DO applying allopathic needing advice!

[catlady86]

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HI! I'm a DO student from Michigan State University and I've just realized I want anesthesia! But I'm a bit late and unsure of my chances...
-Comlex 1-523 (didn't take USMLE)
-Comlex 2-pending
-no class rank (MSU doesn't do it)
-strong letters of rec from associate dean of my college (ER doc), neonatology program director, family practice program director, community anesthesiologist, and community pediatrician.
-only one audition rotation set up (Cleveland Clinic in mid-November)
-overall did well, have never failed anything, and good personality

My questions are:
1. Should I also apply to pediatrics (as a back up) or does this look bad?
2. Should I forgo the DO match (I want an allopathic program as I've heard they're better)?
3. Is there anything I can do now to help my chances?

 

[Idiopathic]

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

HI! I'm a DO student from Michigan State University and I've just realized I want anesthesia! But I'm a bit late and unsure of my chances...
-Comlex 1-523 (didn't take USMLE)
-Comlex 2-pending
-no class rank (MSU doesn't do it)
-strong letters of rec from associate dean of my college (ER doc), neonatology program director, family practice program director, community anesthesiologist, and community pediatrician.
-only one audition rotation set up (Cleveland Clinic in mid-November)
-overall did well, have never failed anything, and good personality

My questions are:
1. Should I also apply to pediatrics (as a back up) or does this look bad?
2. Should I forgo the DO match (I want an allopathic program as I've heard they're better)?
3. Is there anything I can do now to help my chances?

This doesn't look good. No USMLE. Only 1 audition, late. I'd at least take USMLE Step 2 sooner than later.

If you apply peds as a backup, better have separate PS/LORs, etc... and don't overlap your programs...

 

[Spartyon]

If you really want anesthesiology this late in the game and without usmle step 1 I say go for the osteopathic match. The DMC and Ingham programs are great and I also don't know about POH but I'm sure its good too. At the end of the residency you will be a board certified anesthesiologist and will get good training regardless if its osteopathic or allopathic. Also you get the chance of pain management at Ingham or POH if you wanna do that after residency. With the shortage of anesthesiologists in the future it won't make a difference if you are board certified by AOCA opposed to the ABA. At the end of the day you will be still board certified. Good luck and I hope you get the residency you want. BTW apply to Henry Ford in Detroit too they take 4 DO students a year and they are allopathic and accept COMLEX! Check out the website.

 

[TrustMe]

Had a buddy that was in your shoes if not further behind. Osteopathic student that decided really late what he wanted to do. Had no anesthesia letters and no aways (not that that part really matters). He ended up doing an osteopathic internship and reapplying. He got a spot at a good program and now has a great job in the place he wants to live and is loving life. As others have said in years past, do not apply to osteopathic anesthesia programs. If you want to do anesthesia, allopathic programs are where you need to train. The osteopathic program near me has to farm out their residents for many rotations, not good.

At this point, try to get another anesthesia letter, get your application in ASAP, and apply to lots of places. A good personality and a good interview can get you a long way in some places. You have an uphill battle, but it can be done.

 

[amyl]

We first congrats on deciding to join the awesome-ness that is anesthesia.

And second congrats on deciding to do an away at the world-famous-most-awesomest anesthesia program in the country 🙂

Do you have some tie or connection to CCF or Cleveland or did you just pick it 'cause it rocks? this is a dilemma some med students i know found themselves in last year and i really wish the osteopathic world would stop making things difficult for its graduates just for the purposes of being different... but thats a different soap box. you need to apply very broadly, like everywhere -- this is not the time to save money, hope you performed better on step two and make sure you put oklahoma, SLU, and baystate on your list of places to apply. over the past few years i know they have taken DOs with similar numbers. also VCU and remember they have two advanced postions. the good news is it is not hard to scramble into osteopathic internships so that can easily be your plan B. the DO intern year back home specifically held spots for people going through the MD match so contact a larger DO intern year program and be honest with your situation -- they often will work with you.
all that said, i don't even know if you would have much luck matching osteo anes without a rotation... the osteo world is very into getting to know people during a rotation and caring less whats on paper but thats just what I have heard as I only went allopathic.
I won't be in the main ORs in Nov/Dec (Im a CA-3 at CCF in case you didn't get that) but will be happy to give you some pointers and introduce you to some people... don't pm here, email me -- [email protected].

