DO cardiology residency impossible?

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dreambig2night

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my TPR instructor, a resident at the University of Maryland medical center told me that an MD residency in cardiology is impossible for a DO, while a pediatrics residency is attainable. is this true?

Could current DO students ( in the process of taking the USMLE or those who have already taken) rank the hardest MD resdiency for a DO to get into to the easiest residency, which I suppose would be internal medicine.

Rankings would be helpful...

I'd love to be a cardiologist...Please tell me he's wrong.

one more question:

how high does one have to score in the step I and II exams to get a placing in cardiology if you are an MD? a DO?
 
dreambig2night said:
my TPR instructor, a resident at the University of Maryland medical center told me that an MD residency in cardiology is impossible for a DO, while a pediatrics residency is attainable. is this true?

Could current DO students ( in the process of taking the USMLE or those who have already taken) rank the hardest MD resdiency for a DO to get into to the easiest residency, which I suppose would be internal medicine.

Rankings would be helpful...

I'd love to be a cardiologist...Please tell me he's wrong.

one more question:

how high does one have to score in the step I and II exams to get a placing in cardiology if you are an MD? a DO?
Click to expand...

He is wrong. I know plenty of DO cardiology residents. Where do people get this crap from? He sounds like a stuck up MD.
 
there are no concrete answers to your questions about board scores, etc....but there are a few things I can tell you.

1. All cardiologists do an internal medicine residency first and then if a subspecialty like cardio or gastro is desired, they seek that through fellowship application after the internal med residency.

2. There are DO fellowships for just about everything that ONLY DO's are allowed to match in to. So the issue of it being harder to match into an MD cardio fellowship after your IM residency becomes mostly irrelevent.

3. Maryland, for some odd reason, is notoriously anti-DO. There aren't many med schools that are still like that, but they are one of the few.

4. Check out this page for the DO residencies and fellowships.
http://opportunities.aoa-net.org/search/search.cfm?searchType=1

5. Nothing is impossible for a DO to obtain, but there are a few specialties that seem to be somewhat harder. However, they are also the specialties that are obscenely hard for an MD to match into. (ie Derm, Plastics, Rad-onc, surgical subspecialties). Most DO's going for spots in those specialties go into DO residencies....though the competition among DO's for those spots is still fierce.

Hope that helps
 
There are no cardiology residencies. You match in Internal Medicine for a 3 year residency, which is wide open. You will have no problem getting a solid university program.

Following your IM residency you apply for a cardiology fellowship, which is pretty competitive. Where/if you get one is more dependent on the quality of your residency and research, rather than the med school you attended. There are many, many DO cardiologists.
 
Claymore said:
There are no cardiology residencies. You match in Internal Medicine for a 3 year residency, which is wide open. You will have no problem getting a solid university program.

Following your IM residency you apply for a cardiology fellowship, which is pretty competitive. Where/if you get one is more dependent on the quality of your residency and research, rather than the med school you attended. There are many, many DO cardiologists.
Click to expand...


I am sorry I used the incorrect term. I know that cardiology is a fellowship. I was just surprised that someone would say that a cards fellowship is impossible to attain as a DO. I always hear from people on this website how X specialty is so hard to obtain as a DO. Yet, when I am at the hospital working or talking to people I seem to meet DO's in these "impossible" residencies.
 
I believe the issue is that of getting a competitive internal medicine residency, which should not be a problem at all, if u do well in med school, and not getting into cardiology fellowships. But like it was said earlier, cardiology is a fellowship completed after an internal medicine residency. So if you think about it, if u get into an allopathic residency (as a d.o.), then thereafter, your training becomes identical to others in allopathic residencies (they can be do or md). i would think that getting a fellowship after doing an allopathic residency would not be any harder to get as a d.o. (opposed to being an md). now i can see some issues getting an im residnecy as a d.o.-but i would think that a d.o. would essentially encounter the same competition as an md would.

just my 2 cents.
 
I believe the issue is that of getting a competitive internal medicine residency, which should not be a problem at all, if u do well in med school, and not getting into cardiology fellowships. But like it was said earlier, cardiology is a fellowship completed after an internal medicine residency. So if you think about it, if u get into an allopathic residency (as a d.o.), then thereafter, your training becomes identical to others in allopathic residencies (they can be do or md). i would think that getting a fellowship after doing an allopathic residency would not be any harder to get as a d.o. (opposed to being an md). now i can see some issues getting an im residnecy as a d.o.-but i would think that a d.o. would essentially encounter the same competition as an md would.

take for example, if prestigious program x enrolls 10 residents-2 are d.o. and 8 are md. at the end of the residency, all 10 residents will have recieved the same training because, after all, they are at the same program. so if u are a program director for a cardiology fellowship program, and an md and a do from program x apply to the same program, there applications should be considered equal, and the do or md can outdo one another in competition by their competence in their residency at program x. i might not have worded this best, but i hope this makes sense.

just my 2 cents.
 
