Be honest, why did you choose a DO school?

[helpfuldoc2b]

Be honest, why did you choose a DO school? Was it because you were an older student and it was more non-trad friendly? Was it because it was the only school(s) that will accept you? Was it a financial or location reason? Was it because you truely believe and wanted to study the osteopathic philosophy period with no consideration to MD schools? What exactly was it for you guys individually?

 

[bravotwozero]

To be completely honest, I went DO simply because I believed I stood a good chance of being accepted into a DO school, than an allo school. As well, after learning that DOs do everything that MD's do, including applying for allo residencies, the downsides of attending a DO school seemed relatively minor, especially since I am interested in doing an IM residency. I was also intrigued by OMM, and the philosophy of osteopathy, but those were secondary considerations.

 

[Han Bozo]

Initially I needed to save money on application fees. So I applied to one school and got in - done. Of course, in retrospect, I probably should have thought long and hard about how much it would cost me in the long run. Ah well.

 

[AlexisW333]

b/c it would increase my chances of getting into a med school that is in a bigger city, and also b/c I wanted to be in California. The schools out there are so competitive that I don't know if I would have gotten into one of the MD schools-I'm not a CA resident. Also, I like the philosophy. I think that it will broaden my knowlege of medicine even if I don't use OMM in my practice of medicine.
Another reason, I'm a little older, 26, and a lot of the students in DO schools tend to be a little older.

 

[MJB]

Be honest, why did you choose a DO school? Was it because you were an older student and it was more non-trad friendly? Was it because it was the only school(s) that will accept you? Was it a financial or location reason? Was it because you truely believe and wanted to study the osteopathic philosophy period with no consideration to MD schools? What exactly was it for you guys individually?

Yes.

 

[bla_3x]

Location, location, location

 

[Jack Daniel]

• I'm definitely a non-trad.
• I'm definitely interested in primary care (2x NHSC applicant).
• At the time I applied I didn't meet the residency requirements for any state MD (or DO) schools.
• I really needed to stay in New England--specifically near MA.
• Honestly, I wasn't competitive enough for Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Tufts or Brown.
• To be competitive for UV or BU, I probably would have needed to retake the MCAT.

So bottom line, I could have spent a bunch of money trying to get into some MD school and maybe would never have gotten accepted.

However, after visiting UNECOM, my interests and its mission matched well. In the end, I only applied to UNECOM. So when people say they chose a DO school based on location, I believe them.

 

[DragonWell]

Whether I end up using it or not, OMM is a great tool to have in the tool box.

 

[PlasticMan]

B/c I did not get accepted into an allopathic school and did not feel like wasting another year to re-apply rather than get started on my medical education right away.

 

[czanetti]

First thought have a better chance of getting into so therefore I would have a better chance of having a choice of where to go.

Second. I really did appreciate what I learned about Osteopathic medicine ie. history, and I wanted to learn OMM

 

[psychbender]

Location. If the school wasn't here, I'd have had to go somewhere else, and I knew more allopathic schools.

Now, though, I do like the osteopathic philosphy and OMT (nifty extra tool), and might actually go to another osteopathic school if I had to do it all over again.

 

[medmom]

To be completely honest, I went DO simply because I believed I stood a good chance of being accepted into a DO school, than an allo school. As well, after learning that DOs do everything that MD's do, including applying for allo residencies, the downsides of attending a DO school seemed relatively minor, especially since I am interested in doing an IM residency. I was also intrigued by OMM, and the philosophy of osteopathy, but those were secondary considerations.

DITTO, except I am going for FM

 

[Taus]

Majored in Nutrition and Kinesiology, former athlete and personal trainer, strong desire to go into sports/musculoskeletal medicine (through PM&R).....that all adds up to DO school being the obvious choice for me

 

[apass]

Majored in Nutrition and Kinesiology, former athlete and personal trainer, strong desire to go into sports/musculoskeletal medicine (through PM&R).....that all adds up to DO school being the obvious choice for me

dido that...
I played college soccer and always wanted to do ortho. DOs have very strong musculoskeletal education. I just seem to fit. I am a nontraditional student who practiced engineering for several years before applying. However the average age at DO schools is dropping - just a side note

 

[San_Juan_Sun]

Because I'm a big believer in low expectations.

 

[homeboy]

because I love cranial....

ditto what plastic-man said.

and I think it's more accurate to say other schools "did" not accept me than "will" not accept me.

 

[bigdog8829]

B/c I did not get accepted into an allopathic school and did not feel like wasting another year to re-apply rather than get started on my medical education right away.

 

[Jack Daniel]

...and I think it's more accurate to say other schools "did" not accept me than "will" not accept me.

 

[CatsandCradles]

Two reasons:

1) I didn't want to apply again and again. And my MCAT scores were gettin
nowhere (25)

2) I went to St Joseph's University...which is like right next to PCOM....and
we have this worship thing for PCOM. Whenever we wanted to back up a
statement we would be like, "Well my friend at PCOM said X, Y, and Z" and
that was the end of the conversation. Most of the 7,000 undergrad didn't
know what osteopathic medicine was, but it was sort of a cool thing if
you knew someone from PCOM or went to one of their beer parties. And
since St Joes is a Jesuit Catholic school...well we drank a lot of
alcohol.

