Interesting message Board... to me atleast.

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Thank you for thr post....its nice to see that the OP in that board ... didn't listen to the misinformation....and decided to see on her own what osteopathic medicine is all about....I'm happy that the woman's daughter benefitted from OMM.
 
SHuntington said:
Thank you for thr post....its nice to see that the OP in that board ... didn't listen to the misinformation....and decided to see on her own what osteopathic medicine is all about....I'm happy that the woman's daughter benefitted from OMM.
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Everything you said is true; however, even after the lengthy discussion in the thread, her last line is: (emphasis mine)

"She did discuss with this Doctor his medical background and, just as other posters stated, he is a medical doctor with additional training in this osteopathic field."
 
The way that was written does not make me think he is a MD that uses OMM if that is what your getting at. Who knows though.
 
That made my blood boil. Atleast the people defending osteopathy were the educated ones. Its funny how people skew things way out of proportion. Too bad posting is disabled 😉.
 
ahaydt said:
That made my blood boil. Atleast the people defending osteopathy were the educated ones. Its funny how people skew things way out of proportion. Too bad posting is disabled 😉.
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I didnt see anything wrong with that forum?...there were a few people with misconceptions and the vast majority knew exactly what DO's were, explained it clearly, and probably did a good job of educating those that didnt know...I hope we all learned, that outside of the SDN world, the initials really dont matter as much, and even when someone is curious, they just ask and people tell them..thats it.
 
Wow.. just.. wow. That thread made me feel so sad for people out there. Thank God that the well thought out and well articulated arguments on that thread come from the ones that understand Osteopathy. So sad... so so sad...
 
Pansit said:
I didnt see anything wrong with that forum?...there were a few people with misconceptions and the vast majority knew exactly what DO's were, explained it clearly, and probably did a good job of educating those that didnt know...I hope we all learned, that outside of the SDN world, the initials really dont matter as much, and even when someone is curious, they just ask and people tell them..thats it.
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I loved the smackdown that Janna55 laid on "I'm an RN with more years of experience that wouldn't refer her worst enemy to a DO" Morninglory47 :laugh:
 
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]UPDATE: I promised I would provide an update on how my daughter's visit to this Doctor went.

She loved him! He is sending her for Blood work, up to date MRI's of her neck, but strongly believes that the C-6 disc is herinated. He also believes that not only is her neck area injured, but her lower back also has "issues".

He gave her a very thorough examination and manipulated her neck area for about 10 minutes which provided her with relief. She described it as his "lifting" off some of the pressure she feels in her neck .

She did discuss with this Doctor his medical background and, just as other posters stated, he is a medical doctor with additional training in this osteopathic field..

This is and should be the most important post of the thread. The patient found her doctor knowledgable, compassionate and provided her with immediate relief. This should be what we are all striving for as doctors and there is a great lesson in this message board for everyone (especially the pessimistic). 👍
 
That thread reminds me of the scene in monty python and the holy grail where they're trying to figure out if that woman is a witch.
 
I wish I could post on that thread. I would give them a barrage of websites, data, and facts that would help obliterate the negative stigma that is rampant in the center of the thread. On the other hand, that Update is great! Thank God for people learning the truth first-hand. Gotta spread the DO love! ^.^

<3
 
TexasTriathlete said:
That thread reminds me of the scene in monty python and the holy grail where they're trying to figure out if that woman is a witch.
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! TOO TRUE! Thanks for the early AM laugh, Texas!

<3
 
I want to post on there so bad:

"I hear if you invite a DO into your house he can come and go at will. Also, they don't like running water or holy symbols. Oh yeah, and they receive equivalent training to MDs"
 
that's the problem with the internet...it's available to anyone. and that means too many uninformed people making one-off posts that don't reflect any true level of content or intelligence. unlike SDN... :laugh:
 
Seriously though, people just don't get it. Nobody knows what the hell a DO was. The only two doctors I see for treatment here in Austin are DO's, and the only reason I know this is because I have talked to them about medical school. The average patient would have no idea.

Some of the people on that thread who said they would never go to a DO have probably been treated by DO's and don't even know it.

