D.O. vs. M.D. residency

[Fastidious]

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Hello everyone,
I am trying to find some information on a very specific situation my friend is in. She had graduated some years ago from a medical school in Russia. Here (in U.S.), she passed both Step1 and Step2 (USLME) and now is looking for a residency. First of all, does she have an M.D just because she passes the two exams, or is the degree given upon copmletion of residency and Step3? She is being offered a position in Osteopathic Primary Care Residency program, but the confusion is all about whether or not that is going to affect her degree (M.D. vs. D.O.) and her ability to practice medicine in the future. If anyone knows what happens in a situation like this please let me know. Will she be considered a D.O. and or an M.D after this residency? What are the differences in how these two types of doctors can practice medicine (I heard that D.O.'s can't open their own business, but I don't know if it's true)? Is there a posibility to later (let's say in a year) transfer to allopathic internal medicine residency or allopathic phamily practice residensy. If yes will it be categorical or transitional? If you know anything about this please share the information.

Thank you very much for your help.

Fastidious.

 

[Brewster]

Degrees are conferred by medical schools at the completion of the curriculum, not by residency programs or through passage of the USMLE. So, your friends medical degree (MD vs something else) would be determined by the medical school s/he graduated from, not by the residency s/he attends.

This is my impression of the process. If I am wrong, I would be interested in hearing how it actually works.

 

[kcrd]

I bet the International Medical people would know the answer. I recall reading a thread there about how the British schools confer an MBBS degree, but after you pass the USMLE 1, 2, 3, you can call yourself MD in the US.

 

[DrMom]

I find it interesting that your friend is able to use her medical degree in the US at all. I have a Russian classmate who has a Russian medical degree and practiced medicine, but she is in med school in the US because her degree is not considered to be equivalent to ours.

I'm also intrigued about her entering a DO residency. Usually only DOs are able to do DO residencies.

As to the rumors you have heard about DOs...a DO is equivalent to an MD. There are no differences in their ability to practice.

 

[oceandocDO]

This situation is what the NYCOM APEP program was created for.... to give foreign MDs a chance to come to the states to obtain better residencies. Many of them have already passed the USMLE with ease, but because of their training is unfamiliar to residency directors, they're often pushed into really crappy programs. The NYCOM APEP program is a 3 year program (although I heard it was moving to a 4 year program next year) in which the physician upon graduation is a D.O.-M.D. The degree title has nothing to do with licensure, hence it can be retained. She's welcome right now to call herself Mrs XXXX, MD, but that doesnt mean she can practice medicine in the state of NY, or anywhere else in the U.S. It's a very competitive program, getting almost 500 applications for 35-40 spots. They have a website too.. www.md-do.org

I have a hard time believing that she was offered a primary care osteopathic residency. There's more to that story. In order for accredidation from the AOA, D.O. residency programs must meet certain criteria, namely that you graduate from an accredited US osteopathic medical school. If this program were to offer a foreign MD a spot, I have a feeling that would get them in some hot water.

 

[Fastidious]

I posted this same thread in the international student forum but it was closed there :-( That's the reason I posted it in so many forums becuase people from MD, DO, international and residents might know bit's and pieces of information that I could put together and see the whole picture. Thank you all for your replies. If anyone can add something to it I'll appreciate it.

Fastidious.

 

[hndrx1a]

DRMOM, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE USMLE'S, THE MED SCHOOL NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ...
ONCE STEPS PASSED, & GETS INTO RESIDENCY, THAT'S IT- SHE'S MD IN US .

 

[PACtoDOC]

hndrx,

You are not entirely correct. There are many foreign med schools that allow you to sit for the USMLE simply because they are WHO credentialed. However, only a small fraction of those schools that offer the USMLE can actually get their grads into residencies or even licensed here in the US. Take IUHS in St. Kitts for instance. They are on virtually every state's hit list right now for having a subpar curriculum, because a lot of it is distance learning the first two years. They can sit for the USMLE, but they will never get licensed in the US. Many Carribean schools are WHO credentialed but that doesn't mean anything. Each state has its won list of schools they will allow an FMG to come from, and the list is relatively short to include Ross, SGU, AUC, and a couple others. The list is long though of programs that cannot get licensed.

And I have never heard of an MD, especially an FMG getting a training spot in a US osteopathic program. I simply don't believe it.

 

[DrWBD]

The only (legal) way a FMG could do an osteopathic residency is if the program is dual accredited (AOA and ACGME). Otherwise, no way.

I'm sure there's some missing information here.😕