DO does not mean chiropractor!

[gotgame83]

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😡 If one more of my family members or friends asks me, " Hey, why are you going to be a chiropractor, i thought you wanted to be a doctor" I will have to get in touch with aacomas and resubmit my application because I will have to check off the felony box.

Ok thats all. I have gone through explaining what the DO degree is. No more, atleast I can come on to SDN where people have a clue.

 

[JohnnyOU]

🙂 Just tell them it's Dirty Oldman

 

[gotgame83]

Hahah. It doesnt really bother me as much as I made it sound in my post but some people really dont have a clue. The first 30 or so times I really went into detail and explained, now i either get mad or make some sort of caveman sounds and walk away.

 

[daveyjwin]

I just say "I learn the same stuff that MDs learn, plus some extra stuff. So, I'm like an MD doctor... except better!" 🙂

 

[dr.z]

😡 If one more of my family members or friends asks me, " Hey, why are you going to be a chiropractor, i thought you wanted to be a doctor" I will have to get in touch with aacomas and resubmit my application because I will have to check off the felony box.

Ok thats all. I have gone through explaining what the DO degree is. No more, atleast I can come on to SDN where people have a clue.

You have to educate some that are on SDN as well.

 

[oudoc08]

I just say "I learn the same stuff that MDs learn, plus some extra stuff. So, I'm like an MD doctor... except better!" 🙂

And you wonder why DO bias still exists? Your attitude is part of the reason.
The MD could just as rightly say, "MD school's have a statistically much higher level of research activity and funding, than the average DO school, therefore I'm like a DO... except better!".

How about we keep it neutral, and say MD's and DO's, while somewhat different, aren't "better" than the other. Each field has much to contribute, and just because some old-timers mistakingly equate DO's with chiropractors, is no reason to puff out your chest and exhibit a pathological case of "little-man syndrome".

 

[Kubed]

And you wonder why DO bias still exists? Your attitude is part of the reason.
The MD could just as rightly say, "MD school's have a statistically much higher level of research activity and funding, than the average DO school, therefore I'm like a DO... except better!".

How about we keep it neutral, and say MD's and DO's, while somewhat different, aren't "better" than the other. Each field has much to contribute, and just because some old-timers mistakingly equate DO's with chiropractors, is no reason to puff out your chest and exhibit a pathological case of "little-man syndrome".

..........::sigh::....

 

[bessybug]

And you wonder why DO bias still exists? Your attitude is part of the reason.
The MD could just as rightly say, "MD school's have a statistically much higher level of research activity and funding, than the average DO school, therefore I'm like a DO... except better!".

How about we keep it neutral, and say MD's and DO's, while somewhat different, aren't "better" than the other. Each field has much to contribute, and just because some old-timers mistakingly equate DO's with chiropractors, is no reason to puff out your chest and exhibit a pathological case of "little-man syndrome".

__________________


I have to agree with oudoc08 DO's and MD's are the same. I am applying to Osteopathic schools not because I feel that they are better than MD but because their philosophy of medicine fits better with my personality. DO's and MD's will always have these debates as long as they try to belittle each other. DO's and MD's are doctors the only time there is a difference is when they are in school. After 4th year when they enter residency they are all doctors in training. Most people don't understand DO because once med school is over and everyone is a doctor, people don't look at the letters behind the name only that they are a doctor. So the only debate about DO MD is between students. Neither is better than the other. I work with DO's and MD's all day long and they do not communicate by saying Dr. X DO or Dr. Y MD.
To the original post you can explain yourself to death and people still will not understand so don't get frustated. You know what you are going to be so don't worry about what they say or think.

 

[nerdgrrl]

😡 If one more of my family members or friends asks me, " Hey, why are you going to be a chiropractor, i thought you wanted to be a doctor" I will have to get in touch with aacomas and resubmit my application because I will have to check off the felony box.

Ok thats all. I have gone through explaining what the DO degree is. No more, atleast I can come on to SDN where people have a clue.

