DOs out in the real world

[MattSmith45]

I'm still relatively new to SDN and posted a thread a little while's back about getting into an osteopathic school. I got pretty good feedback where you all told me to take my acceptance and not even bother reapplying (I initially wanted MD). So I wanted to follow up with some personal questions:

1) As a DO rotating at an MD institution (during your 3rd & 4th years), do you get judged differently/graded differently/ or even discriminated against since you're among MDs? Is it just less stressful and easier to just rotate at osteopathic institutions?

2) Out in the real world, if MDs and DOs are practicing together, does an MD have the hierarchy when it comes to making clinical decisions and leading a team?

3) I am really not that interested in basic science research. I find it too time consuming and there is very little return on investment. What are other things that applicants do besides research that are also valuable?

4) Now that I have been accepted to medical school, what would you say I should do in the next 6 months or so before school begins? Anything productive?


Thanks for answering any or all of my Qs! If you have any other tips, feel free to let me know.

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[Awesome Sauceome]

I am not a student yet but I can answer a couple for sure from personal experience:

1) I have read on here that its a mixed bag. I have heard some people say they got an inkling of teasing for a couple days about the DO thing, but once they were found to be competent its no problem. Conversely I have also heard from some people that when they rotated at an MD school, no one even brought it up. This is probably based more on the institution that you are at. Everyone craps on the people below them. If you are a DO rotating at a top MD research school you might get more flack than at a smaller MD school. But the reality is that if you are at a top MD school, they would probably crap on ANYONE that is not from their same level of prestige. But others could probably answer better with more personal experience.

2) This one I can answer for sure. Absolutely not! I have spent roughly a year shadowing an orthopedic surgeon, a pediatrician, and then an EM doc (all DOs). The Ortho was in a practice with 4 other surgeons (MD), and the peds doc was with I think 3 other docs (MDs). And the EM doc was obviously in an ER where there are dozens of physicians (both MD and DO). My shadowing ranged in a DO neutral state, and then some was in a DO unfriendly state. In my collective hundreds of hours shadowing I can not think of even one minute situation where any physicians (MD or DO) questioned what each other did, and certainly not an MD telling a DO (both equal by law) how to practice.
Some things I did see however: the EM docs certainly didnt give a crap and it was so unimportant that it was never even brought up. They seemed to be more about the physician vs PA/NP thing since in some ERs there is encroachment. The ortho docs never brought it up with each other but I can think of maybe a dozen cases where the DO and the MDs in this practice spent time talking as equal partners on new strategies, equipment, research they read, etc. They treated each other as complete equals intellectually as well as equals when it comes to responsibility of bringing in money for the practice via surgeries. In the peds clinic I shadowed, I sat down for lunch with 2 of the MDs and the DO I was shadowing. One of the MDs physically told me that there is absolutely no difference and that they do the exact same thing and that I was wise for not wasting more years trying to get into an MD school when I could get into a DO school easier. They had a very good relationship with the DO and even joked a couple of times about him doing some osteopathic magic on their backs and stuff (he wasnt big into the OMM stuff). Again, I will stress that not in a single situation have I experienced an MD vs DO debate in the real world. This debate is ONLY present here on SDN and is mostly found in the pre-allo forum (even the allo forum has a fine opinion of DOs).
-side note... they all also make the same amount of money.

3) Clinical research, get involved in some stuff at school, but realistically probably just kill boards haha. So far from what I have heard, that is the most important thing. Prepare to take both the USMLE and COMLEX.

4) Watch netflix, get in shape, travel.

 

[Stlblues17]

I'm still relatively new to SDN and posted a thread a little while's back about getting into an osteopathic school. I got pretty good feedback where you all told me to take my acceptance and not even bother reapplying (I initially wanted MD). So I wanted to follow up with some personal questions:

1) As a DO rotating at an MD institution (during your 3rd & 4th years), do you get judged differently/graded differently/ or even discriminated against since you're among MDs? Is it just less stressful and easier to just rotate at osteopathic institutions?

2) Out in the real world, if MDs and DOs are practicing together, does an MD have the hierarchy when it comes to making clinical decisions and leading a team?

3) I am really not that interested in basic science research. I find it too time consuming and there is very little return on investment. What are other things that applicants do besides research that are also valuable?

4) Now that I have been accepted to medical school, what would you say I should do in the next 6 months or so before school begins? Anything productive?


Thanks for answering any or all of my Qs! If you have any other tips, feel free to let me know.

1) if they are professional they won't judge/treat you differently. The institution may be more involved with their home institution students for like 1st assist in OR etc, but your just another student there to learn, and since they are willing to have you there, they will treat you correctly.

2) No

3) clinical research and clinical review papers from what I hear, a lot less time to complete.

