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What makes DO's and MD's different?

I went into college thinking I was going to become an MD but I have recently been looking into becoming a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy). I know that the schooling is relatively the same but I am curious to know the distinctions between them other then the teachings of osteopathic medicine being enforced with DOs. #doctor #md #do #healthcare #hospital-and-health-care #medicine

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David’s Answer

Has anyone answered this for you yet? You can look this up on the internet. I have several friends who are DO’s. They went through just what you are right now. One thing that I learned from one of my friends as she was going through osteopathic medical school, is that it was not easy. My friends that are MD’s never complained of it being too hard. I was a paramedic trained by both medical schools. I must say it’s the osteopaths that I learned the most from. They made me more aggressive and confident. The best thing to do is to call the schools. I had worked with MD,s and DO’s for fourteen years and as far as scope of practice, from what I witnessed, there was no difference.
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Sean’s Answer

An important distinction and something to keep in mind is that medicine in the United States continues to be dominated by MDs. As such, there is generally a bias towards MDs that favors those doctors over DOs. This is changing (thankfully) finally, and quite rapidly, as people discover that DOs are also excellent and well trained. The DO path can be more difficult as there are more obstacles to obtaining residencies and jobs compared to MD counterparts (again, given the bias against them). Part of the bias stems from the DO path being viewed as an "alternative" pathway. While some pursue it with good intention to emphasize a more holistic approach, there is a category of others who apply because they were unsuccessful in applying to MD schools, or did not even apply as their resume and grades were not competitive enough.

Keep in mind that I am, myself, an MD. I have many good friends who are excellent DO trained surgeons that I trust with my life. In either case, being a physician/surgeon is more about the dedication and character of the person, there are many training pathways to help you achieve your end. And I think that DOs will continue to be viewed more favorably and equally to MDs as the years go on.
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Madison’s Answer

Great question. In this day/age the two schoolings are VERY similar. In DO school you take 100% the exact same pre-requisite/basic science courses as MD students with the ADDITION of a class in manipulative medicine. You are not taking any LESS classes than MD programs. DO students can take both the MD and DO board exams (you will be required to take the DO ones - COMLEX, but can choose to also take the MD ones - STEP exams).
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