What are the main differences between MDs and DOs. How do their education and approaches to patient care differ. Which type of doctor might be best for your healthcare needs. Discover the unique aspects of allopathic and osteopathic medicine.

Defining MD and DO: Exploring the Two Types of Medical Doctors

When seeking medical care, you may encounter two types of physicians: MDs (Medical Doctors) and DOs (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine). While both are fully qualified to practice medicine in the United States, there are some key differences in their training and approach to patient care.

MDs, or allopathic doctors, practice conventional medicine using tools like x-rays, prescription drugs, and surgery. They focus on diagnosing and treating specific symptoms or conditions. DOs, on the other hand, take a more holistic approach, considering the interconnectedness of the body’s systems and emphasizing preventive care.

What sets MDs apart?

• Focus on evidence-based, conventional medical treatments
• Specialize in specific areas of medicine or body systems
• Emphasize symptom-based diagnosis and targeted treatments

What characterizes DOs?

• Holistic approach to patient care
• Additional training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM)
• Greater emphasis on preventive care and lifestyle factors

Educational Pathways: Comparing MD and DO Training

Both MDs and DOs undergo rigorous medical training, but there are some differences in their educational paths. How do these pathways compare?

The foundation for both degrees is similar:

1. Four-year undergraduate degree (often with pre-med courses)
2. Four years of medical school
3. Residency program (length varies by specialty)
4. Optional fellowship for further specialization

However, DO students attend colleges of osteopathic medicine, while MD students attend allopathic medical schools. DO programs include additional coursework in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, typically around 200 hours of training.

Are admission requirements different for MD and DO programs?

While both types of programs are competitive, colleges of osteopathic medicine tend to have slightly lower average GPAs and MCAT scores for admitted students. This doesn’t necessarily reflect a difference in quality, but rather the smaller applicant pool for DO programs. Only about 25% of U.S. medical students attend osteopathic schools.

Practice and Specialization: Similarities and Differences Between MDs and DOs

Once licensed, both MDs and DOs have similar rights and responsibilities in medical practice. They can:

• Prescribe medications
• Perform surgeries (with appropriate training)
• Practice in any medical specialty
• Work in various healthcare settings (hospitals, clinics, private practice)

However, there are some trends in how MDs and DOs choose to practice:

Do MDs and DOs tend to choose different specialties?

While both can specialize in any area of medicine, over half of DOs choose to work in primary care. MDs are more likely to pursue highly specialized fields. This aligns with the osteopathic philosophy of holistic, preventive care that is central to primary care practice.

Philosophy and Approach: The Core Differences Between MD and DO Practice

The fundamental difference between MDs and DOs lies in their philosophical approach to patient care:

How do MDs typically approach patient care?

• Focus on identifying and treating specific symptoms or diseases
• Rely heavily on diagnostic tests and targeted treatments
• May take a more compartmentalized view of body systems

What characterizes the DO approach to medicine?

• Emphasize the body’s innate ability to heal itself
• Consider the interconnectedness of musculoskeletal, nervous, and other body systems
• Incorporate hands-on manipulative techniques (OMM) into treatment plans
• Focus on preventive care and lifestyle factors

It’s important to note that individual practitioners may vary in their approaches, regardless of their degree. Many MDs incorporate holistic principles, and not all DOs regularly use OMM techniques.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: A Unique Aspect of DO Training

One of the most distinctive features of osteopathic medicine is the use of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), also called Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).

What exactly is OMM?

OMM is a set of hands-on techniques used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. It involves moving muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance. DOs use OMM to:

• Relieve pain, particularly in the back and neck
• Promote healing after injury or illness
• Increase overall mobility and function
• Complement other medical treatments

While OMM may seem similar to chiropractic techniques, it’s important to understand the differences between DOs and chiropractors.

DO vs. Chiropractor: Understanding the Distinctions

While both DOs and chiropractors use hands-on manipulative techniques, there are significant differences in their training, scope of practice, and approach to patient care.

