Current DO Intern/Resident .. Ask me (almost) Anything

[GuitarFreak]

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Do you feel DO's are hipsters? Are MDs to mainstream? Do you only have hipster patients? Do I need a hipster bread on interview day? (Like the original hipster my boy AT)


OK OK jokes are over.



How do we determine if a school has good rotations or not? Should we just use as a rule that older schools have better rotations?

Please refer to Post # 47 🙂

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Unfortunately, the only way to really find out is through MS3's & MS4's / graduates. Only they'll be able to verify a rotation site's learning opportunities, despite its size =\

Ah I missed this. How was your schools rotations?

What was your opinion of OMM?
Best advice for people about to begin medical school?
Secret to getting residency of choice?
How was your work/life balance in school?

Thanks!

I'll take that as a yes to the hipster questions

 

[NVO]

Does OMM relate to anything you do now?

 

[100111]

Is the lifestyle in internship year bearable or a total write-off?

 

[orangetea]

What do you do for fun?

 

[GuitarFreak]

Ah I missed this. How was your schools rotations?

What was your opinion of OMM?
Best advice for people about to begin medical school?
Secret to getting residency of choice?
How was your work/life balance in school?

Thanks!

I'll take that as a yes to the hipster questions

There is merit to a bunch of MSK techniques in OMM, in my opinion. But I find the rationale behind Cranial OMM very hard to wrap my head around.

Take it one day at a time. Enjoy your time before medical school. Enjoy your time during medical school. Don't believe the hype that your social life will die, etc. Learn to manage your time, and you'll have enough time to hang out & socialize.

Nothing new here. Kill your boards. Do well during auditions. Get great letters. Be realistic with your expectations.

It was great. It took me the first 4-5 months to perfect my time management. After that, I was able to go to the gym 6x a week, hangout with my friends quite a bit, partake in hobbies etc & still do well in school.

Yes. Hipester. Yes.

 

[GuitarFreak]

Does OMM relate to anything you do now?

It is relevant till I take & pass COMLEX III. After that, it will become mostly irrelevant.

 

[GuitarFreak]

Is the lifestyle in internship year bearable or a total write-off?

There's tremendous variation in internship lifestyle between different hospitals. If lifestyle is something you do look for, then definitely look into what prelims/intern years support that.

 

[GuitarFreak]

What do you do for fun?

A lot, haha. I'm a musician so I get to tour / produce whenever the residency schedule allows. I also do photography, work on cars, work out, & read.

It varies a lot by what rotation I'm on.

 

[Omppu27]

My favorite system was Neuro. Least favorite was GI.

I studied everyday for a few hours so I wasn't lagging behind. Its very tedious to catchup if you fall behind so my goal was just to avoid that. I started prepping for boards end of Feb/early March .. Took COMLEX I in June.

I wanted to do Radiology since way before college, haha. So I'm very fortunate that it worked out.

PS. Ibn Alnafis was a badass.

Wow just looked him up. Total stud.

 

[yanks26dmb]

@GuitarFreak - do you believe a student could literally work their way to a competitive residency? Will an insane work ethic and commitment to putting in loads of study time each week more or less guarantee good grades + competitive board score?

I know in undergrad you basically got out what you put in...is med school more or less the same, or is it only the people who are innately brilliant who are able to get those 240+ board scores and place in the top percent of their class?

 

[GuitarFreak]

@GuitarFreak - do you believe a student could literally work their way to a competitive residency? Will an insane work ethic and commitment to putting in loads of study time each week more or less guarantee good grades + competitive board score?

I know in undergrad you basically got out what you put in...is med school more or less the same, or is it only the people who are innately brilliant who are able to get those 240+ board scores and place in the top percent of their class?

Medical school is not hard. It really isn't. It is, however, extremely tedious. Yes; I do believe that anyone could work their way to a competitive residency. I've seen this happen way too many times, where someone who wasn't 'innately brilliant' was able to work hard/smart & make their way to Plastics, Neurosurg etc. The innately brilliant people will get the 240+ scores, so will people who are really good at taking standardized tests & know their material. But if you don't classify yourself as one of those two categories, know your material & learn to work smart, not necessarily just hard. Figure out what method of studying works the best for you, spend most of your time doing that.

What you reap, so shall you sow.