 

[Taus]

Two reasons:

1) I didn't want to apply again and again. And my MCAT scores were gettin
nowhere (25)

2) I went to St Joseph's University...which is like right next to PCOM....and
we have this worship thing for PCOM. Whenever we wanted to back up a
statement we would be like, "Well my friend at PCOM said X, Y, and Z" and
that was the end of the conversation. Most of the 7,000 undergrad didn't
know what osteopathic medicine was, but it was sort of a cool thing if
you knew someone from PCOM or went to one of their beer parties. And
since St Joes is a Jesuit Catholic school...well we drank a lot of
alcohol.

it is pretty funny how often people around here recognize PCOM as a good med school and can name someone they know who goes/went there.... but as for the word Osteopathic....not so much...

 

[Taty]

I visited (because the nature of my undegrad research) Cornell,Downstate,NYU , Mount Sinai, and AECOM, but I got good vibe from NYCOM when I had a campus tour... I also like AECOM and it was my # 1 choice, but AECOM wrote me the nastiest rejection letter ( believe me I have like 12 of them already AECOM's being the worst) so I will go to NYCOM because I feel good there. Location also very good I live like 30 minutes away. I turned out out of state MD interviews because I would like to stay in NY and why to waste money if I will not go there.....

I withdrowed from Mount Sinai because I could not bear my bad flashbacks, but they would reject me anyway. NYU and Cornell I never applied. Stony Brook and Downstate rejected me. Between Upstate ( I was on pre-interview hold and withdrawed) and NYCOM I chose NYCOM

 

[olliemctuffy]

For me it was location and UNECOM has a very good reputation around here, especially for anatomy. I have been told by MDs at major hospitals in Maine and New York that some of their best residents are UNECOM graduates. Biggest drawback-> high tuition. I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by going to a DO school and get the impression that most, emphasize most, of the establishment has moved past the DO/MD thing.
Bottom line is I'm happy here and about halfway through med school already!

 

[McDoctor]

Like alot of others who have posted here, my GPA and MCAT were not quite high enough to make me feel confident about my chances at allopathic schools. I believed my best chance was in osteopathic schools. And, as I remember, the application processes for each were seperate, however both were long, convoluted, soul-draining affairs. Since I worked about 60 hours a week, and was taking med school prerequisites on the side, I only filled out the AACOMAAS app (or whatever the hell its called) and was not about to duplicate the process for allopathic institutions.

Having trained side by side with MD's and working with MD's today, I have absolutely no sense of inferiority regarding my skills, decision making, or clinical judgement. Having a 3.4 GPA vs. a 3.6, or scoring 26 on MCATs vs. a 30, has absolutley no bearing on what kind of physician you will make. I think DO schools have an edge producing primary care fields where a holistic approach is important, and MD schools have an edge in more specialized fields like Oncology or Nephrology where exposure to research is more essential. But that is just an opinion.

In the end, this is just another MD vs DO thread, isn't it? You'll notice that there aren't any MD vs DO threads in the graduate forums, because the difference is neglible by that point. Residency is where you will learn how to be a doctor. Medical school is where you will learn that valine replaces glutamic acid at position 6 of the beta globin chain in sickle cell disease. We all went to medical school to be doctors. It doesn't matter what letters you have behind your name or whether or not you learned how to crack someone's back along the way.

 

[MJB]

Now that I'm nearly COMPLETE..meaning my status is final at every school I've applied to...one thing I've noticed is that DO schools seem to be more organized...at least the one's I applied to...and some of them are more well organized and professional than others.

KU and MU, in particular, continue to underwelm me...

 

[raptor5]

OMM.

Finishing my 3rd year at PCOM and am glad I decided not to go to any of neighboring MD schools.

 

[jaydoc07]

Now that I'm nearly COMPLETE..meaning my status is final at every school I've applied to...one thing I've noticed is that DO schools seem to be more organized...at least the one's I applied to...and some of them are more well organized and professional than others.

KU and MU, in particular, continue to underwelm me...

That doesn't mean the rest of the school is unorganized. I encountered the same thing when applying to residency programs. Bigger time programs are in more demand and have no shortage of great applicants. Lesser known programs have to fight harder to get enough good students.

 

[P Willi]

I came from a big university with a strong traditional allopathic medical school. I liked the aspect of manipulation in healthcare. I didn't know if i would use it or not, but I knew I wanted to learn it and would regret it if i didn't. I applied only to DO school. I am now a MS4 am not at all regretful of my training. I applied into PM&R and feel that it will definetely be a tool I will use in the future.

 

[Dr JPH]

Location

I ended up at the 2nd best medical school in Philadelphia.

 

[CatsandCradles]

it is pretty funny how often people around here recognize PCOM as a good med school and can name someone they know who goes/went there.... but as for the word Osteopathic....not so much...

