Did anyone here -really- choose osteopathy?

[ChrisMack390]

Please do not take this as an insult in ANY way. I am currently in the process of debating whether to apply to DO schools next cycle. I had never really known almost anything about osteopathic medicine until very recently and have been doing a lot of research.

Is there anyone here who chose to pursue osteopathic medicine rather than allopathic? Even if they might be qualified for an MD school acceptance? If so, I would love to hear the reasons why. It seems tons of people use it as a fallback or because it makes more sense in a number of ways to go DO now rather than MD in a few years, but I figure their must be some people who objectively wanted to pursue the DO degree.

Thanks!!


EDIT: I know some people are/were really interested in OMM and I think that makes some sense. The "holistic approach" thing doesn't make much sense to me, because I think any MD would really object to the idea that they don't get to know their patients, try to prevent disease, etc.

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[Mr Kenobi]

You don't choose osteopathy. Osteopathy chooses you...and osteopathy has chosen you to put this thread in pre-osteo where it belongs.

 

[meliora27]

 

[Promethean]

Hi!

I'm one. I began with the intent to apply to both MD and DO schools, and while my stats are not the very highest, they are more than adequate for at least mid-tier MD schools. But I withdrew my AMCAS app before it was verified.

My reasons are several and documented in at least a couple other threads. And beside the point, which is that there are plenty of us for whom DO isn't second best, but first choice. Why wouldn't there be people who feel that way about it? The idea that MD>DO isn't an objective truth. It is an opinion held by some, certainly not all.

 

[costales]

 

[kenjixshadow]

Edit: this is OP's number http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ing-into-an-md-program.1135124/#post-16522257

OP, apparently, you haven't done enough research or else you wouldn't post a thread like this, which led to ppl here presumed that you were trolling.

 

[D4C]

Not because of the DO degree itself, but that a close relative went to my school and loved his time there, and it happened to be a DO school, so I decided that's where I wanted to go. I had a good mcat + decent grades and never applied MD, although in retrospect I should have applied to my state schools for costs sake. No regrets here.

 

[NontradCA]

You don't choose osteopathy. Osteopathy chooses you...and osteopathy has chosen you to put this thread in pre-osteo where it belongs.

Deadsies.

 

[Mr Kenobi]

Deadsies.

 

[burritowithgreensauce]

I didn't choose osteopathy. AT Stills chose me

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[ChrisMack390]

You don't choose osteopathy. Osteopathy chooses you...and osteopathy has chosen you to put this thread in pre-osteo where it belongs.

Isn't this a question best suited for current osteopathic physicians and students and not potential ones?

 

[UTsksk]

There are so many factors that come into play when choosing a school. I'll be honest and say that the school I'm at wasn't my first choice overall because TX has some great schools, but I'm definitely happy where I'm at. I have friends in class that chose DO over multiple MD schools for many different reasons like family being close by, they didn't like the city of the other schools, and they just liked the atmosphere of the school over others. I don't think this argument should be about choosing a DO school over a MD school or vice versa. It's simply choosing a certain school over another because you liked what one had to offer.

 

[ChrisMack390]

.

 

[shibby1111]

Please do not take this as an insult in ANY way. I am currently in the process of debating whether to apply to DO schools next cycle. I had never really known almost anything about osteopathic medicine until very recently and have been doing a lot of research.

Is there anyone here who chose to pursue osteopathic medicine rather than allopathic? Even if they might be qualified for an MD school acceptance? If so, I would love to hear the reasons why. It seems tons of people use it as a fallback or because it makes more sense in a number of ways to go DO now rather than MD in a few years, but I figure their must be some people who objectively wanted to pursue the DO degree.

Thanks!!


EDIT: I know some people are/were really interested in OMM and I think that makes some sense. The "holistic approach" thing doesn't make much sense to me, because I think any MD would really object to the idea that they don't get to know their patients, try to prevent disease, etc.

osteopathy is a 1 hr/week lecture + 2 hr/week lab, really about nothing, that is the bare minimum to make the DO curriculum distinctive from the allopathic curriculum. This keeps HUGE amounts of cash stuffing the pockets of a few old dudes. The other 70 hours per week is spent with your face in moores/robbins/guytons.

