what's the difference between MD & DO EM residencies?

[ribsandbbqbeef]

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what's the difference between MD & DO EM residencies?

Is manipulation therapy incoporated into DO residencies?

If they are essentially the same, why the distinction?

I'm an MD student & know nothing about DO programs; just curious...

Thanks for any info.

 

[YoungFaithful]

You may get a few replies here but this topic has been talked about quite a bit. You might want to click the FAQ thread above. I think it addresses this issue nicely. 😀

 

[ribsandbbqbeef]

sweet. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[ribsandbbqbeef]

Originally posted by YoungFaithful
You may get a few replies here but this topic has been talked about quite a bit. You might want to click the FAQ thread above. I think it addresses this issue nicely. 😀

Just went to the EM FAQ thread. It's a long discussion of how to apply to residency, ranking, 3 vs 4 yr programs.

However I didn't see any info on the difference between MD & DO EM programs. Anyone care to shed some light?

Thanks.

 

[Dr. Cowboy]

I have only been exposed to one DO EM program but, everything seems pretty much the same. DOs are allowed to enter MD residencies, the opposite is not true.

 

[Freeeedom!]

Touchy subject...

Overall, this is a political question as DO residencies exist based upon 1. tradition 2. AOA refusal to commit to widespread dual accreditation of ACGME residencies...therefore creating a "need" for Osteopathic residencies.

This is not going to make me popular...and I love being a DO...but if the same ACGME/ABEM rules were applied to AOA EM residencies...they would lose accreditation.

The AOA has a long tradition of "eating its young" and protecting its own interests. There would be no need for seperate DO EM residencies if dual accreditation would be accepted by the AOA.

I have written only just a bit, but I feel AT Still looking down at me...gotta go.

 

[edinOH]

If MD and DO physicians practice the same style/substance of emergency medicine, what is the purpose of "DO only" EM residencies?

In my experience, it seems to me that the best and brightest of the DO graduates pursue allopathic EM residency. Why is this?

I have nothing against DOs. There are very good and very bad graduates of both pathways. In fact, why is there even a distinction? From what I have seen and read, the whole "osteopathic" frame of reference of practice is essentially dead to most DOs in the mainstream fields of medicine.

Is there a real benefit to the osteopathic approach to medicine that I am missing out on or is it just an antiquated modality that is no longer relevant?

I know we like to needle the chiropractors for their lack of utilization of EBM. Please educate me on how OMT is any different.

Just to be clear, I want to emphasize that I'm not attempting to bash DOs here. I personally hold MDs and DOs in the same regard.

Please educate me. Sincerely.

 

[kungfufishing]

I think Freedom makes a good point about osteopathic EM residencies. I know I came to the same conclusion after checking out DO and MD programs. I still think you can become a good doc coming from an Osteopathic residency, but you might have to work at it more. The accreditation is just not as strict or as uniform. In our state, there are two DO EM programs. One of them is new, fairly large, and looks to be set up like most of the MD programs I interviewed at. The other one is small (<30k) and doesnt have much didactic focus in favor of 'learning by doing'. Program #1 wouldnt have much trouble being RRC accredited, but program number 2 wouldnt make it. My point is that although some of the DO residencies are very good, on the whole it seems like a very mixed bag. Im happy to be a DO, but my ultimate goal is to be as well trained as possible. I felt that the MD residencies offered a much greater opportunity. I think this issue (the AOA avoiding joint accreditation) is especially magnified within EM, because it is among the most egalitarian specialties with respect to MD/DO relations. Having rotated through both types of residency, the only reason I can see for the AOA to avoid joint accreditation is that it would have to shut down quite a few programs. Remember this opinion is coming from a DO student who fully intended to pursue residency at a DO program.

 

[ribsandbbqbeef]

Thanks for all the responses. I work with a couple of DOs in my residency program and they are awesome clinicians. I always wondered why they chose to do an MD residency rather than a DO program, but thought it may be a touchy topic for me to ask them. Thanks for the info.

 

[Hayduke]

Originally posted by edinOH
If MD and DO physicians practice the same style/substance of emergency medicine, what is the purpose of "DO only" EM residencies?

In my experience, it seems to me that the best and brightest of the DO graduates pursue allopathic EM residency. Why is this?

I have nothing against DOs. There are very good and very bad graduates of both pathways. In fact, why is there even a distinction? From what I have seen and read, the whole "osteopathic" frame of reference of practice is essentially dead to most DOs in the mainstream fields of medicine.

Is there a real benefit to the osteopathic approach to medicine that I am missing out on or is it just an antiquated modality that is no longer relevant?

I know we like to needle the chiropractors for their lack of utilization of EBM. Please educate me on how OMT is any different.

Just to be clear, I want to emphasize that I'm not attempting to bash DOs here. I personally hold MDs and DOs in the same regard.

Please educate me. Sincerely.

Okay-This has been sitting up here for two days w/ no response from my more experieneced peers. I figured that some answer was needed so Ed you're hearing from an MSI.
http://www.jaoa.org/cgi/reprint/104/1/15.pdf
If this link works it should take you to a recent article in the JAOA. It gives a pretty good idea of what our national organization would like to see happening w/ DO EM training.

As in other matters of import, the core of the AOA's position is somewhat distanced from reality.

In answer to your question, I can only comment from my experience what comprises the "DO difference".

As a travel nurse I worked w/ dozens of ED physicians. As a group, I found the DOs I worked w/ to have a great diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the form of OMM. Unlike their MD counterparts, they routinely applied viscero-somatic signs into their diff. They also touched their patients more frequently than allopaths.

Cheezy, emotional, dearth of EBM to support etc. I have to admit. However, I also observed that they were very effective.

Patients confide in nurses. My decision to go DO was in no small part driven by the positive comments given to me by pt.s about their osteopathic caregivers.

ED- I know this isn't satisfactory. I'm hoping my response will stir up some of my wiser osteopathic colleagues .

.....then again maybe I'll grow out of it too.
H