Why would I choose allopathic in the US over...

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an osteopathic school or a school in the Caribbean? It was beautiful when I went there.

I want to be a surgeon someday, preferably specialized in cardio-thoracic or neurosurgery, and am not sure about the path to take. Everything I've read about osteopathic medicine makes it sound better than allopathic, but I heard DOs are looked down on. I'm not really in the medical world (as I'm the ONLY pre-med physics major at my school),and don't know much about it. I am not around many pre-med students or teachers due to being a physics major. I'm applying to medical schools next year. I have a high GPA and a high MCAT, so should not have trouble getting into an allopathic school.

The way everywhere makes it sound is osteopathic = allopathic + kindness, but I'm sure allopathic must have more benefits due to being not looked down on. Can someone explain this to me, as I know nothing about the subject? Can someone also tell me how I check out medical school's programs for how classes are given (like 1 class straight for 8 weeks, lectures taped and also shown on a computer, etc.)?

lol the search function on this forum could help you.... a lot

trololololol

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

an osteopathic school or a school in the Caribbean? It was beautiful when I went there.

I want to be a surgeon someday, preferably specialized in cardio-thoracic or neurosurgery, and am not sure about the path to take. Everything I've read about osteopathic medicine makes it sound better than allopathic, but I heard ODs are looked down on. I'm not really in the medical world (as I'm the ONLY pre-med physics major at my school),and don't know much about it. I am not around many pre-med students or teachers due to being a physics major. I'm applying to medical schools next year. I have a high GPA and a high MCAT, so should not have trouble getting into an allopathic school.

The way everywhere makes it sound is osteopathic = allopathic + kindness, but I'm sure allopathic must have more benefits due to being not looked down on. Can someone explain this to me, as I know nothing about the subject? Can someone also tell me how I check out medical school's programs for how classes are given (like 1 class straight for 8 weeks, lectures taped and also shown on a computer, etc.)?

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're not a troll.

It's difficult to match into the surgical programs you want even under the best of circumstances. Doing so from an osteopathic school makes it even harder.

Osteopathic medical schools fall onto the continuum of medical school prestige, quality, and reputation. By most of the standard metrics of these things (stats of admitted students, research funding, quality of medical care and presence of the newest equipment at the attached hospital, etc, etc) , they tend to fall at the lower end of the continuum. If you're serious about wanting to do neurosurgery, you'd be well advised to go to the best medical school you can, which probably means an MD program.

The structure of different medical schools' curricula can usually be figured out from their websites. The MSAR is a good resource too, it isn't as detailed, but it allows you to easily look at a lot of schools and compare how they do things. I believe the MSAR only includes MD programs. I dunno if there's a similar resource for DO programs.

Derp

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Thank you! I tried searching for allopathic vs osteopathic, but couldn't find anything. I will check out the MSAR. I've tried looking at some schools websites but was wondering if there was a more efficient way.

So, I believe what you're saying is the school I go to matters on which residency I can get into? If I don't end up going to a top 25 school (as I'd prefer to go to the University of Utah, as I'm a student there now for undergrad), that would hurt my chances?

When people say "match" into a residency, it sounds to me like the residency is largely chosen for you by your stats at various fields, but I also heard you get to choose your residency. Is this something I should just worry about in a few years?

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

The way everywhere makes it sound is osteopathic = allopathic + kindness

How does the Kool-Aid taste?

Originally Posted by druggeek

lol the search function on this forum could help you.... a lot

Originally Posted by sliceofbread136

trololololol

Originally Posted by shamwowzer

Derp

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Originally Posted by gaystains

How does the Kool-Aid taste?

So why do you guys want to be doctors if you won't help someone with a simple question, but take the time to mock them for being ignorant? I said allopathic schools must have been better because they aren't looked down on, but I had no idea why they are, r why I'd choose one because all the google searches I find just say osteopathic has more care and training, but I'd have no idea myself. I've never been surrounded by medical students (or the medical culture) and haven't talked to one since I've taken O-Chem last year.