 

[BiochemGrad14]

I chose a DO acceptance over a US MD

 

[ChrisMack390]

I chose a DO acceptance over a US MD

Care to elaborate on the reason why?

 

[JustPlainBill]

Yes, I chose osteopathy over allopathic medicine. However, at the time I was a know-nothing patient with no training in medicine whatsoever. No FHx of medicine in any way, shape, or form -- heck, no real training in biological sciences -- my FHx consisted of farmers, railroad workers, military, and engineering -- medicine wasn't for "people like us" -- physicians were on a pedestal with knowledge for the ultra-smart, something approaching intellectual wizardry.... not some pizza eating, one man rolling frat party types ---- but circumstances put me in a position where 1) I had an interest in biomechanics 2) I actually enjoyed trying to help people 3) I had no choice in terms of other careers --- I had been helped by physical medicine -- or so I thought.

At the time, I honestly believed that medications were not always the answer and that given enough time, the body heals itself. Still believe that way but without the rose colored glasses -- I chose osteopathy because it fit the model of my belief system of healing/medicine and Dean Hahn of TCOM (really have a LOT of respect for him -- truly a humble and kind man) explained osteopathy in a way that was very congruent with my idea of how healing should take place.

God blew the doors open and I was accepted to my first choice of medical school -- and that's where I learned my ideas of how medicine is taught only occurred in the movies -- the attending lecturing students at the bedside and pointing out physical exam findings of significance and correlating that with the book learning that had occurred that morning -- as I said, naive.

My first OMM class was an eye opener -- as the first year progressed, I came to despise both the topic and the way it was taught -- no organization, it seemed to be a collection of physical manipulation techniques thrown together with no logical sequence using 1970's textbooks from the Kimberly/Kuchera gods --- and the Kuchera text was at odds with what we were being taught in anatomy. The profs varied between not knowing simple anatomy -- confusing the spine of the scapula with the inferior angle of the scapula -- I asked the question twice -- the second time to be sure I had their full attention -- still confused it and my remaining respect went right out the window. The others were a mix between thinking they were AT Still incarnate -- complete with goatee, black/dark suit and boots or a cross between a Buddhist monk/Tibetan lama healer ---

The ORC was a joke -- at the time there was no significant research coming out of there -- it took an OMS3 DO/PhD student to actually set up a trial with canine models to have a small study of TSpine changes with cardiac vessel occlusion (Thanks to now Dr. Marty Knott for that one) -- I became disgusted as I thought we'd be seeing evidence based teaching of OMM which would separate us from the nitwitery of chiropractic -- no such luck.

The final straw was during the 2 weeks of cranial -- I was actually asked to believe that I could palpate the mitochondrial ETC respiration by placing my hands on the skull -- when you boil it down. As with all things suspect, they kept changing the definition of what respiratory rhythm you were supposed to be palpating -- and the mental leaps from a pulsating neuron in a petri dish to mitochondrial palpation presented by the DO/PhD were way too much for me. I have a low tolerance for stupidity and as such, I have pretty much dropped out of all things DO in terms of professional associations.

After I got out, I worked with a few old time DOs who accused me of being too "allopathic" when I ordered full workups on hospitalized patients that were commonplace in residency.

So -- did I choose osteopathy? Yes -- do I still think that my patients are tripartite beings (spirit, soul, body) and that you have to consider their treatment through that lens? Yes. Do I practice manipulation regularly -- no. Do I have regrets? No -- my osteopathic training fit me -- I have no regrets but am wiser now in terms of the BS that exists on the fringes of medicine

I'm more prone now to read the studies and draw my own conclusions -- if no studies are available, I have enough knowledge to reason through the physiology ---

sorry for the rant, but you did ask.

