Cheap DO or Expensive MD

[Luftwaffle]

OK so I actually haven't been accepted into either yet but this hypothetical question does disturb me haha. So what do you think, is it better to go to a cheap DO state school ( like TCOM) or an expensive private MD school (like SLU or something)
Note: COA at the private MD would be like double that of the state DO school

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[500miles]

Isnt it usually expensive DO VS expensive MD?

 

[ciestar]

Isnt it usually expensive DO VS expensive MD?

Usually. But OP is in Texas

 

[Goro]

OK so I actually haven't been accepted into either yet but this hypothetical question does disturb me haha. So what do you think, is it better to go to a cheap DO state school ( like TCOM) or an expensive private MD school (like SLU or something)
Note: COA at the private MD would be like double that of the state DO school

If you're OK with Primary Care or the DO-friendly specialties like Neuro, go for the cheap DO school. Anything other? Go for MD. You'll make back the tuition.

 

[Luftwaffle]

If you're OK with Primary Care or the DO-friendly specialties like Neiro, go for the cheap DO school. Anything other? Go for MD. You'll make back the tuition.

EM is fairly DO friendly right?

 

[DrFortiusNatando]

EM is fairly DO friendly in some places, but the "top tier" academic residencies can certainly be snobbish. Of course, if your goal is to be a community ED physician (more clinical hours, no research, more $$$), there will be very good clinical EM residencies that will take a smart, hard-working, successful DO student. Over the past few years, the traditional EM residencies have had essentially NO spots left over in the NRMP match for the SOAP/scramble process, so EM is considered a pretty competitive specialty. Either MD or DO, a student who wants to go to a traditional EM residency program needs to do well in clerkships and sub internships, score reasonably well on USMLE Step exams, and pass the "2am test". (have to be able to be tolerable to a grouchy, tired attending at 2am). Doing 2 audition rotations at residencies that are a good fit can be very helpful, so just make sure that the DO school has had people do clinical rotations at MD schools with EM residencies.

 

[chemdoctor]

If you're OK with Primary Care or the DO-friendly specialties like Neiro, go for the cheap DO school. Anything other? Go for MD. You'll make back the tuition.

Neuro is DO friendly?

 

[Goro]

Neuro is DO friendly?

Very

 

[Master Thinker]

The MD, unless you are 100% certain you want to go into a primary care specialty. SLU is actually not very expensive...schools like Drexel, UIC, and RFU take the badge.

 

[Luftwaffle]

The MD, unless you are 100% certain you want to go into a primary care specialty. SLU is actually not very expensive...schools like Drexel, UIC, and RFU take the badge.

So if it was Drexel then the calculation would be different?

 

[Isoval]

If you are actually trying to decide between TCOM and SLU and price is a major factor, I would think hard about passing up TCOM.

Tuition here is, I believe, less than half of SLU even for out of state tuition versus in-state tuition. That, and you don’t have to live in the ghetto.

If you’re considering a surgical or highly competitive specialty (derm, uro), I would recommend SLU. Otherwise, I would recommend TCOM. This is especially true considering your financial concerns.

 

[Master Thinker]

So if it was Drexel then the calculation would be different?

That really depends on you. Personally, I am not sure what specialty I want to go into so going MD would open the most doors and give me the easiest time. As a physician, you will not have issues paying back debts anyway, so you might as well go to the school that gives you the most opportunities.

 

[ciestar]

The MD, unless you are 100% certain you want to go into a primary care specialty. SLU is actually not very expensive...schools like Drexel, UIC, and RFU take the badge.

Looking at SLU’s COA on their website, they pay about 7k less a year than I am at Drexel. It isn’t like UIC’s enormous costs for OOS students.

 

[Mad Jack]

Expensive MD hands down

 

[deleted480308]

I’m a DO. The answer is the expensive MD. Not even a question

 

[Master Thinker]

Looking at SLU’s COA on their website, they pay about 7k less a year than I am at Drexel. It isn’t like UIC’s enormous costs for OOS students.

Agreed, but SLU also has a lot of 5k and 10k need-based scholarships + merit that much of the class get. Neither is close to UIC's highway robbery however.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

OK so I actually haven't been accepted into either yet but this hypothetical question does disturb me haha. So what do you think, is it better to go to a cheap DO state school ( like TCOM) or an expensive private MD school (like SLU or something)
Note: COA at the private MD would be like double that of the state DO school

It would be very hard to choose an expensive MD over inexpensive TCOM unless you want a competitive specialty. SLU, without any merit, would probably leave you with about $300k of debt. TCOM would leave you with about $140k of debt.

Where have you interviewed? Sounds like you’re a Texas resident. Is TCOM the only Texas med that’s interviewed you?

 

[Mr. Babe]

Seriously depends on what you want to do. And EM is becoming one of the most competitive residencies so you'll be way better off going MD if that's what you want. Sure, you can get competitive specialties as a DO, but you are at a disadvantage and you'll have to work crazy hard and kill the boards. And you'll need to take the USMLE as well.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

MD if you dont know what you want to do. More options. Many students are only interested in PC, so then it doesnt matter in those cases I would definitely go with cheaper. Secondly, my MD partners were paid the same as I was, so you are out of debt sooner. Most of my students are 300 to 350 K in debt for college and med school,so look at least 10 yrs to pay it off. That's at say 300K compensation. Remember, it takes 12 months to acquire that salary, they dont give it to you all at once. I personally am debt averse. Debt is tyranny, you get up every morning to go to work for someone else. They debt holder gets paid first, not you

 

[PreMedMissteps]

I’m a DO. The answer is the expensive MD. Not even a question

Interesting. Can you give us your thoughts?

