D.O. specialty chances

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
M

Middle Student

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
71
Reaction score
0
Members don't see this ad.
Hey future doctors🙂:

I am in the process of applying for D.O. schools now and I have heard some rumors about how impossible you can get a top specialty with a D.O. degree. I believe it is NOT true but I still want to hear some professional opinions. I personally want to do Anesthesia because both my dad and my brother-in-law are anesthesiologists and they are pretty happy and committed with their jobs.

Thank you!
 
180px-Mika-with-gun-in-mouth.jpg
 
Are you going to get plastics at Harvard as a DO? Probably not. Can you get into an allopathic anesthesia program as a DO? A ton of people do it every year, and at top notch places like Hopkins and Cleveland Clinic. Anesthesia isn't as competitive as it once was and it's a pretty DO-friendly field in general.
 
Colbert said:
Are you going to get plastics at Harvard as a DO? Probably not. Can you get into an allopathic anesthesia program as a DO? A ton of people do it every year, and at top notch places like Hopkins and Cleveland Clinic. Anesthesia isn't as competitive as it once was and it's a pretty DO-friendly field in general.
Click to expand...

Wow really? I thought Anestheisa is becoming harder and harder to get in, at least from what I was told, but maybe it was just another rumor lol. Anyway, thank you so much for your advice. 👍
 
Anesthesia is competitive, but not 'break your back' competitive (i.e. ortho, radiology, derm, etc..). It's very doable as a DO.
 
Your best bet is to look at the Residency match lists of a few DO schools.
 
Step 1: Finish undergrad

Step 2: Finishing applying to medical school

Step 3: Get accepted to a medical school

Step 500: Worry about your chances of specializing
 
JaggerPlate said:
Step 1: Finish undergrad

Step 2: Finishing applying to medical school

Step 3: Get accepted to a medical school

Step 500: Worry about your chances of specializing
Click to expand...

This is not really true. If someone is about to invest a decade in training plus 250 K in debt, they better know what they're getting into. Unless a pre-med is certain that they don't want to do something competitive (which is hard to be), then they should be aware of what they are getting into (the risk of liking something competitive, as well as the risk of not matching).
 
Middle Student said:
Hey future doctors🙂:

I am in the process of applying for D.O. schools now and I have heard some rumors about how impossible you can get a top specialty with a D.O. degree. I believe it is NOT true but I still want to hear some professional opinions. I personally want to do Anesthesia because both my dad and my brother-in-law are anesthesiologists and they are pretty happy and committed with their jobs.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

DOs get into many of the top programs in the country- but you will get there based on your own merits. Those who go to DO school because they had trouble getting into a tier 1 MD school will have trouble getting into a tier 1 residency for the same reasons. Those who score well on boards, rank high in their class, and interview well (and most importantly, do out rotations where they want to do residency and perform well compared to other applicants) have as good a shot of getting into most allopathic residencies as any MD student with similar numbers, and a better shot in fields where they can sell their extra musculoskeletal training.

Anesthesia is fairly competitive but many DO's take anesthesia spots, and there are actually DO-only anesthesia residencies as well. Every year at KCOM 4-10 students in a class of about 170 place into anesthesia. I do not know how many more want to go anesthesia and don't.

FYI
 
lazymed said:
This is not really true. If someone is about to invest a decade in training plus 250 K in debt, they better know what they're getting into. Unless a pre-med is certain that they don't want to do something competitive (which is hard to be), then they should be aware of what they are getting into (the risk of liking something competitive, as well as the risk of not matching).
Click to expand...

Well here's the thing ...

You're right. I'm not telling anyone to go into it blinded. BUT, a. they will change their mind and realize they don't actually want to be a pediatric neurosurgeon DO, b. they will have absolutely no idea what type of stats they will have (i.e. how they will be able to match), c. it's far, far more important to take it all in steps (ie: get in ... then start ... then ace your classes ... then do well on Steps ... then stress about matching derm). I definitely think you should go into it with your best foot forward and try to set yourself up to have options, but it's pretty silly to 'worry' about matching some specialty you've never worked a day with in your life before you've even sat through an anatomy lecture IMO.
 
There are no specialties in DO.

We all match residency in Pediatric Chiropractic Podiatry, since its the only 'specialty' available to us.

Mainly those spots out in North dakota and Alaska. Although a friend of mine matched in Madagascar last year.

So if you dont want to work there, probably shouldn't apply to DO.
 
Arthroscope said:
There are no specialties in DO.

We all match residency in Pediatric Chiropractic Podiatry, since its the only 'specialty' available to us.

