ACGME Family Medicine Residency in California for D.O. Students

[LightBright801]

Hey all, I will be applying to ACGME family medicine residencies this year and am particularly interested in California. I am wondering if anyone knows how D.O. friendly they are. I have only taken comlex 1/2 and am not sure if I should also try and sit for usmle step 2. Anyone have experience with this?

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[first_time_poster]

I'm not a DO student, but I just did a quick check on the ACGME fam residencies in CA. They require Step 1. If you've got a good Step 1, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to apply to them.

For the academic residencies, chances are not good. About 5-10% are DO acceptances, give or take.

For the community hospitals, they're a lot higher. If you go to Western, Pomona's residency has over 50% DO acceptances. Pretty good odds.

Edit: sorry. you don't need Step 1 if you're a DO and passed the COMLEX 1 and 2.

 

[Launcelot]

California is huge, so it depends on the location within California. UCSF Fresno's family medicine residency program is almost nothing but DOs and caribbean MDs. UCSF's SF location on the other hand...

 

[NurWollen]

I'm just a 3rd year med student interested in FM, so take my opinion for what it's worth and with a grain of salt, but residencies at big university hospitals are not always where it's at with FM. In those types of places FM tends to play 2nd fiddle to medicine, surgery, OB, and peds, depending on the service. Some of the best FM residencies are at community hospitals and are the only residencies in their hospital. They cover everything. For example, the FM residency at Ventura County Medical Center is widely regarded as one of the best FM programs in the country. @VenturaResident obviously could tell you much more about it than me.

 

[Seth Joo]

Hey all, I will be applying to ACGME family medicine residencies this year and am particularly interested in California. I am wondering if anyone knows how D.O. friendly they are. I have only taken comlex 1/2 and am not sure if I should also try and sit for usmle step 2. Anyone have experience with this?

Family Medicine in CA is very easy for DOs, Academic Internal Medicine at a place like Stanford or UCLA would be another story, it would be nearly impossible for DOs. Internal Medicine at a place like Kaiser is doable, but Kaiser is not one of nicest places to do a residency.

 

[Goro]

My students from CA seem to have no problem getting into these.

Hey all, I will be applying to ACGME family medicine residencies this year and am particularly interested in California. I am wondering if anyone knows how D.O. friendly they are. I have only taken comlex 1/2 and am not sure if I should also try and sit for usmle step 2. Anyone have experience with this?

 

[EmCEm]

Family Medicine in CA is very easy for DOs, Academic Internal Medicine at a place like Stanford or UCLA would be another story, it would be nearly impossible for DOs. Internal Medicine at a place like Kaiser is doable, but Kaiser is not one of nicest places to do a residency.

I was wondering if you could elaborate on that last sentence. Just curious

 

[first_time_poster]

Family Medicine in CA is very easy for DOs, Academic Internal Medicine at a place like Stanford or UCLA would be another story, it would be nearly impossible for DOs. Internal Medicine at a place like Kaiser is doable, but Kaiser is not one of nicest places to do a residency.

?? maybe the IM residency in Fontana. It's DO and IMG heaven. But not the LA program; it's pretty competitive. I mean, all IM programs in Los Angeles are.

Edit: this isn't to say that Kaiser - Fontanta IM is not a nice place. I'm sure it's great. Just on the fact whether DOs can match there, odds are better there.

 

[Seth Joo]

?? maybe the IM residency in Fontana. It's DO and IMG heaven. But not the LA program; it's pretty competitive. I mean, all IM programs in Los Angeles are.

Edit: this isn't to say that Kaiser - Fontanta IM is not a nice place. I'm sure it's great. Just on the fact whether DOs can match there, odds are better there.

From what I know Kaiser is supposed to be open to DOs compared to academic residency programs like UCLA and the like, its a lot more doable to match as a DO at Kaiser than it is at UCLA, UCSD, Stanford, etc.

Also academic IM is tough for DOs, DOs can match at middle tier and lower tier academic programs but its hard to match at programs like Harvard and Yale Internal Medicine.

 

[hallowmann]

I'm just a 3rd year med student interested in FM, so take my opinion for what it's worth and with a grain of salt, but residencies at big university hospitals are not always where it's at with FM. In those types of places FM tends to play 2nd fiddle to medicine, surgery, OB, and peds, depending on the service. Some of the best FM residencies are at community hospitals and are the only residencies in their hospital. They cover everything. For example, the FM residency at Ventura County Medical Center is widely regarded as one of the best FM programs in the country. @VenturaResident obviously could tell you much more about it than me.

You decide on FM? It's only gone higher on my list since 3rd year began. I'm still giving IM or a couple others a shot, but I liked it way more than I expected.

FM is all about the unopposed programs. If you rotate at an unopposed FM program, that service basically runs the hospital. You do (and in turn learn) pretty much everything as a resident. Great exposure.

?? maybe the IM residency in Fontana. It's DO and IMG heaven. But not the LA program; it's pretty competitive. I mean, all IM programs in Los Angeles are.

Edit: this isn't to say that Kaiser - Fontanta IM is not a nice place. I'm sure it's great. Just on the fact whether DOs can match there, odds are better there.

Kaiser has like 5 or 6 IM programs in CA. Pretty much all except for the LA one have taken DOs recently. Compared to the UCs its much more DO friendly, but I've heard mixed things about working there.

 

[NurWollen]

You decide on FM? It's only gone higher on my list since 3rd year began. I'm still giving IM or a couple others a shot, but I liked it way more than I expected.

FM is all about the unopposed programs. If you rotate at an unopposed FM program, that service basically runs the hospital. You do (and in turn learn) pretty much everything as a resident. Great exposure.

Obviously I've got a lot of rotations left, so no, I haven't for sure decided. But I really enjoyed my 1st FM rotation, so I'm definitely considering it. FM does the stuff I always pictured doing as a physician, and I like the idea of being a doctor for everyone.

 

[Siggy]

One place I haven't heard mentioned yet is Arrowhead in Colton. It's San Bernardino's county hospital and the FM program there is dual accredited. The FM department runs 3 separate outpatient clinics as well as their own inpatient service.