What Is a D.O.?
He's a D.O., she almost whispered, which she assured me was 'basically the same' as an M.D. Was it? If so, why had she felt the need to bring it up? Even after several appointments, I felt no closer to understanding what my doctor's credential meant or whether it mattered to my care.
So, for the past few weeks, I've been digging into this question: What is a doctor of osteopathic medicine? This is, I've discovered, a timely question. The number of D.O.s is growing quickly: More than a quarter of all medical students in the U.S. today are attending osteopathic schools. Today, there are more than 150,000 practitioners, quadruple the number three decades ago.
In today's newsletter, I'll explain who they are — and what the changing face of medicine might mean for you.
Why is the group surging?
It's about supply and demand.
The U.S. population is growing. Lots of people want to be doctors, and many more need medical care. But the number of spots at traditional medical schools has grown very slowly. The number at osteopathic schools, however, has ballooned in recent years. Fourteen campuses have opened in the last five years alone, creating thousands of training slots.
The profession has gained traction in places, often rural, where M.D.s are in short supply. Osteopathic schools are often in 'medically underserved' areas like Kirksville, Mo.; Harrogate, Tenn.; and Detroit. Nearly 60 percent of D.O.s are primary care doctors — which pays less and is less popular among M.D.s.
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Robinson said the biggest limitation of the research is that it's correlational — the authors couldn't establish whether social media was making parents more passive or whether more passive parents were using social media more. In addition, the study couldn't account for factors such as parents' mental health, income and education. I'd also love to see this study replicated with fathers, who should also be taking responsibility for playing with their kids and using social media responsibly. Still, the study suggests using social media more could reduce our conversations with our children, and that got me thinking. Next time I play with my daughters, I'll be checking in with myself on whether I'm talking to them or my thoughts are elsewhere. I'll also be more conscious of how much the content I'm seeing on social media is continuing to play out in my head even after I'm done scrolling. I might even talk to my kids about the changes I make as a result. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
