D.O Pediatricians

[Nicola1926]

Hello,

I will be attending PCOM-GA in the fall, and would like to practice pediatrics in the future. I just wanted to know if there were any difficulties locating a good residency program in peds following graduation? Please feel free to give me any advice you may consider helpful.

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[kristing]

Hello,

I will be attending PCOM-GA in the fall, and would like to practice pediatrics in the future. I just wanted to know if there were any difficulties locating a good residency program in peds following graduation? Please feel free to give me any advice you may consider helpful.

No - you'll be fine. Peds is well known for being not too competitive. I have only interviewed at MD residencies as a DO student and it has not been an issue at all.

 

[skimed]

What is PCOM-GA another new DO school?

 

[dr.z]

What is PCOM-GA another new DO school?

Yes it is (sort of). It is the branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine located in Atlanta, GA.

 

[skimed]

Great, another new school, but not any more residency positions?!

 

[Nicola1926]

Honesty, I am so tired of everyone complaining on this site about the lack of residencies and addtions of more D.O schools. There are currently only 20 D.0 schools in the U.S (PCOM-GA- a branch campus so technically not a "new school), and a countless number of allopathic school. How does one think we are ever going to increase the american people's knowledge concerning the D.O profession when we now only represent 5% of the physician population? Believe me, as the profession expands the addtion of more quality residency programs will be close behind. Think about it rationally, doesn't that make sense? I personally am not worried because I truly believe that I am entering a profession on the brink of some major changes(positive).. Remember, GOD did not create the Heavens and Earth in 1 day it was a process. Be Patient, things will unfold in due time.

 

[jujukat]

i only applied to MD residencies. I know that there are some programs that just don't take DOs but if you're open in terms of location and type of program you want to get into, you'll be fine. Some west coast programs are very anti-DO. I think in general as a DO you have to make an extra impression which I think is true with any type of MD residency.
some may disagree with me!

Hello,

I will be attending PCOM-GA in the fall, and would like to practice pediatrics in the future. I just wanted to know if there were any difficulties locating a good residency program in peds following graduation? Please feel free to give me any advice you may consider helpful.

 

[David511]

Nicola,

As a graduating senior at the 'original' PCOM I can say that I had absolutely no problem with my Peds residency applications. As noted previously, Peds is rather 'non-competitive' and I received 7 interviews for 7 applications (6 MD programs, one mixed MD-DO program).

My best advice is that as you enter your clinical years, start looking at potential programs and use your electives to do 'audition' rotations at their respective hospitals.

Good luck, let me know if you have any questions.

-d
PCOM '05
Miami Children's Hospital Peds '08

 

[Nicola1926]

Thanks David for your helpful response. I wish you the best of luck during your residency years.


Best Regards,

Nicola

 

[melmc]

For all the osteopathic students who are applying to MD peds residencies:

Did you take both the USMLE and the COMLEX?
Does one even have a shot at even "semi-competetive" programs without taking the USMLE?

 

[GeneGoddess]

No - you'll be fine. Peds is well known for being not too competitive. I have only interviewed at MD residencies as a DO student and it has not been an issue at all.

Yes and no. Peds was VERY competitive this year. FWIW, I saw lots of DO residents at duPont Children's/TJU and UConn. I've seen some at UMD and UT-Houston as well. Other places had no DOs that I saw (when purusing the "current residents" list).

 

[RuralMedicine]

Yes and no. Peds was VERY competitive this year. FWIW, I saw lots of DO residents at duPont Children's/TJU and UConn. I've seen some at UMD and UT-Houston as well. Other places had no DOs that I saw (when purusing the "current residents" list).

I just want to clarify what you are saying here because perhaps I'm confused. Are you saying that the only allopathic programs with DOs in them were the four you listed?

To the original poster I'm starting to feel old because I've just completed my residency so I guess it was 5 or 6 years ago that I was wrestling with some of the same questions you are. My take on the majority of stand alone osteopathic pediatrics programs when I was looking (and again since I'm dating myself take a good look in your second and third year at what is out there before you take this as gospel) were at community hospital which for my anticipated goals didn't seem like a good fit. Therefore I looked predominantly at allopathic and some allopathic/osteopathic combined programs (basically these are allopathic programs that concurrently have osteopathic spots as well---usually as a result of taking DOs, liking the DOs they took and then realizing hey we could get more spots by having concurrent osteopathic program. The advantage is that these tend to be at larger/ tertiary hospitals (CHONJ in Newark, Miami Children's, Geisenger in PA are the ones that come to mind quickly) the draw back is that they frequently lack the osteopathic advantages of doing an Osteopathic residency. Of course if match in allopathic program you won't have those advantages either). The process became more complicated for me as I decided to do a combined Medicine-Pediatrics residency and I ended up only ranking allopathic programs. I was fortunate to match at my first choice and thoroughly enjoyed the majority of my four years there. (Which probably shows that there isn't a perfect residency but your challenge is to find a strong program that is a good fit for you.)

Regarding boards I did take the USMLE predominantly because it seemed like the more competitive peds programs would have an easier time interviewing and ranking me all other things being equal if I did. I really didn't do any additional review for USMLE than for COMLEX (I took them at the same time)and I did very well on both. If you're applying to programs that do a lot numbers prescreening before interviewing then you probably do need the USMLE. If you're applying to allo/osteo programs only then you certainly don't (because there are set aside DO spots), and if you're applying only to programs that have taken a lot of DOs and are comfortable interpreting COMLEX scores (perhaps because of your predecessors who took both) then you may not.

I think the bottom line is if you're a good canidate you won't have any problem matching where you want to go. Residency programs want to take the best residents and I really never saw being a DO as a detriment in the application process. From an overall professional standpoint I see it as a distinct advantage otherwise I would have attended an allopathic medical school. Good Luck to all budding pediatricians!

 

[GeneGoddess]

I just want to clarify what you are saying here because perhaps I'm confused. Are you saying that the only allopathic programs with DOs in them were the four you listed?

No, just the ones I saw personally. Those four schools were ones I personally interviewed with and I met at least one DO resident as each. At the other schools I interviewed with, I didn't meet any DOs.

 

[novacek88]

Yes and no. Peds was VERY competitive this year. FWIW, I saw lots of DO residents at duPont Children's/TJU and UConn. I've seen some at UMD and UT-Houston as well. Other places had no DOs that I saw (when purusing the "current residents" list).

Why does everyone feel their field was unusually competitive the year they match. Cmon dude, this is Peds not general surgery.

 

[texdrake]

For all the osteopathic students who are applying to MD peds residencies:

Did you take both the USMLE and the COMLEX?
Does one even have a shot at even "semi-competetive" programs without taking the USMLE?

1. No
2. Yest

Most programs now accept the COMLEX and almost all primary care spots do. In my opinion the only reason to take the USMLE as well is if you are interested in highly competitive fields (ortho, derm), a surgical residency (I have seen several surgery programs that prefer the USMLE), or you are interested in persuing a residency at a highly academic/research instituition (Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, etc..).

 

[Mohel]

To take COMLEX or USMLE or BOTH that is the question...
Unless you know at the end of your second year exactly what you want to do, why limit yourself. Peds is a competitive field, not quite as the derm, rads, etc, but still if you find yourself interested in some larger, better programs, with only the comlex, you will likely find..."how do you compare 3000 applicants who took the usmle to 30 who took the comlex?" Don't limit yourself unless you know exactly where you want to go and what you want to do, which usually is no one at the end of the second year of medical school.

Good luck to all, Go peds!!!