How does a DO’s training compare to a chiropractor’s?

• DOs complete full medical school and residency training
• DOs can prescribe medications and perform surgeries
• DOs have a broader scope of practice, treating all types of medical conditions
• Chiropractors focus primarily on the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine
• Chiropractic training is typically shorter and more focused than DO education

While both professions can provide valuable care, DOs offer a more comprehensive medical approach that integrates manipulative techniques with conventional medicine.

Patient Experiences: Comparing Satisfaction with MDs and DOs

Research has shown some interesting trends in patient experiences with MDs and DOs:

Are patients more likely to see an MD or a DO?

Studies indicate that about 81% of doctor’s visits are to MDs, while 19% are to DOs. However, this distribution can vary based on factors such as:

• Geographic location (DOs are more common in the Northeast U.S.)
• Patient demographics (children and certain ethnic groups are less likely to see DOs)
• Gender (women are slightly more likely to see DOs than men)

Do patients report different levels of satisfaction with MDs and DOs?

Interestingly, some surveys have found higher satisfaction rates among patients who see DOs compared to those who see MDs, chiropractors, or other healthcare providers. This could be due to factors such as:

• The holistic approach of osteopathic medicine
• More time spent on preventive care and lifestyle counseling
• The hands-on nature of OMM treatments

However, it’s important to note that individual experiences can vary greatly, and many patients report high satisfaction with both MDs and DOs.

Choosing Between an MD and a DO: Factors to Consider

When deciding between an MD and a DO for your healthcare needs, consider the following factors:

What type of medical care are you seeking?

• For highly specialized care or complex surgeries, you may be more likely to find an MD specialist
• For primary care or a more holistic approach, a DO might align well with your needs

What is your personal health philosophy?

• If you prefer a more traditional, symptom-focused approach, an MD might be a good fit
• If you’re interested in preventive care and whole-body wellness, a DO’s approach might appeal to you

Are you interested in complementary treatments like OMM?

• If you’re open to hands-on manipulative treatments, a DO can offer this alongside conventional medical care

Remember, the most important factor is finding a qualified, compassionate physician who meets your individual needs, regardless of whether they’re an MD or a DO.

The Future of Medicine: Convergence of MD and DO Practices

As medical knowledge advances and healthcare systems evolve, the distinctions between MD and DO practices are becoming less pronounced in many areas:

How are MD and DO practices becoming more similar?

• Many MDs are adopting more holistic, patient-centered approaches
• Increased emphasis on preventive care across all medical specialties
• Growing recognition of the mind-body connection in health and wellness
• Residency programs often train MDs and DOs side-by-side

Despite these convergences, the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine, particularly OMM, continue to set DOs apart.

What does the future hold for MD and DO distinctions?

As healthcare continues to evolve, we may see:

• Greater integration of osteopathic principles into mainstream medical education
• Increased collaboration between MDs and DOs in research and clinical practice
• Growing public awareness and acceptance of osteopathic medicine
• Continued specialization within both MD and DO fields

Ultimately, the goal of both MDs and DOs is to provide the best possible care for their patients. As the medical field progresses, the strengths of both approaches are likely to be increasingly valued and incorporated into comprehensive healthcare strategies.

What Is the Difference Between an MD and a DO?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on April 13, 2021

• What Is an MD?
• What Is a DO?
• How Are MDs and DOs Similar?
• How Are MDs and DOs Different?
• Differences Between DOs and Chiropractors

When you say that you are going to see a doctor, you may be referring to two types of medical professionals: MDs and DOs. Each title refers to the type of degree and licensing the doctor has. Both MDs and DOs have similar training and duties, but they differ in a few key areas.

MD stands for doctor of medicine. MDs are allopathic doctors. That means they treat and diagnose conditions using conventional medical tools like x-rays, prescription drugs, and surgery. Allopathic medicine is also called conventional or mainstream medicine.

