Carlos Said:

Does Ohio State University have the standards for someone who wants to be a doctor of osteopathic medicine?

We Answered:

Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) is an allopathic medical school, and gives out MD degrees, not DO degrees. Ohio University (Athens, OH) gives out DO (doctor of osteopathy) degrees. They are similar, although DO's tend to focus on primary care and specific care of the musculoskeletal system.

Both require the MCAT and the usual premedical requirements of biology, chemistry, caluclus, english, physics, and orgo.

Dawn Said:

What's the difference between an MD and a DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine)...have you been treated by a DO?

We Answered:

Both are almost identical. I know that one of the differences is that DO's learn to practice medicine with a more humanistic approach. A recent study found that a main difference between MD's and DO's is that DO's are better at treating patients with genuine concern and care, while also calling and remembering them by their names.

I've been to a dermatologist who was a DO, and she was great (but I really didn't see any difference between her and an MD).

Ray Said:

What exactly is a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine?

We Answered:

Yes
You can be an internist whichever school you choose to attend.

Joy Said:

What is the difference between Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine DO and Doctor of Medicine?

We Answered:

To put it in simple, to the point terms:

DO's and MD's have the same medical training EXCEPT DO's are also trained in OMM, a sort of hands-on manipulative technique.

Upon visiting DO schools, I noticed that they're a bit more welcoming. Then again, the only allo schools I visited were along the lines of Yale, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins.

DO's can also take the USMLE for MDs. However, DOs also take the COMLEX, which is their counterpart to the USMLE (they have the option of taking both).

Although DOs have the option of taking on MD residencies, most choose to go into primary care or DO residencies in these fields since their training may be more geared toward these situations. Note that depending on the electives you take, you might want to go into a specialty residency even though you're a DO.

DOs that do MD residencies are essentially no different in training in their respective specialties than MDs doing MD residencies.

It is slightly easier to get into a DO school than an MD school (unless you're talking Carribbean medical schools like SGU or Ross which are comparatively very easy to get into, but I'm not going to bog you down with comparing Carribbean with DO, but doing a DO is superior to going for a Carribbean MD if you want good residencies).

DO started as a separate profession because a brilliant MD diagnostician decided he wanted to create a school that taught students to diagnose using the body as a whole rather than separate systems. However, the profession has grown so close to MDs that you see DOs doing what MDs traditionally do and some MDs doing what DOs traditionally do. In fact, it's really difficult to point out any significant differences. You may be treated by a DO at a hospital or private clinic and not even know it.

Take for example, Dr. Will Kirby from Dr. 90210 is a DO dermatologist.

To answer your last question "why can't everyone become an MD (and make things simple)." The answer is: they don't need to. DOs and MDs work alongside each other all the time especially in hospitals. No one cares what the two letters behind your name are, just how good of a doctor you are. Most MDs don't look down on DOs. There are many MDs out there that are just as bad as the worst DO.

Finally, the AOA is a bit touchy on this difference. They promote the differences between MDs and DOs, but in my opinion the real question someone should be asking their doctor is whether they are a board certified dermatologist, anaesthesiologist, pathologist, family practitioner, etc, and not whether they are an MD or a DO.

Jeanne Said:

Can a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) be a surgeon?

We Answered:

According to the American Osteopathic Association, DO's and MD's are the only fully qualified physicians to perform surgery and prescribe medication in the USA. DO's in the U.S. are comparable to MD's, they just get more credit hours in anatomy, muscle skeletal medicine and Osteopathic Manipulation.

Brittany Said:

what is the difference between doctor of osteopathic medicine and regular medical doctor?

We Answered:

In this day, they are pretty much the same; both do residencies side by side as well. Historically, the DO learned more skills like massage, manipulation etc. Both are pretty equal allopaths now and each is as competitive as the other with similar pre-reqs.

Steve Said:

I am trying to get in contact with a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine (DO) for shadowing and mentoring. any idea?

We Answered:

You could try calling the department of medical education at your local hospitals and see if they can help you...