Can you get into DO schools without shadowing a physician?

[WTTL]

I ask you guys because you guys have already been through the process.

Right now, the only MD or DO letter I have is from a premed advisor (aka premed committee because we do not have one). Do you think there are schools that would be willing to take this? As in, an MD letter for someone I have never shadowed. Is this possible? If so, what schools?

Thanks

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[ShyRem]

Some schools require a letter, others "recommend" a letter from a DO or an MD. They don't specify you have to have a letter from someone you shadowed, just a letter. In fact, with HIPPA these days, many physicians will meet with a pre-med once or twice and then write a letter. Submit your letter and apply broadly.

 

[99redballoons]

Call your family doc. and ask him for a letter. Don't be shy, most will simply sit down and chat for a few then whip up a nice letter, or even ask you to write it and then they will sign it. Piece of cake. I hope you have some form of experience in the medical field to make up for your lacking time with docs though. It makes the interview a ton easier and lets them know that you sorta know what your getting into.

 

[olivedjazzer]

It is required for some schools but not all.


That being said...

I feel like the opportunity to shadow any physician is invaluable and should be sought fervently. If this is the profession you wish to pursue, then what better way to observe your future-self than shadowing? You will gain much insight and understanding and actually have something to talk about when someone asks "why do you want to be a doctor?". I'm not sure how else one can grasp the profession without experiencing it from a hands-on viewpoint.

I ask you guys because you guys have already been through the process.

Right now, the only MD or DO letter I have is from a premed advisor (aka premed committee because we do not have one). Do you think there are schools that would be willing to take this? As in, an MD letter for someone I have never shadowed. Is this possible? If so, what schools?

Thanks

 

[99redballoons]

It is required for some schools but not all.


That being said...

I feel like the opportunity to shadow any physician is invaluable and should be sought fervently. If this is the profession you wish to pursue, then what better way to observe your future-self than shadowing? You will gain much insight and understanding and actually have something to talk about when someone asks "why do you want to be a doctor?". I'm not sure how else one can grasp the profession without experiencing it from a hands-on viewpoint.

Shadowing hands-on? Not sure about that, maybe eyes on. Shadowing is really garbage in my opinion. I can shadow through the television. It is just what schools want. Any decent bull****ter can find something interesting to say pertaining to why they want to be a doc. You want hands on, become a nurse, medical assistant or EMT. Don't use shadowing as your experience. It's not interesting...it sucks. Be interesting, be different, it just might be the tipping point for admission if your app. is not as strong somewhere else.

 

[WTTL]

Thanks for the input. I would appreciate more.

 

[rawman]

Some schools require a letter, others "recommend" a letter from a DO or an MD. They don't specify you have to have a letter from someone you shadowed, just a letter. In fact, with HIPPA these days, many physicians will meet with a pre-med once or twice and then write a letter. Submit your letter and apply broadly.

This was exactly my case when I applied.
Result: I got into my top choice...so, I'd say it worked out pretty well.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

Track down a DO and get a letter. It'll open more schools to you.

 

[emjayel]

Don't limit yourself on your applications because of something as simple as obtaining a letter of rec. Use this to strengthen your app by showing you actually have knowledge about the field and have seen it in practice.

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/find-a-do/Pages/default.aspx

http://cf.osteopathic.org/iLearn/home.cfm

Use those sites to find a DO near you (I recommend finding a doc in private practice), email them and ask if you can shadow. Simple as that. I emailed an OMM doc around this time last year, shadowed him once a week for a couple months, and then he and his office manager (wife) offered to write me the letter. They know what you're going through and what you need, but please don't just email them asking for a letter of rec....in my experience most docs want to get to know you at least somewhat before vouching for you in a letter.

 

[alphasyn]

I got into 5 DO schools without shadowing a DO.

But I only applied to those ones who don't REQUIRED it.

 

[Goro]

Because you're wishing to enter a profession that you'll be spending a lot of time and effort in, don't you think it's a good idea to go talk to a few doctors to find out what it's like? Do you have patient contact experience as well? You had better LIKE being around patients!

Having a DO letter will be more advantageous than having an MD letter...it shows us you're willing to look before you leap. In fact, you might get called out for having an MD letter if you're from an area of the country which has a large DO population, like the mid-west or northeast.

I ask you guys because you guys have already been through the process.

Right now, the only MD or DO letter I have is from a premed advisor (aka premed committee because we do not have one). Do you think there are schools that would be willing to take this? As in, an MD letter for someone I have never shadowed. Is this possible? If so, what schools?

Thanks

 

[TornadoChaser]

Shadowing hands-on? Not sure about that, maybe eyes on. Shadowing is really garbage in my opinion. I can shadow through the television. It is just what schools want. Any decent bull****ter can find something interesting to say pertaining to why they want to be a doc. You want hands on, become a nurse, medical assistant or EMT. Don't use shadowing as your experience. It's not interesting...it sucks. Be interesting, be different, it just might be the tipping point for admission if your app. is not as strong somewhere else.

