Choosing DO over MD

[AnatomyGrey12]

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Nope. I see OMM as not really a full treatment option, but rather, a complement to treatment to alleviate pain in some cases and increase mobility. Of course, my views can change as time passes.

Yeah this is my opinion too. I am indifferent to the matter but I won't complain about having to learn it because I chose to go to a DO school. I don't get the people who just complain and complain and its like, " why did you ever go to a DO school...?"

 

[Dustbowl12]

Very bad and dangerous advice flying around here.

If you have an acceptance from an American Medical School (MD or DO) even if its CNU MD or LUCOM DO you take the acceptance.

You don't leave a med school acceptance on the table unless it is a Carribean school.

Why?
Because now you are a reapplicant when you apply next cycle. You better make substantial improvements to your application before reapplying.

It is harder for reapplicants to get accepted unless they do something spectacular.

Additionally, you lose another year of potential earning, and add another year of debt interest

If you are a borderline MD applicant, you probably aren't going to do anything spectacular enough in a year to get accepted if you drew blanks your first time around. Even if you do pull off a miracle by scoring 15 points higher on the MCAT or whatever you are going to have a harder time due to your reapplicant status.

Take your acceptance. Can't believe we are having this discussion

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Very bad and dangerous advice flying around here.

If you have an acceptance from an American Medical School (MD or DO) even if its CNU MD or LUCOM DO you take the acceptance.

You don't leave a med school acceptance on the table unless it is a Carribean school.

Why?
Because now you are a reapplicant when you apply next cycle. You better make substantial improvements to your application before reapplying.

It is harder for reapplicants to get accepted unless they do something spectacular.

Additionally, you lose another year of potential earning, and add another year of debt interest

If you are a borderline MD applicant, you probably aren't going to do anything spectacular enough in a year to get accepted if you drew blanks your first time around. Even if you do pull off a miracle by scoring 15 points higher on the MCAT or whatever you are going to have a harder time due to your reapplicant status.

Take your acceptance. Can't believe we are having this discussion

No one said to not take an acceptance.... Apply the first cycle MD only... Then MD/DO the next cycle (if you have decent stats for MD)

I can't believe you didn't actually read the posts..

 

[mathnerd88]

No one said to not take an acceptance.... Apply the first cycle MD only... Then MD/DO the next cycle (if you have decent stats for MD)

I can't believe you didn't actually read the posts..

Lol...

 

[Dustbowl12]

No one said to not take an acceptance.... Apply the first cycle MD only... Then MD/DO the next cycle (if you have decent stats for MD)

I can't believe you didn't actually read the posts..

Thank you for being more specific. I did read the posts.

I would apply md/do both the first time. why waste a year? You are still a reapplicant the following year and it isn't a cakewalk to get in to a DO school.

Don't think admissions can't see through you if you are applying to DO as a 2 year MD reject


best case you get in your first yea to MD And simply turn down the DO acceptance.

Why solely apply MD the first time if you are borderline

 

[mathnerd88]

Thank you for being more specific. I did read the posts.

I would apply md/do both the first time. why waste a year? You are still a reapplicant the following year and it isn't a cakewalk to get in to a DO school.

Don't think admissions can't see through you if you are applying to DO as a 2 year MD reject


best case you get in your first yea to MD And simply turn down the DO acceptance.

Why solely apply MD the first time if you are borderline

It depends on the scenario. Some applicants believe they aren't borderline and should land an acceptance with MD. Many DO schools require a DO letter or some experience shadowing a DO. Also, the application process is significantly different between AMCAS and AACOMAS. I would say that I would rather apply only MD first and then MD/DO second cycle. It makes the most sense because you don't want to swamp yourself with a whole new application process unless you really have to. You won't be a reapplicant to DO schools if you've never applied to DO before.

Some people don't mind taking another year off to do something significant with their lives instead of going straight back into school again.

It isn't a cakewalk to get into a DO school, but it is generally a cakewalk for those who are borderline MD applicants. Some part of me wished I had applied MD again, just to give it one more shot before completely committing to DO.

Even at my DO interview, some of my interviewers were surprised that I didn't get into MD the first time.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Thank you for being more specific. I did read the posts.

I would apply md/do both the first time. why waste a year? You are still a reapplicant the following year and it isn't a cakewalk to get in to a DO school.

Don't think admissions can't see through you if you are applying to DO as a 2 year MD reject


best case you get in your first yea to MD And simply turn down the DO acceptance.

