<p>my parents told me to apply to some 7 yr. DO programs incase i dont get accepted into a 7 r. med program or a really good school to do premed in.....anyway, whats the deal with DO's and how do they compare with MDs. Do DOs on average make less money or get less patients than MDs do? anyone have any info?</p>
<p>Just cuz you don't get into a 7/8 year med program doesn't mean you can't be a doctor..... in fact only a very small % of doctors took this route</p>
<p>if you think you can and really want to be a doctor just go through premed and major in something like Biochemistry so that if you cant get into med school you can got into another career such as pharmaceuticals or major in business since premeds can major in anything they want to</p>
<p>thanks for the info coolkash......but is there anyone that can answer the questions?</p>
<p>From what I hear DO's dont get nearly as much respect as MD's and get considerably less $</p>
<p>coolkash$ is right, although DOs do make more money than other professions. Better than being a nurse or something.</p>
<p>so would i be correct in saying that an average DO makes about 90,000 to 100,000 dollars a year?</p>
<p>i don't know the exact figures but that would be a good estimate. Not a bad salary but measly compared to some MDs.</p>
<p>i think i'd rather be an MD for the pride of being one.....(and the money)</p>
<p>there's a sort of prejudice agaisnt DOs, at least from what I've observed. IMO, it's totally undeserved since DO programs are pretty much as rigorous as MD programs. In spite of this, MDs are generally more respected.</p>
<p>Correct, DO's tend to get a little less respect than MD's because much fewer people know about them. Allopaths and Osteopaths do have the same training, with the exception that DO's are more nudged in direction of general practice, has as it's philosophy holistic medicine, focuses on preventative care, and uses osteopathic manipulative treatment. DO's may make less on average, but I would guess because a much larger percentage of them go into the lower-paying general practice vs. the higher paying specialized medicine. They can, and do (though proportionately less often) go into specialized medical fields. If DOs do have fewer jobs, it's purely because of stigma, not because they are necessarily any less qualified than MDs. There are some DOs that are better than most MDs, and vice versa.</p>
<p>so from what your saying.....the chances of a DO becoming something like a cardiologist or a surgeon are really low but occurs very rarely?</p>
<p>i wouldnt say the chances are low or that it occurs rarely. My cousin is a vascular surgeon at mt sinai and works side by side with DO's all the time.</p>
<p>Even though surgery isnt exactly "preventative medicine" which the DO is supposed to be all about, many still go into it. DO's are starting to stray from their text book definition of osteopathic medicine.</p>
<p>But yea i feel like id be taking the easy way out (although it really isnt an easy way out) if i went DO instead of MD. Its just not what i associate doctors with you know. I know they are almost the exact same thing, it just wouldnt be as personally satisfying for me.</p>