From what I have seen, working with many docs for the 6 years I've been in surgery The difference between DO and MD is this. DOs are more inclined to spend more time with patient, do a thorough physical evaluation (hands on), make a diagnosis and use labs and other tests to confirm their Dx. MDs tend to not spend as much time with the patient and wait for labs and diagnostics to make their Dx. Not saying that MDs are bad or that they are all like that. In general I have noticed that DOs tend to have superb bed side manner and an aptitude for relating well with patients. I assume it has something to do with the way the are trained and the elements of the physician patient relationship that are stressed.
I have seen this, but overall, I must admit that
it just really depends on the physician. I mean I have seen some DO's with crappy bedside manners. I have seen MDs with great beside manners. I have seen adult CT DO surgeons that were just incredibly adept and excellent at their work, and I have seen this with MDs. I have seen "good" or "bad" with both MD and DO. I have seen this in nursing, psychology, RTs, RDs, you name it. Really, I think these kinds of generalizations are problematic.
It ultimately ends up being about the individual physician and how she or he chooses to practice. I will say that I have also seen the striking of a good balance between the totality of what is desirable in a physician for both DOs and MDs. Sometimes, however, I have wondered if there is a bit more sensitivity taught in DO programs; but we also have to know what the individual physician's post-graduate educational experiences were like and the kind of physicians that taught, guided, and influenced them during that time.
It goes back to what I think is one of the number one questions in the minds of the adcoms for either MD or DO programs--or at least in my mind should be.
As Goro said, "Would I want this person as my physician?" Why or why not?
Yet I also have to add that as a surgical recovery ICU nurse for both peds and adults, I will tell you that some physicians just aren't all that into the sensitivity and warm-fuzzy approach; but they excel in the OR. I mean I like warm fuzzy, b/c I am more or less like that; but I also know how to compartmentalize that quality. I mean I have to say, however, when it comes to being cut--deep surgery-- I want a highly skilled, talented, and focused surgeon, with great fine motor adeptness and spatial intelligence. This is huge to me--as well as the physician's ability to follow-up with sound post-op management. The experienced recovery CT ICU nurse, for example, sees trends in certain surgeons, in general, based not only on M & Ms, but on how hard they have to run their butts off--in general--to keep the post-op patient stable. Sure this varies with comorbidity factors, but when there are clear trends on certain kinds of patients/procedures, you get the picture. And after a while, it becomes a tug of war in taking this surgeon's patients postoperatively. And it isn't b/c the nurses are lazy. They work in surgery for a lot of the same reasons many other doctors and nurses work in the particular area, b/c, in general, they like to see good outcomes.
Sure there is the learning curve issue for surgeons, but some people are just more naturally gifted when it comes to performing careful and delicate kinds of surgeries. Would it be great if all of such surgeons were more sensitive and warm-fuzzy with their patients and the nursing and other staff as well? Absolutely. But people can be complicated.
At the end of the day, I want the most adept, careful, insightful, and skilled surgeon that I can get. And I also want a surgeon that is strong in excellent post-op management. At the end of the day, who cares if the surgeon is warm and fuzzy if he/she is just not up to snuff with that valve repair or the particular arterial switch operation. (Although, with the latter, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, I believe, is a pretty unlikely bet for a DO. Just that it's so competitive. DO's in general won't be able to compete with the high-brow selection of allopaths applying to pediatric CT fellowships. Super tough to fight city hall sometimes.)
My point though is that it's tough and kind of unfair to make these generalizations, b/c there are a lot of factors. Also, b/c it depends on the individual, and finally, depending on what is being done, it depends on what the person on the table or the parent whose child is on the table wants/needs for their child--b/c really they want the most skilled surgeon to do the work. No these surgeons shouldn't be J.O.'s, but you have to prioritize based on what is going on IMHO.
