DO/osteopathic schools easy to get into?

[Dr Wannabee]

I was looking at some of the profiles on mdapplicants.com of people who got into DO schools. It looks like anyone can get into some of the DO schools. The stats are pretty pathetic. Is this a fair assesment? And please don't tell me that they look at the "total package" because anyone with half a brain can do the "right thing" (ie voluntering, clubs, shadowing) for a couple of years and look like mr. or mrs. well rounded student.

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[rayzer]

you should post this in the pre-DO forum too to get answers from both sides (MD and DO)

 

[PainDr]

Well, I could say the same thing about several allopathic schools, but I won't. No...that would be short sighted and immature. But don't worry, I'm sure with your sparkling personality you'll be fighting off acceptances.

 

[fotolilith]

Well, I could say the same thing about several allopathic schools, but I won't. No...that would be short sighted and immature. But don't worry, I'm sure with your sparkling personality you'll be fighting off acceptances.

Hahaha! Way to tell the troll!

 

[fotolilith]

I was looking at some of the profiles on mdapplicants.com of people who got into DO schools. It looks like anyone can get into some of the DO schools. The stats are pretty pathetic. Is this a fair assesment? And please don't tell me that they look at the "total package" because anyone with half a brain can do the "right thing" (ie voluntering, clubs, shadowing) for a couple of years and look like mr. or mrs. well rounded student. If I'm wrong please tell me but I'm really not that worried about getting in to medical school anymore.

No, statistically the average DO school matriculant is only about 1-2 points lower on the MCAT than the avg allopathic student (27 DO, 29 MD). This is partly due to the fact that more DO students are non traditional (ie, older) & older applicants in general tend to have lower ugrad gpas/ been away from school longer, etc.

SO, if you'd like to tell the whole SDN forum that getting less than a 29 on their MCAT is "pathetic," by all means, please do. Because you've just insulted 80% of the people who take the test - some of whom will be your clinical/lab partners, consulting physicians, attending residents,... basically the people who will be actually MAKING something of their lives while you're frantically holding onto the illusion that all that matters in life is to find someone to be better than...

 

[Ypo.]

No, statistically the average DO school matriculant is only about 1-2 points lower on the MCAT than the avg allopathic student (27 DO, 29 MD). This is partly due to the fact that more DO students are non traditional (ie, older) & older applicants in general tend to have lower ugrad gpas/ been away from school longer, etc.

SO, if you'd like to tell the whole SDN forum that getting less than a 29 on their MCAT is "pathetic," by all means, please do. Because you've just insulted 80% of the people who take the test - some of whom will be your clinical/lab partners, consulting physicians, attending residents,... basically the people who will be actually MAKING something of their lives while you're frantically holding onto the illusion that all that matters in life is to find someone to be better than...

took the words right outta my mouth

 

[subtle1epiphany]

took the words right outta my mouth

yeah, seriously ypo.
way to tell him fotolilith, osteopaths learn the same things as allos, and then they have OMT. you've gotta respect that, whether i go allo or osteo, i know i'll respect both. we need both in today's society.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

A lot of your perception on this issue might have to do with what part of the country you're from. Off the top of my head I can only think of one DO school in the south (which is a real stretch to call Ft Lauderdale the south)... Anyway I may be way off but I was always told that the midwest and west coast had a strong group of DO's. Generally amongst the people that were advising me in the application process it was felt that the order was Allopathic > DO > Caribbean. I really have no justification for this but it's what I was told. All the DO's I've met and worked with have been great but it would be foolish to act like no stigma exists.

 

[WatchingWaiting]

No, statistically the average DO school matriculant is only about 1-2 points lower on the MCAT than the avg allopathic student (27 DO, 29 MD).

This is a blatant lie, and an infuriating one. According to the association of osteopathic colleges (click on page 28 of the report),

http://www.aacom.org/data/annualreport/slideshow/index.html

the average matriculant osteopath MCAT is a 24.5. This is not "1-2 points lower"; this is 5 points lower (allopathic average: 29.6 ; SD: ~4), or to put it another way, around one standard deviation lower than the average allopathic matriculant. Also, the average matriculant MCAT has actually been dropping a little bit over the last six years for the osteopathic schools, so don't try to claim that the gap is narrowing. Also, please don't bother responding with, "But we do just as well as in med school." Because, in fact, more than 30% of osteopaths who take USMLE Step I end up failing it, as compared to 8% of allopathic takers.

It is insulting to the accomplishments and records of the allopathic student population to claim that the osteopaths are just as good academically as they are, especially when they clearly are not.

From http://www.aacom.org/data/annualreport/slideshow/pages/Page 28.html --

BS: 8.50 ; PS: 7.97 ; VR: 8.06

 

[superdevil]

This is a blatant lie, and an infurating one.

According to the association of osteopathic colleges (click on page 28 of the report),

http://www.aacom.org/data/annualreport/slideshow/index.html

the average matriculant osteopath MCAT is a 24.5. This is not "1-2 points lower"; this is 5 points lower, or to put it another way, around one standard deviation lower than the average allopathic matriculant. Also, the average matriculant MCAT has actually been dropping a little bit over the last six years for the osteopathic schools, so don't try to claim that the gap is narrowing. Also, please don't bother responding with, "But we do just as well as in med school." Because, in fact, more than 30% of osteopaths who take USMLE Step I end up failing it, as compared to 8% of allopathic takers.

It is insulting to the accomplishments and records of the allopathic student population to claim that the osteopaths are just as good academically as they are, especially when they clearly are not.

thank you. i'm also not a fan of the whole "DO's learn everything MDs do, plus OMT." almost makes it sound like DOs actually learn more about medicine than MDs.

this is just an idle question to all, as i honestly don't know/remember: how many DO schools have opened in the past 15-20 years?

 

[Dr Wannabee]

Well, I could say the same thing about several allopathic schools, but I won't. No...that would be short sighted and immature. But don't worry, I'm sure with your sparkling personality you'll be fighting off acceptances.

Ahhh... namecalling, the refuge of the mental giant. I think you just proved my point

 

[Dr Wannabee]

No, statistically the average DO school matriculant is only about 1-2 points lower on the MCAT than the avg allopathic student (27 DO, 29 MD). This is partly due to the fact that more DO students are non traditional (ie, older) & older applicants in general tend to have lower ugrad gpas/ been away from school longer, etc.

SO, if you'd like to tell the whole SDN forum that getting less than a 29 on their MCAT is "pathetic," by all means, please do. Because you've just insulted 80% of the people who take the test - some of whom will be your clinical/lab partners, consulting physicians, attending residents,... basically the people who will be actually MAKING something of their lives while you're frantically holding onto the illusion that all that matters in life is to find someone to be better than...

What a dumb@ss! You obviously didn't understand my post. I was simply stating an observation I made about the difference in stats. Go to mdapplicants.com and look at the average mcats of some(remember I said "some" of the do schools in my OP) of the do schools. Do you deny that there is a pretty large descrepancy? If so then I fear you have your head in the sand. Furthermore, it sounds to me like you have a chip on your shoulder, maybe you should work on that.

 

[stoic]

High GPA or MCAT does not a quality physician make

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I think most of us here would like to see this thread quickly killed. DO vs MD arguments have been bled to death on SDN.

 

[45408]

It looks like anyone can get into some of the DO schools. The stats are pretty pathetic. Is this a fair assesment?

No.

 

[fotolilith]

No.

Very smart answer.

 

[EvoDevo]

Dr. Wannabee, watch your comments or you're going on post-hold. You're trolling, flaming, and insulting fellow guests. All are violations of the SDN TOS. You have been warned.