Occupational outlook for D.O.'s vs M.D.'s

[DO_messenger]

Anyone have any idea what the general outlook is for DO's vs MD's??? I.E. is the DO population increasing or not, general public feelings about DO's better or worse, etc...

thanks all!

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[pafbdoc]

I was on an interview at a D.O. school and my interviewer noted that the Univ of Wisconsin released a study claiming that osteopathic medicine is the quickest growing sector of health care. I've never read the study, but I can see how that is. It's been said that 1/4 of all D.O.s are still in training, which leads one to reason that the average age of a D.O. is pretty damn young. Hence, give the profession 10-20 years to mature and you will have more D.O.s in national leadership positions.

As far as the public perception of D.O.s, this is an interesting topic and it's largely influenced by geography and personal experience. While D.O.s will never outnumber MDs, I feel there is a definite niche that D.O.s are starting to fill. While the whole "holistic" thing on paper is nice, a D.O.'s practice style from the outside isnt much different than an MD's, minus a bit of OMM. What is cool I think is that D.O.s, again on paper, are on average a bit more willing to hear about a therapy that hasnt necessairly been proven in JAMA yet. While the great majority of D.O.s dont prescibe to the alternative therapies or even encourage them, they are, to me it seems, more willing to learn about the therapies for their patient's benefit. Why? Because the patient is going to seek out the alternative therapy anyway, with or without the doc's blessing. MDs have had little patience for this ideology to date. Like I said, while many D.O.s practice like MDs, so-to-speak, the training in OMM at least open an eye to the very notion that things besides drugs may aid in healing.

Anyway, my dad is an MD and he encouraged me to go D.O. for a number of reasons. His partner is a D.O. and does really well, including using OMM. He said if I could get over the notion of having to explain what a D.O. was every now and then, then it was the way to go as it's a more complete training from a foundation standpoint. If I wanted to do research I wouldnt have gone D.O., as osteopathic docs are more clinically oriented and allopaths often encourage research much more heavily. Anyway, that's how i see it. i'm sure others see it differently.

 

[UNMC2006]

I think that DOs are doing very well, but you will continue to be outnumbered, there is no way around it. Bottom line is there are many many more allopathic schools than osteopathic schools, so osteopathic medicine is always going to be the minority, until you open up more medical schools. That being said, just because you are the minority doesn't change the quality of your practice, it just makes it harder to have your philosophy as well known. I would not predict there to be a boom in the number of osteopaths in the next 10 years though, its not like stock... the number of graduating and training physicians is directly proportional to those graduating from medical school There may be more however, because osteopathic schools accept many more people per class than most MD schools.

 

[oceandocDO]

I would not predict there to be a boom in the number of osteopaths in the next 10 years though

I actually would predict this, as does the AOA. They predict there will be about 100,000 D.O.s by the year 2020. That's about double of what there is now. As the above poster alluded to, a strikingly high number of osteopathic physicians are still in training. The average age of a D.O. is estimated to be in the low 30 to mid 30's. Hence, this profession is in its infancy. There's going to be growing pains, but because of the smaller size of doctors, there's a greater sense of intimacy among colleagues that's often lost in the allopathic world. Because of it's smaller size in being a minority, a single voice carries farther, hence you can play a very active role in shaping the profession how you'd like it to be shaped, granted you get involved. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a minority. It's actually a good thing in the supply and demand realm. As patients encounter more D.O.s, and they realize they can offer all the same medicine as the old brand of healthcare, plus a bit more, D.O.s "stock" will go up. I've already seen it.

 

[oceandocDO]

I would not predict there to be a boom in the number of osteopaths in the next 10 years though

I actually would predict this, as does the AOA. They predict there will be about 100,000 D.O.s by the year 2020. That's about double of what there is now. As the above poster alluded to, a strikingly high number of osteopathic physicians are still in training. The average age of a D.O. is estimated to be in the low 30 to mid 30's. Hence, this profession is in its infancy. There's going to be growing pains, but because of the smaller size of doctors, there's a greater sense of intimacy among colleagues that's often lost in the allopathic world. Because of it's smaller size in being a minority, a single voice carries farther, hence you can play a very active role in shaping the profession how you'd like it to be shaped, granted you get involved. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a minority. It's actually a good thing in the supply and demand realm. As patients encounter more D.O.s, and they realize they can offer all the same medicine as the old brand of healthcare, plus a bit more, D.O.s "stock" will go up. I've already seen it.

the number of graduating and training physicians is directly proportional to those graduating from medical school

you dont say? Hmmmm.

 

[Wrigleyville]

Originally posted by oceandocDO
There's going to be growing pains, but because of the smaller size of doctors, there's a greater sense of intimacy among colleagues that's often lost in the allopathic world.

You guys are shorter than normal docs?

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by Wrigleyville
You guys are shorter than normal docs?

Apparently that makes them more intimate!

 

[Wrigleyville]

Originally posted by DrMom
Apparently that makes them more intimate!

That is a primo selling point for Osteopathy if I've ever heard one!

 

[Su4n2]

Oceandoc,
i really hope that you become one of the leaders of our profession. we need young people who will do research into OMM and other more controversial stuff. i have always found your posts incredibly helpful, and one of the reasons i started looking into NYCOM was because of your posts. Thanx. Susan

 

[oceandocDO]

Oceandoc, i really hope that you become one of the leaders of our profession. we need young people who will do research into OMM and other more controversial stuff. i have always found your posts incredibly helpful, and one of the reasons i started looking into NYCOM was because of your posts. Thanx. Susan

you're making me blush. thanks. enjoy your summer. see you in august.

 

[Optimistic]

Originally posted by Su4n2
Oceandoc,
i really hope that you become one of the leaders of our profession. we need young people who will do research into OMM and other more controversial stuff. i have always found your posts incredibly helpful, and one of the reasons i started looking into NYCOM was because of your posts. Thanx. Susan

I agree with you susan.
ocean doc I have been wondering who you are ,if you are not too worried about being anonymous , I would really like to know who you are before you take off for rotation and become a mystery man/woman