I just wanted to share this with everyone here...
This magazine had some good articles in it, and I enjoyed reading it. But I guess it bothered me that it didn't have any mention of DO's in the articles. Anyway, I thought I would voice my opinion on the matter. This is the letter that I sent them...(please note that I have nothing against any MD's, 90% of my Dr's have been MD's....just sticking up for the named docs, and my wife is a DO!)
Dear Editor:
Upon receiving the current issue of American Baby, I was please to read several articles and came across one that really stuck with me. The article ‘Choosing Dr. Right’ really made an impression on me. In the piece, you list many good ideas and I agree with most. I was quite shocked when I read the insert ‘Who’s Who’.
The trouble with this piece was the listing of the doctors as ONLY MD. In today’s society there is a wealth of outstanding physicians that are D.O.’s. That is, they are Doctors of Osteopathy. I am sure that you are aware of them; they have been around since 1874! The fact is that both D.O.s and M.D.s are fully qualified physicians licensed to perform surgery and prescribe medication in all 50 states. Is there a difference between the two kinds of doctors? Yes and no.
Applicants to both D.O. and M.D. colleges typically have a four-year undergraduate degree with an emphasis on scientific courses. Both have completed four years of basic medical education. After medical school, both D.O.s and M.D.s can choose to practice in a specialty area of medicine- such as psychiatry, surgery, or pediatrics- after completing a residency program which requires an additional two to six years of training. Both D.O.s and M.D.s must pass state licensing examinations. Both practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities. The difference is that osteopathic medical schools emphasize training the medical student in primary care. D.O.s also receives extra training in the musculoskeletal system, and incorporate osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in their training and practice. With this skill, (OMT), D.O.s use their hands to diagnose illness and injury and help encourage the body’s natural tendency toward good health. When included with other medical procedures, D.O.s offer patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today.
With more than 48,000 D.O.s in practice today, it seems negligent not to include them in your periodical. This is brought home more so in that more than half of practicing D.O.s are doing so in primary care, i.e. pediatrics, family medicine, OB/Gyn and internal medicine. Most practice in medically underserved areas and rural settings.
As a spouse of a 2nd year pediatric resident who graduated from an Osteopathic School of Medicine, I felt compelled to respond to this article. Hopefully this will cause you to think twice before limiting some very well trained physicians in the future.
Sincerely,
Matt Black
Mission, KS
This magazine had some good articles in it, and I enjoyed reading it. But I guess it bothered me that it didn't have any mention of DO's in the articles. Anyway, I thought I would voice my opinion on the matter. This is the letter that I sent them...(please note that I have nothing against any MD's, 90% of my Dr's have been MD's....just sticking up for the named docs, and my wife is a DO!)
Dear Editor:
Upon receiving the current issue of American Baby, I was please to read several articles and came across one that really stuck with me. The article ‘Choosing Dr. Right’ really made an impression on me. In the piece, you list many good ideas and I agree with most. I was quite shocked when I read the insert ‘Who’s Who’.
The trouble with this piece was the listing of the doctors as ONLY MD. In today’s society there is a wealth of outstanding physicians that are D.O.’s. That is, they are Doctors of Osteopathy. I am sure that you are aware of them; they have been around since 1874! The fact is that both D.O.s and M.D.s are fully qualified physicians licensed to perform surgery and prescribe medication in all 50 states. Is there a difference between the two kinds of doctors? Yes and no.
Applicants to both D.O. and M.D. colleges typically have a four-year undergraduate degree with an emphasis on scientific courses. Both have completed four years of basic medical education. After medical school, both D.O.s and M.D.s can choose to practice in a specialty area of medicine- such as psychiatry, surgery, or pediatrics- after completing a residency program which requires an additional two to six years of training. Both D.O.s and M.D.s must pass state licensing examinations. Both practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities. The difference is that osteopathic medical schools emphasize training the medical student in primary care. D.O.s also receives extra training in the musculoskeletal system, and incorporate osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in their training and practice. With this skill, (OMT), D.O.s use their hands to diagnose illness and injury and help encourage the body’s natural tendency toward good health. When included with other medical procedures, D.O.s offer patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today.
With more than 48,000 D.O.s in practice today, it seems negligent not to include them in your periodical. This is brought home more so in that more than half of practicing D.O.s are doing so in primary care, i.e. pediatrics, family medicine, OB/Gyn and internal medicine. Most practice in medically underserved areas and rural settings.
As a spouse of a 2nd year pediatric resident who graduated from an Osteopathic School of Medicine, I felt compelled to respond to this article. Hopefully this will cause you to think twice before limiting some very well trained physicians in the future.
Sincerely,
Matt Black
Mission, KS
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