What does the do degree stand for is it a doctorate degree like an MD stands for medical doctorate degree I don't get the difference between an MD or DO degree which one is better?

Answer 1

Neither medical degree is better, they are just slightly different. The DO stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and MD stands for Doctor of Medicine. The MD and DO are equivalent medical degrees. The MD and DO are trained in much the same way with a slightly different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO promotes the body's ability to heal itself and facilitates that notion through the use of osteopathic manipulative medicine techniques. In addition to the standard medical curriculum that both MD and DO medical students learn during their time at medical school, DO medical students also receive 300-500 hours of instruction in a form of manual therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).

Just remember that both are equivalent. It is not that one is better than the other. Both are fully qualified physicians, can apply for a medical license, attend residency for training in a medical specialty, sit for board certification examinations, etc. DOs currently make up less than 10% of physicians in the United States, but are a rapidly growing segment of the physician population.