A Doctor of Medicine and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine are actually both certified medical doctors, and the truth is that they treat almost the same types of ailments. The real difference in the MD and the DO is the way in which they are trained.

The Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine

The Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine has the same education as the MD but the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine wants to treat their entire patient, and not just the symptoms of the disease they complain of.

A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine wants to treat the patients’ mind, body, and spirit as one complete package. They believe that they cannot completely heal a person unless they approach the healing from all aspects of the person’s life.

The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine believes that the way a person thinks affects the way they will heal from an injury or illness. They also believe that a person’s emotional and spiritual perspectives influence how quickly they heal from illnesses and injuries.

A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine can go into any medical field of their choice after they complete medical training, but the majority of these students choose to work as family practitioners upon completion of their educational requirements.

The MD

A Doctor of Medicine is an allopathic physician. They treat the ailments of the human body. During medical school, the Doctor of Medicine is trained to disassociate the person from the disease. A Doctor of Medicine sees the symptoms that the people are having and they treat those symptoms without considering the persons beliefs, or their mental outlook on life.

A Doctor of Medicine can go into any medical specialty that they want to after they complete their medical training schooling. The majority of all practicing physicians in the United States are Doctors of Medicine. According to the Federation of State Medical Boards nine out of ten doctors are allopathic physicians.

Number of Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine on the Rise

According to the American Osteopathic Association there will be more than one hundred thousand Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine trained physicians practicing in the United States by 2016. The number of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine trained physicians have increased by an average of forty five percent in the past six years.

What makes the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine training different from the Doctor of Medicine training?

A DO receives osteopathic manipulative treatment as part of their musculoskeletal treatment training. According to the American Osteopathic Association this is hands on training that will help alleviate some of the pain some patients feel and may even help patients suffering from things like asthma to heal more quickly.

Choosing between a Doctor of Medicine and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

When you choose your doctor, you have to select someone that you feel comfortable talking with and that you have confidence in. Your relationship with your doctor is very private, and it is built of trust and honesty. No matter what letters they have behind their name, the best doctor for you is the one you can tell everything to.