MD versus DO
I have been receiving great questions about various topics related to becoming a doctor. Some I have responded to personally and others I would like to address to everybody because they are common questions or concerns that I think can benefit everybody. This topic is one of them. What is the difference between an MD and DO? Can I become a surgeon if I attend DO school? The short answer is absolutely! MD or DO behind your name does not pigeon-hole you into going into a specific subspecialty.
Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) medical schools both teach students the scientific foundations needed to become licensed physicians, BUT they take different approaches. Allopathic medical schools are science-based practice focused on diagnosing and treating medical conditions. Osteopathic medicine takes a more holistic approach and focuses heavily on prevention. DOs also learn something called osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) which is a hands-on method that involves moving muscles and joints in a way designed to promote healing.
Both osteopathic and allopathic medical school programs typically last four years and include medical science coursework as well as clinical rotations. What really sets DO schools apart is the training focused on OMT. Most programs require at least 200 hours dedicated to this hands-on technique.
Another big difference between MD and DO school programs is the licensing exams. Allopathic students take the USMLE series and Osteopathic students take the COMLEX sequence. Both are three-step exams and most students take them following this schedule: The first step comes near the end of a student’s second year, the second comes sometime during fourth year, and the last step comes after the first year of residency. It is important to understand that osteopathic and allopathic medical students now have access to the same pool of residency programs.
Ultimately, the decision of pursuing allopathic versus osteopathic education is a matter of personal preference.
I hope this helps. Keep the questions coming. Good luck and study hard!
Sincerely,
Your Med Mentor
It helps knowing that both can help you pursue a medical pathway but also makes me think which one would best for me based off the different paths they take.
Thank you for clarifying that you can get into multiple careers, and it doesn’t matter which path of medical school you take. The definitions also helped clear up what the difference between a MD and a DO is!
Thank you. It’s helpful knowing that neither makes your pathway certain for a single career. Are there benefits to either program for someone looking to become a PT?
Thanks, its interesting to learn the differences and similarities between the two different medical schools and they both take different exams. Would one exam be harder than the other or just based on the teachings in the medical school?
The COMLEX and USMLE are mostly similar exams in that they primarily tests students on the fundamentals of medicine using the same material. The main difference is that the COMLEX also tests on osteopathic manipulative medicine. Additionally, COMLEX is a longer test consisting of 400 questions divided into 8 blocks while the USMLE is 280 questions divided in 7 blocks.
Thank you for all of this great information! This definitely cleared up the differences between MD and DO. Do you notice that more people tend to choose one between the two?
Good question. I have many friends that are equally MDs and DOs. I would have to reach out to my DO friends and inquire maybe why they chose that path. It might have been because of a mentor, location, specialty, etc. I chose the MD route because I knew more physicians that were MDs. To be honest with you I didn’t know about the DO path until I was in medical school.
Hello,
It’s good to see that there is variation between MD and DO schools. I like how DO student get a more hands on experience while learning. Being a surgeon, what school did you go to?
I went to The Ohio State University College of Medicine. I am a little biased but I feel that it is one of the best medical schools in the country.
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