Is There a Difference Between a Doctor Who Is a DO or MD?
Depending on how much experience you have searching for a primary care provider or researching specialty care, doctors typically either have the suffix "DO" or "MD" attached to their name.
But what's the difference between the two? And does it matter when you're seeking different types of care?
What Does DO and MD Mean?
The obvious difference between DOs and MDs is the type of doctor, DO being short for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and MD being short for Doctor of Medicine.
Both DOs and MDs are given licenses by the same licensing boards in the U.S., with both types of doctors being required to meet the same standards of practicing medicine. Similarly, the American Medical Association says the requirements and curriculum for MD and DO college programs are virtually the same.
The real determining factor for choosing your doctor is as simple as answering: "Which doctor is right for me?"
Which is Right for Me?
While you can make MD vs. DO a part of your decision-making process when choosing a primary care doctor, the quality of your experience as a patient should be top of mind.
Both DOs and MDs undergo virtually the same vigorous training and are experts in the latest tools and techniques to help you live and feel well.
However, your experience as a patient is a reflection of much more than the knowledge and resume of your doctor, it's also greatly influenced by whether their approach suits your personal needs and values.
EvergreenHealth helps you make your decision by including our providers' philosophies of care in their online profiles. You can learn more about each doctor's clinical approach, their goals for creating a positive experience and environment for their patients, and their views on how they collaborate with their patients and others. You can also see each doctor's star ratings, which gives you unfiltered, authentic insight from other patients. Learn more about star ratings and how this patient feedback is published, or start your search for the right doctor for you.
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