Best D.O. schools

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[Ypo.]

Its impossible to give an ubiased answer-as there haven't been studies done to assign rankings to DO schools (correct me if I'm wrong-the AOA and AACOM discourage it).

Therefore all you will get is opinions. Want mine?

 

[wire]

Lets hear it 😀

 

[Ypo.]

OK, as far as residencies-I think MSUCOM is the best. Almost all the students do not take the USMLE as the osteopathic residencies are very competetive. Also there are a lot of DOs in Michigan, so there is not a lot of bias.

This is what I know about academics at other schools. KCOM had a 100% pass rate on the COMLEX last year, and I hear DMU has awesome facilities.

There is another thread just like this one-do a search for DO school ratings. GOod luck.

 

[stoic]

***Disclaimer: This list is biased. It it based purely on my geo-centric thoughts***

-MSU and OSU are both on the top of the list. Both have tough admissions and academics. Both have a research focus and are part of a university. Both have good residency programs and are well respected in the midwest.

-KCOM is a great school. Very tough academics, nice envirnoment for those who want to go the small town route. Well known and respected in the Allopathic world. (I know there was a little spat or whatever about that on the boards recently. I don't want to inflame any situations, but I've also encountered this attitude several times)

-KCUMB (formerly UHS) places a lot of students in good allopathic speciality residencies (particuarly in the midwest) and the students/graduates have all been university cool and happy.

-NOVA also places a lot of grads into good residencies. New facilities

 

[normalforce]

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences-COM

Top notch curriculum and facilities. People from last year matched to Univ. of Michigan, Northwestern and other top programs.

In all honesty, it is about you, not the school you attend.

🙂

 

[Ypo.]

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences-COM

Top notch curriculum and facilities. People from last year matched to Univ. of Michigan, Northwestern and other top programs.

In all honesty, it is about you, not the school you attend.

🙂

I don't necessarily agree with that. First, you have to know what you want. Then, you have to pick a school that is the logical choice for your career goals and aspirations-and other factors.

If you want to do research, you have to be pretty picky about what DO schools you should apply to, for example. Or if you want to specialize in something other than primary care-you need to go where you will have the greatest likelihood of getting matched up-and you need to think about whether or not you are willing to take the USMLE. Its true that you can get into any specialty and any DO schools, but you'll have a much harder time achieving this at some schools than you will at others. Look at the residency matches, and at the number of students who felt compelled to take the USMLE, and ask specific questions at your interview (and before then, by all means).

 

[normalforce]

I don't necessarily agree with that. First, you have to know what you want. Then, you have to pick a school that is the logical choice for your career goals and aspirations-and other factors.

If you want to do research, you have to be pretty picky about what DO schools you should apply to, for example. Or if you want to specialize in something other than primary care-you need to go where you will have the greatest likelihood of getting matched up-and you need to think about whether or not you are willing to take the USMLE. Its true that you can get into any specialty and any DO schools, but you'll have a much harder time achieving this at some schools than you will at others. Look at the residency matches, and at the number of students who felt compelled to take the USMLE, and ask specific questions at your interview (and before then, by all means).

Nope, not really. It does not matter what school you go to. During MSIV year you can rotate anywhere. At ANY DO school you can get involved in some type of research.

Pick a school based on location, cost, facilities, COMLEX board score pass rates, and overall feel. BOTTOM LINE. Trust me. I am an MSIV, done an MBA while in med school, research, etc. etc. I have worked with students from 5 or 6 other DO and MD schools.

Again, it does not matter what DO school you go to. And, unless you go to Harvard, Yale, Hopkins, it really doesn't matter what MD school you go to.

 

[Ypo.]

Pick a school based on location, cost, facilities, COMLEX board score pass rates, and overall feel. .

This is much different than saying "it depends on you".

