Be aware that you will more than likely change your mind on what you would like to specialize in many times during your medical education.Ok, that was what I was hearing, since I want to be a family practitioner (I don't want to specialize) it wouldn't hurt me if I went to a DO school. Just wanted to check all of my options. Thank you everyone for your responses!!
Here's another thread:Ok, that was what I was hearing, since I want to be a family practitioner (I don't want to specialize) it wouldn't hurt me if I went to a DO school. Just wanted to check all of my options. Thank you everyone for your responses!!
And tons of DOs specalze. DO does not equal primary care. It is the mission but DOs go way beyond that.
That's odd. My students don't have that phenotype. They do have wings and halos.
That's odd. My students don't have that phenotype. They do have wings and halos.
The match rates of DOs into competitive specialties are substantially impaired compared to our MD counterparts. If you're interested in derm, plastics, urology, ophthalmology, etc, you're better off going MD by a long shot.
I'm betting more like 50 years, if not never.
I agree its not a level playing field. However for ortho tons of AOA spots that isn't a big deal. Gas EM OB General surgery are all not big deals. My school matched multiple people in all those specialties you mentioned expect derm and rad onc (however derm in the DO world is after IM and rad onc is always after IM I believe).
People often compare it to DMD vs. DDS. No one cares about the letters, they just want their teeth fixed.
My school matched multiple of all those! (Expect derm)
Mine matched a few as well, but as an MD, your odds are greatly increased. If you look at the Step scores and match rates of MDs into competitive specialties, the difference is like night and day compared to DOs and independent applicants. An average MD with some research can match ACGME ortho if they apply broadly enough, but a DO basically has to be a rock star.
For those specialties, for sure. But most MDs don't go into these hyper-competitive specialties. For the main specialties (FM, IM, Peds, EM, OB/GYN) it isn't significantly harder. Of course life is easier as a whole as an MD.
For an ACGME ortho spot, sure. But I bet a decently competitive DO can get an AOA ortho spot.
Of which there are far fewer per DO student versus the number of spots per MD student, largely due to the explosion of DO seats in the last 20 years. That makes the DO path more far, far more competitive. Couple this with the fact that all programs are switching over to ACGME by 2020, making MDs eligible for all of the highly competitive DO specialty spots (the ones that don't close anyway- I have a feeling a great number of spots in derm and a couple of other specialties will disappear due to their being completely unable to meet ACGME program requirements) and I see things getting worse for DOs trying to match into competitive specialties for the coming few years.
Yea but a DO can do AOA ortho
I see. Well, I guess some of that scarcity might be offset by the fact that most DO's pursue primary care, but I might be wrong about that.
Isn't that assuming that some previously AOA residencies will prefer MD applicants over DO applicants?
Not as of 2020, and most programs are predicted to convert long before then.
More DOs pursue primary care than our MD counterparts, but I think that, given the choice, many would seek more competitive specialties. A lot of the conversations I have with people go along the lines of, "what are you going into?" "oh, you know, FP or IM" "but if you could do anything, what would you go into?" "derm, obviously lol, or ENT or urology if I stood a chance." Yeah, there's a bunch of kids in my school that actually want to be a PCP, but there's probably just as many that have become comfortable with the idea of being a PCP because they have tempered expectations given their prior testing history and the fact that they'll be DOs.
Have you personally resigned yourself to being a PCP or are you going to pursue a more competitive specialty?
This will only confuse the uninformed.
Alpha Omega Alpha is the MD Honor society: http://www.alphaomegaalpha.org/
The student's school must have a chapter in order for the student to be nominated. All member schools are MD at this point.
I've met a few who were nominated during residency, fellowship, or as faculty. Definitely rare but they're out there.
It is a great honor. 75% of Deans of medical schools are members.
If I were in their shoes, I'd put it off as long as possible.
