Anyone know about going MD from DO?

[WVSOMStdntDr]

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Hi guys.

Last year I applied to several MD schools and 1 DO school. I was wait-listed at my first choice MD school, accepted at the DO school and due to monetary/acceptance deadlines, chose the DO school. Now I am wishing I hadn't; it just isn't for me.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows if I can submit an AMCAS application while enrolled at a DO school or if I have to drop here before doing that. Additionally, I am curious to know if I will be looked down upon for matriculating and subsequently leaving the DO school.

It is not that the workload is too high, it is that my heart is not in osteopathic medicine (I find it very hard to get into OMT) and I miss the opportunity for doing research (which we do not have at this school)!

Any information would be greatly appreciated. While I would love to hear people's opinions, I am only really looking for concrete answers, as I am about to make a huge decision that could affect the rest of my life.

Thanks for reading. 🙂

 

[Megalofyia]

You should talk to the neuroscience teacher or the pharmacologists. They are doing some research and have work study possitions.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Umm, is it osteopathy or medicine in general? My friends at DO schools are not having a significantly different experience than I am at MD. I would venture a guess that 60% of DO grads never even think about OMT again so its not like you're locked in to doing it forever.

Switching schools is a very difficult process from what I've heard. Unless you are gunning for a highly competitive residency (and by that I mean plastics, derm, or RadOnc) you should probably just stick it out.

 

[WVSOMStdntDr]

AmoryBlaine

There is definitely a huge difference at this DO school as opposed to the experience my matriculated allopath friends are having. One huge thing is 2 yrs of OMM courses!

Also, I forgot to mention that I am in a PBL program, which I am absolutely not fond of. I was led into it blindly without knowing much about how such a program works and then locked in after 2 wks. Now that I know it isn't for me, I am stuck in it for the next two years. My concern is that I have to take the Boards at the end of next year and do not feel that PBL is going to prepare me for that.

I have researched PBL programs at other schools and talked to students who ARE having an enjoyable experience. That being said, the program at my school is in its infancy and has only been around for 4 yrs, so I consistently feel like a guinea pig.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone knew about dropping and REAPPLYING to my first choice, in-state MD school after having already matriculated at a DO school. I am going to call the MD school today, but wanted to see if anyone had any insight before I did that.

Thanks to all who read and replied. I appreciate your help.

 

[WVSOMStdntDr]

And NO, it definitely isn't medicine in general. I am getting excellent grades and LOVE medicine, I am just unhappy with my school choice and the PBL program.

Hard to explain my entire situation on a message board, but I really just want to be happy and feel proud of the school that I graduate from; currently I do not feel that way.

Have a good week everyone!

 

[bgreet]

Do a search, it's been discussed many times before. Basically, unless you have extremely good reasons for leaving (spouse, family problems, etc.) I wouldn't expect being able to transfer out. Even if you decide to fill out AAMCAS again, you have to put on the application whether or not you ever matriculated to a previous medical school. That will raise red flags and questions all over the place for wherever you want to go (Why didn't you finish the program, etc. etc.) Best advice: stick it out, it's only 2 years preclinical and you are going to eventually be doing the same exact thing in the end that you would if you went to an allopathic school.

 

[silas2642]

And NO, it definitely isn't medicine in general. I am getting excellent grades and LOVE medicine, I am just unhappy with my school choice and the PBL program.

Hard to explain my entire situation on a message board, but I really just want to be happy and feel proud of the school that I graduate from; currently I do not feel that way.

Have a good week everyone!

I don't want to come off as being a prick or anything, but I think that you kind of need to suck it up and stick it out for the next three and a half years. You may not like your school, and you can try to transfer out (which is really hard to do but it does happen), but med schools are going to be very wary of an applicant who matriculated at a perfectly good school and then dropped out because he didn't like the curriculum.

Look, if you hate PBL so much, why don't you talk to someone (i.e. the dean) to see if you can switch into the traditional program?

