What is the difference between a D.O. and a M.D.?

The D.O. has a “doctor of osteopathic medicine” degree. And the M.D. has a “doctor of medicine” degree.

D.O.’s and M.D.’s are alike in that they both utilize all scientifically accepted methods of diagnosis and treatment, including the use of drugs and surgery. Educational requirements are the same, and include 4 years of medical school, an internship year, and 3 years of residency dedicated exclusively to Dermatology.

So what’s the difference?

The difference is that the osteopathic physician receives additional training in what the osteopathic profession believes to be a most significant factor in comprehensive health care.

The D.O. recognizes that the musculoskeletal system (the muscle, bones, and joints) is interdependent, and a disturbance in one causes altered function in other systems of the body. D.O.’s use structural diagnosis and manipulative therapy of the musculoskeletal system, along with all of the other more traditional forms of diagnosis and treatment, i.e., drugs and surgery, to care effectively for patients and to relieve the distress.

The D.O. is not something else, but something more.