MD vs. DO thread-- Final Resting Place

[DrMattOglesby]

i saw a bumper sticker yesterday with the letters, "MD" and "DO" on it. It was circular in shape and red in color. I was too far away to get any more detail on it though. I'm curious if anyone else has seen it before? I saw it right outside my city's hospital...and am quite curious as to what it might have read.

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[nlax30]

i saw a bumper sticker yesterday with the letters, "MD" and "DO" on it. It was circular in shape and red in color. I was too far away to get any more detail on it though. I'm curious if anyone else has seen it before? I saw it right outside my city's hospital...and am quite curious as to what it might have read.

Mixed physician couple??

 

[Dissected]

i saw a bumper sticker yesterday with the letters, "MD" and "DO" on it. It was circular in shape and red in color. I was too far away to get any more detail on it though. I'm curious if anyone else has seen it before? I saw it right outside my city's hospital...and am quite curious as to what it might have read.

lobbying for MD/DO marriage rights??

 

[JaggerPlate]

i saw a bumper sticker yesterday with the letters, "MD" and "DO" on it. It was circular in shape and red in color. I was too far away to get any more detail on it though. I'm curious if anyone else has seen it before? I saw it right outside my city's hospital...and am quite curious as to what it might have read.

I've seen it numerous times ... never been able to tell what it is/means.

 

[binko]

lobbying for MD/DO marriage rights??

Hahahaha yes...

 

[DrMattOglesby]

lobbying for MD/DO marriage rights??

hahaha thats pretty funny.
but knowing california (and their last vote on prop8), that may be some time away

 

[Deepa100]

I have a social worker friend who got into a MD program and flunked Calculus I. Her MCAT was 34.

I’m tired of the B.S. about DO schools having lower stats (GPA and MCAT)…..


First of all, people say MD schools as if all of them are the same, there are over 120 MD schools out of which the top 20 schools (e.g. Harvard, Hopkins, etc.) admit people with relatively very high GPA and MCAT scores then they are lumped into other MD schools which raises the overall average for no reason. For example Hopkins admits student with a MCAT average of 35 and your “average state MD school” (the other 120 schools) admit folks with a MCAT average of 27-29. So if you exclude the top 20 schools from the MD averages the actual MCAT average goes down to about 28 (+/-1) for your run of the mill MD school as opposed to your DO schools that admit students with MCAT averages of 26 (+/-1). Also keep in mind that DO schools admit more non-trads. than MD schools, that in my opinion are great assets to medicine and have exceptional previous medical experiences but usually lower MCAT scores due to the hiatus between their basic science classes and the date of their MCAT exam.


So there is only 1-2 points difference between the average MCAT scores of DO schools and most of the MD schools. Do you really think 1-2 points difference is a difference???? You can take a B.S. $3000 MCAT course and raise your score by 1-2 points so it’s hardly an indication of intelligence.



As far as GPA is concerned, it’s a B.S. way to measure someone because is dependent on so many factors other than the individual’s intellectual ability. Do you think an engineering graduate with a 3.5 is less intellectual than a let’s say political science (no disrespect) graduate with a 3.8???? if you or anyone thinks so, I encourage you and them to sit in a Calc. IV class (which is a PRE-engineering class) then we can continue our discussion. Furthermore, it’s highly dependent on the school which the applicant attended. So for all the abovementioned reasons and many others GPA is not a great measuring factor.


FYI, I'm not a pre-DO student but a very proud DO-student who had acceptances from both DO and MD schools and chose to attend a DO school.

 

[chocolaterie]

Today I was given a chance to shadow two DOs (yes they worked on the weekend). Since last September, I have been volunteering/shadowing a heart doc, lung doc, and an orthopedic surgeon (all MDs). They were/are fantastic docs. I decided I needed to shadow a DO to see if there was a difference.
So I followed a family doc and a pediatrician....

I was blown away. They were some of the best docs I have ever been around. What surprised me most was their knowledge of different cultures, their ability to communicate in multiple languages and the appreciation from their patients. The pediatrician I spoke with had turned down Washington U for Midwestern. That took sometime for me to digest.

I plan to find a few DO surgeons, and a few MD family doc/pediatricians to volunteer with. But the more I learn, the less I can understand the opinions of those who are opposed to DO.

