D.O. salaries

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Vash311

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Hey guys, as far as specialists go, how do DO's salaries compare with MD's? Thanks!

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Two ortho docs, one a DO the other an MD. They replace a hip on two separate patients with the same insurance plans and are in the same hospital. They get paid the exact same.
 
Exactly....insurance companies reimburse doctors for procedures in a standardized way. Most differences between doctors in the same field is usually based on the geography of their location.
 
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by Vash311:
•Hey guys, as far as specialists go, how do DO's salaries compare with MD's? Thanks!•••••some DO's would stomp on you for asking such an ignorant incendiary question. Do not tell me that in today's age you think that DO's make less money.
 
Damn man calm down. The student who posted the question was probably a young pre-med. I mean it was only two years ago when I was asking the same questions myself. You have to learn somehow.
 
When I was in college, I'd never even heard of DOs. They were pretty much nonexistent in Baltimore. Even in medical school, I had very little experience with them, as very few of them were residents at my school. I think it was a legitimate question from someone who doesn't know.
 
Agreed.

When we begin to bash people for asking these questions, that is when they will stop asking. And then we will have missed the opportunity to educate someone about osteopathic medicine.

I, too, asked these same questions.

So, to the original poster:

I hope that you do mroe research about osteopathic medicine. You can search the following links for more information, or you can search this site as well. Please keep posting your questions and we will help you in anyw ay we can.

<a href="http://www.studentdo.com" target="_blank">www.studentdo.com</a>

<a href="http://www.aoa-net.org" target="_blank">www.aoa-net.org</a>

<a href="http://www.osteohome.com" target="_blank">www.osteohome.com</a>

<a href="http://www.aacom.org" target="_blank">www.aacom.org</a>
 
Forgot one:

<a href="http://www.osteopathicmedicine.org/html/members.html" target="_blank">http://www.osteopathicmedicine.org/html/members.html</a>
 
The above postings are not entirely true.

While it IS true that an MD and a DO in the SAME practice doing the same thing will be reimbursed the same amount by the insurance company, there are a few things one must take into account:

1. A *much* higher proportion of DO's go into (are forced into?) the lower paying specialties, particularly primary care. I'll probably get flamed for this, but statistically, it's true. It is generally more difficult and less common (though not impossible) for DO's to get into high paying specialties.

2. Many of the "sweeter" jobs in high-paying areas (high rates of private insurance, good reimbursement) attract more prestigious applicants (i.e MD's from well-known schools and residencies). This leaves the areas that have a high percentage of Medicare/Medicaid/HMO payors for DO's, foreign MD's, etc. Thus, they are reimbursed less. Again, not a hard and fast rule, but anyone with real experience in medicine will tell you it is true.

Sorry to rain on everyone's parade, just trying to be realistic.
 
I happen to be going to an "md" school this fall but it is ONLY b/c it is much cheaper due to instate tuition. I knew nothing of osteo medicine in college. However there are several excellent physicians at the hospital where I work who were do's. Been here three years and there is absolutly no difference between the two. There will always be those who disagree, but those who are ignorant dont matter anyway.
 
Simply put, the letters behind your name don't matter. What does is the position you get after residency and how hard you work, just like any other job.
 
I forget people do not have much humor on these postings. I meant that as a joke. there will be no bashing going on here.
 
Toad killer dog, you are kidding yourself.
 
I'm sorry if I started any arguments by asking this question. I know that there is discrimination of D.O.'s when it comes to residencies so I just wanted insight on what happens once you're out of one and practicing.

Thank you for all the positive response and the reference sites.
 
No offense to anyone, but are there parts of the country where there are lots of D.O.s? All I know about osteopathic stuff is that two of my friends went to a DO school somewhere in kentucky because they couldnt get into med school...Im a 2nd year med student and I have so far seen one DO in my life.
BTW I live in the south.
 
That is hilarious. If I were a DO I would be offended. Anyway, to answer your question Michigan and Missouri are where my friends practice medicine. The orthodoc in Missouri makes WELL (double) above the avg. for orthopedic surgeons. I'm joining him when I get done.
 
Bio - there are higher concentrations of DO's in Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, and NY, but you can find them pretty much anyway if you look. PS - if your friends went to DO school then they did get into medical school.
 
Sorry folks...again no offense...i've really never heard of DOs until 2.5 years ago. Actually one of those friends finished a year of DO school and he finally got into my state (md) school after 3 years of trying so he's coming back home...i'll ask him about it.
thanks for the replies.
 
Toadkiller dog, did you fall from a tall tree when you were young? I am not really sure where you get your information , but here I am to help you out.

People RARELY go into practice with the intention of ONLY seeing private insurance patients, rather, as the demographics of an area/hospital change over time...so does the type of payment. Take a FP that started her career in an urban downtown location. She sees many no-pay or medicaid patients for the starting years of her practice. But low-and-behold, the YUPPIES begin to move into the city during a bit of URBAN REVIVAL. She begins to see more private pay with more and more frequency...is her job now "sweet"?
What if the reverse is true when a suburban area (once sweet) now begins to crumble and pay-sources change. Is that the result of being a DO or MD or purely demographic changes??
Man, that is how pay works...not your scenerio. The typical city "COUNTY" hospital is usually in a low rent district right? More than likely it is ALSO university affiliated right? It is also very likely that the University is an Allopathic program...and let me tell you, University Hospitals don't pay physicians well! So help me out...what determines pay...demographics or degree? Yeah, that is what I thought.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Toadkiller Dog:
•The above postings are not entirely true.

While it IS true that an MD and a DO in the SAME practice doing the same thing will be reimbursed the same amount by the insurance company, there are a few things one must take into account:

1. A *much* higher proportion of DO's go into (are forced into?) the lower paying specialties, particularly primary care. I'll probably get flamed for this, but statistically, it's true. It is generally more difficult and less common (though not impossible) for DO's to get into high paying specialties.•••••Toad,

How are DO's FORCED into primary care specialties? Are there people holding guns to their heads? Most DO's CHOOSE primary care specialties because that's the whole thrust of osteopathic medicine: Holistic, cradle to grave care. Treating the whole patient, rural medicine, etc. Also, many DO's go into a variety of specialties at a variety of places. I'm going to Mayo, I know friends in my class who are going to Hopkins, Harvard, Penn, WashU, etc. There are also folks going into excellent osteopathic residencies in derm, ophtho, ENT, ortho, too.

So, please clarify exactly what you are talking about?
 
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