I would not drop out and reapply if I were you, especially if you actually want to become a physician. It's only three and a half more years of your life, and only two of those are going to be spent in the classroom. This is not what the rest of your life will be, so try to get through it. Also understand that you're going to be in situations that aren't always optimal in the future-- what happens if you match at a residency that isn't great? Are you going to stop becoming a doctor and hope the match goes better next year?

Good luck!

 

[AmericanIMG]

you should always research things before going into them (pbl, DO etc).

DO is a great route, it gives many opportunities for residency (DO students can apply to both DO and MD residencies, but MDs can not apply to DO residencies) and also opens up ultra competitive residencies more so then MDs (see ortho).

 

[Law2Doc]

I don't want to come off as being a prick or anything, but I think that you kind of need to suck it up and stick it out for the next three and a half years.

Agree with this statement. The fact that no one on here it posting that they've even see such a change happen at their schools is probably telling. It just doesn't happen. Schools don't want the reputation of poaching from one another, and there is a concern that if someone was unhappy at one med school, they would be unhappy at all of them.

As for research, I imagine you could find some sort of fellowship with the government (NIH), industry, or another school during the summer after your first year, or perhaps take a year off to do research elsewhere after first or second year, and get research without actually changing schools.

 

[hyperbaric]

Schools don't want the reputation of poaching from one another, and there is a concern that if someone was unhappy at one med school, they would be unhappy at all of them.

Exactly. Apply if you want - just don't burn any bridges at your current school.

 

[DO Doc]

AmoryBlaine

There is definitely a huge difference at this DO school as opposed to the experience my matriculated allopath friends are having. One huge thing is 2 yrs of OMM courses!

Also, I forgot to mention that I am in a PBL program, which I am absolutely not fond of. I was led into it blindly without knowing much about how such a program works and then locked in after 2 wks. Now that I know it isn't for me, I am stuck in it for the next two years. My concern is that I have to take the Boards at the end of next year and do not feel that PBL is going to prepare me for that.

I have researched PBL programs at other schools and talked to students who ARE having an enjoyable experience. That being said, the program at my school is in its infancy and has only been around for 4 yrs, so I consistently feel like a guinea pig.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone knew about dropping and REAPPLYING to my first choice, in-state MD school after having already matriculated at a DO school. I am going to call the MD school today, but wanted to see if anyone had any insight before I did that.

Thanks to all who read and replied. I appreciate your help.

hm interesting. i personally don't know anyone who transferred. I do know people who dropped out due to personal reasons and i mean GOOD personal reasons that were allowed to come back the next year into the same school.

That being said, I have to agree with everyone else. Transferring between schools i just not done. Its extremely difficult and will raise red flags. OMT, should be a positive experience for you as a DO, but even if its not, let's face it, through the week, very MINIMAL time is spent learning OMT. You only need to spend only acouple hours, if that outside of class which is minimal considering all the time you need with biochem and all your other courses.

As for research, many and i do MANY med students both DO and MD alike do research at NIH and other government branches. Its a common thing that you should look into.

In the end, if you feel like you have a good reason, then go for it. its your life. but i would definately look into it abit more before making any hasty decisions.

 

[Trail Boss]

what on earth makes you think you could get into an MD school now? Isn't that why people go to DO school in the first place?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

From what I understand, some DO students do transfer to allopathic schools after their second year. It's pretty rare but doesn't happen. However, that's not going to solve your main problem, which seems to be that you don't like the basic science program at your school. I did read on SDN about a student who applied during his first year at DO school and had to repeat his first year at an allopathic school, so I guess it might be possible. It would suck to repeat the first year, though.

Anyway, like the others, I'd suggest focusing more on seeing if you get transfer out of the pbl program and trying to get involved in whatever research is happening at your school.

 

[njbmd]

Hi guys.

