Are DO's still virtually guaranteed to get residencies?

[DrMikeP]

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The MD vs DO threads have been repeated so much that there is even a sticky and often there is more than one active during any week.

New members are supposed to look through the threads/stickies and if someone hopes to be successful in med school then they should be capable of basic research/info gathering.

I'm all for new people asking questions and I have a fair history of helping answer questions but older members should also be aware that certain topics just don't need to be rehashed repeatedly with the same arguments, when a short and to the point answer with a direction to previous discussions included would be more beneficial.

Just my opinion.

 

[PatchAdams25]

The MD vs DO threads have been repeated so much that there is even a sticky and often there is more than one active during any week.

New members are supposed to look through the threads/stickies and if someone hopes to be successful in med school then they should be capable of basic research/info gathering.

I'm all for new people asking questions and I have a fair history of helping answer questions but older members should also be aware that certain topics just don't need to be rehashed repeatedly with the same arguments, when a short and to the point answer with a direction to previous discussions included would be more beneficial.

Just my opinion.

I understand there is a search function and that these threads get discussed a lot. I was asking a singular person, Mad Jack, what he thought about DO and cardiology. It was a simple question looking for a simple response. I was not trying to go into a heated discussion about it. I know I am a noob here but I am pretty sure you can unfollow the thread if you aren't interested in what anyone is talking about. Therefore you don't waste your own time reading things you don't care about and waste my time responding!!

 

[DrMikeP]

Don't get ur panties bunched. It's your choice to waste your time or not. My post wasn't particularly directed at noobs, but you should definitely read the past threads on the subject or not. I've already got mine so you need to figure out yours and there is a ton of wisdom in prior sdn posts on that.

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[mathnerd88]

I understand there is a search function and that these threads get discussed a lot. I was asking a singular person, Mad Jack, what he thought about DO and cardiology. It was a simple question looking for a simple response. I was not trying to go into a heated discussion about it. I know I am a noob here but I am pretty sure you can unfollow the thread if you aren't interested in what anyone is talking about. Therefore you don't waste your own time reading things you don't care about and waste my time responding!!

I think you should worry about going IM first before thinking about cardiology anyways...

You'll have no problem going ACGME IM as a DO.

 

[baratheonfire]

So is this the consensus?

>DO's are pretty much guaranteed to match somewhere before they graduate.
>The DO degree is decreasing in value and DO's will be limited to primary care by 2020.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

So is this the consensus?

>DO's are pretty much guaranteed to match somewhere before they graduate.
>The DO degree is decreasing in value and DO's will be limited to primary care by 2020.

wow


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[DrMikeP]

So is this the consensus?

>DO's are pretty much guaranteed to match somewhere before they graduate.
>The DO degree is decreasing in value and DO's will be limited to primary care by 2020.

*Yes to #1.

*No one knows yet on #2. Just lots of speculation and my guess is actually no change (unless the # of new schools keeps increasing dramatically).

 

[IslandStyle808]

So is this the consensus?

>DO's are pretty much guaranteed to match somewhere before they graduate.
>The DO degree is decreasing in value and DO's will be limited to primary care by 2020.

The real consensus

>Yes, you will be fine matching (as long as there are no red flags).
>Everything here is speculation an we should wait and see what happens in the future.

 

[deleted731525]

Oh I agree. But people who want to go into dermatology or whatever competitive specialty should be more realistic about their chances in a DO school.

If they don't have the stats to go to MD, the chances of them scoring even better than MDs on the boards isn't high to begin with. They're all difficult, even for MDs.

People keep forgetting that this is all relative. Even a DO student at an MD school is likely not to be top of the MD class to get into these competitive specialties anyways.

So yeah, a DO student has to work harder than MD to get into a good residency program, but let's not forget that MDs generally will score better than DOs.

The only unfair advantage I see is for those DO students who are at the very top of their class who get turned away, which is likely like 1% of us sdners.

I highly disagree with this. Getting into MD schools is much more than grades and is a crapshoot. There are plenty of borderline candidates with the MD matric average of 31 and 3.6 that end up at a DO school instead of MD for whatever arbitrary reason that only gets looked at because of the huge number of applicants. Further, there are plenty of people who well on boards even from caribbean schools. The main problem is that there are a lot of programs that simply dont consider DOs. Look at the program director survey on the NRMP website. For many specialties, DOs are ranked by a similar percentage of programs as IMGs.