I'm really not trolling...just ignorant about this. I've had no exposure outside of the shadowing I did, but didn't ask this question to the physician.

You should definitely go into OD. Optometry is doing fairly well, but doesn't have much to do with DOs or MD schools.

Originally Posted by phltz

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're not a troll.

It's difficult to match into the surgical programs you want even under the best of circumstances. Doing so from an osteopathic school makes it even harder.

Osteopathic medical schools fall onto the continuum of medical school prestige, quality, and reputation. By most of the standard metrics of these things (stats of admitted students, research funding, quality of medical care and presence of the newest equipment at the attached hospital, etc, etc) , they tend to fall at the lower end of the continuum. If you're serious about wanting to do neurosurgery, you'd be well advised to go to the best medical school you can, which probably means an MD program.

The structure of different medical schools' curricula can usually be figured out from their websites. The MSAR is a good resource too, it isn't as detailed, but it allows you to easily look at a lot of schools and compare how they do things. I believe the MSAR only includes MD programs. I dunno if there's a similar resource for DO programs.

If you want to be a surgeon it ultimately depends on you and what you do at whatever school you are whether it is MD, DO or carribbean MD. I go to a DO school and we just had somebody match neurosurgery an a couple people match general surgery.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

Thank you! I tried searching for allopathic vs osteopathic, but couldn't find anything. I will check out the MSAR. I've tried looking at some schools websites but was wondering if there was a more efficient way.

So, I believe what you're saying is the school I go to matters on which residency I can get into? If I don't end up going to a top 25 school (as I'd prefer to go to the University of Utah, as I'm a student there now for undergrad), that would hurt my chances?

When people say "match" into a residency, it sounds to me like the residency is largely chosen for you by your stats at various fields, but I also heard you get to choose your residency. Is this something I should just worry about in a few years?

That's not what he's saying. It's easier to specialize as an MD than it is to specialize as a DO. How much easier depends on the specialty. If you want neurosurgery or something similarly competitive, then it's ridiculously hard either way...but it will be much easier as an MD. If you want a mildly competitive residency as a DO, it is possible. Going the MD route for a mildly competitive residency will be easier, but the DO route is definitely 'attainable' if you work hard and are 'near the top' of your class.

edit:

And avoid the Caribbean. I've read that residency slots are not increasing to match the increasing number of medical students (which are a result of new medical schools being built in the US.) To fix this problem, foreign and international residency slots are being exchanged for domestic residency slots. This means that it will be harder to get a US residency if you go the Caribbean (Caribbean students are considered international medical students), and it's already hard as it is.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

Thank you! I tried searching for allopathic vs osteopathic, but couldn't find anything. I will check out the MSAR. I've tried looking at some schools websites but was wondering if there was a more efficient way.

So, I believe what you're saying is the school I go to matters on which residency I can get into? If I don't end up going to a top 25 school (as I'd prefer to go to the University of Utah, as I'm a student there now for undergrad), that would hurt my chances?

When people say "match" into a residency, it sounds to me like the residency is largely chosen for you by your stats at various fields, but I also heard you get to choose your residency. Is this something I should just worry about in a few years?

For DO schools just type in AACOMAS and it will take you to the application website which also has links to each school.

I still think you're a troll. If not just do a forum search, this stuff has been posted like 5 times a day, everyday.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

Thank you! I tried searching for allopathic vs osteopathic, but couldn't find anything. I will check out the MSAR. I've tried looking at some schools websites but was wondering if there was a more efficient way.

So, I believe what you're saying is the school I go to matters on which residency I can get into? If I don't end up going to a top 25 school (as I'd prefer to go to the University of Utah, as I'm a student there now for undergrad), that would hurt my chances?

When people say "match" into a residency, it sounds to me like the residency is largely chosen for you by your stats at various fields, but I also heard you get to choose your residency. Is this something I should just worry about in a few years?

You could match into neurosurgery from a DO school. You could do it from the University of Utah. You could do it from Harvard Med. It'll be easier to do from a better school.

