Is it just me or has the popularity been rising for osteopathic physicians?

[kobefan69]

So I was looking at posts dated as far back as 2002. A lot of people around that time were considering the "big 3" caribbean schools vs some of the top D.O. schools of our day. They all seemed to have a tough time making a decision on which one would have given them a brighter future. But when you compare that to today, some people now are even debating on some M.D. vs D.O. schools. Is it just me or did you guys notice this too? haha cause if so, I'm glad. There needs to be more awareness about osteopathic medicine. My own mom who's been an RN her whole life didn't even know they existed (fail).

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[Nymphicus]

So I was looking at posts dated as far back as 2002. A lot of people around that time were considering the "big 3" caribbean schools vs some of the top D.O. schools of our day. They all seemed to have a tough time making a decision on which one would have given them a brighter future. But when you compare that to today, some people now are even debating on some M.D. vs D.O. schools. Is it just me or did you guys notice this too? haha cause if so, I'm glad. There needs to be more awareness about osteopathic medicine. My own mom who's been an RN her whole life didn't even know they existed (fail).

It's just you.








Sorry couldn't resist. Your question is hard to quantify and the answer is probably geographical to some extent. There are more applicants to medical school now than 10 years ago and there are quite a few more DO schools as well.

 

[ManBroDude]

In 2002, there were only 19 osteopathic medical schools in existence, and all the rage was centered upon the opening of VCOM. Currently we have 29 schools with another 3 or 4 under discussion of opening. There's no doubt it's growing.

source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_schools_in_the_United_States

 

[COMedic2Doc]

I definitely agree that DO is growing rapidly, which is highly needed if you listen to the predictions for clinicians in the future. Something notable to mention here that I heard about while attending a recent DO school info session from an OS-2 is that the local MD students were highly impressed with the fact that DO students learn OMM which gives us a tool to use in future patient care, not to mention differences in approaching the patient.

So I do agree that DO is growing and gaining a respectable and noteworthy reputation. Years ago there were debates between DOs and MDs, now this is disappearing and mainly seen between Pre-Med students....... There are some MDs that hold true to the MD creed, but this seems to be dwindling as well as it's more of a respect for each other and recognizing the need for more clinicians.

 

[pcook1]

I've noticed this too, especially in areas with a high osteopathic presence, such as states with DO schools. Where I am we only have a DO school in the state and the philosophy is warmly embraced, and DO's and MD's are indistinguishable in clinical settings, and neither seem to be at a disadvantage, comparatively speaking, when operating a private practice.

 

[shaggybill]

Something notable to mention here that I heard about while attending a recent DO school info session from an OS-2 is that the local MD students were highly impressed with the fact that DO students learn OMM which gives us a tool to use in future patient care, not to mention differences in approaching the patient.

I think that OMS-2 may have been living in Lala Land. MD students, for the most part, don't give a rat's behind about OMM and think of it as snake oil/placebo/etc. because there is no hard science to back it up. Claiming exaggerated admiration of the practice by MD students as a way to impress everybody belittles the whole philosophy, in my opinion. If it works, then it should be able to stand on its own without having to rely on the blessings of our allopathic compadres.

</rant>

 

[COMedic2Doc]

I think that OMS-2 may have been living in Lala Land. MD students, for the most part, don't give a rat's behind about OMM and think of it as snake oil/placebo/etc. because there is no hard science to back it up. Claiming exaggerated admiration of the practice by MD students as a way to impress everybody belittles the whole philosophy, in my opinion. If it works, then it should be able to stand on its own without having to rely on the blessings of our allopathic compadres.

</rant>

Thank you for proving that bias is still alive and well in the pre-Medical community..... Quite honestly, once we all (allopathic and osteopathic) can get past our bias we will be able to truly start addressing the healthcare issues that we're faced with in this healthcare system and the future of what seems to be a downward spiraling system at the moment unless we can change things for the better.

Anyway, as you have your .02 and I have my .02, I'll equally respect it (and no don't assume that just because you're now accepted means anything to me with my long tenure of experience already in healthcare, but on that note congrats on your acceptance).

 

[norway28]

From what I can tell, definitely rising.

 

[sylvanthus]

Not rising, still a back-up for many people obviously. Also, I don't think MD students are in awe of our mad, crazy OMM skills. University of Washington students I have been on rotations with don't have a clue what OMM is and didn't know DO students could take the USMLE and apply to MD residencies.

