An essay on the secondary doesn't even apply to me. What should I do??

[lotus seed]

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I just have a question about WesternU's secondary application essay question. It asked "While shadowing an osteopathic physician, what did the experience do to solidify your desire/ambition to become an osteopathic physician?"

What if I have never shadowed a DO before? What should I say??

 

[lotus seed]

@Goro @mashmetoo

 

[Goro]

You don't answer this question.

I just have a question about WesternU's secondary application essay question. It asked "While shadowing an osteopathic physician, what did the experience do to solidify your desire/ambition to become an osteopathic physician?"

What if I have never shadowed a DO before? What should I say??

 

[AwayFromReality]

You don't answer this question.

I'm not OP, but I remember this question in one of my secondary and it was a required essay. Although I have shadowed a DO so I was able to answer this questions, what can we, the applicants, do if there is a required essay questions that doesn't apply to us?

 

[Goro]

You be up front and explain that you shadowed an MD (and why NOT a DO) and then what you learned about Medicine.

The required prompt about shadowing a DO should be taken as a hint that this school wants you to shadow a DO!

You should also inquire int he school-specific thread and see how other people handled this conundrum.

I'm not OP, but I remember this question in one of my secondary and it was a required essay. Although I have shadowed a DO so I was able to answer this questions, what can we, the applicants, do if there is a required essay questions that doesn't apply to us?

 

[Crayola227]

Right and you could certainly weave this into what you learned about allopathic practice that you think is distinct from the philosophies of osteopathic practice, and that having some difficulty finding an osteopathic physician to shawdow, all this confirms your opinion that you think osteo is a better fit, and you would like to increase the field's representation in medicine based on those things, and how you see an education at Western as providing those things.

What those things are? I leave it to you to go enough googling and reading to figure something eloquent out.

But don't bull**** that you've shadowed a DO, or make fanciful statements, this doesn't apply to you, but that doesn't mean you can't address this and show some thoughtfulness on what makes a DO distinct from an MD and why that matters to you.

As an allopath, one area I find we are lacking in education is management of musculoskeletal complaints and wellness, and seeing as that is usually one of the top 3 reasons for a typical office visit, that is something a DO education offers that is distinct, much needed, and some MDs are very envious of in the DO curriculum.

Food for thought.

 

[Dohnut]

You be up front and explain that you shadowed an MD (and why NOT a DO) and then what you learned about Medicine.

The required prompt about shadowing a DO should be taken as a hint that this school wants you to shadow a DO!

You should also inquire int he school-specific thread and see how other people handled this conundrum.

The DO I shadowed did an MD emergency medicine residency and he was up front about it. He also says his OMM/OMT is rusty, so how's that going to affect the DO letter since essentially he was trained as an MD?

 

[StudyLater]

The DO I shadowed did an MD emergency medicine residency and he was up front about it. He also says his OMM/OMT is rusty, so how's that going to affect the DO letter since essentially he was trained as an MD?

My DO didn't do any of that. She never even touched patients when I was with her, actually (anesth).

She still wrote a next-level rec that tied in how I would be a great fit for osteopathy.

The DO doesn't necessarily have to talk about OMM specifically.

 

[Crayola227]

Right.

It doesnt matter that the DO you shadowed did an allopathic residency, and OMM isn't the only way that the DO differs from the MD.

Specifically let the DO you're working with know you want a letter for DO. They are saavy to what their ed was all about and what the difference is and what schools are considering, if they're precepting you likely this isn't their first time writing an LOR.

If they're MD, it's 50/50 if they have any clue about DO or can craft your letter that way. You'll do yourself a favor doing some research and providing them with an LOR guideline for DO so they can at least direct their comments towards what those schools look for.

DO schools pride themselves on their uniqueness from the allopaths, they don't just see themselves as a second choice backup plan to allopath schools, which is why they are putting applicants through the paces about this.

I was guilty of not knowing about this stuff as a pre-med until I went to apply. MD or DO, do yourselves a favor and spend like an hour with wikipedia at least learning some basic history. In this day and age it's ridiculous for any candidate or MD not to know more about DO.

And not in the same category by an means, while you're at it, read about what PAs, RNs, NPs, chiropractors, pharmacists, and naturopaths and homeopaths do.

I had questions interview day asking me if I had considered other healthcare paths, or what I thought about alternative medicine, etc, and this is just ****e you need to know no matter what school you apply to.

 

[235009]

To OP: as @Goro was hinting at you're probably better off saving the cost of the secondary and just not submit it... Unless others report that not shadowing a DO has gone over well at that school.