Knowing Your Doctor: MD Vs. DO
When you go to the Doctor’s office, there are many different types of professionals you could be visiting. Not all doctors are the same or hold the same knowledge, but sometimes the letters after their names can get confusing.
Outside of visits to specialists, the doctor you see is likely going to be either an MD or a DO. Though both are licensed medical professionals, they serve different functions and duties from the other.
What Is An MD?
An MD, or Doctor of Medicine, is an allopathic doctor. Allopathic doctors treat and diagnose medical conditions using traditional medical equipment, such as x-ray machines, prescription drugs, and surgery. Allopathic medicine is generally just called ‘conventional’, ‘traditional’, or ‘mainstream’ medicine. MDs can practice broadly, or be confined to a family practice. Some MDs choose to work as primary care physicians at a practice, while others choose to be broad practitioners.
Instead of practicing broadly, MDs also have the option of specializing in the following areas, with the appropriate extra training:
What Is A DO?
A DO, or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, uses the same methods as an MD but focuses their attention on holistic health and preventive measures. Holistic health takes all parts of a person into consideration, including their mental state, physical health, mind, body, and emotions, and uses this information to come up with a treatment plan.
DO’s might also use physical manipulations and adjustments to both treat and diagnose their patients. While many DOs choose to work in primary care, they have many of the same options available to them that MDs do.
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How Are MDs And DO’s Similar?
Both MDs and DOs?must first earn a four-year undergraduate degree, usually while simultaneously taking pre-medicine courses. After earning an undergraduate degree, the individual must either enroll in medical school or a college of osteopathic medicine. Depending on whether the individual wants to become an MD or a DO, they will choose the appropriate school, then go on to complete an internship and a residency after earning their four-year medical degree.
A residency is similar to an internship in that it familiarizes the prospective doctor with the job, giving on-the-job training and supervision from experienced doctors. Some MDs and DO’s go on to obtain more training or courses, while others will pursue fellowships to become specialists.
Despite going to very different types of schools, MDs and DO’s often train side-by-side, doing many of the same tasks in their training. Finally, after finishing all of the necessary education, both MDs and DOs must take and pass a licensing exam.
How Do MDs And DOs Differ?
MDs and DOs might perform many similar job duties, and even take similar routes when it comes to education. They differ in several major ways, though, including their approach to medicine, and aspects of their education and training. DO’s can get into school with slightly lower GPAs than their MD counterparts, but most Doctors still choose to attend regular medical school.
DO’s also have to take an additional 200 hours or so of courses to learn how to physically manipulate and adjust the body. While some MDs choose to employ a holistic model of care in their practice, it’s not necessary. All Do’s, however, use the holistic approach to health as its the basis of osteopathic medicine.
Article Link - Knowing Your Doctor: MD Vs. DO
Author - Staff Writer
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1 年Well said.