Best DO schools?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I am definitely going to OSU (unless I pull an upset and get into my state MD) , even though I am OOS the tuition is competitive,the ability for all the rotations done in state is a big draw to me since I have a wife and daughter.

How did you get into OSU as an OOSer? I thought that was nigh impossible...
 
I think you meant the other poster, I said I didn't know of any RVU grads in ACGME ortho, only ACGME GS. Agreed, only ~3 DOs do it every year
Sorry, didn't mean to point you out or anything. Was more just posting in response to you and the other posters dialogue.
 
How did you get into OSU as an OOSer? I thought that was nigh impossible...
Dumb luck. I applied there before I got my MCAT back just to get my application verified and when they called me to be in the first group of interviews I was ecstatic. There is another guy from my undergrad who got accepted from our same group of interviews. We were the only two OOS people I met all day
 
The best DO schools are usually ones more than four decades old or older. With the newer and new schools its kind of a gamble with clinical education, which is the most important part of your education. I think that is the best rule of thumb when looking at a school. A school that is probably at least twice your age probably has its act together.
 
For what I personally wanted I felt TUCOM-CA was by far the best school, I only applied there, and at this point I feel tremendously grateful to be there to the point I don't think I would have gone to any other institution, even one which offered a scholarship.
 
For what I personally wanted I felt TUCOM-CA was by far the best school, I only applied there, and at this point I feel tremendously grateful to be there to the point I don't think I would have gone to any other institution, even one which offered a scholarship

(nevermind)
 
Last edited:
Hmm... Thoughts on Western (COMP-NW)?? I'm from SoCal, and it's always the top school for everyone around here because it's local. But, people here always think it's the top or one of the top DO schools in the nation, yet it rarely gets talked about on SDN.

Personal Opinion: Western and NYIT are the west and east coast equivalents of each other.

It's odd because NYIT DO program is very well known and well respected in the NYC area.
 
It's odd because NYIT DO program is very well known and well respected in the NYC area.

When you are in the basic science years, all the DO schools are the same, the differences start to become apparent once you enter your clinical years, that is why I stress going to a school twice your age, usually a school more than four decades old.
 
When you are in the basic science years, all the DO schools are the same, the differences start to become apparent once you enter your clinical years, that is why I stress going to a school twice your age, usually a school more than four decades old.

I want to expand on this. So, how do you determine good clinical rotations? You need to look at this one distinguishing factor:

Year-long clinical sites

Living in a suitcase through your third year is a no go.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I want to expand on this. So, how do you determine good clinical rotations? You need to look at this one distinguishing factor:

Year-long clinical sites

Living in a suitcase through your third year is a no go.

Many of the newer schools do not have their act together with 3rd year rotations, you would be surprised how many schools that have been around for nearly 20 years that still have problems placing students in clinical core training spots for the third year. Won't mention specific names.

If you go to the older more established schools this is less likely to happen. That is the reason why I called the DO schools 20 years and younger "Caribbean" schools because many students often have to do quite a bit of moving around and their own legwork for the clinical education.
 
Osus new simulation hospital is going to be really nice, not to mention they have a teaching hospital. When I interviewed at various DOs none really came close to OSU, besides of course md schools.
 
I often wonder why KCOM and WVSOM is left out of these "tier" discussions. It's like if your in a small town, you're immediately kept out of the "top tier."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Agreed wvcom is great. I feel the same about VCOM. Always left out, yet many have good residencies from there.
 
COMP-NW rotation sites are really high quality in my opinion. COMP-NW literally rotates its students through the same clinical sites as Oregon State University students. BTW, Oregon is becoming one of the most desirable places with a huge influx of immigrants from California. Oregon State Univeristy only has 130 students per class and Comp-NW only has 100 students per class. My point is that volume isn't going to be a huge concern at any of your clinical sites.

*OHSU. OSU is the college nearby, OHSU is the MD school in Portland. But yes, I have friends at both schools and they do some of the same clinical rotations. My OHSU buddies say the COMP students are all on par with the OHSU students
 
I like how this has turned into an opinions thread.

