FutureNavyDOc said:
A more accurate analogy I use is DDS vs DMD, both are fully qualified dentists licensed in all 50 states, a DDS went to Dental school and a DMD went to med school then did a dental residency.
Actually, this is wrong.
A DMD and a DDS are exactly the same thing - just different wording on a diploma. DMD stands for "Doctor of Dental Medicine" and DDS stands for "Doctor of Dental Surgery". Same curriculum, same skillsets, same everything ... just different wording on a diploma. It's up to the school to decide if it wants to give a DDS or DMD (and usually it's one or the another, not both). But there's no philosophical, legal, or any theoretical difference between the two. The reason for the 2 types of dental degrees is historical (blame Harvard and latin for it)
Now a DMD/DDS can do a OMFS residency that is affliated with a US medical school ... and get an MD from that medical school at the end of the residency. Then that person will be a DMD/DDS and an MD at the same time.
To amena, I think the reason you got several harsh replies is the implication of the original question - suggesting that your friend can upgrade her DO to MD at some point in future. It's almost equivalent to asking a Southwest Airline pilot that it's great that he (or she) is a pilot and all, but if at some point in the future, he (or she) wants to be a real pilot and work for United Airlines (or American, or Delta, take your pick). I am sure the Southwest Airline pilot would be greatly offended.