Why solely apply MD the first time if you are borderline

See post above. And DO schools know they are, 95% of the time, a backup option. You just have to not be a jerk in your interview and not act like DO is inferior in your interviews for them to not care you would rather have the MD. Not to mention DO schools can't see if you applied MD. Anyone who says that DO offers the exact same opportunities is kidding themselves, that's why anyone who is able to, a key point, do their best to get into MD first.

 

[Dustbowl12]

Interesting points. I personally don't agree that borderline MD applicants can easily get into all DO schools. Getting into newer programs may be a cake walk for them but the older DO schools have already reached and in some cases surpassed low/mid tier MD averages.

I would take my acceptance and run with it. If one is a borderline MD they
probably aren't going to be getting in to the elite elite competitive programs anyway

 

[femmegoblue]

N=1 but my boyfriend was accepted at both Wayne State SOM and MSU CHM and still chose Touro- NY for the experience of living in Harlem. Probably not what most would have done, but he breezed into MD acceptances and still went DO and is a happy PGY-2 now where it makes zero difference.

 

[hsk013]

for me, every school asked me whether i applied to both md and do during the interview. i thought it was a bit strange but did anyone have the same experience?

 

[kingston77]

OP, its all about what you make of it. Yes, MD route would be better than DO if given the choice, but that doesn't mean your life is going to suck– its all about what you decide to do with your degree. Check out Dr. Mike's (DO) instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/doctor.mike/)...

My point with this is that the letters beside his name were irrelevant and he didnt let that hold him back from doing what he wants to do.

 

[mathnerd88]

Interesting points. I personally don't agree that borderline MD applicants can easily get into all DO schools. Getting into newer programs may be a cake walk for them but the older DO schools have already reached and in some cases surpassed low/mid tier MD averages.

I would take my acceptance and run with it. If one is a borderline MD they
probably aren't going to be getting in to the elite elite competitive programs anyway

Yeah, my post meant just DO schools, which includes the newer ones. The established ones are a little more crapshoot when it comes to acceptances.

However, I know those who had borderline MD stats and ended up going to residency at BWH for anesthesiology. Like many said, a low MCAT score doesn't mean you will score low on boards.

 

[AM508]

I guess, in a sense, I chose a DO school over an MD school. I had put a substantial deposit down at a well-established DO school, then got an MD school interview. The problem was, the tuition as an OOS student at the MD school was going to be about $15,000 more in base tuition each year than the DO school I chose. I ended up turning down the interview because an extra $60,000 dollars not including interest did not seem worth the difference between MD and DO.

 

[mathnerd88]

I guess, in a sense, I chose a DO school over an MD school. I had put a substantial deposit down at a well-established DO school, then got an MD school interview. The problem was, the tuition as an OOS student at the MD school was going to be about $15,000 more in base tuition each year than the DO school I chose. I ended up turning down the interview because an extra $60,000 dollars not including interest did not seem worth the difference between MD and DO.

Just because you got MD interview invite doesn't mean you'll be accepted. Also, if you're looking to specialize and not end up in primary care, then I feel that $60,000 extra is well worth it. If you are looking to just go into primary care (and don't mind some good IM or FM residencies closing doors on you) then choosing DO in your case makes financial sense.

A specialist can easily make $60k more+ interest in just a year or two over primary care.

 

[AM508]

Just because you got MD interview invite doesn't mean you'll be accepted. Also, if you're looking to specialize and not end up in primary care, then I feel that $60,000 extra is well worth it. If you are looking to just go into primary care (and don't mind some good IM or FM residencies closing doors on you) then choosing DO in your case makes financial sense.

A specialist can easily make $60k more+ interest in just a year or two over primary care.

An acceptance definitely wasn't a given, but it was a school with a pretty high II:acceptance ratio, I had good stats for the school, was in-line with their mission, and definitely didn't have trouble with interviews (I was sitting on 4 acceptances out of 4 interviews attended at the time with 18 II's that I turned down), so I am reasonably confident that I would have been accepted. But at the end of the day, any of the specialties that I am interested in are not too much of a reach with DO and 60,000 turns into about 100,000 in actual debt. That would be pushing me well over 400k total in debt. To some that might be worth it, not so much for me.

 

[AvrgPreMedKid]

I guess, in a sense, I chose a DO school over an MD school. I had put a substantial deposit down at a well-established DO school, then got an MD school interview. The problem was, the tuition as an OOS student at the MD school was going to be about $15,000 more in base tuition each year than the DO school I chose. I ended up turning down the interview because an extra $60,000 dollars not including interest did not seem worth the difference between MD and DO.

Very interesting. I chose LECOM-B over Nova because Nova is 20k/year more expensive (in tuition alone). If Nova was an MD school, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

Edit: The DO schools really get you with those deposits, though!! $$$$$