# Doctor, Dentist, Podiatrist, and ....others? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280 "2018-07-04T13:58:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/1 "2018-07-04T13:58:07Z")
A recent thread about podiatrists got me to thinking - we have doctors (MDs, DOs) that could work on any part of the body, we have dentists that specialize on teeth and mouths, we have podiatrists we specialize on feet… but why? Why those? And why not separate names/training/schools for, say, hand doctors? Or left eyebrow doctors? I’m assuming at least some of this is historical accident, but it seems an odd division of labor and education. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/2 "2018-07-04T14:14:41Z")
Dentists and physicians started off differently in the middle ages and probably earlier. Physicians then dealt with medicine only not surgery. Cutting was done by barber/surgeons. They also removed teeth. Things involving blood were not done by physicians. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/3 "2018-07-04T14:16:33Z")
For just about any part of the body, there are doctors that specialize in it. Cardiologists, dermatologists, opticians, urologists, gynecologists, neurologists, etc. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/4 "2018-07-04T14:21:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For just about any part of the body, there are doctors that specialize in it. Cardiologists, dermatologists, opticians, urologists, gynecologists, neurologists, etc. Of course. But they all go to medical school. Podiatrists and dentists go to totally different schooling which was the gist of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/5 "2018-07-04T14:26:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For just about any part of the body, there are doctors that specialize in it. Cardiologists, dermatologists, opticians, urologists, gynecologists, neurologists, etc. Maybe the question is more why are those in the OP separate degrees/education paths (MD, DO, DDS, DPM). With the specialists you mention, they all start out on the same track in med school and specialize later, so far as I understand it. Whereas if you want to be a dentist, you go to dental school. You want to be a podiatrist? You go to a podiatric college. Dermatologist? Cardiologist? You just go to medical school like every other physician, then specialize around year three or so. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/6 "2018-07-04T14:40:48Z")
Don’t forget optometrists. They have their own separate degree. They do more than prescribe glasses. But for actual eye surgery, etc. you would want an ophthalmologist, a physician who specializes in eyes. The fundamental divide between physicians who specialize in particular parts/systems of the body and non-MD/DO practitioners who diagnose and treat certain areas is whether or not it’s felt that one needs the MD’s study of the entire body and the degree in medicine before specializing vs. needing less training in general medicine and focusing in on one region. Though tradition and happenstance doubtless play a huge role in how it fell out the way it did. That’s my semi-educated guess, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/7 "2018-07-04T14:53:56Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Dentists and physicians started off differently in the middle ages and probably earlier. Physicians then dealt with medicine only not surgery. Cutting was done by barber/surgeons. They also removed teeth. Things involving blood were not done by physicians. Yes, but now it’s MD’s who do surgery on all the other body parts while dentists are still pulling teeth. So… “barber-surgeons” turned into dentists (except those who stuck to barbering and gave up on the bloody stuff) and MD’s took over the other bloody bits… which leads to other questions, like why that happened, but it’s off track from my original question. > [@hajario](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > For just about any part of the body, there are doctors that specialize in it. Cardiologists, dermatologists, opticians, urologists, gynecologists, neurologists, etc. > > Of course. But they all go to medical school. Podiatrists and dentists go to totally different schooling which was the gist of the OP. Yes. All those specialist MD’s all go to MD schools. (Except those that are DO’s, which go to DO schools). Dentists go to dental school. Podiatrists go to podiatry schools. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Maybe the question is more why are those in the OP separate degrees/education paths (MD, DO, DDS, DPM). With the specialists you mention, they all start out on the same track in med school and specialize later, so far as I understand it. Whereas if you want to be a dentist, you go to dental school. You want to be a podiatrist? You go to a podiatric college. Dermatologist? Cardiologist? You just go to medical school like every other physician, then specialize around year three or so. Yep, this. > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Don’t forget optometrists. They have their own separate degree. They do more than prescribe glasses. But for actual eye surgery, etc. you would want an ophthalmologist, a physician who specializes in eyes. Hmmm… forgot about the optometrists. Are they really in the same category, though? They seem much more diagnostic in nature and less interventional. Not that there is anything wrong with that. > [@](#): > > The fundamental divide between physicians who specialize in particular parts/systems of the body and non-MD/DO practitioners who diagnose and treat certain areas is whether or not it’s felt that one needs the MD’s study of the entire body and the degree in medicine before specializing vs. needing less training in general medicine and focusing in on one region. Though tradition and happenstance doubtless play a huge role in how it fell out the way it did. > > That’s my semi-educated guess, anyway. It seems a good guess. I suppose that argument can hold for teeth and eyes, but _feet?_ And why feet but not also hands as well? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/8 "2018-07-04T15:01:35Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Hmmm… forgot about the optometrists. Are they really in the same category, though? They seem much more diagnostic in nature and less interventional. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Here’s what Wikipedia says about an Optometrist’s scope of practice: > [@](#): > > Scope of Practice > Doctors of Optometry (O.D.) (optometric physicians / optometrists) function as primary eye care providers, providing both comprehensive optical and medical eye care. They can prescribe corrective lenses (glasses and contacts) to aid optical abnormalities (eg. myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, astigmatism). They also manage vision development in children including amblyopia diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, Optometrists are trained and licensed to diagnose all forms of eye disease and provide medical treatment (eg: infections, inflammation, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, corneal/retinal abnormalities, uveitis, etc.). They can write prescriptions for all topical medications (eye drops) and most medications taken by mouth (eg. antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, allergy, pain). Optometrists may also order lab tests including: bacterial cultures, blood work, MRI, CT, ultrasound etc. When patients exhibit an advanced form of disease or require surgery, optometrists may refer to specialists (ophthalmologists with fellowship in particular area). Optometrists many also provide pre/post operative surgical care, however, optometrists are not trained to perform invasive surgery. So we see that they can diagnose and treat a wide range of common and less common eye conditions and diseases. I rely on my staff of optometrists to do 90+% of the necessary eye care for my patients. Sometimes I get called in to remove a foreign body from the surface of the eye, but most of the time they can handle that too. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/9 "2018-07-04T15:22:24Z")