 

[altblue]

I'm interested in primary care and I'd still take a move expensive MD school over a cheaper DO school... I'd rather not change my mind down the line and fight an uphill battle to get in a more competitive residency

 

[Dagrimsta1]

In DO school you get to take 2 board exams while MD's take one (Step 1 + COMLEX). You also get an extra 300 hours of OMM. For those reasons alone, go MD.

 

[Goro]

OK so I actually haven't been accepted into either yet but this hypothetical question does disturb me haha. So what do you think, is it better to go to a cheap DO state school ( like TCOM) or an expensive private MD school (like SLU or something)
Note: COA at the private MD would be like double that of the state DO school

If you're a Texan, the odds of you being accepted into an OOS MD school are low, unless you're a superstar.

In the latter case, there is no need to be considering the state DO school, unless you absolutely can't leave the state, like your SO will kill you if you do.

 

[deleted480308]

Interesting. Can you give us your thoughts?

The discrepancy in which residencies will look at you is too big to consider DO if you have an MD acceptance

 

[OrgoWizard]

MD

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[DadOfStudent]

Neuro is DO friendly?

@Goro Could you please explain why DO is Nuero friendly? My son is accepted into a DO program and he is interested to be a Neurologist.

 

[Isoval]

@Goro Could you please explain why DO is Nuero friendly? My son is accepted into a DO program and he is interested to be a Neurologist.

Simply put, it’s a specialty where fewer program directors will throw your app into the trash for being a DO student. The percentage of PDs who consider DOs (rarely or commonly) varies from 100% in FM down to something like 30% in dermatology and worse for neurosurgery. Neurology ranks on the higher end of that spectrum, but I don’t remember their number. Probably around the 80s.

It’s for this reason that people say going DO is inherently worse than MD. They’re not saying you can’t match neurosurgery, they’re saying it’s horrible because you can realistically only apply to 3/10s the number of residencies your counterparts can and, even then, there’s some intense bias sometimes.

There’s an NRMP survey somewhere with all of that information en masse.

 

[DadOfStudent]

Simply put, it’s a specialty where fewer program directors will throw your app into the trash for being a DO student. The percentage of PDs who consider DOs (rarely or commonly) varies from 100% in FM down to something like 30% in dermatology and worse for neurosurgery. Neurology ranks on the higher end of that spectrum, but I don’t remember their number. Probably around the 80s.

It’s for this reason that people say going DO is inherently worse than MD. They’re not saying you can’t match neurosurgery, they’re saying it’s horrible because you can realistically only apply to 3/10s the number of residencies your counterparts can and, even then, there’s some intense bias sometimes.

There’s an NRMP survey somewhere with all of that information en masse.

But this does not answer why Nuero is favorable to DOs? What is the reason for Nuero PDs more likely to consider DOs as opposed to other programs?

 

[ciestar]

But this does not answer why Nuero is favorable to DOs? What is the reason for Nuero PDs more likely to consider DOs as opposed to other programs?

Because neuro isn’t competitive to start with.

 

[Isoval]

But this does not answer why Nuero is favorable to DOs? What is the reason for Nuero PDs more likely to consider DOs as opposed to other programs?

It’s favorable to DOs because less PDs will throw your application in the trash as opposed to other fields.

 

[DadOfStudent]

Because neuro isn’t competitive to start with.

So, what makes Neuro not very competitive to medical students? Is it pay, work life balance or job satisfaction? There must be some valid reasons for Nuero to be not very attractive.

 

[allantois]

If you're OK with Primary Care or the DO-friendly specialties like Neiro, go for the cheap DO school. Anything other? Go for MD. You'll make back the tuition.

What’s neiro tho

 

[Goro]

Simply put, it’s a specialty where fewer program directors will throw your app into the trash for being a DO student. The percentage of PDs who consider DOs (rarely or commonly) varies from 100% in FM down to something like 30% in dermatology and worse for neurosurgery. Neurology ranks on the higher end of that spectrum, but I don’t remember their number. Probably around the 80s.

It’s for this reason that people say going DO is inherently worse than MD. They’re not saying you can’t match neurosurgery, they’re saying it’s horrible because you can realistically only apply to 3/10s the number of residencies your counterparts can and, even then, there’s some intense bias sometimes.

There’s an NRMP survey somewhere with all of that information en masse.

See: http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NRMP-2018-Program-Director-Survey-for-WWW.pdf
Neuro starts on page 72 or so.

What’s neiro tho

Fixed, thank you.

 

[ciestar]

So, what makes Neuro not very competitive to medical students? Is it pay, work life balance or job satisfaction? There must be some valid reasons for Nuero to be not very attractive.

Maybe people just don’t want to go into it? I sure freakin’ don’t.

 

[allantois]

Maybe people just don’t want to go into it? I sure freakin’ don’t.

Well the pay is about the same as PCP with an extra year of training plus strokes are a PITA

 

[ciestar]

Well the pay is about the same as PCP with an extra year of training plus strokes are a PITA

Basically a specialty of incurable, potentially debilitating diseases.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

If you're OK with Primary Care or the DO-friendly specialties like Neuro, go for the cheap DO school. Anything other? Go for MD. You'll make back the tuition.

How DO-friendly is psychiatry?

 

[DadOfStudent]

How DO-friendly is psychiatry?

Psychiatry looks even better for DOs, compared to Neurology as per this: