can a DO be a dermatologist?

[DimaDrill]

I have read that the majority of DO's are primary care physicians. Would I be able to become a dermatologist for example?

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[medhacker]

I have read that the majority of DO's are primary care physicians. Would I be able to become a dermatologist for example?

DOs can be any specialty. If you do a search on this forum you will see the question about dermatology has been answered before. Nonetheless, here is a good example of DOs being successful dermatologists:

http://www.baydermatology.com/doctors.html

 

[Doctor Bagel]

okay, I don't want to be mean, but these questions are getting really tiresome. Do a search for D.O. dermatologists, and you'll find them. In fact, you'll find D.O.'s in every specialty out there. Yes, the majority of D.O.'s are in primary care and D.O. schools place an emphasis on that, but that doesn't mean all D.O.'s so primary care or less prestigious specialties.

 

[Richie Truxillo]

Absoultely yes. I am looking at Derm as a possible specialty and have a D.O. who Dermatologist who is willing to let me rotate with him my 4th year

D.O's can specialize in anything. Just takes decent grades, an excellent board score and a good team-oriented attitude to be competitive in some of the more competitive residency slots.

-Richie

 

[-Goose-]

Ask the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology what they think... http://www.aocd.org/

 

[nvshelat]

No.
You have to buy an MD degree from a Caribbean witch-doctor school.

 

[dr.z]

No.
You have to buy an MD degree from a Caribbean witch-doctor school.

If an DO wants to specialize, they need to goto the Carribean. Refer to www.aacom.org for more information.

 

[goinverted]

And after you buy it, you have to dance around a fire naked singing praises to the MD voodoo doll, hoping he'll show mercy to your sub-godly D.O. title. Any one up for some good deep sea trolling, I know a great spot up north with zero+ posts!!

 

[Shinken]

DOs cannot specialize. Only medical doctors can. After I graduate I'll only be able to do primary care if, and only if, the medical board of my state grants me the privilege. If not, I'll only do OMM.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Only real doctors who attend medical school can specialize ... in DO schools, we only learn how to crack bones. Do a search dude.

 

[djnels01]

Only D.O.'s with testicles hanging from their chin can become derms. Ask balls-on-chin Butters how to pull that off...

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Only D.O.'s with testicles hanging from their chin can become derms. Ask balls-on-chin Butters how to pull that off...

Yes, the DO's in this practice have had the above surgery done called the chinular testicular vasectomy (only taught at DO schools) and have become board certified dermatologists.

 

[djnels01]

Yes, the DO's in this practice have had the above surgery done called the chinular testicular vasectomy (only taught at DO schools) and have become board certified dermatologists.

Whoa, check out David Kosiorek on that link, he looks like a donkey.

 

[gogo110182]

Whoa, check out David Kosiorek on that link, he looks like a donkey.

he reminds me of the annoying donkey in Shrek........interesting........

 

[aflo]

I work for a DO Dermatology residency program in AZ. There are several across the country. Of course you can specialize and you don't need to go outside of the US to do it.

 

[DermpathDO]

I have read that the majority of DO's are primary care physicians. Would I be able to become a dermatologist for example?

Oh definitely you can be any specialty...I am a pathologist with dermatopathology subspecialty training. Go to the the Website for the American Osteopathic College of dermatology (aocd.org)
But be forewarned.... the Osteopathic residnecy ofr dermatology is just as competetive as the Allopathic residency and very difficult to get into
DermpathDO

 

[Dr Sum Day]

I have read that the majority of DO's are primary care physicians. Would I be able to become a dermatologist for example?

you bet

 

[OSUdoc08]

I have read that the majority of DO's are primary care physicians. Would I be able to become a dermatologist for example?

Only if an MD can.

It's a physician specialty, so you must be a physician.

 

[ayjaystudent]

Absoultely yes. I am looking at Derm as a possible specialty and have a D.O. who Dermatologist who is willing to let me rotate with him my 4th year

D.O's can specialize in anything. Just takes decent grades, an excellent board score and a good team-oriented attitude to be competitive in some of the more competitive residency slots.

-Richie

This might be blast from the past... you mentioned "decent grades". Are you referring to grades in medschool? If so, do schools that have pass/fail system hurt DO students looking into derm?

