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Students (L-R), Baron Herford, Paul Bradley, Aaron Earles, and Christina Brown.

With a predicted MD shortage in the years to come, the number of schools of osteopathic medicine is on the rise.

Currently, there are 24 schools of osteopathic medicine in the United States, but that number is expected to rise to 30 by 2010. Osteopathic physicians, or DOs, are finding themselves becoming primary caregivers at a disproportionate rate. Approximately 65 percent of practicing DOs specialize in the primary care areas of family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics.

George Mychaskiw II, DO, FAAP, professor and vice-chairman of the department of anesthesiology at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, said he wants to clear up the confusion over osteopathic medicine and make sure the practice doesn't get labeled as "glorified nurse practitioners" just because they serve mostly in primary care fields and in underserved areas.

Mychaskiw, who just received fellowship status with the American Osteopathic Association and set a record for a perfect 40 out of 40 score on a policy presentation before experts in Washington, received postdoctoral training at both Yale and Harvard. He said while osteopathic medicine is often misunderstood, the curricula are about the same in both DO and MD programs. The main difference is that the DO program adds a more philosophical, holistic approach to medicine.

"I'm right now sitting with a pulmonary critical care specialist, a psychiatrist, an infectious disease specialist, a surgeon, and I'm an anesthesiologist. All of us are DOs," said Mychaskiw. "We do the same thing as MDs, but most of us are in primary care, because more and more MDs are going into specialty fields. We're not as quick to suggest surgery. We look at the patient as a whole and believe the structure of the body is a part of that whole. We treat the symptoms, but also look at the big picture. We don't see surgery as an end-all. Say we have a patient with a back problem. We notice other things like maybe they're having back pains because they're fat. So, we work on the weight and maybe emotional issues surrounding that before we resort to surgery."

American Medical Association Resolution 809 recognizes DOs and MDs alike and encourages all state societies to accept DOs as members at every level.

In osteopathic medicine, there is an appreciation of the body's ability to heal itself. There are four key principles followed: 1) The person is a unit of body, mind and spirit; 2) The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance; 3) The structure and functions are reciprocally interrelated; and 4) The rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unit, self regulation and the interrelationship of structure and function.

Although DOs do treat the presenting illness, they don't stop there. They help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don't just fight illness but also help prevent it. They stress things to patients about the importance of families sharing their health histories with each other and the importance of sharing family time together. They encourage patients on the importance of keeping not just your body but also your mind active, by doing things like crossword puzzles, staying curious, getting involved and attending lectures and plays as preventive measures against Alzheimer's.

Currently, one of every five medical students in the United States is a DO. While schools of osteopathic medicine may accept a slightly lower MCAT score and grade point average, it's still very competitive, and there is very little difference in admission requirements.

"At UMC, we have seven openings a year for resident slots in anesthesiology. We look at the local people in school here, but we also look at the DOs very closely. They have good work ethics and good patient care. Out of the seven, we probably choose two or three DOs to be admitted," Mychaskiw said.

According to the American Osteopathic Association, DOs are one of the fastest growing segments of healthcare professionals in the United States. By the year 2020, it is estimated that at least 100,000 osteopathic physicians will be in active medical practice. DOs represent 6 percent of the total United States physician population.




January 2007

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