THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MDS AND DOS
Trump has, or had apparently, the coronavirus, did you know that? Who am I kidding? You definitely knew that. However, did you know that the doctor of the president, Sean Conley, came under criticism in recent days for not being a real doctor? Yes, many people don’t actually believe Sean Conley is a real doctor because he is a DO and not an MD. Well, that is absolutely ridiculous because a DO is a real doctor, and it’s not up for debate.
Such allegations have persisted for a while now, quite shockingly, I must say, when you consider the work DOs put into becoming doctors. So, I’m saying this right at the beginning. It is unforgivable to say DOs aren’t real doctors. Don’t even think about it. However, many people don’t know the difference between DOs and MDs, if any difference exists at all, that is. This is forgivable. And this article will attend to that.
Straight to business then. There aren’t major differences between MDs and DOs when you consider that they are both licensed medical practitioners who can practice medicine and prescribe drugs in all fifty states in the United States. Another similarity between them is that they pretty much receive the same training. They both attend four years of medical school, and they both take a residency program that typically lasts between one and seven years.
The main, and perhaps, most significant difference between DOs and MDs is their philosophies on practicing medicine. DOs and MDs attend different medical schools, and it is the medical schools they attend that determine whether they become a DO or an MD. There are two primary philosophies in medicine, which are osteopathy and allopathy.
Allopathy is the more common of the two and is usually considered as traditional medicine or modern medicine. It focuses on treating specific medical conditions, typically diagnosed by medical tests, using medications. Osteopathy, on the other hand, takes a more holistic approach when treating people. They regard the body as a whole and treat it as such rather than just treating specific symptoms. Are you bored yet? Please, don’t be. I can’t exactly make medicine any more fun than this.
Upon graduating from an allopathic medical school, the doctor takes on the MD title, which stands for a medical doctor or doctor of medicine. Meanwhile, doctors from osteopathic medical schools take on the DO title, which stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine. Did I already mention that they are both licensed medical practitioners? You know what, I’ll just do it again. They are both licensed across all fifty states to practice medicine. This totally squashes allegations or stories about whether DOs are real doctors or not.
In fact, I find it quite insulting that some people think DOs, like Sean Conley and I, aren’t real doctors. Yes, I am also a DO, and yes, I am also a real doctor. It is one thing to not like a person; it is another thing entirely to rubbish and discredit the effort they put in their profession. That’s a digression, but one I needed to make. Let’s get back on track. What were we discussing? Oh, yes. The difference between osteopathy and allopathy.
Another difference between osteopathic and allopathic medical schools is that DOs, that is, doctors that graduate from osteopathic schools, have to complete an extra 200 hours of coursework. These additional hours focus on the musculoskeletal system and the holistic view of medicine. The holistic view of medicine is one that treats medicine wholly, serving not only the body but also the mind and spirit. The training on the musculoskeletal system is called osteopathic manipulation medicine training or OMM training, for short.
The result of these extra 200 hours is a greater understanding by DOs of the range of motion of muscles and bones by merely touching and feeling them. This is probably why some people call DOs chiropractors, which is not true. DOs are licensed medical practitioners, like MDs, with the main difference in their medicine philosophies. I can’t overemphasize that. I’m still going to try, though.
But even with the extra hours of OMM training, many DOs rarely use that aspect of their training. According to a 2003 study in Ohio, most DOs don’t use OMM techniques, and by the majority, I mean close to 75% of the DOs in that study.
There’s another difference, or should I say kind of a difference. DOs are known for practicing preventive medicine. This does not mean MDs don’t also practice preventive medicine, but DOs just practice it more. And this also does not mean some MDs don’t practice preventive medicine more than some DOs. You can see why I said earlier that there aren’t any major differences because, many times, both DOs and MDs use the same techniques.
So, you may be thinking about which doctor or philosophy is okay for you. Well, the answer is both are fine. DOs and MDs are qualified to practice medicine and prescribe drugs, and they receive the same training. However, many DOs are primary care doctors. More than half of DOs go into the primary care field, with that figure standing at about a quarter for MDs. The implication of this is that if you need a primary care doctor, you may want to consider a DO. But if you have a particular ailment and want a specialist in that field, you can choose an MD or a DO.
A quick recap of all we’ve discussed, then. One, DOs are real doctors. Two, the difference between DOs and MDs is merely philosophical. Three, both are qualified and licensed to treat you, so you have nothing to fear. I didn’t miss anything, did I? This was fun, kind of. Allopathy or osteopathy, medicine is fun.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
- https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-10-05/trumps-doctor-is-a-d-o-how-is-that-different-from-an-m-d?_amp=true
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/10/09/president-trumps-doctor-is-a-do-not-an-md-whats-the-difference/%3foutputType=amp
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/paging-dr-gupta/whats-the-difference-between-an-md-and-a-do-and-how-do-i-choose/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/difference-between-md-and-do#choosing-one
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/do-vs-md
- https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/your-doctor-the-difference-between-an-md-and-do
There’s a major difference between “osteopathic medicine” as taught and practiced in the US and “osteopathic medicine” as taught and practiced in the UK and Europe.
