A Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) combines today’s medical technology with an emphasis on listening with care, seeing each patient as a whole person, and employing a thorough examination and consultation to diagnose and treat patients for injury and illness.
Just like an MD, a DO is a physician that, in order to practice, has obtained a bachelor’s degree, completed four years of medical school, and finished an additional three to eight years of internship/residency/fellowship. An osteopathic physician does get extra training in the musculoskeletal system, which allows them to understand how one part of the body can affect another. The DO’s approach is to diagnose and treat the patient as a whole, while focusing on prevention.
Internal Medicine Doctors
Doctors of internal medicine, or internists, focus on adult medicine and have special training in the prevention and treatment of adult diseases. In today’s complex medical environment, internists take pride in caring for their patients throughout their adult life—in the office, hospital and nursing homes.
When other medical specialists are involved, internists coordinate their patient’s care and manage the difficult problems associated with that care. While internists are trained to solve puzzling diagnostic problems and situations where multiple medical problems may exist, they also bring an understanding of wellness and help to promote disease prevention and optimal health.
Family Medicine Doctors
Doctors of family medicine, or family physicians/family doctors, are trained to provide primary care for people of all ages. Our family physicians focus on providing continuous, comprehensive health care for individuals and their families—all ages, sexes, diseases and parts of the body.
Family physicians provide a broad range of acute, chronic and preventative medicine services. In addition to diagnosing and treating illness, family doctors provide preventive care, including routine checkups, health risk assessments, immunizations, screening tests and personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Family physicians are also involved in coordinating the care of their patients with other subspecialists.