 

[WindyCityZete]

Hey so my cGPA is 2.98 and I'm studying to take the MCAT now. Is it true if you take the classes you have gotten b's and c's in that DO schools factor those grades into your cGPA, as opposed to MD schools that just take your first attempt? Also how much harder is the COMLEX exam from the USMLE? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GuitarFreak]

Hey so my cGPA is 2.98 and I'm studying to take the MCAT now. Is it true if you take the classes you have gotten b's and c's in that DO schools factor those grades into your cGPA, as opposed to MD schools that just take your first attempt? Also how much harder is the COMLEX exam from the USMLE? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I believe that AACOMAS does take re-takes into consideration. It's been a long time since I did all of that, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

COMLEX & USMLE are both tough exams. I only took the COMLEX so I cannot speak to the comparison between the two.

 

[baxt1412]

I believe that AACOMAS does take re-takes into consideration. It's been a long time since I did all of that, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

COMLEX & USMLE are both tough exams. I only took the COMLEX so I cannot speak to the comparison between the two.

yes AACOMAS does grade replacement.

however some schools don't take CC credit
some schools don't take online credit
the course will have to be the same course number or higher
the course will have to be the same amount of credit hours or higher
it gets complicated when doing courses that include the lab's hour in with the course's hour to replace courses that didn't include it and vice-versa

 

[diiaa36]

What was your study routine like in medical school?

 

[baxt1412]

What was your study routine like in medical school?

and did you (or anyone else you know) try to do any sort of prep after you were accepted leading into M1?

 

[mommy2three]

Another intern happy to pitch in if you have any questions

Non trad
Former underdog
Family medicine resident 🙂


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[mommy2three]

and did you (or anyone else you know) try to do any sort of prep after you were accepted leading into M1?

We got our note packets the week before classes in orientation
The only thing I did was look over the lectures beforehand

Things will come at you fast and furious and each school is different in what they stress in subjects so trying to study before hand is useless until you know what the professors and school will stress


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[OsteopathicHopeful]

Another intern happy to pitch in if you have any questions

Non trad
Former underdog
Family medicine resident 🙂


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Pre-med applying this cycle
I'm a non-grad father of 2
I am a underdog as well
I will probably have questions for you later

 

[OsteopathicHopeful]

Another intern happy to pitch in if you have any questions

Non trad
Former underdog
Family medicine resident 🙂


Posted using SDN Mobile

curious how were you an underdog...MCAT?? reason I ask is that is why I'm an underdog and I will have questions directed towards this

 

[MaduNotSoff]

Another intern happy to pitch in if you have any questions

Non trad
Former underdog
Family medicine resident 🙂


Posted using SDN Mobile

Thanks for helping out!

How important are involvement in student org's, research, and LOR's when applying for residency programs? Obviously board scorez are weighed much heavier than these, but what else is valuable in securing a solid residency spot?

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Another intern happy to pitch in if you have any questions

Non trad
Former underdog
Family medicine resident 🙂


Posted using SDN Mobile

Hey thanks for offering advice on here.

What would you say are some of the pros and cons of practicing rural family medicine? Do you think there is a big future for rural med?

 

[jaafarsrab2013aguevara.com]

مرحبا

 

[GuitarFreak]

What was your study routine like in medical school?

I tried to study a few hours every day after classes just so I didn't lag behind. On the weekends, I studied for 5-6 hours during the day (unless I had plans) & went out / hung out at night

 

[GuitarFreak]

and did you (or anyone else you know) try to do any sort of prep after you were accepted leading into M1?

Before you start medical school, you should be doing nothing but enjoying your time. Go out, watch movies, go hiking, hang out with friends. That sort of a thing 🙂

 

[GuitarFreak]

Thanks for helping out!

How important are involvement in student org's, research, and LOR's when applying for residency programs? Obviously board scorez are weighed much heavier than these, but what else is valuable in securing a solid residency spot?

They're all very important. You essentially have to do everything you can to stand out. Great research (that ends up in publications hopefully), leadership positions in orgs, LORs (probably the most important out of the stuff you've listed) from docs in the specialty you're applying, will all be taken into consideration when you're being considered for a spot.

 

[NVO]

What's your career end goal?

What is your (realistic) dream car?

 

[GuitarFreak]

What's your career end goal?

What is your (realistic) dream car?

Career end goal is consult for/partner with Healthcare & Tech VCs, while owning multiple imaging centers.

