Deferring in order to Teach Overseas - Wise to do with ACGME Merger?

[BeardedDinosaur]

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Hello all,

I have been doing some extensive research, advice seeking, and soul searching in the hopes of getting some insight from my fellow SDNers. I was accepted to an osteopathic medical school and if I matriculate this fall, I will be graduating medical school in 2019, the year before the AOA-ACGME merger occurs.

However, I was presented with a very unique opportunity to teach overseas and given how much I've heard from friends and colleagues in medical school who wished they would have traveled more extensively before the grind that is medical school and residency, I am highly considering this option. I would defer my acceptance to enroll in 2016, which would have me graduate in 2020, the first year of the merger. A former employer of mine is a residency director of an osteopathic specialty that I am very interested in and he thinks that due to the merger, the program may not exist in 2020...

Given all of the uncertainty regarding osteopathic GME programs in the future and all the speculation of it becoming more competitive, I am torn between whether I should go abroad or start medical school this fall.

If there is anyone who could provide some advice, insight from their own experiences, or knowledge of the merger and how it will affect osteopathic students, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[cliquesh]

I say go teach. One year isn't going to make a huge difference, at least I don't think it is. The merger is suppose to happen in 2020, but who knows if it actually will.

 

[allantois]

you can't have your pie and eat it

 

[samac]

By the time you complete in 2019 most programs should be already be merged so it shouldn't be much of an issue.

 

[BeardedDinosaur]

5-10 years ago, I would have enthusiastically said go and teach for a year. Now, I would be reluctant to do so for as you will have 2 issues.

1) AOA-ACGME merger will likely have some unknown impacts and turbulence around it for DO students looking to go into what were/are DO programs. With the intense competition in residency slots that will only get worse in the foreseeable future.

2) There is some hesitancy for programs take a recent grad who has not be doing medicine for a year. Not some absolute bar but another flag that in this highly competitive matching environment may make it harder to get into a program.

Thank you both for the valid points and it is tough to say what residencies will look like in 2020.

One thing I will mention is that I have been out of school for a few years already and I have been working for an osteopathic physician since my senior year.

I don't know if that ultimately makes a difference for matching, but I am curious what working in medicine and then going to teach abroad demonstrates.

 

[arc5005]

Does this matter for people who would be applying to Do school after 2016, so that they would be graduating medical school after the merger?

 

[racerwad]

It depends upon how important teaching aboard is to you in the context of your overall values. If you are/were a teacher prior to medical school and this is a dream opportunity to work with leaders in your field, then it may be worth it. If you just want to travel and have a cool experience (knowing that you already have an acceptance and don't need to become "more interesting"), then the question is: is it worth at least a year of a physician's salary?

The merger shouldn't affect your decision making at this point. Losing upwards of $200,000 should.

Any program that has a chance of not being around post-merger (because of quality/volume issues rather than merging with a ACGME program already present) is not worth waiting around for.

 

[hse]

is this like an esl teaching job in china where they work you like a dog?

 

[cliquesh]

It depends upon how important teaching aboard is to you in the context of your overall values. If you are/were a teacher prior to medical school and this is a dream opportunity to work with leaders in your field, then it may be worth it. If you just want to travel and have a cool experience (knowing that you already have an acceptance and don't need to become "more interesting"), then the question is: is it worth at least a year of a physician's salary?

The merger shouldn't affect your decision making at this point. Losing upwards of $200,000 should.

Any program that has a chance of not being around post-merger (because of quality/volume issues rather than merging with a ACGME program already present) is not worth waiting around for.

I feel like the money isnt worth the experience. You give up so many good years of your life to become a doctor.

 

[BeardedDinosaur]

is this like an esl teaching job in china where they work you like a dog?

Ha, no it's not in China and the organization sponsoring it is ran by someone I know very well.

 

[RunninGirl3]

I feel like the money isnt worth the experience. You give up so many good years of your life to become a doctor.

