Choosing Between MD and DO

Med School Insiders
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
A

Aabs9295

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2014
Messages
31
Reaction score
34
Members don't see this ad.
Hello,

So I was fortunate enough to be accepted to an MD and DO program. The MD program is far from my home and not in a city that I would really love to be in. The DO program is very close to my home and would allow me to be close to my family, and that matters to me as I have siblings I want to see grow up. If there is no difference in what the two schools will allow for my future, I feel as though as I should choose the one that allows for more social support. But I keep hearing that the DO school pressures for primary care, and I want to keep my options open. Any advice?

Also, I am on four MD waitlists that would allow me to remain close to my family, so if one of those works out that would be ideal. If there is any advice to get bumped on a waitlist that would be great too!

Thanks!

edit: Also i want to return for residency to my home area, so does going to a DO school in that area serve as an advantage? Or would the location of my med school be irrelevant
 
Last edited:
DO schools don't really pressure for folks to go into primary care, it's just what people tend to want to go into. If it will make you feel better, you can always check the match lists for the school and see where folks have ended up.
 
Is there much of a difference in cost of tuition as well as cost of attendance between the two? Or does that even factor into your choice?
 
thinking about tuition
presumably the do is cheaper bcuz instate
also match lists, do's generally have lower success rates. depends on what you want to do in the future
 
Just waiting for the one premed to make this into an MD vs. DO debate.

Take the MD acceptance. It will take you farther.
 
You get into MD, you go MD.
You don't get into MD, you go DO.

Where you go from there is up to you.

If you want specifics, give us names.
 
Cost is definitely a factor for me, and they are about equally matched in that regard.

The two schools are Western Pomona for DO and Creighton for MD
 
4 years is not a long time. Go M.D.
 
I thought this was gonna become another DO/MD flame thread.

I came for popcorn! 🙁.

Go with your heart - at the end of the day, how hard you work will get you where you want to be, except integrated plastic surgery. Because no one in a DO program matched into integrated PRS last year.
 
Aabs9295 said:
Cost is definitely a factor for me, and they are about equally matched in that regard.

The two schools are Western Pomona for DO and Creighton for MD
Click to expand...
If tuition is roughly the same between the two, omaha should have a much lower cost of attendance than living in Pomona I would assume. I would go Creighton if I were in your shoes. Congrats on having both acceptances by the way!
 
Aabs9295 said:
Cost is definitely a factor for me, and they are about equally matched in that regard.

The two schools are Western Pomona for DO and Creighton for MD
Click to expand...

I'm accepted to DO school. Go to Creighton.
 
Seems like the majority say MD, with a good follow your heart answer, which I appreciate 🙂

Would going to a DO school in the area I want to apply for residency in be worth skipping the MD? Or is that irrelevant in this decision?
 
Jplewis002 said:
Please expand on how the MD acceptance "will take you farther."
Click to expand...
You will have an easier time getting a residency you want when you're a 4th year. I personally believe DO's can be competent as MD's (and there are plenty of DO's that are more competent) but the world of medicine is very conservative and some places are wary of DO's applying, even with a great Step 1 score.

Once again, I do believe that DO's are just as capable of practicing medicine, treating patients, and going where they want, but they have to work harder for it.
 
JDMcNugent said:
If tuition is roughly the same between the two, omaha should have a much lower cost of attendance than living in Pomona I would assume. I would go Creighton if I were in your shoes. Congrats on having both acceptances by the way!
Click to expand...


Thank you for the advice and thanks for the congrats!
 
We are not you. We cannot know what you value and how highly you value each factor.

Here's what I did when I had to choose among several offers. I made a column for each choice and a line for each characteristic: cost, prestige, distance from home, desirability of location, academic reputation, etc. Then I gave each choice a +, ++, +++, or ++++ or a -based on a rough system I'd conceived roughtly corresponding with ok, good, great, best or bad (-). Then I added up the + marks. It really comes down to your values.