The above answers are true for US-trained and practicing DOs. They are physicians, possibly within any specialty, who has further training in the musculoskeletal system and treating the whole patient. In Britain and the UK, their training and scope of practice is much like a chiropractor or nutritionist.
FWIW, my PCP is a DO. I have also had surgery with DOs who were trained and certified as surgeons. I’ve seen a DO who was a practicing neurologist – with certifications. These are all “real doctors” in the United States.
I think this story tells it all about “journalism”.
Richard Jadick, D.O. served in the Marines and the Navy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jadick
He went on to college and got a D.O. degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was a medical officer at Camp Lejune. He volunteered for duty in Iraq..
He didn’t have to go. He was 38 years old. His wife was nine months pregnant.
He was in Second Fallujah.
He saved 30 Marines, doing emergency field surgery while under fire.
He got a Bronze Star and Combat V in January 2006.
He is considered Iraq’s most decorated doctor.
Look how the press covered him.
https://preview.tinyurl.com/y48hnase
The last time I heard criticism of D.O.’s in heavily accented English (“dey arrrre not EmmmmDeeees”), I had to point out to the individual that his degree was not written in the Roman alphabet.
The finest physician I have known was a DO
Dental professionals have 2 degree programs
Veterinary medicine has 2 degree programs
If I recall correctly, DOs started in Missouri. When I applied to Medical School in the 60’s, California relabelled/branded the osteopathy school as medical schools. I knew there was a law suit in New Jersey in the 60s where DOs sued to get their degrees changed to MDs because of the confusion and because the same licensing board existed. There is a well know orthopedic surgeon/department chairman who is a DO and not an MD. Not that it needs my input, MDs and DOs are the same.
@Aaron Martin Levine
If you ever notice it at a used bookstore or library, pick up a copy of Norman Gevitz “The D.O.’s: Osteopathic Medicine in America”
https://www.amazon.com/DOs-Osteopathic-Medicine-America-ebook/dp/B003UD7RPK
Although about D.O.’s, it’s a nice read on the state of medicine in 19th-early 20th century America generally.
The lawsuit was in California, and the California Osteopathic College became U Cal Irvine. If there was also a lawsuit in New Jersey, I’m not aware of it.
The effect of the lawsuit was to open federal facilities to D.O.’s (military, VA, etc.) and private facilities followed.
D.O.’s tried to get in the military since WW-1 and were kept out. There was a letter asking Theodore Roosevelt’s help back then, but he was out of office. Theodore Roosevelt ws supportive, it seems his brother saw a D.O. at the time. At the time, the AMA vigorously opposed D.O. entry in the Medical Corps.
Same in WW-2. I have met an older D.O. who CLAIMED he went in the service as a medic, because they still weren’t letting D.O.’s as a doctor. Then under emergency combat conditions, he went to work as a doctor. MAYBE some of the stories of medics doing surgery in emergency combat conditions, were D.O.’s who really were surgeons as civilians, but could only serve as medics. Plausible I guess, and all I can say is I met one D.O. who claimed as much.
Here’s the thing. Most D.O.’s denied entry as doctors, were to old for anything else, so they just stayed home. Drafted M.D.’s came home to fine the D.O.’s had prospered for lack of competition.
Same thing happened with the Korean War. Drafted M.D.’s came back and found D.O.’s had taken over their practices. Someone had to care for the civilians, and the military would not let them in.
So, when that California lawsuit in the 1960’s, let’s just say there was not much resistance to D.O. entry in the military. As soon as the lawsuit settled and the doors opened, a substantial number of D.O.’s volunteered for Vietnam.
My training days as a D.O., I’d estimate a quarter of my class went military. Not just the money, certainly an incentive, they pay tuition and supplies, but the postgraduate training was a path of least resistance. Train D.O. postgraduate, the M.D.’s may not recognize the training. Train M.D., the D.O. hospitals might not recognize the training.
Military postgraduate training was recognized by both.
That was a generation ago, mind you…….
“Osteopathy, on the other hand, takes a more holistic approach when treating people. They regard the body as a whole and treat it as such rather than just treating specific symptoms. ”
Ech, garbage. I’ve been hearing this crap for decades. As a family practice physician we also spend hundreds of hours training to treat the person and their family as a whole, and training with a holistic perspective. I don’t know any physicians other than maybe? specialists? who only treat symptoms.
We have to face the fact that the media engages in criticism of anyone or anything related to this President. I don’t think they really care what qualifications Dr. Conley has, nor do they really care about the health of the President except as it relates to the election.
The last DO that I talked to was a Neurologist on the faculty of the Medical College of GA.