What is a D.O.?

My choice to be an osteopathic physician is a very important part of who I am as a physician. There are two types of doctors in the United States. There are M.D.s, medical doctor, and there are D.O.s, doctors of osteopathy. We both have to graduate college with a bachelor’s degree. We both go to medical school for four total years. We both can practice any specialty of medicine that we desire, including surgery.

The difference is two fold. One, we are taught more of a mind, body, spirit approach in medical school. Our medical training helps us to think outside of the box to what might be making a patient come to us for reasons other than their physical ailments. Additionally, we are taught osteopathic manipulation, also known as OMM or OMT. Osteopathic manipulation is essentially the physician working on the patient’s body to help the patients heal themselves.

Manipulation can help prevent the need for medicines, help medicines work better, help patients prevent surgical intervention, or even help patients recover more effectively from surgery. I tell patients, it helps take the good stuff into the area that needs to heal and helps take the bad stuff out. If you have more questions, google it! Or feel free to ask Dr. Dana at your next visit.