Osteopathic College in Oregon - the Newest Medical School

I am one of very few doctors in the United States who has graduated from, and was a professor in, both M.D. and D.O. Medical Schools.

Dr. Phil Leveque

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Why the Oregonian newspaper continues to degrade Osteopathic doctors is way beyond my understanding but they did it again July 31, 2011 with New Medical School Offers Alternative Route.

Although the new Osteopathic Medical School uses the name College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest it is truly Oregon’s NEW Medical School. The new school is by no means Alternative or Non-traditional medicine such as Chiropractic, Naturopathic or Oriental Medicine but a standard medical education that is exactly like M.D. schools with one very important addition and difference. Osteopathic Medical Schools do teach manipulation of joints especially of the back when it “goes out”. M.D.s can’t legally do that but Osteopaths can in addition to being able to write prescriptions just like M.D.s.

I am one of very few doctors in the United States who has graduated from, and was a professor in, both M.D. and D.O. Medical Schools. The only difference in the curriculums was that every Wednesday afternoon we studied and performed manipulation of the spine usually for “bad backs”. For M.D. students bad backs usually meant surgery costing thousands of dollars. Manipulations frequently saved the patients from surgery AND addictive drugs.

It is great to see the new Osteopathic College using LCD screens and high definition projectors for educational purposes. I was involved in this new technology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in the 1950s and at Ohio State University in the 1960s where I advocated for televised lectures and big screen displays. Most surgeons now use magnifying glasses. Big screen displays let them see what they are looking at.

I am shocked at the tuition $47,000 per year, about the same as Ivy League schools but a Medical Doctors License, M.D. or D.O., is worth at least $2,000,000. It’s too bad that most qualifying students can’t afford it or must go into $200,000 or more debt before they earn a dime.

The first Osteopath, Dr. A.T. Still, was actually an M.D. who did not go to Medical School but trained as an apprentice. Back then, in the 1870s, nobody knew what caused diseases. He thought they were caused by spinal aberrations (some are). He devised the helpful manipulations which were later copied by Chiropractors and Naturopaths and which is about the only therapy they can perform.

It is true M.D.s considered D.O.s quacks. It was professional jealousy. We were getting many of their bad back patients treated without getting them addicted to Opium.

D.O.s are represented in many specialties where jealous M.D.s will allow residents for training. In the meantime Osteopaths are most of the General Practitioners. We need them the most.

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