WHAT IS A DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHY?

Tanner Nissly, DO

Overview

What makes a DO? Where did osteopathy come from:

Osteopathic History What is Osteopathy about: Osteopathic

Philosophy Similarities between DO’s and MD’s Comparisons – Classes and Curriculum Why choose osteopathy?

What makes a DO?

”Whole person" approach to medicine. DO’s do NOT just treat specific symptoms or

illnesses DO’s regard your body as an integrated whole. DO’s focus on preventive health care.

Extra training on the musculoskeletal system Provides understanding of ways an injury or

illness in one part of your body can affect another.

What makes a DO?

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) DO’s Use their hands to diagnose injury and

illness Encourages your body's natural tendency

toward good health. By combining medical knowledge with OMT,

D.O.s offer their patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today.

What makes a DO?

Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine emphasize preparing medical students to be primary care physicians. Approximately 65% of practicing osteopathic

physicians specialize in primary care areas

The Osteopathic History & Philosophy

Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO (1828-1917)

Osteopathic History

AT Still was trained as an MD Became dissatisfied with conventional

medical practice after he had three children die of meningitis shortly after the Civil War.

So he began to develop his own medical treatment, based on anatomic alignment

Osteopathic History

In Still’s time, orthodox medical treatment was ineffective and harmful "blood-letting“ lead or mercury based purgatives to induce

bowel movements Still’s theory: Body capable of healing

itself What is creating the bodily disturbance Remove that interference Allow body to return to its normal state of

healthful homeostasis

Osteopathic Philosophy The four principles.

The human being is a dynamic unit of function.

The body possess self-regulatory mechanisms, with inherent self-healing properties.

Structure and function are inter-related at all levels.

Rational therapy is then based upon this understanding of body unity, self-regulatory mechanisms and the inter-relatedness of structure and function.

Osteopathic Philosophy

If part of the body is restricted, then the rest of the body must adapt and compensate Leads to inflammation,

pain, stiffness and other health conditions

OMT promotes anatomic alignment which helps minimize pain, reduces stress and leads to greater mobility.

This is turn allows the body an opportunity to heal itself.

Osteopathic Philosophy

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Broad range of techniques

Gentle hands-on techniques including soft tissue stretching, deep tactile pressure, mobilization and manipulation of joints.

HVLA techniques (cracks and pops) Counterstrain techniques – resetting muscle

spindles

Is There a Difference? MD vs DO

D.O. – Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine M.D. – Doctor of Allopathic Medicine

Similarities

Four-year undergraduate degrees w/ required scientific courses.

Must take the MCAT

Four years of Medical School

Graduate medical education (internship/residency)

Similarities

Any specialty area of medicine- Especially for DO’s: pediatrics, family

medicine, psychiatry, emergency, obstetrics, PM&R, sports

Also surgery, anesthesia, neurology, neurosurgery…and any other specialty

Obtain state licenses to practice medicine

Practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities.

Osteopathic Future

D.O.s are one of the fastest growing segments of health care professionals

By the year 2020-100,000 osteopathic physicians will be in active medical practice.

D.O.s represent 6% of the total U.S. physician population.

25 colleges of osteopathic medicine, 31 locations

22 states

Class Comparison UMn and DMU

U of Mn Class size: 169   Age:

Average: 24 years Range: 21 - 42 years

Gender Women 46.1%

Residence: MN Residents 72% Non Residents 28%

Academic Performance Average UGPA – 3.74 Average MCAT – 32.39

DMU Class size: 220. Age:

Average: 25 Range: 21 – 47 years.

Gender: Women: 50%

Residence: IA Residents: 26% Non Residents: 74%

Academic Performance: Average GPA: 3.70 Average MCAT: 27.03

Curriculum Comparison UMn and DMU

U of Mn Fall

Human Structure and Function Science of Medical Practice Foundations of Critical Thinking

Cases – Small group tutorials Essentials of Clinical Medicine – two

half-days of clinical experiences weekly

Spring Microbiology & Immunology Neuroscience Physiology Human Behavior Human Sexuality Principles of Pathology Pharmacology Foundations of Critical Thinking

Cases – Small group tutorials Essentials of Clinical Medicine –

begin rotations to health care systems and settings of care

DMU Fall

Introduction to Osteopathic Medicine Introduction to Medline and the Internet History of Medicine Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine I Behavioral Science Anatomy Cell and Tissue Biology

Spring Neuroanatomy Microbiology/Immunology Physiology Physical Diagnosis I Basic Life Support Geriatrics Pathology Radiology Introduction to Medical Ethics and the

Doctor-Patient Relationship

Comparison

DO’s like to say, “Osteopathic education is traditional medical school plus OMT.”

Why choose osteopathy?

Chance to live in Des Moines

Interest in OMT or CAM

Interest in musculoskeletal medicine – i.e. sports med, PM&R, etc

Primary care focus

Thank You!a closing quote from AT Still:

"Osteopathy is a knowledge of anatomy applied to healing diseases. It is the surgical adjustment of all parts of the body by the anatomist who knows all bones of the human body, their forms, places and how they are held together, where each joint is, where the muscles are attached and how they act when in their normal places; how a normal limb looks, how it feels to his hand, how an abnormal limb, hand, foot, spine or neck feels to his fingers in which the sense of touch is developed to a very high degree….If he is wise in Anatomy and Physiology, he (the osteopath) will at a glance detect any abnormality in form and easily prove the cause of any failure in perfect functioning….thus establishing the normal functioning which is the all of health” - AT. Still