Schools do vary according to research opportunities, affiliated residencies and residency matches, pass rates on COMLEX, percentages of students who felt the need to take the USMLE to become competetive for residencies, and to say that all schools are equal and it doesn't matter which one you attend... 🙄 As far as I know, there are DO schools out there that do not offer a dual PhD/MD program. Correct me if I'm wrong.


Yes, you can accomplish your goals and specialize in whatever you want at any medical school you attend, but it is simply naive (and false) to think that different schools will not give you different types of experience and opportunities. Make sure you pick the one that will give you the opportunities and experiences you desire.

OP, definitely consider what you want to do, and how each school will help you achieve it. There is a reason people say that you should go DO if you want to do primary care. Its not that you can't specialize in DO schools- people just realize its easier to do it thru MD schools. Sorry if this angers anyone-but its the truth.

 

[DrB]

The one you get into!!!! 😀

 

[dr.z]

The one you get into!!!! 😀

I agree!

 

[cooldreams]

I don't necessarily agree with that. First, you have to know what you want. Then, you have to pick a school that is the logical choice for your career goals and aspirations-and other factors.

If you want to do research, you have to be pretty picky about what DO schools you should apply to, for example. Or if you want to specialize in something other than primary care-you need to go where you will have the greatest likelihood of getting matched up-and you need to think about whether or not you are willing to take the USMLE. Its true that you can get into any specialty and any DO schools, but you'll have a much harder time achieving this at some schools than you will at others. Look at the residency matches, and at the number of students who felt compelled to take the USMLE, and ask specific questions at your interview (and before then, by all means).

hey good points... oh yea... did anyone mention KCUMB has just recently finished a brand new research building... 😀

 

[NRAI2001]

Do DO's take the USMLE?

 

[Nate]

Do DO's take the USMLE?

DOs are required to take a similar set of exams to the USMLE called the COMLEX to be licensed, however they can also take the USMLE. For some competitive residencies it is required to take the USMLE but for any DO residency and many allopathic residency the COMLEX is fine. The only medical school I have heard of that requires you to take both the COMLEX and USMLE is VCOM.

 

[cooldreams]

are do's really REQUIRED to take the comlex?? i thought they could do either they wish unless it is some odd ball graduation requirement... remember, those tests are to go into a residency - which DOs can go into eith MD or DO residencies, and since you are not REQUIRED to go into a residency to be a doctor, not everyone does, but more specifically, not everyone will opt to take the comlex...

 

[Nate]

All of the schools I have looked into require the COMLEX to graduate and, what's more, require passing step 1 to go into clinicals.

 

[DrMom]

are do's really REQUIRED to take the comlex?? i thought they could do either they wish unless it is some odd ball graduation requirement... remember, those tests are to go into a residency - which DOs can go into eith MD or DO residencies, and since you are not REQUIRED to go into a residency to be a doctor, not everyone does, but more specifically, not everyone will opt to take the comlex...

More importantly, these tests are required for licensure. Without licensure, you can't practice after your intership year.

 

[cooldreams]

hmm...learn something new everyday then 😳

does this mean that the uslme is REQUIRED of md's ?

also, step 1 of the comlex is required, but does that also mean steps 2 and 3 are as well?? 😕

edit: by required, i mean only required for graduation, not for any residency purposes...

 

[docbill]

I believe it depends on the school.
If you are going to go through all that training.. I would say get the boards done the first time.. cause reviewing for everything and doing it after is NOTTT EASYY

 

[DrMom]

hmm...learn something new everyday then 😳

does this mean that the uslme is REQUIRED of md's ?

also, step 1 of the comlex is required, but does that also mean steps 2 and 3 are as well?? 😕

edit: by required, i mean only required for graduation, not for any residency purposes...

Yes, MDs have to take the USMLE for licensure. Everyone (MDs and DOs) must complete all 3 steps for licensure, but only the first 2 steps to begin residency (since step 3 is taken during PGY-1). Each school sets their own requirements for graduation, so you have to find out what the deal is with each one.