 

[Marrowist]

Lulz

 

[cyang55]

This might be blast from the past... you mentioned "decent grades". Are you referring to grades in medschool? If so, do schools that have pass/fail system hurt DO students looking into derm?

A lot of MD schools are also pass/fail

 

[arc5005]

This might be blast from the past... you mentioned "decent grades". Are you referring to grades in medschool? If so, do schools that have pass/fail system hurt DO students looking into derm?

If you check the match lists for most DO schools, derm matches very seldom.

 

[cliquesh]

This might be blast from the past... you mentioned "decent grades". Are you referring to grades in medschool? If so, do schools that have pass/fail system hurt DO students looking into derm?

Even if a school is pass/fail, most, if not all, rank you in one way or another.

 

[ayjaystudent]

Even if a school is pass/fail, most, if not all, rank you in one way or another.

That's my question. How do they rank students to be accepted for Derm if schools are pass/fail?

 

[cliquesh]

That's my question. How do they rank students to be accepted for Derm if schools are pass/fail?

Your transcript might say pass or fail for a particular course, but your school still keeps track of all of your and your classmates' test scores, and they will use that information to rank you 1 to whatever. Then in your dean's letter it might say "ayjay was ranked 5 out 150 students," or it might say "ayjay was in the top 1/5 or 1/4 or 1/3 of his/her class". The pass/fail thing seems nice on paper, but it doesn't really change anything. The real question you should ask if the school ranks you or not. There are a few MD schools that are pass/fail and don't rank their students , and I've heard graduates from these schools have some trouble with certain residency programs that like to see class rank.

 

[DrBowtie]

Your transcript might say pass or fail for a particular course, but your school still keeps track of all of your and your classmates' test scores, and they will use that information to rank you 1 to whatever. Then in your dean's letter it might say "ayjay was ranked 5 out 150 students," or it might say "ayjay was in the top 1/5 or 1/4 or 1/3 of his/her class". The pass/fail thing seems nice on paper, but it doesn't really change anything. The real question you should ask if the school ranks you or not. There are a few MD schools that are pass/fail and don't rank their students , and I've heard graduates from these schools have some trouble with certain residency programs that like to see class rank.

Or ayjay will make an (excellent, good, fair, acceptable) resident in your program. This corresponds to quartiles in class rank.

 

[ayjaystudent]

@DrBowtie and @cliquesh -- Thanks for the replies.

Do you know if the previous MCAT and College GPA get taken into consideration too? Or do you pretty much start on a clean slate once in medical school?

 

[cliquesh]

@DrBowtie and @cliquesh -- Thanks for the replies.

Do you know if the previous MCAT and College GPA get taken into consideration too? Or do you pretty much start on a clean slate once in medical school?

Clean slate. The only exception is if you graduated college with honors (cum laude or what not). You can stick that stuff on your CV, at least I do.

No one cares about the MCAT ever again.

 

[Peach Newport]

Yes, but being inferiorly trained, they are usually only qualified for general dermatology. Unfortunately, most DOs just can't cut it in Jewish Dermatology. I'm actually the first DO to match.

 

[ayjaystudent]

Yes, but being inferiorly trained, they are usually only qualified for general dermatology. Unfortunately, most DOs just can't cut it in Jewish Dermatology. I'm actually the first DO to match.

ELI5: What is Jewish Dermatology and how different is it from regular dermatology?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

If you check the match lists for most DO schools, derm matches very seldom.

Same with any MD match list. I could look at any DO or MD student and say "you will not become a dermatologist" and I would be right 99% of the time.

ELI5: What is Jewish Dermatology and how different is it from regular dermatology?

He's lulzimg with you. Go check out the thread in Osteo entitled "true DO discrimination" or something like that and you'll get it.

 

[cyang55]

If you check the match lists for most DO schools, derm matches very seldom.

If you check the match lists for most DO schools, derm matches very seldom.

If you check MD schools, derm matches are also rare.

Also, not everyone wants to match into derm. This is especially more true for DO students. I know a couple of DO students, one got a 240+ and the other got a 250+ USMLE score and they are both going into family med. DO schools attract people who want to go into primary care, and many of them do. Not every student in a DO school is going to be like that, but that's still something to keep in mind.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Please don't necrobump threads from 10 years ago thanks