DMU students, alumni

[Kent Ray]

Please visit www.Ioma.org click on the discussion link. Please post you positive and negative comments about DMU in the Miscellaneous section. Thanks

Kent Ray, D.O.

[This message has been edited by Kent Ray (edited April 10, 2001).]

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Gear]

Kent, I've been following your comments for awhile now and am hoping you could help. Suppose that money were no object and you could have structured your 3rd and 4th years at DMU any way you wanted based on their affiliations or anything else available to you. Can you tell me how you would have done this? What would you say to someone trying to avoid the problems you had to deal with, assumming they too were going throught the DMU system. Is this even possible? Thanks for your help and insight!

 

[muonwhiz]

Kent, a further question. I've been accepted at AZCOM and am on the DMU wait list. I've found out that I will be placed in a high enough position that an offer MAY result. What you and other posters have stated re feeling of being completely abandoned for rotations is pretty scary. If you had to choose between another osteopathic school and DMU, knowing what you now know, what would be your decision? I'm not using this as a basis for my own choice if it arises - because I will do that after much thought. But I'm interested in knowing if you regret your choice.

 

[Kent Ray]

Gear,
Do you want to do an Osteopathic internship. If so then you will have to spend some time at a couple of Osteopathic hospitals. You have a required hospital core which will introduce you to one hospital. I would suggest going to a few others.
If you don't want to do an Osteopathic internship than spend all of your elective time (which is really all of your fourth year and four months of your third year) in University Teaching Hospital. You need to to some research. You should try and talk to as many people as you can about your possibilities. For example you can rotate through Colorado University, University of Nebraska will probably let you rotate their, University of Iowa will not let you rotate, Cleveland Clinic will let you but you have to call several months ahead of time. I would call the programs that have a good clinical educational reputation and see what can be arranged. Your clinical education doesn't have to be a bad experience. If you put some time into the research and are willing to travel you will be fine. When you call the programs ask if their are any DO residents what would be willing to talk to you. Many times they will give you excellent advice.

 

[Kent Ray]

Muonwhiz,
Almost everyday I am thankful that I was able to become a physician, and I appreciate the fact that DMU gave me that opportunity. I also, despite my negative postings, am proud to be a D.O.. On the other hand I will not set blindly by while DMU and other medical schools charge outrageous tuition without offering a basic education.
I know several people from AZCOM. One is in my Internship class and we discuss these issues now and then. He claims that his third and fourth years were almost exactly like mine. Matter of fact he couldn't even get into a hospital rotation until his fourth year and for that he had to leave the state. I believe that things have improved since then but not much.
I have been told that before AZCOM was opened both Kirksville and Chicago were trying to open a school in Arizona. Apparently KCOM was trying to lobby the state to open a public school (which many times has better clinical opportunities). While they were doing this Chicago just went in an built a school. This inflamed tensions between the MD and DO community and as a result clinical rotations suffer.
The problem with poor clinical education does not exist only with DMU, but with many other schools. The solution would be to make the schools responsible to improve the situation through strict regulations.
In my opinion the AOA is missing the boat. Let me ask a question? If you wanted to sell your car wouldn't you wash it and clean the trash out from the floor board? The AOA is promoting our profession without making sure we are presentable. We need to clean the cup from the inside. We need to rate schools on the amount of quality research being done and the quality of didactic and clinical education provided.
Sorry I got off the subject but I can't resist an opportunity.

Kent Ray, D.O.

 

[Gear]

Kent,

THANKS so much for your reply! Can you elaborate a bit on how one might check out possibilities for rotations? Could the Green Book be used to find teaching hospitals? Who, or what department should we contact at hospitals to see if rotations are possible? Also, is there any particular advantage to doing the osteopathic internship? If I'm not mistaken, it seems you did yours to shore up what you considered an inadequate 3rd a and 4th year rotation experience? Thanks for your help!!

 

[ryanpj]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the Green Book?

 

[ryanpj]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the Green Book?