Difference Between a DO and an MD?

[Chr147]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Please no flames and etc. I am honestly asking what the difference is (rights, priviledges, practice, etc)

I just found out that the doctor of a private practice I'll be volunteering at (my family doctor's office) is actually a DO (I would have never known). So I was just curious.

Thanks guys

 

[Caverject]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=133066

 

[Bull's eye]

Please no flames and etc. I am honestly asking what the difference is (rights, priviledges, practice, etc)

I just found out that the doctor of a private practice I'll be volunteering at (my family doctor's office) is actually a DO (I would have never known). So I was just curious.

Thanks guys

Check the sticky note. here is the sum up: rights...... no difference, priviledges......no difference practice........no difference. Seriously it is all personal. If you like manipulation, you can do it, but guess what so can MD's that know it. practice in other countries.... well good luck with either MD or DO, but DO's cover most countries and in 10 years will likely be all countries.
One difference in rights is this 5 states must have Osteo internship to get a perm license crap, which will also probably go away when the old DO's go away. We take the COMLEX for licensure MD's take the USMLE. COMLEX is going to computer and there is talk in a few years about just making one test (probably won't happen for a long time though). DO's specialize in all specialties and have some of their own residency programs in most specialties. They can also go to MD residency programs for post grad training and each year DO's match into all specialties. Oh, and don't let people quote bull**** ACGME match numbers to you either because the thing that people (DO distractors) love to forget is that the AOA match is before the ACGME match and the best DO students are offered AOA spots outside the match (or immediately following the interview) in the specialties they apply to and the smart ones trying out for competitive specialties take the spots kicking them out of the ACGME match. Point is the numbers are skewed. (Trust me I went though the whole gambit)
Some DO students like the philosophy treat the whole person not just the disease, but I've never met an MD who doesn't treat the whole person or treats the patient in a similar way as a DO. Of course there are personal examples, but it all goes back to personal choices and how you treat your patients.

SO WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS DOES IT MATTER THAT YOUR LAB COAT SAYS xxxxxxx xxxxx, DO instead of xxxxxxx xxxxx, MD
If the answer is yes and you want to do primary care.. go carribean or US MD
If the answer is yes and you want to do super tough specialties then wait a year and improve your app and go US MD
If the answer is no then DO is not just an option or a "back-up" (I f'n hate that), it is a great choice for you AND YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW MANY DOORS ARE NOT CLOSED FOR YOU despite some perceptions. or go USMD
Nothing more needs to be said.
Good Luck to you.

 

[sacrament]

Check the sticky note. here is the sum up: rights...... no difference, priviledges......no difference practice........no difference. Seriously it is all personal. If you like manipulation, you can do it, but guess what so can MD's that know it. practice in other countries.... well good luck with either MD or DO, but DO's cover most countries and in 10 years will likely be all countries.
One difference in rights is this 5 states must have Osteo internship to get a perm license crap, which will also probably go away when the old DO's go away. We take the COMLEX for licensure MD's take the USMLE. COMLEX is going to computer and there is talk in a few years about just making one test (probably won't happen for a long time though). DO's specialize in all specialties and have some of their own residency programs in most specialties. They can also go to MD residency programs for post grad training and each year DO's match into all specialties. Oh, and don't let people quote bull**** ACGME match numbers to you either because the thing that people (DO distractors) love to forget is that the AOA match is before the ACGME match and the best DO students are offered spots outside the match (or immediately following the interview) in the specialties they apply to and the smart ones trying out for competitive specialties take the spots kicking them out of the ACGME match. Point is the numbers are skewed. (Trust me I went though the whole gambit)
Some DO students like the philosophy treat the whole person not just the disease, but I've never met an MD who doesn't treat the whole person or treats the patient in a similar way as a DO. Of course there are personal examples, but it all goes back to personal choices and how you treat your patients.

SO WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS DOES IT MATTER THAT YOUR LAB COAT SAYS xxxxxxx xxxxx, DO instead of xxxxxxx xxxxx, MD
If the answer is yes and you want to do primary care.. go carribean
If the answer is yes and you want to do super tough specialties then wait a year and improve you app and go US MD
If the answer is no then DO is not just an option or a "back-up" (I f'n hate that), it is a great choice for you AND YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW MANY DOORS ARE NOT CLOSED FOR YOU despite some perceptions. Nothing more needs to be said.
Good Luck to you.

Are you saying that DOs aren't real doctors?

 

[Bull's eye]

Are you saying that DOs aren't real doctors?

LOL, that is funny. great statement

 

[Chr147]

Are you saying that DOs aren't real doctors?

please dont start a fire...

thanx for the info guys. i'll read up on it

 

[sacrament]

please dont start a fire...

thanx for the info guys. i'll read up on it

Maybe you shouldn't start a fire, prancing in here and suggesting that DOs are some kind of Freemason-offshoot cult! Such an untenable position that you hold. Yet I worry that the more impressionable among us will be swayed.

Provide evidence, if you are so inclined.

