-
The 2026-2027 DO School Specific Threads are now available in the School Specific Discussions forum. The 2025-2026 discussions are now available in the prior year discussions forum.
Can DO be psychiatrist?
Started by Luv Nietzsche
A DO is just like an MD and can choose from any of the specialties. They do, however, choose primary care specialties at higher rates than MDs.
Yup. DO can enter any specialty.
There are a relatively high percentage of DOs in Psych as it is now a fairly uncompetitive specialty.
I used to work for the psychiatry department at a major state university teaching hospital in New England; about 25% - 30% of the residents were DOs.
There even are one or two official AOA psych residency training programs; I think that they are in Michigan.
Are you interested in Psychiatry?
Why?
Do you have any clinical experince in it?
There are a relatively high percentage of DOs in Psych as it is now a fairly uncompetitive specialty.
I used to work for the psychiatry department at a major state university teaching hospital in New England; about 25% - 30% of the residents were DOs.
There even are one or two official AOA psych residency training programs; I think that they are in Michigan.
Are you interested in Psychiatry?
Why?
Do you have any clinical experince in it?
My cousin is a D.O. and he's a psychiatrist! Let's give him a cheer because he just got promoted to clinic director. Yahoo! Best of luck to you and be anything you want!!!
To answer stillfocused's Q's - Yes, I'm interested in psychiatry. What I'm really interested in is to be an academic physician. That way I can do both teaching & clinical work. I have 7 years of clinical experience, but not in psychiatry. Why? because I believe psych to be the most challenging & intellectual field of medicine. But most of all, I believe I'd be most content practicing psych. Thanks for all you guys' inputs.
I'll share some interesting stats.
I went to the recent Osteopathic Awareness Conference in Pomona and came away with some interesting information.
They gave us a breakdown of what type of specialties all of the graduating DO's from C.O.M.P entered (from most common to the least common).
As you might have guessed, the biggest percentage went into Family Practice (46% of all grads...this includes OMM and Geriatrics).
The rest were not calculated as far as percentage.
#2 IM
#3 Emergency Medicine
#4 OB/GYN
#5 Peds (includes adolescent medicine....whatever that is)
#6 Anesthesiology
#7 PSYCHIATRY
#8 Ortho Surgery
#9 Neurology
And several others including Aerospace Medicine.
It's all available
I went to the recent Osteopathic Awareness Conference in Pomona and came away with some interesting information.
They gave us a breakdown of what type of specialties all of the graduating DO's from C.O.M.P entered (from most common to the least common).
As you might have guessed, the biggest percentage went into Family Practice (46% of all grads...this includes OMM and Geriatrics).
The rest were not calculated as far as percentage.
#2 IM
#3 Emergency Medicine
#4 OB/GYN
#5 Peds (includes adolescent medicine....whatever that is)
#6 Anesthesiology
#7 PSYCHIATRY
#8 Ortho Surgery
#9 Neurology
And several others including Aerospace Medicine.
It's all available
If you go to aoa-net.org you can look up different residencies.
There are 2 Psych residencies in MI and 1 in NJ. As a DO you can apply to those or apply to allopathic programs.
As may have been stated: Psych is a residency that doesn't always fill. Many psych residents are FMG (Foreign Med. Grads). I've heard that FMGs are going to have a more difficult time coming state-side so it may mean even more openings for psych spots.
So briefly: D0 + Psychiatry= no problem
There are 2 Psych residencies in MI and 1 in NJ. As a DO you can apply to those or apply to allopathic programs.
As may have been stated: Psych is a residency that doesn't always fill. Many psych residents are FMG (Foreign Med. Grads). I've heard that FMGs are going to have a more difficult time coming state-side so it may mean even more openings for psych spots.
So briefly: D0 + Psychiatry= no problem
Did you know that the chairman of the psychiatry dept. at Temple Univ. School of Medicine in Philly is a DO? My friend who is a 3rd year there told me that. I even checked the Temple Med website and saw that the chairman was of course a DO!!!! I think that says something for itself. Also Philly I am sure is very DO friendly due to PCOM and its prestige.
•••quote:•••Originally posted by njdesi:
•Did you know that the chairman of the psychiatry dept. at Temple Univ. School of Medicine in Philly is a DO? My friend who is a 3rd year there told me that. I even checked the Temple Med website and saw that the chairman was of course a DO!!!! I think that says something for itself. Also Philly I am sure is very DO friendly due to PCOM and its prestige.•••••<a href="http://blue.temple.edu/~tums/departments/clinical/Psychiatry/fsdirectory.html" target="_blank">Here's the link</a>
•Did you know that the chairman of the psychiatry dept. at Temple Univ. School of Medicine in Philly is a DO? My friend who is a 3rd year there told me that. I even checked the Temple Med website and saw that the chairman was of course a DO!!!! I think that says something for itself. Also Philly I am sure is very DO friendly due to PCOM and its prestige.•••••<a href="http://blue.temple.edu/~tums/departments/clinical/Psychiatry/fsdirectory.html" target="_blank">Here's the link</a>