 

[mathnerd88]

I highly disagree with this. Getting into MD schools is much more than grades and is a crapshoot. There are plenty of borderline candidates with the MD matric average of 31 and 3.6 that end up at a DO school instead of MD for whatever arbitrary reason that only gets looked at because of the huge number of applicants. Further, there are plenty of people who well on boards even from caribbean schools. The main problem is that there are a lot of programs that simply dont consider DOs. Look at the program director survey on the NRMP website. For many specialties, DOs are ranked by a similar percentage of programs as IMGs.

Average stats of DO schools are lower (sometimes significantly) than that of MDs for a reason. There's the only evidence you need. There are always exceptions. I strongly disagree with your statement. Most of the applicants that get accepted early during the DO application process end up going to MD schools (hence partly why the application process for DO's is longer than that of MD.)

Let's not forget DO allows grade replacement, while MD does not. Also, MD counts math towards sGPA...there are some generally easy classes that count towards sGPA in AACOMAS like Environmental Science.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Average stats of DO schools are lower (sometimes significsntly) than that of MDs for a reason. There's the only evidence you need. There are always exceptions.

Here we go again...


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[deleted731525]

Average stats of DO schools are lower (sometimes significsntly) than that of MDs for a reason. There's the only evidence you need. There are always exceptions.

Let's not forget DO allows grade replacement, while MD does not.

Right but there is a lot of overlap. There isnt that much stats wise separating the bottom half MD students from the top half DO students in terms of MCAT and GPA. Yet that bottom half MD student will have way more options than a top half DO student. All I am saying is that you are kidding yourself if you think the disadvantage is just from weaker students.

 

[mathnerd88]

Right but there is a lot of overlap. There isnt that much stats wise separating the bottom half MD students from the top half DO students in terms of MCAT and GPA. Yet that bottom half MD student will have way more options than a top half DO student. All I am saying is that you are kidding yourself if you think the disadvantage is just from weaker students.

Because bottom half MD students still have higher stats than top half DO students before matriculation, generally.

Even two points difference on the MCAT nets you 12% higher in percentiles. That's pretty significant to me.

Look at the average DO matriculant stats compared to the average MD matriculant stats. There's a significant difference, and not even considering the grade replacement. Looking at MCAT, there's a pretty big gap there.

 

[deleted731525]

Because bottom half MD students still have higher stats than DO before matriculation, generally.

PDs generally dont care much about pre med stats. They care about boards, quality clinical rotations and being able to filter a surplus of apps easily. What I am saying is that even if there was a DO school where the incoming stats averaged 35 and 3.8 they would still be DOs and be at a disadvantage at programs that dont rank DOs.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Here we go again...


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And unfortunately I really believe there are PDs who think like this as well, which in part contribute to the bias (along with the clinical rotation spiel).

 

[mathnerd88]

PDs generally dont care much about pre med stats. They care about boards, quality clinical rotations and being able to filter a surplus of apps easily. What I am saying is that even if there was a DO school where the incoming stats averaged 35 and 3.8 they would still be DOs and be at a disadvantage at programs that dont rank DOs.

And I believe once DO schools reach to that level of stats, then they would be considered the same as MD. Also, it looks like almost every competitive applicant will prefer MD over DO. However, new DO schools keep opening up and keeping the average DO matriculant stats lower. But I do see an improvement for all DO's. The established DO schools still have good alumni and connections to competitive residencies, and I only see that improving.

Also, DO schools lack research opps, and the quality (rotations, research support, etc) between DO schools sometimes varies significantly.

 

[IslandStyle808]

And I believe once DO schools reach to that level of stats, then they would be considered the same as MD. However, new DO schools keep opening up and keeping the average DO matriculant stats lower.

Also, DO schools lack research opps, and the quality between DO schools sometimes varies significantly.

The stats themselves are not the clear defining factor here. You can compare the match lists of older DO schools to low-tier and even mid-tier schools with the same MCAT averages. There is a significant difference in the quality of their match.

The gap would be bridged if opportunities in research were greater and most clinical rotations were under residency programs (on top of greater quality control). The pre-medical stats themselves are not that strong of a predictor of success as we think they are.

 

[Isotopes]

Who cares if you're MD vs. DO? We're all going to be doctors.

 

[deleted731525]

Who cares if you're MD vs. DO? We're all going to be doctors.