 

[JamesBond15]

i saw a bumper sticker yesterday with the letters, "MD" and "DO" on it. It was circular in shape and red in color. I was too far away to get any more detail on it though. I'm curious if anyone else has seen it before? I saw it right outside my city's hospital...and am quite curious as to what it might have read.

Physicians can get those stickers from some gov agency I think. They used to be just "MD" but now they say "MD, DO"

 

[JamesBond15]

Today I was given a chance to shadow two DOs (yes they worked on the weekend). Since last September, I have been volunteering/shadowing a heart doc, lung doc, and an orthopedic surgeon (all MDs). They were/are fantastic docs. I decided I needed to shadow a DO to see if there was a difference.
So I followed a family doc and a pediatrician....

I was blown away. They were some of the best docs I have ever been around. What surprised me most was their knowledge of different cultures, their ability to communicate in multiple languages and the appreciation from their patients. The pediatrician I spoke with had turned down Washington U for Midwestern. That took sometime for me to digest.

I plan to find a few DO surgeons, and a few MD family doc/pediatricians to volunteer with. But the more I learn, the less I can understand the opinions of those who are opposed to DO.

Nobody says that DOs are bad doctors. That is not what the debates here are about.

 

[chocolaterie]

Nobody says that DOs are bad doctors. That is not what the debates here are about.

alright...

"But the more I learn, the less I can understand the arguments of those who are opposed to DO."

 

[Sugarrush]

here is a recent conversation i had which highlights the difficulty of explaining the DO schools

Uncle: congratulations, I heard that you got into medical school
me: thank you
uncle: so, where did you get in
me: UMDNJ school of osteopathic medicine
uncle: osteopathic medicine, what's that?
me: it's medical school just they have a slightly more holistic philosophy
uncle: (confused) oh, so you are going to be a homeopath?
me: no it's regular med school just a slightly different philosophy. also we learn manipulative teqniques.
uncle: so...it is like a chiropracter?
me: no it is medical school, I will be a doctor
uncle: but you wont be able to do surgery or things like that, will you?
me: (banging my head against the wall at this point) yes DO's can do surgery
uncle: so why dont you just go to a regular med school
me: I applied to "regular" med schools also
uncle: but you didn't get in ?
me: not yet
uncle: so is it easier to get into DO schools?
me: (hesitantly) a bit
uncle: (eyes narrowed suspiciosly) hmm.... i see

This is eerily similar to the conversation I just had with my soon to be mother-in-law. I decided this morning that I'm probably going to be going to Lecom-B, this is the end of the conversation.


Me: and so I'm going to Lecom-B
MominLaw: Hmm, well I thought my daughter was marrying a real doctor. We've had bad experiences with D.O.'s






How does one deal with the crap? I mean seriously. I'll make the same moolah, do the same treatments, I can still specialize in the same stuff. I pass tests over the same material.
The only difference I can see is that I ALSO have to pass exams on stuff MD's don't know. So I'm actually going to be better qualified in the long run.

And Lecom-B is a good school. It's not like I'm going to "Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education."

I'm just sick of having to explain myself to ignorant people.

Any suggestions gang?

 

[nlax30]

This is eerily similar to the conversation I just had with my soon to be mother-in-law. I decided this morning that I'm probably going to be going to Lecom-B, this is the end of the conversation.


Me: and so I'm going to Lecom-B
MominLaw: Hmm, well I thought my daughter was marrying a real doctor. We've had bad experiences with D.O.'s

Ouch.

How does one deal with the crap? I mean seriously. I'll make the same moolah, do the same treatments, I can still specialize in the same stuff. I pass tests over the same material.
The only difference I can see is that I ALSO have to pass exams on stuff MD's don't know. So I'm actually going to be better qualified in the long run.

And Lecom-B is a good school. It's not like I'm going to "Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education."

I'm just sick of having to explain myself to ignorant people.

Any suggestions gang?

Sometimes there's not a whole lot you can say to certain people. Over time it'll get better. I'm sure she's not-so-good run ins with MDs as well, people just have bias and at times just have problems seeing beyond 'em.

