Another Win for DEAC

No, Jonathan, I'm not certain about anything -- except that my parents both had a l-o-n-g predilection for all kinds of QUACKS. To me, it's a wonder they lived as long as they did (both to mid or late 70s). I was in my teens at the time (around 1960) and I was pretty sure that guy my mother saw for a while was another one of them. To me -- all Osteopaths were that guy. Maybe wrong, but kept me out of potential trouble.

There's a place that calls itself an Osteopathic College -- or Institute or something, in my town, in premises that long ago, were a Canadian Tire Store. It may be OK, I don't know -- but the premises and signage look very cheesy. I don't trust "cheesy."

I wouldn't take a cat there. And I don't have to. "Lightnin' " and "Mojo" both grew old and passed on years ago... Wonderful animals. Good memories.

 

Aha. That's training 'lay' osteopaths who don't practice medicine. Osteopathic physicians are a different profession, trained in and practicing full scope scientific medicine.

 

From what I've seen, I don't think it's always quite the same, here, Josh. See my answer to Jonathan, above. And his answer, to me. I guess we have "real" and "lay" Osteopaths here. I'd want a real doctor. I'm not looking to get "laid."

 

It seems as though you have not encountered a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine as they are full trained in the full scope of medicine just as a Medical Doctor is.

 

SOCIALISM!!!!

 

Yes. it seems that way because it's true. I haven't. I'll have a look, so I'll be better informed - but I don't think I'll be changing doctors. I like MDs fine.

 

Yep. Not Stalinism or Marxism or Mao-speak, as any hint of Socialism is often thought to be, in the US. A Socialist Premier, Tommy Douglas, was the original proponent of the Canadian system. A poll a while ago elected the late Hon. Mr. Douglas as "the Greatest Canadian" for that very reason.

 

That is fine. I personally use a Physician Assistant for my primary care. I personally only utilize an MD or DO when it is an emergency situation or surgery is required...which is currently not often at all. Lol

 

It's a different environment here, Josh. I wouldn't even know where to find a PA. I don't know where we have any. I don't remember any in hospital, either, when I had heart surgery. I've seen that nurse-practitioners sometimes work in walk-in clinics, but I've never encountered one personally - certainly not in a physician's practice. Lots of techs etc. doing tests -- but you see the Doctor. That's OK. I get the same size bill for my cardiologist's checkup as I do for her techs to test me. Zilch. It's a good system.

 

In fact, I only learned there was such an occupation through reading US-based degree forums, like this one.

 

Yup. I have a few friends that are PA-C here in the United States. They are in primary care for the most part but several work in specialities such as orthopedics, ER, oncology, OB/GYN, etc. They obviously do not handle surgeries as that is out of their scope of practice. In fact, there are a few universities here in the US that has a bridge program for PA-C to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Here is one example.

https://lecom.edu/college-of-osteopathic-medicine/com-pathways/apap/

 

In New York D.O.'s and M.D.'s are licensed by the same body. There is no different "market" as they are used as interchangeably as M.S. and M.A. in fields like counseling.

But should you roll into an ER with an emergency I have a sneaking suspicion you're not going to be as picky with who starts trying to save your life.

 

That's what I like about DI - I learn something every day!

 

The Physician Assistant profession originated in the 60s at the medical school at your alma mater @JoshD, Duke. The first students were four former Navy Hospital Corpsmen.

 

Glad I could help in your learning.

 

It makes me nervous, having a SOCIALIST country just north of us here in the good ol' U.S. of A...30 million Canadians just poised to invade the minute our back is turned...unrepentant socialist Canadians at that!

 

I mean, you just hafta wonder what those people in Ottawa are planning, you know?

 

Well, I suggest you don't turn your back, then.

Oh, I'll never tell...

 

BTW, re my earlier post about generating too many physicians, the local osteopathic medical school is a for profit institution. Just sayin'.

 

Well, you can HAVE Texas so long as you take Ted Cruz back with it.