Comments about the "Is EM that competitive thread"

[pathstudent]

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Someone points out that DOs are primarily interesting in Primary Care. I saw a post of NYCOM's match list. Way less than half the school was going into Primary Care. So let's end that idea.

 

[pathstudent]

There were tons of anest and EM and very few FP.

 

[DrMom]

It would be more truthful to say that osteopathic education emphasizes primary care. Sometimes this leads to more grads going into FP, peds, IM, OB/GYN, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[pathstudent]

Fair enough.

 

[Castro Viejo]

Originally posted by pathstudent
Someone points out that DOs are primarily interesting in Primary Care. I saw a post of NYCOM's match list. Way less than half the school was going into Primary Care. So let's end that idea.

Well, the only reason why anyone would ever state that DOs are "primarily interested in primary care" is because that's the AOA's official tagline. Tell your AOA officials to change that and maybe we'll talk.

Citing one school's match list is hardly scientific or the proper way to declare that the AOA's been wrong all this time.

 

[ckplay]

Can someone explain to me what makes an osteopathic education more "holistic" than allopathic? Also, how they can squeeze it all in on top of the supposedly "same" medical curriculum as allopathic schools. It doesn't add up.

And, why does someone who supposedly choose osteopathic medicine because they want to practice more holistic medicine go into radiology? It's kind of funny when I hear DOs bragging about how they turned down several excellent MD schools to go a DO school b/c the school DO is better than the MD schools or b/c they want to learn holistic medicine...as if allopathic schools doesn't teach all aspects of a person's health. Let's get real, choosing DO over MD is the exception, not the rule! I have friends in DO schools, they were all rejects from US allopathic schools. My guess is 99% of DO students were MD rejects.

Sorry for going off the subject

 

[Castro Viejo]

Does this have to start up AGAIN?

Please refrain from starting yet ANOTHER installment in the "mine is bigger than yours" contest on SDN. Thanks.

 

[Docgeorge]

Originally posted by ckplay
Can someone explain to me what makes an osteopathic education more "holistic" than allopathic? Also, how they can squeeze it all in on top of the supposedly "same" medical curriculum as allopathic schools. It doesn't add up.

And, why does someone who supposedly choose osteopathic medicine because they want to practice more holistic medicine go into radiology? It's kind of funny when I hear DOs bragging about how they turned down several excellent MD schools to go a DO school b/c the school DO is better than the MD schools or b/c they want to learn holistic medicine...as if allopathic schools doesn't teach all aspects of a person's health. Let's get real, choosing DO over MD is the exception, not the rule! I have friends in DO schools, they were all rejects from US allopathic schools. My guess is 99% of DO students were MD rejects.

Sorry for going off the subject

I probabally shoul'nt be posting this, but I'm durnk and I dont care any more. I dont really think that DO's are mor e holistic DO cirriculum is the same as an MD cirriculum jsut that DO's have an extra class called OMM their 1st 2 years. Some one chooses a DO school 'cuz they really like the school and the enviroment. Why does someone choose UCSD over Harvard...Who cares. And one more thing about 99% of students being MD rejects, go take a poll at any DO school, while you will find some, maby who are rejects a lot wont be...go stuff that up your pipe and smoke it!!!!

 

[ckplay]

The result of the poll would prolly look something like this:

99% I choose Osteopathic over Allopathic
1% I was rejected from all the US Allopathic schools

It's call denial.

 

[rbassdo]

Originally posted by ckplay
Can someone explain to me what makes an osteopathic education more "holistic" than allopathic? Also, how they can squeeze it all in on top of the supposedly "same" medical curriculum as allopathic schools. It doesn't add up.

I can't speak for students at other osteopathic schools, but, at mine, we spend tons and tons of time in class and lab - over and above OMM. Also, our first year does not end until the end of July. Basically, we're in class year round. Lastly, many second years at my school take the USMLE + and COMLEX. The results produced speak for themselves as students to exceptionally well on both exams (well above national average on USMLE and tops on COMLEX). One of the anatomy profs. at my school is on the USMLE question board. So...of course we learn the same stuff...plus OMM. Period.

 

[drusso]

Originally posted by ckplay
Can someone explain to me what makes an osteopathic education more "holistic" than allopathic? Also, how they can squeeze it all in on top of the supposedly "same" medical curriculum as allopathic schools. It doesn't add up.

The "Healer Within" exhibit on display at the Smithsonian gives a pretty good overview of holism from an osteopathic perspective. You can visit the interactive website below and learn about it for yourself.

