DO (vs.) MD For Treatment of Diabetes?

Perhaps you have never looked into this or even thought about it. I had reason in my own life recently to take a hard look at it. I will post the major differences between the two via a link at the end of this post.

The most important part to me is that DO's in general,  approach your care based on lifestyles and take time to find out what type of exercise you do (or don't do) and what your diet is like? For example if you are a type 2 diabetic with high blood glucose levels, are overweight, have high blood pressure, possible diabetic neuropathy,  and your favorite exercise program is watching TV and drinking Pepsi or Coke while munching on empty calorie foods, they start with a fact finder session and  recommending lifestyle changes.

MD's in general on the other hand are more prone to treat symptoms. If your blood pressure is high, they tend to reach for the prescription pad, as opposed to the DO approach and are more likely to prescribe a  new BP drug or increase your current one and/or add another one.

In essence I have read that MD's as a group tend to TREAT SYMPTOMS and DO's as a group spend more time looking for the reasons your BP is high, or when and why you are a type 2 diabetic etc. They tend to look at a longer term version of yourself and how you ended up the way you are.

Do DO's also prescribe prescription drugs? YES, they do. Do some MD's spend time with you and discuss other alternatives to drugs? YES, they do.

For my own type 2 diabetes I switched years ago to the Joslin Clinic for diabetes. Over a period of time, I went to my primary MD less and less. I rarely get sick, have never had the flu and try my best to eat right, exercise, and one of my hobbies is studying "Natural Cures" (vs.) pill popping prescription drugs.

I also found that between my personal MD that I had not seen in several years and my DO at a local Joslin Diabetes Clinic, I was happy with the Joslin Clinic for 99% of my needs. Recently I also found that upon a requested annual  appointment with my MD, it turned into wanting to see me every 2 or 3 months at the outside, and I found unnecessary duplication in  Lab Work, Blood Lipid Profiles, PSA tests, checking for hernia etc. etc. taking place. I am on a Medicare Advantage Plan now and all the duplication added up to unnecessary Co-Pays.

I am now personally relying only on the Joslin Clinic and in the event I do need other treatment, I can go to one of the local walk in options or the emergency room if necessary. The Joslin clinic in my neck of the woods, can and has done EKG's, Bone Density tests, orders lab work including blood lipid profiles and urine analysis, PSA tests etc. etc. A minuscule blurb on a resting EKG two and a half years ago alerted my DO at the Joslin that I MIGHT have something going on with my cardiovascular health. Turns out she was right and because of her sharp eye, she ended up ordering a heart catheterization which ended up resulting in my having a quadruple bypass operation two and one half years ago. I am understandably loyal to her and the Joslin Clinic. My main health concern was type 2 diabetes and the resulting high BP, weight gain etc. For me choosing to use the Joslin Clinic was a logical choice.

I am NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU GIVE UP YOUR OWN PERSONAL MD or that you replace him or her with a diabetes clinic. For me, it became the inevitable choice. Yours might very well be different.

Here is a link to MD (vs.) DO and some pros and cons for both. I did the post simply in the name of knowledge you may not have had or have not thought of.

God Bless,

Dan

LINK:

http://myheart.net/articles/md-vs-do/

EXCERPT:

If you’re trying to determine the difference between an MD and a DO, you almost certainly fit into one of two categories. You’re either a student considering a career in medicine or a patient wondering if a doctor with DO credentials is equally qualified to treat you as MD. Regardless of which category you fit in, this article will explain how D.O.’s differ from M.D.’s. But first, let’s quickly define a few terms.

What is an MD?

When most people think of a physician, they’re thinking of an M.D. – standing for Medical Doctor or Doctor of Medicine. MD’s practice a form of medicine called allopathic. James Whorton, the man credited with coining the phrase, explained that Doctors of Medicine (M.D.’s) use treatments that affect someone who’s ill differently than someone who’s healthy. For example, an antibiotic taken by someone without a bacterial infection would not improve his or her health.

Medical Doctors (MDs) in the United States attend medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

What is a DO?

Short for Osteopathic Doctor, DO’s receive their medical degree from a U.S. osteopathic school. Unlike MD’s, a DO is accredited by the American Osteopathic Associate Commission within the Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).

D.O.’s are trained to have a more holistic approach to medicine and follow a medical philosophy called osteopathic medicine. DO’s are trained consider a patient’s environment, nutrition, and body system as a whole when diagnosing and treating medical conditions.

For example, they’re required to take an additional 200 hours of training in osteopathic manipulative medicine – the practice of manipulating musculoskeletal tissue to relieve pain – versus an MD which would, in theory, suggest taking pain relievers.

Similarities between MD’s & DO’s

• Both MD and DO physicians base diagnosis and treatment recommendations on scientifically-proven conclusions.
• Attend 4 years of medical school, plus a residency program ranging from 3-7 years
• Are licensed by the same state licensing boards, i.e. both MDs and DOs must meet the same requirements to practice medicine
• Can practice medicine in all 50 states.
• Are found in every type of specialty medicine.
• Follow the same undergraduate academic path – a bachelor’s degree, Pre Med coursework, and taking the MCAT

Primary Differences between DOs & MDs

• Medical students attending osteopathic schools (DOs) must take an additional 200 hours of training learning manipulation techniques of the musckeloskeltial system.
• DO physicians tend to be primary care physicians, whereas U.S.M.D.’s tend to specialize in more specific types of medicine (Dermatology, Cardiology, Orthopedics, etc.)
• In the United States, 67.4% of active physicians are M.D.s vs. 7.3% which are D.O.s (The remaining 24.2% received their degree from a medical school outside of the United States.)
• DO students take the Comprehensive Medical Licensing Examination (COMPLEX). MD medical students take the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE).
• D.O.’s tend to practice medicine in urban, metropolitan areas. D.O.’s are most prevalent in rural areas.

Exodus 15:25,26

So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.