What Princeton Review Thinks about D.O.'s

[daveyboy]

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In the latest Princeton Review newsletter they had the following to say regarding choosing M.D. or D.O.:

"Careers Choices: Osteopathic or Allopathic Medicine?

The choice between the MD of an allopathic education and the DO of an osteopathic education, while largely philosophical, can bear heavily on the evolution of your career as a doctor. Allopathic training, the more recognized and available of the two in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, gives you the option to practice any of the medical specialties and is recognized at a far greater degree overseas. Osteopathic doctors are taught an additional modality of treatment called manipulation but are not recognized as fully licensed physicians. Often osteopathic doctors go into the field as primary care physicians to work in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, ob/gyn and general surgery."

Not recognized as fully licensed physicians? Im not completely sure what PR meant by that, but it is certainly way off the mark.

-daveyboy

 

[Ohiobuddhist]

...*****s... either they're just plain stupid, or they can't write, and neither case makes a strong statement for PR. Probably, they meant to say that DO's are not recognized (imporperly) in some foreign contries as licensed physicians. At least this is what I hope they meant - otherwise they've got some explaining to do! 😡

 

[daveyboy]

One way or another they have some explaining to do and should revise that statement, which is grossly uninformed. These people claim to be an authority on med school admissions and the MCAT, so this is unacceptable.
In all fairness, I used their MCAT prep and was impressed, so Im thinking that this is atypical for them.

-daveyboy

 

[JS-UNMC]

Allopathic training, the more recognized and available of the two ---this is true.

gives you the option to practice any of the medical specialties and is recognized at a far greater degree overseas --- this is true.

Osteopathic doctors are taught an additional modality of treatment called manipulation --- this is true.

but are not recognized as fully licensed physicians --- not true in the US but is true in MANY foreign countries.

Often osteopathic doctors go into the field as primary care physicians to work in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, ob/gyn and general surgery --- this is true as well.

Whats the fuss about??? 😉

 

[jhug]

NOT RECOGNIZED AS FULLY LICENSED PHYSICIANS!!!!!
What more do you want to NOT fuss about???!!!!! How much more do they have to say before you actually realize that they are totally discrediting your profession???!!!! I thing every single one of us should write a letter to PR and let them know of this stupid mistake-- if they meant to say internationally not recognized they need to change it NOW!!! if i was a pre-med student i would think DO's were self made doctors with no idea what they are doing--no wonder there is still a stigma among pre-md/pre-do students!! they're being fed it from the beginning!!!

 

[daveyboy]

Exactly right jhug, thats why I made my first post. I strongy suggest you write to them, I already have.

-daveyboy

 

[Observe]

daveyboy
Can you give us the address that we can write to correct this horrible misleading mistake? I would prefer the email address, if not, the snail address would do also.

Thanks.

 

[daveyboy]

The public relations director at PR is Harriet Brand. Her email is [email protected].

By the way, in looking for the email address I checked out the PR website. The website has a different, and correct, description of Osteopathic Medicine. This was on the website:
"The major difference today between osteopathic and allopathic training is that osteopaths are taught an additional modality of treatment called manipulation (not to be confused with chiropractic manipulation, which has an entirely different system of education and is not recognized as a fully licensed medical degree)."
What I think happened is that the people who edited the newsletter made a mistake, including the remark about chiropractic in the sentence on D.O.'s. Basically, somebody did a bad cut and paste job. The quote from the newsletter is in the first post on the thread, if you look at it this is very obvious.
So, anybody planning on writing to PR should probably be very cordial because this was an honest mistake. However, it should be corrected since so many people generally only read the newsletter (myself included).

-daveyboy

 

[Elysium]

Yeah, I got that newsletter today and was friggin' shocked by their tone. Some of their statements were incorrect, but mostly the snide and superior manner of the letter was simply unacceptable. I will write this PR woman tonight!

DO Power!

 

[Elysium]

Is there a way we can contact the AOA about this? I think their lawyers would be keen to read this libel.

Hmmm.

 

[JS-UNMC]

OK, enjoy fighting a dead battle. I'm sure the AOA will be of HUGE help on this or any other matter!
🙄

 

[Freeeedom!]

Libel???? Calm down. Wow, you guys had better pick your battles better than this, because you are just starting!

