MD vs DO????

[lilmacstew]

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What is the difference between an MD and DO? Are you able to get the same jobs? I am interested in Psychiatry, would I be able to work in that field with a DO instead of an MD? Since being here, this is the first time I have heard of DO. How long is the schooling and do you compete with the graduates of MD schools for residencies? Or do you even do that. Any info would really be great. I have noticed that if your stats aren't the great, you may still be able to get into a DO school.
Please help??

 

[ussdfiant]

I sure wish that the search was working!😡

 

[tBw]

There is a lot of information about the osteopathic approach both here on SDN at

http://www.osteopathic.com/do/index.asp

and at the homepage http://www.aacom.org/

which is where you apply to the DO schools.

You are also likely to get more informed responses in pre-osteo and the osteopathic forums rather than here...

however, briefly, yes you could be a psychiatrist as a DO. Yes they compete for many of the same jobs. The schooling (4 years) is the same length as MD as are (most) of the residencies. Some DOs do MD-residencies rather than DO-residencies. It doesn't matter unless you live in one of 5 or 6 states (PA, FL, MI, ....I can't remember the rest)

DOs sometimes have lower stats but some MD schools have lower average stats than some DO schools and DO schools still expect you to have done clinical volunteering etc.

 

[Wrigleyville]

Before you get the usual flood of "big rock-candy mountain" posts about DOs here in the pre-osteopathic forum, be aware that you'll have a harder time getting some residency positions if you go the DO route. Unless you have some particular attachment to OMM or plan on doing primary care work, I'd stick to trying to get an MD.

The search function is broken, but you'd do well to browse the forums looking for threads on this topic. God knows there are plenty out there.

Wrigley

 

[PACtoDOC]

I agree 100% with Wrigley, and I am a DO student. I knew all along I wanted to do primary care, and I wanted to learn OMM. I happen to think that overall, DO's make the best primary care physicians, and MD's make better specialists. This is going to start an uproar I agree, but it is rather true. DO education in the first 2 years is virtually identical to an MD education except we get to learn OMM, a skill that is highly useful in primary care medicine. MD's can argue this point, but even MD schools and associations have begun teaching OMM because patients like it. Just go to the AAFP website and read their annual conference flyer. They are having a major workshop on OMM this summer in Kansas City. Why I feel that MD's make better specialists is really only based on my opinion of the residency programs between MD and DO. Now if a DO goes to an allopathic specialty residency, then they can be just as good if not better based on their extra OMM knowledge. But less DO's go to MD specialty residencies overall, so that is why you would probably be better served seeing an MD specialist if you aren't sure where the DO did their residency training. This is just my opinion, and there are many exceptions and variations on this theme.

 

[skypilot]

Just a minor correction.

Most DOs do MD residencies. (Over 65%) And if you are interested in psychiatry you will do just fine as a DO. There is a big demand for psychiatrists and not enough supply.

 

[jhubiophysics]

I work at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the nation. I work in the OR. I have seen residents of anesthesia, who are D.O.s, as well as, one of the spine surgeons is a D.O.

Also, when I checked my insurance plan, I found D.O.s in every specialty. But, they are minority, even in PC, because they are minority period. They are much more M.D.s and M.D. schools out there than D.O.s.

When it come to research, check the Lupus foundation, NIH, UA-school of medicine?You will find heads of research departments to be D.O.s. But they are few. Why? Because the number of D.O.s is few.

The only set back is that you might face hard ship to participate in international medical efforts that require you to practice medicine, not give lectures or present a research project, since some countries do not recognize the D.O. degree. But, if you volunteer to work as a physician in any of the needy countries, it will be silly to stop you because you?re a D.O. Many D.O.s volunteer in different needy countries. You can find out these countries by checking the individual web sites of the D.O. schools

I hope this helps.

RA

 

[FutrFPDO]

Just a minor correction on the correction. Most DO's do allopathic residencies because they do primary care residencies. However, the majority of DO's who specialize outside primary care do DO residencies, because they are easier to match into. That is the big question mark on what differentiates quality training. I honestly cannot imagine doing a DO residency in something like EM, Surg Subspecialty, or Med Subspecialty. Most DO institutions cannot provide the same number of patients with the same degree of pathology as the large academic MD institutions. As for FM, general IM, Peds, Psych, and questionably OB, I think you can get a great education as a resident. And I am sure there are great DO specialty residencies out there, but you have to be careful or you cold graduate from one without feeling confident in being able to do all the things you need to do in the real world.