MDs can choose to be broad practitioners and work as family medicine or primary care doctors. They can also specialize in several different areas requiring further education including:

• Surgery
• Specific body parts or organs
• Psychiatry
• Geriatric medicine
• Pediatrics

DO stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine. They use the same conventional medical techniques as MDs but with a few other methods. DOs tend to focus more on holistic health and prevention. In holistic health, all parts of a person, including their mind, body, and emotions, are considered during the treatment. They also use a system of physical manipulations and adjustments to diagnose and treat people.

Over half of DOs choose to work in primary care, but they can also choose to specialize in another area, just like MDs.

DOs have all the same responsibilities and rights as MDs, including the abilities to perform surgery with proper training and prescribe medicine.

MDs and DOs follow similar educational routes. They must first earn a four-year undergraduate degree, and most will take pre-medicine courses during this time. After getting an undergraduate degree, they will attend either medical school or a college of osteopathic medicine.

After finishing four years of medical education, MDs and DOs must complete an internship and a residency. A residency is on-the-job training under the supervision of more experienced doctors. Some MDs and DOs will also go on to do fellowships to learn more about a specialty. 

MDs and DOs often train side by side in residencies and internships, despite going to different types of schools.‌

Both MDs and DOs must also take a licensing exam in order to practice medicine professionally. The type of licensing exam taken depends on the state that the MD or DO resides in.

Education. Both allopathic medical schools and colleges of osteopathic medicine are competitive to get into. However, students attending colleges of osteopathic medicine have slightly lower average GPAs and MCAT scores compared to students attending medical schools.  ‌

These lower GPAs and MCAT scores do not necessarily reflect the quality of students in DO programs. There are fewer students in colleges of osteopathic medicine compared to allopathic medical schools. Only a quarter of medical students in the US attend a college of osteopathic medicine.

DOs have extra education, usually about 200 hours, to learn osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). It is also called osteopathic manipulative technique (OMT).

DOs learn about how the bones, nerves, and muscles work together and influence people’s health. OMT focuses on methods used to relieve back pain, neck pain, strained muscles, and other conditions. 

Approach to Medicine. MDs focus on looking at your symptoms and making a diagnosis based on those symptoms. They tend to take a more targeted approach to treatment.‌

DOs, on the other hand, see the body as an integrated whole and treat health issues accordingly. Because of this holistic view, they usually focus more on prevention. They may also make more lifestyle recommendations compared to MDs.

Some MDs may also take a holistic approach to medicine, but not all of them will. Holistic health is the basis of osteopathic medicine, so all DOs will use this approach. 

Patient visits. One study found that around 19% of doctor’s visits were to DOs, and 81% were to MDs. Depending on where you live or who you are, you may be more or less likely to see a DO or MD. 

• More people living in the Northeast United States sought care from a DO. 
• Children, African-American, and Hispanic people were less likely to see a DO than an MD. 
• Women were more likely than men to see a DO.

Patient satisfaction. One survey showed that people who had seen osteopathic doctors were more satisfied with their treatment than those who had been to allopathic doctors, chiropractors, and other types of health care providers. 

While the OMM techniques performed by DOs seem similar to those used by chiropractors, the two fields are different. Unlike DOs, chiropractors cannot practice medicine. Chiropractors focus more on the musculoskeletal system and spinal alignment. DOs can practice medicine like an MD, and they focus on holistic and preventative medicine.

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What Is Osteopathic Medicine?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Is Osteopathic Medicine?
• How Are Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine Trained?
• Osteopathic vs. Naturopathic Practitioners
• What to Expect From an Osteopath
• Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Osteopathic medicine is based on the idea that all the body’s systems are interrelated. Osteopaths focus on treating the whole person. There are more than 114,000 osteopathic doctors in the U.S. And more than 1 in 4 U.S. medical students are on the path to becoming a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO).

