July 21st, 2025
DOs and MDs – They’re All Physicians and Welcome Here by Jim Vogele
I was happy to see an article in the New York Times in the past week with the title, “So Your Doctor Is a D.O. Does That Matter?”
Any reader visiting this website — which is devoted to physician contract reviews — knows the difference between an MD and a DO, including that, in practice, the difference may be a bit of a distinction without a difference. I say this in partial jest, because I imagine that among physician readers there may well be opinions on the topic. In any event, as mentioned, I appreciate the fact that the Times decided to include this piece as it is informative. Here is a link to the article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/well/osteopath-doctor-health.html?searchResultPosition=1
The average patient in America often does not recognize the difference between MDs and DOs; and furthermore, may well not know whether the physician the patient is seeing holds an MD degree or a DO degree. Be that as it may, as Teddy Rosenbluth, author of the NYT article states, the number of DOs in the U.S. has grown by 70 percent in just the past 10 years. That is arguably explosive growth! Indeed, the Times article notes that, in 2025, over 25% of all medical students in the U.S. are preparing to become DOs. According to the American Osteopathic Association’s (“OMP’s”) 2024 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report, at least 11% of all physicians already currently working in the U.S. are DOs.
https://osteopathic.org/index.php?aam-media=/wp-content/uploads/2024-OMP-Report.pdf
Given these statistics, one may be taken aback when Rosenbluth mentions that: “One of the most commonly searched questions on Google about D.O.s, who have had full rights to practice medicine in the United States since 1973, is whether they are physicians.” What? She adds that some Americans believe DOs are chiropractors or orthopedic specialists (and I might add optometrists to that list).
Given that “full rights to practice medicine” were bestowed only in 1973, another interesting historical factotum is that it took approximately 100 years from the 1874 ‘invention’ of modern osteopathy (according to Rosenbluth, Dr. Andrew Still envisioned a more whole-person approach to wellness”) to that late 20th century acceptance of the DO degree as bestowing upon the physician qualifications enabling the fully-licensed practice of medicine.
In the course of my practice reviewing Oregon physician contracts, California physician contracts, and Washington physician contracts, I frequently work with both MDs and DOs. The key physician employment contract terms they sign are obviously no different. Specific to my practice in providing Oregon, Washington, and California physician contract reviews, I have seen data indicating that on average there appear to exist minimal or slight differences in salary figures for MDs and DOs when compared by specialty (that is, apples to apples). By minimal, we are talking around 5% or so according to data that I have seen.
The percentage difference is larger if one simply compares average MD and DO salaries without factoring in specialty. The basis for this difference, however, derives significantly from the differing choices that MDs and DOs may make in terms of their chosen specialty and practice area (a higher percentage of DOs opt for family or internal medicine as well as for practices in more rural areas).
I will not attempt to illustrate a comparison of the admissions process to MD versus DO schools, as most readers here will know far more about than I do. As for academic meritocracies go, however, I can make an observation based on personal experience in my field of practice, which is the law. There I can observe that academic pedigrees matter in terms of competitiveness for certain career paths – primarily when it comes to hiring for judicial clerkships, academic, positions and certain very large corporate law firms. Most of my peers, friends and colleagues from the prestigious law school we attended indeed went down one of those three paths post-graduation. I was an exception there, although a couple years down the road post-graduation I did explore the big firm life for less than one year in a brief stint with a large law firm in San Francisco; the firm was filled with great lawyers but corporate law was not for me. In any event, looking at the larger picture, I can also say, based on decades of anecdotal observations, that where one goes to law school, or how well one objectively does while in law school (in terms of grades for example) has rather little to do with whether one ultimately becomes a ‘good’ lawyer. Many of the most accomplished and effective attorneys I have known did not attend a prestigious law school. Beyond a demonstrable proficiency in testing situations sufficient to pass a state bar exam, the considerations as to what makes an effective attorney are probably not a perfect match for what makes a good law student. Make of that what you will, but I will simply note that hard work, conscientious attention to practice and skill development, and a genuine concern for the interests of clients are among the key factors in becoming an effective attorney. And daresay that many of the same considerations are at play when it comes to being a ‘good’ doctor.
In sum, given the substantial demand for doctors in the U.S., which in some cases is going unmet, it seems to be for the overall good of healthcare that we see more eager, accomplished students of all sorts entering the profession. And if a good percentage of these students are seeking to attend DO schools, there is reason to applaud that development and trend. Note here that in the 2024 OMP Report (linked above), the OMP notes that, in 2024, 53% of osteopathic candidates matched into primary care residency programs. The OMP also notes that, “Top non-primary care specialties for DOs in 2024 include emergency medicine, anesthesiology, OB-GYN, general surgery and psychiatry.”
As mentioned, in my practice providing legal advice concerning physician contracts in Oregon, California, Washington, and Montana, I welcome one and all physicians and other healthcare practitioners who may need a physician contract review or other employment contract review in one or more of the four jurisdictions where I am licensed to practice. I have reviewed physician contracts for practitioners in nearly every medical specialty, from those working in small towns to physicians employed in all of the major west coast urban areas and academic institutions where medical professionals are employed. Please feel free to reach out. I am always happy to help where I can.
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