DO. Or Carabian medical school

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

amiso_md

Junior Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2001
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
I am realy soo confused, which one is realy better to apply for with GPA 3.2 and mcat 33
because I don't want to wait more few years till MD schools in US to accept me, I am 24 years old and I have to gradute from med school at least on 28 so would please guys tell me which one I have better chance to get in and less expensive ($$$), since my stupid advisor telling me it's up to me ,and my organig prof saying MD is better then Do_Oohh this is so confusing , is there someone have better advise .
Members don't see this ad.
 
Why do you have to finish by the age of 28? You're young and will still be so in 4 years?

At any rate, if I remember correctly you just took the MCAT, so it is perhaps a bit premature to say that you have a score of 33.

Regardless of what your score outcome, *most* people would prefer a US DO over an IMG MD. We've had long and not terribly enlightening discussions over this issue you. The fact is as an IMG you will probably face more barriers and discrimination than you will as a DO. Is is true that your patients will be unlikely to ask you where you went to medical school and that some patients will question the DO degree (due to unfamiliarity with it). I'm sure the DO students herewith will be delighted to comment on this issue.

Is an MD "better"? I suppose in the minds of some, but IMHO what makes you a better doctor is not the letters behind your name or where you went to school, but your clinical acumen and manner.

My final question would be in regards to your citizenship status. Unfortunately, it is apparent that your command of the English language is not the best (and I do understand it is your 3rd language). While this may not make a difference in your ability to get admitted to a US school, not being a citizen WILL. Are you a US citizen?

I believe for most people the decision to attend a US medical school over a Caribbean school is the best choice. You owe it to yourself to at least try to get into a US school before going to the Caribbean.

As far as expenses - it will likely turn out to be about the same, as most DO schools are private and have fairly substantial tuition rates as do the Caribbean schools. The financial advantage to DO schools would be the cheaper cost of living and transportation.

------------------
PGY1
Penn State University
Department of Surgery

[This message has been edited by Kimberli Cox (edited April 28, 2001).]
 
Amiso - I am rather confused...
1) in 1 post you state you just took the MCAT
2) in this post you state you have a score of 33
3) in still another you state you have a score of 30
4) in the same post as above you ask whether you should go to a DO school over the Caribbean schools but haven't applied to DO schools because you've already gotten into Ross. Does Ross not require an MCAT score for admission? I thought they had changed that.
5) in another post you ask a Ross student about the school because "you're going there" and have been accepted to Ross
6) yet in another post you ask whether you should apply to Ross
7)in another you inquire as to your chances of getting into a US school because you have failed several courses

What's going on? I'd like to help in anyway I can but I expect a straight story because the evidence so far seems a bit misleading.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
Dr. Cox,
If you applied to Ross before September 2000, then MCAT scores were not required. They changed things around there with admistration or something, and so that's why it was required if you applied after September. I can't believe I answered a Kim Cox question instead of reading one of her responses! Amazing.
Nugget
 
Originally posted by danugget79:
•Dr. Cox,
If you applied to Ross before September 2000, then MCAT scores were not required. They changed things around there with admistration or something, and so that's why it was required if you applied after September. I can't believe I answered a Kim Cox question instead of reading one of her responses! Amazing.
Nugget•
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification Nugg. I HAD thought I'd heard that Ross now required the MCAT but it seemed like the change was longer ago than just last September. At any rate, Amiso explains his postings in another thread (perhaps on the international forum) so it should be clear for everyone what his status is.

Oh how times flies when you're having fun! ;)

Thanks again...(and please call me Kimberli. Dr. Cox still sounds weird!) And if you run into any of the Plastics faculty there (especially Dave Drake or Tim Bill), please tell them hi for me. :)
 
In my opinion, any U.S. school (D.O. or M.D.)is better then going carribean. Unless of course your one of those who can't live without the M.D. behind your name.
 
Just in case everyone doesn't read all the forums, here is Amiso's response to my query above about the inconsistencies in his postings:

--------------------------------------------
okay detectives I didn't mean to confuse you guys, first I applyed to Ross 2000-2001 class and at that time they didn't ask for MCAT, most of proff advise me to done with my bacholer first and give a shot to medical school schools in US.. So I listen to them and took the MCAT last week all those grades 30 and 33 are just what I am expecting to get ( I feel i did good): anyway I am going to ROSS 2002 if I get reject from all MD schools I know that one DO schools will accept my MCAT and GPA , my concern should I apply TO DO schools or just go straight to Ross if I couldn't get in US MD schools to save money and Time .. that is all guys again sory for that confusion .. I am jsut too wary about where I should go in all of this diffrent medical schools
--------------------

amiso
 
kimberli,
Acutally, I'm headed to LECOM next year. I applied to Ross just to have all my options open. But after I discovered the osteopathic route, I knew which way to go.
And you're right, being called doctor all the time must be weird. Do you just get used to it?
Oh yeah, I agree with sporrt, anything US is better looking that international.

Nugget
 
Originally posted by danugget79:
•kimberli,
Acutally, I'm headed to LECOM next year. I applied to Ross just to have all my options open. But after I discovered the osteopathic route, I knew which way to go.
And you're right, being called doctor all the time must be weird. Do you just get used to it?
Oh yeah, I agree with sporrt, anything US is better looking that international.

Nugget•
Click to expand...