Your mileage may vary, no warranties expressed or implied, user assumes all risks. ;-)

 

[Mr Kenobi]

Isn't this a question best suited for current osteopathic physicians and students and not potential ones?

Dude. This has been asked ad nauseum. You say you did research, yet it doesn't seem you've used the search function in this very forum. Either way, I guess you are getting answers you were looking for. But I mean, obviously there are going to be people that chose to be DOs. That's just common sense.

 

[ChrisMack390]

.

 

[Mr Kenobi]

The vast majority in the old threads said they went DO because they couldn't get into MD or because they lived extremely close to a DO school. Some said they wanted to do primary care and didn't care about anything else. Nearly every answer boiled down to the path of least resistance.

I was trying to inquire about people who had the option to do either, weighed the options, and still went DO. I would love to hear reasons why people did that.

Again (and has been discussed in multiple threads like this over the years). Common sense tells us that the answers you will receive will be-- location, tradition, philosophy, OMM, cost...but I'll leave this be. Threads basically over after Bills reply anyhow.

 

[midweststudent1]

Many people in academia will be offended if you call it osteopathy. I highly suggest calling it osteopathic medicine if you choose to interview at DO schools....

Osteopathy is practiced worldwide., basically by pseudo chiropractors.

Osteopathic medicine is primarily recognized only in the US. Our education is completely different than "osteopathy" trained individuals

 

[surfguy84]

Many people in academia will be offended if you call it osteopathy. I highly suggest calling it osteopathic medicine if you choose to interview at DO schools....

Osteopathy is practiced worldwide., basically by pseudo chiropractors.

Osteopathic medicine is primarily recognized only in the US. Our education is completely different than "osteopathy" trained individuals

A degree in osteopathic medicine is recognized in over 50 countries.

 

[midweststudent1]

A degree in osteopathic medicine is recognized in over 50 countries.

Yes you're right. Sorry, I meant "taught" when I said recognized. Yes, DO's can practice in most major countries across the globe

 

[AlteredScale]

Yes, I chose osteopathy over allopathic medicine. However, at the time I was a know-nothing patient with no training in medicine whatsoever. No FHx of medicine in any way, shape, or form -- heck, no real training in biological sciences -- my FHx consisted of farmers, railroad workers, military, and engineering -- medicine wasn't for "people like us" -- physicians were on a pedestal with knowledge for the ultra-smart, something approaching intellectual wizardry.... not some pizza eating, one man rolling frat party types ---- but circumstances put me in a position where 1) I had an interest in biomechanics 2) I actually enjoyed trying to help people 3) I had no choice in terms of other careers --- I had been helped by physical medicine -- or so I thought.

At the time, I honestly believed that medications were not always the answer and that given enough time, the body heals itself. Still believe that way but without the rose colored glasses -- I chose osteopathy because it fit the model of my belief system of healing/medicine and Dean Hahn of TCOM (really have a LOT of respect for him -- truly a humble and kind man) explained osteopathy in a way that was very congruent with my idea of how healing should take place.

God blew the doors open and I was accepted to my first choice of medical school -- and that's where I learned my ideas of how medicine is taught only occurred in the movies -- the attending lecturing students at the bedside and pointing out physical exam findings of significance and correlating that with the book learning that had occurred that morning -- as I said, naive.

My first OMM class was an eye opener -- as the first year progressed, I came to despise both the topic and the way it was taught -- no organization, it seemed to be a collection of physical manipulation techniques thrown together with no logical sequence using 1970's textbooks from the Kimberly/Kuchera gods --- and the Kuchera text was at odds with what we were being taught in anatomy. The profs varied between not knowing simple anatomy -- confusing the spine of the scapula with the inferior angle of the scapula -- I asked the question twice -- the second time to be sure I had their full attention -- still confused it and my remaining respect went right out the window. The others were a mix between thinking they were AT Still incarnate -- complete with goatee, black/dark suit and boots or a cross between a Buddhist monk/Tibetan lama healer ---

The ORC was a joke -- at the time there was no significant research coming out of there -- it took an OMS3 DO/PhD student to actually set up a trial with canine models to have a small study of TSpine changes with cardiac vessel occlusion (Thanks to now Dr. Marty Knott for that one) -- I became disgusted as I thought we'd be seeing evidence based teaching of OMM which would separate us from the nitwitery of chiropractic -- no such luck.

