Tuesday, July 29, 2003

 

Look out, this is a REALLY long one...

So, what is Osteopathic Medicine?

"A system of medical care with a philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with current practice of medicine, surgery and obstetrics, and emphasis on the inter-relationships between structure and function, and an appreciation of the body’s ability to heal itself." -Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine, 1997: Williams & Wilkins

"Osteopathic medicine is a distinctive form of medical practice in the United States. Osteopathic medicine provides all of the benefits of modern medicine including prescription drugs, surgery, and the use of technology to diagnose disease and evaluate injury. It also offers the added benefit of hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine. Osteopathic Medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health education, injury prevention and disease prevention.

Osteopathic physicians, also known as D.O.s, work in partnership with their patients. They consider the impact that lifestyle and community have on the health of each individual, and they work to erase barriers to good health. D.O.s are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine in all 50 states. They practice in all types of environments including the military, and in all types of specialties from family medicine to obstetrics, surgery, and aerospace medicine.

D.O.s are trained to look at the whole person from their first days of medical school, which means they see each person as more than just a collection of body parts that may become injured or diseased. This holistic approach to patient care means that osteopathic medical students learn how to integrate the patient into the health care process as a partner. They are trained to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, and they get the opportunity to practice these skills in the classroom with simulated patients."
- from the AACOM website

Now, I'm not saying that DO's are necessarily any better than MD's. There are bad MD's and DO's. DO's just have a different take on things. The majority of DO's go into primary care (family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics), but there is a practicing DO in every specialty and subspecialty. The way I see it, we are trained to look at the whole patient, to become familiar with them, to listen to them, to encourage them to take an active participatory role in their health care. I kinda like it like that.

What's OMT? (I should tell you, since I talk about this on occasion)

OMT is a set of techniques ranging from soft tissue techniques (which emphasize treatment of musculature and fascia - a type of tissue in the body - and the nerves and vascular elements associated with the tissues) to HVLA (techniques which use manipulation of the skeletal elements to promote healing and increase range of motion) to Strain/Counterstrain (which helps relieve pain, increase/restore range of motion, etc, by treating the neuromuscular reflexes causing the pain). That's just a couple of the different OMT methods DO's are trained to use. There's also Muscle Energy (stretching techniques which increase range of motion), Cranial, Myofascial Release... and the list continues.

How are DO's and MD's alike?

*Both must complete a four-year undergraduate degree
*Both must complete the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
*Both must complete four years of education at an accredited medical college
*Both must complete/Pass the three step medical board examinations
*Both must complete a residency program (length depends on specialty)
*Both must complete/Pass state licensing and examinations (DO's and MD's take the same exams)

DO's bring more to medicine:

*D.O.’s practice a “whole person” approach to medicine. Instead of just treating specific symptoms or illnesses, they regard your body as an integrated whole.
*Osteopathic physicians are trained to focus on preventative healthcare.
*D.O.’s receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system - your body's interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of its body mass.
*Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is incorporated in the training and practice of osteopathic physicians. This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of the ways that an injury or illness in one part of your body can affect another. It gives D.O.’s a therapeutic and diagnostic advantage over those who do not receive additional specialized training. OMT allows physicians to use their hands to diagnose injury and illness and to encourage your body’s natural tendency toward self healing and good health.

A lot of the info I shared with you above comes from the "Osteopathic Outreach" CD that a couple of my schoolmates made to help teach the public more about osteopathic medicine. So big props to them. I'd name them, but no one ever told me exactly who made the CD.

For more information, feel free to check out my school, the AOA (American Osteopathic Association), and the AACOM (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine) to learn more... someone let me know if those links don't work, ok?

Claud 7:24 PM 

Monday, July 28, 2003

 

SHE LIVES!!


Hello. Yes, I know it's been forever and a day since my last post. And yes, I know some of you (yes Dan, you especially) have been waiting for me to finally post things. I admit, my excuses for not posting aren't exactly the most solid, but I was busy working, spending time at home with my family, with Dan, etc. I actually wasn't on line all that much this summer. So there.

I'm back in Des Moines now. Had my first day of classes today. Managed to stay awake. Hope this keeps up.

As for the posts I promised earlier in the summer, they'll show up. I'm in the process of composing them. I think I'm still processing everything that's happened in the last year. It's been about that long since I first moved to Des Moines. There's a lot to process. I guess I still have trouble realizing that it was all over, that I'm a second year student now. And so it goes. Hopefully I get back into the swing of things soon.

As for what a DO is and why I decided to become one... I'll go into that more tomorrow, but I feel I need to clarify some things. A DO (doctor of osteopathy) IS A PHYSICIAN. DO's and MD's both attend medical schools, must pass licensing exams, and complete internship/residency training. They're kinda separate, but equal. More on that tomorrow.

And to studying I go...

Claud 8:07 PM