There’s not even that much ideologic difference for most of us: MDs are now into holistic treatment and DOs now study materia medica (pharmacology). We can take the same licensing exams, work together, et cetera.
And yes, MDs are occasionally found at osteopathic hospitals (the word given to MDs, apparently by DOs, is “allopathic”, although we never use it ourselves).
Scott Norville, MD
Emergency Medicine Staff
Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, dr. no, glad to have you here, and hope you’re not plotting to take over the world again.
It’s helpful to others when you start a new topic if you post a link to the column or Staff Report under consideration. Helps keep us all on the same page, avoids duplication, etc. Like this one: What’s the difference between an osteopath and an MD?
dr. no wrote:
Actually, the word “allopathic” was, according to Stephen Barrett, coined by the inventor of homeopathy, about thirty years before Dr. Still started osteopathy.