Learn the difference between an MD and a DO

If your doctor has the credentials “DO” behind their name rather than “MD,” you may be wondering why. 

MD stands for Doctor of Medicine, and most medical schools in the United States offer MD degrees. However, there are a smaller number of schools that specifically train their doctors to become Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or DOs.

“While there are still more MDs today than DOs, the number of DOs is growing,” says Richard Lucarelli, DO, with HCA Florida Ocala Primary Care. “In fact, about a quarter of the doctors in the United States now train at osteopathic schools.”

Of course, the easiest way to explain is to focus in on what sets these two types of doctors apart from one another. But the truth is they actually have more in common than you might think. And with the number of osteopathic doctors increasing every day, it’s important to understand their unique approaches to treatment, so you can find the doctor that’s right for you.

So, let’s start with the similarities

Both DOs and MDs:

• Need high grade point averages (GPAs) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores to get into medical school
• Spend the first one to two years in the classroom, then go out into the field to work under the mentorship of qualified doctors
• Complete an internship and a residency after medical school
• Take a licensing examination in the state where they will practice medicine, making them fully licensed doctors
• Are qualified to diagnose and treat patients, including prescribing medications and admitting patients to a hospital, if necessary

Now, let’s talk about the differences

MDs and DOs are both fully licensed doctors; their credentials simply indicate different training and approaches for treating patients. 

• MDs are allopathic doctors, which means they practice traditional medicine and use more conventional tools to treat patients such as medications, imaging techniques and surgery. 
• DOs are osteopathic doctors. Osteopathic medicine is based on the concept that if doctors can correct problems with the body’s structure, they can help it heal itself. 

DOs receive special training in a method called osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). OMT is a gentle, hands-on method that involves manipulating your muscles and tissues to treat mechanical pains in the body and other health conditions, such as colic in babies. There are 40 different techniques they apply to accomplish this purpose, including osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine, during which your DO applies soft pressure to your skull to help you heal.

“We believe that many diseases are related to problems with a person’s musculoskeletal system,” explains Dr. Lucarelli. “By seeing how your body is working together as a whole, we can help prevent and treat illnesses and injuries — it’s a holistic approach to care. Sure, we can use all the same tools to treat our patients as MDs can. But in many cases, we prefer to use physical manipulation rather than medications and surgery.”

Don’t mistake naturopathic care for osteopathic care

Some people confuse naturopathic practitioners with osteopathic doctors. But they are very different. Naturopathic practitioners attend a four-year program at a naturopathic medical school. They aren’t licensed, and their training programs are not certified by the U.S. Department of Education. These types of practitioners believe in using natural remedies, such as herbs, exercise and stress reduction, to heal your body.

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