You hear it in the churches too. "Please pray for the students at PCOM as they begin their boards next week" I know, it was wierd to hear that. I went to some of the churches out in Narberth and you'd hear something about PCOM. People think it was cool or something. They didn't know what took place at PCOM, but just wanted to look and sound as if they were a well informed person, so they often mentioned it.

Well I didn't get into PCOM. They sent me two letters of rejections you know, just to make sure I knew I wasn't good nuff for them

 

[Old_Mil]

Be honest, why did you choose a DO school? Was it because you were an older student and it was more non-trad friendly? Was it because it was the only school(s) that will accept you? Was it a financial or location reason? Was it because you truely believe and wanted to study the osteopathic philosophy period with no consideration to MD schools? What exactly was it for you guys individually?

Location...

 

[TheEleventhReel]

The same 4 reasons everyone chooses DO school: Chicks, money, power, chicks.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Because I had a ****box gpa with a good MCRAP and because they didn't waitlist me like the allopathic schools.

 

[Quakkilla]

What is allopathy?


I came because damn near everyone I know is a DO. Just a nartual progression.

 

[Neocyto]

This is how I came to the conclusion that DO was the right choice for me--

I was having a long discussion with an allopathic physician (very close friend) about how he would treat a patient that complained of chronic back pain. Unbeknownst to him, I was talking about my mom.
No matter what patient scenario I set up for him, his answer never changed;
"I would send her for an MRI and manage her pain with meds"
I was not satisfied with his answer as I felt that he should have a more active role in the treatment/healing process. The bottom line was, as an allopathic physician, this approach was what he was taught.

OMM is that extra tool that enables you to be more involved. Not everything is meant be treated in such a hands-off manner. Although it is no secret that allopathic medicine is ahead of osteopathic medicine in the clinical research realm, I feel it lacks the necessary physical contact that a physician is meant to have with his/her patients.

I want to be able to do more without the sole reliance on machines or drugs. When I realized that this was what I wanted, becoming a DO was an easy choice. I discussed this with my interviewer and his feedback reassured me that I had made the right decision.

I will be starting at NYCOM in Aug '07.

 

[Shinken]

The same 4 reasons everyone chooses DO school: Chicks, money, power, chicks.

You forgot the 5th reason: chicks.

 

[MJB]

That doesn't mean the rest of the school is unorganized. I encountered the same thing when applying to residency programs. Bigger time programs are in more demand and have no shortage of great applicants. Lesser known programs have to fight harder to get enough good students.

I agree, however, I expected more and better out of those two programs.

Some of the mistakes made on their end were unforgiveable.

 

[WALKE219]

I chose MSUCOM - I was accpeted into 4 allo schools as well.. I chose MSU because it's a great school, one of the highest ranking in primary care (4 overall) and eventhough I might not be interested in primary care, I think a really great base in it is a plus, even for specialists. It did not come down to DO or MD, it came down to reputation, tuition, location, faculty attitude, etc. I think more people should look at the schools rather than if they are DO or MD.

 

[FutureSoxDoc]

Both my parents are DO's. Never even thought about going allopathic.

 

[confused_amused]

There's a long line of DOs in my family, including my father. (I'll be the 7th DO in the family total, and there's an 8th and 9th on the way). I knew that I wanted to do Family Medicine, and growing up with my dad being a DO that use a lot of OMT, I never even considered applying to MD schools.

 

[Natatiap]

I learned about osteopathic medicine when the school I will be attending in the fall came to my undergraduate school and did a presentation through our pre med society. Thats how I first became interested. I started shadowing an emergency room DO who works at the MCV hospital in richmond for two years and from there I applied to DO schools. I applied to MD as well and I knew I would be comfortable going into either.

 

[Pansit]

Philosophy is nice and agree with it, but I dont disagree with allopathic philosphy either so it really comes down to who accepts me. I am not gonna get all caught up in the MD and DO thing...

 

[Freshnstylin]

I came to DO school because I felt that the MD degree should be changed to DO and end all this stupid debate about which one is better.

 

[Cuthbert]

Because I wanted to be a doctor.

 

[MaximusD]

Because I was told that doctors get laid.

 

[palbsss]

hey, me too!!

 

[WestcoastMedicine]

deleted

 

[somedumbDO]

chicks, power, money and chicks....... quote scrubs

dont you know that girls go for DO guys more than MD guys cuz they are good with there hands

uhh cuz it was the best place i was accepted.... a victim of circumstance

 

[DNA Helicase]

location, more collaborative student culture, OMM, longer application cycle

 

[J1515]

i wanted to become a bone doctor

 

[suds945]

Chose MSUCOM over multiple allopathic schools due to location, in-state tuition, reputation, and of course, the chicks...the undergrads here are outta sight

Whoever talked about the MD and his continual response to the back pain...I'm glad you get it, now I just wish more people did. OMM is the most useful thing I've learned in medical school so far.

If I had to go back and make the decision again even with allopathic admissions to, say, Hopkins or Harvard, I would still choose to come here. No question. My classmates are just so chill and so cool...not crazy neurotic like some of the allopathic students I've met.

Oh, and a lot of us osteo students are young...I just turned 23 in January.