COMLEX, USMLE, Er...Oh my!

[uncultured]

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I was just curious about the whole licensing thing...if a person goes to a DO school, they then take the COMLEX and become Doctors of Osteopathy and apply for Osteopathic Residencies. Someone who goes to a Osteopathic school cannot apply for an allopathic residency unless he or she has taken the USMLE...is this correct?

And if a DO takes the USMLE in ADDITION to the COMLEX, he or she (gotta respect the genders--ahh high school English) is then eligible for both allopathic OR osteopathic residencies...is this correct? And if a DO takes the USMLE and passes, that doesn't make them an MD, does it?

And does a DO who has taken the USMLE fare better or worse (or perhaps the same....??) than his MD counterpart when residency match time comes?

These forums are great--I'm a neurotic college student and there's a ton of information here with which I can cram my brain in these summer months 😱

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by uncultured
I was just curious about the whole licensing thing...if a person goes to a DO school, they then take the COMLEX and become Doctors of Osteopathy and apply for Osteopathic Residencies. Someone who goes to a Osteopathic school cannot apply for an allopathic residency unless he or she has taken the USMLE...is this correct?

And if a DO takes the USMLE in ADDITION to the COMLEX, he or she (gotta respect the genders--ahh high school English) is then eligible for both allopathic OR osteopathic residencies...is this correct? And if a DO takes the USMLE and passes, that doesn't make them an MD, does it?

And does a DO who has taken the USMLE fare better or worse (or perhaps the same....??) than his MD counterpart when residency match time comes?

These forums are great--I'm a neurotic college student and there's a ton of information here with which I can cram my brain in these summer months 😱

I am a DO (just graduated), and am starting at an MD Emergency Medicine residency next month. I did NOT take the USMLE. It is not required. However, if one DID take the USMLE and DID score very well, it may help you, but i had no trouble whatsoever getting into Emergency Medicine (a relatively competitive residency), as I had 20+ interview offers...

Taking the USMLE does not make anyone an MD. What gives you your degree is the school that you go to.

And DOs will always be the *relative* underdogs in applying to residencies, but like I said, I had no trouble getting into a relatively competitive residency as a DO.

Q, DO