Any thoughts on ACOM?
 
TCOM, because I got in and am still in that honeymoon phase

... but also objectively because:
great flipped classroom basic science curriculum
diverse, helpful career development services
superb rotation sites and teaching hospital (JPS)
lots of research funding
cheapest osteopathic school in the country
fairly young, urban setting
 
Going through interviews at DO and MD schools this cycle, to me the biggest thing that separates MD schools from DO schools is clinical education. Having a designated teaching hospital as opposed to preceptor-based learning seems much more beneficial for residency. I think this should be a huge consideration for anyone looking at which DO school is the "best" for them.
 
Going through interviews at DO and MD schools this cycle, to me the biggest thing that separates MD schools from DO schools is clinical education. Having a designated teaching hospital as opposed to preceptor-based learning seems much more beneficial for residency. I think this should be a huge consideration for anyone looking at which DO school is the "best" for them.
So you know any Do schools in the northeast that are not preceptor based learning?
 
TCOM, because I got in and am still in that honeymoon phase

... but also objectively because:
great flipped classroom basic science curriculum
diverse, helpful career development services
superb rotation sites and teaching hospital (JPS)
lots of research funding
cheapest osteopathic school in the country
fairly young, urban setting

Speaking as a 2nd year, it's ok.
 
So you know any Do schools in the northeast that are not preceptor based learning?

Both LECOM and PCOM have a mix of ward-based and preceptor-based. At LECOM, it ends up varying by both clinical site and rotation (for example, where I'm going next year is ward-based for IM and surgery, but likely preceptor-based for psych, etc).
 
So you know any Do schools in the northeast that are not preceptor based learning?

Most established DO schools will have wards/academic based rotations available to you. The best way to find out what percentage of students go to sites that have primarily wards-based teaching is to contact current students and get their core site lists. Then you can research those hospitals and see what residency programs they offer.

Honestly, wards-based is important in something like IM (I can't imagine getting much out of a purely preceptor-based IM rotation). Others really vary.
 
How come no one mentioned DMU? Just curious...
 
Regularly hear the most praise for these 10 schools in the DO (and MD) community:

TCOM, PCOM, MSUCOM, Rowan, CCOM, OSUCOM, DMU, KCUMB, NYCOM, and sometimes Western
 
You get what you put into becoming a D.O. Noone is going to look back and say you were better off going to (blank DO school) over (another blank DO school).

Get in, do well, ace your boards - you'll match for residency.

Really, really disagree with this statement. Gaps exist between DO schools that are as vast as the ocean is wide.
 
Really, really disagree with this statement. Gaps exist between DO schools that are as vast as the ocean is wide.

If the MDs do it, maybe it's more than time to officially stratify and "rank" on the DO side (it already happens on SDN anyway).
 
The best DO program is the one that spends the least time in OPP/OMM and the one that records lectures so you can cram them at your own leisure.

Study for boards the ENTIRE time M-F.

Cram for lectures Sat and Sun.

I'm so pissed I did not learn this the first year of school.

That is the best DO school. IDC what you say...

"But.. bu... bu... bu... SDN SAYS THAT ***-COM is the best..."

Shut it.

Simple.

People on here get so caught up with rank that it's silly.

It's up to you to do well.

Like I said many times before.

GET FA.... READ THAT THING.

KNOW EVERYTHING.

GET SOME CRAPPY QBANK and COMPLETE IT.

DO AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE IN UR CLASSES.

STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE CRAZY and SECRET GUNNERS.

BE A LONER IF YOU HAVE TO.

Any program that allows you these rights is a great DO school. Seriously.
 
The best DO program is the one that spends the least time in OPP/OMM and the one that records lectures so you can cram them at your own leisure.

Study for boards the ENTIRE time M-F.

Cram for lectures Sat and Sun.

I'm so pissed I did not learn this the first year of school.

That is the best DO school. IDC what you say...

"But.. bu... bu... bu... SDN SAYS THAT ***-COM is the best..."