I had my first experience with that the other day. my dad and stepmom are actively encouraging me to go DO more than MD, but the other day, my mom said "I was talking to my chiropractor, and I really don't think you're going to be able to do what you want with it". it was pretty funny. she seemed to understand when I talked to her a bit about it. I'm still not sure that she entirely believes me, but c'est la vie.

 

[daveyjwin]

I have to agree with oudoc08 DO's and MD's are the same. I am applying to Osteopathic schools not because I feel that they are better than MD but because their philosophy of medicine fits better with my personality. DO's and MD's will always have these debates as long as they try to belittle each other. DO's and MD's are doctors the only time there is a difference is when they are in school. After 4th year when they enter residency they are all doctors in training. Most people don't understand DO because once med school is over and everyone is a doctor, people don't look at the letters behind the name only that they are a doctor. So the only debate about DO MD is between students. Neither is better than the other. I work with DO's and MD's all day long and they do not communicate by saying Dr. X DO or Dr. Y MD.

Relax Fellas... It was a J O K E... In actuality, I give a 30 second rundown of what it is/means, and the educational differences between the two. I end by saying that "DOs are "real" doctors too."

 

[Shodddy18]

And you wonder why DO bias still exists? Your attitude is part of the reason.
The MD could just as rightly say, "MD school's have a statistically much higher level of research activity and funding, than the average DO school, therefore I'm like a DO... except better!".

How about we keep it neutral, and say MD's and DO's, while somewhat different, aren't "better" than the other. Each field has much to contribute, and just because some old-timers mistakingly equate DO's with chiropractors, is no reason to puff out your chest and exhibit a pathological case of "little-man syndrome".

No, as*holes are why any bias still exists! Well, as*holes and ingnorance, maybe even a few ignorant as*holes. 😎

 

[gotgame83]

Hopefully years down the road, I will log onto SDN and there wont be any DO/MD debates. I really cant blame people too much who arent involved with the medical field but I am sure once the general public is educated this will be a thing of the past. I started this thread just out of frustration because now that I am so busy with studying for the mcat and applying to med school it seems like everyone's favorite question is, " Where do you want to go and what kind of doctor do you want to be?" I say I want to go to UMDNJ and they are like, "ohhh north jersey" im like actually by camden in stratford. Then I normally go onto to explain thats its a DO school. Normally I kind of enjoy explaining it but recently I have just had too many ignorant people who insist that a DO is nothing more then a chiropractor, so I just wanted to vent here on SDN.

 

[oudoc08]

No, as*holes are why any bias still exists! Well, as*holes and ingnorance, maybe even a few ignorant as*holes. 😎

Of course this is true, but feeding the fire by saying "I'm like an MD only better", doesn't really help matters much. The DO's and DO students I know are great people, highly intelligent, and are shining examples of why the bias against DO's is rapidly decreasing amongst healthcare professionals and patients alike. Let's keep it on that downward trend, and not stoke any fires. Ultimately, it is the AOA's (separate but equal) BS rhetoric, and a few wannabes who try to overcompensate and end up making inflammatory statements about why DO's are better that provide the fuel for the frequent DO vs. MD threads on SDN.
If you're in medical school or osteopathic school, you worked your butt off, and are on your way to becoming a physician. Spend less time worrying and trying to defend the letters behind your name, and more time becoming a competent physician, and someday this whole DO vs. MD thing will become virtually nonexistent.
Of course there will always be a handful of DO's and MD's that each think the other is worthless and spends inordinate amounts of time trying to convince others of the same, but ultimately fringe political groups such as the KKK and Greenpeace do as well, and we dont' give them near the attention that we give the fringe MD and DO bombthrowers.

 

[cfdavid]

I think that one of the best methods would be to tell them to check out the AOA website, or some other that explains the situation. Kind of like, "go do your homework".

I have the benefit of living in Michigan, which is a big DO state. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to recently that go to DO family docs, mostly out of preference.
This includes the pre-med advisor at a state MD school.

 

[DoctorRama]

Just tell them you're going to medical school, no need to get into the details.