 

[cooldreams]

i know that most ppl will want to complete a residency, myself included... but i assume there are ppl out there that for whatever reason have no desire to do so. get the 2 letters behind your name and you are done... that is the only reason i am even bringing this up...

do you have to be licensed to graduate??

 

[OSUdoc08]

i know that most ppl will want to complete a residency, myself included... but i assume there are ppl out there that for whatever reason have no desire to do so. get the 2 letters behind your name and you are done... that is the only reason i am even bringing this up...

do you have to be licensed to graduate??

No, you have to pass step II to graduate

Step III isn't taken until internship/residency years are done

You will not be licensed until you pass Step III

You cannot become licensed without completion of that internship/residency

 

[Robz]

I am just going to give a very quick .02 on the DO schools and rankings.

First off I wish there was at least an unoffical list...I know some others may not like that but I think it at least gives a sense of direction and compareson to making us all the best....unfortunatly I think the U.S. ranking are pretty much crap and don't believe in them so....I guess I'm talking hot air.

It just always comes down to how the students did on the board scores...and I believe medical school is more than that.

So...as for my picks for DO school...I'll list some of the ones I was impressed with and not slouch to busting on some schools...positive is better.

NSU - This is where I picked and I am still pretty happy. Great clincials, early exposure, good weather (except some hurricaines), and very populated diverse area.

KCUMB (UHS) - really friendly students and made me feel very welcome in Kansas City. I will always give them props for being incredibly helpful and really nice to every applicant that goes there. THey had a lot of newer facilities and plasma screens in the OMT rooms. They are pushing research so that is a VERY Good thing. Research = money = respect.

CCOM - I really liked this school except its in the north and I hate the cold weather. Other than that they have great rotation spots in and around one of the largest cities in the united states. They don't push rural primary care as much as other schools and were fairly cool.

quick other things is NYCOM and COMP have great rotations being they are near NY and LA. AZCOM is a nice school in the sun but thier 3rd and 4th years are a bonus or a bane depending on your personality and what you want from them.

ok I am going back to studying the lower extremities now....

 

[bjay27]

To say whichever school accepts you is kind of a pawn off, atleast give some kind of info. I just got done talking with a DO resident from kirkland (KCOM) whose answer to this question was, "the one you feel most comfortable for atleast 2 years with".
If you want to do a residency at your DO school after your first 2 years, then take notice to the hospital size and residency program, many just have 10 spots (like KCOM). She also said, generaly the older the school, the more likely the residency program is set up smoothly for you to take off (or stay) seamlessly. This seems to be a problem for TUCOM-C, in being so new.
Thus, the only school she told me not to apply to was TUCOM-C.
Other than that, MSUCOM was her next choice, for size, quality, and reputation. AZCOM was also another school she liked.

More to the quantitative side: (US News and World Report) 2001 data. Only listed 3 DO schools online:
MSUCOM: Avg MCAT:9.1 Avg GPA:3.53

OSUCOM: Avg MCAT:9.0 Avg GPA:3.50

WVSOM: Avg MCAT: 7.4 Avg GPA:3.45

please add more if you have the data!

If anyone thinks this data is worthless or irrelivant, look at the top ranked MD schools matriculants MCAT and GPA #'s. See a trend?

 

[Robz]

If anyone thinks this data is worthless or irrelivant, look at the top ranked MD schools matriculants MCAT and GPA #'s. See a trend?

This is a dumb blind statement.

There are a lot more factors involved than just data there....many more factors.

end thing is do your research before you buy....simple.

 

[s42brown]

To say whichever school accepts you is kind of a pawn off, atleast give some kind of info. I just got done talking with a DO resident from kirkland (KCOM) whose answer to this question was, "the one you feel most comfortable for atleast 2 years with".

1st- Its Kirksville, if your going to be a DO you better figure that out. We are the founding school.

2nd- No one completes a residency after two years. Your third and fourth year, or if you like call it junior and senior year, you complete your clinical rotations. Most students in the DO world DO NOT stay at their campus for their 3rd and 4th year. As a matter of fact KCOM is one of the few schools that is directly connected to a hospital.

