D.O.'s will take over -THEORY

[pboothe]

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It is well known that a large majority of osteopaths go into primary care, and by observing the rankings in US News and World report one can clearly see that some of the top institutions for training primary care physicians are osteopathic medical schools. To that end, I can see a transparent cause and effect scenario if a larger portion of primary care docs end up being osteopaths.

Patients choose surgeons and specialists by referral. Referrals are given by primary care physicians. Dare I say osteopaths may be a tad biased in their referrals??

Food 4 Thought

This also should be considered by those that think osteopathic medicine's outlook is bleak.


🙄

 

[group_theory]

The logic is assuming that DOs maintain an anti-MD bias.

Just as MDs no longer care if you're a DO, DOs no longer care if someone they refer to is an MD.

It's more of "can I trust this doc? does this doc communicate well with me and tell me what I need to know? is this doc reachable? is this doc covered by my patient's insurance? do my patients like/trust this doc?"

notice I used doc, not MD/DO.


Define bleak? With 1/3 of all DOs still in training, it is a very young profession. New schools are openning left and right (for good or bad). The future of DOs (population wise) looks good.

Can DO maintain the seperate but equal with its MD counterpart? Will DO only be defined by the OMT, and not by its philosophy (much more than the holistic approach), approach to patient care, etc. Will the AOA be swallowed up by the AMA? Will the public learn what DOs are?

The future is bright and uncertain. Depends on how you approach it.

 

[pboothe]

Geeze.....This post really wasn't meant to be taken seriously....more of a joke than anything.........Relax I wasn't bashing D.O.s or M.D.s ........and of course no D.O.s will never look down on M.D.s even if they are so obviously inferior.
😀

 

[sleep deprived]

I thought you were serious also.

 

[Shinken]

I also thought you were serious.

On a serious note, the excellent book "Osteopathic Medicine: A Reformation in Progress" proposes three possible scenarios for the future of Osteopathic Medicine:

1- Become completely assimilated into allopathic medicine.

2- Continue the "same but different" approach (status quo).

3- Become medicine's primary care physicians while MD's become specialists only.

You seemed to be advocating #3 (sounds like a good choice for me). Anyway, Osteopathic Medicine's future is bright!

 

[Buster Douglas]

Originally posted by group_theory
The logic is assuming that DOs maintain an anti-MD bias.

Just as MDs no longer care if you're a DO, DOs no longer care if someone they refer to is an MD.

It's more of "can I trust this doc? does this doc communicate well with me and tell me what I need to know? is this doc reachable? is this doc covered by my patient's insurance? do my patients like/trust this doc?"

I would and probably will opt to refer to a DO, not because of an anti-MD bias but because of a PRO-DO bias. I know most refering circles probably develop from informal conversations in which doctors ask eachother who would be the best for a certain job regardless of degree, but I would definitely refer to a DO over a MD if both had similar reputations and performed the same surgeries. Unfortunately, medicine like all business is networking. Given all doctors were of the same skill level, I would refer to family and friends first, alumni of my high school second, alumni of my med school third, alumni of my undergrad fourth, other DOs fifth, and all others sixth...

It's funny that you brought this point up. I've witnessed some pretty interesting trends growing up a doctor's son. Take a closer look who's invited to different doctors' Christmas parties when you have the chance... Filipinos refer to Filipinos, Indians refer to Indians, doctor's that graduate from the nearest medical school refer to their fellow alumni, and the best of the best are invited to all of these Christmas parties. People want to help their fellow "kind" out because of a sense of camaraderie, not because of an "anti-( )" sentiment.

 

[pboothe]

I would like to rant about the above post, and say how totally wrong that line of thinking is, but the unfortunate truth is that I probably will do the same! That is just the way the world works..........Like it or not. I know some of you are saying that this kind of thinking is what perpetuates the current perception of osteopaths, but you all know it is true. I was making a joke by saying that because alot of osteopaths will become PC's then they will only refer to DO specialists, but it will probably happen some.

In medical school you will befriend alot of your classmates, and if you are confident that they are competant docs then you will probably refer to your friends before others. Who dares to argue that?

😳

 

[MacGyver]

Actually, DOs are in trouble.

Since DOs do mostly primary care, they will be in direct competition with PAs and NPs.

As PAs and NPs continue to get expanded practice rights, eventually they will be competing directly with doctors for patients.

Since less MDs go into primary care than DOs, this will have a disproportionate impact on DOs over MDs. Of course a lot of MDs will also be effected, but the DOs will face the majority of hte pressure.

 

[Anka]

pbooth, the problem with your "transparant cause and effect" is that the arguement below is invalid:

(1) More PCCs are needed
(2) DOs tend to become PCCs
(1)+(2) => (3) A larger number of PCC docs become DOs

In fact, unless DO schools graduate more students, or fewer specialists, the opposite will occur, i.e. more MDs will fill the PCC slots, leading to an increased MD-PCC: DO-PCC ratio.

Anka

 

[pboothe]

Anka,

First of all: It's pboothe not pbooth; the e is very important😀

Second, the idea that more PC's are needed is not invalid.....especially in rural areas.

Last, you did not understand what I said. I said that several of the top schools for training PC's are DO schools, thus alot of quality PC's will be coming from these DO schools.....oh and I really don't see P.A.s arriving at the same licensure as D.O.s and M.D.s. they may be gaining more, but I am not aware of a trend that says they will be equals eventually

And I don't understand your last thought at all. Could you please elaborate?😕

 

[fabiolablake]

I finished reading through this thread and was trying to understand the point of beginning this argument. Both D.O.s and M.D.s are doctors and receive very similar training. Yes, D.O.s are reared towards primary care, but do not have to go that route; does this make them better family practitioners? No. The world will never be short of patients and it is ridiculous arguing about such a stupid topic. With about 350 million people in the United States alone, this will keep doctors plenty busy no matter which field you go into. Will D.O.s have a bias and refer only to other D.O.s? Not if they are most concerned with the patient. The doctor will refer the patient to the specialist that will do the best job with regards to insurance restrictions. I hope this dumb argument can come to an end now.