Sick of ignorant people

[HoodyHoo]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Is anyone else frustrated with people who try to steer you away from pursuing an osteopathic degree? For example, my boss at work is a prominent M.D and always always always tells me that D.O.'s are considered "2nd-Class doctors". I unfortunately have a meeting with him every Monday morning and everytime he tells me that I would be making a huge mistake going to D.O. school.

I know getting into DO school is a big accomplishment, and I feel that many D.O.s are better trained than many M.D.s, but it's hard to always hear negative comments about your future profession. I really wish I could just tell my boss to eat a big fat d!ck.

Anyhow, anyone else that would like to vent please feel free....

 

[scubadiva]

I feel your frustrations. I would love to vent here about certain things that have been said, but it's only going to open up a can of worms that leads to an inconclusive, pointless, uneducated discussion by narrow-minded people. I agree with you.

It's difficult, but I try to ignore what they say. If they are narrow-minded, attempting to begin a conversation with the hope that they will see your viewpoint is completely futile.

Just like there are some "discussions" posted on here I would love to engage in, I know it is not possible, which is why I mostly address inquiries as opposed to these "challenges".

Good luck!

You should be proud of yourself and your future achievement. It's difficult to ignore your boss, but just do what I do. Look like you're paying attention, but totally zone out. I have mastered that attack plan when I really don't want to hear it, but have to "listen."

 

[Eyecon82]

ha, i do the same thing...

 

[NDESTRUKT]

yeah i can understand the frustration. don't worry about what other people think. do ur job and do the best job you can - that's all you can do and all you should do.

worrying about what other people think will just take energy away from doing your best. have pride in what you've accomplished...we all do =)

being a doctor is (well should be) for the people regardless what peers or the public thinks of you...you'll do great!

 

[doc jkrue]

Ha, here's one...

My own mother keeps referring to me as a Chiropractor. And all the explaining to her of the Osteopathic profession goes nowhere.
Whats up with that?

 

[DrQuinn]

Unfortunately you will get that the rest of your life. Maybe once every couple of years but you'll hear that every now and then...

but you'll also hear from people that will say "I'm so glad you're a DO, I get much better care!" Or "I've always gone to a DO, you guys are so much better."

When I was applying for DO school, one EM attending told me "I think that's a great idea, I would love to learn manipulation... but try not to sell yourself short (as I was only applying to DO, not both at the time." Another one, a prominent internist in NY, said "The only issue is are you willing to explain what a DO is every time you get asked?"

As a DO myself, I would tell you that you get very little "profiling" and prejudice. its mostly pre-meds and early medical students that will make you believe there is. You will always find a few old stodgers who don't like DOs, but the vast majority of physicians are embracing us (as they should).

Q, DO

 

[Billy33]

just think, by the time we are the attendings, the old-school, ignorant/prejudice docs will be getting ready to "pass the torch" to the newer generation of open-minded physicians as they retire. it can only get better as the profession gets bigger and more renowned. but it's still irritating isn't it???

 

[DrDad]

it is far beyond irritating even here in OK where there are a decent amount of DO's.

I think it is the innate ability of stupid people to pass their stupid virus to unsuspecting idiots that leads to the lack of recognition of 21st century medical equality, It would be termed a retro-virus that they have... like 1901 retro...

anyway best of luck to all of you even the allo's

DrDad

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by HoodyHoo
Is anyone else frustrated with people who try to steer you away from pursuing an osteopathic degree? For example, my boss at work is a prominent M.D and always always always tells me that D.O.'s are considered "2nd-Class doctors". I unfortunately have a meeting with him every Monday morning and everytime he tells me that I would be making a huge mistake going to D.O. school.

I know getting into DO school is a big accomplishment, and I feel that many D.O.s are better trained than many M.D.s, but it's hard to always hear negative comments about your future profession. I really wish I could just tell my boss to eat a big fat d!ck.

Anyhow, anyone else that would like to vent please feel free....

Well, the great thing about this is , when you graduate then you and he will both be called...............DOCTOR.