When I first mentioned to my dad that I was applying osteopathic as well he wasn't quite sure what it was (he's not in the health field or anything) and asked the usual questions of if I could do surgery, do everything an MD does, etc.... I think it finally clicked when he realized that their primary family doc that they've gone to for years (and love) is a DO, and the physician consultant for one of the major networks in Orlando is a DO (Dr. Husty), etc.... haha *face -> palm*

Over time she'll receive there are DOs in just about every aspect of medicine. The US Army's Surgeon General from '96-2000 was a DO, several professional sports teams as well as US olympic teams had DOs as team physicians, etc...

 

[Semicolon]

This is eerily similar to the conversation I just had with my soon to be mother-in-law. I decided this morning that I'm probably going to be going to Lecom-B, this is the end of the conversation.


Me: and so I'm going to Lecom-B
MominLaw: Hmm, well I thought my daughter was marrying a real doctor. We've had bad experiences with D.O.'s






How does one deal with the crap? I mean seriously. I'll make the same moolah, do the same treatments, I can still specialize in the same stuff. I pass tests over the same material.
The only difference I can see is that I ALSO have to pass exams on stuff MD's don't know. So I'm actually going to be better qualified in the long run.

And Lecom-B is a good school. It's not like I'm going to "Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education."

I'm just sick of having to explain myself to ignorant people.

Any suggestions gang?

My condolences. I have a potential mother-in-law who decided on my behalf that I should become an MD because I'll be "better known". My mom, however, shared my thoughts: "who the **** cares what she thinks?"

Without being in the medical field, it's not surprising that someone would be ignorant to these distinctions. I agree; there's not much you can say to these people. If I get smacked, I just choose to turn the other cheek; there's nothing I can say that will change a narrow mind.

 

[JaggerPlate]

This is eerily similar to the conversation I just had with my soon to be mother-in-law. I decided this morning that I'm probably going to be going to Lecom-B, this is the end of the conversation.


Me: and so I'm going to Lecom-B
MominLaw: Hmm, well I thought my daughter was marrying a real doctor. We've had bad experiences with D.O.'s






How does one deal with the crap? I mean seriously. I'll make the same moolah, do the same treatments, I can still specialize in the same stuff. I pass tests over the same material.
The only difference I can see is that I ALSO have to pass exams on stuff MD's don't know. So I'm actually going to be better qualified in the long run.

And Lecom-B is a good school. It's not like I'm going to "Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education."

I'm just sick of having to explain myself to ignorant people.

Any suggestions gang?

The good news:
-you're supposed to hate your mother-in-law anyway
-easier time winning the argument to put her in a home later on down the road
-you can laugh when she asks you for medical advice in 5 years

The bad news:
-your fiance shares her genes ....


I'm kidding about all this by the way (sort of). Rude comment. I would have been floored.

 

[jdinovit]

The only difference I noticed between MDs and DOs are that DOs are generally more humble and more approachable than MDs because they do not have a superiority complex about getting being a physician and do not treat patients and medical students like peasants. This is because DOs really went the extra mile to fulfill their dream of becoming physicians and do not want to treat people like they were treated by MD schools. Most (including myself) had a difficult time getting in to medical school so they applied to DO schools which evaluated their candidates more fairly than allopathic schools. I for one had a 3.7 GPA but with a very difficult major of Biochemistry. The MD schools accepted people with lower MCAT scores than I had with a 4.0 GPA in psychology. They ignored the obvious fact that a Biochem major with a 3.7 GPA is superior in intellect than a Bio, Philosophy or Psych major with a 4.0 GPA. Anyone who ever took Physical Chemistry knows this fact. So I went the Osteopathic route and am very happy about it.

 

[87138]

.

 

[binko]

Me: and so I'm going to Lecom-B
MominLaw: Hmm, well I thought my daughter was marrying a real doctor. We've had bad experiences with D.O.'s

FWIW, my mother in law was disappointed in me before I even knew what DO was. At least you have an excuse.

 

[binko]

They ignored the obvious fact that a Biochem major with a 3.7 GPA is superior in intellect than a Bio, Philosophy or Psych major with a 4.0 GPA.

Obvious, indeed.

 

[Sugarrush]

FWIW, my mother in law was disappointed in me before I even knew what DO was. At least you have an excuse.

Yeah well, she called and apologized later after I posted this. She read some of the stuff I forwarded her, mostly links y'all have posted and the like.
We're in South Carolina right now, and there's not a real strong D.O. presence, I think she thought it was like chiropractics or something similar.

