MD vs. DO: the merger and the question

[cyclopes93]

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Well this has been on my mind lately and the more I think about it the less it makes sense to downcast DO because in my opinion having a doctor go through manipulative treatment while the patient is still there for the visit is and should be considered an added bonus, right? What I mean to say is that I constantly go to the doctor and while they are allopathic and supposed to be highly regarded, what I end up with is 5-10 minutes of question asking and really no substantial proper answer back or even a solution to possible ailments I may have at the time. I want to go into medicine without being a doctor that just gives pills to their patient after viewing lab results. I struggle with that process because part of me wants to see instant gratification in my patients.

I'd like to know what you guys think about a DO vs. MD perspective now that there is a merger present. I am seriously looking at both because I feel some of the DO practices should be incorporated with an MD degree; especially for primary care. Maybe I'm just naive to say all of this but I'd like to test the waters and see how you all react to this presumption.

 

[karayaa]

Well this has been on my mind lately and the more I think about it the less it makes sense to downcast DO because in my opinion having a doctor go through manipulative treatment while the patient is still there for the visit is and should be considered an added bonus, right? What I mean to say is that I constantly go to the doctor and while they are allopathic and supposed to be highly regarded, what I end up with is 5-10 minutes of question asking and really no substantial proper answer back or even a solution to possible ailments I may have at the time. I want to go into medicine without being a doctor that just gives pills to their patient after viewing lab results. I struggle with that process because part of me wants to see instant gratification in my patients.

I'd like to know what you guys think about a DO vs. MD perspective now that there is a merger present. I am seriously looking at both because I feel some of the DO practices should be incorporated with an MD degree; especially for primary care. Maybe I'm just naive to say all of this but I'd like to test the waters and see how you all react to this presumption.

Dude DOs are doctors just like MDs. There's nothing wrong with DO training, it's just less competitive and slightly different (community-based, less research, more clinical - ie more practical, less academic).

How many DO doctors have you seen, vs MD doctors? Have you seen them both in primary care as well as sub-specialties?

 

[jjmack]

Can someone explain to me why there is a merger? I see medical school rapidly morphing in to law and business school, which is all about branding with the merger and proliferation of new schools. Right now, you can do within reason any speciality from any MD school, in 5-10yrs maybe not…

Well this has been on my mind lately and the more I think about it the less it makes sense to downcast DO because in my opinion having a doctor go through manipulative treatment while the patient is still there for the visit is and should be considered an added bonus, right? What I mean to say is that I constantly go to the doctor and while they are allopathic and supposed to be highly regarded, what I end up with is 5-10 minutes of question asking and really no substantial proper answer back or even a solution to possible ailments I may have at the time. I want to go into medicine without being a doctor that just gives pills to their patient after viewing lab results. I struggle with that process because part of me wants to see instant gratification in my patients.

I'd like to know what you guys think about a DO vs. MD perspective now that there is a merger present. I am seriously looking at both because I feel some of the DO practices should be incorporated with an MD degree; especially for primary care. Maybe I'm just naive to say all of this but I'd like to test the waters and see how you all react to this presumption.

 

[cyclopes93]

Dude DOs are doctors just like MDs. There's nothing wrong with DO training, it's just less competitive and slightly different (community-based, less research, more clinical - ie more practical, less academic).

How many DO doctors have you seen, vs MD doctors? Have you seen them both in primary care as well as sub-specialties?

no I didn't mean 'downcast' in the sense they are less superior. Moreover, the way their match list works puts them at a disadvantage (atleast before the merger happened). They had the choice of going through a DO match or an MD match. Obviously a lot want to do a straight MD match but that comes after the DO match day. So if you have DO as a second choice and you get a result out of it (DO match day is earlier than MD), then you would be automatically cut out from the MD match day. Anyways there were other restrictions and presumably there might still be lingering; such including the choice of residency (comparably you have to work much harder to impress MD programs).

Anyways, I do agree that this is almost becoming like law or business school but with much harder work ahead. Perhaps this is a way to close the gap in terms of international medical student residency admission? I means 25% of medical residents are international right? But sooner or later, this is seeming to become out of hand.

 

[spartan25]

If I had a penny for every time I've heard "MDs just give pills to their patients while DOs have a more holistic approach" I'd be a rich man.

 

[cyclopes93]

^ well see, now I know that I am being naive but explain to me why my phrase is incorrect? I'd like to know rather than go on discussing with no particular discipline; precisely why I opened this up for question.

 

[karayaa]

^ well see, now I know that I am being naive but explain to me why my phrase is incorrect? I'd like to know rather than go on discussing with no particular discipline; precisely why I opened this up for question.

All stereotypes are incorrect.
Have you studied statistics? This is a problem of sample bias (just because the doctors you meet are a certain way, doesn't mean the rest of the MD doctors are the same) and confounding variables (the difference is behavior is affected by more than just the degree - pills and MDs may correlate in your experience, but the MD degree does not cause the behavior).
Let's start out by asking:
What do you mean by holistic?
What type of doctors have you observed (specialty and setting)

 

[AlteredScale]

The only difference you'll see in DO practice is in a neuromuskoskeletal manipulation and OMM specialty group and family med docs that are in the rural regions wanting to provide to sensitive populations who may not receive pharmaceuticals well or simply cannot afford the medications. In essence, it's almost harder to distinguish yourself as a DO in terms of practice now a days outside of the letters after your name.

 

[karayaa]

The only difference you'll see in DO practice is in a neuromuskoskeletal manipulation and OMM specialty group and family med docs that are in the rural regions wanting to provide sensitive populations who may not receive pharmaceuticals well or simply cannot afford the medications. In an essence, it's almost harder to distinguish yourself as a DO in terms of practice now a days outside of the letters on your name.