Some people want to keep as many doors open as possible. And that doesnt just apply to things like neurosurgery. If you want to do IM at places like Mt Sinai or NYU you probably wont have that opportunity as a DO no matter how well you do in medical school. That doesnt mean its a bad choice to go DO, especially if its your only option. Its just that like MadJack said you should know to what degree you are limiting yourself before you start. And its even more important now with the merger for those of us starting in the summer/fall. We will be part of a new rule set with nothing but speculation to guide us on how our results will differ from those before us. So you are getting(and will continue to get) lots of speculating.

 

[Mad Jack]

Who cares if you're MD vs. DO? We're all going to be doctors.

That's like saying "who cares whether we're going to be quarterbacks or linemen, we're all going to play football!" Not everyone wants to be a lineman, nor does everyone want to be a quarterback. If you know you want to be a quarterback but join a team that you know will only put you on the line, you'll be miserable.

Being a physician isn't just a title, it's a field that is divided into numerous subfields. Not all personalities are flexible enough to work in every subfield.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

That's like saying "who cares whether we're going to be quarterbacks or linemen, we're all going to play football!" Not everyone wants to be a lineman, nor does everyone want to be a quarterback. If you know you want to be a quarterback but join a team that you know will only put you on the line, you'll be miserable.

Being a physician isn't just a title, it's a field that is divided into numerous subfields. Not all personalities are flexible enough to work in every subfield.

Analogy on point!


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[Isotopes]

That's like saying "who cares whether we're going to be quarterbacks or linemen, we're all going to play football!" Not everyone wants to be a lineman, nor does everyone want to be a quarterback. If you know you want to be a quarterback but join a team that you know will only put you on the line, you'll be miserable.

Being a physician isn't just a title, it's a field that is divided into numerous subfields. Not all personalities are flexible enough to work in every subfield.

Sure. I just think a lot of people are caught up in the prestige of having the initials MD after their name, rather than concerning themselves with what residency/specialty they want. So sick of these inferiority/superiority complexes.

 

[mathnerd88]

Sure. I just think a lot of people are caught up in the prestige of having the initials MD after their name, rather than concerning themselves with what residency/specialty they want. So sick of these inferiority/superiority complexes.

It happens everywhere, and isn't just limited to medicine.

Nobody really knows exactly what kind of physician they want before they enter medical school. They may have an idea, but it changes. This is the same as declaring a major before you even enter college. You want the most opportunities afforded to you even before you make the final choice.

 

[AlteredScale]

Sure. I just think a lot of people are caught up in the prestige of having the initials MD after their name, rather than concerning themselves with what residency/specialty they want. So sick of these inferiority/superiority complexes.

DO doesn't come with "less prestige". It comes with the fact that you lock yourself out of specific academic and surgical residencies which in turn locks you out of careers that at this point in your life you may not know you want or don't want. It's undeniable that as a DO you will face harder challenges to enter surgical specialties and near impossible barriers to enter surgical specialties in academic programs whereas a US MD from even the lowest tier will place their grads into places that have never taken a DO.

It's not about inferiority or superiority, it's being able to choose what you want to do outside of "just being a doctor". Not everyone going to a DO school is fine with any residency program. Some of us want to train at the very best, learn and be near cutting edge science, and be surrounded by pioneers in the field. Not because it's prestigious, but because it's something we want to do.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

So is this the consensus?

>DO's are pretty much guaranteed to match somewhere before they graduate.
>The DO degree is decreasing in value and DO's will be limited to primary care by 2020.

hardly a consensus

 

[PathoTurnUp1865]

That's before the merger. Furthermore, how many of those matches were in desirable locations? Probably a lot of rural areas that are less competitive. Once the merger is complete, it will be even more competitive for DOs.

Roughly half, but you have to realize I am from Oklahoma and many of my classmates are too. Lots of them come from rural areas and don't mind rural locations, that may even be their desirable location. On the flip-side, the students who want to match to "upper-tier" residencies or more "desirable" locations are able to do so if they want to. I haven't met anyone who has felt restricted in anyway in this regard. Further, if the majority of the classes are able to match ACMGE, then I do not see much changing.

 

[mathnerd88]

DO doesn't come with "less prestige". It comes with the fact that you lock yourself out of specific academic and surgical residencies which in turn locks you out of careers that at this point in your life you may not know you want or don't want. It's undeniable that as a DO you will face harder challenges to enter surgical specialties and near impossible barriers to enter surgical specialties in academic programs whereas a US MD from even the lowest tier will place their grads into places that have never taken a DO.

It's not about inferiority or superiority, it's being able to choose what you want to do outside of "just being a doctor". Not everyone going to a DO school is fine with any residency program. Some of us want to train at the very best, learn and be near cutting edge science, and be surrounded by pioneers in the field. Not because it's prestigious, but because it's something we want to do.

