So tired of explaining osteopathic medicine to ignorant biased relatives...

[Jesus DO]

I was fortunate enough to come from an area that had many practicing doctors who were DOs. My dad is an anesthesiologist, so he met a lot of DOs in the operating room and was familiar with a lot of the physicians in the area. So in that sense I didn't have to explain to my family what a DO is.

But for friends who I knew would not be familiar with osteopathic medicine, I never really told them what I was doing. When ever I went over their house and their parents asked...I just said, I was a student "studying biology forever." Usually I could skillfully weave myself into another conversation and the such.

Some of my close friends don't even know what is going on. I feel really bad about keeping them in the dark about this.

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[JaggerPlate]

Try this progression:

-I'm a pre-med --> I'm a medical student --> I'm a resident --> I'm a doctor. Despite what certain governing bodies want you to think, you don't have to tell people that you're a pre osteopathic-med student, then an OMS, then an osteopathic physician. You're a doctor, period. I guess I've had it kinda lucky because my PCP (who everyone in my family loves) is a DO and so they have always known it's just a doctor. I don't mind explaining though, but you really shouldn't feel the need to ... like I said, you are a doctor.

 

[desijigga]

Just be glad you live in MI and not some non DO friendly state. Every hospital I have been to I have managed to see atleast a couple of DO's working in it. It also helps that there are also so many Osteopathic hospitals in MI.

Weired but true, I looked at my brothers White Coat, he has like 7 of them from Henry Ford Hospital. Only 1 says, ________ D.O., the rest have Dr. _________. I just found that to be peculiar, is it to limit patient confusion or is there a larger conspiracy behind this...

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!!!!! (BTW who else is going to go watch the new X-Files movie?)

 

[andexterouss]

Just be glad you live in MI and not some non DO friendly state. Every hospital I have been to I have managed to see atleast a couple of DO's working in it. It also helps that there are also so many Osteopathic hospitals in MI.

Weired but true, I looked at my brothers White Coat, he has like 7 of them from Henry Ford Hospital. Only 1 says, ________ D.O., the rest have Dr. _________. I just found that to be peculiar, is it to limit patient confusion or is there a larger conspiracy behind this...

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!!!!! (BTW who else is going to go watch the new X-Files movie?)

I believe it is. I mentioned the same finding at my other post in another forum and got flamed for it. I have shadowed numerous D.Os and M.Ds, and most DOs I've met just had "Dr" on their white coat while nearly all MDs had "MD" after their last name. The day in live of a doctor is very hectic and the last thing you wanna do it to keep explaining your degree title over and over again to the lay public. Maybe it's common in big cities.My 2cents anyway.

 

[RySerr21]

I believe it is. I mentioned the same finding at my other post in another forum and got flamed for it. I have shadowed numerous D.Os and M.Ds, and most DOs I've met just had "Dr" on their white coat while nearly all MDs had "MD" after their last name. The day in live of a doctor is very hectic and the last thing you wanna do it to keep explaining your degree title over and over again to the lay public. Maybe it's common in big cities.My 2cents anyway.

I'm in a big city and all 4 DOs I have shadowed have had DO on their coat. Two were in practice with MDs.

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

All my relatives know im in medical school. I never had to explain that to them

 

[ThisIsYourLife]

I just say medical school.. and nobody asks anything more.. of course my very close family knows everything.. but they also know what DOs are as they are all in health fields themselves

 

[runningdoc]

Michiganemt..

I always like throwing out statistics...

MSUCOM tied with Harvard this year in ranking for primary care education by U.S. News and World Report. For the third year in the row they placed top 10 against MD schools.

They usually don't know what to say after that

 

[andexterouss]

I'm in a big city and all 4 DOs I have shadowed have had DO on their coat. Two were in practice with MDs.

I guess it's more of a preference than geography then.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Michiganemt..

I always like throwing out statistics...

MSUCOM tied with Harvard this year in ranking for primary care education by U.S. News and World Report. For the third year in the row they placed top 10 against MD schools.

They usually don't know what to say after that

I like to make up statistics.