Shut it.

Simple.

People on here get so caught up with rank that it's silly.

It's up to you to do well.

Like I said many times before.

GET FA.... READ THAT THING.

KNOW EVERYTHING.

GET SOME CRAPPY QBANK and COMPLETE IT.

DO AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE IN UR CLASSES.

STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE CRAZY and SECRET GUNNERS.

BE A LONER IF YOU HAVE TO.

Any program that allows you these rights is a great DO school. Seriously.

Why do you make all of your posts vertical?
 
Why do you make all of your posts vertical?

So that some of the idiotas on this site don't take anything I say out of context.

I mean exactly what I say and I don't want it being misconstrued.

Therefore, if somebody has something stupid to argue about, I put it out line by line for them since we know a lot of us like to jump to conclusions and they cannot twist my words around.
 
So that some of the idiotas on this site don't take anything I say out of context.

I mean exactly what I say and I don't want it being misconstrued.

Therefore, if somebody has something stupid to argue about, I put it out line by line for them since we know a lot of us like to jump to conclusions and they cannot twist my words around.

OK.

Your explanation doesn't make any sense.

People can misrepresent your posts regardless of whether they're in horizontal or vertical orientations.

And if anything, it's easier for people to take your sentences out of context, since they're all on separate lines.

But whatever.

You do you.

I just wanted to let you know that your vertical posts are unpleasant to read.

Especially SINCE YOU RANDOMLY START USING CAPS

LIKE THIS AND THIS AND THIS... OH, AND THIS TOO.

But again, you do you.

Thanks for the reply.

Peace.
 
OK.

Your explanation doesn't make any sense.

People can misrepresent your posts regardless of whether they're in horizontal or vertical orientations.

And if anything, it's easier for people to take your sentences out of context, since they're all on separate lines.

But whatever.

You do you.

I just wanted to let you know that your vertical posts are unpleasant to read.

Especially SINCE YOU RANDOMLY START USING CAPS

LIKE THIS AND THIS AND THIS... OH, AND THIS TOO.

But again, you do you.

Thanks for the reply.

Peace.

You just bought yourself a one-way ticket to BLOCKTOWNNNNN.
 
Didn't we establish 5 years ago that MUCOM was brainwashing people into thinking they are the Harvard of DO schools? Use the search function OP. smh :naughty:
 
AZCOM is a great school with good research and a strong name. The Midwestern name carries a lot of weight in the DO world from what I understand. However, AZCOM is not quite as the same level as CCOM. KCU Joplin vs KCU shares a similar comparison but AZCOM is stronger in comparison to KCU Joplin.

CCOM is so strong because of the Midwestern name, its long history (it's over a century old), it has the strongest rotation sites amongst DO schools, and has a lot of research going on. AZCOM really only shares the first and last of these qualities.

KCU is very similar to CCOM. Long history and a strong school. The KCU name goes far, yet Joplin, despite having good rotation sites as I hear, is not near on par with KCU. All satelite or secondary campuses suffer this fate.

NYITCOM's Arkansas campus will never have the same strength as NYITCOM's rank. PCOM's Georgia will not reach the same league as the Philly Campus.

Who told you KCU-Joplin is not near on par with KCU? All Joplin students have access to the KC campus lectures. The curriculum is the exact same.
 
6C6F3285-F071-41E8-A7F3-40522B8B1ADD.jpeg
 
it has the strongest rotation sites amongst DO schools,

Easy there now cowboy. Let’s not get too excited

KCU is very similar to CCOM. Long history and a strong school. The KCU name goes far, yet Joplin, despite having good rotation sites as I hear, is not near on par with KCU. All satelite or secondary campuses suffer this fate.

They also have access to some of the same rotation sites, right? My understanding is the professors are different, despite you saying they can share recorded lectures. Nevertheless, history means a lot of the realm of DO schools. KCU has the history, not Joplin.

Students applying from Joplin will have the same “weight” as the students from KCU. It’s the exact same school, and no PD is going to even think twice.
 
Top