This is true, but understand that in competitive fields like medicine, the name and what medical school you've attended does take you far. If you want to train at the very best, then you also have to be the best, which means getting into MD schools and be top of the class.

 

[Mad Jack]

So is this the consensus?

>DO's are pretty much guaranteed to match somewhere before they graduate.
>The DO degree is decreasing in value and DO's will be limited to primary care by 2020.

>Yes.
>No- there are plenty of low to moderately competitive non-PC fields that are DO friendly. Specialty does not equal competitive.

 

[DrMikeP]

Guess what many of you getting into less than prestigious MD schools will also find it more difficult to get certain specialties. The specialty doesn't make you a better or worse doctor, as much as being a DO doesn't make you a better or worse doctor. It's all about personal preference and you bust your rear end to go as far as you can and want. I agree that if given and opportunity maximize it, but don't go in thinking just because you have an MD that gives you opportunities either. Those come with tremendous hard work and a bit of luck and planning along the way.

Best of luck to everyone in med school. I've said my last on this topic.

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[AlteredScale]

This is true, but understand that in competitive fields like medicine, the name and what medical school you've attended does take you far. If you want to train at the very best, then you also have to be the best, which means getting into MD schools and be top of the class.

Oh I completely agree with this. But I think we both can rest assured that those going into medical school whether MD or DO are going to work their tail off. It's the end product of that work that helps determine what someone ends up doing but there's almost always the fact that a DO who works 200% percent harder, scores higher on the USMLE and has stronger research experience will still be stood up by the very best residency programs all because of the letter after their last name. You see it consistently in the IM matches at DO schools.

Is it fair? From our perspective no. But until the AOA and COCA gets their crap together in regards to class size, clinical rotations, research production, and appalling public awareness campaigns, then PDs will continue to use that filter to their discretion.

 

[68PGunner]

This is true, but understand that in competitive fields like medicine, the name and what medical school you've attended does take you far. If you want to train at the very best, then you also have to be the best, which means getting into MD schools and be top of the class.

This is bs and sounds like a noob who has never worked in a prestigious job in the real world. For example, a prestigious trading job at Goldman Sachs looks at talent from all over the US, regardless if the applicant is Ivy or not. The same applies to medicine.

The title won't be much of a hindrance toward your true merits. If your true merits are worth of being elite in medicine, you will get an elite residency. In most cases, a lot of people overestimate their true merits and generally feel disappointed when the results don't meet their expectations.

 

[ERinspired]

(For the record, stumbled on this post using the search function.)

Underestimated how well I'd do on the MCAT, couldn't get an MD app together in time, chose to go DO instead of lose another year as an already old nontrad.

While I do not regret my decision, I am very familiar with the limitations it has placed before me, and don't want people to go the DO route only to feel burned down the road by it. I've got more than a few classmates that are quite unrealistic about their shot at, say, orthopedic surgery and the like, especially post-merger. I don't want too many people ending up like them- I want people that know what they're signing up for before they sign up for it, so that they don't spend the rest of their life bitter that they're in IM or FM. You want to be a doctor? DO is fine. You want to be a very particular type of doctor in a highly competitive specialty? Think long and hard, and if you're not willing to have a realistic backup plan, do a SMP or retake the MCAT if you want to optimize your chances (substantially I might add) of achieving your dreams. I'm not here to tend to the hugbox that the pre-osteo and osteo forums often are (a state of affairs that is largely precipitated by premeds, not medical students and residents), I'm here to very clearly spell out for people the reality of the situation. It isn't doom and gloom, but it certainly isn't puppies and rainbows.

^There are definitely some parallels with the situation that I've gotten myself into now. A huge portion of my experience up to this point is in EMS and I'd really like to continue on into emergency medicine. From what I've heard, this is considered one of the "less competitive" residency programs. Do you think this is going to be attainable as a DO (I'll match in 2021)? I appreciate the opinions!

 

[68PGunner]

(For the record, stumbled on this post using the search function.)


^There are definitely some parallels with the situation that I've gotten myself into now. A huge portion of my experience up to this point is in EMS and I'd really like to continue on into emergency medicine. From what I've heard, this is considered one of the "less competitive" residency programs. Do you think this is going to be attainable as a DO (I'll match in 2021)? I appreciate the opinions!