What we need is a TV show. Like they should make the doctor on Star Trek a DO.
 
sexyman said:
The way that was written does not make me think he is a MD that uses OMM if that is what your getting at. Who knows though.
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Actually, I was just pointing out that in spite of several great explanations and a lengthy discussion, her final statement is inaccurate. What I gathered from the thread was not that her daughter was being treated by "a medical doctor with additional training in this osteopathic field", but by an osteopathic physician practicing his normal scope of training.

Semantics, sure, but this whole issue is largely one of semantics. Why else are people arguing so fervently about adding an M in front of DO? It sounds to me like she still didn't really understand what a DO was, but this guy didn't seem like a quack, so in her mind he must be an MD with extra training. This might simplify the work of explaining the difference in MD and DO in the short term, but may not be in the best long term interests of the profession...

Also not looking to reopen the whole "does DO=MD + OMM" discussion, just sharing some thoughts...
 
Ok didn't know exactly what you were getting at.
 
TexasTriathlete said:
Seriously though, people just don't get it. Nobody knows what the hell a DO was. The only two doctors I see for treatment here in Austin are DO's, and the only reason I know this is because I have talked to them about medical school. The average patient would have no idea.

Some of the people on that thread who said they would never go to a DO have probably been treated by DO's and don't even know it.

What we need is a TV show. Like they should make the doctor on Star Trek a DO.
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I don't think the Star Trek fan base is large enough. I think Oprah would be better. All the mom's out there would take it as gospel.
 
DragonWell said:
Actually, I was just pointing out that in spite of several great explanations and a lengthy discussion, her final statement is inaccurate. What I gathered from the thread was not that her daughter was being treated by "a medical doctor with additional training in this osteopathic field", but by an osteopathic physician practicing his normal scope of training.

Semantics, sure, but this whole issue is largely one of semantics. Why else are people arguing so fervently about adding an M in front of DO? It sounds to me like she still didn't really understand what a DO was, but this guy didn't seem like a quack, so in her mind he must be an MD with extra training. This might simplify the work of explaining the difference in MD and DO in the short term, but may not be in the best long term interests of the profession...

Also not looking to reopen the whole "does DO=MD + OMM" discussion, just sharing some thoughts...
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Are you guys confused?....DO's are medical doctors wth training in the field of osteopathy...unlike the DO's overseas who are NOT medical doctors but are trained solely in the field of osteopathy...her statement was completely accurate....

*MD does not mean medical doctor* if that is what you are confusing...medical doctor means a physician..
 
Pansit said:
Are you guys confused?....DO's are medical doctors wth training in the field of osteopathy...unlike the DO's overseas who are NOT medical doctors but are trained solely in the field of osteopathy...her statement was completely accurate....

*MD does not mean medical doctor* if that is what you are confusing...medical doctor means a physician..
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I agree with you Pansit. I thought it was the correct symantics.
 
Finally.. my registration with that website went through. I encourage all of you to register with this site and try to enlighten some people with me. I am going to give some cursory knowledge and references as best I can, but join me!

<3
 
Pansit said:
*MD does not mean medical doctor* if that is what you are confusing...medical doctor means a physician..
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Eh, well, I think that depends on who you ask. While in a technical sense what you are saying is true, I think if you asked most of the lay public what "medical doctor" means, they would unhesitatingly say "MD", rather than "physician".

I also have yet to hear the AOA refer to their membership as "medical doctors with training in the field of osteopathy".
From the AOA website :

"What is a DO? - The physicians who practice OMT are called Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.s). In many ways, D.O.s resemble medical doctors (M.D.s). Both D.O.s and M.D.s are fully licensed physicians..."

I see your point, but in any case there's no way to know for sure what the OP meant.
 
Ok.. I've spent over 20 mintues making sure my post on that website was accurate and well-thought-out. Hopefully you all agree. ^.^

<3
 
I really feel like I shall be having conversations like that with my family this christmas. Oh why can't there be more DOs in lower Alabama so not everyone will be completely confused.
 
I'm going to sign up and try to convince them all to take an herbal blend to help them relax, and focus on the positive energies of the solar system.
 
