i'm 100% sure that i want to do primary care. do you still think AOA certification would be a problem if i do AOA psychiatry or I.M. or something? Aren't AOA residencies in primary care considered to be good?
Well, first of all, Psychiatry isn't primary care. Primary care residencies are IM, FP, Pediatrics, and (maybe) Ob/Gyn.
Secondly, Bitsy is absolutely correct. Most medical students go into school thinking they want to do a particular field (myself included) and end up doing something different, many times completely different.
Consider this article:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/10/1154
There's a reason American grads, both MD and DO, are running away from primary care. Reimbursements are not great compared to specialties, and the stress , workload, and unfortunate lack of respect associated with primary care practices have driven MD and DO students away.
As far as AOA training goes, there's a phrase in
DO's Eat Their Young that goes something like "the apex of osteopathic training is the nadir of allopathic training". No matter what the specialty, you're more likely to get better training at a top ACGME program than at a top AOA program. Even if you want to do primary care, would you rather be a physician who trains with leaders in the field at Mass General or Wash U, or one who trains in an obscure AOA program? If you were a patient choosing your personal primary care physician, which program's graduate would you choose (honestly)?
I personally wasn't aware of it, and I can only assume from the response, that many others were not as well. I'm afraid this issue still doesn't look too cut and dry to me. Seems like it could matter for some fields, not as much for others. Some hospitals may care, others could really care, some could ask to check into what AOA BC means, others could be completely fine with it, etc. I get the point of 'go ACGME' it is just safer, but the reality is that this may not be an option for everyone. Especially in surgical fields. I'd like to think this issue will resolve itself or that the AOA is 'working on it,' but I find it a little disheartening. Granted, I've always 100% planned on working in private practice, but it's frustrating to hear after 8 years of schooling and 3-god knows how many years of residency ... that any opportunity in your respective field would be closed to you. Does anyone have any stats on hospitals that care, or is this more regional, anecdotal, etc? Thanks for the advice too.
I doubt there are any publicly available statistics available to answer your question. And it is true that training in certain ACGME programs as a DO isn't always an option. I just think it's important for students to understand that ACGME training and AOA training aren't necessarily equivalent, despite what many people (with hidden agendas) will tell you. The AOA and osteopathic school clinical faculty have no interest in letting students know about these things. Being entirely honest about this would further discourage students from applying to AOA residencies, the last thing that these folks want to happen.
Keep in mind, also, that even physicians who work in private practice need hospital privileges...
