DO into Infectious Disease pipeline

[PostHocPropDoc]

I'm intending to apply to become a DO, and was wondering what the availability was for Osteopathic docs to specialize in infectious diseases. While I know several schools that I'm interested in have dual masters option in public health, and many, many DO's end up going into internal medicine for their residency, I can't seem to find any information regarding DO's specializing in Infectious Diseases. Is there any bias currently between allopathic and osteopathic docs in these fellowships, do most require the USMLE over the COMLEX, etc? I'm hoping for better luck than the last thread on the topic which was over 10 years ago...

Given the correlation between the prevelence of infectious disease and socioeconomic status, I'm surprised there isn't more info on this with the emphasis many DO colleges place on providing for the underserved, both regionally and globally.

Also, not sure if this should go in the subspecialties section, but I figured I'd have better luck here given the radicalness of DO nerds...

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[PastNastificate]

Well, I believe at least some DO schools offer rotations in ID. I'd say this suggests it is a possible path for a DO.

Two examples I pulled from an ID search...

http://www.pcom.edu/graduate_medica...l_Clerkships/Student_Clinical_Clerkships.html

http://ap.com.msu.edu/clerkship/description.php

As you'll see, ID is on those lists.

That's all I got.

 

[Longshanks]

http://www.opportunities.osteopathi...essionid=f030b70f5df2719479ee14223e3728a75453

Those list two positions. I'm not sure if there's another spot that lists them or to look them up.

You can search for all AOA internships and residencies here: http://www.opportunities.osteopathic.org/search/search.cfm

This may be my outsider/naive advice but: for Infectious Disease I would recommend aiming for a ACGME or dually accredited IM residency and then apply for ACGME fellowships as it would increase your options, unless the AOA website doesn't have all the fellowships listed.

Just something to point out as well, Infectious Disease isn't all about the underserved or third world countries, though one could definitely focus on that. More often it is dealing with hospital borne infections or serious infectious/immune complications, such as those after receiving a solid organ transplant or allogenic stem cell transplant recipients. At least, that has been my experience so far, but that may be biased as that has been what my ID research is concerned with.

 

[group_theory]

If you are interested in Adult Infectious Disease, then you should aim for an ACGME internal medicine fellowship (university programs are preferred but you can still match from community programs - ID fellowships aren't that competitive). You don't need a MPH from med school or prior to med school to be competitive.

In fact, if you are interested in public health, do it as part of your fellowship (Robert Wood Johnson fellows) or after fellowship where your employment will PAY tuition and stipend for you to get your MPH (as oppose to additional loan money while in med school to get your MPH)

Besides, if you do your MPH before med school or while in med school, you won't have the clinical context of being a clinicians that will greatly help you apply your classroom knowledge (from the MPH degree) to real world problems/solutions.

 

[cliquesh]

In 2010, there were 300 ACGME ID fellowship spots, there were 342 applicants, 267 spots were filled, 14 spots were filled by DOs, and 75 applicants didn't match.

It isn't a competitive field and I'm sure if you do your residency at a hospital with an Infectious Disease fellowship you should get a spot.

I love spewing random stats...

 

[PostHocPropDoc]

Thanks for all the great advice and input in here, I really appreciate it and this is the kinda stuff I was definitely looking for; while I knew some DO schools offered at least electives in ID rotations, I hadn't been able to find anything DO specific to ID residency/fellowships.

Longshanks: While I haven't had the opportunity to shadow an ID doc yet, I definitely understand it isn't a particularly glamorous field. I've worked as an ER tech for just under 4 years at this point, and have come to feel that the ER won't be for me when it comes to practicing medicine. Working clinically however I've become personally fascinated with antibiotic resistant bacteria. Add onto that an incredible curiosity with studying parasitology after acing a great zoology course with a heavier than normal emphasis in the subject, and you can see where my general inclinations come from. Adv. Immunology and Parasitology will be my last 2 upper division electives I take next year before I graduate in Molecular Bio.

As of now I also have intentions of practicing/volunteering overseas, and I know MSF has a strong need for docs with expertise in TB/HIV, so ID seems the natural course for me at the moment, though time will only tell I guess.

Group_theory: good looking out on the MPH programs after residency, I hadn't heard read up on MPH incorporated fellowships, but it definitely seems like the much better option, and I definitely agree that a practicing clinical context will be a much better approach since my long-long term ambitions are to deal with policy making in terms of global/national health.

clique: random stats are bada**, and as an intercollegiate parliamentary debater, I want you to know I appreciate the ability to recall at will seemingly useless but innocuously detailed facts on purely random topics. This is always a good thing, even if it makes you "that guy".

 

[medpsych1]

I'm intending to apply to become a DO, and was wondering what the availability was for Osteopathic docs to specialize in infectious diseases. While I know several schools that I'm interested in have dual masters option in public health, and many, many DO's end up going into internal medicine for their residency, I can't seem to find any information regarding DO's specializing in Infectious Diseases. Is there any bias currently between allopathic and osteopathic docs in these fellowships, do most require the USMLE over the COMLEX, etc? I'm hoping for better luck than the last thread on the topic which was over 10 years ago...

Given the correlation between the prevelence of infectious disease and socioeconomic status, I'm surprised there isn't more info on this with the emphasis many DO colleges place on providing for the underserved, both regionally and globally.

Also, not sure if this should go in the subspecialties section, but I figured I'd have better luck here given the radicalness of DO nerds...

The most common chronic infectious diseases in the US are AIDS and hepatitis C. GI docs often treat the Hep C patients. Therefore a large percentage of a typical infectious disease doc's practice are AIDS patients. If that type of practice is your calling then go for it. If you are a right wing homophobe then you might not like the field.

 

[TeamZissou]

One of our rotations available to us is Infectious Disease at Cook County.

From what I hear that place can have some interesting stuff.

We also have the option to do rotations such as infectious disease at places like Christ.



My point is as a DO you can train right along side MD students if your school is willing to shell out the $$$ to keep the good rotation spots.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

One of our rotations available to us is Infectious Disease at Cook County.

From what I hear that place can have some interesting stuff.

We also have the option to do rotations such as infectious disease at places like Christ.



My point is as a DO you can train right along side MD students if your school is willing to shell out the $$$ to keep the good rotation spots.

I guess the question is which schools out of the 30 or so out there are willing to do that? Hopefully at least half

 

[cliquesh]

Yea, my school also offers a 3rd year rotation in ID. However, even if your school didn't offer a 3rd year elective in ID, in your 4th year you can do electives anywhere that will take you, and I'm sure there are plenty of ID places that would let you rotate.

Also, I don't think osteopathic medicial schools pay any money to get rotation sites.

 

[hawkeye pierce]

cliquesh, I'm pretty sure most osteopathic school pay for rotation sites (lecoms excluded)