I’m in the process of helping my father find a new primary care physician. Most of the doctors in the Kaiser system are M.D.s, but some are D.O.s (Doctors of Osteopathy). My little bit of research suggests that M.D.s and D.O.s get similar education and training, but that D.O.s are more likely to be general practitioners than M.D.s are (i.e. they tend to specialize less).
I also know that D.O.s get hundreds of hours of special training in manipulation of the musculoskeletal system, which some people in the medical profession view as outdated and ineffective. I am skeptical of this special training - it sounds a bit like chiropractic to me, which I consider to be close to quackery. The little I’ve read suggests that D.O.s don’t use this part of their training much in practice.
So what can you folks tell me? Is a D.O. just as good as an M.D.? Is there a reason to prefer one to the other?
We have done this thread a few times. There is little inherent effective difference between the two degrees. Everyone that gets an MD or a DO degree is a medical doctor well trained in modern medical practice. They distinction between the two is largely a legacy remnant that has little bearing on actual practice. We even have an MD on this board who chose a DO as his personal doctor. Medical doctors vary a lot in quality but that isn’t because of the letters on their degree. Just go with the one that you are most comfortable with based on their availability and general style. Even though DO’s get training on some alternative treatments, most don’t actually use them once they start practicing. Most are effectively the same as an MD.
If I couldn’t find an MD board certified in Integrative Medicine (which is what I have), I would chose a DO over an MD simply because I know that at some point, they sought out learning things outside the box, and might be less hostile than an MD when I want to take herbs for non lifethreatening things. (Although, to be fair, MDs in my experience are far more hostile in theory and on the internet than in real life. I’ve had many MDs who were not only not hostile, but interested in learning more.)
But as your goals are different from mine, there’s no difference for you. Chose one based on recommendation from a friend, if possible, health grade website scores if you have nothing better to go on, proximity/convenience and their habit of running on time or not, in that order. MD or DO isn’t a useful distinction for you.
I trust Dr. Random McDoctor, DO, more than I trust Dr. Mehmet Öz, MD.
Outside of the US, there may be a difference.
A naturopath is (likely) a quack. A dietitian is someone who is trained in diet, a nutritionist is anyone who wishes to call themselves a nutritionist.
And here’s a good one: The mental health department at my local Kaiser, which employs psychiatrists and psychologists, has one psychologist with an EdD degree (Doctor of Education). Go figure.
MD pediatrician here who uses a DO as my youngest child’s doctor. Of course the DO is one of my partners and I know that she is brilliant with great judgement and a amazing interpersonal skills. She is one of the best pediatricians I have ever known and I am honored to have her as a partner and relaxed with her as my child’s doctor.
She has stated that she does not know of a single DO who takes the manipulation stuff seriously and certainly I have never met one.
I would not use DO vs MD as a selection filter for a GP in either direction.
A certain segment of what is done within a psychology department (at least for kids and college aged adults) is testing and evaluation of learning disabilities, attention issues, and the impact of other issues on the educational process.
Most likely this is because that psychologist went to a graduate school where the counseling psychology program was housed in the Department of Education. It isn’t the most common model, but it happens.
The way it was explained to me (I asked at work just what the heck a “D.O.” was not long after I started), is that the licensing is the same, and that as a result, the DOs may come at it from a different philosophical underpinning, but that for all practical intents and purposes, there’s no difference between a DO and a MD as far as how they’re going to treat you. Most all chiropractor-style woo was left behind in the DO training long, long ago, and what tiny amount that remains is basically harmless.