Last year I applied to several MD schools and 1 DO school. I was wait-listed at my first choice MD school, accepted at the DO school and due to monetary/acceptance deadlines, chose the DO school. Now I am wishing I hadn't; it just isn't for me.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows if I can submit an AMCAS application while enrolled at a DO school or if I have to drop here before doing that. Additionally, I am curious to know if I will be looked down upon for matriculating and subsequently leaving the DO school.

It is not that the workload is too high, it is that my heart is not in osteopathic medicine (I find it very hard to get into OMT) and I miss the opportunity for doing research (which we do not have at this school)!

Any information would be greatly appreciated. While I would love to hear people's opinions, I am only really looking for concrete answers, as I am about to make a huge decision that could affect the rest of my life.

Thanks for reading. 🙂

The one person that I know of who made this switch (from an oseopathic school to GW) was required to start over as a first year student. I also know that he had a very good reason for wanting to transfer (involved being too far from ailing spouse) and GW was willing to take him (he was an MS-II).

WVSOM has a traditional track in addition to the PBL track so you may be happier there if you find that PBL is not to your liking. As others have stated, OMM does not have to be a part of your medical practice once you are done with your board exams so hating OMM is not likely going to be a good reason for attempting a transfer or reapplication.

Additionally, you may participate in research as a medical student (NIH has medical student summer fellowships that are open to students from osteopathic or allopathic schools as does the CDC) from any medical school. You need to apply for these research fellowships and you are paid during the time that you participate in these summer positons. You may also participate in research during residency too and thus graduating from WVSOM should not rule out research if you desire to participate in this activity.

 

[JohnUC33]

Although I don't know WVSOMstdndoc personally, I just wanted to give a positive opinion about the PBL program at my school (WVSOM). I'm a first year PBL and can't be any happier with the PBL program. In my opinion, its my responsibility to get ready for the boards with the school's coursework leading me in the right directions. Anyways,like I said, I just wanted to give a positive viewpoint about PBL at WVSOM.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

you should always research things before going into them (pbl, DO etc).

DO is a great route, it gives many opportunities for residency (DO students can apply to both DO and MD residencies, but MDs can not apply to DO residencies) and also opens up ultra competitive residencies more so then MDs (see ortho).

Umm, I'm not trying to hate on my DO colleagues, but is this a joke?

 

[AmoryBlaine]

And NO, it definitely isn't medicine in general. I am getting excellent grades and LOVE medicine, I am just unhappy with my school choice and the PBL program.

Hard to explain my entire situation on a message board, but I really just want to be happy and feel proud of the school that I graduate from; currently I do not feel that way.

Have a good week everyone!

How do you know if you love medicine? You're not a clinical student yet and you're not happy with med school so far...

Is PBL really that miserable? I doubt it, there are big minuses to didactic cirricula as well...

 

[Willow]

Is PBL really that miserable? I doubt it, there are big minuses to didactic cirricula as well...

For some people, PBL really is that miserable. My undergrad ran some classes as PBL, and I also worked for their med school as a mock student, training the profs to conduct PBL sessions (in this regard, we had to act just like med students, do the same assignments, etc.) I'm now an allopathic MS1, so I feel comfortable saying I've experienced both and know for a fact that I HATE HATE HATE PBL with the fire of a 1000 suns. I also learned so much less in PBL than in didactic classes. It sucks all the joy of learning for me.

So, yeah, it is that miserable for some. But as another poster from the same school illustrated, the adage "different strokes for different folks" always applies. I would strongly advise the OP to talk honestly with the school's administration, and see if switching to the didactic curriculum is a possibility for you. Good luck!

 

[Gooch]

Lets say you do drop and apply again. What if you lied and said you have never attended or matriculated any med school. Do they have a way of checking? I'm not recommending anything here, but if there isn't really another option, maybe it could be considered. If you really hate where you are I think you have the right to leave. It happens all the time in undergrad. I dont think that would make you a terrible person. Others might disagree.
Also, I doubt the caribbean schools would care even if you told them.

 

[Law2Doc]

Lets say you do drop and apply again. What if you lied and said you have never attended or matriculated any med school. Do they have a way of checking?

