Matching as a DO Civvy Vs. Military

[briannarenee316]

I was just wondering if anyone has any insights into this:

I will be starting Osteopathic school this fall. My first choice was to go to an M.D. school, but so far that has not worked out. I would eventually like to go into some sort of surgical or emergency medicine residency (I am pretty sure of this, as I have done a lot of hospital work) and I have heard that it is rather hard to match to these specialites as a D.O., so I was just wondering if it would be to my advantage to try and match to these specialities in the military, as I have been told, by various HPSPers, that the military programs are blind to D.O. vs. M.D.

Other than that, after reading these forums and having toured the Navy hospital in SD, and gone through half of a MEPS physical for the Army (i left half way through!)... I am definitely leaning away from military medicine, but I just want to make sure I have all my bases covered.

As always, thanks for all of your help and insights!

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[s42brown]

1) Don't be a D.O. if you don't want to be. You'll just pissoff us who are.

2) Don't join the military if you think some how that will help you get a surgery spot, it won't. You'll just pissoff those around you with that bad attitude about how its not fair because you really just joined to do surgery and now your in some middle eastern country and your life sucks.

3) You have to consider there are a number of osteopathic residencies so the difficulty of matching is up to you not the letters behind your name.

 

[briannarenee316]

1) Don't be a D.O. if you don't want to be. You'll just pissoff us who are.

2) Don't join the military if you think some how that will help you get a surgery spot, it won't. You'll just pissoff those around you with that bad attitude about how its not fair because you really just joined to do surgery and now your in some middle eastern country and your life sucks.

3) You have to consider there are a number of osteopathic residencies so the difficulty of matching is up to you not the letters behind your name.



This was not supposed to be a hostile post, just a legitmate question as to how I can best set myself up to accomplish the goals I have set for myself.

I don't really see it as being a DO or an MD, but rather I see myself becoming a "physician" and I would like to be the best one possible, and so I am trying to make the best plans that I can for my education and future, not trying to upset anyone.

It seems like there is a lot of pent up hostility on this website!

 

[s42brown]

It's not pent up hostility. Simply reread your post and you will hopefully see how you come across as offensive.

Join the military if you want to serve your country. If you read other peoples posts who have served you'll see the system is far from perfect. Some will argue the only thing that will prevent you from going nuts is your duty to a greater good.

About the whole D.O. thing, give me a break. "Well Mr. residency director I went to blank college of osteopathic medicine because I couldn't get into the big old fancy M.D. school." If you don't understand that many of your classmates chose to go the D.O. route because they wanted to be D.O.'s your not smart enough to get through your first quarter in med school.

 

[dtn3t]

Yes, military is blind to MD or DO. But it sounds like you want to join the military because you think it will give you a better chance of getting a residency in the specialty of your choice just because you may have to end up as a DO. Not because you want to serve your country and not even for the money! But because you believe it might help with your career aspirations. If you've read this forum carefully, the military has more potiential to hurt your aspirations then help. Please don't take this as hostile, but please don't join. You will be miserable.

I know you're just starting out on your education, but believe everyone when they say you'll be fine if you're a DO. You may not mean for it to be there, but it really sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder about having to be a DO. Don't worry about it. Just study hard and work hard, and you'll get the residency of your choice.

Good luck to you and enjoy life before you start life as an MSI.

 

[briannarenee316]

Yes, military is blind to MD or DO. But it sounds like you want to join the military because you think it will give you a better chance of getting a residency in the specialty of your choice just because you may have to end up as a DO. Not because you want to serve your country and not even for the money! But because you believe it might help with your career aspirations. If you've read this forum carefully, the military has more potiential to hurt your aspirations then help. Please don't take this as hostile, but please don't join. You will be miserable.

I know you're just starting out on your education, but believe everyone when they say you'll be fine if you're a DO. You may not mean for it to be there, but it really sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder about having to be a DO. Don't worry about it. Just study hard and work hard, and you'll get the residency of your choice.

