3 ways we can all promote DOs and the osteopathic medical profession

During one of our daily 5 a.m. drives to work, my best friend, an osteopathic cardiologist, asked me if I had read the July article in “The New York Times” about osteopathic physicians. The article, “So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?,” provided a broad overview of the current state of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. It also educated readers who might be unfamiliar with DOs about how they are different from MDs. I had read it the week before, and we both agreed that it was poignant and well-written.

The remainder of our discussion, however, was dedicated to the last paragraph of the article, which shared an opinion of John Licciardone, DO, MS, MBA, a regents professor in family medicine at the University of University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine: “many rank-and-file DOs [may not] care about being lumped together with their MD peers … [and] seem perfectly content to not stand out from the crowd.” My friend and I both agreed that this felt like an anticlimactic ending to the article, and we weren’t sure what a “rank-and-file” DO was.

Ultimately, an article raising awareness of osteopathic medicine in “The New York Times” is amazing. It is a privilege to have such a time-honored publication speak so highly of DOs and bring light to our profession.

But this is not enough. As Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” What can all of us do to get started on keeping this momentum going and making sure that the final words of the article do not come to fruition?

Below are some of my recommendations.

1. Be loud and proud

As osteopathic physicians, we stand out. In every patient interaction, regardless of our specialty, the Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine and attention to body, mind and spirit seep through our pores. We need to ensure that our lab coats, our scrubs and the signature lines on our emails have “DO” listed as our designation.

When asked by colleges, patients or friends where we went to medical school, we need to say that, as DOs, we attended a college of osteopathic medicine (COM), and we need to take the time to explain what that means. It is so easy for us all to raise awareness through education, one interaction at a time.

2. Be a mentor

Despite the challenges in medicine, getting into medical school is still extremely difficult and competitive. When premeds ask you about applying to medical school and your path, explain how the osteopathic medical profession has supported your endeavors and helped you become the physician you are today.

Whether you provide osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), deeply embrace the osteopathic philosophy or merely appreciate the mentorship of the osteopathic physicians who trained you, share this with premeds and educate them so they can find their own path.

3. Teach the new generation

More than 25% of medical students in the United States are now in a DO program. Take the time to teach osteopathic medical students, whether in your hospital, clinic or lectures. As you practice exceptional medicine and care for patients, it is truly effortless to make an osteopathic medical student feel proud of our profession.

It is also important, however, to explain to them that they should always have “osteopathic” pride. It is essential to teach them why they should support local and national osteopathic organizations, and it is imperative to encourage them to be role models for our profession and advocate for our future.

If you would like to serve as a mentor in a more formal capacity, the American Osteopathic Information Association’s (AOiA) new Emerging DO platform can connect those in the osteopathic medical profession with a mentor or a mentee. Sign up via this mentor/mentee interest form. More information about the Emerging DOs platform and the mentor program is available on the Emerging DO home page.

Full steam ahead

As I pulled into the hospital parking lot at the end of the drive, my friend and I agreed that the key to the future of osteopathic medicine is momentum. Contrary to the conclusion at the end of the Times article, we both have every intention of “standing out from the crowd.” If you have taken the time to read this article, I hope you have that same intention as well.

To answer “The New York Times” article’s question, does it matter if your doctor is a DO?, my answer is simple: It certainly does.

Related reading:

There are now over 207,000 DOs and osteopathic medical students

A.T. Still Memorial Lecture: ‘Our mission endures’

DOs and MDs: What are the true differences?