I think we should go back to the glorious days of the old West, when a doctor could handle almost any contingency that came up - haircuts, bullet wounds, abscesses, broken bones, bad teeth that need extracting, fibromyalgia etc. Plus you should be able to draw fast and fire accurately, in case the Sheriff needs your assistance in a gunfight. I had pictured **Qadgop** doing this already, but now I find out he relies on prissy specialists. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/10 "2018-07-04T15:26:18Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The fundamental divide between physicians who specialize in particular parts/systems of the body and non-MD/DO practitioners who diagnose and treat certain areas is whether or not it’s felt that one needs the MD’s study of the entire body and the degree in medicine before specializing vs. needing less training in general medicine and focusing in on one region. > [@Broomstick](#): > > I suppose that argument can hold for teeth and eyes, but _feet?_ Why would a foot specialist need entire body study any more than a tooth or eye specialist? > [@](#): > > And why feet but not also hands as well? In my observation feet are prone to a variety of ailments and conditions that don’t have a counterpart in hands. Two that spring to mind are that feet support the entire weight of the body, and feet are typically kept out of open air. Hands don’t get athlete’s foot or bunions. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/11 "2018-07-04T15:27:53Z")
**Qadgop** is from, “The Green Mile,” not, “The Dark Tower.” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/12 "2018-07-04T15:36:39Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Why would a foot specialist need entire body study any more than a tooth or eye specialist? Because… feet are connected to the rest of the body? Which I suppose is also an argument that dentists and optometrists should study the entire body as well. > [@](#): > > In my observation feet are prone to a variety of ailments and conditions that don’t have a counterpart in hands. Two that spring to mind are that feet support the entire weight of the body, and feet are typically kept out of open air. Hands don’t get athlete’s foot or bunions. Hands can and do get fungal infections, though, and some pretty grotty ones as well judging by what I’ve seen as a cashier. Hands also have unique situations - they suffer from repetitive motion problems, nerve/muscle/tendon damage from overuse, bits of fingers can be lost to machinery or injury leaving the person’s main manipulators impaired for life… Yet we don’t have “go to a special school for just that body part” hand doctors. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/13 "2018-07-04T17:00:28Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Hands also have unique situations - they suffer from repetitive motion problems, nerve/muscle/tendon damage from overuse, bits of fingers can be lost to machinery or injury leaving the person’s main manipulators impaired for life… Yet we don’t have “go to a special school for just that body part” hand doctors. Hand surgeons get their own special training, above and beyond what they already studied (orthopedics/plastic surgery). ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/14 "2018-07-04T17:14:44Z")
My wife’s stepmother’s first husband was a Vienna trained dentist until he migrated to the US in 1939. He had an MD degree that was apparently required for dentists in Austria. But he had not and would not practice general medicine. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/15 "2018-07-04T17:16:48Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Hand surgeons get their own special training, above and beyond what they already studied (orthopedics/plastic surgery). Yes, but hand doctors do the undergraduate\>medical school\>specialty route instead of a undergraduate\>foot school route of podiatrists. Just curious if there’s a reason for that beyond historical happenstance. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/16 "2018-07-04T17:19:30Z")
In the case of a podiatrist, maybe it’s because there are so many bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments in that part of the body, idk. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/17 "2018-07-04T17:24:53Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yes, but hand doctors do the undergraduate\>medical school\>specialty route instead of a undergraduate\>foot school route of podiatrists. Just curious if there’s a reason for that beyond historical happenstance. I wonder how many more times this will have to be repeated. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/18 "2018-07-04T17:49:02Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Dentists and physicians started off differently in the middle ages and probably earlier. Physicians then dealt with medicine only not surgery. Cutting was done by barber/surgeons. They also removed teeth. Things involving blood were not done by physicians. And since, yes, all those divisions have a lot to do with history, the actual specialties and the training required vary by location. In the US medical school is graduate school; in many other countries, you go there from high school. In Spain a dentist doesn’t have a degree in dentistry: it’s a specialization within medicine. And so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/19 "2018-07-04T20:11:07Z")
Perhaps apropos of nothing, I just want to point out that just as cardiologists, urologists, etc. all go to medical school, it’s not only general dentists who go to dental school. Periodontists, orthodontist, endodontist, oral surgeons and I’m sure some other specialties I can’t think of all start out with a degree in Dental Medicine or Dental Surgery from a school of dentistry. What doctors other than podiatrists start with a degree from a school of podiatry? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280/20 "2018-07-04T22:50:47Z")
> [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > Perhaps apropos of nothing, I just want to point out that just as cardiologists, urologists, etc. all go to medical school, it’s not only general dentists who go to dental school. Periodontists, orthodontist, endodontist, oral surgeons and I’m sure some other specialties I can’t think of all start out with a degree in Dental Medicine or Dental Surgery from a school of dentistry. > > What doctors other than podiatrists start with a degree from a school of podiatry? yes, all dental specialists go to dental school first then residency for the specialty. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-dentist-podiatrist-and-others/817280.md?page=2)