 

[skypilot]

😀

Here is the match list for Western COMP.
I just wanted to note Anesthesia matches at UC Irvine, UCSF, U of Miami, and Yale. Internal medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins and UCLA, Pediatrics at USC and UCSF. Radiology at USC! So if you really want it and you kick butt on your board exams you can get the competitive allopathic residencies. I am not saying it is likely but DOs are everywhere in medicine. Note the short list of traditional Osteopathic internships at the bottom.


WesternU/COMP Match Results 2001
Anesthesiology:

PCOM/Frankford Hospital Longhorne, PA
Henry Ford Hospital Detroit, MI
Wilford Hall/USAFMC Lackland, TX
University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Miami, FL
University of Connecticut Medical Center Connecticut, CT
UC San Francisco Medical Center San Francisco, CA
UC Irvine Medical Center Irvine, CA
Yale University Medical Center New Haven, CT

Family Medicine:

Eastmoreland Hospital Portland, OR (2)
Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA
University of Missouri Medical Center MO
UC Davis Medical Center Sacramento, CA (2)
KCOM/The Medical Center Columbus, GA
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Long Beach, CA (3)
USC County Hospital Los Angeles, CA (3)
WesternU/COMP Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Colton, CA (2)
WesternU/COMP Downey Regional Medical Center Downey, CA (3) COMB/FP
UC San Francisco/Fresno Medical Center Fresno, CA
Presbyterian Inter. Hospital Whittier, CA
Travis Air Force Base/Davis Grant Medical Center Granite Bay, CA (2)
MU South Carolina SC
Phoenix Baptist Hospital Phoenix, CA
MSUCOM/Community Health Center Coldwater, MI
UNSM/DFCM Washoe Medical Center Reno, NV
Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center Los Angeles, CA
Pacific Hospital-Long Beach Long Beach, CA (2)
Riverside County Regional Medical Center Riverside, CA (2)
Glendale Adventist Medical Center Glendale, CA
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington D.C. Family Medicine & Psychiatry UCNCMC
Greenley, CO Family Medicine/Rural Medicine
UNECOM Medical Center Portland, ME
KCOM/Lincoln Health Network Phoenix, AZ
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento, CA
Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, CA

Emergency Medicine:

Texas A&M University/Scott and White Medical Center TX
Medical College of Ohio/St. Vincent?s Mercy Medical Center Toledo, OH
MSUCOM/Ingram Regional Medical Center East Lansing, MI
Bi-County/Henry Ford Medical Center Warren, MI
Botsford General Hospital Farmington Hills, MI (2)
Pennsylvania State University/York Hospital PA
PCOM/Philadelphia Consortium Philadelphia, CA
Pacific Hospital-Long Beach Long Beach, CA

Internal Medicine:

Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Santa Clara, CA
UCSF/St. Mary?s Medical Center San Francisco, CA Alameda County Highland General Oakland, CA (2)
Medical College of Wisconsin Hospital Milwaukee, CA
Wright State University/Wright-Patterson Medical Center OH
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH
NYCOM/St. Barnabas Hospital Bronx, NY COMB/IM
Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA (3)
Huntington Memorial Hospital Pasadena, CA
YUSPH/Griffin Hospital Durby, CT IM/PM/PH
UCLA/Wadsworth Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Hospital Los Angeles, CA
MetroHealth Center Cleveland, OH
Pacific Hospital-Long Beach Long Beach, CA
UCLA/St. Mary Medical Center Long Beach, CA
Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center/Lackland Air Force Base San Antonio, TX
Johns Hopkins University Hospital Baltimore, MD
Garden City Hospital Garden City, MI (2)
UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles, CA
University of Texas/Houston Medical Center Houston, TX
Neurology:
Northwestern University/McGaw Medical Center Chicago, IL
University of Arizona/Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ
St. Louis University Hospital St. Louis, MO

OB/GYN:

Medical College of Georgia GA
UC Davis Medical Center Sacramento, CA
Kaiser Permanente, Sunset Los Angeles, CA
Cook County Hospital Chicago, IL
UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center NJ
WesternU/COMP Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Colton, CA

Pathology:
USC County Hospital Los Angeles, CA

Pediatrics:
Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA
UC San Francisco/Fresno Valley Children?s Hospital Fresno, CA
USC County Hospital Los Angeles, CA
University of Nevada Medical Center Las Vegas, NV
USC/Children?s Hospital of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
Cleveland Clinic Children?s Hospital/Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH
UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center NJ
Texas A&M University/Driscoll Children?s Hospital TX Pediatrics/Neomatology
Henry Ford Hospital Warren, MI COMB/Pediatrics