This can be unearthed in a multitude of ways. The most obvious would be through student loans.
Best not to take the unethical approach. More people get caught than you'd think.

 

[JonnyG]

Theres a database of every medicals tudent in america. I believe its through the college of physicians. Its how you get all the junk mail directed at doctors and such. Though some of it is nice stuff.

 

[AmericanIMG]

Umm, I'm not trying to hate on my DO colleagues, but is this a joke?

no, its not a joke. take ortho for example. there are specific DO ortho residencies that are CLOSED to MDs, but DOs can apply to MD and DO ortho programs. this gives more opportunities to DO students then MDs in this particular field, which is one of the most highly sought after of all.

 

[-Goose-]

no, its not a joke. take ortho for example. there are specific DO ortho residencies that are CLOSED to MDs, but DOs can apply to MD and DO ortho programs. this gives more opportunities to DO students then MDs in this particular field, which is one of the most highly sought after of all.

This is based on the false assumption that DOs are on the same playing field as MDs when applying to MD residency, which, like it or not, is just not true.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

no, its not a joke. take ortho for example. there are specific DO ortho residencies that are CLOSED to MDs, but DOs can apply to MD and DO ortho programs. this gives more opportunities to DO students then MDs in this particular field, which is one of the most highly sought after of all.

I might concede you that point, but I still think most everyone would agree that getting into the really competitive fields is an uphill battle for many DOs. I personally think this is nonsense but I didn't make the rules.

 

[WVSOMStdntDr]

TrailBoss,

If you think that people only go to DO if they cannot get into an MD program you are sadly mistaken. There are individuals at my school that blew YOU away on the MCAT for sure, but they chose DO b/c they want the additional skills that OMM affords them.

I, on the other hand, was only introduced to osteopathic medicine 3 yrs ago and prior to that, had no knowledge of their existence. I thought the DO approach and additional training would be advantageous and so, I applied to both schools, but my first choice was an IN-STATE MD school (much less expensive and close to my S.O.)

Timing issues arose. I was waitlisted at the MD school and the DO school wanted an answer and a huge deposit by a certain date. I waited for an answer as long as I could from the MD school and then chose to solidify my seat at this DO school.

Anyway, I am not trying to TRANSFER at all. I was thinking of dropping now and reapplying. I understand that most of you have never heard of such a thing, but I spoke to my 1st choice MD school and they acted very positive about my situation and the likelihood that I will matriculate at their school, should I reapply.

Thanks for all the responses.

 

[Taus]

TrailBoss,

If you think that people only go to DO if they cannot get into an MD program you are sadly mistaken. There are individuals at my school that blew YOU away on the MCAT for sure, but they chose DO b/c they want the additional skills that OMM affords them.

I, on the other hand, was only introduced to osteopathic medicine 3 yrs ago and prior to that, had no knowledge of their existence. I thought the DO approach and additional training would be advantageous and so, I applied to both schools, but my first choice was an IN-STATE MD school (much less expensive and close to my S.O.)

Timing issues arose. I was waitlisted at the MD school and the DO school wanted an answer and a huge deposit by a certain date. I waited for an answer as long as I could from the MD school and then chose to solidify my seat at this DO school.

Anyway, I am not trying to TRANSFER at all. I was thinking of dropping now and reapplying. I understand that most of you have never heard of such a thing, but I spoke to my 1st choice MD school and they acted very positive about my situation and the likelihood that I will matriculate at their school, should I reapply.

Thanks for all the responses.

careful now...I'm at a DO school and I'd say MAYBE 1/3 fits that category....(~1/3 doesn't care MD or DO, 1/3 would have accepted MD over DO)

BTW...do what makes you happy but remember some of the good advice earlier in this thread...

 

[Megalofyia]

Actually in my class I'd say, easily, half actually chose DO over MD. That might be unique to many DO schools and it might be the tuition that makes the difference though.