I agree with this also. I'll be starting in this fall in the class of 2019 (been out of school for several years also) and I wouldn't trade my experiences in the past few years for starting medical school earlier. If you have already been approved to defer for a year, won't have to reapply, and money isn't a huge factor, I say go for the experience. You don't want to be wondering 5-10 years down the road what you missed out on. For me, losing $200,000 of salary as a physician does not outweigh the benefits of doing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I also agree that if there are concerns that a particular residency program won't be around post-merger, maybe it's not a program you want to do. So much can happen between now and 2019/2020, so go with your gut and you'll figure out the best residency option when you graduate in 2020.

 

[JimmyB123]

The real question is whether your school will let you defer for what seems like a non-emergent circumstance

 

[IslandStyle808]

is this like an esl teaching job in china where they work you like a dog?

Had a friend who taught english in South Korea and he had the opposite experience. His flight, university classes in Korea, room and board were all paid for by the school. He was treated like a king.

 

[67552931811]

Had a friend who taught english in South Korea and he had the opposite experience. His flight, university classes in Korea, room and board were all paid for by the school. He was treated like a king.

Ugh, that's because it's South Korea and not China. Apples and Oranges my friend

 

[IslandStyle808]

Ugh, that's because it's South Korea and not China. Apples and Oranges my friend

What I meant by it is that not all ESL teaching positions are bad. It depends on where they are.

 

[67552931811]

What I meant by it is that not all ESL teaching positions are bad. It depends on where they are.

Indeed. Fair point.

 

[Monkitty]

After undergrad I did one year teaching abroad, came back and did a post-bac, and now have been away teaching again for 4 years. I'm applying for 2016 so it's not exactly the same, but I can tell you that the 1 year abroad will be an experience you will not get in medical school and are unlikely to be able to replicate it once you start medical school (even an elective done abroad isn't going to be the same).

If the school is ok with the deferment I say go for it. Your bank account might be slightly less full for it, but your life will be so much richer for having done it.

 

[evooo8]

If your school will save you a spot in next years class I would do it. Seems like a great opportunity to just pass up. But if you are going to have to reapply next year, don't risk it.

 

[BeardedDinosaur]

Been a few weeks out but I thought I would resurrect this post with the hope of gaining more insight.

I decided that I wanted to attempt a deferral and I most definitely put the cart before the horse in terms of the whole process. Due to time constraints, I naively sent in the request before I had the evidence to legitimately support this opportunity from the overseas non-profit organization. Now, I have that offer letter acknowledging that they want to hire me and would release me with ample time to come back and prepare for medical school next year, but my request for a deferral was already denied by the school before I could get it to them.

I do not want to step on anyone's toes in the administration and appear ungrateful at the fact that I got into medical school, but this opportunity is something that I believe will help me as a physician and can't be replicated post-med school. Any advice or insight about whether deferral appeals are frowned upon/successful? Or should I just accept their decision and move on.

Thanks!

 

[Mad Jack]

Hello all,

I have been doing some extensive research, advice seeking, and soul searching in the hopes of getting some insight from my fellow SDNers. I was accepted to an osteopathic medical school and if I matriculate this fall, I will be graduating medical school in 2019, the year before the AOA-ACGME merger occurs.

However, I was presented with a very unique opportunity to teach overseas and given how much I've heard from friends and colleagues in medical school who wished they would have traveled more extensively before the grind that is medical school and residency, I am highly considering this option. I would defer my acceptance to enroll in 2016, which would have me graduate in 2020, the first year of the merger. A former employer of mine is a residency director of an osteopathic specialty that I am very interested in and he thinks that due to the merger, the program may not exist in 2020...

Given all of the uncertainty regarding osteopathic GME programs in the future and all the speculation of it becoming more competitive, I am torn between whether I should go abroad or start medical school this fall.

If there is anyone who could provide some advice, insight from their own experiences, or knowledge of the merger and how it will affect osteopathic students, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

If the program likely won't exist in 2020, you should steer clear of it anyway- it could be shut down, or you could find yourself educated in a dead program that is certified by a dying board (AOA).

 

[BeardedDinosaur]

If the program likely won't exist in 2020, you should steer clear of it anyway- it could be shut down, or you could find yourself educated in a dead program that is certified by a dying board (AOA).

Ultimately, the program was cut and this year will the one where they take their last resident unless something incredible happens.

Thus influencing my attempt to defer.