DO way

[DObaby]

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let me first preference that I am not trying to start another md vs do thread and that I am applying to DO schools and would be honored to have the letters follow my name.

But I cant help but notice the lack of difference in the md and do curriculum besides omm. This being said, where in the DO curriculum do you learn to be more "holistic?" Where in the DO curriculum do you learn to treat the patient more as a whole rather then just the disease? Is it third and fourth year where they teach you to practice like a "true" DO? Because the omm cant be the only difference between the two and expect that alone to be the difference in philosophies. Ive shadowed DO's and have noticed them to be kind, but many MD's I've met are just as personable.

Reason why I'm asking this is that at a recent DO interview, I was asked why you want to be a DO? I said the usual treating the patient as whole, considering mind body spirit thing. then he asked me, you don't think MD's do that? All I could say was, its not emphasized as much as in a DO program. But now thinking about this and seeing everywhere that md and do training is virtually IDENTICAL besides the omm, how exactly are DO's more holistic?

Once again not trying to start do vs md, I would be ecstatic to matriculate in a DO school.

 

[lobo.solo]

Do a google search. I doubt people here can answer this when in fact we're not medical students.

 

[Bacchus]

I didn't pull any of that BS.

Why do you want to be a DO?
"I had OMM performed on me by my family doc. It helped. I saw it help other patients while shadowing. I want to be able to add another modality to my toolbox in order to help patients."

 

[Charlie Hustle]

DOs aren't any more "holistic" or "patient-centered" than MDs. We learn OMM for a few hours a week and, once we start seeing patients, we can apply those skills to treat a small subset of patients under specific circumstances. Other than that, the two are indistinguishable. At this point, the difference in degrees is more historical than anything (a la DMD vs. DDS in the dental world).

 

[Cuongoff]

Here's my two cents. I was hit with that same statement (MD's are also passionate etc etc just like there are jerk DOs)

I think the schools look for students who seem more compassionate and personable. Also, being in an environment where you are among other students that believe being compassionate and approach medicine holistically might foster in you the qualities of a "DO".

 

[Iheartnachos]

Kind of a tough question. How are they different? I guess it depends on the people graduating from the schools and how they practice. Some will use OMM and uphold traditional osteopathic principles, others wont.

In regards to answering that question, I tried to personalize it like Bacchus did. I guess they were seeing if you had thought more about the question of "Why DO?" than simply being able to regurgitate the same stuff we've all read online (patient and whole body focused, etc etc).

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Here's my two cents. I was hit with that same statement (MD's are also passionate etc etc just like there are jerk DOs)

I think the schools look for students who seem more compassionate and personable. Also, being in an environment where you are among other students that believe being compassionate and approach medicine holistically might foster in you the qualities of a "DO".

I.e OP apply to naturopathic school if you want to be holisitc.

 

[SpecterGT260]

This is a phenomenal reason to squelch this myth. You looked uninformed to your interviewer. Not necessarily a kiss of death but definitely not a good thing. Its ok though. I gave an answer similar to yours at a DO interview except I indicated it was only patient misconceptions and was still accepted 😀

 

[toxicwombat]

dos aren't any more "holistic" or "patient-centered" than mds. We learn omm for a few hours a week and, once we start seeing patients, we can apply those skills to treat a small subset of patients under specific circumstances. Other than that, the two are indistinguishable. at this point, the difference in degrees is more historical than anything (a la dmd vs. Dds in the dental world).

+1

 

[GunnerBGone]

I didn't pull any of that BS.

🙄

Why am I not surprised?

 

[DrMaximus]

DOs aren't any more "holistic" or "patient-centered" than MDs. We learn OMM for a few hours a week and, once we start seeing patients, we can apply those skills to treat a small subset of patients under specific circumstances. Other than that, the two are indistinguishable. At this point, the difference in degrees is more historical than anything (a la DMD vs. DDS in the dental world).

+1


I tell people this all of the time. Especially after this GME merger.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

I.e OP apply to naturopathic school if you want to be holisitc.

Or be like a doctor in a city near me, "Dr. X, D.O., D.C., N.D."

 

[SpecterGT260]

Or be like a doctor in a city near me, "Dr. X, D.O., D.C., N.D."

🙄
Some ND schools will give a dual ND/DC. Not sure if there is extra time involved or not. That is still just completely silly. I am hoping they climbed the ranks in terms of validity and nonsense and went ND -> DC -> DO (yes, facetguy, I think DC > ND, so there you go 😀) but still.... that is just obnoxious

 

[BabyDoc86]

When I studied bioethics, we worked on cases that needed healthy doses of cultural competence, decreased paternalism & increased patient autonomy. In our community, there was a huge lack of these skills in the hospitals, which led my team and I to submit a white paper to the state legislature in hopes of amending state statutes for certain cases. The med school where I earned my degree did not teach the med students any of the helpful tools from my program unless they enrolled in the MD/MA program, of which there were a grand total of 2 students over three years. So when I found out that DMU taught bioethics to all MS1 & MS2 students, I was hooked. I already know how my training has helped me with communication with my patients & their families, as well as allowing me to see beyond the illness/diagnosis/treatment, and I want a program that will now teach me these things within the context of Western medicine, which is why I also applied DO.

