DO vs MD- What's the Difference

DOs vs MDs: Among DOs vs MDs the major difference is that DOs focus on overall patient health while the MDs have a focused approach towards treatment. The DOs specifically focus on the well-being of mind, body and mental health during treatment while MDs focus on the disease area and not the overall patient care. MD course uses allopathic medication technologies which include surgeries, drugs, X-rays etc while the DOs use holistic treatment to treat patients. MD use a system of physical manipulations & adjustments to diagnose & treat patients. On the other hand, MDs are broad practitioners who have a limited focus on physical manipulation techniques. In this article, find out in detail the differences between DOs and MDs.

DOs vs MDs- Overall Differences

DOs focus on allopathic treatment while MDs focus on mind, body and mental health while treating a patient. Students can find the major differences between DOs and MDs given below.

What is a DO?

DO stands for the doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. In comparison with MDs, DOs use the same conventional medical techniques as MDs but with a few other methods and studies. DOs tend to focus more on holistic health and the prevention of any specific disease. In a holistic health approach, all parts of a person, including their mind, body, and emotions, are considered during the treatment procedure. The DOs also use a system of physical adjustments and techniques to diagnose and treat people with utmost care. More than half of DOs work in primary care centres to provide basic support, but they can also specialize and carry out the treatment process in another field, just like MDs.

What is MD?

The full form of MD is a doctor of medicine. MDs are considered as ‘allopathic doctors’. That means they treat and diagnose the disease using conventional medical tools like X-rays, and prescription drugs, and conduct surgeries. The allopathic medicine is also known as conventional or mainstream medicine. The MDs can choose to be full-time practitioners and work as caregivers of family medicine or primary care doctors. They can also gain specialization in several areas, which require higher education. Various specializations for MD courses are:

• Surgery
• Specific body parts or organs
• Psychiatry
• Geriatric medicine
• Paediatrics

DOs vs MDs: Eligibility Criteria

Students must have a bachelor's degree to study DO courses while for MD courses students must have an MBBS degree from a recognised university. Students can find the DOs vs MDs difference between the eligibility criteria given below.

DO vs MD- Training Procedure

As per the study is concerned, both DOs and MDs learn how to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases and treat injuries. As a consequence, they receive much of the same training course. The training course for DO vs MD includes the following:

• 4 years of medical school after earning a bachelor’s degree
• 1 year as an intern before starting a residency or practising as a resident doctor
• A residency program lasting up to 7 years of term

The DO study focuses on a whole-body approach of the patients. This means the body is considered as one interconnected self-sustaining and self-healing unit of a human. Part of the DO’s job is to help individuals in taking care of themselves. This is done by understanding the optimal body structure, function, and healing process. As such, DO courses may focus more on preventive medicine and care. Preventive care is a big part of a DO’s study curriculum and practice. The care can be as promoting fitness and a healthy diet or could also involve using medications, an example being HIV prevention. While DOs do focus mostly on preventive care, preventive medicine is still covered in allopathic medical schools and practised by MDs in practice.

Read More: DO Exam Pattern

Exam Pattern of Dos vs MDs

As per the curriculum, both DOs and MDs must pass a national test before becoming licensed to practice medicine. MDs must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). And, DOs must take the Comprehensive Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX).
In addition to taking the COMLEX, some DOs may also prefer to take the USMLE as well. The primary reason that they may choose to opt for this exam is to help them stand out when applying for a residency to practice individually.

DOs vs MDs: Career Prospects

In terms of career prospects among DOs vs MDs, MDs focus on working in urban and specialised areas while DOs focus more on working in rural areas. Students can find the difference between the career prospects among DOs and MDs given below.

DO vs MD- Which is Better?

There’s no correct answer to choosing between an MD or DO course. Both are equally qualified for the candidates to understand and carry out the professional journey.  If the candidate is looking to be a more hands-on doctor who might be more open to holistic or alternative treatment options, they must consider seeking a DO course. Most doctors are still MDs. As per the statistics, there has been an 81% increase in the total number of DOs and osteopathic medical students over the past decade. Primary care is still the most common area of focus for both MDs and DOs. This primary care area includes the following areas:

• Internal medicine
• Family medicine and general practice
• Paediatrics

• Emergency medicine
• Surgery
• Obstetrics and gynecology
• Psychiatry
• Anesthesiology

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