Not many people walk around saying "I work for Dr Joe Brown, M.D." They say "I work for Dr. Joe Brown." I wonder what M.D.'s like this guy are afraid of when it comes to DO's. Talk about insecure.🙄

 

[Buster Douglas]

Originally posted by HoodyHoo
... my boss at work is a prominent M.D and always always always tells me that D.O.'s are considered "2nd-Class doctors". I unfortunately have a meeting with him every Monday morning and everytime he tells me that I would be making a huge mistake going to D.O. school.

"Hoody, I won't be your friend anymore if you go to D.O. school." 😛

 

[sophiejane]

For some reason, medicine attracts a lot of people who are extremely caught up in ranking, prestige, image, reputation, etc. I'm not sure why this is. I think it ultimately comes down to insecurity. Who else is worried about labels but those who are uncertain of their own worth?

The best revenge is to become a superlative physician, and to show your boss that he/she is wrong.

But it is true...you have to learn to let that stuff roll off your back, as infrequently as you may encounter it. You know the truth, and your work will one day speak for itself.

So let's hear it for all us chiropractors/optometrists/doctors of obstetrics (yes I've actually heard that one!) DOs!

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by sophiejane
For some reason, medicine attracts a lot of people who are extremely caught up in ranking, prestige, image, reputation, etc. I'm not sure why this is. I think it ultimately comes down to insecurity. Who else is worried about labels but those who are uncertain of their own worth?

The best revenge is to become a superlative physician, and to show your boss that he/she is wrong.

But it is true...you have to learn to let that stuff roll off your back, as infrequently as you may encounter it. You know the truth, and your work will one day speak for itself.

So let's hear it for all us chiropractors/optometrists/doctors of obstetrics (yes I've actually heard that one!) DOs!

You left out "bone doctor." 😉

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by daelroy
The way I deal with it is I'm just honest with myself. I didn't have the grades to get into an MD school. I wanted to practice medicine and a DO would enable me to do just that. I don't think an osteopathic education is second rate. But yes, many of us do have lower credentials that our MD counterparts.

Unfortunately, a few of us did have the grades and credentials to get into an MD school. Thus, your method does not work for all. I for one was qualified to get into a US MD school. No offense but although it helps you, this kind of thinking propagates the idea that DOs are MD rejects.

 

[group_theory]

Originally posted by HoodyHoo
Is anyone else frustrated with people who try to steer you away from pursuing an osteopathic degree? For example, my boss at work is a prominent M.D and always always always tells me that D.O.'s are considered "2nd-Class doctors". I unfortunately have a meeting with him every Monday morning and everytime he tells me that I would be making a huge mistake going to D.O. school.

I know getting into DO school is a big accomplishment, and I feel that many D.O.s are better trained than many M.D.s, but it's hard to always hear negative comments about your future profession. I really wish I could just tell my boss to eat a big fat d!ck.

Anyhow, anyone else that would like to vent please feel free....

If you are on good terms (or have good relationship) w/ your PI - and this is the only hiccup (MD/DO), then I suggest you keep in contact with him while in school. Let him know how you are doing, the courses you are taking (and even complain about the difficulty or the stress)

Basically as he sees you go through medical school, he might see you go through MEDICAL school, and not some crack-jack community college of medicine. Basically you can take this opportunity to maintain your friendship, maintain good references for the future, and educate him about the process of being a DO (and hope that he will realize that you learn the same stuff as MD and thus the DO/MD degree is superficial)

That's my $0.03 (yes, worth more than the $0.02 that other people have put in)

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by daelroy
I know and it sucks being one of you guys because no one will believe you when you tell them you CHOSE to go to a DO school. You are kind of like certain bright kids who got into dental school. No one believes they chose dentistry over medicine either.

Perhaps, although I'd like to think that a good amount of DO students could have made a US MD school if they had applied or if circumstances were different.

I really don't believe that "no one" would believe I chose a DO school. That kind of implies that most people think you went to a DO school because it is the only place you got into. Seeing as how the majority of the public does not know about DOs, they may think that we just chose to be DOs.

Your analogy is interesting as you refer to me as bright but certainly all DO students are bright to have made it that far.

I really think that if I choose to go DO over MD people will believe me when I tell them.

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by daelroy
Like I said, you need to grow up. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You should be mature enough to realize that if you attend a DO school, you have to accept whatever ramifications occur from that as a result. Maybe you should have attended an MD school. And no, MD's will not think you chose to attend a DO school. That's just the way it is.