Emergency medicine is actually competitive in today's environment. You just need to try your best and let the chips fall where they need to be. I just perused through my school match list for this year. We have some fantastic matches with about 50-55% going into FM, IM, and Ped. In comparison to MDs, the number is about 30-40% going into FM, IM, and Ped. The difference is not significant. Nobody is locked into primary care. Finally, not everyone wants to go into a surgical field.

 

[ERinspired]

Emergency medicine is actually competitive in today's environment. You just need to try your best and let the chips fall where they need to be. I just perused through my school match list for this year. We have some fantastic matches with about 50-55% going into FM, IM, and Ped. In comparison to MDs, the number is about 30-40% going into FM, IM, and Ped. The difference is not significant. Nobody is locked into primary care. Finally, not everyone wants to go into a surgical field.

I guess maybe I meant "DO-friendly"?


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[68PGunner]

I guess maybe I meant "DO-friendly"?


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It's DO friendly in the sense that your application will be looked at regardless of the title MD or DO if your stats are competitive. DO friendly doesn't mean lower stats.

 

[Scrubs101]

That's like saying "who cares whether we're going to be quarterbacks or linemen, we're all going to play football!" Not everyone wants to be a lineman, nor does everyone want to be a quarterback. If you know you want to be a quarterback but join a team that you know will only put you on the line, you'll be miserable.

Being a physician isn't just a title, it's a field that is divided into numerous subfields. Not all personalities are flexible enough to work in every subfield.

Love it. Perfect analogy.


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[mathnerd88]

This is bs and sounds like a noob who has never worked in a prestigious job in the real world. For example, a prestigious trading job at Goldman Sachs looks at talent from all over the US, regardless if the applicant is Ivy or not. The same applies to medicine.

The title won't be much of a hindrance toward your true merits. If your true merits are worth of being elite in medicine, you will get an elite residency. In most cases, a lot of people overestimate their true merits and generally feel disappointed when the results don't meet their expectations.

I don't think you understand my point...there are some companies that DO give preference to hiring those from Ivies. What I'm trying to say is, if you take the SAME person and stick them at Harvard and then stick them at a public state schools, the results may be vastly different in terms of job prospects. If I were a job interviewer, and if I saw the same stats from someone from Harvard vs. someone from a public state school and I had one interview slot available, who do you think I would more likely to interview?

You know, even at my DO school, the faculty was saying how it was upsetting that the name changed recently from a well known school name to a lesser known one. Many more people know the name UMDNJ vs Rowan.

Also, it is already known that even those with MD's with lower stats still get interviewed and DO's with higher stats get turned away. If you've ever worked at an elite hospital in Boston, you'll see that the name does take you far. We're talking about medicine here. Again, I do see some change, but most of the time, the name does carry. Did you also know that many of the PD's here are from those top medical schools? Do you realize how much easier it is to get an interview if you've associated with them in some way?

In CA, things are different (DO's are regarded the same as MD's,) but the northeast still has this bias.

And yes, there are exceptions. Most medical students don't have as much outside experience to bring in (they're young, right after college) vs older nontrads. Obviously the older you get things will change as you gain experience, but we are talking general here, for most students. I believe name matters the further you go in your education, like graduate schools and law schools. I would like to conduct research at Harvard than some no name school in middle of nowhere.

 

[cliquesh]

Right but there is a lot of overlap. There isnt that much stats wise separating the bottom half MD students from the top half DO students in terms of MCAT and GPA. Yet that bottom half MD student will have way more options than a top half DO student. All I am saying is that you are kidding yourself if you think the disadvantage is just from weaker students.

It still plays a role. I think only 2 people in my class of 200 had a usmle score above 250. The average score of the USMD med school associated with my residency is 250. I don't think there are many DOs with exceptional scores. I am not saying that as a bad thing. Its actually kind of reassuring. I think it would be worse if there were a bunch of baller DOs out there getting "stuck" with primary care. I don't think that's the case.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

It still plays a role. I think only 2 people in my class of 200 had a usmle score above 250. The average score of the USMD med school associated with my residency is 250. I don't think there are many DOs with exceptional scores. I am not saying that as a bad thing. Its actually kind of reassuring. I think it would be worse if there were a bunch of baller DOs out there getting "stuck" with primary care. I don't think that's the case.

Such a good post. People forget that the average DO won't be sniffing an ortho or Derm residency. And that's not even getting into the fact that a lot of DO students self select for primary care. The only people truly inhibited by the bias are, by and large, the top 1% - 5% who normally would end up at a very prestigious place in a competative specialty if they were an MD. Even then those top students often get into the specialty of their choice at a solid place. I do agree though that no DO should be expecting to do NS at MGH. These threads are dogs chasing their tails.

