MD vs DO, St James vs Nova Southeastern

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

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If anyone thinks I'm a troll or a fool, please don't reply. I only want serious responses.

I applied in the 2013-2014 application cycle to both MD and DO programs. I just found out last week that I was accepted to Nova Southeastern. I've also been accepted to Saint George SOM and Saint James SOM.

Benefits of Nova:

higher chance of being matched into a US residency (more certainty)

Disadvantages:

Stigma of being a DO is still there despite what people will tell you. Whether true or not, a lot of people think DOs are second class doctors who were not good enough to get into MD programs.

Very expensive.

Benefits of St James:

I have a MD behind my name. My American patients won't know that it's a Carib MD and not a US MD.

Amazing school location. I can study in the beach and have a jolly good time.

Very affordable, especially if I choose St James over St Georges

Strong residency match list posted on their website. Offers green book rotations.

Disadvantages:

More uncertainty towards residency match, especially with the upcoming expected residency crunch.

Disadvantages of living in a third world island.

So what do you all think? I personally am leaning towards St James. In fact I'm heading down to Anguilla next week to check out the facilities. I know I can get a great 260 plus step 1 score so I can overcome the residency crunch and IMG stigma. Plus I get to scuba dive on a island while most people have to endure horrible weather in the US! Ha!

 

[Anicetus]

Looks like your only disadvantage to Nova is just the stigma of being a DO despite basically having a way better career overall.

Do you really care that much about what people think about your degree? You'll be able to afford trips to islands to basically cover most of your pros for St. James like scuba diving and living on an island etc etc when you're a successful doctor.

If you want to stay on the island forever then St. James is your best bet. Otherwise, the better career choice is undoubtedly Nova.

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

Looks like your only disadvantage to Nova is just the stigma of being a DO despite basically having a way better career overall.

Do you really care that much about what people think about your degree? You'll be able to afford trips to islands to basically cover most of your pros for St. James like scuba diving and living on an island etc etc when you're a successful doctor.

If you want to stay on the island forever then St. James is your best bet. Otherwise, the better career choice is undoubtedly Nova.

No the other main disadvantage to Nova is the great cost compared to St. James. The patients will look at the MD initials on my white coat and think I went to Harvard Medical School lol (of course I will correct them if they ask me).

From what I understand, despite the residency crunch, around 3000 residency positions will go towards IMGs in every match for the next 5-10 years. I do admit that 13,000 IMGs/FMGs competing for 3000 spots is daunting and not good odds. However I have confidence in myself and my ability to score a great Step I score. I'll just study 1000 hours more than the average medical school student for the Steps and get some awesome scores! I don't want to have to live with the D.O initials for the rest of my life and always be considered a second class doctor.

 

[EMDO2018]

Your MD colleagues will consider you a 3rd class doctor if you go to Carib.

I don't want to have to live with the D.O initials for the rest of my life and always be considered a second class doctor.

 

[Anicetus]

No the other main disadvantage to Nova is the great cost compared to St. James. The patients will look at the MD initials on my white coat and think I went to Harvard Medical School lol (of course I will correct them if they ask me).

From what I understand, despite the residency crunch, around 3000 residency positions will go towards IMGs in every match for the next 5-10 years. I do admit that 13,000 IMGs/FMGs competing for 3000 spots is daunting and not good odds. However I have confidence in myself and my ability to score a great Step I score. I'll just study 1000 hours more than the average medical school student for the Steps and get some awesome scores! I don't want to have to live with the D.O initials for the rest of my life and always be considered a second class doctor.

Do you mind being restricted to basically family medicine and low tier internal medicine residencies? If you do, consider the D.O. degree, you will get way more chances at other specialties. When you're an ortho DO youre making the same salary as an ortho MD. But if the thought of your patients judging you for your D.O. degree despite the same job, same salary, same lifestyle, same benefits, etc., is keeping you up at night, then take the St. James MD to help you sleep.

 

[Anicetus]

Your MD colleagues will consider you a 3rd class doctor if you go to Carib.