I need to grow up? I am fully aware of the "ramifications" of going the DO route, and this is not about having my cake and eating it to. You are wrong in thinking that MDs will not think I chose to go to a DO school, especially after I tell them I did.

 

[Docgeorge]

Originally posted by daelroy
... I didn't have the grades to get into an MD school.

... But yes, many of us do have lower credentials that our MD counterparts.

I hate this type of thinking. Sure there are some people like that but there are many others much like Slikness out there. For chirst sake our class GPA was 3.5. I have people in my class who could have easily gotten into Harvard or Yale, but they chose my school for varity of reasons. They wanted OMM or they have an s/o who has a job here or people for whome the school just clicked.

I think that as time goes on you will find that in general that the small dispairty in GPA/MCAT will become non existant.

 

[bullhorn]

Originally posted by daelroy
I know and it sucks being one of you guys because no one will believe you when you tell them you CHOSE to go to a DO school. You are kind of like certain bright kids who got into dental school. No one believes they chose dentistry over medicine either. Oh well, you can always carry your undergrad transcript in your wallet or purse whichever you prefer. 🙂

That really sucks. Not you, but the problem people have believing that someone might actually aspire to be a dentist or an osteopathic physician...or a midwife...or a nurse.

I always think of DO schools as a true melting pot of people who aim to be physicians. We all have to remember and more so pre-allo or current allo students, that there are various types of people that enter osteopathic medical school. 1. The person like daelroy who couldn't get into allopathic school because of grades but wanted to be a physician and the DO route was available. 2. The person like Slickness that had the grades for an allopathic school, but wholeheartedly preferred the osteopathic institution either because of the school, tuition, geographics, or belief in the osteopathic tenets..whatever. 3. The person who did GREAT in undergrad um 10 years ago, works in a completely different field and allopathic schools won't give them time of day, but they still want to be a physician and so they look towards the DO route. 4. The allied health professional that always aspired to be a physician, but didn't score so great on the MCAT...however is clearly a skilled clinician of sorts. 5. The die-hard A.T. Still follower who has an entire family of osteopathic physicians....

I could go on.
My osteopathic school interviews...the student bodies seem to be like boxes of chocolates...never know what you are going to get. And i LOVE that.

-----
In terms of ignorance...sigh it is truly everywhere(some purposeful and some for lack of exposure) but that goes for everything (at least in my life and I think most people). If I can explain why I celebrate Kwanzaa instead of Christmas, or why I can't wash my hair everyday(or even every week) like some of my white friends....it really doesn't faze me to think that I might spend the rest of my life explaining a job i LOVE to do. Besides I like to talk/teach anyhow.... 😎

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by daelroy
I think it is both silly and immature to choose a DO school over and MD school and complain about being perceived negatively by MD's. Well, you know what, the MD's do have a point. The average MCAT and GPA for osteopathic schools are below that of their allopathic counterparts. So it is easier to get into a DO school than an MD school. And yes, when it is easier to get into a DO school, you simply aren't going to command the same bragging rights as MD's. That's just life. The people who get into Harvard have bigger bragging rights than the ones who attend State Allopathic school.

So don't blame me for the misperception. Blame the large number of allopathic students with high GPA's and MCAT's who chose an allopathic school over an osteopathic school.

Grow up kid and stop worrying how MD's perceive. You will make me and the rest of us DO's much happier.

Well, I didn't realize you edited your post to add more stuff. First off, I'm not blaming you for the misperception. I am not complaining that I will be perceived negatively by MDs. You are taking what I wrote way out of context. I could care less what MDs think about me. Please do not talk at me condescendingly telling me to grow up. For all intents and purposes, by your logic I am more intellectual than you since my gpa and mcat allowed me to get into an MD school while yours just let you go to a DO.

If i was so worried about what MDs thought about me, then I wouldn't even think about DO. So stop talking like you know me or how I think. I still believe that if I tell an MD I chose DO they will believe me. What gives them reason not to?

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by daelroy
But once you get out in the real world, no one gives a $hit. Don't get depressed because you can't change the minds of a few ignorant people. That attitude will only get you down.

True. I don't get depressed about that and I never said I did. As I said before, if that stuff really mattered to me I would have doubts about being a DO in the first place.