You can try looking at the match lists for schools to get a feel for how this works. There are threads for MD and DO match lists. Spend some time looking through them, and see who's sending more people into the programs you're interested in.

The match is a complicated process. As a brief summary, during your 4th year of med school, you interview at a variety of residency programs, and then rank them according to your preferences - 1st choice, 2nd choice, etc. The schools rank the students who interviewed according to _their_ preference, based on exam scores, possibly grades or class rank, your dean's letter, your interview, research you've done, etc. All these rankings are put into a computer program that matches students up with programs to try to give as many people what they want as possible. You can worry about the details later. For now, you should understand that the amount of choice you have depends on how strong your application is, and that if you've been better prepared and groomed, you have a better shot at getting your first choice. The weaker your application is, the more likely you are to get one of your lower choices, or worse, to go unmatched.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

...I'm not really in the medical world (as I'm the ONLY pre-med physics major at my school),and don't know much about it. I am not around many pre-med students or teachers due to being a physics major...

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

If I don't end up going to a top 25 school (as I'd prefer to go to the University of Utah, as I'm a student there now for undergrad), that would hurt my chances?

The bolded is how I know you're a troll. I'm a graduate of the University of Utah, and there are tons of pre-meds in the Physics department, and non-physics pre-meds spent plenty of time in physics courses there. Between trig-based physics, physics for scientists and engineers (required for Bio and Chem degrees), and Dr. Ingebretsen's Physics of the Human Body, I must've taken 5 Physics courses at the U of U, and I wasn't even a physics major.

Nice try man, didn't work this time. Better luck next.

Why is everyone concerned with the fact of him/her being a troll or not? If he/she is a troll, okay fine...God forbid that you took 5-10 minutes of your life to try and help a person who doesn't need it.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

The way everywhere makes it sound is osteopathic = allopathic + kindness

There's no reason you can't be "kind" as an MD. Plus, I'd argue that a lot of MD schools have shifted toward the "treat the whole patient/whole person" philosophy that is espoused by DO schools. I don't know a ton about DO schools, but I'm willing to bet OMM is the only real difference nowadays.... that, and the relative ease/difficulty of matching into competitive ACGME residencies.

Originally Posted by SLC

The bolded is how I know you're a troll. I'm a graduate of the University of Utah, and there are tons of pre-meds in the Physics department, and non-physics pre-meds spent plenty of time in physics courses there. Between trig-based physics, physics for scientists and engineers (required for Bio and Chem degrees), and Dr. Ingebretsen's Physics of the Human Body, I must've taken 5 Physics courses at the U of U, and I wasn't even a physics major.

Nice try man, didn't work this time. Better luck next.

I didn't know upper level physics majors took trig-based physics of physics for scientists and engineers every year. Pre-med physics majors are not common here. Yes, all pre-med students have to take introductory physics, but why would an upper level major be interacting with those students unless they were a lab aid or passing them by? You are just incorrect here.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

I didn't know upper level physics majors took trig-based physics of physics for scientists and engineers every year. Pre-med physics majors are not common here. Yes, all pre-med students have to take introductory physics, but why would an upper level major be interacting with those students unless they were a lab aid or passing them by? You are just incorrect here.

I'm not incorrect, but whatever.

And how can you say you're never around Pre-meds, when you've already taken the MCAT, and it seems like you've probably taken the pre-requisites too. There are TONS of pre-meds on lower campus, around president's circle etc.

Keep it up Troll.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

So why do you guys want to be doctors if you won't help someone with a simple question, but take the time to mock them for being ignorant? I said allopathic schools must have been better because they aren't looked down on, but I had no idea why they are, r why I'd choose one because all the google searches I find just say osteopathic has more care and training, but I'd have no idea myself. I've never been surrounded by medical students (or the medical culture) and haven't talked to one since I've taken O-Chem last year.

I'm really not trolling...just ignorant about this. I've had no exposure outside of the shadowing I did, but didn't ask this question to the physician.

We're not mocking you for ignorance. We're mocking you for the dissonance in (a) your professed desire to enter the profession yet (b) your inability to do research on literally the most common topic discussed on these forums.

