Can a DO become a MD?

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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group_theory: exactly right

I think old_mil and some others are confused about that point.

Plus, y ou dont need USMLE 2 & 3 for good ACGME programs.

USMLE 1, yes. But by the time USMLE 3 comes around you are likely already in the program and many people hold off on USMLE 2 until winter of MS4.
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PlasticMan said:
Found something interesting from the website posted previously; here's the link http://www.uhsa.ag/pstudent/four/resdt/overview.htm for reference........This may be a possibility in the future for me, especially since I want to have my own private practice in cosmetics. I would probably display both sets of initials then and would always be proud of osteopathic training and explain to any patient who asks what it is; however, having the M.D. title may bring in more clients. Hey, at least I'm honest.

*edit* I forgot to mention, it would be nice to fully leave your options open for practicing abroad as well. I know alot of places give D.O.'s full rights, but M.D.'s still have more countries where they can practice.
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At least this type of diploma mill crap doesn't fly in Illinois. I hope other states are equally vigilant: http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/klatz.html
 
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The question doesnt even make sense. The two degrees are equal in every way, if anything a D.O. degree is more than a M.D. degree because of the extra instruction they must undergo.
 
guys, if you want the MD that bad, take an mcat course, do a postbacc, whatever. Do anything and just go MD if you care that much or dont want to learn OMM. You'll be miserable with a DO and a mail-order MD.
 
the original post is redundant?!!!!
 
slinkeyooo said:
The question doesnt even make sense. The two degrees are equal in every way, if anything a D.O. degree is more than a M.D. degree because of the extra instruction they must undergo.
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:sleep: :thumbdown:
 
He's a premed. Doesn't know enough yet anyway. Better to ignore them. :D
 
DRKUBA said:
guys, if you want the MD that bad, take an mcat course, do a postbacc, whatever. Do anything and just go MD if you care that much or dont want to learn OMM. You'll be miserable with a DO and a mail-order MD.
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Or just go to a caribbean school who will take you... I think most DO students have the credentials to get into some Caribbean school. That might change in the near future with the massive amounts of DO med schools opening up and probably taking students with very low statistics :thumbdown:
 
OnMyWayThere said:
Or just go to a caribbean school who will take you... I think most DO students have the credentials to get into some Caribbean school. That might change in the near future with the massive amounts of DO med schools opening up and probably taking students with very low statistics :thumbdown:
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At the same time, as DO recognition goes up, the #applicants goes up, which should help balance out the statistics. Last year NYCOM had 4500 applicants; there is no shortage of qualified people for them to choose from.
 
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The low statistics thing is a bit of a fuzzy issue because some schools simply accept lower MCAT scores.. This is not always because they can't attract students with higher scores, but because they don't believe the MCAT is a very good indication of ability. I guess I just get tired of the lower statistics thing being an issue at all. Personally, I am going to MSCUOM with over a 3.7 and a 37 MCAT... Simply because I like the school. Every person who enters medical school, allopathic or osteopathic, 45 mcat or 20 mcat is required to complete board exams.... If they fail, they are not docs, so I guess I don't see how anyone believes a person at either school of thought is any less qualified.... After all, I have never heard of a physician advertising their mcat or board scores in order to get patients....
 
Taus said:
Only a few options that I could think of:

1. Had a DO before the 1960's California DO-->MD merger...and got an MD at that time (this was short-lived....check the FAQ for the details).

2. Earned an MD from a foreign country and then enrolled at NYCOM's emigre program and completed a full US DO program.

3. Earned a DO and then took some bull$hit online course from one of the lesser known caribbean schools and bought an MD degree.

4. Earned a DO and upon graduating from an MD residency got a diploma with MD next to their name (as a typo/oversight) or similarly the hospital they work at wrongly puts MD on all of its physicians badges.

5. They're lying and seek an ego stroke

did I miss anything?
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I saw this doctor on TV regarding some joint relief commercial last night and saw that he used MD, DO, MD(H) after his name and I was like :confused:
 
OnMyWayThere said:
Or just go to a caribbean school who will take you... I think most DO students have the credentials to get into some Caribbean school. That might change in the near future with the massive amounts of DO med schools opening up and probably taking students with very low statistics :thumbdown:
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I'm suddenly doubting myself now, but I'm pretty damn certain that applicants to caribbean schools (on average) have lower statistics than DO applicants. It really doesn't matter, since numbers aren't everything, but I just wanted to clarify that.
 