What do you mean by this? Can OMM replace drugs?

 

[AlteredScale]

What do you mean by this? Can OMM replace drugs?

Not at all. It is however, an alternative therapy that can very much increase the comfort of your patients and get rid of some chronic issues going for them.

 

[67552931811]

What do you mean by this? Can OMM replace drugs?

Let me introduce you to the idea of "Standard Of Care."

 

[allantois]

It is very questionable that the merger will benefit DO graduates.

 

[Goro]

90% of DOs do not do OMM. Shhhhh!

Patients do NOT care about your initials after your name. This is only an obsession with pre-meds, and older MDs.


Well this has been on my mind lately and the more I think about it the less it makes sense to downcast DO because in my opinion having a doctor go through manipulative treatment while the patient is still there for the visit is and should be considered an added bonus, right? What I mean to say is that I constantly go to the doctor and while they are allopathic and supposed to be highly regarded, what I end up with is 5-10 minutes of question asking and really no substantial proper answer back or even a solution to possible ailments I may have at the time. I want to go into medicine without being a doctor that just gives pills to their patient after viewing lab results. I struggle with that process because part of me wants to see instant gratification in my patients.

NOT going to happen.
I am seriously looking at both because I feel some of the DO practices should be incorporated with an MD degree; especially for primary care.

 

[DermViser]

Well this has been on my mind lately and the more I think about it the less it makes sense to downcast DO because in my opinion having a doctor go through manipulative treatment while the patient is still there for the visit is and should be considered an added bonus, right? What I mean to say is that I constantly go to the doctor and while they are allopathic and supposed to be highly regarded, what I end up with is 5-10 minutes of question asking and really no substantial proper answer back or even a solution to possible ailments I may have at the time. I want to go into medicine without being a doctor that just gives pills to their patient after viewing lab results. I struggle with that process because part of me wants to see instant gratification in my patients.

I'd like to know what you guys think about a DO vs. MD perspective now that there is a merger present. I am seriously looking at both because I feel some of the DO practices should be incorporated with an MD degree; especially for primary care. Maybe I'm just naive to say all of this but I'd like to test the waters and see how you all react to this presumption.

You do realize that DOs don't use OMT manipulative techniques in all specialties right? Do you actually think DOs aren't prescribing pills after viewing lab results like their MD counterparts are? How is OMT supposed to give patients "instant gratification"?

The merger is at the residency program level not the degree level. On average, it won't change squat in terms of the type of applicant PDs want.

 

[radkat101]

Well this has been on my mind lately and the more I think about it the less it makes sense to downcast DO because in my opinion having a doctor go through manipulative treatment while the patient is still there for the visit is and should be considered an added bonus, right? What I mean to say is that I constantly go to the doctor and while they are allopathic and supposed to be highly regarded, what I end up with is 5-10 minutes of question asking and really no substantial proper answer back or even a solution to possible ailments I may have at the time. I want to go into medicine without being a doctor that just gives pills to their patient after viewing lab results. I struggle with that process because part of me wants to see instant gratification in my patients.

I'd like to know what you guys think about a DO vs. MD perspective now that there is a merger present. I am seriously looking at both because I feel some of the DO practices should be incorporated with an MD degree; especially for primary care. Maybe I'm just naive to say all of this but I'd like to test the waters and see how you all react to this presumption.

What does the merger have to do with any of this? Do you really believe that 2 hours a week of OMM is going to eliminate the need to prescribe medications to your patients? Don't buy into the hype that there's any real difference between the two. Nowadays "DO" is just a distinction that gives the AOA a reason to exist. Hopefully the merger is only the first step towards a more comprehensive unification.

 

[Law2Doc]

Can someone explain to me why there is a merger? …

The merger was a matter of survival for osteo. DO programs have more graduates than osteo residency slots and allo is on a mission to fill all spots in the allo match with it own grads. So without a merger a lot of DO grads were going to be SOL in just a few short years. It's really a matter of "if you can't beat them (re) join them". DO "survives". (note that "merger" is a loaded term and not really accurate. This is less a Merger of equals as it is a takeover of a Smaller entity by a Bigger one btw). Allo gets to assimilate these folks back into the Borg collective and unite US med schools against the offshore schools. the only ones who lose here is the osteo leadership, maybe those people who could only get competitive osteo spots due to lack of competition, and the Caribbean schools. OMM will cease to be a staple and likely become more of an optionl Fourth year elective in time. DO will become an antiquated degree in time, like the LLB in law, which you can still see on some old geezers certificates.

 

[ickhequan]

it's almost harder to distinguish yourself as a DO in terms of practice now a days outside of the letters after your name.

 

[Old_Mil]

OMM will cease to be a staple and likely become more of an optionl Fourth year elective in time.

I hope so. I haven't done any OMT since my second year OMM final exam. What a complete waste of time that was.

 

[cyclopes93]

The merger was a matter of survival for osteo. DO programs have more graduates than osteo residency slots and allo is on a mission to fill all spots in the allo match with it own grads. So without a merger a lot of DO grads were going to be SOL in just a few short years. It's really a matter of "if you can't beat them (re) join them". DO "survives". (note that "merger" is a loaded term and not really accurate. This is less a Merger of equals as it is a takeover of a Smaller entity by a Bigger one btw). Allo gets to assimilate these folks back into the Borg collective and unite US med schools against the offshore schools. the only ones who lose here is the osteo leadership, maybe those people who could only get competitive osteo spots due to lack of competition, and the Caribbean schools. OMM will cease to be a staple and likely become more of an optionl Fourth year elective in time. DO will become an antiquated degree in time, like the LLB in law, which you can still see on some old geezers certificates.

thanks for the detailed response! I got my answer 🙂