I think you'll find especially in the third and fourth years that your collegues, and, much more importantly, your patients don't care DO or MD. I wish I got to explain what a D.O. is MORE often than I do. The ones that actually do ask me (1 out of 1000) react in a positive way. I think the general trend is that most patients don't care one bit...and the ones that do notice those two letters already know what they mean. Unless you go somewhere that is known to be "DO unfriendly" (whatever that means) you will find that it is definitely a NON ISSUE. If you want to hear debates about it troll the pre-osteo threads. These are the only people that care.
Here's what makes the residency application process more painful for D.O.s: Most of the best DO programs are (not coincidently) in one of the 5 states that require an osteopathic internship year. The D.O. has the choice to suck it up and do an extra year (may not sound like a big deal now, but it will later) or try to compete for an M.D. slot. Either way....I'd say that I'd rather be competing for residencies as an M.D. instead of as a D.O. as I am now. It's just an easier path with less obstacles and MANY of my 4th year classmates going through the same process right now share the same sentiments. For example, There's an M.D. residency in Michigan I would LOVE to apply to, but I won't. Why? Because the residency won't CONSIDER my application until I have completed an osteopathic internship year. My M.D. colleagues, however, are not required any preliminary training before entering this same residency program. However, those going into Family Practice, Peds, IM....those people have no problem landing slots anywhere they want. I won't even begin to touch on what a Pain in the butt it is when you do the D.O. and M.D. match and gotta throw the dice and gamble at pulling out of the D.O. match since it is first. It's a painful experience that makes me long for the easier path.
Question about the M.D. hiring a D.O. into his practice: A smart M.D. would. As long as a D.O. is under the same roof, the M.D.s can bill under his name for doing any OMM techniques like soft tissue, muscle energy, etc...things that can be taught to the M.D.s and they could do them easily. I've seen it done in integrated clinics with a significant profit bump. Plus there's a small group of people out there that actually PREFER D.O.'s over M.D.'s for whatever reason....so having a D.O. in the practice draws this population, while not turning away those that prefer the M.D. letters. Pulling a D.O. into a group is certainly NOT going be a detriment to an established practice.
Just my .02 since I'm sitting in the ED at two in the morning and we have been on divert the last 8 hours.
