Aspiring MD shadowing DO?

[Shamrock20134]

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I want to become an MD, but my most convenient option right now is a DO my friend hooked me up with =) . Will a LOR from a DO be looked down upon by MD admissions or do they even care? Basically: LOR from MD>DO for preMD students?

 

[487806]

I want to become an MD, but my most convenient option right now is a DO my friend hooked me up with =) . Will a LOR from a DO be looked down upon by MD admissions or do they even care? Basically: LOR from MD>DO for preMD students?

1. No one cares.
2. Shadowing letters are useless

 

[deleted407021]

Shadowing is shadowing. An osteopathic whatever would do the same things as an allopathic physician of the same specialty. A LOR from a doctor you have shadowed is probably not going to be very good because they most likely will not have had enough time to get to know and understand you well enough to defend your eligibility for med school. Enjoy you shadowing, and try to get as much out of it as you can.

 

[SnakeOilForSale]

A doctor is a doctor is a doctor.

No one cares much.

 

[HarryPlopper]

There is no difference and furthermore, getting a letter from someone you shadow is pretty worthless.

 

[darklabel]

Doesn't matter. Some allo schools have DOs on the admissions committee.

Also I think shadowing does matter. It has been brought up on interviews as a positive and my acceptance letter even said my shadowing was an aspect that was good.

 

[Espadaleader]

Speak for yourselves. The best applicants have strong letters from physicians they shadowed. Granted, you cannot get a letter from every physician you shadow, but having one is a good idea. I did most of my shadowing experience with my research PIs so it was a two for one deal and the benefit of having their commentary on my clinical experience was definitely brought up in my interviews.

That being said, most premeds are not the position to have strong letters from physicians they shadowed so if that is your case I wouldn't worry about it.

Not having a letter is not that big of a deal but having the right letter can really skyrocket your application.

 

[deleted407021]

The best applicants have strong letters from physicians they shadowed.

Seems like a stretch. I'm sure many exceptionally qualified applicants don't have LOR from physicians.

 

[Espadaleader]

I didn't say that there aren't. I did say that the best applicants do. I think the more appropriate term would be best scenario. Yes, you may not need a letter from an MD/DO to get into medical school but a strong letter from a physician will boost your application. This is what I said earlier. Again, I am talking from personal experience. My shadowing letters were topics of conversation.

There is not one thing that will get you into a school. However, there are things that are universally looked upon favorably. I would argue that a STRONG shadowing letter is one of them. Again, I said STRONG. Not "oh, I shadowed you for 100 hours can I have a letter" - that's probably not worth it...that may hurt your application. When I say STRONG I mean "I have been shadowing you for three years can I get a letter". Now that is something that will help you. Most people don't have a three year or even one year of shadowing (1000+ hours plus) so for most I would say don't bother.

 

[Espadaleader]

I think you first post is spot on @J Senpai . I don't want you to think I disagree with that because 95% of the time thats the case.

 

[deleted407021]

@Espadaleader
You're fine. I see what you mean since you clarified. A "strong" letter from anyone is a plus, but it makes sense that one from a physician would be even better. That could only really come from a long term relationship, as you stated.

 

[lysine9740]

I shadowed (and still do) a DO for well over a year, about 4 hours a week. I used her letter when applying to DO schools. In my acceptance phone call, they made the point that my letter from the DO I shadowed had a big impact on my acceptance. But as stated above, it is meaningful if the physician knows you pretty well, as was the case in my position. So it can make a big difference, but it is obviously not a necessity. Good luck!

Edit: To your original question, a letter from a DO compared to an MD won't make a difference. I haven't seen doctors show discrimination towards the different degrees, I think it's mostly a pre-med bias.