Is the DO I'm shadowing misrepresenting his credentials?

[CCmetal94]

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I work as a scribe for a DO, and he loves telling his patient's that he is an osteopathic physician. Some of his patient's even prefer DOs. He is very eager to tell patient's about osteopathic medicine and OMM, etc... It's awesome to see. I luckily work in a clinic with 50/50 when it comes to DOs vs MDs. It's a great experience!

Same. The family doc DO I shadowed would always ask a new patient "so you ever see a DO before?'

 

[IHelpDrs]

It sounds like he may be embarrased and is trying to hide DO?

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Another theory was mention in an above response about explaining the difference between an M.D. and a D.O. Depending upon who the patient or person was he/she was asking about this may be the reason he/she chose this wording. It may have been handled better with having a better response, but both types of doctors do practice medicine, just in a different approach and manner.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Actually it doesnt contradict him at all. I fact it tells you the M.D. came from the latin. Thats why its M.D. not D.M.

Yes Doctor of Medicine = M.D. but the two letters M.D. do not literally stand for Doctor of Medicine, they stand for Medicinae Doctor.

Its not that difficult to understand.

Hospital badges MD just means physician or Medical Doctor if you will. Just like PA badges mean Physician Assistant. They are liability placards, not wearable diplomas. Which is why D.O.s can and do wear badges that say MD all of the time, because it signifies to the general public that they are medical doctors aka physicians. (Thats if the hospital badges dont just say "Physician"; which some do).



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In over 8 years of working in hospitals, I've seen nothing to indicate this. They either have MD and DO badges or they just have generic PHYSICIAN badges. I've worked in, volunteered in, or been given care in six hospitals in four different states, including both coasts, Texas, and Hawaii.

 

[baratheonfire]

Why is this guy listed as an MD? He graduated from NYCOM

http://www.bronxcare.org/physicians/find-a-physician/detail/marshall-kurtz/

 

[DrBowtie]

Why is this guy listed as an MD? He graduated from NYCOM

http://www.bronxcare.org/physicians/find-a-physician/detail/marshall-kurtz/

Because people who make webpages don't know any better.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Why is this guy listed as an MD? He graduated from NYCOM

http://www.bronxcare.org/physicians/find-a-physician/detail/marshall-kurtz/

Same reason the article about Richard Jadick was called "Hero, MD."

 

[baratheonfire]

Because people who make webpages don't know any better.

Same reason the article about Richard Jadick was called "Hero, MD."

Nice, maybe I can get away with that some day

 

[Sam212]

In 9+ years now in osteopathic profession, including medical school and two residencies, I have never once been asked by a patient what's a DO. I have not once been told a story by any of my colleagues/mentors that they had shortage of patients due to DO status. I have not once heard/seen of care being rendered by a DO which was any less than an MD.

I'm in orthopedics myself, and there are many excellent DO orthopedic surgeons out there, many even in academia. They are all well respected and have no shortage of patients. Of course there are DOs out there that I wouldn't send my mother to, but same could be said of MDs.

I am not sure why this specific DO Ortho would hide their DO status, it looks and sounds dubious and reflects poorly on the profession.

 

[JoeUSA]

The world isn't Florida. In most states you are required to provide credentials only upon patient request.

Really, is that written in law. Is it acceptable for healthcare professionals to misrepresent themselves?

 

[Mad Jack]

Really, is that written in law. Is it acceptable for healthcare professionals to misrepresent themselves?

We don't even have to wear badges in my state, lol. We're pretty chill about that sort of thing. In op's case, it would fall into perfectly acceptable legal territory. We also get MDs that claim, for instance, they trained at Harvard, when they actually trained at MGH and went to a much less prestigious medical school but want to sound more impressive to their patients that don't realize MGH is the biggest of deals. It's dishonest, certainly. I find it personally annoying, and it leaves a vad taste in my mouth because of the degree of insecurity it displays. But it definitely isn't illegal, or at least it isn't here. Even in Florida, the guy is probably fine, he could just identity himself as an orthopedic surgeon and forego the initials, because no doctor identifies by their degree post-training. You're not like, "I'm a medical doctor." You say, "I'm a hospitalist/nephrologist/surgeon/dermatologist/whatever." Literally never in my years in the hospital has any attending from anywhere introduced themselves by their credentials instead of their field.

 

[Mad Jack]

In 9+ years now in osteopathic profession, including medical school and two residencies, I have never once been asked by a patient what's a DO. I have not once been told a story by any of my colleagues/mentors that they had shortage of patients due to DO status. I have not once heard/seen of care being rendered by a DO which was any less than an MD.

I'm in orthopedics myself, and there are many excellent DO orthopedic surgeons out there, many even in academia. They are all well respected and have no shortage of patients. Of course there are DOs out there that I wouldn't send my mother to, but same could be said of MDs.

I am not sure why this specific DO Ortho would hide their DO status, it looks and sounds dubious and reflects poorly on the profession.

I was actually asked about it today by one of my patients. Had a nice talk about it, actually.