The anachronistic fight for osteopathic distinctiveness.

With all due respect to our " colleagues, " such as Dr Shore (2010;110[5]:299-300), who seem to be determined to change our DO degree for all manner of rea-sons—none of which have any serious rationale behind them—I would offer the following two thoughts: (1) federal funding of medicals schools in the future will have nothing to do with degrees, but rather with perceived need and available funds, and (2) while you are on a crusade to " accelerate the process of professional unification " by changing a degree that most of its recipients seem to be happy with, you might also want to focus on other medical doctors who practice in the United States while holding degrees with diverse designations, such as the BM, BM BCh, BMBS, MB BCh, MBBS, and MB ChB, that all represent bachelor of medicine and/or surgery degrees earned in various countries. Discussions centering on degrees that most people have earned, are pleased with, and have achieved professional success with waste valuable energy that both DOs and MDs in the United States should be directing toward more pressing issues. Among these issues are such questions as " how do we plan to stay in business after the reimbursement streams dry up and inflation deflates the value of fiat federal currency? " and " why can't I fulfill my Category 1-A continuing medical education requirements in the osteo-pathic medical community by taking courses taught by the American College of Emergency Physicians if I want to retain American Osteopathic Association board certification? " Why is it that the dental profession can exist with both DDS (doctor of dental surgery) and DMD (doctor of dental medicine) degrees without suffering an identity crisis—yet debate over DO identity continues? I practice with physician assistants whom many patients tend to call " doctor. " When patients do that, I do not regard my professional self-worth or identity as being challenged in any way because, quite frankly, when I am practicing, I save lives and change lives for the better, and my patients know this. The doctor of osteopathy degree is mine. I am a DO…period. I know what I am, I am proficient at my craft, and my patients call me " doctor. " So what is there to be upset about? If you do not want to be a DO, then please go to any number of other US or foreign …