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

If you really want anesthesiology this late in the game and without usmle step 1 I say go for the osteopathic match. The DMC and Ingham programs are great and I also don't know about POH but I'm sure its good too. At the end of the residency you will be a board certified anesthesiologist and will get good training regardless if its osteopathic or allopathic. Also you get the chance of pain management at Ingham or POH if you wanna do that after residency. With the shortage of anesthesiologists in the future it won't make a difference if you are board certified by AOCA opposed to the ABA. At the end of the day you will be still board certified. Good luck and I hope you get the residency you want. BTW apply to Henry Ford in Detroit too they take 4 DO students a year and they are allopathic and accept COMLEX! Check out the website.

Disagree with this.

Ingham is not "great." POH is horrible. DMC I don't know a lot about.

The OP needs to somehow land an allopathic residency. Take Step 2 early and do well. Henry Ford probably wants > 523 COMLEX too.

SLU will send out automatic invites for COMLEX only. However, the interview day itself was worthless and it felt as if they knew who they wanted/didn't want. They seem to prefer midwesterners around the area, but I'm sure they take outsiders too.

Overall, I agree with the above. Apply super broadly and work the phone lines, you may be able to squeeze in an interview and somehow match. Taking USMLE Step 2 soon will help some too, especially if you score well. Good luck!

Feel free to PM for pointers/advice, as well.

 

[Spartyon]

I think the best thing to do is scrap the osteopathic match and apply to east coast programs that accept comlex. There are tons of DO's matching into allopathic in penn, ohio, indiana, mass, ny, etc. This is your best shot since the NE gives you better odds. In addition I say apply to the PGY-2 spots which has better odds as well since most people don't want to relocate for a year. But since you are a DO and if you match PGY-2 allopathic you can do your osteopathic internship in your home state (MI right?). This is only of course if the place you match to accepts the DO trad year for PGY-I. Its easier for DO's since we can always to a trad year and reapply. I am interested in what you choose to do and remember apply everywhere you can and do it strategically. Check out charting outcomes in the match and results by state this gives you a breakdown of which states are DO friendly and more than likely will accept your comlex score as a substitute for USMLE.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

With the shortage of anesthesiologists in the future it won't make a difference if you are board certified by AOCA opposed to the ABA. At the end of the day you will be still board certified.

I disagree. I think ABA board certification is the gold standard.

 

[amyl]

I disagree. I think ABA board certification is the gold standard.

gotta join my fellow DO-deserters 🙂 here and say ABA cert and allopathic residency is where its at. the only reason to do an osteo residency is if you have exhausted all possibilities of an allopathic residency.

the osteo powers that be have got their heads up their a***s, still. it has been four years since i have been in your guys shoes. my DO school undermined me at every turn since I was the red-headed step child considering anesthesia and going to the dark side of the allo world and wasn't drinking the "i wanna do OMM in my family practice" kool-aid. recently I have gotten a number of emails from med students from my DO school and others indicating their outlooks haven't changed. sad. they continue to alienate their best graduates.

 

[Per4mer8]

Wow, your post is basically as if you went to my school. Its amazing how little help we get from our advisors/department chairs when it comes to going the allo route. It's basically like you ask for help and they say either you shouldn't be doing this or you shouldn't even try but I know as soon as I succeed in my goal they will claim they helped me get there.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Wow, your post is basically as if you went to my school. Its amazing how little help we get from our advisors/department chairs when it comes to going the allo route. It's basically like you ask for help and they say either you shouldn't be doing this or you shouldn't even try but I know as soon as I succeed in my goal they will claim they helped me get there.

