Osteopath or Osteopathic Physician?

[CUNYguy]

There was an individual who called my clinic today because they knew one of the physicians was a DO. While I was conversing with the individual, they kept saying osteopath, and it bothered me a little... For example:

Patient: I'm having chronic fatigue, and I really want to see an osteopath.
Me: Well, Dr. X is a great osteopathic physician.
Patient: I've heard many good things about osteopaths, and since the regular medicine wasn't working I was thinking of consulting an osteopath.

And it just trailed on in that fashion... Of course, as the employee, I'm supposed to remain humble and respectful of the patient no matter what I feel.

Just wanted to know if any of you feel the same way, or have similar experiences.

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Osteopathic Physician, though most will outright probably prefer physician. Osteopath is archaic and potentially offensive.

 

[deleted407021]

This is a set of proper uses of appropriate terms.

 

[allantois]

Sounds like they've mistaken your office with a chiropractor.


I once asked my PCP whether I should see their DO for the back pain I was having.

 

[deleted407021]

Sounds like they've mistaken your office with a chiropractor.


I once asked my PCP whether I should see their DO for the back pain I was having.

OMT is super applicable to the treatment of back pain, though. The problem would probably be finding a DO that actually uses it.

 

[allantois]

OMT is super applicable to the treatment of back pain, though. The problem would probably be finding a DO that actually uses it.

That's what my PCP said that their DO doesn't do OMT

 

[CUNYguy]

Yea... That's the problem. The DO is DO trained, ACGME internship, residency, and fellowship. When I asked him how is OMT applicable to cardio, he says he just feels for lesions, and then Rx something.

I say this, but I'm very DDS/DMD knowledge deficient.

 

[Omppu27]

I'm almost 99% sure that either my interviewer or one of our presenters used the term osteopath.... Why is it offensive?

Edit: would it be like calling a MD an orthodox physician?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'm almost 99% sure that either my interviewer or one of our presenters used the term osteopath.... Why is it offensive?

Edit: would it be like calling a MD an orthodox physician?

Osteopath refers to a person who is educated in and only provides manipulatory treatments. The term is general and also applies to osteopaths from across the world of which are more akin to chiropractors and not physicians.

The Term Osteopathic Physician goes towards pointing out that your doctor is actually a doctor.

 

[j4pac]

Osteopath = a DO that actually uses OMT

I take the description as a complement.

 

[babdoc]

This is a set of proper uses of appropriate terms.

I love that there's an official Style Guide.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Osteopath = a DO that actually uses OMT

I take the description as a complement.

So you enjoy being called someone that outside the US is not a medical doctor?

 

[karling]

I met a DO IM resident who referred to himself as an osteopath. I wasn't even aware that it had a negative connotation until I read this thread.

 

[CUNYguy]

"The DOs" was a many influence on why I say osteopathic physician. Most people outside of medicine either (a) ask to NOT see the DO, or (b) just call him/her Doctor.

That along with the Canadian osteopath certificates really puts a bad taste on the word "osteopath".

 

[j4pac]

So you enjoy being called someone that outside the US is not a medical doctor?

I have never had a patient call me the word in a negative context. Patients use it in a very positive context. I can provide a service that there MDs can't.

Isn't that all that matters?

 

[wjs010]

I'm almost 99% sure that either my interviewer or one of our presenters used the term osteopath.... Why is it offensive?

Edit: would it be like calling a MD an orthodox physician?

No, it would be like calling an MD an allopath, which never happens.

 

[Omppu27]

No, it would be like calling an MD an allopath, which never happens.

But allopathic isn't offensive?..

 

[wjs010]

But allopathic isn't offensive?..

I'm not sure. Probably not. It's just pointless to say either allopath or osteopath. It's simply physician or medical doctor. Lol

 

[hallowmann]

You'll hear osteopath from older DOs also. In most cases it's not meant to be offensive, it's just outdated. The accepted term now is osteopathic physician, mainly to distinguish DOs from the foreign "DOs" that only learn manipulation and are equivalent to chiropractors in this country.

I'd brush it off. Highly unlikely that it was meant to be offensive, and it's honestly how DOs used to introduce themselves. Just keep saying osteopathic physician. Eventually osteopath will be phased out.

I'm almost 99% sure that either my interviewer or one of our presenters used the term osteopath.... Why is it offensive?

Edit: would it be like calling a MD an orthodox physician?

Its only offensive of its meant to imply that DOs aren't physicians (it has been used in this context before). It has nothing to do with orthodoxy. The thing is, it used to be the term used by all DOs also, so it's not the term itself but the context that could be offensive. Just always use osteopathic physician to be safe.

But allopathic isn't offensive?..

Technically allopathic is offensive. It was initially coined by the founder of Homeopathy as a derogatory term for practicioners of traditional medicine. That said, that was a long time ago, and since then it has been reappropriated and even MD organizations, schools, etc. have openly used the term (usually to differentiate allopathic physicians from osteopathic physicians).

There's no real reason to use it. You might as well say MD, to avoid offending the handful of MDs that actually know it's origin or confusing those that may have never heard the term before.

 

[deleted407021]

An old neurosurgeon CCOM grad has his diploma hanging on the wall in his office which reads Doctor of Osteopathy. Kind of neat, but I'm sure they say osteopathic medicine now. He was a 1978 grad, I think.

 

[NontradCA]

So you enjoy being called someone that outside the US is not a medical doctor?

Who cares, honestly. As long as the patient understands what you have to offer. I'm only 4 months into school, and I can already say that the "allure" of becoming a doctor has more than wore off. I'd rather have people define me by my character and not some term that is arbitrarily defined.

 

[deleted407021]

Who cares, honestly. As long as the patient understands what you have to offer. I'm only 4 months into school, and I can already say that the "allure" of becoming a doctor has more than wore off. I'd rather have people define me by my character and not some term that is arbitrarily defined.

I see what you mean, and from a personal standpoint I would probably more or less agree, but from a PR perspective, these labels are relatively important.

 

[AlteredScale]

Our degrees are going to change to "Degree of Physician Studies"