A premed looking to be a PM&R physician....I'm a PT

[ocwaveoc]

Hello everyone.
I'm not even in a med school. But, due to my background as a physical therapist, I'm leaning towards specializing in PM/R. I've noticed that DO program only has 3 while there are plenty of allo PM/R programs. If I matriculate at a DO school, do most of allo PM/R programs require USMLE for DO graduates or would COMLEX (DO version of USMLE) suffice?
Also, what are some of the top residencies for PM/R?
Which ones are known to be poor ones?

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[freddydpt]

Good questions that I have no clue about, BUT as a PT who went to med school, I do regret never aggresively pursuing DO school because I miss manual therapy. If you enjoy that kind of hands on care, definitley give DO school a closer look. They learn better ortho exams during medical school, as well.

 

[DOctorJay]

I'm also a PT and chose the DO route based on my interests (ortho and pm&r). I knew there was more focus on the mskel system at DO schools and as a PT who enjoyed manual therapy it was a logical fit.

as you have found out there are only 3 osteopathic pm&r residencies however if you search this forum some more you'll see there are A LOT of DOs in the field of pm&r and this is one of the few fields where allopathic residencies are very open to accepting DOs.

most residency programs nowadays do not 'require' the usmle along with the comlex but you'd do yourself a favor to take both to make comparisons easier. at least this is the advice that I have consistently heard and have decided to go by (perhaps some recent interviewees can give better info).

regarding good vs poor residencies simply browse this forum and you'll quickly get an idea of the top programs. it's still very early for you to consider programs for residency and things change so stay in tune to this message board and continue to get exposure to the field.

best of luck to you

-J

 

[catullus39]

most residency programs nowadays do not 'require' the usmle along with the comlex but you'd do yourself a favor to take both to make comparisons easier. at least this is the advice that I have consistently heard and have decided to go by (perhaps some recent interviewees can give better info).
-J

I agree with DOctorJay in that most allo programs will accept COMLEX only, even the top tier programs like RIC and Kessler, i believe this has been discussed previously at length (check the archive posts) It is a good idea to contact each individual program you are interested in to see if this is the case though. I personally did not take USMLE I or II and wasnt an issue for application and interviewing. You will get differing opinions on whether to take USMLE and I agree a reason to take is that it might make comparision easier with MD applicants with respect to numbers, but there are also good reasons not to take it. PM me if you want.

 

[ocwaveoc]

Thanks for your inputs! They were very helpful. Now, I just need to do well on the MCAT and get accepted.

 

[TRAMD]

It is true that allopathic PM&R residencies are probably close to accepting DOs as readily as MDs. However, you might want to consider trying an MD program as this is certainly not true with pretty much all other specialties and you may change your mind about what you want to do in the future. Allopathic schools tend to be harder to get into and you won't get training in manipulations, but more doors will be open to you for residency and it is likely your debt will be less. Before you get the wrong idea, I am NOT trying to knock DO schools. DOs are seen as equals in all settings by all people except when applying for residency at allopathic programs. Just my 2 cents.