very silly question

[Lisochka]

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what is the difference between alopatic and osteopathic?

 

[Apparition]

Google is your friend. Here are the basics: allopathic physicians supposedly treat diseases separately while osteopathic physicians look at the whole person. In addition to regular medicine, osteopaths learn OMM, a manipulative therapy that can help treat pain associated with spine, etc. There's no difference in their jobs/rights in the U.S. Some other countries, however, don't acknowledge osteopathy and they can't practice there.

 

[Darch]

what is the difference between alopatic and osteopathic?

someone posted this in another forum...

http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/paradox_of_osteopathy.htm

enjoy

 

[mtDNA]

Really there is no difference...about 5% of osteopathic physicians practice OMM,
other than that they both practice the same.

 

[letmein!please?]

Osteopathy has pseudo-scientific roots, but this was short-lived. Most "pseudo-scientific" practices are not used today, although some still are, but by a small minority of practicing osteopaths. In recent years it has become increasingly recognized (in the academic community) as a legitimate medical practice, and this will surely continue in the future. It's main "credo" is to "treat the body as a functional unit."

Depending on how important this sort of thing is to you, another big difference is:

Allopathic = MD
Osteopathic = DO

Call me shallow, but after 4 years of med school I want an MD after my name. If you're less shallow than I am, you might find being a DO to be very stimulating and satisfying work. Some might see it as a more "humanistic" approach to medicine. Acceptance to Osteopathic programs is less competitive and, on average, slightly easier than Allopathic programs. This certainly does not help the reputation of the DO degree, despite the fact that many consider Osteopathy quite difficult to study because they learn "all the stuff that MD's learn plus all the uniquely osteopathic stuff", a claim I have heard several times before.

DO's also place in many of the same residencies as MD grads, and can do many of the same specialties...like surgery, for example...plus the unique osteopathic practices too. There are quite a few DO/PHD-ers out there too.

 

[jbone]

someone posted this in another forum...

http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/paradox_of_osteopathy.htm

enjoy

That is a great article. Very honest and upfront. 👍

 

[Messerschmitts]

Osteopathy has pseudo-scientific roots, but this was short-lived. Most "pseudo-scientific" practices are not used today, although some still are, but by a small minority of practicing osteopaths. In recent years it has become increasingly recognized (in the academic community) as a legitimate medical practice, and this will surely continue in the future. It's main "credo" is to "treat the body as a functional unit."

Depending on how important this sort of thing is to you, another big difference is:

Allopathic = MD
Osteopathic = DO

Call me shallow, but after 4 years of med school I want an MD after my name. If you're less shallow than I am, you might find being a DO to be very stimulating and satisfying work. Some might see it as a more "humanistic" approach to medicine. Acceptance to Osteopathic programs is less competitive and, on average, slightly easier than Allopathic programs. This certainly does not help the reputation of the DO degree, despite the fact that many consider Osteopathy quite difficult to study because they learn "all the stuff that MD's learn plus all the uniquely osteopathic stuff", a claim I have heard several times before.

DO's also place in many of the same residencies as MD grads, and can do many of the same specialties...like surgery, for example...plus the unique osteopathic practices too. There are quite a few DO/PHD-ers out there too.

Ha ha, good way of summing it up. I have to admit though, I'm shallow too (and I bet a good number of SDNers are too) 😛 I want that M.D. behind my name. I mean, how would that FOX show sound like if it were "House D.O." instead of "House M.D."? But otherwise D.O. is truly not a bad programme.

 

[OSUdoc08]

what is the difference between alopatic and osteopathic?

Not much.

There are a couple of different classes in school, but they become essentially the same after residency begins.

Osteopathic medicine has a greater emphasis on preventive care, self-healing, and prepares students more to enter primary care fields.

Allopathic medicine emphasizes research and specialization more often.

Graduates of both schools are qualified to enter any physician field, however.

 

[gary5]

If you like to take alternative medications, e.g. herbs from the store, and are interested in chinese medicine, yoga, acupuncture, etc, then you want osteopathic. Otherwise, you want western medicine, aka allopathic.

 

[OSUdoc08]

If you like to take alternative medications, e.g. herbs from the store, and are interested in chinese medicine, yoga, acupuncture, etc, then you want osteopathic. Otherwise, you want western medicine, aka allopathic.

Osteopathic medicine does not include training in chinese medicine, yoga, or acupuncture. There is very minimal training in herbal medicine. You are thinking about DOM's & ND's (not DO's.)

Osteopathic medicine IS western medicine. Osteopathic medical schools teach the exact same pharmacology courses as Allopathic medical schools.

👎

 

[JonnyG]

Osteopathic medicine does not include training in chinese medicine, yoga, or acupuncture. There is very minimal training in herbal medicine. You are thinking about DOM's & ND's (not DO's.)

Osteopathic medicine IS western medicine. Osteopathic medical schools teach the exact same pharmacology courses as Allopathic medical schools.

👎

Let's get this straight osteopathy is actually AMERICAN medicine, while allopathy is EUROPEAN medicine. In other words, not really any difference. Well except for occassional snubs, but all in good fun.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Let's get this straight osteopathy is actually AMERICAN medicine, while allopathy is EUROPEAN medicine. In other words, not really any difference. Well except for occassional snubs, but all in good fun.

Exactly. Both would be considered Western medicine.

Some of those descriptions were of Eastern medicine (something entirely different.)

 

[tulane06]

I don't agree with the whole allopathic label thing - it was invented by the creator of homeopathic medicine (Hahnemann, homeopathy is now widely recognized as a fraud discipline) to disparage the type of medicine performed by M.D.s.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I don't agree with the whole allopathic label thing - it was invented by the creator of homeopathic medicine (Hahnemann, homeopathy is now widely recognized as a fraud discipline) to disparage the type of medicine performed by M.D.s.

Although true, it is simply used for identification purposes. You can call it what you want.

 

[tulane06]

Interesting article on the topic -

http://www.ncahf.org/articles/a-b/allopathy.html

 

[-Goose-]

OSUdoc, whats the deal with the whole floating cranial bone theory?

 

[OSUdoc08]

OSUdoc, whats the deal with the whole floating cranial bone theory?

Ask me after next semester, when we learn it. I don't know anything about it at this point.

(Other than that an MD pediatrician in town does craniosacral often on her patients. She is also an OMM instructor at our school.)

 

[-Goose-]

Ask me after next semester, when we learn it. I don't know anything about it at this point.

(Other than that an MD pediatrician in town does craniosacral often on her patients. She is also an OMM instructor at our school.)

cool.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

I don't agree with the whole allopathic label thing - it was invented by the creator of homeopathic medicine (Hahnemann, homeopathy is now widely recognized as a fraud discipline) to disparage the type of medicine performed by M.D.s.

Which ironically enough was (part of) the former name of Drexel's allopathic med school--Medical College of Pennsylvania-Hahnemann 😉 (It was founded as a school of homeopathic medicine and eventually became an allopathic medical school.)

Lisochka--This topic has been discussed ad nauseum and often ends in piss wars. Please do a search and check out the FAQ in the Pre-Osteopathic forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=114983