The following is an idea that I have been toying around with:
It would involve someone, once and for all, putting together the statistics for DO's matching into each specialty. I have seen bits and pieces of info here and there in articles/posts/etc, but I have neither the time (MSI is a b*tch...) or knowledge of resources and I'm sure I would leave out plenty of variables that someone more in-the-know could address. Here's my ideas for it:
A) Compile the stats for the number of AOA residency spots in each specialty and compare that number to the number of DO's ranking them each year. Put those stats next to the # of MD's ranking MD residencies in each respective specialty. That would, once and for all, put an end to the "Does a DO have a good shot at getting such and such specialty". We hear people say DO's have better odds b/c they have their own residencies and we hear the opposite, but a statistical comparison of the #'s would clear that all up.
B) For completeness, this should ideally include the number of DO's matching into each specialty per year in allopathic programs, compared to the % of who ranked programs. Put that percentage next to the % of MD's who ranked each program and matched/didn't match and now we have some actual data to talk about.
Seeing the percentages, and not the raw numbers, is the key point here. Most people fail to realize that DO's make up roughly 5% of the physician population....so while only seeing 5% DO's in a certain MD residency might seem low to most people, thats right about where it should be if we are on equal footing. If the numbers say otherwise, so be it.
I know that their are probably a ton of variables that I am not aware of, or not sure how to figure in, but I'm sure that there's someone out there that has the time, resources and interest to do this. I think some concrete, unbiased info like this could really shed some light on a situation that a lot of people wonder/worry about.
Any thoughts/takers?
It would involve someone, once and for all, putting together the statistics for DO's matching into each specialty. I have seen bits and pieces of info here and there in articles/posts/etc, but I have neither the time (MSI is a b*tch...) or knowledge of resources and I'm sure I would leave out plenty of variables that someone more in-the-know could address. Here's my ideas for it:
A) Compile the stats for the number of AOA residency spots in each specialty and compare that number to the number of DO's ranking them each year. Put those stats next to the # of MD's ranking MD residencies in each respective specialty. That would, once and for all, put an end to the "Does a DO have a good shot at getting such and such specialty". We hear people say DO's have better odds b/c they have their own residencies and we hear the opposite, but a statistical comparison of the #'s would clear that all up.
B) For completeness, this should ideally include the number of DO's matching into each specialty per year in allopathic programs, compared to the % of who ranked programs. Put that percentage next to the % of MD's who ranked each program and matched/didn't match and now we have some actual data to talk about.
Seeing the percentages, and not the raw numbers, is the key point here. Most people fail to realize that DO's make up roughly 5% of the physician population....so while only seeing 5% DO's in a certain MD residency might seem low to most people, thats right about where it should be if we are on equal footing. If the numbers say otherwise, so be it.
I know that their are probably a ton of variables that I am not aware of, or not sure how to figure in, but I'm sure that there's someone out there that has the time, resources and interest to do this. I think some concrete, unbiased info like this could really shed some light on a situation that a lot of people wonder/worry about.
Any thoughts/takers?
