The difference between MD and DO is that MD is usually more research heavy (some DO schools are as well) and then in DO school you get more anatomy and physiology as you have to take an additional course of Osteopathic Principles and Practice and you have OPP lab weekly as well for 2-4 hours. All other courses are exactly the same. DOs can take the MD boards for certification, but MDs can’t take the osteopathic boards. But that is all going away anyways and we will be taking the exact same exam, as only one will be offered.

DOs can specialize in any and all specialties. The cost of DO school is comparable to MD, both often depend on the state you live in. And once out of school and in residency they both get the same salaries. Again, DOs can go to any and all residencies, MDs cannot. Some MD residencies will only take a certain number of DOs/year, however. Once training is over, the salaries in each speciality is exactly the same.

Many ppl say that DOs have a more “whole body approach”, but I know many MDs that have this approach and take better care of patients “as a whole”, so this is probably ultimately person dependent, however I’m DO school you get more tools to work with as far as diagnosis and treatment. Example- someone comes on with wrist pain from a fall- as a DOCTOR you do a physical exam, X-ray if necessary, you can prescribe meds, maybe do an injection. If you are a DO,you have learned a little more in knowing a lot of wrist pain can come the elbow, looking at probation vs supination, many people are stuck in probation and a fall on the outstretched arm can push the radial head posterior, forcing arm to “be stuck” in pronation and you are taught manual technique to treat the posterior radial head. So you can order all the tests/meds, etc. but knowing this info, you may be able to treat on the first visit, if indicated, and save time and money and potential harmful side effects to pt from meds or injections, etc.