True. But think of it from our (MD) point of view. We see what happened with the DO degree, have accepted it, though it means that we now have another degree, but with the same curriculum, the same training (99%), ability to take our licensing exams (though they have separate ones), the same identifiers ("physician" & "medical school"), and the same residency & practice options (though they have separate ones). You can see why this is a little....unnecessary? Why create an entire new system for the exact same thing? Why confuse everyone? Why? Well, because the DO degree wasn't always this way. It used to have a much different role and was very limited in scope and prevalence. Now, with successfully MD-mimicked curriculum modifications, lobbying, and growing public acceptance, they're equivalent. That's not a problem. It's confusing and strange for the reasons I stated above, but not a problem, really. Good for them, I guess.
The problem is, as an MD or MD student, you see what the future of medicine is going to look like for us. We see nurse practitioners invading (I don't mean to make it sound sinister, that was just the best word I had) pushing family practice doctors out. Yes, it's the system that's to blame, not the NPs, but still, their growth and lobbying etc. is pushing out FP MDs. Now they've elevated themselves to a doctoral level program and there is pressure to call them "Dr." FP. We see physical therapists elevating themselves to a doctoral level program and there is pressure to call them "Dr." too. PM&R. We see optometrists pushing aggressively for surgical rights in many states across the country (and have won them in some instances). Ophthalmology. We see podiatrists pushing for more scope of practice both in primary LE care and surgery, and ever so subtlely changing their titles from "podiatrist" to "podiatric physician" and "podiatry school" to "podiatric medical school" and "podiatry student" to "podiatric medical student". Ortho. PA's are creating groups where they are no longer really under physician supervision. And everyone under the sun wants to wear scrubs and a white coat these days.
Can you at least understand why it's distressing for us? We don't want to "keep anyone down", but we also don't want to have our profession taken from us, when we feel (as you do) that for most of "medical practice", we are the best people to do the job. I understand that you feel you're also qualified to do some of this. I agree with you. I even agree that when it comes to the foot, I think for the most part podiatrists are the experts. But what I don't agree with is little things that glaze over the distinctions that indeed define why it's harder to get into MD school, why the curriculum is the gold standard for medical education, why the licensing exams are different, why our clinical training is different, why our options are more numerous and scope of practice for the most part all-encompassing (assuming you choose your specialty). Sometimes it's the little things that you feel like you can't give any ground on. For me, I think "podiatrist" is more simple and descriptive and accurate than "podiatric physician", so why change it. I think "podiatry school" is more simple and descriptive and accurate than "podiatric medical school", so why change it. I worry the motivation for these "upgrades" are for the wrong reasons.
