing me up. I was just talking to my mom's friend who's an MD in his 50's. He's like:

Doctor: congratulations! is it medical school or osteopathy school?

Me: I applied to osteopathic medical schools

Doctor: ahhh ok. Well I had fellows who were osteopaths and they are as good any other doctor but keep in mind that you will be getting a DO degree which is doctor of osteopathy and it will be very hard to get a competitive specialty like orthopedics and dermatology.

Me: I want to do IM or PMR.

Doctor: ok then you shouldn't have any issues, just know the limitations. /end

I think most senior MDs don't really keep up with the changes in the medical field which contributes to the bias. He was nice though, and I was too shy to correct him on the whole "osteopath" and "school of osteopathy" thing. He better not think less of me now lol.
 
thanks for backing me up. I was just talking to my mom's friend who's an MD in his 50's. He's like:

Doctor: congratulations! is it medical school or osteopathy school?

Me: I applied to osteopathic medical schools

Doctor: ahhh ok. Well I had fellows who were osteopaths and they are as good any other doctor but keep in mind that you will be getting a DO degree which is doctor of osteopathy and it will be very hard to get a competitive specialty like orthopedics and dermatology.

Me: I want to do IM or PMR.

Doctor: ok then you shouldn't have any issues, just know the limitations. /end

I think most senior MDs don't really keep up with the changes in the medical field which contributes to the bias. He was nice though, and I was too shy to correct him on the whole "osteopath" and "school of osteopathy" thing. He better not think less of me now lol.

Dude. Wow. Since he said that "osteopaths" are as good as any other doctor, I would have asked him why he then thinks it is that "osteopaths" have a hard time getting those competitive residencies...just to see what he said. Then of course I would have kindly corrected his ignorance to the current/modern situation since he is a friend of the fam. That's just me tho. You could have always hit him with "school of osteopathy? As far as I know, those are found overseas. I applied to osteopathic medical schools rather than allopathic medical schools if that's what you are talking about" ...and observed his response. ;)

If the conversation went down as you just put it...he definitely thinks less of you. He doesn't even think you are going to med school. Should use these opportunities to educate folks when appropriate!
 
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