The Battle of the Doctors

775 Words2 Pages

When hearing the word “doctor”, what do you think of? Most people would assume that it refers to a Medical Doctor. However, there is another type of physician that people do not seem to be familiar with, and that is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Medical Doctors, or M.D.s, practice conventional allopathic medicine. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or D.O.s, practice more of an uncommon holistic type of medicine. Although Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine have similar educational backgrounds, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine have healthier treatment methods and more comprehensive relationships with their patients. As stated before, Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are required to go through similar training and licensure processes (Your doctor: The difference between an M.D. and D.O.). D.O.s and M.D.s attend a four year pre-med program, take the MCAT, and also attend a four year medical school. There are some differences between the two as far as medical school is concerned though. For example, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are required to have additional training on the musculoskeletal system and osteopathic manipulative treatment (Your doctor: The difference between an M.D. and D.O.). Even though there are more medical schools available for M.D.s, the number of schools for D.O.s is starting to rise. However, after medical school they both choose a residency program and follow with going into a specialty or a family practice. The licensing exams for them both differ (Chick, Friedman, Young, Solomon); a D.O. is required to take the COMLEX exam, and a M.D. is required to take the USMLE exam. Overall, the required education for both is very similar (Chick, Friedman, Young, Solomon... ... middle of paper ... ...re popular with the general public, the number of D.O.s are starting to rise (Blackstone). Their unique treatment methods and relationships with patients are not known to many people, but people who seek healthier care know who they need to see at their next doctor’s appointment. Works Cited Blackstone, Erwin A. “A tale of two doctors.” Regulation 33.2 (2010): 7+ Academic OneFile. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Rubenstein, Susan. “The osteopathy alternative: this unique medical approach combines conventional allopathic and more holistic hands-on therapies.” East West Dec. 1990: 44+. General OneFile. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. “Your doctor: The difference between an M.D. and D.O.” 2013. healthwatchmd.com. Chick DA, Friedman HP, Young VB, Solomon DJ. COMLEX-USMLE score correlation: Are they comparable? Academic Internal Medicine Insight. 2008;6(4):16-17,19.

More about The Battle of the Doctors

Open Document