Osteopath

Discussions about osteopaths need to be differentiated from discussions about Osteopathic Physicians. THERE ARE TWO BRANCHES OF MEDICINE THAT FULLY LICENSE PHYSICIANS IN THE UNITED STATES: M.D. and D.O.
Currently, the term “osteopath” (in the US) is used as a colloquial/historical reference to the other branch (non-MD) of fully licensed physicians who ‘specialize in osteopathic manipulation’. More generally and to most “citizens of the world’, it refers to the growing number of osteopathically foreign-trained ”Doctors of Osteopathy”, who use the noun osteopath to define the scope of their practice. This license is found in abundance in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and most of Europe. Their license is limited to physical treatment, not surgical or pharmaceutical management associated with patient care. The American Osteopathic Association recognizes a specialty branch and board certification associated with physicians trained in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. Although that certification is not exclusive as a replacement to the term ‘osteopath’, it has a very similar colloquial association in America. The exception being, a Neuromusculoskeletal physician is fully licensed in their scope of practice, unlike the ‘osteopath’ whose license is limited, as is their medical training. I refer to myself as an Osteopathic Physician with a board certification in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine…., but my friends and former patients know that I am an Osteopath. It suggests that I have ‘roots’ in the traditional practice of “hands-on” medicine, misleading until it is understood.

also https://www.sansumclinic.org/find-a-doctor/doctor/profile/olivia-m-bajor
who may be my new dr., as mine just retired.

Saw this in some news blurb; she's a newer hire. Accepting patients:
https://www.sansumclinic.org/find-a-doctor/doctor/profile/allison-e-akers

My wife and I both are patients of Dr. Justin Hwang, OD of Sansum in Goleta. He is excellent and you should meet him.

My brother graduated from a DO program. He then completed an Internal Medicine residency (that MD's were also competing for) at a reputable hospital system in the LA area. He then got into a fellowship (again competing against MD's ) for endocrinology. Along the way I know he had to take the same board exams as someone who went to an MD program. As far as I know, the DO degree covered all the same material as an MD program.

From what I read, the original osteopathic teachings were anti-vax but now osteopath organizations' stance is pro-vaccination.

I wonder what the typical DO’s position is regarding vaccines.

https://santabarbaradoctor.net/

Sawyer Haig, DO is a wonderful Internal Medicine Practitioner. I was his patient at Sansum Clinic until some months back. He joined another practice on Pueblo between Bath and De La Vena streets. There are a handful of DOs employed by Sansum

Hmmm, not a single recommendation.

Parsing language that attempts to ignore that DO "medical" schools are the same as MD "medical" schools is the problem. What people learn at schools that respect investigation, science and the total body is different than what DO schools proudly brag is their superiority. So if a DO grad goes to a real medical school afterwards, great. One hopes that she or he enters into the tradition of successful western scientific human care. But if she or he simply uses the DO to claim the right to diagnose and treat the whole gambit of medical issues the patient is being shortchanged. Go to a chiropractor or masseuse, its cheaper and you can use the savings to go to an MD for proper care.

My sister, the smart one in the family, got a DO degree in Des Moines, IA -- there was no MD program in town. She did her residency at the Mayo Clinic, a reputable place that recognizes the quality of DO training. She's been in practice as a neurologist for over 30 years now. DOs are not some quack medical group.

Thankfully they are rare locally. They should be non-existent. You should look for a scientifically based care giver.