Good luck to you and enjoy life before you start life as an MSI.

Thanks for your advice... yes i have done a lot of reading on this forum, and it is definitely steering me away from the whole military thing... which to tell you the truth, i WAS dissapointed about, as I really did want to do the whole patriotic, treating soldiers thing. I even wanted to get deployed.... I actually still want to (that may be my naivety shining through )
This was like my last ditch effort of finding a reason that it would be prudent to join the military, and get to do all of the things I mentioned above.
However, I definitely don't want to do anything that will end up hurting my future patients, which it sounds like the general surgery training in the military could do.

Being a DO is great, it doesn't bother me in the least, I was just wondering, from those who have gone before, how my chances of getting into surgery will be affected... As you said, i haven't even started my MSI year, so I am not very knowledgeable about, and rather apprehensive about, the whole residency thing....

From what I have read it sounds like, bottom line, I just have to ace my boards (as an MD or a DO would have to do)....

so thanks for all of your advice, and i will STUDY HARD!

 

[Zerosixjt]

If you are truely dedicated to medicine and the military, go to whatever school you get into, work hard, ace your boards, finish your residency and then join.

This will give the the opportunity to build your career and some amount of control over your training.

 

[Croooz]

If you want to become a military physician then become a military physician. If you want the best chance of becoming a surgeon then follow the advice of the docs who've posted and do well in school and get high scores in your USMLE's.

The glamour or romantic notions of what it is to be deployed quickly fade. It's alot of "hurry up and wait". The cool factor wears especially during all the months prior to and after the deployment.

Do what's been suggested and do well and if you're still interested look into FAP or join after residency. I would advice against it however. You can serve as a contractor with the military and provide care that way. Once the BS gets to be too much you can just up and transfer to another position somewhere else.

There's no experience like the military but it is not for everyone. Especially if your heart is on the quickest path to become a surgeon.
Quickest path=good scores & civilian program not the military.

Oh and the military doesn't care about DO or MD. They do care about FMG/IMG. These foreign grads have to already finish residency before the military will even touch them. No HPSP. No FAP. Just a direct commission once completed training.

 

[Croooz]

If you want to become a military physician then become a military physician. If you want the best chance of becoming a surgeon then follow the advice of the docs who've posted and do well in school and get high scores in your USMLE's.

The glamour or romantic notions of what it is to be deployed quickly fade. It's alot of "hurry up and wait". The cool factor wears especially during all the months prior to and after the deployment.

Do what's been suggested and do well and if you're still interested look into FAP or join after residency. I would advice against it however. You can serve as a contractor with the military and provide care that way. Once the BS gets to be too much you can just up and transfer to another position somewhere else.

There's no experience like the military but it is not for everyone. Especially if your heart is on the quickest path to become a surgeon.
Quickest path=good scores & civilian program not the military.

Oh and the military doesn't care about DO or MD. They do care about FMG/IMG. These foreign grads have to already finish residency before the military will even touch them. No HPSP. No FAP. Just a direct commission once completed training.

 

[jacoby]

as a DO that has been active in us army x 4+yrs....do not join. that is my advice for more reasons then i have space to write. wish some said this to me as bluntly. a lot of pain at my end.

 

[FiddleDr]

as a DO that has been active in us army x 4+yrs....do not join. that is my advice for more reasons then i have space to write. wish some said this to me as bluntly. a lot of pain at my end.

Bad experience because you were a DO or because you were a physician with the Army?

 

[jacoby]

i do not think DO has anything to do w/ it. my older brother is active duty md and is also going insane trying to finish his time. the big govt machine of the army is so impersonal. i have been moved 4 times in 2.5yrs. that has been a nightmare for my wife and two little babies. none of my senior officers gives a rats ass even the doctor senior officers. in the military rank gives people the excuse to be impersonal and just stick whatever to you whenever. i have never felt more helpless in this environment. this is just one example. very tough career path. not for me. i have 9.5 mos left and pray to god i don't get screwed by the big machine in this time period.