Mainly those spots out in North dakota and Alaska. Although a friend of mine matched in Madagascar last year.

So if you dont want to work there, probably shouldn't apply to DO.
Click to expand...

Really???? That does not sound close to what other people said at all.....anyone here to clarify this?????
 
bones said:
DOs get into many of the top programs in the country- but you will get there based on your own merits. Those who go to DO school because they had trouble getting into a tier 1 MD school will have trouble getting into a tier 1 residency for the same reasons. Those who score well on boards, rank high in their class, and interview well (and most importantly, do out rotations where they want to do residency and perform well compared to other applicants) have as good a shot of getting into most allopathic residencies as any MD student with similar numbers, and a better shot in fields where they can sell their extra musculoskeletal training.

Anesthesia is fairly competitive but many DO's take anesthesia spots, and there are actually DO-only anesthesia residencies as well. Every year at KCOM 4-10 students in a class of about 170 place into anesthesia. I do not know how many more want to go anesthesia and don't.

FYI
Click to expand...

Thank you bones.......very informative and clear!!!
 
DrYoda said:
He's over-exaggerating a bit. A DO also makes you competitive for an "alternative medicine" residency.
Click to expand...

he's joking. but no matter how absurd his comments are, this is a forum where many people wont know if he's joking and he knows this... i.e. troll 😛

don't feed the troll.
 
DrYoda said:
He's over-exaggerating a bit. A DO also makes you competitive for an "alternative medicine" residency.
Click to expand...

I plan on being a naturopathic doctor who cracks backs.
 
bones said:
DOs get into many of the top programs in the country- but you will get there based on your own merits. Those who go to DO school because they had trouble getting into a tier 1 MD school will have trouble getting into a tier 1 residency for the same reasons. Those who score well on boards, rank high in their class, and interview well (and most importantly, do out rotations where they want to do residency and perform well compared to other applicants) have as good a shot of getting into most allopathic residencies as any MD student with similar numbers, and a better shot in fields where they can sell their extra musculoskeletal training.

Anesthesia is fairly competitive but many DO's take anesthesia spots, and there are actually DO-only anesthesia residencies as well. Every year at KCOM 4-10 students in a class of about 170 place into anesthesia. I do not know how many more want to go anesthesia and don't.

FYI
Click to expand...

I for one appreciate your post Dr. Waddington. I'm happy to get the perspectives of an attending in this forum and furthermore the patience with which you answered the OP's question is notable.

JP as always nice contribution.


I think more forum regulars and the newly minted MS-I's on here need to remember how visible this is to the public. With DO schools becoming more popular we need to assume there will be more individuals reading this forum and we need to handle it the right way. (I'm not the best example either and I'll now step off my soapbox) 😉
 
bones said:
he's joking. but no matter how absurd his comments are, this is a forum where many people wont know if he's joking and he knows this... i.e. troll 😛

don't feed the troll.
Click to expand...


:laugh:

This question gets asked usually by those trolling or legitimately ignorant who are attempting to somehow paint D.O. as inferior in some manner.
 
Last edited:
Arthroscope said:
:laugh:

This question gets asked ad nauseam literally every week
Click to expand...

Yup and you have no idea how old it gets when you've been on the boards for a few years... That's why I get so pleased when someone who is newer goes out of their way to give a quick concise response bc I no longer have the patience/time to do so.
 
As has been stated previously, yes you can get into an allopathic anesthesia residency. I am a DO and knew a guy at my school that trained at Hopkins and works in our city now. Keep in mind that there are many DO anesthesia spots as well.

Its quite possible to follow in the footsteps of your father and brother-in-law. But keep an open mind you might discover a specialty that just "clicks" with you. This happens alot in med school. For example, a student decides they want to go to med school to be come an ER doc. While in med school they discover another specialty like, say, OB/GYN. Maybe it was a charismatic attending or a resident that made an impact on you. Or maybe it was an experience during your rotation and you have an epiphany. Don't assume that what you love now or even what you are good at right now will be what specialty you choose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Searching D.O. friendly MED-PEDS (combined specialty) residencies
Replies
5
Views
2K
PorkChopsOG
PorkChopsOG
U
NYT: So Your Doctor Is a D.O. Does That Matter?
Replies
2
Views
517
amoxicillin_resistant
amoxicillin_resistant
K
Chances for general surgery?
Replies
1
Views
263
ToKingdomCome
T
MonsterGod
How did you guys decide on your specialty?
Replies
10
Views
2K
AlbinoHawk DO
AlbinoHawk DO
Melo00
Chances for Match
Replies
2
Views
1K
DO2015CA
DO2015CA
Top