So I figure she's better than most if she is willing to admit her mistakes. (Heck, I know I have a hard time doing that.)

 

[Sugarrush]

Obvious, indeed.

So VERY obvious

 

[coffeeeandtea]

Me: and so I'm going to Lecom-B
MominLaw: Hmm, well I thought my daughter was marrying a real doctor. We've had bad experiences with D.O.'s

similar experience - was talking to one of my co-workers, when he asked what i was going to do next year for school. i replied, "med school." he said, "oh, MD or DO?" i replied, "most likely DO, i liked the environment and the people at the schools that i visited for my interviews."

he replies, "but DOs aren't really doctors, their degrees don't count. you should go MD."

i proceeded to lecture him about how DOs are equal to MDs, with the exception of learning OMM. his reply: "okay, whatever."

(sigh)

 

[JaggerPlate]

similar experience - was talking to one of my co-workers, when he asked what i was going to do next year for school. i replied, "med school." he said, "oh, MD or DO?" i replied, "most likely DO, i liked the environment and the people at the schools that i visited for my interviews."

he replies, "but DOs aren't really doctors, their degrees don't count. you should go MD."

i proceeded to lecture him about how DOs are equal to MDs, with the exception of learning OMM. his reply: "okay, whatever."

(sigh)

Huh??? Where do you work where someone actually knows there are two medical degrees but also makes the misconception that DOs aren't real doctors???

 

[coffeeeandtea]

Huh??? Where do you work where someone actually knows there are two medical degrees but also makes the misconception that DOs aren't real doctors???

a computer lab. apparently he'd heard about the DO degree from another one of his pre-med friends, who also told him that it was "inferior" to the MD degree... ugh

 

[JaggerPlate]

a computer lab. apparently he'd heard about the DO degree from another one of his pre-med friends, who also told him that it was "inferior" to the MD degree... ugh

Ahh ... got to love those 19 year old kids who know whatzz up in the world of medicine. I always find it funny when I hear what pre-meds say to their 'friends' outside the classroom environment. Makes you wonder about that weird, quiet kid in the back of the chem class who never says a word about anything, and knows nothing about life outside of a textbook, and then gets on SDN and talks to his friends about those inferior DOs.

 

[Bleurberry]

Ahh ... got to love those 19 year old kids who know whatzz up in the world of medicine..

Just be cheerful that they can't become doctor's at 19. . . yet.





...in Aristotle's thought:"Whereas young people become accomplished in geometry and mathematics, and wise within these limits, prudent young people do not seem to be found. The reason is that prudence is concerned with particulars as well as universals, and particulars become known from experience, but a young person lacks experience, since some length of time is needed to produce it (Nichomachean Ethics 1142 a)."

 

[ILikeFood]

Blibbity bobbity, who cares

 

[binko]

a computer lab. apparently he'd heard about the DO degree from another one of his pre-med friends, who also told him that it was "inferior" to the MD degree... ugh

So odd... I was prejudiced against DO for a brief period between when I heard of it and before I learned more about it, but my dad (an MD at a hospital) is the one who told me what it is and suggested I apply to DO schools (I was freaking out about a not-stellar GPA), emphasized to me that the difference is mainly historical and encouraged me to learn more about it.

The funny thing is, I don't think he actually knows much about it, other than he works with some very competent doctors who hold DO degrees. And also that he can make the DO-trained residents "manipulate" his shoulders when they get tense.

I wish more people would be like him, and only base their judgement on what they actually see: DOs practicing medicine and doing it fine.

 

[marykate]

The only difference I noticed between MDs and DOs are that DOs are generally more humble and more approachable than MDs because they do not have a superiority complex about getting being a physician and do not treat patients and medical students like peasants. This is because DOs really went the extra mile to fulfill their dream of becoming physicians and do not want to treat people like they were treated by MD schools. Most (including myself) had a difficult time getting in to medical school so they applied to DO schools which evaluated their candidates more fairly than allopathic schools. I for one had a 3.7 GPA but with a very difficult major of Biochemistry. The MD schools accepted people with lower MCAT scores than I had with a 4.0 GPA in psychology. They ignored the obvious fact that a Biochem major with a 3.7 GPA is superior in intellect than a Bio, Philosophy or Psych major with a 4.0 GPA. Anyone who ever took Physical Chemistry knows this fact. So I went the Osteopathic route and am very happy about it.

after going through the process myself.. working three jobs to apply to med school...and now reading all this.. makes me realize even more how seriously flawed our system is..
and unafforable for pretty much.. everybody unless they work their a** off or have it paid for
messed.. up!
side note* i think that everyone should have to work in a hospital before going into medical school/nursing. there's alot more to it than just getting an "A".