For example: "did you know that 90 percent of people in this country are borderline-******ed, including you, and need to shut the **** up until they know what they're talking about?"

They usually don't know how to respond to that one.

 

[gasapple]

I like to make up statistics.

For example: "did you know that 90 percent of people in this country are borderline-******ed, including you, and need to shut the **** up until they know what they're talking about?"

They usually don't know how to respond to that one.

HAHAHA. ****ing awesome.
PWNT.

 

[runningdoc]

Whoa was that meant towards me?

 

[JaggerPlate]

I like to make up statistics.

50% of the time it works every time ...

 

[ThisIsYourLife]

Whoa was that meant towards me?

since TT hasn't responded.. Im going to tell you that NO, he was not meaning it towards you.. just making a joke of what he would say to his relatives based on your previous example of statistics..

 

[jason3278]

I have too many relatives that give me a strange look when they ask me about osteopathic medicine. They ask even though they know nothing will convince them that DO's are "real doctors".

One of my relatives even said "well, I'm sure they're just like MDs, but MD is a very powerful title. You definitely will need those to succeed the most, or at least pay off your student loans faster."

To this ^ I had to restrain myself. How about the out of state MD student who goes into a specialty that pays on the lower end of the spectrum versus the DO student who goes in state (debt < 100k?) and chooses a specialty that pays at the high end of the spectrum? Ignorant & biased?

I take it other pre-DO applicants have been in this situation before and I'm sure you would agree its extremely frustrating. Anybody find a particularly efficient way of dealing with this?

Some things I mention are:
1. The only "major" differences are board exams, and DOs receive OMM training which MDs do not.
2. DOs practice in every specialty just as MDs do.
3. DOs are fully licensed physicians in the United States...they can prescribe meds, perform surgery, etc etc.
4. DO school admission is competitive.
5. While many DO schools focus on primary care, all osteopathic physicians are in NO WAY "natural" or "holistic" or whatever stupid word people use these days to stereotype osteopathic physicians as "non-physicians".

I am so sick of the way people have made of the word "holistic" to mean "fruity and hippy-like".

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I am so sick of the way people have made of the word "holistic" to mean "fruity and hippy-like".

Agreed. My computer says: Holistic--Medicine Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease.

Sounds like a fantastic thing to me! Too bad it has quack-like connotations for most people. I think the term "Holistic Healer" is what triggered this perception. The problem is that "healer" was used because the word "physician" couldn't be, due to laws. So now "holistic" is directly associated with nonsense. People think of teas, incense, the placebo effect, and ever-worsening symptoms.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

I am so sick of the way people have made of the word "holistic" to mean "fruity and hippy-like".

A lot of people who stereotype osteopathic physicians negatively (mostly because they are uninformed, or misinformed) will use any word besides "doctor" to describe them. Even the word "osteopath" is used with a negative connotation.

Even if they do believe DOs are "chiropractors", what's so bad about being a chiropractor?!? Not the point, I know..

Like TT said, people equate "herbal remidies, laying-on of hands, and prayer" with OMM. Obviously, this is not true and my guess is that many DOs in practice do not even use OMM as part of their treatment.

 

[spicedmanna]

Agreed. My computer says: Holistic--Medicine Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease.

Well, what it brings up for is that DO's don't have a monopoly on holistic medicine, nor do MD's exclusively treat to symptoms only. Actually, it depends on the person, not the degree. In my experience, all good physicians practice medicine holistically. It's just good medicine.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

Well, what it brings up for is that DO's don't have a monopoly on holistic medicine, or do MD's exclusively treat to symptoms only. Actually, it depends on the person, not the degree. In my experience, all good physicians practice medicine holistically. It's just good medicine.

This is very true, some MDs practice things that may be consistent with the DO philosophy. Similarly, some DOs incorporate very little of the "DO philosophy" into their practice. I know a cardiothoracic surgeon, a DO-how is it possible for him to use "natural medicine" to treat an ASD? Do a dance or something?

 

[Chocolate Bear]

Actually, it depends on the person, not the degree. In my experience, all good physicians practice medicine holistically. It's just good medicine.

Agreed, as well.