He/she didn't mention if the colleagues considered him lower class doctor, only the patients. Apparently patients turn doctors away because of their degrees where OP comes from.

 

[EMDO2018]

He/she didn't mention if the colleagues considered him lower class doctor, only the patients. Apparently patients turn doctors away because of their degrees where OP comes from.

Oh I though he lived in America

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

Oh I though he lived in America

where I live or don't live is none of your business, gurlfriend.

no one will think I'm a third class doctor because I won't tell my colleagues or patients which med school I went to. I will just say that I'm a board certified MD and that the med school I went to is none of their business.

Look in all seriousness, I know the odds and I'm willing to take it. I want to ask one serious question. Do you think the reputation and prestige of the DO degree is slowly going up? If so, I will have to reconsider Nova.

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

I know that DO school admissions is becoming more competitive. Do you think in the future DO will be considered equivalent to MD by the snooty medical people? If so, I will reconsider Nova.

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

Many many premeds, patients and even doctors consider DO to be less than MD. The average MCAT score of a DO matriculant is 26. The avg. score for an MD matriculant is 31. People aren't dumb. They may not say it to your face but they will think less of you and that worries me.

It's easy for you to call me a troll and insult me online but this is my life. Before I invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in Nova, I need to know what my future will be like as a DO. Is the reputation of the DO degree going up?

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

I've noticed that SDN members have a tendency to parrot what the majority of their fellow members are saying, even if they don't fully understand or appreciate what they are saying themselves. For example, if you ask a typical SDN member, they will tell you that the Caribbean is a last resort risky action ( which is true) and then say that there's pretty much no chance of receiving a US residency if you join a Carib med school now because of the upcoming residency crunch (which is not true). 3000/13000 does not equal 0. Though the odds are admittedly not good., they improve if you have high step scores and strong LORs from PDs (which is what I plan to do if I go the carib route).

Some SDN members also tend to dismiss the way a DO degree is looked upon compared to an MD degree. All my pre medical friends have bad opinions of DOs and one of the greatest insults they give to their fellow pre meds is by saying 'you can only be a DO, never a MD' So the bias is there, admit it.

 

[medapp55]

There are certain advantages to either decision. Both schools would allow you to become a physician, and that is the end goal. In reality, the fact of the matter is that the world outside of healthcare/premeds rarely knows what an md vs a do is anyways, so do not over analyze this. Patients just seek the best physician they can find, and they are not aware of the specifics of md do or international md unless they themself are in healthcare. Also, most likely going to Nova Southeastern would mean a higher chance of matching into a residency and would overall make your life easier. If you haven't done much research already, if you read up on osteopathic medicine you will see that the education is the same with some added knowledge of manipulative medicine. Finances are important, so consider that. But I don't think that the md vs do should be your first priority in making a decision. Overall, Nova Southeastern would likely make your life easier and mean a higher chance of matching into a residency. Even if you plan to get a high step 1 score, consider that these tests are very difficult and can not always be fully under the student's control. We should respect the poster's ideas and understand that we all have the right to choose our own path that we are happy with.

 

[DermViser]

The patients will look at the MD initials on my white coat and think I went to Harvard Medical School lol (of course I will correct them if they ask me).

I'll just study 1000 hours more than the average medical school student for the Steps and get some awesome scores!

I don't want to have to live with the D.O initials for the rest of my life and always be considered a second class doctor.

For someone who says he's not trolling, you're sounding awfully much like you are.

 

[DermViser]

where I live or don't live is none of your business, gurlfriend.

no one will think I'm a third class doctor because I won't tell my colleagues or patients which med school I went to. I will just say that I'm a board certified MD and that the med school I went to is none of their business.

Look in all seriousness, I know the odds and I'm willing to take it. I want to ask one serious question. Do you think the reputation and prestige of the DO degree is slowly going up? If so, I will have to reconsider Nova.

