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 College students hoping to attend the medical school faced a wide
range of options. Types of degrees, and philosophical orientations vary
among programs listed on
Microedu.com. Understanding of the various forms of medical schools
helps you make an informed decision about where to apply. Think about
your career goals and learning style before applying to a particular
type of medical school.
Allopathic Medicine
The majority of doctors in the United States are trained on
allopathic medicine programs, which are the most common form of medical
school. At the end of an allopathic veterinary medicine program,
students get a doctor-or MD degree. Medical schools with a traditional
orientation took students to diagnose and treat medical diseases. Some
doctors go on to specialize in other areas of medicine, such as
Pediatrics, Neurology, Psychiatry, Radiology or Oncology.
Osteopathic Medicine
There are fewer Osteopathic than Allopathic medicine programs in the
United States. Students, who implement a four-year-old Osteopathic
Medicine program get a doctor of Osteopathy or D.O. degree. An
Osteopathy training program takes a more holistic approach to medicine,
than a traditional program. Doctors with a D.O. are competent in the
traditional medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment, where the
hands are used to diagnose and treat diseases. Most osteopathy programs
prepare students to become practitioners, although some DO choose to
specialize in other areas of medicine.
Training Philosophies
In addition to offering various degrees, medical school programs vary
in their education philosophies. Many programs use traditional
educational models, where students spend the first two years in the
classroom learning the Biochemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology,
and Microbiology. In the next two years, students complete clinical
rotations in several fields of medicine. Other medical schools avoid the
traditional approach and teaching medicine using problem-based learning.
This education philosophy makes specific clinical cases to students and
teach them to think critically and develop strong problem-solving
strategies.
Considerations
According to
Bridgat, some medical schools offer degrees other than MD or DO. Medical
Assistant programs are two-or three-year programs that educate students
to be doctors. Physician Assistants diagnose illnesses and prescribe
treatments under the supervision of a doctor. Other schools offer
medical podiatric medicine or DPM degree. These doctors specialize in
the treatment of the foot, ankle and lower leg. |