The final straw was during the 2 weeks of cranial -- I was actually asked to believe that I could palpate the mitochondrial ETC respiration by placing my hands on the skull -- when you boil it down. As with all things suspect, they kept changing the definition of what respiratory rhythm you were supposed to be palpating -- and the mental leaps from a pulsating neuron in a petri dish to mitochondrial palpation presented by the DO/PhD were way too much for me. I have a low tolerance for stupidity and as such, I have pretty much dropped out of all things DO in terms of professional associations.

After I got out, I worked with a few old time DOs who accused me of being too "allopathic" when I ordered full workups on hospitalized patients that were commonplace in residency.

So -- did I choose osteopathy? Yes -- do I still think that my patients are tripartite beings (spirit, soul, body) and that you have to consider their treatment through that lens? Yes. Do I practice manipulation regularly -- no. Do I have regrets? No -- my osteopathic training fit me -- I have no regrets but am wiser now in terms of the BS that exists on the fringes of medicine

I'm more prone now to read the studies and draw my own conclusions -- if no studies are available, I have enough knowledge to reason through the physiology ---

sorry for the rant, but you did ask.

Your mileage may vary, no warranties expressed or implied, user assumes all risks. ;-)

I'm really glad you saw Dr. Hahn in that light. He's at KCU now and though I've never talked with him in person, I've been around him and he's a very kind and humble person.

 

[kenjixshadow]

@AlteredScale A mod can't even quote properly, deserves some spanking here.

This thread is over after Bill killed it. Would you close it?

 

[AlteredScale]

@AlteredScale A mod can't even quote properly, deserves some spanking here.

This thread is over after Bill killed it. Would you close it?

HAHAHAHAHA wow. I would have never noticed this

I think this thread can be kept open for now.

 

[Thought Crime Spree]

I didn't get any MD acceptances and got in to the DO school school I applied to as a backup. Besides the extra 50K plus of debt and having to sit through OMM it worked out fine.

 

[Goro]

Teaching moment! I would say at least 10% of my students are MD school-calibre in terms of stats. Yet they specifically chose to go to our school. I agree with the estimate that the majority tried MD schools over 1-2 cycles and then went for DO. That's fine, we don't take it personally.

And the vast majority of our grads would gladly chose our school over an MD school, when we ask them as graduation. The remainder would pick an MD school, or another career. The "other career" numbers matches those of MD grads. I don't know if anyone has published this data, but it would make a good paper.

Finally, the overwhelming majority of my students, year after year, also chose my school because they want to go into Primary Care...they're self-selecting. This info comes from our grads, who have no reason to embellish.

 

[group_theory]

You don't choose osteopathy. Osteopathy chooses you...and osteopathy has chosen you to put this thread in pre-osteo where it belongs.

Nice quote - I agree ... hence the move

 

[MedNation907]

The leaders of my pre-medical fraternity were influential in my choosing of the osteopathic path. They actually took the time to present the history of the profession and how it has flourished since. I killed it in UG as far as GPA, strong electives, EC's etc. and was assuming I would apply allopathic until I started researching schools. I found that I really preferred osteopathic schools for their location, OMM (yes, really), and the fact that I have a distaste for research. Moving forward I figured creating an app that spoke specifically to osteopathic schools (referencing the PS and descriptions -- perhaps I was naive in thinking such subtle aspects were actually distinguishable, nonetheless it was my mindset) and thus using only one application service would be easiest (and cost effective) so I chose AACOMAS. Then a few months later I received my MCAT score which wouldn't have held very well in the allopathic cycle anyways. So I actually did choose 'osteopathy' before my stats did. For the typical UG student however, I could see how the entire osteopathic profession remains unnoticed (unless they're avid SDNers) because I did not know about it until I joined that medical fraternity my sophomore year. Had I been treated by a DO in the past? Maybe lol I wouldn't have bothered to ask.