I've been explaining it for 3 straight years to my parents. They kept telling me "we want better for you! Why hold yourself back? DOs are looked down upon!" I think I finally got through to them.. yesterday? Hahaha! Just kidding. Who knows when I did. All I know is that they are extremely happy that I am going to be a doctor, and that's all there is to it.
 
TexasTriathlete said:
I'm going to sign up and try to convince them all to take an herbal blend to help them relax, and focus on the positive energies of the solar system.
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AHAHAHAHAHA! A funny quote in the morning and one in the evening. And here I was pissed off by some jerk in the Pre-Allo forum. Thanks to Texas once again!
 
As per JPC's request.. here is my post on the Courttv.com website. If a mod would like to take that and post is.. anywhere.. by all means, feel free to do so. ^.^ Thanks to JPC for the good words..



_____________


[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]I would like to let you all know that you have stirred up some deep emotions on a well-known Osteopathic/Pre-Osteopathic website, so congratulations on that. I would like to be the first to bring you all the truth behind Osteopathic Medicine, as well as shed any light on any misinformation that you all may have.

First of all, I would like to address what Osteopathy really is. "Osteopathic medicine provides all of the benefits of modern medicine including prescription drugs, surgery, and the use of technology to diagnose disease and evaluate injury. It also offers the added benefit of hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health promotion and disease prevention." That was taken from (http://www.aacom.org/about/osteomed/Pages/default.aspx) if you would like some additional reading.

As you can see, Osteopathy is not simply a holistic approach to medicine. It is not an MD with extra training. They are physicians, exactly like an MD. They go through the same schooling, the same residency/fellowship programs, and can work below/beside/above MDs in every medical setting. What is the difference, then? The philosophy.

Osteopathy is centered around the whole-body approach. "DOs are trained to look at the whole person from their first days of medical school, which means they see each person as more than just a collection of organ systems and body parts that may become injured or diseased." This is different from the widely-known Allopathic (MD) approach to medicine. Their differences in their title (MD versus DO) signify their differences in patient philosophy and not quality of care.

What type of training does a physician undergo? Both MDs and DOs take classes in Embryology, Histology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Oncology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Care, just to name a few. While some schools teach the material in different ways, the information taught in consistent throughout all of the medical colleges across the nation. There is a difference in training, however. All of the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (COMs) across the country are required to teach a class known as Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM).

OMM "involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMM, [an] osteopathic physician (D.O.) will move [the] muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure and resistance." This, again, is another philosophical approach to patient care that Allopathic (MD) physicians do not employ. Does this mean that all DOs will use OMM in their practice? No. I cannot say with any certainty how many physicians actually employ OMM in their practice. If you are curious if your DO uses that training, ask him/her. I am sure they will be more than happy to explain this to you in better detail.

What is the point of having two types, then? Philosophy. Allopathic medicine is not for everyone, and neither is Osteopathic medicine. Thousands of DOs recieve their medical degree (DO) every year, providing a slight ease to the physician shortage we have in this country. They are equally as capable, important, and willing to treat and serve the medical need that we have.

If you have any further questions concerning the differences between Osteopathy and Allopathy, I would implore you to post here. I will pass these messages along to my friends and colleagues for further input and insight.

As for myself, I am a senior at the Pennsylvania State University and have been accepted to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton. I am eager to start my medical training so that I will one day save as many lives as I can. Thank you for your time.


______
.
 
BCLumas said:
As per JPC's request.. here is my post on the Courttv.com website. If a mod would like to take that and post is.. anywhere.. by all means, feel free to do so. ^.^ Thanks to JPC for the good words..



_____________


[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]I would like to let you all know that you have stirred up some deep emotions on a well-known Osteopathic/Pre-Osteopathic website, so congratulations on that. I would like to be the first to bring you all the truth behind Osteopathic Medicine, as well as shed any light on any misinformation that you all may have.