Realistic dream car would probably be a DB9

 

[mommy2three]

curious how were you an underdog...MCAT?? reason I ask is that is why I'm an underdog and I will have questions directed towards this

30 MCAT so not too shabby

prior failing courses, 3.2 cum ugrad gpa, 3.7 science gpa ugrad
incomplete masters program - got certificate of completion

so yeah major underdog

 

[mommy2three]

Thanks for helping out!

How important are involvement in student org's, research, and LOR's when applying for residency programs? Obviously board scorez are weighed much heavier than these, but what else is valuable in securing a solid residency spot?

board scores get you in the door
LORs show who you are and your interest in the area you are applying
organizations are important but only if you have a demonstrated interest - do not get involved in organizations just to get involved you want to be able to talk about what you did and have a meaningful experience

after you get in the door it comes down to you and your interviewing and interpersonal skills - so be nice, ask questions and show an interest

 

[mommy2three]

Hey thanks for offering advice on here.

What would you say are some of the pros and cons of practicing rural family medicine? Do you think there is a big future for rural med?

I am not sure I will do full rural family medicine but I think the pros about family medicine in general is that you can make it whatever you want. You can do as much or as little as you want - do procedures like joint injections,vasectomies, flex sigs, etc etc et or not.

I know we have heard talks here from the attendings which give the sense that rural family med docs are in high demand and often come with significant bonuses and/or loan repayment options if you are willing to work in the middle of nowhere for a little bit. With the expansion of health care more people need a pcp and family med fills that gap

 

[mommy2three]

Before you start medical school, you should be doing nothing but enjoying your time. Go out, watch movies, go hiking, hang out with friends. That sort of a thing 🙂

this time 1000 - once you start medical school it becomes all encompassing and it is hard to do things outside of medicine

 

[mommy2three]

What's your career end goal?

What is your (realistic) dream car?

ohh dream career end goal - professional sports team physician with private DPC practice as well

realistic career end goal - sports team physician with local high school/college and private practice on side, ideally DPC but we will see


realistic dream car- hmm probably some sort of audi or BMW 🙂

 

[baxt1412]

ohh dream career end goal - professional sports team physician with private DPC practice as well

realistic career end goal - sports team physician with local high school/college and private practice on side, ideally DPC but we will see


realistic dream car- hmm probably some sort of audi or BMW 🙂

we are career end goal twinsies.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

ohh dream career end goal - professional sports team physician with private DPC practice as well

realistic career end goal - sports team physician with local high school/college and private practice on side, ideally DPC but we will see


realistic dream car- hmm probably some sort of audi or BMW 🙂

The DPC model seems aweeeeesome. Like if DPC became more widespread I would be 100% sold on FM (currently im at about 50% sold). It seems awesome because its like a steady income, less fighting with insurance companies (which freaking ruins primary care provider's jobs), and being able to spend more time with patients and thus practice medicine how you were originally taught.

Do you think there is much future for that model?
How hard is it to get into a group running the DPC model? Are there many out there?

 

[avivace]

Do you have any further advice on choosing a school? Cost is both important and objective, and location is completely subjective but easy to rate, but I've had a hard time trying to determine rotation quality.

Match lists might say something about this, but I'm also not at all sure how to tell which are good and which are not. I'm most interested in internal medicine at this point, so I doubt it's relevant to me whether anyone from a school matches into surgical specialties or dermatology, which seems to be a metric some use.

I suppose I could base a decision only on cost, but sometimes (not always) you get what you pay for. Is there any good way to decide when it might be worth paying more?

 

[ChrisGriffen]

Do you have any further advice on choosing a school? Cost is both important and objective, and location is completely subjective but easy to rate, but I've had a hard time trying to determine rotation quality.

Match lists might say something about this, but I'm also not at all sure how to tell which are good and which are not. I'm most interested in internal medicine at this point, so I doubt it's relevant to me whether anyone from a school matches into surgical specialties or dermatology, which seems to be a metric some use.

I suppose I could base a decision only on cost, but sometimes (not always) you get what you pay for. Is there any good way to decide when it might be worth paying more?

I am also a current DO student. Figured I would jump on board with this thread.

Cost is important, comfort is important.
There is NO osteopathic medical school that will "get you a residency" so to speak. Its not like the MD world where there are big name Med schools. Thats not saying that you will have any difficulty matching from a DO school, its just that nobody cares which DO school you go to.

Go wherever you feel comfortable. My 2 cents are that you may want to be in/near a city because there will be lots of big hospitals to rotate at. Otherwise dont lose any sleep over what school you go to. All of them lead you to the same place.