 

[marykate]

I'm sure this point has been made before but there's certainly no reason it cannot be made twice.

One reason that some people choose D.O. over M.D. schools is that THEY DO TAKE THE WHOLE PERSON INTO CONSIDERATION. But not with their patients (atleast any more than M.D.'s) but with their applicants

I don't know how the rest of you feel, but this whole getting into medical school thing is a ridiculous ordeal. Being expected to maintain a 3.8 gpa in difficult science classes and a 36 on the mcat while getting hundreds of clinical hours, hundreds of volunteer hours, research hours, shadowing, getting to know professors and committees etc. etc. IS DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. This is especially true if you are what I call a "middle class med student" where you're not fortunate enough to have a parent whos a millionaire C.M.O. or get scholarships for being in a disadvantaged status. Which means you have to work 40+ hours a week to pay for school and care for your family in addition to all of the absurdities of a good med school app

This is not to say that everyone who goes to an M.D. school didn't bust there ass to get in because they did, but it seems that (from talking to current students and seeing school stats) that D.O. schools really are more willing to take into consideration other qualities that can make someone a sucessful physician. Perhaps I'm just crazy but I just don't think having a 4.0 and a 45 on the mcat means that you will be an inherently better Doctor, then the guy who has a 3.4 and a 29.

first time i have followed this particular thread and it such a relief to know that for the first time somebody UNDERSTANDS!!!

 

[DrRoast]

I've got a good bias against D.O. story. I was talking to this guy and he was asking me if I'd got into our state med school yet (M.D. School). I said "Not Yet." He goes "Well, you can always go be one of those JV doctors"(Referring to D.O.'s). I laughed hysterically, I thought this was one of the funniest things based on ignorance I had ever heard. Next time I see him, I'm going to say "Yeah I'm going to a JV doctor school, I suck at life."

 

[Doctor Bob]

It's not like I'm going to "Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education."

Any suggestions gang?

Hey! That's a quality institution! I should know. I'm not only the president of Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education, but I'm also a graduate.

Our rigorous 3 month curriculum covers all of the -ologies... medicineology, drugology, knifeology, diseaseology and organology. Soon you too can have a degree in medicine.

We also offer dual degree courses in: law, business, criminal justice, accounting, and GED. Plus, sign up now and we'll waive the fee for our driver's license prep course.

A career in medicine is just a phone call away.

Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education! Board certified in excellenceology!

 

[Sugarrush]

Hey! That's a quality institution! I should know. I'm not only the president of Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education, but I'm also a graduate.

Our rigorous 3 month curriculum covers all of the -ologies... medicineology, drugology, knifeology, diseaseology and organology. Soon you too can have a degree in medicine.

We also offer dual degree courses in: law, business, criminal justice, accounting, and GED. Plus, sign up now and we'll waive the fee for our driver's license prep course.

A career in medicine is just a phone call away.

Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education! Board certified in excellenceology!

Excellent!

Sign me up!

I've always wanted to be a Doctor Accountant, with a Law Degree to back me up!

 

[PipiChen]

The only difference I noticed between MDs and DOs are that DOs are generally more humble and more approachable than MDs because they do not have a superiority complex about getting being a physician and do not treat patients and medical students like peasants. This is because DOs really went the extra mile to fulfill their dream of becoming physicians and do not want to treat people like they were treated by MD schools. Most (including myself) had a difficult time getting in to medical school so they applied to DO schools which evaluated their candidates more fairly than allopathic schools. I for one had a 3.7 GPA but with a very difficult major of Biochemistry. The MD schools accepted people with lower MCAT scores than I had with a 4.0 GPA in psychology. They ignored the obvious fact that a Biochem major with a 3.7 GPA is superior in intellect than a Bio, Philosophy or Psych major with a 4.0 GPA. Anyone who ever took Physical Chemistry knows this fact. So I went the Osteopathic route and am very happy about it.