First of all, I would like to address what Osteopathy really is. "Osteopathic medicine provides all of the benefits of modern medicine including prescription drugs, surgery, and the use of technology to diagnose disease and evaluate injury. It also offers the added benefit of hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health promotion and disease prevention." That was taken from (http://www.aacom.org/about/osteomed/Pages/default.aspx) if you would like some additional reading.

As you can see, Osteopathy is not simply a holistic approach to medicine. It is not an MD with extra training. They are physicians, exactly like an MD. They go through the same schooling, the same residency/fellowship programs, and can work below/beside/above MDs in every medical setting. What is the difference, then? The philosophy.

Osteopathy is centered around the whole-body approach. "DOs are trained to look at the whole person from their first days of medical school, which means they see each person as more than just a collection of organ systems and body parts that may become injured or diseased." This is different from the widely-known Allopathic (MD) approach to medicine. Their differences in their title (MD versus DO) signify their differences in patient philosophy and not quality of care.

What type of training does a physician undergo? Both MDs and DOs take classes in Embryology, Histology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Oncology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Care, just to name a few. While some schools teach the material in different ways, the information taught in consistent throughout all of the medical colleges across the nation. There is a difference in training, however. All of the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (COMs) across the country are required to teach a class known as Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM).

OMM "involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMM, [an] osteopathic physician (D.O.) will move [the] muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure and resistance." This, again, is another philosophical approach to patient care that Allopathic (MD) physicians do not employ. Does this mean that all DOs will use OMM in their practice? No. I cannot say with any certainty how many physicians actually employ OMM in their practice. If you are curious if your DO uses that training, ask him/her. I am sure they will be more than happy to explain this to you in better detail.

What is the point of having two types, then? Philosophy. Allopathic medicine is not for everyone, and neither is Osteopathic medicine. Thousands of DOs recieve their medical degree (DO) every year, providing a slight ease to the physician shortage we have in this country. They are equally as capable, important, and willing to treat and serve the medical need that we have.

If you have any further questions concerning the differences between Osteopathy and Allopathy, I would implore you to post here. I will pass these messages along to my friends and colleagues for further input and insight.

As for myself, I am a senior at the Pennsylvania State University and have been accepted to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton. I am eager to start my medical training so that I will one day save as many lives as I can. Thank you for your time.


______
.
Click to expand...

Well said BCLumas!!

Oh yeah and GO NITTANY LIONS!!!
 
Thank you ^.^ I worked very hard to not sound like a know-it-all-jerk, but I also wanted to make sure people get a good sense of what osteopathy really was. Thanks for all the support!
 
OMFG.. That Hotlantadude (on the courttv.com website) is gonna piss me off. Please, someone, anyone, help me keep my cool.
 
He just doesn't know what he's talking about. Just explain it.
 
I'm trying.. hopefully he understands.

EDIT.. he's not understanding. Do you know what I hate most? People who are sooooooo ignorant and unwilling to accept differences that they do not even think they are ignorant. It's just so upsetting. I need to take an English class soon so that I can articulate my arguments better.
 
Hi guys,

That was a very interesting read. I've hung around SDN alot in the past and have seen a lot of really mis informed comments about DOs, so reading some of those comments on that website wasn't too suprising to me.

What was suprising to me was that there was a lot more awareness to DOs than I previously thought.:luck:
 
Thank you to whomever Zach Morris is.. I really appreciate the help ^.^
 
BCLumas said:
Thank you to whomever Zach Morris is.. I really appreciate the help ^.^
Click to expand...

I wondering if he is an SDNr... I do remember seeing a zach morris... who knows.
 
malisa said:
I really feel like I shall be having conversations like that with my family this christmas. Oh why can't there be more DOs in lower Alabama so not everyone will be completely confused.
Click to expand...