 

[Bull's eye]

Maybe you shouldn't start a fire, prancing in here and suggesting that DOs are some kind of Freemason-offshoot cult! Such an untenable position that you hold. Yet I worry that the more impressionable among us will be swayed.

Provide evidence, if you are so inclined.

Stop, you're scaring me.

 

[sacrament]

Stop, you're scaring me.

"There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings."
-Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson was not a DO, however.

 

[Bull's eye]

"There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings."
-Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson was not a DO, however.

Oh, well in that case let me change my statement to you're scarring me.

 

[Chr147]

Maybe you shouldn't start a fire, prancing in here and suggesting that DOs are some kind of Freemason-offshoot cult! Such an untenable position that you hold. Yet I worry that the more impressionable among us will be swayed.

Provide evidence, if you are so inclined.

Well I can quite honestly say that I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[sacrament]

Well I can quite honestly say that I have no idea what you are talking about.

My point exactly.

 

[Shinken]

Provide evidence, if you are so inclined.

Perhaps you're referring to the "intangibles" of the DO profession instead of the obvious (OMT). Here's some research conducted by an MD that shows some of the subtle differences in patient care between MDs and DOs:

http://www.acponline.org/journals/news/nov03/communication.htm

 

[docbill]

wow.. while I was sleeping another MD vs.DO thread began. Thank god.. I was wondering how long it would be before this happened again.

Actually I don't mind if my name tag say DO or MD as long as there are only 3 xxx for my first name and xxx for my last name. Of course triple x DO will do as well.

 

[jkhamlin]

wow.. while I was sleeping another MD vs.DO thread began. Thank god.. I was wondering how long it would be before this happened again.

Actually I don't mind if my name tag say DO or MD as long as there are only 3 xxx for my first name and xxx for my last name. Of course triple x DO will do as well.

Just for clarification; Triple x as in naughty movies, or as in the Vin Diesel movie?

 

[docbill]

Triple x as in naughty movies

Yeah.. I know. XXX DO 😱 We have the same pornographic ratings in Canada too. St-Pati's day.. Someone going to get drunk!

 

[jkhamlin]

Triple x as in naughty movies

Yeah.. I know. XXX DO 😱 We have the same pornographic ratings in Canada too. St-Pati's day.. Someone going to get drunk!

Ok, good, because I was going to be triple x DO as in badass secret agent DO. 😎

 

[javandane]

DO = 200k/year salary.

MD = 200k/year salary.

that's all anyone really cares about, right?

 

[medic170]

wow.. while I was sleeping another MD vs.DO thread began. Thank god.. I was wondering how long it would be before this happened again.

Actually I don't mind if my name tag say DO or MD as long as there are only 3 xxx for my first name and xxx for my last name. Of course triple x DO will do as well.

Hey Bill, are you still starting this fall? I was hoping you would get your finances straight. If not, look into this place for alternative loans. I was reading about it and I thought of you.

www.key.com/alternative

Now that I have defected to the MD's I don't see this stupid MD vs. DO as much. Boy, I sure do miss it (sarcasm). yes, all, DO's are inferior sub-bone-doctors who incorporate voodoo and tribal shamen medicine with a few western ideas. Oh, and they all wish they could be MD's 🙄

It's funny, when I tell premeds that I chose the MD program over the DO program ONLY becuase of a few curriculum differences that were just a better fit for me (PBL ect.), they never believe it and assume that nobody would ever even consider a DO degree over the MD, but when I tell my physician friends and mentors, they believe me and see no difference in prestige, respect, or career opportunity between the 2 degrees. 🙄

For the last time, to all with a legitimate ? about this, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE practically speaking, and it is just a slightly differenty approach to educating physicians.

 

[sacrament]

What about the allegations of rampant hyperalimentation?

 

[Taus]

Just a random thought for the thread....ever since delving into the world of DO vs MD, and finally deciding on DO, I find it so interesting that my peers honestly never noticed the letters on their doctors nametag, but always just assumed they were MD's as they did not know anything else existed. I can't blame them for that though, as that is how I was up until about a year ago when I learned what Osteopathy was.

 

[Elysium]

Just so ya'll know, sacrament isn't really clowning on DOs. He knows they're "seperate but equal". He's actually dating a DO-to-be (me) so that gives him proxy to makes jokes like "DOs actually will get their MD one day - Massage Doctor", etc. It's all good.

 

[DrMom]

Just so ya'll know, sacrament isn't really clowning on DOs. He knows they're "seperate but equal". He's actually dating a DO-to-be (me) so that gives him proxy to makes jokes like "DOs actually will get their MD one day - Massage Doctor", etc. It's all good.

but I'm sure he's truly concerned about all of that rampant hyperalimentation 😉

 

[sacrament]

Just so ya'll know, sacrament isn't really clowning on DOs. He knows they're "seperate but equal". He's actually dating a DO-to-be (me) so that gives him proxy to makes jokes like "DOs actually will get their MD one day - Massage Doctor", etc. It's all good.

You blew my cover, you uppity woman! Just for that I'm going to make you correct my splenic subluxation.

 

[Elysium]

Not to worry, darling, I plan on doing some high velocity on your low ilium as a special "surprise" for your birthday.