 

[willen101383]

There is no difference. All just a bunch of BS. Especially true in some of the more established DO schools, ie mine, where you are on rotations with MD attgs and a good bunch of MD students.

 

[SpecterGT260]

There is no difference. All just a bunch of BS. Especially true in some of the more established DO schools, ie mine, where you are on rotations with MD attgs and a good bunch of MD students.

Kc?

 

[qwerty2012]

I was curious too and did some digging into older posts. It seems that the way OMT is utilized/being manipulated a long time ago really made that holistic distinction from traditional MDs.
But nowadays, it is just a phrase school use to still maintain an identity.

In the end, DO schools let you learn a technique that is useful in primary care and are tolerate of nontraditional students.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

🙄
Some ND schools will give a dual ND/DC. Not sure if there is extra time involved or not. That is still just completely silly. I am hoping they climbed the ranks in terms of validity and nonsense and went ND -> DC -> DO (yes, facetguy, I think DC > ND, so there you go 😀) but still.... that is just obnoxious

Just think of how much all of that must have cost. Ouch.

 

[SpecterGT260]

Just think of how much all of that must have cost. Ouch.

monetarily? I feel like the "costs" are so much more intangible and severe than that

 

[YShi]

.

 

[MedPR]

Dmu interviewers tried to to tell me that DOs are inherently more holistic than MDs. It was hard not to laugh.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[HalfListic]

When I studied bioethics, we worked on cases that needed healthy doses of cultural competence, decreased paternalism & increased patient autonomy. In our community, there was a huge lack of these skills in the hospitals, which led my team and I to submit a white paper to the state legislature in hopes of amending state statutes for certain cases. The med school where I earned my degree did not teach the med students any of the helpful tools from my program unless they enrolled in the MD/MA program, of which there were a grand total of 2 students over three years. So when I found out that DMU taught bioethics to all MS1 & MS2 students, I was hooked. I already know how my training has helped me with communication with my patients & their families, as well as allowing me to see beyond the illness/diagnosis/treatment, and I want a program that will now teach me these things within the context of Western medicine, which is why I also applied DO.

I just want to point out, objectively, that this is a difference in schools and not necessarily between DO and MD.

 

[MedPR]

When I studied bioethics, we worked on cases that needed healthy doses of cultural competence, decreased paternalism & increased patient autonomy. In our community, there was a huge lack of these skills in the hospitals, which led my team and I to submit a white paper to the state legislature in hopes of amending state statutes for certain cases. The med school where I earned my degree did not teach the med students any of the helpful tools from my program unless they enrolled in the MD/MA program, of which there were a grand total of 2 students over three years. So when I found out that DMU taught bioethics to all MS1 & MS2 students, I was hooked. I already know how my training has helped me with communication with my patients & their families, as well as allowing me to see beyond the illness/diagnosis/treatment, and I want a program that will now teach me these things within the context of Western medicine, which is why I also applied DO.

I can think of at least 6 MD schools that teach bioethics of some sort to all of their students. It's a curriculum thing, not an MD vs DO thing

 

[BabyDoc86]

I just want to point out, objectively, that this is a difference in schools and not necessarily between DO and MD.

I left out that I applied to schools (both MD and DO) that did have an emphasis on bioethics, especially since I want to continue my research. Sorry for the confusion.

EDIT: Also, some of the schools I researched do "teach" bioethics via optional lunchtime lectures... that no one attends. Quite discouraging.

 

[SpecterGT260]

I left out that I applied to schools (both MD and DO) that did have an emphasis on bioethics, especially since I want to continue my research. Sorry for the confusion.

EDIT: Also, some of the schools I researched do "teach" bioethics via optional lunchtime lectures... that no one attends. Quite discouraging.

Not a big deal. There are just those around who look for something (anything) to hold the degrees apart other than entry numbers. Some sort of trade off I suppose.

For research you are much better off doing MD. But there is nothing stopping you from going DO and doing research once you graduate. From what I have heard the research opportunities are pretty sparse in post DO programs

 

[BabyDoc86]

For research you are much better off doing MD. But there is nothing stopping you from going DO and doing research once you graduate. From what I have heard the research opportunities are pretty sparse in post DO programs

While this is true, I'm not looking at doing bench research, so it matters much less to me what the two letters are. My research is in neonatal clinical ethics.