DO vs DPT

[LostLlama]

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Hello!

Just a PT student wondering about your guys' coursework and how it differs from what a "normal" MD's looks like. I'm assuming you guys have more proficiency at the initial exam&eval if the system you are focusing on is MSK in nature but, again, it is just my assumption. 🤔 Also, if I'm understanding this right, wouldn't DOs basically make PTs obsolete?

...naaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!







Right?
🙁

 

[deleted898021]

Hello!

Just a PT student wondering about your guys' coursework and how it differs from what a "normal" MD's looks like. I'm assuming you guys have more proficiency at the initial exam&eval if the system you are focusing on is MSK in nature but, again, it is just my assumption. 🤔 Also, if I'm understanding this right, wouldn't DOs basically make PTs obsolete?

...naaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!





Right?
🙁

Nahhh most of us don’t specialize in msk stuff, we are basically like MD’s there’s very very few OMM/FM docs who do omm and that is also more like chiropractor stuff and not purely PT, the PMR docs do pain med,injections, non invasive ortho sports med and frequently refer patients to PT’s but don’t do what PT’s do.

 

[LostLlama]

Back to back WW champions. 🤣 hahah omg.

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Whysoez]

Based on what I have seen, DOs and MDs put in the order for PT/OT, then you guys come in and work with the patient.

 

[Sardonix]

Most DOs these days don't even do OMM anymore. Even if they do, it's usually brief interventions in clinic. Those who focused their training on OMM are the exception to this of course and will be a lot more eager to tackle MSK complaints using OMT. That said, even OMM gurus will often refer patients out for courses of physical therapy.

The trend isn't DOs/MDs pushing into physical therapists' territory--it's the other way around. Just like everyone else, some PTs are expanding their scope of practice to do more.

 

[ciestar]

As a student I realized my MD school did not prepare me as well for MSK than my DO colleagues.

 

[alprazoslam]

We are usually quite a bit better at faking interest than MD students. Since you know we practice that 2-4 hours per week more

 

[Isoval]

Much of OMM technique shares roots with PT procedures, but, as other people have said, it's usually an adjunct if it's even used at all. Most of us don't really care.

I'll maybe use it like once a decade in practice.

 

[Deecee2DO]

We would not make PTs obsolete. 2 completely different degrees. Ones a physician and ones a therapist. We need physical therapists to refer to. PT extremely useful and important profession and basically not a single DO I know uses OMM at all. We all brain dump that bs after boards

 

[Alkaidius]

Nahhh most of us don’t specialize in msk stuff, we are basically like MD’s there’s very very few OMM/FM docs who do omm and that is also more like chiropractor stuff and not purely PT, the PMR docs do pain med,injections, non invasive ortho sports med and frequently refer patients to PT’s but don’t do what PT’s do.

Just remember not to say that within 100m of the nearest OMM faculty lest they start speaking in tongues.

 

[Dantes]

Can't speak for DOs, but as an MD student who previously worked as a physical therapy tech the baseline MSK knowledge we get is pretty pitiful (at least for Step 1). I'm sure certain specialties like ortho, sports med, and PMR have equivalent knowledge of MSK systems, but probably not as much experience with the choices that need to be made for the specifics of exercise rehab...correct me if I'm wrong. I don't see PTs ever being replaced.

 

[ciestar]

Can't speak for DOs, but as an MD student who previously worked as a physical therapy tech the baseline MSK knowledge we get is pretty pitiful (at least for Step 1). I'm sure certain specialties like ortho, sports med, and PMR have equivalent knowledge of MSK systems, but probably not as much experience with the choices that need to be made for the specifics of exercise rehab...correct me if I'm wrong. I don't see PTs ever being replaced.

i agree. My education regarding MSK was terrible. Get to MSK disorders 3rd and 4th year and I spend a lot of time on uptodate trying to figure things out.

 

[deleted610572]

Can't speak for DOs, but as an MD student who previously worked as a physical therapy tech the baseline MSK knowledge we get is pretty pitiful (at least for Step 1). I'm sure certain specialties like ortho, sports med, and PMR have equivalent knowledge of MSK systems, but probably not as much experience with the choices that need to be made for the specifics of exercise rehab...correct me if I'm wrong. I don't see PTs ever being replaced.

DOs functional MSK is actually quite good after the first two years because we do OMM lab. But just because we know how the body moves doesn’t mean we know the treatments to actually fix it. Some of the techniques we learn are extremely similar but we don’t practice them enough nor have good enough follow up. I don’t practice OMM so PT is my first referral. First I am a physician so when a patient needs rehab stuff I send them to PT even though there is an OMM practice nearby

 

[NVO]

very few students end up straight up practicing OMM. The closest thing to PT is PM&R and we would be the ones putting in the orders and not actually doing the therapy.

that being said, those docs that have their own OMM-only private practice clinics make a ton of money

 

[CoomassieBlue57]

very few students end up straight up practicing OMM. The closest thing to PT is PM&R and we would be the ones putting in the orders and not actually doing the therapy.

that being said, those docs that have their own OMM-only private practice clinics make a ton of money

You be quiet, here on SDN we don't take kindly to anything positive about OMM.







But you're right. Many DOs that provide OMM make way more that SDN realizes.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

You be quiet, here on SDN we don't take kindly to anything positive about OMM.







But you're right. Many DOs that provide OMM make way more that SDN realizes.

Our instructors always boast about this proudly: "I touched his neck and I billed him $300!!". It kind of bugs me (and other classmates) how proud they are of how much money they get to charge patients since most of it is out of pocket (according to them).

 

[Sardonix]

Our instructors always boast about this proudly: "I touched his neck and I billed him $300!!". It kind of bugs me (and other classmates) how proud they are of how much money they get to charge patients since most of it is out of pocket (according to them).

Absolutely. I gotta admit, I like OMM for certain MSK uses. But I absolutely hated it when our professors would say "You can totally bill for that!"

Like thanks guy, now I feel like a chiropractor doling out essential oils.

 

[68wdogdad]

Our instructors always boast about this proudly: "I touched his neck and I billed him $300!!". It kind of bugs me (and other classmates) how proud they are of how much money they get to charge patients since most of it is out of pocket (according to them).

I LOL'd because I know exactly who you're reffering to.

 

[LostLlama]

Thanks for the replies. Not sure what statements like "dump that bs" entirely encompass but...

The cost of healthcare, and everything else really, kind of just goes with what the market will bear, no? Additionally, and I REALLY don't mean for this to sound stand-offish, there is considerable knowledge and skill behind PT-applied manual therapy. Our tuition is high and I believe the price people pay to become pain free, either with or without drugs, is money well spent.

At any rate, thanks for the clarification, all.

 

[deleted610572]

Thanks for the replies. Not sure what statements like "dump that bs" entirely encompass but...

The cost of healthcare, and everything else really, kind of just goes with what the market will bear, no? Additionally, and I REALLY don't mean for this to sound stand-offish, there is considerable knowledge and skill behind PT-applied manual therapy. Our tuition is high and I believe the price people pay to become pain free, either with or without drugs, is money well spent.

At any rate, thanks for the clarification, all.

the back handed remarks aren’t against PT. They are against OMM. We agree PT is worth it’s weight in gold