Osteopathic medicine dates back more than 100 years. Its founder, Andrew Taylor Still, thought that correcting problems with the body’s structure could help the body heal itself. Still, who practiced during the Civil War, believed that spine problems can send nerve signals out to all the organs and make you sick. He developed osteopathic manipulation treatments  with a goal of restoring the nerves to a healthy state and promoting circulation so the body could heal itself.

One key idea in this field is that many diseases result from, or cause, problems within the body’s musculoskeletal system, which includes nerves, muscles, and bones. DOs pay extra attention to how all your body parts work together in order to prevent or treat health issues. And they get special training in that.

Osteopathic medicine is about your whole body, not just specific parts or symptoms. So if you come in with, say, knee pain, they’re likely going to look at more than your knee.

Osteopathic doctors believe touch can be healing. All DOs are trained in osteopathic manipulative treatment, sometimes called manual manipulation or OMT. That’s a hands-on method to help diagnose and treat illnesses. Not all DOs use it regularly in their practice, though.

Most students who apply to osteopathic medical school first earn a bachelor’s degree and many also have a master’s degree or doctorate.

Osteopathic doctors get extra training in the musculoskeletal system. But they also learn all the other parts of modern medicine. They can prescribe medication, do surgery, run tests, and do everything else you would expect from a doctor.

After 4 years of medical school, osteopathic doctors do a residency in their chosen area of specialty. Just like an MD, they may become a primary care doctor, a pediatrician, or a specialist like a dermatologist or cardiologist.

While osteopathy and naturopathy may sound similar, they’re different. Naturopathic medicine is a system that uses natural remedies to heal your body.

Like DOs, naturopathic practitioners are trained, but the type of training varies. Naturopathic doctors complete a 4-year graduate-level program at a naturopathic medical school. Naturopaths aren’t licensed and take training programs that aren’t certified by the U.S. Department of Education.  

DOs focus on hands-on diagnosis and treatment along with prescription medicine, surgery, and technology. A naturopathic practitioner’s goal is to heal you through natural substances like food, herbs, and water, plus lifestyle changes such as exercise and lowering your stress.

An exam with an OD is similar to an exam with any other kind of doctor. You’ll get your blood pressure checked, and you’ll step on a scale. They’ll want to hear about your lifestyle — such as what you eat, what you do for exercise, and how stressed you feel — as well as any symptoms that bother you.

Prevention is a big part of the osteopathic approach to medicine, so your DO will probably give you advice to help you avoid injuries or diseases down the road. An osteopath can give you any vaccines you need and recommend routine medical tests like a mammogram or a cholesterol blood test, a quit-smoking program, or screening tests for depression or another mental health problem. 

Medicare and private insurance should treat your appointment the same as a visit to any other doctor.

A main way ODs are different from MDs is that they may use osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to diagnose and treat illnesses. They believe tightness and restriction in your nerves and muscles can be caused by or lead to other problems. So they use their hands to gently move your joints and tissues to correct any restrictions in your range of motion.

The practice includes 40 techniques, including:

• Soft tissue. You’ll feel stretching and pressure on your muscles.
• Muscle energy. In this technique, you move your muscles in a specific direction while the DO counters that movement. Think push-pull.
• Myofascial release. Your DO uses firm but gentle pressure to release tension in the fascia, which is the layer of connective tissue that surrounds your bones, muscles, and organs.
• Osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine. Your DO applies soft pressure to your skull to stimulate healing.

Some find that this natural treatment helps in place of drugs or surgery for some conditions. It’s often used for muscle pain, but it can help treat a wide range of health problems, including:

• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Sports injuries
• Repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome
• Some headaches, including migraines
• Asthma
• Sinus problems
• Menstrual pain

Some pediatric DOs use OMT to help treat asthma, earaches, and colic. So far, only a small number of good studies have looked at the use of OMT in children. The results have been mixed.