It's been a year since I finished O-Chem and bio, and I tended to keep to myself during that and not get involved in pre-med culture enough to know this stuff? I study alone for the MCAT, and my volunteer wok is generally not in groups. The only thing I can think of as trolling would be the initial kindness comment, but that's basically what a google search told me. Even then, I don't see why it would have been so offensive.

Thank you everyone who was helpful. I'll do some more shadowing and ask some questions to an MD and a DO. I'll also be sure to stay in the US, and look more into allopathic schools and less into osteopathic schools, but won't close doors for an osteopathic school.

Originally Posted by kikkonomicon

an osteopathic school or a school in the Caribbean? It was beautiful when I went there.

I want to be a surgeon someday, preferably specialized in cardio-thoracic or neurosurgery, and am not sure about the path to take. Everything I've read about osteopathic medicine makes it sound better than allopathic, but I heard DOs are looked down on. I'm not really in the medical world (as I'm the ONLY pre-med physics major at my school),and don't know much about it. I am not around many pre-med students or teachers due to being a physics major. I'm applying to medical schools next year. I have a high GPA and a high MCAT, so should not have trouble getting into an allopathic school.

The way everywhere makes it sound is osteopathic = allopathic + kindness, but I'm sure allopathic must have more benefits due to being not looked down on. Can someone explain this to me, as I know nothing about the subject? Can someone also tell me how I check out medical school's programs for how classes are given (like 1 class straight for 8 weeks, lectures taped and also shown on a computer, etc.)?

Seriously?

Originally Posted by sliceofbread136

I still think you're a troll. If not just do a forum search, this stuff has been posted like 5 times a day, everyday.

Okay thanks for your help...

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Originally Posted by GeorgiadisMD

Okay thanks for your help...

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No problem.

OP do you not have any human interaction? your question literally is the stupidest thing ever. No one would want to go DO or Caribbean when you get into allopathic schools also, especially if you want to be a surgeon. you're lying, probably not even in college or you recently dropped out of pre med

OP don't go Caribbean.

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Originally Posted by Santorum Surge

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Originally Posted by zwitterion34

I'm glad there are plenty of nerds out there

Carribean isn't THAT bad. For some reason SDN makes it out to be medical school prison detainment. I know a bunch of people who graduated from Ross who are residents right now. What's the big deal? If you truly want to become a physician, nothing will stop you from your goal.

Originally Posted by VinceViegel

Carribean isn't THAT bad. For some reason SDN makes it out to be medical school prison detainment. I know a bunch of people who graduated from Ross who are residents right now. What's the big deal? If you truly want to become a physician, nothing will stop you from your goal.

At the risk of beating several dead horses, yes, going to the Caribbean is a bad idea. The attrition rate is astronomically high, and a good portion of paying customers (err...students) end up failing out after a year or two. And that's from the "good" or "Big 4" Caribbean schools.

Add to that the ever-increasing difficulty in obtaining any residency in the US - let alone a specialty you actually want, or a location you actually want - and it becomes clear that going to a Caribbean school should only be a last-ditch effort for rich gamblers who can't see themselves doing ANYTHING, whatsoever, besides some sort of medicine.

Originally Posted by CodeRedDew

Why is everyone concerned with the fact of him/her being a troll or not? If he/she is a troll, okay fine...God forbid that you took 5-10 minutes of your life to try and help a person who doesn't need it.

probably because this thread happens every so often in the exact same way. new poster makes a post about md = do = md from caribbean and asks why people like md so much when a do is an md with bells on it. then the poster tells people that they should be more compassionate since they want to be doctors. then he mentions that he would hate to be the patient of the posters that called him out or that he feels sorry for their future patients.

Originally Posted by VinceViegel

Carribean isn't THAT bad. For some reason SDN makes it out to be medical school prison detainment. I know a bunch of people who graduated from Ross who are residents right now. What's the big deal? If you truly want to become a physician, nothing will stop you from your goal.

yeah and those dudes will not likely get hired into a plushy firm like the us grads.