As soon as you make an appointment with a doctor, several factors should be kept in mind: First and foremost is making sure they are licensed and qualified, secondly they should treat based on symptoms and medical history related to your issue, thirdly they can recommend treatments such as medication or surgery; finally if seeing a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), their four year training includes both science courses as well as clinical rotations plus additional OMT training (Osteopathic Manipulation Technique).
Since 1990, DOs have seen their numbers surge exponentially in the United States. Graduates of an osteopathic medical school usually specialize in primary care areas such as family medicine, internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology; but some also find careers in specialties like endocrinology, gastroenterology or pulmonology.
DOs and MDs both undergo rigorous, traditional medical training; however, their approaches to treating patients differ considerably. DOs tend to view the body holistically while MDs tend to focus more on symptoms for diagnosis and treatment.
When visiting a DO, they will listen to your symptoms and perform diagnostic tests to accurately diagnose your issue before employing Osteopathic Manipulative Technique to treat it – this involves using their hands to apply pressure or force onto bones, joints and muscles in order to relieve muscle tension, alleviate pain and promote healing.
DOs may also prescribe medication or perform procedures, like an appendectomy. They’ll work closely with other physicians in determining what the most suitable course of treatment would be.
Once they graduate medical school, DOs must complete internships and residencies before being granted a license to practice medicine in the US. This process typically lasts three to eight years and during which they can specialize in any area of medicine; specialization often requires board certification by an applicable specialty board.
Even though more MDs than DOs exist in the US, both types of doctors can treat similar health conditions. You can identify an MD from a DO by their name: an MD will have an “MD” after their name which indicates they attended traditional allopathic (western) medical schools to earn their Doctor of Medicine degree, while DOs attended osteopathic medical schools and earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.
