what is a "DO" in doctors?

Question

Doctors are "MD" so what is a DO in a doctor?

Answer 1

i didn't know either, but all my doctors have been DO's so i looked it up for you, and this is what i found.
You are more than just the sum of your body parts. That’s why doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.s) practice a "whole person" approach to health care. Instead of just treating specific symptoms, osteopathic physicians concentrate on treating you as a whole.

Osteopathic physicians understand how all the body’s systems are interconnected and how each one affects the others. They focus special attention on the musculoskeletal system, which reflects and influences the condition of all other body systems.

This system of bones and muscles makes up about two-thirds of the body’s mass, and a routine part of the osteopathic patient examination is a careful evaluation of these important structures. D.O.s know that the body’s structure plays a critical role in its ability to function. They can use their eyes and hands to identify structural problems and to support the body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing.

Osteopathic physicians also use their ears -- to listen to you and your health concerns. Doctors of osteopathic medicine help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don’t just fight illness, but help prevent it. Millions of Americans prefer this concerned and compassionate care, and have made D.O.s their doctors for life.

Answer 2

DO is doctor of osteopathic medicine whereas MD is medical doctor. The "DO's" do things in a "more" holistic approach focusing on the entire body instead of just the disease or part of the person diseased.

However, being a aspiring MD myself (hence the name) and being exposed to many people going into the medical field, is seems that many people in DO school didn't make it to medical school. In addition, the human body is extreeeemly complex. Working on it as an entire system would be ideal, but with our current knowledge it isn't that feasible. For instance, take menopause. We thought treating some of its symptoms with supplemental hormones until we found out that it might affect the heart, cause cancer and/or a number of other things.

Answer 3

DO is a Doctor of Osteopathy. They attend different medical schools than physicians with MD degrees (allopathic medicine). Their education places emphasis on a more holistic approach toward patient care whereas allopathic medicine has a more organ-based approach. DO's tend to have more alternative or complementary therapies as part of their medical education. However, they attend the same type of post-graduate training (residencies) as MD's do, so the end results of their education is not much different.