A couple of question about the merger.

[CCmetal94]

Is there any word on the status of current AOA residency programs? Are a ton of them closing or are they reaccrediting just fine? Also, will DO students still be considered "independent" applicants in the match? Will DO students still have to take the COMLEX?

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[Goro]

YES!

Will DO students still have to take the COMLEX?

 

[ERinspired]

Follow up question: will DO students now be required to take the USMLE? (I know a lot take it now anyway.)


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[IslandStyle808]

Follow up question: will DO students now be required to take the USMLE? (I know a lot take it now anyway.)


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Not currently. The only school I know of so far that requires it is RVU.

However, the ones with the keys to the car are the program directors. So if their program requires you to take it, you take it.

 

[Dustbowl12]

Merger benefits DO profession. Match lists will improve now students won't self select out of ACGME for AOA safety spots

 

[Seth Joo]

Is there any word on the status of current AOA residency programs? Are a ton of them closing or are they reaccrediting just fine? Also, will DO students still be considered "independent" applicants in the match? Will DO students still have to take the COMLEX?

DO students will still be taking the COMLEX, the other issue is that some AOA residency programs will close. Honestly the merger is not what people think, DO graduates were able to match into MD residencies just fine, the merger is helping those who finished AOA residencies to get into ACGME fellowships but now some AOA residencies are shutting their doors.

I worked in the corporate field before going into Medicine and usually when there is a merger between to unequal entities, the smaller entity winds up joining on unfavorable terms.

 

[Goro]

NO!

Follow up question: will DO students now be required to take the USMLE? (I know a lot take it now anyway.)


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[Seth Joo]

There is a saying, when something is not broken, don't fix it, DO students were not having any issues matching into ACGME residencies, there were a few residencies that were kind of hard for DOs, but some DOs were getting them. That being said there were AOA residencies that existed in certain fields that made it an option for DOs who wanted certain difficult specialties, usually Orthopedics, Dermatology, ENT, and Ophthalmology. Some AOA residency programs are going to close as a result of the merger so its not certain what may become of certain programs.

 

[samac]

The AOA residencies shutting down are the ones who can't stand up to ACGME standards. Why would we want to keep the subpar residencies anyway?
It also eliminates the fact that AOA came first, so if you wanted a chance at ACGME you had to shoot yourself in the foot and close all AOA doors.