Libel! HAHAHAHA! The AOA is about as much of a help as a winter coat in mexico city during july. Let it go...or why not write a letter to the Princeton Review? As someone who is graduating from a DO school this year, we got better battles to fight.

 

[JS-UNMC]

Thank you freedom! I actually used to be like the other posters... until I started in a DO school. It is a dead battle... move on.

 

[daveyboy]

OK, lets try to remember that this is an honest mistake that PR will very likely be happy to correct as soon as they are contacted. No big plot against Osteopathic medicine.
But, as a person applying to both MD and DO programs, I gotta wonder why Im seeing posting stating that the AOA would be no help at all. Just curious.

-daveyboy

 

[jhug]

just my two pennies...i think a simple letter stating that PR is a resource used by many in judgement and research (compliment PR- it'll bring more credibility to your statement) and that such inaccuracies are simple unacceptable and dissapointing!! This will get their attention much more than-- "my daddy is going to sue your daddy" That comes across slightly immature and unprofessional. There may be better fights, but it is good to see passion in ones profession. I think that AOA wouldn't help much because they know it is a dead battle as well. Lets just work smarter not harder!!! Merry Christmas to you all!!!

 

[Elysium]

I'm not saying that I'm going to sue them or any other such nonsense. But I do think it's ridiculous that a supposedly impartial agency like TPR would disparage the "other" medical degree. I can only imagine they would alienate the pre-meds (their target audience) who want to be DOs or are undecided. I'm not even applying until this summer, and have only recently discovered that DOs existed (parent is an MD). Yet, how are people (future physicians) going to know the true story if a power house like TPR is spewing mis-information. I just think the consumer should know the relevant information without the anti-DO spin from a decidely non-medical person.
And I did write with my grievance. Every little bit helps.

 

[rickmyster78]

JHUG,

You said "I think that AOA wouldn't help much because they know it is a dead battle as well." I thought DO's are supposed to help their patients understand what a DO is. Honestly, I don't understand why you and some others think it's a dead battle. Freeedom and jsdmu are experienced med students, why do you guys feel that it's a dead battle? Is it something that you have experienced in the clinical setting? I am not having second thoughts about being a DO. We are physicians. Proud to become a DO.

Rickey 😎

 

[CVPA]

Guys, I think the point that jsdmu and Freedom were making was that this was an apparent typo error and not worthy of going to battle over. C'mon already, TPR as a corporation is not dogging DOs. One individual sitting at a computer copied and pasted inaccuarately and now everyone is completely freaking out.

Pick your battles, people. One person screwing up an email newsletter maybe worth writing TPR and bringing it to their attention, but certainly does not warrant freaking out and jumping to conclusions about TPR as a company being ignorant about osteopaths.

Do yourselves a favor and take the time you would have spent on this "issue", and use it to study for the MCAT or other academic subject that may further your medical education.

 

[rj]

There's no mistake. In many oversea countries practicing osteopath's hold only a BS degree. They are essentially PT's who do manipulation and their practice is limited to orthopaedics hence they are not recognized as physicians. In the US however osteopath's obtain the DO degree which is equal to the MD degree so this explains why there is confusion. Even though both groups are called osteopath's the training is markedly different.

 

[CVPA]

OK, I just perused TPR's website and they have a lot to say about DOs and their history that I think shows that the email publication was an error.

Check this link out guys and then take a deep breath and relax.

<a href="http://www.review.com/medical/article.cfm?id=medical\med_osteo&tabIndex=2" target="_blank">TPR Website on DOs</a>

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

I think what the PR meant to say was that many people in the US do not realize DOs are doctors as well. In my hometown (which is small and representative of the only-have-a-high-school-education part of the US) many have no CLUE what a DO is.

 

[Freeeedom!]

The AOA is no help for one primary reason, it is FAR too thinly stretched and simply is NOT an advocacy group but rather a PR group. Sure it gives its "official statements and positions" but groups like SOMA (specifically for DO's) and AMSA, AMA-student section, and specific professional organizations are FAR more atune to the heartbeat of medicine than the AOA.
Listen, the AOA penalizes its OWN graduates for doing allopathic residencies (without rotating internships)...how disgusting is that?

Sorry, just had to clear my mind.