Sounds about right.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

I don't think I even bothered to get any help from my school advisers. In fact, I don't even know if I had one. Most of the info I got was from SDN.

 

[Per4mer8]

which is sad..... especially considering that osteopathic schools tuition is on avg much higher than allo schools.

 

[amyl]

yeah. my "advisor" was the head of the surgery department.... there was no anesthesia department at all, which my school should be VERY embarassed about. He told me not to take the usmle 'cause i didnt need to and apply to about 6 programs, that should be enough. i seriously wondered if he was just clueless or actively trying thwart my application, idk. thankfully i didn't listen.
i have way more love and respect for my residency program.... they have made me the doctor and (almost) anesthesiologist that I am.... I got here despite my med school not because of it.... which is very sad.

 

[catlady86]

Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

I just received my COMLEX 2 today, it was 632 which is at/above 90th percentile. Do you think t his would be enough? I honestly can't bear thinking about taking the USMLE step 1 or 2....

 

[scudrunner]

Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

I just received my COMLEX 2 today, it was 632 which is at/above 90th percentile. Do you think t his would be enough? I honestly can't bear thinking about taking the USMLE step 1 or 2....

Nice improvement!

 

[Idiopathic]

Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

I just received my COMLEX 2 today, it was 632 which is at/above 90th percentile. Do you think t his would be enough? I honestly can't bear thinking about taking the USMLE step 1 or 2....

few of us wanted to take USMLE, many of us felt like we had to in order to give ourselves a fair shot at the better programs out there. im not sure how you stand out on paper enough to convince a top 40 program to interview you ahead of 300 others and rank you to match, but I dont know the full story of "you". Im just saying with many qualified applicants out there, the worst thing you could do is find a way not to stand out.

 

[kazuma]

Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

I just received my COMLEX 2 today, it was 632 which is at/above 90th percentile. Do you think t his would be enough? I honestly can't bear thinking about taking the USMLE step 1 or 2....

My buddy scored higher than that, but did not take the USMLE. I scored lower than that but ended up with an above average USMLE. He ended up not getting invites at a few places that I did and vice versa. We interviewed on the same day at a couple places and they often questioned why he didn't take the USMLE.

Taking USMLE 1&2 were the best things I did for my application. If you scored that well on comlex you should do fine on the USMLE. At least consider taking step 2.

 

[El Dooderino]

Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

I just received my COMLEX 2 today, it was 632 which is at/above 90th percentile. Do you think t his would be enough? I honestly can't bear thinking about taking the USMLE step 1 or 2....

No decent program will care what you got on comlex 2. In fact, they probably won't know what a comlex 2 is. Your app is still defined by the fact that you didn't take a step exam and you don't have a real anesthesia letter

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

No decent program will care what you got on comlex 2. In fact, they probably won't know what a comlex 2 is. Your app is still defined by the fact that you didn't take a step exam and you don't have a real anesthesia letter

👍

The best thing would be is to take Step 2CK in the next few weeks if possible. Take it, score 230+, and you're golden. Still need an LOR, dunno how you'll swing that.

I had an OB advisor (MD), and he openly told me he knew nothing about the process for anesthesia, and didn't provide any advice. The other DO faculty members told me not to bother with USMLE and DO progs were fine. 🙄

 

[catlady86]

My buddy scored higher than that, but did not take the USMLE. I scored lower than that but ended up with an above average USMLE. He ended up not getting invites at a few places that I did and vice versa. We interviewed on the same day at a couple places and they often questioned why he didn't take the USMLE.

Taking USMLE 1&2 were the best things I did for my application. If you scored that well on comlex you should do fine on the USMLE. At least consider taking step 2.

So did you and your friend who didn't take the USMLE match???

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

So did you and your friend who didn't take the USMLE match???

I know he matched, pretty sure his friend did too.

The point isn't whether or not you'll match. The point is that the road is certainly tougher. One may match, but you have to cast a wider net and knock out all your interviews.

The main issue is you dont have an LOR for anesth, either.