One thing I would factor in with regard to cost is the time and expense of traveling to your family for holidays and special family occasions.
 
My advice as well.

I'll just add that I have a number of Western grads as fellow faculty members, and they're wonderful clinicians.

My family doctor is a Western grad.

But ignore the troll post from the carib grad who seems determined to piss on the profession.



LizzyM said:
We are not you. We cannot know what you value and how highly you value each factor.

Here's what I did when I had to choose among several offers. I made a column for each choice and a line for each characteristic: cost, prestige, distance from home, desirability of location, academic reputation, etc. Then I gave each choice a +, ++, +++, or ++++ or a -based on a rough system I'd conceived roughtly corresponding with ok, good, great, best or bad (-). Then I added up the + marks. It really comes down to your values.

One thing I would factor in with regard to cost is the time and expense of traveling to your family for holidays and special family occasions.
Click to expand...
 
I'm from Arizona and a lot of Creighton kids come down here for their 3rd and 4th year rotations..... so that would be kind of close to your hometown just food for thought.
 
My school list goes like this:

1. MD schools in my home city
2. DO school in my home city
3. MD schools outside of my home city
4. DO schools outside of my home city

Location is #1 for me. Decide what is most important to you and go from there.
 
farnell said:
My school list goes like this:

1. MD schools in my home city
2. DO school in my home city
3. MD schools outside of my home city
4. DO schools outside of my home city

Location is #1 for me. Decide what is most important to you and go from there.
Click to expand...

Are you from NYC? 😱

And what if you were from Lynchburg, VA?
 
Take the Creighton acceptance. It's not even a matter of DO vs MD at that point, it's just a matter of which one is the better school.
 
On interview day, did they address some of the BCBS issues/changing hospitals at Creighton? I know that would affect residency; not sure about med school or if it matters to you. As mentioned, Creighton also has some Arizona rotation options.

Congrats on the acceptances, though, and good luck with the wait lists.
 
With regards to the wait lists you are on: send a letter of intent to your #1 choice. If you don't hear back within a few days then send a letter of intent to your second choice, etc. Alternatively send all four of them letters of intent. It's March, you've got nothing to lose. Make it clear that you will attend if accepted.

Good luck.
 
lots of WesternU grads snag residencies in CA
 
FutureOncologist said:
Just waiting for the one premed to make this into an MD vs. DO debate.

Take the MD acceptance. It will take you farther.
Click to expand...
did you really just say you were waiting for the "one premed" to turn this into MD vs. DO....and then go ahead and do that yourself by saying that an MD will "take you farther"?? 😆😆😆
 
Aabs9295 said:
Hello,

So I was fortunate enough to be accepted to an MD and DO program. The MD program is far from my home and not in a city that I would really love to be in. The DO program is very close to my home and would allow me to be close to my family, and that matters to me as I have siblings I want to see grow up. If there is no difference in what the two schools will allow for my future, I feel as though as I should choose the one that allows for more social support. But I keep hearing that the DO school pressures for primary care, and I want to keep my options open. Any advice?

Also, I am on four MD waitlists that would allow me to remain close to my family, so if one of those works out that would be ideal. If there is any advice to get bumped on a waitlist that would be great too!

Thanks!

edit: Also i want to return for residency to my home area, so does going to a DO school in that area serve as an advantage? Or would the location of my med school be irrelevant
Click to expand...
4 waitlists??!! dude just wait till the summer, im pretty sure youll get into one of those MD programs

if not, suck it up and go to the MD school far from your home. you can always come back for a residency in your hometown
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
  • Question Question
Keeping an MD and DO acceptance after April 30
Replies
3
Views
871
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Jacob Saadoun
SMP at DO school to MD
Replies
0
Views
284
Jacob Saadoun
Jacob Saadoun
G
Can you apply DO and MD at the same time?
Replies
3
Views
1K
Goro
Goro
R
Choosing between activities
Replies
4
Views
612
radnerd
R
E
Cosigned Letters from PA and MD
Replies
3
Views
726
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Top