I respectfully disagree. biochem are not superior in any sense than any other major, science or non-science, and that goes the other way round too. Every major requires hardwork... 3.7 is a good GPA and most school will not overlook that for a 4.0. They want to know if you are capable of handling the academic workload, they are not trying to get the "perfect student". There are other factors in play in the process, if I am on the admission and know that you think your choice in biochem demonstrates your "superior" intelligence than other applicants, I will have no problem brush you down. your mentality reflects a lot about you as a person and how you view your fellow school mates. Different people find their niche in different field, someone can excel in biochem but not in humanities. Also, does it make a person from GA Tech majored in biochem smarter than you? No! It is about the personal, the individual, not just your major or your GPA!

 

[JaggerPlate]

Hey! That's a quality institution! I should know. I'm not only the president of Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education, but I'm also a graduate.

Our rigorous 3 month curriculum covers all of the -ologies... medicineology, drugology, knifeology, diseaseology and organology. Soon you too can have a degree in medicine.

We also offer dual degree courses in: law, business, criminal justice, accounting, and GED. Plus, sign up now and we'll waive the fee for our driver's license prep course.

A career in medicine is just a phone call away.

Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education! Board certified in excellenceology!

Doctor Bob's Osteopathic Medical Trailer of Education < Stewart University.

These are facts .... sorry.

 

[fahimaz7]

My state school averages a 3.69/31.3.

On a side note, we are also one of the only institutions in the country that offers a DO residency in Family Medicine. At the end of the residency, the DO is boarded by the Osteopathic and Allopathic boards.

Neato.

http://opportunities.osteopathic.or...program_id=125235&hosp_id=118498&returnPage=1

http://www.mcg.edu/Resident/fm/

 

[dragonfly99]

I think many older folks have some bias against DO's because in the past DO's had their own hospitals they admitted to, which were often less technologically advanced, and also did not believe in giving medications, thinking they could cure most all ailments by manipulation only. Also, in the past some of the DO schools had a reputation for having lax admissions standards, and perhaps didn't require all the same premed courses to gain admissions. I don't think this is true now...as pointed out on here, the average GPA and MCAT differences are not really that great now, and the DO students often have more health care experience vs. a lot of the MD students. I don't think that you can expect bad attitudes from the majority of your MD colleagues in either residency or practice, as long as you are doing your job well. I really haven't heard comments made nor seen DO colleagues being abused @the places I have trained.

 

[binko]

I think many older folks have some bias against DO's because in the past DO's had their own hospitals they admitted to, which were often less technologically advanced, and also did not believe in giving medications, thinking they could cure most all ailments by manipulation only.

The folks who remember those days must be REALLY old.

 

[Deepa100]

I respectfully disagree. biochem are not superior in any sense than any other major, science or non-science, and that goes the other way round too. Every major requires hardwork... 3.7 is a good GPA and most school will not overlook that for a 4.0. They want to know if you are capable of handling the academic workload, they are not trying to get the "perfect student". There are other factors in play in the process, if I am on the admission and know that you think your choice in biochem demonstrates your "superior" intelligence than other applicants, I will have no problem brush you down. your mentality reflects a lot about you as a person and how you view your fellow school mates. Different people find their niche in different field, someone can excel in biochem but not in humanities. Also, does it make a person from GA Tech majored in biochem smarter than you? No! It is about the personal, the individual, not just your major or your GPA!

It is common knowledge that there are a lot of premeds (I met some in my classes) who majored in humanities only to get a good GPA. I recently did English Lit and Creative writing classes. I expected to have a hard time w/ them as an engineer (English is my second language). I got A's in both. While biochem majors may not be smarter than humanities majors (for the reasons I stated above), most humanities classes are easier than science classes.

 

[dragonfly99]

Yes, pretty old. If my grandmother were alive she'd be well into her 80's. I'm just saying, those days did exist when DO's didn't even admit patients to regular hospitals, and many of them didn't believe in using medicines. You have to understand what the historical situation was in order to understand some of the biases that exist r.e. DO's in the minds of some older people.
Granted, when the DO schools began there were a lot of toxic medications, such as patent meds, etc. and at that time it might have been less harmful to do some basic wound care, OMM and hand holding vs. what some of the MD's were doing in the early 20th century. Actually the FDA was founded in response to a poisonous antibiotic that I think contained ethylene glycol ( --> renal failure and some deaths in children) in the early 1900's, so the issues surrounding harm from meds were very real @that time.