The only people that really care about being a DO and what it entails are pre-DOs, DO students, and those who want to mock DOs. Don't flatter yourself into thinking that anyone respects our uniqueness, save for ourselves. If anything, the AOA's push to state how awesome we are and how much better we are than MDs is doing nothing more than hurting our reputation.

 

[dbizzy]

Anyway, as you have your .02 and I have my .02, I'll equally respect it (and no don't assume that just because you're now accepted means anything to me with my long tenure of experience already in healthcare, but on that note congrats on your acceptance).

y u madd, bro??

 

[ManBroDude]

He's the angry elf around here.

 

[shaggybill]

Thank you for proving that bias is still alive and well in the pre-Medical community..... Quite honestly, once we all (allopathic and osteopathic) can get past our bias we will be able to truly start addressing the healthcare issues that we're faced with in this healthcare system and the future of what seems to be a downward spiraling system at the moment unless we can change things for the better.

Anyway, as you have your .02 and I have my .02, I'll equally respect it (and no don't assume that just because you're now accepted means anything to me with my long tenure of experience already in healthcare, but on that note congrats on your acceptance).

I'm not biased. I look forward to OMM and deciding for myself its value. I have a totally open mind and know several very respectable physicians who have used it successfully. I hope that it proves itself to be a useful tool in med school. However, I also like to see the science behind any touted treatment plan, and so far, OMM has yet to produce. This is why I don't blame MD students who don't buy into it.

I personally did not apply to DO schools because of the OMM aspect. Even though my stats are a little on the low side, I had connections at an MD school that I had a pretty good shot at getting into, yet chose not to apply because I feel that an osteopathic medical school is where I belong. VCOM-CC specifically. The DO philosophy aligns perfectly with everything I've ever believed concerning today's healthcare and the direction it should be going. If OMM turns out to be a way of providing better care for my patients, then that's icing on the cake, but it's not currently the center of my appreciation for osteopathic medicine.

Any medical student, MD or DO, is by nature a student of science, and should not only expect, but also demand, that the backbones of their profession be able to stand the rigors of scientific testing. For DO's, that includes OMM. Unfortunately, other than anecdotal evidence, I have yet to see solid proof of why or how it works. That's not to say it won't present itself in the future, but until then, I have no problem giving a pass to those who view it with a wary eye.

 

[COMedic2Doc]

I'm not biased. I look forward to OMM and deciding for myself its value. I have a totally open mind and know several very respectable physicians who have used it successfully. I hope that it proves itself to be a useful tool in med school. However, I also like to see the science behind any touted treatment plan, and so far, OMM has yet to produce. This is why I don't blame MD students who don't buy into it.

I personally did not apply to DO schools because of the OMM aspect. Even though my stats are a little on the low side, I had connections at an MD school that I had a pretty good shot at getting into, yet chose not to apply because I feel that an osteopathic medical school is where I belong. VCOM-CC specifically. The DO philosophy aligns perfectly with everything I've ever believed concerning today's healthcare and the direction it should be going. If OMM turns out to be a way of providing better care for my patients, then that's icing on the cake, but it's not currently the center of my appreciation for osteopathic medicine.

Any medical student, MD or DO, is by nature a student of science, and should not only expect, but also demand, that the backbones of their profession be able to stand the rigors of scientific testing. For DO's, that includes OMM. Unfortunately, other than anecdotal evidence, I have yet to see solid proof of why or how it works. That's not to say it won't present itself in the future, but until then, I have no problem giving a pass to those who view it with a wary eye.

I should have made my point clearer, this was a oh gee moment not scientific evidence. I completely agree with you shaggy and coming from what seems to be somewhat similar background (international medicine, but in slightly different capacities; EMT in the ER but then we start to differ some), I have also chosen to go DO versus MD due to choices made in my Undergrad career and also a significant amount of exposure to both MD and DOs.

Perhaps some day we will see the research, and see if OMM will truly affect patients or if it's more of a pseudo effect. I do believe that DOs tend to look at the whole patient and the whole person better from personal observations, which to me is critical for the junctures we are heading to in our healthcare system.

Regarding being the angry elf..... hmmmm nice correlation. Seriously, I've been at this game for a long time (but at the same time have taken a very non-traditional path), and do try to encourage others on their path as well as being a source of encouragement through this confounding game pre-Med. I do apologize if in this instance I came off as being angry.