 

[mathnerd88]

It still plays a role. I think only 2 people in my class of 200 had a usmle score above 250. The average score of the USMD med school associated with my residency is 250. I don't think there are many DOs with exceptional scores. I am not saying that as a bad thing. Its actually kind of reassuring. I think it would be worse if there were a bunch of baller DOs out there getting "stuck" with primary care. I don't think that's the case.

Great post. I feel like although there is bias, it isn't as terrible as people think. I think many come on here expecting to have a baller USMLE score when they only have a 27 MCAT and 3.4 GPA. For most DO's, this bias won't really be a problem.

 

[68PGunner]

I don't think you understand my point...there are some companies that DO give preference to hiring those from Ivies. What I'm trying to say is, if you take the SAME person and stick them at Harvard and then stick them at a public state schools, the results may be vastly different in terms of job prospects. If I were a job interviewer, and if I saw the same stats from someone from Harvard vs. someone from a public state school and I had one interview slot available, who do you think I would more likely to interview?

Sure if you restrict the applicants to strictly just stats. There are more to an applicant than just stats. If we're just restricted to stats, the trading desks at GS and MS would be manned mainly by Ivy grads. That may be true for analysts, but it's far from reality when it comes to front office money maker positions. Your argument isn't substantial. At the end of the day, merits will override everything.

Also, it is already known that even those with MD's with lower stats still get interviewed and DO's with higher stats get turned away. If you've ever worked at an elite hospital in Boston, you'll see that the name does take you far. We're talking about medicine here. Again, I do see some change, but most of the time, the name does carry. Did you also know that many of the PD's here are from those top medical schools? Do you realize how much easier it is to get an interview if you've associated with them in some way?

I'm not interested in working at an elite hospital. That feeling is shared by many DOs out there.

And yes, there are exceptions. Most medical students don't have as much outside experience to bring in (they're young, right after college) vs older nontrads. Obviously the older you get things will change as you gain experience, but we are talking general here, for most students. I believe name matters the further you go in your education, like graduate schools and law schools. I would like to conduct research at Harvard than some no name school in middle of nowhere.

Medicine is one of those fields where name brands matter less and less. At the end of the day, you're still going to get at least a 200k job. Law and business are different bc the cost of entry in term of financial and time commitment is lower, allowing oversaturation of practitioners.

 

[Azete]

Without giving too much personal information away, my father in-law is the Vice Dean of GME at a major academic institution in the northeast. I made the rare choice of choosing a DO school over an MD for my family, and before doing so I talked with him ad nauseam about my residency prospects/limitations by choosing DO. Last year they accepted the first DO at their program, and he anticipates the ratio moving forward to be about half the total ratio of DO/MD students, with roughly 1/10 of their spots going to DO and the remaining to MD -- across all specialties. One important point he emphasized is their program cares very little about the MD school a student attended, but there's a very short list of DO schools they'll consider because they don't feel many DO schools do an adequate job of training during clinical years.

Obviously n=1, but perhaps someone will find this helpful.

 

[ERinspired]

It's DO friendly in the sense that your application will be looked at regardless of the title MD or DO if your stats are competitive. DO friendly doesn't mean lower stats.

Thanks for the clarification!


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[medhopeful92]

Without giving too much personal information away, my father in-law is the Vice Dean of GME at a major academic institution in the northeast. I made the rare choice of choosing a DO school over an MD for my family, and before doing so I talked with him ad nauseam about my residency prospects/limitations by choosing DO. Last year they accepted the first DO at their program, and he anticipates the ratio moving forward to be about half the total ratio of DO/MD students, with roughly 1/10 of their spots going to DO and the remaining to MD -- across all specialties. One important point he emphasized is their program cares very little about the MD school a student attended, but there's a very short list of DO schools they'll consider because they don't feel many DO schools do an adequate job of training during clinical years.

Obviously n=1, but perhaps someone will find this helpful.

Would you mind letting us which DO schools they consider? I'm guessing some of the older ones, more established ones.

 

[Azete]

Would you mind letting us which DO schools they consider? I'm guessing some of the older ones, more established ones.

Wish I could, but outside of a couple schools I really have no idea. Generally, though, you can probably safely assume that any school that doesn't have dedicated rotation sites for 3rd year is not going to be received well due to lack of consistency.