You may feel soreness for a day or two after the treatment. There are usually no other side effects. Depending on your case, your DO may find that you also need other treatments, such as medicine or surgery.

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DO vs MD – What’s the difference? – Health – Blogs

how do their admission processes differ? • BUOM

December 9, 2021

DOs and MDs are similar professions, although they do have a few differences, such as how they practice medicine. This reflects how the admission processes for each type of doctor are slightly different. If you are interested in pursuing a career in medicine, you may find it helpful to learn about the DO and MD admissions processes. In this article, we discuss DOs and MDs, defining both of them and explaining how their admissions processes differ, as well as providing tips for preparing for entrance interviews.

What is DO?

A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) is a healthcare professional who cares about patients. Their ideology while working is that people are wholes and not just parts that make a person, which is called a holistic approach. DO is more focused on preventive care, which means they try to prevent sickness and disease before they occur. To achieve this, these professionals consider their patients’ habits and how they take care of themselves. This may include what they consume or what their habitat is like.

Although DOs take a holistic approach to their practice, they can perform most of the same tasks as other physicians, such as performing surgeries or monitoring patients. Typically, the DO is a primary care physician for families or individuals.

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What is a doctor of medical sciences?

A doctor of medicine (MD) is a medical professional who practices allopathic medicine, which is a more modern form of medicine. These doctors use evidence-based treatments for their patients. By creating a treatment plan for their patients, medical doctors can prescribe medications that have different effects on healthy and unhealthy patients. While DOs focus on preventive care, M.D.s prioritize treatment. The MD performs the same tasks as the DO, such as prescribing drugs, examining patients, and performing surgeries. However, MD doctors usually specialize in areas such as gynecology, dermatology, or cardiology.

DO and MD Admissions Processes

There are several differences between the DO and MD admissions processes, for example:

Personal Statement

A Personal Statement is a document that describes an applicant’s intent to enroll in medical school. They usually check the candidate’s education, professional experience, or medical-related research. During the interview, interviewers may ask the candidate to bring or talk about their personal statement. While the personal statement for DO and MD is very similar, there are some differences in content. In a personal DO statement, they can focus more on why they choose to study osteopathy and a holistic approach to medicine.

In a personal MD statement, they can explain why they study allopathy rather than osteopathy. They may reflect on their passion for allopathy or describe research they have done related to allopathic research. Whether you are writing an M.D. or M.D. personal statement, try to include experiences related to osteopathy or allopathy, respectively.

Interview Questions

Both DOs and MDs are interviewed before admissions to medical school. These interviews usually ask general medical questions, whether you’re going to be an MD or MD. During your DO interview, instructors may ask you more detailed questions about why you would like to study osteopathy. DO medical school programs generally strive to select candidates who believe in taking a holistic approach to medicine.

During an interview with an MD, you can answer many questions about medicine or your professional experience. Interviewers may ask you to explain why you chose to practice allopathy or why you prefer allopathic practices. In addition, they may ask you questions related to scenarios you may encounter as an MD.

Application Materials

Before you can be interviewed, the admissions committee asks you to complete the correct application materials. The application processes for DO or MD status are complex, though slightly different. To apply to DO Medical School, you submit your materials to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOMAS) Application Service. Materials for this process include a 5,300-character personal statement and a 600-character job and activity record. Job and activity records allow you to talk about your professional experience, education and research related to osteopathy.

To apply for the MD medical school program, you submit application materials to the American College of Medicine Application Service (AMCAS). Application materials include a 5300 character personal statement and a 700 character job and activity record. In addition, you can send up to three of your most significant entries, with a maximum length of 1325 characters. This allows you to talk more about professional experiences that have had a major impact on your studies or research.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

Tips for preparing for admission interviews

Here are some tips for preparing for entrance interviews for DO and MD schools:

• Confirm the details of your interview. Make sure you confirm the details of your interview, such as date, time, and location, before it takes place. This can help you get to your interview on time, making you a professional.

• Arrive early for your interview.