 

[retro]

You know that the popularity for DO is rising when you type in "Doctor of" in Google search, and the first related keyword that comes up is Doctor of Osteopathy before any other doctorate degrees. More and more people are showing interest and looking into what DO is.

But in all seriousness, as a student about to attend a DO school this fall, I think it's about time we cut the crap on justifying ourselves to be equal to MD, blah blah. No matter how much we drag each other down, it is reality that DO's are still looked down upon by some residency program directors, premed trolls, etc, and this mostly has to do with our sub-par admission stats, board scores, residency match rates compared to MD students. I know better than anyone else that having good numbers doesn't necessarily mean good physicians, but that's just how this world is. In my opinion, rather than wasting time to write lengthy posts on SDN justifying how we are equal, we should focus on studying our arse off and actually outperforming the MD students in the real world. No pain no gain, and it's about time we DO's walk the talk to gain the respect from our MD counterparts.

 

[costales]

In the real world of clinics and hospitals, people don't care about the difference. All they want to know is that (1) you're state licensed and board certified, and (2) you can do a decent job and won't attract lawsuits.

 

[UtopiaPOV]

I have been intertwined in academic research settings for the past six years (post-undegraduate). I have worked in research at two allopathic medical schools in NC: Brody & Wake. That being said, with my research publications and connections with faculty around these schools you would think MD program would be my first choice/ shoe-in. Throughout my time in research I have been around plenty of translational science faculty members with many being physicians.
One, DO physician in particular made a huge impact on my decision to go into osteopathic medicine.Since learning about Osteopathy three years ago I have since felt this practice of medicine fits my style best. At the end of the day, it comes down to the individual on what he/she gets out of the MD/DO profession.

 

[TriagePreMed]

It's not only that D.O. is growing rapidly, but it's that the Caribbean door is closing harder and harder on people. Just recently a Caribbean Nuclear Cardiologist came here to say that he believes D.O. is the better option. These are things that get passed onto the new generations. Also, the explosion of online information has made it possible for more applicants to really research their options and speak with people that are in the field. Internet communities in general are much larger, so I would put my bet on SDN being larger too. I found out about DO in passing, and had it not been for the influence here and the facts provided, I would have probably dismissed this route. Also, DO is getting so popular that I hear about "wanting to go to DO school" even at community colleges.

 

[thecgrblue]

It seems to be more popular, but it honestly just could be through my own lenses since I started becoming more aware of it about a year ago.

For me the jury is still out on OMM, but I haven't had enough exposure to it.

My sister is jealous b/c her husband is an MD, but all their Army friends are DOs and the wives go on and on about how great it is to have a husband that does OMM since it = quality back massages whenever they want.

 

[jinobi]

My sister is jealous b/c her husband is an MD, but all their Army friends are DOs and the wives go on and on about how great it is to have a husband that does OMM since it = quality back massages whenever they want.

Quoted for truth. The DO anesthesiologist I shadowed enthused on how his wife loved the massages he was able to give her. My girlfriend also received some OMM from some OMS-1s, said it was the most relaxing session she had in a while.

 

[kobefan69]

It seems to be more popular, but it honestly just could be through my own lenses since I started becoming more aware of it about a year ago.

See, thats why i brought up the question. Wasn't too sure if its the general consensus or my own personal awareness.

 

[Iliketoytles]

Quoted for truth. The DO anesthesiologist I shadowed enthused on how his wife loved the massages he was able to give her. My girlfriend also received some OMM from some OMS-1s, said it was the most relaxing session she had in a while.

Baha... I can just imagine a filter on a dating website that says "Trained in OMM".

I'd check that, fo sho.

 

[572776]

You know that the popularity for DO is rising when you type in "Doctor of" in Google search, and the first related keyword that comes up is Doctor of Osteopathy before any other doctorate degrees. More and more people are showing interest and looking into what DO is.

But in all seriousness, as a student about to attend a DO school this fall, I think it's about time we cut the crap on justifying ourselves to be equal to MD, blah blah. No matter how much we drag each other down, it is reality that DO's are still looked down upon by some residency program directors, premed trolls, etc, and this mostly has to do with our sub-par admission stats, board scores, residency match rates compared to MD students. I know better than anyone else that having good numbers doesn't necessarily mean good physicians, but that's just how this world is. In my opinion, rather than wasting time to write lengthy posts on SDN justifying how we are equal, we should focus on studying our arse off and actually outperforming the MD students in the real world. No pain no gain, and it's about time we DO's walk the talk to gain the respect from our MD counterparts.

I agree.