Malisa, Just to brighten up your Christmas conversations, remember next Fall, there will be 11 DO students leaving Mesa Arizona and coming down to learn/work for at least 3 years in the Alabama Medical Education Consortium, representing Alabama’s Community Health Centers with a base in Troy, AL (south of Montgomery), and serving rural, suburban and ethnic populations across Alabama(thats from the SOMA website, btw). The year after that another 11 students, and so on and so on. If you get a good percentage of these future DOs staying in Alabama...well I can already hear the winds of change....(dramatic music playing in the background)😍
 
i can't wait for the day that these topics on forums no longer appear. DOs are increasing in prevalence, visibility, and prominence in hospitals and academic institutions every day. these threads should challenge all of us who successfully matriculate at osteopathic medical schools to go the extra mile in our studies and eventual practice to provide the best practice possible for all patients. that's the only way to beat 'em 🙂
 
BCLumas said:
As per JPC's request.. here is my post on the Courttv.com website. If a mod would like to take that and post is.. anywhere.. by all means, feel free to do so. ^.^ Thanks to JPC for the good words..

______
[/SIZE].
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BCLumas - Great Job!!!
 
This should make everyone feel good that the stigma of the "evil DO" is finally starting to go away!

I thank you so much for explaining what a D/O is and does. The car accident my daughter was in occurred in December 2003 and she has been living in this pain ever since. She has a bone fusion operation done in 2004, which helped about 40%, but still has left her with two other herinated discs in the neck area, nerve damage in her shoulders and arms, and now carbal tunnel in both wrists. her tyroid gland is uncer active, and even her hormone levels might be low. This accident really affected every part of her body and, hopefully, this D/O will be able to unravel all her ailments.

I had never heard of a D/O before she went to this Doctor, and in defense of Doug (Hot Atlanta Dude), he only had my daughter and me in his best interests as I've known Doug for a long time on these boards.

If anything, this thread has been a great educational lesson as it has made me now understand what a D/O is and the type of medicine it involves. Hopefully, with your expertise, you have educated others than just me!

Thanks again; your information has helped the both of us so much.
 
lol.. thank you a lot! It took up a lot of my time yesterday, but I honestly feel it was worth it. At least there are probably a few less ignorant people out there who can make educated choices about health care and not base them on preconceived, ill-fed notions of what things are and are not. ^.^
 
BCLumas - great work on addressing the topic in that forum. One thing I'd cordially suggest is to get away from the use of the word "osteopathy" and substitute "osteopathic medicine". I think the term osteopathy, which I noticed most DOs/med students now shun, confuses the layman and then there's some rhyming mechanism that instinctively takes place - "osteopathy, homeopathy" - "herbal remedies" - "voodoo". There's also some correlation with those who perform adjustments in other nations being referred to as "osteopaths". Not intending to be overly critical, but there has been a movement to use "osteopathic medicine" in lieu of the term "osteopathy". Great response nonetheless! 👍
 
Gotcha! Sometimes "osteopathic medicine" takes a lot of breath to say (yes, I read all of my posts out in my head before I submit them), so I try to change it up. I will veer away from that, however, as per requested ^.^ Thank you for the support!
 
BCLumas said:
Gotcha! Sometimes "osteopathic medicine" takes a lot of breath to say (yes, I read all of my posts out in my head before I submit them), so I try to change it up. I will veer away from that, however, as per requested ^.^ Thank you for the support!
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Just keep up that great, pro-active work! The profession needs more people like you with level heads and a willingness to address such concerns.
 
BCLumas, you just received serious kudos from the OP on that board - a great response to yours! Way to go. 👍

In fact, I'm going to include it here:

"My daughter has been to several doctors - neurosurgeons, chiroprators, - you name the field; she has been seen by a "specialist". ALL recommended surgery which she already has and did not eliminate all the pain she is currently experiencing.

She did have an exam by this D/O which she was referred to and she loved him!!!!! He manipulated the area in her neck for approximately 10 minutes (she has two herinated discs) and she felt so much pressure "lifted" from her. He referred her to have several various blood type of work done, and other X-rays and she now has to go back for another visit with him.

Bottom line - she believes this Doctor will be able to help her much better than all the other pain management doctors as all they wanted to do was have her take opium type of pain killers.

In fact, I am also going to make an appointment with this Doctor for myself as my original Doctor has left the area and I need to find a new one."
 
Ya.. you should go onto the next page and continue reading. She is really thankful for all of this. It isn't just me. Thanks to Zach Morris for his continued help, too! ^.^
 
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