- There are two methods to becoming a doctor. One method is to become a Doctor of Medicine, or an M.D. The other method is to get a Doctor of Osteopathy license, or what some refer to as a D.O. Both doctor licenses allow physicians to practice medicine. Both types of doctors go through stringent testing to become licensed physicians. There are some differences in ideology, though. These differences affect how they practice medicine and thus how they spend a workday as a doctor.
- A Doctor of Osteopathy has more training in the skeletal and muscular systems of the human body. Also, a D.O. has to learn how to manipulate these systems, similar to a chiropractor. A Doctor of Osteopathy does more in terms of preventative care and focusing on the body as a whole. A medical doctor, on the other hand, does not do any manipulation. M.D.s also have a tendency to focus on just the area that is giving the patient problems and particular related areas that could be adversely affected.
- A D.O. most likely starts her day by making rounds at the hospital before office hours begin. While at the hospital, she will review the medical chart of each of her patients and check on them. After the osteopathic doctor is finished with each patient, the medical chart will need updating. If it is a new patient, or an existing patient who needs changes made in the direction of care, the doctor will talk to the nurse on duty for the patient and order any necessary medications and tests. The doctor will also talk to the family during this time to discuss any concerns. The osteopathic doctor will also write discharge orders if a patient is ready to go home. While working at the hospital, the physician may have to answer multiple phone calls regarding new patients who are being admitted, fellow doctors who have been consulted about a patient and with the hospital's case management department. The case management department works with patients' insurance companies, which requires the doctor's assistance quite often.
- After leaving the hospital, the osteopathic doctor will go into the office. During office hours, the doctor will spend a workday seeing multiple patients. The patients can range in age from newborns to seniors. Unlike M.D.s, the D.O. spaces her patients' appointments further apart to allow the doctor to spend more time with each patient. She does this so that she can understand how the patient as a whole is doing and not just focus on what particular ailment the patient came in for. During the appointment, the doctor may talk to the patient about anything that could help the patient avoid the health problem later, including taking natural supplements. Depending on the what the patient came into the office for, the Doctor of Osteopathy will spend some of her workday doing spinal and muscular manipulation.
