working overseas as a DO (versus IMG)?

[rkaz]

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Hey there, I was just wonder about overseas work opportunities for DOs. In the future (as a physician), I may want to participate in medical missions etc. I remember previously reading a thread on SDN about countries where DOs are permitted to practice.

I was wondering.... is there a big difference in number of countries where US-DOs are permitted to practice versus US-MDs?

Also, is there a big difference in the number of countries where US-DOs are permitted to practice versus Caribbean MDs?

I am actually applying to Caribbean MD schools in addition to US DO schools for that reason. I was wondering which one of the two options would give me greater options as far as working overseas in the future. (I have no interest in turning this into a C-MD versus US-DO debate... that's for me to decide. I am perfectly happy being a DO, as I am interested in OMM... but am considering the Caribbean schools assuming that I would have less practice issues if I should go abroad. I am simply trying to look at this in terms of future international opportunities.) Thanks!

 

[tkim]

Hey there, I was just wonder about overseas work opportunities for DOs. In the future (as a physician), I may want to participate in medical missions etc. I remember previously reading a thread on SDN about countries where DOs are permitted to practice.

I was wondering.... is there a big difference in number of countries where US-DOs are permitted to practice versus US-MDs?

Also, is there a big difference in the number of countries where US-DOs are permitted to practice versus Caribbean MDs?

I am actually applying to Caribbean MD schools in addition to US DO schools for that reason. I was wondering which one of the two options would give me greater options as far as working overseas in the future. (I have no interest in turning this into a C-MD versus US-DO debate... that's for me to decide. I am perfectly happy being a DO, as I am interested in OMM... but am considering the Caribbean schools assuming that I would have less practice issues if I should go abroad. I am simply trying to look at this in terms of future international opportunities.) Thanks!

You are asking mutliple questions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Osteopathic_Medicine#International_practice_rights

There's a difference between "working" in a different country and doing a medical mission there. Medical missions such as Doctors Without Borders have international participants, so their missions are granted provisional status for the length of the mission. DO's participate in those missions without restriction.

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/volunteer/field/faq.cfm#osteo

Working in another country is a different animal entirely. There is no definitive list of what countries USMD and Carib MDs can practice in. One would presume that the practice rights for USMDs is greater than USDOs simply because of the relative 'youth' of the USDO. What no one knows is how much greater the international practice rights are.

For Carib MD, I have no idea. But here's SGU's site:

http://www.sgu.edu/website/sguwebsite.nsf/about-sgu/recognition-standards.html

Finally, there's always a poster every couple of weeks who talks about practicing abroad. Realistically, there are few and far between the number of people who up and move their practice abroad. Very few. It's a royal pain in the ass simply applying for a license in another state much less another country. Using international practice rights as a criterion for choosing medical school should be petty low on the list.

 

[MossPoh]

The above poster did a great job explaining. I just wanted to elaborate the difficulty of up and moving to another country to practice medicine. I've looked into it in depth.

There are a few international recruiters lurking around on the internet. They usually offer gigs in rural new zealand or australia. It is rarely a "nice" area. If you like small towns and understaffed hospitals then you're golden. Other places have a HUGE list of hoops to jump through as any doctor, let alone a DO.

I always use Germany as an example, since I was a German major for a long time and am a little better versed with how things work there. DOs in Germany are a completley different entity. They are kind of chiropractors mixed with "Naturheilkunde" and "Homöopathie". (My host mother used special crystals to infuse the water with "positive energy".)

Anyway, you'd have to go through hundreds upon hundreds of pages just to prove your DO was equivalent to their MD. Then they'd have to accredit you and decide which level of medical degree it was. After that, you'd have to find a job. With EU laws, that'll be pretty tough. In Germany, if you show you have German blood and can pass a language/culture test, then you can usually get citizenship. They'll fasttrack you if you're jewish. Lets say you find someone nice enough to offer you a gig (it'd probably involve academic duties). You then move over there where you make a lot less cash, pay fairly high taxes and have to deal with notoriously pain in the arse hospital politics. You do get tons of vacation time and significantly less stress with paper work, but the German system is evolving and getting more insurance just to make your life miserable.

The list goes on and on and on and on. I'd be surprised if the process to get over there, get visas or citizenship, find a job, learning the language, etc. took any less than 3 years.

Its not to dissuade you but be prepared to spent a lot of time and money for some of the other areas. English speaking countries tend to be a little easier for us, but still tons of hoops.

 

[beachblonde]

wikipedia actually has a decent outline of where the DO degree is accepted for practice rights in other countries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_medicine_in_the_United_States#International_practice_rights

I figure as long as I can do missions, I'm set. I don't really want to move to South Africa, anyways.

 

[tkim]

wikipedia actually has a decent outline of where the DO degree is accepted for practice rights in other countries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_medicine_in_the_United_States#International_practice_rights

I figure as long as I can do missions, I'm set. I don't really want to move to South Africa, anyways.

You did see the *exact* link two posts up, right?

 

[beachblonde]

You did see the *exact* link two posts up, right?

oh dear, I saw the doctors without borders one and the sgu one....my bad. that's what I get for posting before I drink my coffee. 😳

I wasn't trying to one up you, I promise! monday mornings are not my best times.