 

[Sugarrush]

The folks who remember those days must be REALLY old.

You'd be amazed at the number of people who think a D.O. is an advanced Chiropractor.

That is going to get on my nerves more than arguing the M.D./D.O. question.

 

[binko]

Yes, pretty old. If my grandmother were alive she'd be well into her 80's. I'm just saying, those days did exist when DO's didn't even admit patients to regular hospitals, and many of them didn't believe in using medicines. You have to understand what the historical situation was in order to understand some of the biases that exist r.e. DO's in the minds of some older people.
Granted, when the DO schools began there were a lot of toxic medications, such as patent meds, etc. and at that time it might have been less harmful to do some basic wound care, OMM and hand holding vs. what some of the MD's were doing in the early 20th century. Actually the FDA was founded in response to a poisonous antibiotic that I think contained ethylene glycol ( --> renal failure and some deaths in children) in the early 1900's, so the issues surrounding harm from meds were very real @that time.

Osteopathic medicine was formally defined as including medications by the 1950s.

 

[liquid8r]

From a heartland, rural perspective: Osteopathic medicine has had a tremendous impact on the welfare of rural America. Most people that I have met that have had a bias against DO's have never lived in an underserved area. My father was a rural hospital administrator and he struggled to recruit/retain quality physicians. DO's answered the call most often in these areas. Thank god for the profession. It saved my mom's life. Sorry if this is way off from the current discussion, but it is relevant to the thread title. With both degrees fulfilling the goal of patient care (specialty/geographic area aside) I see little debate.

 

[Melicopter]

Osteopathic medicine was formally defined as including medications by the 1950s.

But we all know that stereotypes and assumptions will outlive reality by a long shot.

 

[Bleurberry]

It is common knowledge that there are a lot of premeds (I met some in my classes) who majored in humanities only to get a good GPA. I recently did English Lit and Creative writing classes. I expected to have a hard time w/ them as an engineer (English is my second language). I got A's in both. While biochem majors may not be smarter than humanities majors (for the reasons I stated above), most humanities classes are easier than science classes.

I'm sure you're right, but I didn't meet ANY premeds doing that in my undergrad program who weren't either 99.9% done their original major in the humanities (in my case, Spanish Lit) and deciding on Medicine later in life, or post-baccs, and in both of our cases, the transition wasn't pretty.
We got the job done though, I'm happy to report

 

[Sugarrush]

I WISH I had majored in something interesting.

I got a degree in Public Health/Exercise Science, and I don't even believe in Public Health Care.

I wanted to do History or English, but my stupid advisor told me that if I didn't do something Health related, I had no chance at Med school. Little did I know what a liar he was...

 

[binko]

But we all know that stereotypes and assumptions will outlive reality by a long shot.

Yes, but those who remember the days when osteopathic hospitals didn't administer medications are really old. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Premed Worrier]

I chose Psychology as my major since I figured I would get all the 'hard science' training that I needed in my Pre-Med classes (which are the same no matter your major), and in medical school. To tell you the truth I had a much easier time with my chemistry, bio, and physics classes than I did in the majority of my Psychology classes. It must have something to do with my incompetence as a humanities major, too bad.

 

[scpod]

I wanted to do History or English, but my stupid advisor told me that if I didn't do something Health related, I had no chance at Med school. Little did I know what a liar he was...

Probably not a liar, just really incompetent. If he had only taken the time to look at statistics he would have seen that Health Science majors perform the worst of any group on the MCAT, slighty behind Biology majors. Makes you wonder how they pick advisors, huh?

 

[rotatedline]

I WISH I had majored in something interesting.

I got a degree in Public Health/Exercise Science, and I don't even believe in Public Health Care.

I wanted to do History or English, but my stupid advisor told me that if I didn't do something Health related, I had no chance at Med school. Little did I know what a liar he was...

Wow, I'm the opposite. I majored in English--it was alright, but I would have enjoyed a Biochem major much more.