 

[Promethean]

When I give one of my major reasons for wanting DO rather than MD here on SDN, it turns into a dogpile of people telling me that I don't know what I am talking about. But, here it goes:

I have worked with many DO surgeons and anesthesiologists. They were, to a person, exceptionally warm, kind, and compassionate. They all had exquisite bedside manner and great interpersonal skills when interacting with patients, families, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team. I can't recall a time that I saw any of these doctors behave rudely in the OR, or shout/whine/cry/stamp their feet in order to get what they wanted. Not once. They all play well with others. I'd say that these doctors made up about 15-20% of the physicians with whom I interacted in the OR.

The MD surgeons and anesthesiologists... well, many of them were also nice people to work with and around. But a few weren't. Quite a few actually. Every problem that I've ever had with a surgeon throwing an actual tantrum, complete with jumping up and down and yelling, when they couldn't have a third room because they overbooked their two and they were in danger of being late to their social engagement.... Every thrown instrument.... Every case cancelled for a BS reason because the anesthesiologist wanted to get home before traffic got bad... Every act of profound selfishness, entitlement, and passive-aggression that I've witnessed in the OR has involved an MD.

Now, bear with me...

I'm not sure about cause and effect, nor am I saying that there aren't any raving jerk DOs out there. There may be some selection bias... maybe anti-DO sentiment meant that the DOs who were hired to work there were the absolute cream of the osteopathic crop. Nor do I think that all MDs are jerks. The overwhelming majority are not. But I'd say that as many as 10-15% of them were insufferable. They believed themselves better than everyone else, even their physician colleagues. (One of the worst and most conceited would actually tell patient's families that he was the best surgeon, of any kind, in the hospital. Like, with a straight face and all seriousness.)

I think that these folks are not entirely to blame. They worked really hard to get where they are. Unfortunately, they all seem to suffer from the Just World Fallacy. They believe that because they have achieved so much, they must deserve it all. That anyone who had made the same decisions that they did and put in the same amount of effort, would have accomplished the same thing, and so that anyone who isn't in their shoes must be some kind of screw up. One surgeon who is particularly obnoxious to work with was talking semi-pleasantly with me once. He was trying to figure out why I had once been homeless and staying in shelters for a few months during college. He assumed it had to have been the result of poor judgment somewhere along the line, since in his world, it just wasn't possible that someone who was clearly intelligent could run up against insurmountable problems. He literally couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have access to all the resources he has had to call upon. He often harshly judges patients and families for their misfortunes. It is like he is blind to the concept that everyone didn't get the same start in life that he did.

Anyhow. I don't know what it is that made the DOs less likely to be like that. Maybe it is something to do with the osteopathic medical schools, and the kinds of students they select, or the way that they teach, or... I really don't know. Maybe it is that MD schools are more likely to admit a few people who have never had to face real adversity and so never had the opportunity to develop the compassion it teaches. Maybe the people with the worst attitudes who think the most of themselves self-select out of applying DO because they would never lower themselves by accepting anything less than an MD. (I know a couple of people who headed to the Caribbean with exactly those words coming from their lips.)

So, I'm not saying that all MDs are jerks. And I don't really think that all DOs are enlightened superbeings. Just, these are trends that I have personally witnessed. I am not worried that an MD school will make me a jerk, or hoping that a DO school can help me overcome personality flaws. Rather, when I consider the people that I want to see in the seats beside me, with whom I want to form networks that will serve me for the rest of my career, I prefer the attitudes of the DOs that I've met.

Sorry to spend so many words on this, but it is one of my biggest reasons for choosing to apply only DO this cycle, and maybe DO plus MD next, if I hadn't been accepted. TL;DR -- I like the DOs I know and hope to be like them when I grow up.

