You guys have to face the fact that no matter what you score on the USMLE, as a DO you are always a second class citizen in an allopathic training program.
I had 3 classmates, all of who scored in the top 99% for comlex and USMLE, that got **** from residency directors. One guy had the highest USMLE of all the applicants in the whole pool....the interviewer still ask him how he feels he is as good as the other MD applicants.
A friend of mine on the other hand, got his number one plastics choice after attending an ACGME surgery training program. Here is my list of recs for those of you thinking about fellowships or specialty surgery.....
1.) If you are in udergrad......go MD, if you can. I thought I wanted to do sports med, so I wanted to manipulate.....now I cut people open.
2.) If you are in DO world....Score high on USLMLE and COMLEX!!!! Rotate through allopathic programs, and kiss ass like there is no tomorrow. I mean old-school style....your resident needs a car wash, DO IT!!!!!
3.) If you get into a OSTEOPATHIC program, you have to make your own way....no one is there to hand feed you. Meet plastic directors, try to get into programs with fellowships, etc. Unfortunately, with the exception of Michigan, most of the programs with plastics aren't very good.
4.) Have a back-up....for instance, I want to do reconstruction, so if I need to I will make up my own path....microvascular, hand, cosmetics....there are a lot of ways to get around doing traditional training.
