I was just thinking about this after seeing this thread.
Besides the obvious ethical issues (holding a seat up from elligible candidates), what are the actual professional percussion that will harm that applicant?
Say the applicant defer his DO acceptance for a year, then reapply to MD schools.
He either gets in and go to a MD school, or go to the DO school.
If he goes DO, the DO school will never find out that he applied to MD in most situations.
If he goes MD, there is NO WAY a DO adcom can harm his career, it’s a bridge that is safe to burn.
Discussions? Opinions?
There are a few issues here I think you're missing. The first is a DO school isn't going to let you defer "just because". You have to give them a reason, with proof, as to why you NEED the deferral and hope they approve it. Valid reasons are the same as at MD schools, basically personal or family medical issues and exceptional opportunities (Rhodes scholar, Fulbright scholar, etc). Deferral to apply to another degree/program is rarely permitted, especially if it's in the same field. Even then, schools may very well deny that deferral and tell you either matriculate or withdraw your acceptance. If you lie and give a bs reason and the DO school finds out, you think they're not going to contact the MD school and that the MD school won't take that into consideration? Professionalism and academic honesty matters in this field, so why would they risk accepting someone who may lack both?
I also think you're underestimating/not aware of the reality of all ADCOMs. My school has a couple who are not only ADCOMs/faculty at my school, but also are part of the faculty at other residency programs in my city, some in small fields. If you screw them over and they remember you down the road, it can absolutely come back to hurt you later. It's not like all ADCOMs are ONLY doing admissions work. Additionally, those individuals at my DO school are also MDs, so they have plenty of connections to the local MD schools and talk with them all the time (partially how I got my foot in the door where I'll be doing my residency).
You will tell the DO school that unfortunately plan changed. And how can they possibly hurt you? Any contract drawn up by DO school is not a part of the statement given by AMCAS as DO schools are not LCME
And at that point they'll tell you "Then we guess our plans have changed too, good luck with your career, it won't be here" as they rescind your acceptance offer.
DO schools are not LCME schools so I don’t see a technical need to disclose DO acceptance here
There is no need to disclose any acceptance on AMCAS at all, only matriculations. So if you get accepted to an MD school and turn it down, you're not required to report that because you never matriculated. The reason it blacklists you to turn down and MD acceptance is because there is a program/database/something that records all the acceptances to LCME accredited schools, so any MD program in the US could see if you were accepted. DO schools are not a part of that program, so you could technically turn down an MD or DO acceptance and apply to the other type of school without admins knowing. However, if you actually matriculated to any medical school in the world, regardless of LCME status, you are required to include that on AMCAS as well as provide transcripts from that institution. Directly from AMCAS' website:
"Previous Matriculation
Answer
Yes to this question if you have ever matriculated into any medical school, regardless of what country it was in. Your matriculation status may not be dependent upon registration, enrollment, or the initiation/completion of coursework. Check with the medical school if you have any questions regarding your matriculation status. Failure to accurately answer this question will result in an investigation.
If you answer Yes, you may use the space provided to explain why you are reapplying to medical school at this time; this space is 1325 characters or approximately one-quarter of a page in length. You will receive an error message if you exceed the allotted space.
Have you ever matriculated at or attended any medical school as a candidate for a medical degree?
□ Yes □ No
If yes, please explain (space provided: 1325 characters)"
So if you matriculate, say no, and the school finds out, you're screwed.
So can a guy/girl on the street call the school and talk **** about you. I doubt any communication from a non-LCME school will sway anyone at a LCME school.
Certainly hasn’t been a case where a DO school got a MD student dismissed
It's not just a guy/girl on the street though. It would be a faculty member of a US medical school. Are you really suggesting that won't hold any weight to another ADCOM member, even if one's an MD and the other is a DO?