 

[NonTrad16]

The vast majority in the old threads said they went DO because they couldn't get into MD or because they lived extremely close to a DO school. Some said they wanted to do primary care and didn't care about anything else. Nearly every answer boiled down to the path of least resistance.

I was trying to inquire about people who had the option to do either, weighed the options, and still went DO. I would love to hear reasons why people did that.

I think you're making a distinction where there doesn't need to be one. Why someone chose DO with a MD option will not yield unique results from someone who chose DO without the option. It's a narrower subset, and maybe the one you want to be part of, but that doesn't invalidate the reasons others have.

Also, saying that people chose DO because it was the path of least resistance seems... Closed minded. Or insulting. Maybe they wanted to become a physician sooner (to treat patients, help support their family, have more time for children, they have debt and spending money on a 2 year SMP is unreasonable, etc) rather than continue being a premed?

 

[ChrisMack390]

I think you're making a distinction where there doesn't need to be one. Why someone chose DO with a MD option will not yield unique results from someone who chose DO without the option. It's a narrower subset, and maybe the one you want to be part of, but that doesn't invalidate the reasons others have.

Also, saying that people chose DO because it was the path of least resistance seems... Closed minded. Or insulting. Maybe they wanted to become a physician sooner (to treat patients, help support their family, have more time for children, they have debt and spending money on a 2 year SMP is unreasonable, etc) rather than continue being a premed?

I really don't mean to insult anyone. I am currently somewhat on the borderline between MD and DO, and I have some level of worry that if I opt for the DO route, 15 years down the line I will regret going DO instead of spending the extra year on an SMP or something similar. At the moment, the DO degree would suit my career goals just fine - I want to treat patients in an IM speciality or maybe EM. However I would hate to later realize that I have closed a door on myself and now it is too late.

 

[midweststudent1]

I really don't mean to insult anyone. I am currently somewhat on the borderline between MD and DO, and I have some level of worry that if I opt for the DO route, 15 years down the line I will regret going DO instead of spending the extra year on an SMP or something similar. At the moment, the DO degree would suit my career goals just fine - I want to treat patients in an IM speciality or maybe EM. However I would hate to later realize that I have closed a door on myself and now it is too late.

Or you could not do so well in your SMP and have hurt your chances at both MD And DO,.,,

Most likely, 15 years from now you're going to be upset you forewent a year of physicians salary to do an SMP while taking another big chunk of $$$ debt

 

[burritowithgreensauce]

Did he visit you during bed?

no. I visited his rectum though.

*insert borat accent*
is very niiice

 

[Mad Jack]

I chose it and had extremely comoetitive stats for the MD side of things, but have come to regret my decision somewhat. Not because of the education or anything, but because it has severely limited my residency options in my home state, as the biggest teaching hospital doesn't take DOs into the majority of their programs. This leaves me with only one other hospital system to choose from if I want a university teaching experience, and I really just hate having all of my eggs in one basket like that.

Saved myself a year, but I've likely cost myself many years away from home come time for residency.

 

[GUH]

I am in grad school at Harvard and working at a Harvard hospital now. If I could go back in time, I would go to community college for 2 years and get straight As and then transfer into a top 10 school, absolutely. There are just so many more resources here than even my top 50 undergrad institution.

Yeah if I could go back I would get Straight A's in everything, a 40 MCAT, and earn honors in all of my medical school coursework.

 

[GypsyHummus]

You don't choose osteopathy. Osteopathy chooses you...and osteopathy has chosen you to put this thread in pre-osteo where it belongs.

will of the force. i was osteopathically sensitive when the jedi took me in for training

 

[MedNation907]

I think you're making a distinction where there doesn't need to be one. Why someone chose DO with a MD option will not yield unique results from someone who chose DO without the option. It's a narrower subset, and maybe the one you want to be part of, but that doesn't invalidate the reasons others have.