4) enjoy yourself. That's what I am doing. As another SDNer said "studying as much human anatomy as possible at the beach, whilesimultaneously metabolizing ethanol."

 

[RadsonRads]

I'm still relatively new to SDN and posted a thread a little while's back about getting into an osteopathic school. I got pretty good feedback where you all told me to take my acceptance and not even bother reapplying (I initially wanted MD). So I wanted to follow up with some personal questions:

1) As a DO rotating at an MD institution (during your 3rd & 4th years), do you get judged differently/graded differently/ or even discriminated against since you're among MDs? Is it just less stressful and easier to just rotate at osteopathic institutions?

2) Out in the real world, if MDs and DOs are practicing together, does an MD have the hierarchy when it comes to making clinical decisions and leading a team?

3) I am really not that interested in basic science research. I find it too time consuming and there is very little return on investment. What are other things that applicants do besides research that are also valuable?

4) Now that I have been accepted to medical school, what would you say I should do in the next 6 months or so before school begins? Anything productive?


Thanks for answering any or all of my Qs! If you have any other tips, feel free to let me know.

I'm only responding because this post enrages me.

1) No. Why would you get graded differently? You are equals and probably know the same amount of info as your colleagues and most likely took the same board exams. Of course it's easier to rotate at a DO institution, but how will DOs ever get out there if we are too scared that we will be treated differently? This is ridiculous. I've rotated at over 10 large academic hospitals and not once have I ever been treated differently, as less of a med student, or anything inferior.

2) this is the most ridiculous question I've ever heard and don't think it warrants a response

3) case reports, presentations, volunteer stuff, etc

4) do everything that doesn't involve medicine

 

[meliora27]

I'd give this thread a 5.5/10 on the trolling scale.

 

[costales]

1. Nobody cares. Everyone on the same team is taught the same procedures by the same people. Everyone gets pimped the same way. If anyone gets treated differently, it's mostly because of their personality or work ethics.

2. Medicine is not like the U.S. Congress or the engineering department of Acme Corp. Typically, as the attending physician for the patient, you make the call. It's on your head.

3. Try some clinical research if you can. It's generally "easier" and quicker for your CV if you decide to go for something competitive later on.

4. Buy a reliable vehicle if you don't have one. Get your wisdom teeth pulled out. Ditch your needy gf. Go see your grandpa while he's still alive. Do things that are fun and memorable that you won't be able to do for the next several years.

 

[costales]

I'd give this thread a 5.5/10 on the trolling scale.

Fair score, now that I've seen OP's posting history.

 

[hse]

I'm only responding because this post enrages me.

op is trolling.
he chose to apply do only at one school ccom which has crazy high tuition... says he knows nothing about do's but got accepted by ccom?? says he worked in ed but knows nothing about do's? likely story lol

 

[meliora27]

Hopefully mods will close this.

 

[MattSmith45]

op is trolling.
he chose to apply do only at one school ccom which has crazy high tuition... says he knows nothing about do's but got accepted by ccom?? says he worked in ed but knows nothing about do's? likely story lol

I'm very shocked with your response and the responses of some of the others. Im an IL resident and I applied to CCOM only because there's no other DO school in IL. Most of the schools I applied to were in IL. Yeah I got accepted without knowing much about osteopathic medicine but I doubt everyone that gets accepted is an expert on the DO world. I obviously learned what I needed to before my interview. I have good numbers and had a good interview. No one at my interview even asked about osteopathic medicine or why I wanted to go to CCOM. It was just about me. You don't really need much more than decent numbers and a good interview to get accepted, which I had. I don't know what you don't believe about that. And yeah, I worked in the Emergency Department but how does that have anything to do with DOs? There are no DOs in the ED I worked at.

This is supposed to be a supportive environment but half the people here are trying to put me down because I don't know as much as they do? There are a lot of people out there that are as "clueless" as me to the whole process past undergraduate. Just because you spend 24 hours a day on student doctor network doesn't mean other people have the time or inclination to do that.

 

[Goro]

No

1) As a DO rotating at an MD institution (during your 3rd & 4th years), do you get judged differently/graded differently/ or even discriminated against since you're among MDs?

NO
2) Out in the real world, if MDs and DOs are practicing together, does an MD have the hierarchy when it comes to making clinical decisions and leading a team?

Shadowing DOs; seeing OMT, clinical and non clinical volunteering.
3) I am really not that interested in basic science research. I find it too time consuming and there is very little return on investment. What are other things that applicants do besides research that are also valuable?

Bone up on anatomy! (forgive the pun).
4) Now that I have been accepted to medical school, what would you say I should do in the next 6 months or so before school begins? Anything productive?

 

[DocVapor]

Bone up on anatomy! (forgive the pun).

I am not sure that one IS forgiveable.