It'sElectric said:
I'm suddenly doubting myself now, but I'm pretty damn certain that applicants to caribbean schools (on average) have lower statistics than DO applicants. It really doesn't matter, since numbers aren't everything, but I just wanted to clarify that.
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the top couple carib schools are probably close to several DO schools.... but remember this point should be moot since we, on this forum, are the ones who are usually touting that "numbers aren't everything"....
 
fine i'll be the one that gets the post closed

The top four carib schools are comparable to less competitive DO schools in terms of applicant stats.

Let me be clear though, and I can back this up with numbers when I have more time. The GPA/MCAT averages for the more competitive and established DO schools (DMU, CCOM, PCOM...) are significantly higher than those for the best carib schools.

That, of course, says nothing about the quality of physicians that they produce, although I am fairly sure I have read that FMGs have a slightly lower USMLE pass rate if I'm not mistaken.

Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
drmax said:
fine i'll be the one that gets the post closed

The top four carib schools are comparable to less competitive DO schools in terms of applicant stats.

Let me be clear though, and I can back this up with numbers when I have more time. The GPA/MCAT averages for the more competitive and established DO schools (DMU, CCOM, PCOM...) are significantly higher than those for the best carib schools.

That, of course, says nothing about the quality of physicians that they produce, although I am fairly sure I have read that FMGs have a slightly lower USMLE pass rate if I'm not mistaken.

Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Another thing to remember about Carib schools is that some people would rather go outside the continental US for medical school than be caught dead with "DO" behind their name. Family pressure or percieved social stigma can be a big part of that.

Many people, believe it or not my osteopathic brethren, have never even heard of a DO school. For them its MD 'here' or MD 'there'.

Wht many people dont realize is that these schools will indeed get you yoru MD degree, but at what cost?

You read the website and see "100% acceptance into US residencies".

Great! What % of their people get one of their TOP 3 choices?

THATS the number you need to see. How far down the match list do grads need to go?
What are they matching into?

If you look at some smaller community hospitals, particularly in some less than desirable locations (very rural or in the city but a hospital with a bad reputation) their residency programs are filled with people who went to medical school in the Carib, Europe and Asia.

Now...is that a bad thing? I always question a program that has most (or all) of its grads trained internationally. Why does a doc, MD or DO, who went to a good local school not apply and not match into these programs?

So remember. Carib = MD, but does it equal the same quality as an MD education here in the US? I have my opinion but I will keep it to myself.

:thumbup:
 
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie...translate that to...
A physician is a physician is a physician...patients could care less if they see DO, MD, DVM, DPT, DDS, DMD, DPM, DCM, etc.. after someones name, they care more about what we can provide for them and not killing them in the process. Its safe to say we all are not keen on premature death or premature anything right? Now, if someone is seeing a DVM for their charley horses, then I'd be concerned...:rolleyes:
If you are that concerned about having DO after your name the maybe you need to rethink why you want to be a physician in the first place or figure out what you need to do to get into an allopathic program and do it. Just my $0.02.
 
Um. Ok. :confused:
 
JPHazelton said:
Another thing to remember about Carib schools is that some people would rather go outside the continental US for medical school than be caught dead with "DO" behind their name. Family pressure or percieved social stigma can be a big part of that.
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I think that is a huge plus of all the osteopathic schools. The students there were not narrow minded enough to exclude a DO school just because they would not be able to call themselves Dr. Kuba MD. It is good to know that your future classmates had to make that decision and were not pretentious enough to throw out the DO route.
 
BostonDO said:
Or, maybe it signifies his homeopathic training--since he's also a homeopathic examiner for the state of AZ.
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I have found evidence for both cases. But I think you may be right after finding this site http://www.ctchdubai.com/PHAU/MDH/M.D.htm. I can't believe 1. how hard it is to find the info and 2. how someone without a medical degree can hold that degree that looks so similar.
 
DRKUBA said:
I have found evidence for both cases. But I think you may be right after finding this site http://www.ctchdubai.com/PHAU/MDH/M.D.htm. I can't believe 1. how hard it is to find the info and 2. how someone without a medical degree can hold that degree that looks so similar.
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Tenacious, you are.
Have you ever considered a career as a research librarian?:D
 
this is an interesting thread. i think i will bump it.
 
sime0n said:
this is an interesting thread. i think i will bump it.
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I think everyone in these threads forgets that you working hard, passing your boards, getting the grades and the scores will get you where you can go, not the school entirely.. Obviously there is a school element, and if the school is horrible then you might not have the instruction that you need... HOWEVER, at the vast majority of schools you make your own fate for residency by getting excellent board scores and great grades.
 
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