"Physician or Osteopath" in recommendation letter

[dr.grenouille]

So I recently sent out my evaluation requests and one of my evaluators sent me an email saying the everything has been submitted and attached their letter of recommendation to the email. It was a wonderful letter and I was very happy until I got to the end and noticed that several times she stated, "Dr. Grenouille would make an excellent physician or osteopath because..." Is this an application killer? I mean I know it's technically not my fault and the letter is good overall, I'm just worried about offending the adcoms by referring to them as "physicians or osteopaths" and having a negative impact on my admission. I let the professor know and she tried to delete her letter but says that it won't let her after it's already been submitted. Just wanted to hear thoughts! Thanks!

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[Cardboard101]

I wouldn't worry about it. Whether or not your professor knows about osteopathic medicine is largely irrelevant.

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Ostepaths are physicians no?

 

[dr.grenouille]

Ostepaths are physicians no?

I've just heard that some osteopathic physicians find the term osteopath to be offensive as it implies that they're not the same as physicians.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I've just heard that some osteopathic physicians find the term osteopath to be offensive as it implies that they're not the same as physicians.

This is true. If I were to get this recommendation letter, I wouldn't hold it against you, but I would immediately stop reading because the opinion of someone this massively misinformed is worthless to me.

 

[Peach Newport]

In my experience, it's more like a thing that you can say if you're already a DO or an Osteopathic student. It's not as bad as people on SDN make it out to be, but premeds should definitely avoid it.

For example, our OMM faculty routinely refer to themselves as osteopaths when it refers to them performing OMM. ("discharging your duties as an osteopath.")

If a DO is doing "traditional" doctory things, it's can be pretty offensive for an MD or premed to call them an Osteopath. If the DO performs no OMM at all, it can be especially offensive. However, if it's a DO who routinely does OMM, it might be fine.

As an MD writing a letter, it's not great, but it's not gonna wreck your application, and no one's gonna write off the nice things the MD said about you for it.

 

[LutGholein]

Ostepaths are physicians no?

In the European sense no-- I think outside of the U.S most of the western world(western europe etc.) refer to those who do manipulations/chiropractic-like methods as osteopaths who don't have the full-scope of medical privileges that D.Os have in the U.S because they actually completed medical school in comparison to their European counterparts--- therefore many D.Os in the U.S prefer the term osteopathic physician or just physician to differentiate themselves from the European osteopaths.

OP I don't think they will care though that your professor used "osteopath" --the key thing they'll be looking for is your character/experience with your instructor and how that showcases your readiness for medical school.

 

[Dagrimsta1]

In the European sense no-- I think outside of the U.S most of the western world(western europe etc.) refer to those who do manipulations/chiropractic-like methods as osteopaths who don't have the full-scope of medical privileges that D.Os have in the U.S because they actually completed medical school in comparison to their European counterparts--- therefore many D.Os in the U.S prefer the term osteopathic physician or just physician to differentiate themselves from the European osteopaths.

OP I don't think they will care though that your professor used "osteopath" --the key thing they'll be looking for is your character/experience with your instructor and how that showcases your readiness for medical school.

When i'll be treating Europeans, I'll be sure to let them know that a D.O. is in charge of their lives.

 

[pseud0]

Its a college professor, not a doctor. I think it's a pretty understandable mistake.

Literally like 15 percent or less of the people i've told that i'm going to COM and will be a DO had even heard of it or understood that a DO is a physician.

 

[zukunft195]

This is immaterial and will almost certainly have no effect on your application.

On a more important note: OP, did you not waive your right to read your LoRs?

 

[dr.grenouille]

This is immaterial and will almost certainly have no effect on your application.

On a more important note: OP, did you not waive your right to read your LoRs?

I did, but I don't think that means that I can't read it if the professor sends it to me in her email.

 

[zukunft195]

I did, but I don't think that means that I can't read it if the professor sends it to me in her email.

Good.