I don't see any DO having big problems matching into an IM program-- there are bunches of them both DO and MD. Besides, IM is considered primary care.

By the way, the cardiologist who saved my 31yr old uncle's life in the ER a while ago was a D.O.
 
The doctor who informed you of the rumor that D.O.s can't do cardiology is wrong. There is a quite well-known cardiologist in my hometown who is a D.O., and everyone knows him to be a good doctor.
 
I was interviewed by a DO Cardiologist at PCOM.
 
Sun Coast Hospital
Cardiology
Largo
FL

Mercy Heart Ctr/Mercy Center-North IA
Cardiology
Mason City
IA

St James Hospital and Health Centers
Cardiology
Olympia Fields
IL

Botsford General Hospital
Cardiology
Farmington Hills
MI

Garden City Hospital
Cardiology
Garden City
MI

Ingham Regional Medical Center
Cardiology
Lansing
MI

Mount Clemens General Hospital
Cardiology
Mount Clemens
MI

Pontiac Osteopathic Hosp Med Center (POH)
Cardiology
Pontiac
MI

Oakwood Southshore Medical Center
Cardiology
Trenton
MI

Deborah Heart & Lung Center
Cardiology
Browns Mills
NJ

UMDNJ/SOM/Kennedy Mem Hsp/Our Lady of Lourdes
Cardiology
Stratford
NJ

Grandview Hosp & Medical Ctr
Cardiology
Dayton
OH

UHHS Richmond Heights Hospital
Cardiology
Richmond Heights
OH

Tulsa Regional Medical Center
Cardiology
Tulsa
OK

Frankford Hospitals
Cardiology
Philadelphia
PA

UNTHSCFW/TCOM/Plaza Medical Center
Cardiology
Fort Worth
TX
 
If you get an allopathic IM residency, then getting an allopathic Cardio fellowship shouldn't be too difficult as a DO.
 
Cardio fellowship are generally 3 years additional to the 3 year IM residency. However, I believe you do an additional year (4 total) for Interventional.
 
...and you also don't have to go allo for a cardio fellowship as exemplified by the above poster's training sites/programs.
 
dreambig2night said:
my TPR instructor, a resident at the University of Maryland medical center told me that an MD residency in cardiology is impossible for a DO, while a pediatrics residency is attainable. is this true?

Could current DO students ( in the process of taking the USMLE or those who have already taken) rank the hardest MD resdiency for a DO to get into to the easiest residency, which I suppose would be internal medicine.

Rankings would be helpful...

I'd love to be a cardiologist...Please tell me he's wrong.

one more question:

how high does one have to score in the step I and II exams to get a placing in cardiology if you are an MD? a DO?
Click to expand...

I don't know what this guy is smoking. I went to an MD cardiologist two days ago, and he was telling me that he has a good friend who is a D.O. cardiologist who does excellent work. I guess some people let their biasness influence their knowledge.
 
USArmyDoc said:
I am sorry I used the incorrect term. I know that cardiology is a fellowship. I was just surprised that someone would say that a cards fellowship is impossible to attain as a DO. I always hear from people on this website how X specialty is so hard to obtain as a DO. Yet, when I am at the hospital working or talking to people I seem to meet DO's in these "impossible" residencies.
Click to expand...

I want to second that in agreement.

I recently shadowed a GI doctor who was an MD. It was fascinating the stuff he used to look up peoples "arses" he would say.

Anyway I looked at the list of doctors at the hospital and if I was someone not familiar with the whole MD/DO thing, I would have been mislead into thinking that DOs were some type of elite doctor cause the list showed that a large number of them were into Otolarngology, Orthopedics, and Opthalmalogy.

The 3 "O"s so to speak. 🙂
 
Taus said:
3. Maryland, for some odd reason, is notoriously anti-DO. There aren't many med schools that are still like that, but they are one of the few.
Click to expand...

UMaryland seems to be coming up quite a bit whenever anyone posts about anti-DO environments...how accurate is this? The 1st DO I ever shadowed was an EM PGY3 at UMaryland and her attending was a DO.
 
my info is definitely 2nd hand.....basically from it being repeated multiple times on these boards....so I couldn't attest to how true it is (or maybe was)
 
My dad just told me last week that one of the former presidents of the American College of Cardiology was a DO if that means anything to you... don't worry, do the best you can in med school and residency and you'll have a shot.
 
dreambig2night said:
my TPR instructor, a resident at the University of Maryland medical center told me that an MD residency in cardiology is impossible for a DO, while a pediatrics residency is attainable. is this true?

Could current DO students ( in the process of taking the USMLE or those who have already taken) rank the hardest MD resdiency for a DO to get into to the easiest residency, which I suppose would be internal medicine.

Rankings would be helpful...

I'd love to be a cardiologist...Please tell me he's wrong.

one more question:

how high does one have to score in the step I and II exams to get a placing in cardiology if you are an MD? a DO?
Click to expand...