3rd and 4th year are very very very important. I feel this is more important to investigate than which school has the highest board pass rates. School A has 96% pass rate but school B has a 98% pass rate. Well who the hell wants to be in the bottom 4% of their class anyway.

 

[cooldreams]

1st- Its Kirksville, if your going to be a DO you better figure that out. We are the founding school.

2nd- No one completes a residency after two years. Your third and fourth year, or if you like call it junior and senior year, you complete your clinical rotations. Most students in the DO world DO NOT stay at their campus for their 3rd and 4th year. As a matter of fact KCOM is one of the few schools that is directly connected to a hospital.

3rd and 4th year are very very very important. I feel this is more important to investigate than which school has the highest board pass rates. School A has 96% pass rate but school B has a 98% pass rate. Well who the hell wants to be in the bottom 4% of their class anyway.

hey LT, whats the haps ?? heh 😀

for your 2nd point, do you not think it to be better to rotate at many DIFFERENT places, for the point of "auditioning", and to learn new things that you may have not come in contact with at the same place? I could be totally off base on this, but to me this seems especially true for highly competitive residencies....

i agree with you on your last point about percentage passed... i wish they would also include more data, like not only percentage passed but what about the average score, standard deviation, median score... what if the whole school passed but the average score was maybe a few points about the pass/fail mark?? what if there is 80% pass, and for those who passed, the ave score was in the 90th percentile??

 

[krust3]

Is anyone for U of North Texas? As I recall, they were top 50 (along with MSU) in US News for primary care. Yes, I realize US News and the ranking system is frowned upon by some of you. Little else is available regarding this subject however, unless you do your own footwork to find out which is suited best for your needs and goals?

Anyway, location and cost were also important to me.

"Pick the one you get accepted to" 😕

That sounds more appropriate for selecting an M.D. school

 

[DOPEDERSON]

I am just going to give a very quick .02 on the DO schools and rankings.

First off I wish there was at least an unoffical list...I know some others may not like that but I think it at least gives a sense of direction and compareson to making us all the best....unfortunatly I think the U.S. ranking are pretty much crap and don't believe in them so....I guess I'm talking hot air.

It just always comes down to how the students did on the board scores...and I believe medical school is more than that.

So...as for my picks for DO school...I'll list some of the ones I was impressed with and not slouch to busting on some schools...positive is better.

NSU - This is where I picked and I am still pretty happy. Great clincials, early exposure, good weather (except some hurricaines), and very populated diverse area.

KCUMB (UHS) - really friendly students and made me feel very welcome in Kansas City. I will always give them props for being incredibly helpful and really nice to every applicant that goes there. THey had a lot of newer facilities and plasma screens in the OMT rooms. They are pushing research so that is a VERY Good thing. Research = money = respect.

CCOM - I really liked this school except its in the north and I hate the cold weather. Other than that they have great rotation spots in and around one of the largest cities in the united states. They don't push rural primary care as much as other schools and were fairly cool.

quick other things is NYCOM and COMP have great rotations being they are near NY and LA. AZCOM is a nice school in the sun but thier 3rd and 4th years are a bonus or a bane depending on your personality and what you want from them.

ok I am going back to studying the lower extremities now....

I love the fact that everyone feels the need to say that "these" schools are the best. Of course including the school the currently attend as one of the "best." What a bunch of third graders.

 

[DO it right]

To say whichever school accepts you is kind of a pawn off, atleast give some kind of info. I just got done talking with a DO resident from kirkland (KCOM) whose answer to this question was, "the one you feel most comfortable for atleast 2 years with".

kirkland?? like the costco brand? haha...i wonder where that school is

 

[Ypo.]

I think he meant 'kirksville'. Its a cute little town, actually.

 

[kaikai128]

I think he meant 'kirksville'. Its a cute little town, actually.