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation:
UT/SVMC Medical College of Ohio
Toledo, OH (2)

Psychiatry:
Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA (3)
Tripler Army Medical Center Honolulu, HI
Martin Luther King/Drew University Medical Center Los Angeles, CA

Radiology:
Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital Pontiac, MI
Garden City Hospital Garden City, NY COMB/Diagnostic Radiology
Mount Sinai Medical Center Miami, FL Diagnostic
USC County Hospital Los Angeles, CA Diagnostic
Botsford General Hospital Farmington Hills, MI Diagnostic
Oklahoma University Medical Center/Children?s Hospital/Veteran?s Hospital Oklahoma City, OK Diagnostic

Surgery:
University of Colorado Medical Center Denver, CO General
Tripler Army Medical Center Honolulu, HI General
Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center Los Angeles, CA General
Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center Los Angeles, CA Categorical

Traditional Rotating Internship:
WesternU/COMP Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Colton, CA (9)
MSUCOM Consortium/Henry Ford-Riverside Hospital
Detroit, MI Internship/Family Practice
Midwestern University/CCOM/AZCOM Consortium-Mesa Hospital Mesa, AZ (2)
WesternU/COMP Downey Regional Medical Center Downey, CA (3)
Pacific Hospital-Long Beach Long Beach, CA (3)
Mount Clemens General Hospital
Mount Clemens, MI (2)
Genesys Health Systems Grand Blanc, MI
Botsford General Hospital Farmington Hills, MI
UNECOM/Mercy Hospital Biddeford, Me

 

[dr_almondjoy_do]

Originally posted by jhubiophysics
I work at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the nation. I work in the OR. I have seen residents of anesthesia, who are D.O.s, as well as, one of the spine surgeons is a D.O.

Also, when I checked my insurance plan, I found D.O.s in every specialty. But, they are minority, even in PC, because they are minority period. They are much more M.D.s and M.D. schools out there than D.O.s.

When it come to research, check the Lupus foundation, NIH, UA-school of medicine?You will find heads of research departments to be D.O.s. But they are few. Why? Because the number of D.O.s is few.

The only set back is that you might face hard ship to participate in international medical efforts that require you to practice medicine, not give lectures or present a research project, since some countries do not recognize the D.O. degree. But, if you volunteer to work as a physician in any of the needy countries, it will be silly to stop you because you?re a D.O. Many D.O.s volunteer in different needy countries. You can find out these countries by checking the individual web sites of the D.O. schools

I hope this helps.

RA

About some countries not recognizing the D.O. degree to practice medicine, I would have to disagree with you. Any international effort to practice medicine with any organization does allow Physicans with a D.O. degree to practice medicine provided that the degree was obtained in the US or Canada. There are DO degrees in England and Australia that only license the OMT portion, but that issue is in legislation as we speak to expand their training to include surgery and prescription.

If you practice medicine in the US, you can practice medicine anywhere in the world. Our country has the best training in medicine the entire world has to offer, and that includes DOs. So if anyone would question the profession and feel that there are restrictions to practice, I would suggest some research on their part.

If you would feel that you may want to have no restriction or reservation to practice medicine in any specialty you would like, then check out NYCOM. We have DOs on Long Island that head allopathic residency programs that will be happy to inform you on how free you are to practice medicine with a DO degree.

There are also many residency programs that are dually accredited for MD and DO. This allows you even more flexibility to practice however and whereever you like.

The best thing to do is to just check out some hospitals that you would like to train in and see who is in charge there. That is how I decided to go to NYCOM in the first place.

And I sure do hope this helps!

 

[skypilot]

Here is AZCOM's match list. Note that someone matched into radiology at the Cleveland clinic!

http://www.azcomstudents.org/html/match_results_2002.html#NRMP

 

[jhubiophysics]

Hi,

Thanks for your input. I surly hope so. For more information about D.Os. internationally, and the best medical education world wide, you can visit the world health organization web site, AACOMAS, and consult with the D.O.s with whom you are interacting.

You might find surprising information..

 

[drusso]

2002 Match list for TCOM. My match is incorrectly listed as UTSW--I'll be up at Mayo next year.

2002 Match List--TCOM