Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...
With apologies to Robert Frost, I've got a "decision point" kicking around in my head today.
I'm working towards medical school, that's no surprise. I've got prerequisites that I'm scheduling, and I've got to plan for a baccalaureate degree, as well. That's not the question, either.
The question is (and my love is going to strangle me in my sleep for "worrying" about this so early in the process"), am I more interested in heading down the allopathic (MD) route, or the osteopathic (DO) route? The education is basically the same, and residency is basically identical. The difference between a MD and a DO is that a DO takes all of the "normal" medical stuff and adds "osteopathic manipulative medicine" to the mix. OMM seems to be similar to chiropractic adjustment and a more holistic and preventative approach to health.
I'm not anywhere near needing to make this decision at this point, by any stretch. But, it's something that I need to keep simmering in the back of my head, for when it's time.
In other news, I found out that taking the week off in December in order to go on vacation will not (in and of itself, there are other factors) preclude me completing the paramedic program that I am looking at. Yay!
Comments
As for the MD vs. DO route... That really is a personal decision. How do you live your life? Do you really believe in alternative therapies? If you don't believe in it, you can't be an effective practitioner. I'm guessing that if you are even having to think about this then you do live a more holistic life. I'm a big believer in treating the patient as a whole. Yes, a bowel may be diseased, but that has far reaching effects. The more of the entire person we take into account, the more effective the healing process will be. That's a big reason I went into nursing. Our training is more holistic which is more inline with my belief system.
Now, that being said, there still seems to be a lot of prejudice against DOs in the medical community, or at least in the two states where I have practiced. You really have to believe in what you are practicing. All in all, I like working with DOs. Seems to be a lot less ego in that field. I like less ego - a lot. Are there a lot of DOs in emergency medicine? As for patient outcomes, I haven't really been in a situation to compare. I'm guessing it's better.
All these questions! I'm sure a little research, a little meditation, a little mental labyrinth walking, and a little soul searching will get you to the right decision. Good luck.