My friends mother's (god that sounds like I'm starting one of those, my friends, friend, sister, twice removed uncle, crap :laugh: ) cardiologist is a D.O. and very well known in the area (NE PA).
 
So these DO cardiology programs, are they closed off to MD's? That seems slightly unfair, as DOs can apply to same programs as MD's.
 
chanx314 said:
So these DO cardiology programs, are they closed off to MD's? That seems slightly unfair, as DOs can apply to same programs as MD's.
Click to expand...

MD's DON'T have all of the training that DO's do.

DO's DO have all of the training that MD's do.

Since MD programs often discriminate against DO's, it is not only fair, but it evens the playing field.
 
IT IS the SAME THING.

Some MDs specialize in alternative care or prevention or accupuncture (sp).

Some DOs are alergic to OMM/OMT.
 
chanx314 said:
So these DO cardiology programs, are they closed off to MD's? That seems slightly unfair, as DOs can apply to same programs as MD's.
Click to expand...

UNFAIR, SO IS LIFE. Deal with IT

Some top ivy programs only allow top ivy grads to go there.

I don't know how many highly qualified MD applicants would like to do a DO residency/fellowship. The truth is MOST-Majority of AMA residencies are better regulated and quality controlled, cause AMA is a bigger better association - FACE IT. AOA depends on DOs going into ACGME/AMA residencies.

PS. I don't have EVIDENCE, litterature to show, refer to so don't ask.
 
dreambig2night said:
my TPR instructor, a resident at the University of Maryland medical center told me that an MD residency in cardiology is impossible for a DO, while a pediatrics residency is attainable. is this true?
Click to expand...

My father is a cardiologist (MD) and he chose another DO cardiologist to join his private practice. She went to a prestigious MD cardiology fellowship, and he says that she is an excellent physician.
He also works closely with another cardiologist that is a DO.
As a side note, my father is very supportive of my decision to become a DO, and he thinks that the extra training that we get is important. I mention this just because sometimes people think that many MDs "look down on" the DO degree, but I have not found that to be the case.

From what I understand, it is definitely possible to get into an MD cardiology fellowship as a DO, but it is still very competitive.
In order to get a cardiology fellowship, it helps to have published research and great board scores. You should choose a strong university internal medicine residency, preferably one that has a cards program. You might want to check out the cardiology forum for more information.
 
does anyone know a cardiology fellow in the philadelphia/ south jersey area or maybe a resident that's going into cardiology. I'll be applying for residencies in the area and was just looking for some advice. Thanks.
 
ajw927 said:
does anyone know a cardiology fellow in the philadelphia/ south jersey area or maybe a resident that's going into cardiology. I'll be applying for residencies in the area and was just looking for some advice. Thanks.
Click to expand...


http://www.sjhg.org/

this is through UMDNJ-SOM
 
just looking at this link... I notice people get to add allo and osteop licensing. FACC, FACOI

Great just what I need. I will need both sides of the business card to list my credentials. Also the Canadian fellowship FACC(c)

doc bill, BS, MS, PhD, DO, FACC, FACOI, FACC(c)

Man they are going to screw me on the price of cards.
 
docbill said:
just looking at this link... I notice people get to add allo and osteop licensing. FACC, FACOI

Great just what I need. I will need both sides of the business card to list my credentials. Also the Canadian fellowship FACC(c)

doc bill, BS, MS, PhD, DO, FACC, FACOI, FACC(c)

Man they are going to screw me on the price of cards.
Click to expand...

FACC is the cardiology and FACOI is internal med - it's not allo and osteo in the same specialty (your board certification is from whatever board your residency is in, ie allo program or osteo program). Incidentally, I find it surprising that they did AOA residencies and then ACGME cardiology fellowships...

By the way, putting "BS" after your name is, well, BS.
 
(nicedream) said:
FACC is the cardiology and FACOI is internal med - it's not allo and osteo in the same specialty (your board certification is from whatever board your residency is in, ie allo program or osteo program). Incidentally, I find it surprising that they did AOA residencies and then ACGME cardiology fellowships...

By the way, putting "BS" after your name is, well, BS.
Click to expand...

Yeah I knew it was internal med... but its Osteo.. it is interesting that they did AOA + ACGME fellowship... but I am sure its do-able.

BTW.. I was jocking about the long credentials...

I will simply put Dr.Doc bill, I am sure a patient in need is not going to care about my work on mice.
 
docbill said:
Yeah I knew it was internal med... but its Osteo.. it is interesting that they did AOA + ACGME fellowship... but I am sure its do-able.

BTW.. I was jocking about the long credentials...

I will simply put Dr.Doc bill, I am sure a patient in need is not going to care about my work on mice.
Click to expand...

You can be a fellow in these organizations without having done the prospective boards.

We have plenty of ER docs that are _______ DO, FACEP, FACOEP who completed just an AOA residency or just an ACGME residency.
 
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