HPSP as a DO

[williameb23]

I'm looking for some insight into military medicine as a DO vs. MD. My understanding is that the two are virtually indistinguishable to the military, but I'm curious:

1) Are any residencies in the military less friendly to DOs (in general or compared to the civilian world)?

2) Is a DO handcuffed from any of the opportunities within the military, like getting a particular GMO (i.e. flight surgery in the Navy)?

3) Is OMM considered to be more beneficial in the military than in the civilian world because of the patient population you might see, or does it hold similar/less relevancy than the civilian DO world?

4) Could military medicine as a DO actually make you more competitive for a) residency upon completing a GMO, or b) job placement in the civilian world if you choose to leave the military after completing payback service?

All relevant experiences and insight are welcome!

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[j4pac]

First...this is a great question to ask in the military forum, which is filled with military folks.

1) MD = DO in the military
2) MD = DO in the military
3) OMM is incredibly valuable in the military
4) I matched at the Mayo Clinic as a DO after a GMO tour...that should answer your question

 

[HighPriest]

Agreed with j4pac. Basically equivalent in the Army as well. You'll run into some prejudice here and there, but its few and far between, especially compared with the civilian sector. I've had quite a few D.O. colleagues over the years that I had no idea where D.O.s until it suddenly came up in a conversation.

I don't personally run into OMM much, and I think a lot of D.O.s who go into surgery don't really continue to practice it. I would have to imagine that its helpful and in demand on the primary care/GMO level, as advertised above. Just please don't try to cure deafness.

 

[DD214_DOC]

Agreed with j4pac. Basically equivalent in the Army as well. You'll run into some prejudice here and there, but its few and far between, especially compared with the civilian sector. I've had quite a few D.O. colleagues over the years that I had no idea where D.O.s until it suddenly came up in a conversation.

I don't personally run into OMM much, and I think a lot of D.O.s who go into surgery don't really continue to practice it. I would have to imagine that its helpful and in demand on the primary care/GMO level, as advertised above. Just please don't try to cure deafness.

You must have forgotten that you can summon the spirit of AT Still and cure pretty much anything. Did you skip the necromancy module at your school?

 

[HighPriest]

They didn't teach necromancy, homeopathy, crystal healing, or OMM at my medical school.

 

[Shikima]

Use the force luke! Let go!

 

[Jocoasty]

Sooo...OMM really is the bees knees in the military?

 

[DD214_DOC]

Sooo...OMM really is the bees knees in the military?

The gung ho family med types who drank the osteopathic kool-aid continued to use it, even setting up an OMM clinic a half-day per week and teaching it to the non-DO's who were interested. A few would use it on interns/residents who requested it. Most DO's do not continue to use it after medical school, and the ones that will can probably be identified during medical school (you know the types I'm talking about)

I did not drink the osteopathic kool-aid after learning more about it, so I never made use of it.

To answer the original question, though, nobody in the military cares if you're a DO or an MD, and most will never know which you are unless you make a point to tell them. Patient's don't know the difference between a physician and anyone else in the hospital, so they don't count.

 

[idq1i]

Milmed is a great homogenizer - everyone is a "provider," no matter what your skills, experience, motivation, intelligence, training or abilities are. Osteopaths, physicians, PAs, NPs, chiropractors and podiatrists, medics are all in the same "melting pot." Haven't seen any naturopaths yet.

It has also been my experience that DOs are more likely to use their rank instead of title in the milmed.

4 more months until I can climb out of the "pot." Stench getting too strong....

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

While we are on the subjects of D.O.s in the military...

What would the esteemed SDN milmed peanut gallery do if they encountered a physician that you know graduated from an osteopathic medical school but signed all his correspondence, notes, consultations, etc. with the title "M.D."?

 

[Shikima]

Milmed is a great homogenizer - everyone is a "provider," no matter what your skills, experience, motivation, intelligence, training or abilities are. Osteopaths, physicians, PAs, NPs, chiropractors and podiatrists, medics are all in the same "melting pot." Haven't seen any naturopaths yet.

It has also been my experience that DOs are more likely to use their rank instead of title in the milmed.

4 more months until I can climb out of the "pot." Stench getting too strong....

Doesn't stop with other large organizations and the VA.

 

[HighPriest]

While we are on the subjects of D.O.s in the military...

What would the esteemed SDN milmed peanut gallery do if they encountered a physician that you know graduated from an osteopathic medical school but signed all his correspondence, notes, consultations, etc. with the title "M.D."?

Mock him relentlessly. It's not that he's a D.O., I'm ok with that. It's the fact that he feels he needs to do that. It's a target that I cannot resist. Like a vampire near a bleeding wound. I'm kind of salivating right now...

 

[TheEarDoc]

Doesn't stop with other large organizations and the VA.

I like to quote the line from fight club.......

"you are not a beautiful and unique snow flake"

 

[backrow]

Whiley we are on the subjects of D.O.s in the military...

What would the esteemed SDN milmed peanut gallery do if they encountered a physician that you know graduated from an osteopathic medical school but signed all his correspondence, notes, consultations, etc. with the title "M.D."?

Depends on how well I knew the person.

Friend = mock them as mentioned above.
Random colleague = passive aggressive thoughts
Person who always does this stuff and I've seen their diploma where it says D.O = ask them why they do it

 

[psychbender]

While we are on the subjects of D.O.s in the military...

What would the esteemed SDN milmed peanut gallery do if they encountered a physician that you know graduated from an osteopathic medical school but signed all his correspondence, notes, consultations, etc. with the title "M.D."?

Mock him to his face or behind his back, depending on how well I knew him.

 

[TheEarDoc]

While we are on the subjects of D.O.s in the military...

What would the esteemed SDN milmed peanut gallery do if they encountered a physician that you know graduated from an osteopathic medical school but signed all his correspondence, notes, consultations, etc. with the title "M.D."?

Say you know he feels OMM is strong, but it's not strong enough to manipulate a D.O. into an M.D.