The fact remains that osteopathic schools/organizations have used certain key words like "holistic" to differentiate. While this is, in fact, just good medicine, the term may be more heavily associated with DOs. This would be fine if the term was taken as it is defined, but thanks to preconeptions, people will often roll their eyes when they hear that DO = holistic, thus potentially forming ignorant mental walls that are hard to break down.

 

[zoey1912]

Explaining myself used to piss me off a lot..it still does. Although, I never had a problem explaining the difference of MD and DO to my family. In fact, I didn't even have to explain. Many of my family members see DOs, and without question my family sees them as equals. When I tell people I was accepted to medical school (esp the MD residents) and of course they ask where,I tell them Lake Erie, they give me a weird look, and then I have to go through the whole explanation. I don't feel like I should have to explain myself. I guess I could just walk away, but then that would be rude. Since I didn't get into MSUCOM off the waitlist this year but have acceptance to next year, I'm going to wait instead of going to Lake Erie. I have noticed, at least from my experience, that graduates from MSUCOM don't have to deal with explaining as much because they come from an established school school that just about everyone has heard of. Lake Erie, yes, without a doubt is a good school, but as of now, it isn't as well established imo.

I work at a big hospital filled with MDs, and hardly any DOs. I have only interacted with one DO, thus far. It's pretty discouraging because I really want to do my residency there, but I'm not sure if being a DO will lessen my chances. I'm surrounded by all these "great" doctors, but why are they almost all MDs and only a handful of DOs? It kind of makes me wonder. My boss's doctor graduated from MSUCOM and she fully supports my decision. So does everyone else in my department. When I first got into Lake Erie, not one person I spoke with knew about it, but almost everyone knew about MSUCOM. That of course, could be because I live in Michigan, though.

So, in my case, it really hasn't been the difference between MDs and DOs I have to explain, but that Lake Erie is in fact a medical school. I hope I didn't say anything offensive to anyone, just writing what I feel at this moment.

 

[EdCLS]

There was a MS-4 from SLU rotating through the ER where I work a few months ago who it seems like a lot of DO programs actually provide better clinical training. We have two DOs in our emergency department, and I also know of two in the E.D. at Barnes-Jewish in St. Louis (consistently a U.S. News & World Report top ten medical center and a level-one trauma center). Des Peres Hospital in St. Louis, which has a top 5% orthopedic surgery service, has a medical staff made up of mostly DOs.

St. Louis may be a different story than some other areas, but DOs are very well known and accepted here. The MDs I've met who have had a problem with DOs are arrogant and generally aren't very good physicians, themselves.

In short: don't let it bother you. You'll go through DO school, become a successful physician, and help thousands of people in your career. You can feel good about that and not have to give two cents about what *anyone* else thinks!

 

[scpod]

The way to handle it:

Patient: "I noticed it says 'DO' on your jacket. What's that mean?"

DO: "It means I'm a doctor."

Patient: "I thought 'MD' meant doctor."

DO: "Actually, a lot of people don't realize that there are two different degrees for doctors in the US. So, you shouldn't really feel you are stupid for not knowing that. So....what brings you in today?"

 

[Chocolate Bear]

The way to handle it:

Patient: "I noticed it says 'DO' on your jacket. What's that mean?"

DO: "It means I'm a doctor."

Patient: "I thought 'MD' meant doctor."

DO: "Actually, a lot of people don't realize that there are two different degrees for doctors in the US. So, you shouldn't really feel you are stupid for not knowing that. So....what brings you in today?"

...Patient who blocks out logic: So is that like a witch doctor? Can I see a real doctor, please?

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

The way to handle it:

Patient: "I noticed it says 'DO' on your jacket. What's that mean?"

DO: "It means I'm a doctor."

Patient: "I thought 'MD' meant doctor."

DO: "Actually, a lot of people don't realize that there are two different degrees for doctors in the US. So, you shouldn't really feel you are stupid for not knowing that. So....what brings you in today?"

Thanks scpod. This sounds exactly like what you should do. I think the "minimal fighting with your patients" approach is a safe way to go. I think I just need to learn to not get as frustrated or annoyed when people talk about it negatively / stereotypes, etc.