Also, saying that people chose DO because it was the path of least resistance seems... Closed minded. Or insulting. Maybe they wanted to become a physician sooner (to treat patients, help support their family, have more time for children, they have debt and spending money on a 2 year SMP is unreasonable, etc) rather than continue being a premed?

Many of those reasons you listed probably hold true, but you're contradicting yourself. If someone chose DO because they wanted to become a physician sooner or prevent further debt by improving their app -- then they are choosing a path with less resistance in respect to the other.. And that's not something that has to be insulting. DO admissions, by a pretty large majority, have inferior stats for interview and matriculation -- but that says nothing about the physician they become. DO is typically the path to becoming a doctor with least resistance (stats-wise), it's only insulting if you are one to get caught up in thinking someone with a higher MCAT = better doctor lol (which makes me lol even considering the idea). It's not close minded, it's simply observation.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Thank you @MedNation907 , exactly what I meant.

 

[NonTrad16]

Many of those reasons you listed probably hold true, but you're contradicting yourself. If someone chose DO because they wanted to become a physician sooner or prevent further debt by improving their app -- then they are choosing a path with less resistance in respect to the other.. And that's not something that has to be insulting. DO admissions, by a pretty large majority, have inferior stats for interview and matriculation -- but that says nothing about the physician they become. DO is typically the path to becoming a doctor with least resistance (stats-wise), it's only insulting if you are one to get caught up in thinking someone with a higher MCAT = better doctor lol (which makes me lol even considering the idea). It's not close minded, it's simply observation.

In my mind, saying that DO students generally chose "the path of least resistance" places an inordinate amount of emphasis on the difference you're talking about (GPA, MCAT) and disregards the meaningful outcome (being a good physician, a life outside of pre-med). While our common wisdom would say that the numbers don't dictate who will become a good physician, that does not mean that the OP knows or believes that.

The OP was specifically asking about people who had MD and DO options, but chose DO. That was the unique part of the thread, as the OP reiterated. So my question was/is, why a distinction between the two groups? It isn't necessary to discussing opportunity to pursue IM (as mentioned above), or the OPs other concerns.

Maybe I'm just tired, but I feel like the original question was strange, and it wouldn't actually address the OPs concerns (which are more in line with other similar threads).

 

[MedNation907]

In my mind, saying that DO students generally chose "the path of least resistance" places an inordinate amount of emphasis on the difference you're talking about (GPA, MCAT) and disregards the meaningful outcome (being a good physician, a life outside of pre-med). While our common wisdom would say that the numbers don't dictate who will become a good physician, that does not mean that the OP knows or believes that.

I see, and there's just nothing anyone can do for those students lol. They will learn as they transcend through life/medical profession. But for those who have a depth of understanding, from an objective point of view, DO admissions is less resistant in both stat threshold and volume of applicants.

The OP was specifically asking about people who had MD and DO options, but chose DO. That was the unique part of the thread, as the OP reiterated. So my question was/is, why a distinction between the two groups? It isn't necessary to discussing opportunity to pursue IM (as mentioned above), or the OPs other concerns.

I chose it and had extremely comoetitive stats for the MD side of things, but have come to regret my decision somewhat. Not because of the education or anything, but because it has severely limited my residency options in my home state, as the biggest teaching hospital doesn't take DOs into the majority of their programs. This leaves me with only one other hospital system to choose from if I want a university teaching experience, and I really just hate having all of my eggs in one basket like that.

Saved myself a year, but I've likely cost myself many years away from home come time for residency.

^^ This is why. Any one applicant who is competitive for MD admissions would almost in every case have a 'unique' reason for choosing DO. Otherwise, if they both allow you to practice medicine, why choose the path that **IF ANY HAIRS WERE TO BE SPLIT** nets you fewer opportunities down the road? And not to mention majority of them are more expensive. There has to be something about those 30 schools (or the profession itself) that speaks to that person -- which is unique (in the case that 'simply wanting to practice medicine' is "common"). I hope that makes sense. And again, it's not something that kicks shame on the profession -- its just naturally occurring.