...Cute and little do not belong in the same phrase unless you are talking about babies or small animals. Even at that rate, cute to one person is scary to another.

 

[pboothe]

I read in one of those "Best Medical Schools" books at Barnes and Noble, which I cannot remember the name of right now but I will go back and look it up, that TCOM has the highest overall GPA average for osteo schools at 3.6!!!!! Not too shabby! I believe the MCAT score was the highest too, but I could be wrong about that.

 

[Ypo.]

...Cute and little do not belong in the same phrase unless you are talking about babies or small animals. Even at that rate, cute to one person is scary to another.

Well, that was my take on it. It had cute houses, and it was little. I guess I should have been more specific that it was only my "opinion"? I suppose a less scary pair of adjectives would have been "small" and "charming", or perhaps "quaint" and "rustic".

Anyways, you don't know me. I call my rottweiler cute and little (when no one is around).

 

[cooldreams]

I read in one of those "Best Medical Schools" books at Barnes and Noble, which I cannot remember the name of right now but I will go back and look it up, that TCOM has the highest overall GPA average for osteo schools at 3.6!!!!! Not too shabby! I believe the MCAT score was the highest too, but I could be wrong about that.

wonder why they are not in the top of the list for board passing?????

 

[Hernandez]

wonder why they are not in the top of the list for board passing?????

I think that OSU-COM has a huge advantage over the rest of the other schools for boards and in one word that is........Goljan. That and the small group classes we have are a great learning tool. And being associated with a hospital and staying on the campus isn't a prerequisite for a good school,

 

[OrthoFixation]

Don't forget that some DO schools require passage of the inhouse COMLEX equivalent or they won't let you sit for the board to protect their "pass rate." That can alter the true passage rate.

I would comment from reviewing the TCOM and NSU match lists, they seem competitive and have many specialties represented.

As for Kirksville being the best b/c it was first . . . you've got to be kidding. I guess we should reimplement A.T. Still's complete denial of prescription drug usage and the associated benefits. If you read DO's in America it might open your eyes a little about the evolution of osteopathy. That said, I would assume KCOM is a fine DO school.

I think the true test of quality education is quality of the graduates. Therefore, I would poll residency directors familiar with each program if I was truly concerned with finding the "best." Fortunately, I am not that anal retentive and feel that med school will be what I make of it (within reason). Finding a place where I fit is more important. If I'm happy, the process will be more bearable. 👍

 

[masmaha1234]

Is anyone for U of North Texas? As I recall, they were top 50 (along with MSU) in US News for primary care. Yes, I realize US News and the ranking system is frowned upon by some of you. Little else is available regarding this subject however, unless you do your own footwork to find out which is suited best for your needs and goals?

Anyway, location and cost were also important to me.

"Pick the one you get accepted to" 😕

That sounds more appropriate for selecting an M.D. school

Yea UNT has a great DO school...and the best part..it's in Fort Worth, not Denton. Admissions seem to be just as competitive as top Allopathic schools and the facilities are very impressive.

 

[Pikevillemedstudent]

Universal rankings are inaccurate. Everyone has their own personal beliefs as to what they look for in a school. You need to make your own ranking based what you know(not others opinions) about each school. For me, I needed a school that was DO and in KY. So I went to Pikeville, period.

You would be surprised at how student dependent your education is, no matter what school you are from. As a pre-med, I probably would not have believed that statement, but it is so true.

It is true that the best school is the one that accepts you. If you get accepted to two, chose the one that best fits you. Still can't decide? Chose the one with the lower tuition.


krust3: why is that statement more appropriate for MD schools?

 

[UNE2009LMD]

The best DO school is the one that's the perfect fit for you. For me it was UNECOM. Supportive environment, friendly people, beautiful campus by the coast. PCOM I hear is pretty cool too...they have that philosophy "Doctors from Day one." But all osteopathic med schools are great since they do emphasize the patient first! Patient-centered medicine instead of disease centered medicine. Definitely my cup of tea.