Just some thoughts.....

[HolisticMed]

It would be nice if SDN interviewed an osteopathic physician as one of their homepage features. The SDN forums are filled with pre-med students looking for information regarding osteopathic vs allopathic education. With osteopathic schools continuing to take students who have no interest in the uniqueness of osteopathy, finding osteopathic physicians who even care enought to distinguish themselves is getting more difficult. It's safe to say that most current allopathic students/physicians have no concept of osteopathic medicine, and more importantly that even most osteopathic medical students are in the same boat.

The last line of communication that the osteopathic message has is with its individual physicians and their communication with patients. And while considering that most osteopaths simply write DR.X-Dermatology, rather than have the initials D.O. after their name, we know that this line of communication is just not really happening.

Alot of osteopathic students want OMM to be optional, to change their intials to something like M.D.O., to take only the usmle etc.... What these students dont understand is that the minute osteopathic education becomes identical to allopathic education, there is not longer a reason for the professions existance.

There are 5 more osteopathic medical schools opening up within the span of just a few short years, yet SDN chooses to do a homepage story a few days ago illustrating the one allopathic institution that has plans to open. Why not showcase one of the new osteopathic schools in development? Why not use that as a story to illuminate what osteopathic medicine is about?

Just some thoughts..............

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[DNA Helicase]

What these students dont understand is that the minute osteopathic education becomes identical to allopathic education, there is not longer a reason for the professions existance.

You hit the nail right on the head. Osteopathic education IS identical to allopathic education. Aside from OMM, it's the same. The whole world already knows what an M.D. is. There is really no reason for them to be different professions. They really aren't. 100 years ago they were. Then evidence based medicine took hold and both D.O. and M.D. schools converged on that. Today the difference is OMM lab. The rest is the same. I think a better question is WHY is there a reason for the professions separate existance? Why not just be a medical school that teaches OMM. Why does it NEED to be a different degree? Most of the time, and for most specialties, OMM is rarely used. Why would you define something by it's exceptions? It's a vestigial title. It has no other function. Maybe when I'm a D.O. I'll understand why I need those initials after my name and how it will somehow make me a better doctor. But right now, I want to be a physician and I want to learn OMM. I can see many reasons why the professions should be merged, but none as to why they should remain separate. You're a medical doctor that knows OMM. OMM is not integrated into any of your didactic training. It's not the defining characteristic of your rotations or residency. So why the definition then of a separate profession? I think it's just nostalgia and tradition.

When I started investigating D.O. schools I didn't really understand how it was different. Most of the D.O.'s I shadowed were identical to M.D.'s. Why do we need to perpetuate the myth that they're really all that different?

 

[GreenShirt]

I just put an interview w/ a DO request on the SDN "article topics request" forum. That might be a good place to bring up issues you want seen on the main page.

 

[GreenShirt]

It's probably b/c the majority of the people on SDN are pre-allo/allo. I agree it would be nice to have a DO or a new DO school showcased every once in a while, but if you're asking why those articles aren't featured you might as well also ask why podiatrists, audiologists, dentists or any other health professions on SDN don't get main page articles as well.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

It's probably b/c the majority of the people on SDN are pre-allo/allo. I agree it would be nice to have a DO or a new DO school showcased every once in a while, but if you're asking why those articles aren't featured you might as well also ask why podiatrists, audiologists, dentists or any other health professions on SDN don't get main page articles as well.

Yes, but this is the student DOCTOR network. DOs apparently are equal to MDs, and both are considered to be medical doctors.


The others are as much of a doctor as are PhDs.

 

[Jack Daniel]

It would be nice if SDN interviewed an osteopathic physician ...

Good points.

 

[homeboy]

You hit the nail right on the head. Osteopathic education IS identical to allopathic education. Aside from OMM, it's the same. The whole world already knows what an M.D. is. There is really no reason for them to be different professions. They really aren't. 100 years ago they were. Then evidence based medicine took hold and both D.O. and M.D. schools converged on that. Today the difference is OMM lab. The rest is the same. I think a better question is WHY is there a reason for the professions separate existance? Why not just be a medical school that teaches OMM. Why does it NEED to be a different degree? Most of the time, and for most specialties, OMM is rarely used. Why would you define something by it's exceptions? It's a vestigial title. It has no other function. Maybe when I'm a D.O. I'll understand why I need those initials after my name and how it will somehow make me a better doctor. But right now, I want to be a physician and I want to learn OMM. I can see many reasons why the professions should be merged, but none as to why they should remain separate. You're a medical doctor that knows OMM. OMM is not integrated into any of your didactic training. It's not the defining characteristic of your rotations or residency. So why the definition then of a separate profession? I think it's just nostalgia and tradition.

When I started investigating D.O. schools I didn't really understand how it was different. Most of the D.O.'s I shadowed were identical to M.D.'s. Why do we need to perpetuate the myth that they're really all that different?

Big ditto.

 

[djnels01]

But don't DO's only represent ~5% of the physician population here in the US? Makes sense that there's an overwhelming focus on MD's (interview features, stories, etc.) on SDN and elsewhere. We are a minorty and will continue to be...

Is it "fair" ? Maybe not. Will it change? Not likely. Personally, I think it would be great to get more face time for the profession, but I'm not holding my breath.

In all honesty, I don't really care either. Let your competence and passion for medicine show you're a great physician, not the amount of exposure you get in the media. IMO, you'll be noticed more if you are a hard worker and know your stuff than because of the 2 letters after your name.