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What is the difference between a M.D. and a D.O?
An M.D. is a Doctor of Medicine (or for you Latin freaks: Medicinae Doctor) They are what you think of when you think of a typical "doctor" (Physician is a better term). Your family doctor is probably a M.D. Ask him. A D.O. is a Doctor of Osteopathy. An osteopath (as they might be known) is a physician. The difference lies in the education each receives. A M.D. receives a traditional allopathic education (the one you are trying so desperately to be able to receive). The osteopathic education is structured on, "the principles that the human body is an integrated organism and therefore abnormal function in one part of the body exerts unfavorable influences on other parts and on the body as a whole..." (taken from Barron's Guide to Medical and Dental Schools, 8th ed., p.398) Osteopathic education also includes "traditional" training that would be received in allopathic schools. Twenty osteopathic colleges exist, whereas 124 allopathic schools exist.
What is the difference between a D.D.S. and a D.M.D.?
Unlike the previous question, nothing except semantics. D.D.S. is a Doctor of Dental Surgery whereas a D.M.D. is a Doctor of Dental Medicine. If you go to dental school in Illinois you can find either program. UIC gives the D.D.S. and SIU gives the D.M.D. They are the same degree; they are certified the same way by the American Dental Association. They require the exact same courses. So, what's the difference? As far as we've figured out, all programs began as D.D.S. programs. Then, a while back (around the middle of the century) a few programs felt not emphasis was given to the medical side of dentistry so they tweaked their programs. Now, both degrees are regulated in the same way. From what the we've gathered, D.M.D. programs seem to exist more in the south, but this is not entirely the case. Confused? Just remember that both have the same qualifications and worry about more important things in life.
What is the difference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist?
Much more than a M.D/D.O and D.D.S./D.M.D. An ophthalmologist is a M.D. (though I suppose they could be a D.O.) who has chosen to specialize in the eye. An ophthalmologist would be more interested in the diseases and surgery of the eye. An optometrist has a O.D. (not to be confused with a D.O.) is a Doctor of Optometry. An optometrist goes to optometry school, whereas an ophthalmologist goes to medical school. An optometrist will deal more with fitting eye glasses and contacts and treating eye diseases with topical agents. Don't confuse these with opticians who do not hold medical degrees of any sort. They make eyeglasses.
OK, so what is a P.A.?
P.A. stands for Physician's Assistant. They do not have a MD or DO degree. Depending on the program they will, however, have a B.S. (Bachelor of Science) or M.S. (Master's of Science). A PA cannot practice alone. Depending on the state, PAs can do various tasks. To sound like a brochure, in the world in busier care, PA's see some of the patients a physician would normally see freeing the physician to handle more complicated cases.
Have a question and this page didn't help? Send your question to one of the PPA officers and we'll see that you get an answer. Plus, we get to add it to this page for the next person!
PPA/FAQ
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