Practicing Medicine As Do

[Etude]

Hello premed, I was discussing DO programs with other pre-meds and medical doctors. They pointed me out that practicing medicine by DOs is not covered by OHIP and advised that it might better for me to go to other medical schools, perhaps Carribean. I also googled to confirm that it is actually true for last 2 decades...  

 

Is this really true..? Are there any premed or DOs who can explain me about this with greater detail?

 

 

[Artier]

That's completely false. After you do residency, etc. and are practicing you are the same as an MD.

 

Do NOT go to the Carribean over a DO offer.

[Mashmetoo]

Hello premed, I was discussing DO programs with other pre-meds and medical doctors. They pointed me out that practicing medicine by DOs is not covered by OHIP and advised that it might better for me to go to other medical schools, perhaps Carribean. I also googled to confirm that it is actually true for last 2 decades...  

 

Is this really true..? Are there any premed or DOs who can explain me about this with greater detail?

 

ehh. I think you/they are mistaking a Canadian Osteopath DO, vs a US trained osteopathic physician (DO). I know, it's confusing.

Look up the CPSO equivalency statement that US trained DO is equivalent to a US/Canada trained MD.

[Etude]

That's completely false. After you do residency, etc. and are practicing you are the same as an MD.

 

Do NOT go to the Carribean over a DO offer.

I really do not want to go to Carribean as well  

I knew that some USDOs are already practicing medicine in Canada and the door for it is still open. But whether it would be covered by OHIP or not was something that I never thought about. I was in a shock after hearing it.

 

ehh. I think you/they are mistaking a Canadian Osteopath DO, vs a US trained osteopathic physician (DO). I know, it's confusing.

Look up the CPSO equivalency statement that US trained DO is equivalent to a US/Canada trained MD.

 

oh I never knew about Canadian DOs. I hope the DOs that my pre-meds were talking about was Canadian DOs, not USDO :S

 

thanks for the posts

[JohnGrisham]

Hello premed, I was discussing DO programs with other pre-meds and medical doctors. They pointed me out that practicing medicine by DOs is not covered by OHIP and advised that it might better for me to go to other medical schools, perhaps Carribean. I also googled to confirm that it is actually true for last 2 decades...  

 

Is this really true..? Are there any premed or DOs who can explain me about this with greater detail?

Lol they're idiots.

 

100% not true. You practice as a licensed medical doctor if you did DO training in the US. They are full-doctors.

 

Use google, its all there.

[Mashmetoo]

I think this whole confusion stems from the Canada (or non US trained DOs) vs US trained DOs.

 

USDOs are physicians - if you pass your residency and necessary licensing exams, they'll give you a license, CPSO (or provincial number), and billing number, and you can bill OHIP like any other doctor.

 

If you are a Non-US trained Osteopath - you are not a doctor, and therefore cannot get any of the physician billing numbers or membership numbers, hence obviously you cannot bill OHIP.

 

Pretty sure this was the confusion. The people you talked to probably just thought that a DO was like a chiropractor or naturopath (which of course also do not have these rights) - again, this comes down to a fundamental misunderstanding or lack of knowledge of the practice rights of US trained DOs in Canada (or Ontario if you want to be specific)

[Etude]

I think this whole confusion stems from the Canada (or non US trained DOs) vs US trained DOs.

 

USDOs are physicians - if you pass your residency and necessary licensing exams, they'll give you a license, CPSO (or provincial number), and billing number, and you can bill OHIP like any other doctor.

 

If you are a Non-US trained Osteopath - you are not a doctor, and therefore cannot get any of the physician billing numbers or membership numbers, hence obviously you cannot bill OHIP.

 

Pretty sure this was the confusion. The people you talked to probably just thought that a DO was like a chiropractor or naturopath (which of course also do not have these rights) - again, this comes down to a fundamental misunderstanding or lack of knowledge of the practice rights of US trained DOs in Canada (or Ontario if you want to be specific)

Thanks for a kind answer for this silly question. I was completely unaware of Canadian "DOs". 

[JohnGrisham]

Thanks for a kind answer for this silly question. I was completely unaware of Canadian "DOs". 

Manual Osteopaths do exist in Canada, but much less so than in Europe for example where they are really popular - along the same lines as Physiotherapy.  In fact a few of my Canadian Physio friends want to get some osteopathy training in the future to further their skillsets. 

 

But as above, US trained DO's are Physicians, who do extra training in Osteopathic manipulation. So essentially normal doctors who have an extra skillset in hands on work. Most don't really use it once they get through residency, but for some they do still use those extra skills as needed for specific patients and their needs.