You know that your colleagues will know where you went to med school right? People will know. Heck, you'd be Googleable on hospital websites, Healthgrades, and Vitals.com. That's public information. You can't hide that info, and with that "none of their business" attitude, you'll get absolutely no referrals.

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

For someone who says he's not trolling, you're sounding awfully much like you are.

Nope, I'm trying to inject some humor in a very stressful and unpleasant decision. Whether I choose Nova and St. James, I hope I don't look back years later and regret my decision. That's what scares me the most. Once I've taken the loans, I'm locked in, so to speak. So forgive me for my terrible humor

 

[DermViser]

Nope, I'm trying to inject some humor in a very stressful and unpleasant decision. Whether I choose Nova and St. James, I hope I don't look back years later and regret my decision. That's what scares me the most. Once I've taken the loans, I'm locked in, so to speak. So forgive me for my terrible humor

Yeah, that's why you said, "I personally am leaning towards St James. In fact I'm heading down to Anguilla next week to check out the facilities. I know I can get a great 260 plus step 1 score so I can overcome the residency crunch and IMG stigma. Plus I get to scuba dive on a island while most people have to endure horrible weather in the US! Ha!" Yup not trolling at all.

You know that trolling and crossposting is against TOS right?

 

[mrh125]

St george tried to recruit me as a med student when i was in high school, I wouldn't go near them if they paid me.

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

Yeah, that's why you said, "I personally am leaning towards St James. In fact I'm heading down to Anguilla next week to check out the facilities. I know I can get a great 260 plus step 1 score so I can overcome the residency crunch and IMG stigma. Plus I get to scuba dive on a island while most people have to endure horrible weather in the US! Ha!" Yup not trolling at all.

You know that trolling and crossposting is against TOS right?

I'm not trolling and I don't want to start a fight. Let's agree to disagree. Have a good day sir.

 

[DermViser]

I'm not trolling and I don't want to start a fight. Let's agree to disagree. Have a good day sir.

But you are crossposting. Prepare to have your threads locked.

 

[ORMapplicantdeluxe]

I truly am a master troll. I garnered so many replies and views.

Who am I really? I'm a beast, an alpha, an apex predator. A member of the ruling elite. I've just been accepted to a top 10 US MD program. Only losers go to carib md schools or us do schools. So I like to come to these threads and play around with you losers LOL.

Just remember, in the real world. The MD is the boss, the real doctor. The DO is the servant who brings the MD his tea LOLOLOLOL.

Y'all just jealous that I'm young, rich, powerful and accepted to a very prestigious MD program. Go have fun in your loser DO programs, LOL. I get all the hot chicks and you don't hahahahaha 🙂

Adios!

 

[Mad Jack]

Omfg you're crossposting too? Noobs, man... Give me GangaMaster, rifle, or even streampaw any day over this ****.

 

[nerdlete40]

World of Warcraft characters don't count as "hot chicks"

 

[DermViser]

I truly am a master troll. I garnered so many replies and views.

Who am I really? I'm a beast, an alpha, an apex predator. A member of the ruling elite. I've just been accepted to a top 10 US MD program. Only losers go to carib md schools or us do schools. So I like to come to these threads and play around with you losers LOL.

Just remember, in the real world. The MD is the boss, the real doctor. The DO is the servant who brings the MD his tea LOLOLOLOL.

Y'all just jealous that I'm young, rich, powerful and accepted to a very prestigious MD program. Go have fun in your loser DO programs, LOL. I get all the hot chicks and you don't hahahahaha 🙂

Adios!

I fully expect you to crater in med school esp. in MS-3.

 

[thegypsyqueen]

I fully expect you to crater in med school esp. in MS-3.

Spoiler alert: this is a high school student that wont come near a med school.

 

[aspirantmed]

You lost me at your comfort and certainty about your ability to score 260+ on Step 1. That's no joke, and it's beyond anyone to make that assumption without having at least stepped foot in a medical school class. I'm sure you're a hardworking student, but don't bank on being at the very top of the curve in a group of students all selected for their ability to rise above the pack.