 

[ChrisMack390]

.

 

[petyr_baelish]

More money is a valid reason, right?

A DO told me that if you want to go into family medicine and still make a lot of money like specialists, use OMM because the reimbursements are fabulous for the amount of time it takes. (Oh, the things attendings can say...) There is also a huge segment of the population that will think you are a better doctor because you are practicing a form of alternative medicine.

(Personally, I am choosing DO because I just want to be a doctor. The scientific method is my god so I will suffer through cranial, but there are hoops to jump through in any career.)

 

[JustaDO]

I didn't choose the DO lyfe, DO lyfe chose me.

 

[ortnakas]

There is also a huge segment of the population that will think you are a better doctor because you are practicing a form of alternative medicine.

This isn't a huge reason for me, but it's somewhere on the list. I have family members who are very excited that I'm learning OMM because it's alternative/"not medicine" (referring to pharmaceuticals not the practice of)/"hands on." I'm pretty sure that segment of the population is growing.

Frankly I expected this thread to be full of responses about the philosophy of osteopathic medicine, how people perceive it differing from allopathic medicine, and how their outlook as a physician was better suited to the osteopathic way

Reasons I'm at a DO school:
--I'm not the world's biggest OMM fan, not by a long shot, but I can imagine situations where it's nice to have a non-invasive extra tool in the toolbox.
--I know some great MDs who would be insulted that we infer they don't "treat the whole patient," but I do truly like that it's truly a focus in the osteopathic philosophy.
--It gives me the opportunity to be a physician, and I don't see that opportunity as inferior to one I'd get at an allopathic school (sure, maybe matching would be easier, but I don't want to be a dermatologist anyway).

Edited: grammar

 

[ChrisMack390]

You're in grad school at Harvard and you can't figure out why (some) people choose DO medical schools over MD ones?

I guess I am an ignoramus. Why not enlighten me?

 

[efle]

My impression from reading the boards for a couple years is:

1) by far the largest group - people who did not have the stats and/or lucky state residency for MD
2) a smaller but substantial group - people who had stats for low level (or even mid level) MD but were aiming for something like pediatrics, family med etc that would still be very accessible with a DO, and they were more impressed by the location/impression of the DO they chose
3) an extremely small group - people who no matter what their stats would have to go DO (needed to stay very local and had a DO near by, etc)

I'm not convinced that
4) people with killer stats and the boxes checked making Top 20 MDs accessible, and potential interest in competitive specialties
exists outside of freak instances

 

[hallowmann]

...I am wondering why else, other than ease of acceptance, people chose DO. Frankly I expected this thread to be full of responses about the philosophy of osteopathic medicine, how people perceive it differing from allopathic medicine, and how their outlook as a physician was better suited to the osteopathic way. The fact that almost no one has said anything like that is making me even more nervous about going that route....

For one thing, you posted in your OP what you already expected people to say. You give the impression of someone wanting to confirm their already established beliefs. Such an attitude doesn't really compel people to take the thread seriously or offer their genuine perspective.

Also, why on Earth would the fact that people don't make a huge deal about the "philosophical" differences make you nervous about going DO? Are you nervous about going MD? You don't seem to be. If anything, people going DO to be physicians rather than for some other set of beliefs fits more with your own goals to be a physician, right? Why would it make you nervous?

Anyway, the philosophical difference of DO and MD really is just as school-specific as the philosophical differences between multiple MD schools. Some care more about integrating preventive health, social works, and in general more patient-centered (*buzzword!*) care, and others sadly don't. It may be a reason why some people choose a specific DO school over a specific MD school (or one DO/MD school over another DO/MD school), but not a common reason people would choose DO as a profession over MD.

In any case, people want to be physicians. In the US, you become a physician by going to medical school and then residency. And so the residency opportunity mantra goes: US MD > US DO > Carib/International MD. The funny thing is, you could ask why most of us chose DO over (Carib) MD, rather than whether or not we "really" chose DO...