This was the reply that I sent to the editor:
I have to commend you on your article and the points you raise. If there is a problem between the two, as you say, then it should be brought to the attention of the public in order to find a solution. There are certain points in which I disagree.
Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. I do not doubt your credentials, nor do I fault you for stating your opinion. I feel that the article is a severe generalization/stereotype, and the slanderous replies by fellow osteopaths help to perpetuate the main theme of the article. Formalities aside, I feel that you may have made a generalization on the profession as a whole based on personal experiences within one medical school in which you were associated. To claim that an entire medical profession is substandard based on the anecdotes that you mention is similar to segregating an entire race due to crime statistics. Clearly, history has proven that this line of thinking is obtuse. The story in which you relate a room full of sorrow around an embarrassed osteopathic medical student makes me think that you feel that the student opinion is the right one, simply because they all reacted similarly. To this, I must point out that public opinion is not always the correct one just because the majority feels as such. To further illustrate my example, I will relate that during World War II the majority of Germany felt that the Jews should be eradicated from the earth. Even though the majority felt that way, it clearly was wrong.
I also find it rather disheartening that you fault a medical student for feeling pride in their profession (the ‘bumper sticker' story). Do you feel that one's pride in their profession is an error that must be remedied? Perhaps the bumper sticker is an attempt to educate the public that a DO is a doctor, rather than to hide insecurities (which I feel your article may have heightened). Osteopathic medical students are medical students that are proud of the fact that they are living out their dreams of helping others. They reflect this pride in their work, their educating of the masses, and through their advertisements. To display pride in their accomplishments is not an effort to dissuade others of their supposed inferiority, but rather a declaration of their eagerness to help a society that sometimes deems them inferior. It does not help in any way to smother out the passion that they carry for medicine.
In regards to manipulative therapy (or lack thereof), it simply cannot be discounted because it isn't as widespread. Many osteopaths who specialize simply cannot perform manipulation due to their choice of specialty. The fact remains that there are MD's who seek out manipulative therapy as a means for treatment. Just because it isn't as popular doesn't lessen the effectiveness. There may be a small number practicing, but there IS a number practicing, and it should not be discounted. I find that much of your article (although not all) is based on the assumption that popular opinion is the correct one. As proven before, this cannot be the case.
Osteopathic medicine is full of eager, willing, and intelligent students who are qualified by state and national exams. Many of the students feel that an osteopathic medicine is a fulfilling and rewarding career, and many osteopathic physicians are more than qualified to practice medicine as they see fit. There are osteopathic medical schools with higher admission standards with respect to GPA and MCAT averages than some allopathic schools, and the passing rate of such osteopathic schools is higher than their allopathic counterparts. Admissions standards and passing rates are also higher than many foreign medical schools. Since the purpose of the article is to claim that there is a superior medical degree, then you should reconsider your argument to include foreign medical graduates and schools with lower passing rates. The fact that there are deviations to the norm weakens your point, and should not be overlooked.
Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my response.