Healer Within Website

 

[oceandocDO]

To answer the question above, and not add fuel to a kindling fire, one of the things that adds the "holistic" flavor is the rotating internship that all D.O. schools offer and a few states mandate. It enables a young doctor to see most areas of medicine as a physician, rather than jumping right into the specialty of their choice and only having overall exposure as a student. MDs used to have the rotating internship as part of their training, but it was by-and-large abandoned. Some say because it wasnt helpful but others say young physicians became inpatient in what was a lengthening course of training, understandable. You'll hear different opinions on the supposed validity of the internship, but IMO, it's a great opportunity to be exposed to well-rounded "holistic" care as a young doc. And before you say most D.O. students go to MD residencies anyway, yes, they do, but many of them complete the internship first and have advanced placement in their allopathic specialty slot. While they may be a bit behind their colleagues in the specialty college as a PGY-2, they supposedly have a better scope for basic medicine.

As far as OMM, many dont realize the "holistic" spin that the training itself provides, even if it's never employed in practice by the D.O. specialist someday. The few hundred extra hours of integrated training in anatomy, biomechanics, and physiology by default will create a more holistic, well-rounded doc even if the difference is not palpable or noticeable to the patient or the physician. A radiologist, for example, will appreciate the more detailed anatomical training it offers. A surgeon will benefit from the palpatory training and post-op techniques, etc.

ckplay...
As fas as denial, 99% of anyone in medical school will "deny getting denied" from another medical school. I mean, doesnt everyone get into their first choice? 😉

 

[random_fool]

Originally posted by Docgeorge
Why does someone choose UCSD over Harvard...

Because of money of course......

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by Docgeorge
Why does someone choose UCSD over Harvard...

Originally posted by random_fool
Because of money of course......

And perhaps of location?

 

[Freeeedom!]

I guess I am in the 1% ...which is cool. Thanks KidandPlay...I mean CK-one...I mean KCmasterpiece...I mean CKplay.
See, I knew I would run into people like you, that is why I took and passed USMLE 1 and 2 (didn't need 3, took COMLEX 3).

Whatever, when you work with DO's you will see they are no different than MD's in virtually every way. Many of us use OMT, some don't...no big deal.
As for class time...well, I was in class all the time and then lab...and it sucked. That is how we added a class without deleting any traditional medicine academics, additional lab and lecture. It certainly made for some tired tired students.

 

[ckplay]

The notion that learning OMT makes you a holistic physician is total BS. Practicing holistic medicine means having an awareness of all the factors that affect a patient's health and incorporating that into a treatment plan.

Other than the OMT class DO students can't tell me what else makes them more holistic. Also, how can you compare when you have not spent a day in an MD school? It's like claiming that apples are better than oranges when you have only tasted the apple.

Free...which 1% is that? 😀

If DOs are so proud of their degrees, why did most of them took the offer to change to an MD...this was a few decades back. 😱

On a concilliatory note...I've worked with DOs and they are in general as competent as MDs. If you pass the boards and complete an accredited US residency, you're a competent doctor. I was just annoyed with all the BSing by some DO students...just doesn't jive with what I know. In the end, it doesn't really matter which med school you attend, it's really up to you to learn.

 

[Castro Viejo]

Originally posted by ckplay
If DOs are so proud of their degrees, why did most of them took the offer to change to an MD...this was a few decades back. 😱

ck, are you talking about the professions or their respective degrees? Those are two different issues.

Osteopathic physicians have always wanted a separate profession from the allopathic physicians, and this was evident in the early 1900s, during the first call to change the DO degree to an MD, and in the 1960s during the California merger when only 2,000 DOs in California received MDs.

With regard to the degrees, DOs have always sort of poo-pooed on their own degree because a sizable portion of them wanted more recognition for being physicians and surgeons. And somehow the osteopathic profession from the early 1900s all the way to today, it seems, equated that with having an MD. But I believe that's where any hint of envy stops, and that most osteopathic physicians today couldn't care less about their degrees and care more about the advancement of their profession. The DOs I know do and have never said anything about "wishing they were MDs."

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by ckplay
If DOs are so proud of their degrees, why did most of them took the offer to change to an MD...this was a few decades back. 😱

Timothy already addressed part of this, but I wanted to add: the Cali DOs that were dubbed MDs in the 60s did so under pressure. In 1962, the state banned the licensing of any new DOs. This was, obviously, later repealed.