Man, I couldn't agree more! Sitting there and watching someone else do their job is incredibly boring. Especially with a doctor, when you are just a pre-med, and for the most part you have no idea what they're talking about, or what is going on. It's a lot like golf. Really fun to play, not so exciting to watch others play.

 

[Goro]

You're ignoring something really, really important for pre-osteopathic students. It's not about watching, it's about learning. You should definitely be getting a feel of how a doctor interacts with a patient. If you think you're there to merely be a passive observer, then this profession is the wrong one for you.

Man, I couldn't agree more! Sitting there and watching someone else do their job is incredibly boring. Especially with a doctor, when you are just a pre-med, and for the most part you have no idea what they're talking about, or what is going on. It's a lot like golf. Really fun to play, not so exciting to watch others play.

 

[athadam]

You're ignoring something really, really important for pre-osteopathic students. It's not about watching, it's about learning. You should definitely be getting a feel of how a doctor interacts with a patient. If you think you're there to merely be a passive observer, then this profession is the wrong one for you.

I don't like it when people say "if you are not like this, you are in the wrong profession". What can you learn as a premed with so limited knowledge? A few hours of shadowing isn't that much different than your normal office visit IMO

 

[MRSAful Fate]

You should do whatever you can to shadow. Even if it is not required, it will be conspicuous by its absence on your application if you don't do it. It is also the best way to get physician LOR's, which are generally required and also conspicuous by their absence if you don't have any. It is very expensive to apply, why would you want to spend all that money to put out an application which is missing stuff that adcoms expect to see?

 

[tkim]

Whatever you do, do not PM someone with your PS and expect them to critique it without asking first. Happened to me just yesterday. Deleted without reading.

 

[99redballoons]

You're ignoring something really, really important for pre-osteopathic students. It's not about watching, it's about learning. You should definitely be getting a feel of how a doctor interacts with a patient. If you think you're there to merely be a passive observer, then this profession is the wrong one for you.

. Come on now man. That is just ridiculous. You don't learn ****, just admit it. You can get a feel by going for your yearly checkup. What else can you do when shadowing aside from passively observe, did you something extra....digital rectal exams? As I said before you can shadow through the television, and probably get more interaction.

 

[Torr]

Track down a DO and get a letter. It'll open more schools to you.

+1

Just get the letter.

...

I had been looking for the "Doctor for the people" vid!!! Many thanks for providing it on your sig. That guys hilarious.

 

[WTTL]

Don't limit yourself on your applications because of something as simple as obtaining a letter of rec. Use this to strengthen your app by showing you actually have knowledge about the field and have seen it in practice.

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/find-a-do/Pages/default.aspx

http://cf.osteopathic.org/iLearn/home.cfm

Use those sites to find a DO near you (I recommend finding a doc in private practice), email them and ask if you can shadow. Simple as that. I emailed an OMM doc around this time last year, shadowed him once a week for a couple months, and then he and his office manager (wife) offered to write me the letter. They know what you're going through and what you need, but please don't just email them asking for a letter of rec....in my experience most docs want to get to know you at least somewhat before vouching for you in a letter.

 

[munchymanRX]

I ask you guys because you guys have already been through the process.

Right now, the only MD or DO letter I have is from a premed advisor (aka premed committee because we do not have one). Do you think there are schools that would be willing to take this? As in, an MD letter for someone I have never shadowed. Is this possible? If so, what schools?

Thanks

Get a physician letter from someone you worked with. Do some shadowing, even if it's within the next month, and get one. Doesn't have to be a DO (i didnt get one from a DO!), an MD letter will serve you just fine most places.

The fact of the matter is that most applicants will have this--why hurt your chances relative to the entire pool?

 

[strangewonders]

I got into 5 DO schools without shadowing a DO.

But I only applied to those ones who don't REQUIRED it.

What schools doesn't require DO shadowing? thanks!

 

[athadam]

What schools doesn't require DO shadowing? thanks!

Midwestern, Nova, Touro and possibly Western. I might be mistaken though since I worked as a medical assistance in a private clinic and got a letter from there, those schools might considering that as shadowing.

 

[gbmd15]

Does anyone know of a site or something that says which DO schools require DO letters? Looking up each of the 28 individually would be a pain...

 

[mafunk]

I'm shadowing to meet the recommendations of the schools I'm applying to. One doctor I shadow at a medical clinic, so I actually get to do stuff vitals, charting, etc... and it's great in that way.

The other doctor I shadow my job is just to be a fly on the wall. He is very nice and I think I will learn some things from watching him work. BUT... this is what he said to me about shadowing (I'm older):

He said, "To be honest, shadowing is for younger people. At your age you have enough life experience to know what you want and to know how to interact with patients. But, it doesn't hurt to jump through their hoops."