Congrats on the acceptance to LECOM; you must be pretty excited!

I had seen you were from Charlottesville so assumed you were at UVA - hence my comment on saying hello to the Plastics faculty there. I had a great time doing a rotation there. Wonderful faculty and staff (and great Edys ice cream on tap in the hospital cafeteria!)

You're right - not everyone knows about osteopathic school and some assume if they don't get into an allopathic program then they should go abroad for their schooling. Still others assume that if they can't get into an allopathic school they will easily get into an osteopathic program - just ain't true.

Its always good to have a Plan B, to keep your options open. I just wasn't convinced that that was the reason Amiso applied to Ross, but rather because he either didn't know about DO programs, or didn't know how to go about applying for US schools. As you said, its almost always better to go to school here than abroad.

I suppose one day I will get used to being called Doctor; my friends and family use it quite frequently, so perhaps it will start to sound more comfortable to me soon.

Good luck to you!
 
Kimberli,

Did you go to an MD or a DO school?
You seem to be out in the field, how are the DO's perceived by patients and other doctors? Because I am now decidind between NYCOM and an off-shore carribean school(St. George'). I know a lot of people that did very well after St. George's, so I am not sure what I should do. Its not that I mind having a DO behind my name. I mind having to explain to people what I am. I think going through medical school is a long and hard task. At least afterwards I want to not have to worry about explaining my degree to people. Someone has brought this up before: If they used MDO and MDA, it would have been much eisier for students to go into osteopatic school. People worry about what they will tell their parents and others around them. I know that shouldnt be the most imoportant thing, you should want to practice medicine and not worry about what peole think about you. But I think for me it is important.
I feel like I will bombed with millions of people, telling me that I am not interested in being a physician but only looking for the pride. But I guess i would be the only one who knows.
So if you can give me some feedback, I would strongly appreciate it.

Thank You
Alex
 
Originally posted by amayer24:
•Kimberli,

Did you go to an MD or a DO school?
You seem to be out in the field, how are the DO's perceived by patients and other doctors? Because I am now decidind between NYCOM and an off-shore carribean school(St. George'). I know a lot of people that did very well after St. George's, so I am not sure what I should do. Its not that I mind having a DO behind my name. I mind having to explain to people what I am. I think going through medical school is a long and hard task. At least afterwards I want to not have to worry about explaining my degree to people. Someone has brought this up before: If they used MDO and MDA, it would have been much eisier for students to go into osteopatic school. People worry about what they will tell their parents and others around them. I know that shouldnt be the most imoportant thing, you should want to practice medicine and not worry about what peole think about you. But I think for me it is important.
I feel like I will bombed with millions of people, telling me that I am not interested in being a physician but only looking for the pride. But I guess i would be the only one who knows.
So if you can give me some feedback, I would strongly appreciate it.

Thank You
Alex•
Click to expand...

I went to an allopathic school, therefore I am not the best source of information on who DOs are perceived by colleagues or patients.

I have never heard negative comments about DOs from colleagues, while I have heard negative comments about IMGs, especially Caribbean grads. Whichever path you choose, you will undoubtedly have to do some 'splainin' Lucy. OTOH, if your jacket, name badge and business cards say "DO" you will have people (mostly patients) ask about that. OTOH, if you choose to go to SGSOM, most patients and colleagues will not know where you went to medical school or will only care about where you did your residency.

If you have the choice, IMHO the best option is to choose a US DO school. I think there will be significantly less stigma from within the medical community and depending on which area of the country you practice, you may this to be the case for your patients as well.

I'm sure some of the current DO students and graduates would be willing to comment on any stigma they have felt. Otherwise, please consider searching this site as there have been many threads in the past dealing with this issue.

Best of luck to you.
 
Alex,
If you become a DO, you will have patients. You will have more patients than you can handle. Every DO I've gone to talk to is overbooked. If you do a good job, you will be respected. I know we've all heard this before, but you really have to look at why you're doing medicine. For some it's money, others prestige, and others just like having the MD behind there names. I did it because I wanted to help. I know that sounds generic, but it's the truth. That's why I'm doing it. I'm headed to LECOM next year, my first choice. Will I run into MDs who think they are better than me? Of course. Do I give a rats ass? No. I run into people here at UVa who are going MD that think they are better than me. They don't know I got into MD schools higher ranked than the ones they're going to. I chose DO because I think it's what best for me, it's the type of medicine that I want to practice. I didn't see it as something different, I see it as something extra. Yes, that is the pitch line for DO schools, but once again, it's the truth. Enough of my ranting. I just took my last undergrad class and I'm not very happy about it. Now I actually have to go out there and be somebody.

Nugget
 
I am graduating from osteopathic medical school this week and have had an opportunity (and plenty of time until I start my residency in a few weeks) to reflect upon my past, present and future. I have been very happy with my experiences on the way to my D.O. degree. I feel that the education I received has prepared me well to be a competent, caring physician.

I matched to my first choice program, a Top 10 residency in Neurology. I have encountered some bias on the part of MDs toward DOs. Some MDs are ignorant of the comparable training and talent of DOs. However, I have had mostly positive experiences, even in "hard-core" allopathic institutions which don't have many DO physicians on staff. I have found from my experience that if you work hard, read voraciously, and maintain a good work attitude, then the doors of the allopathic and osteopathic world will swing open for you.

During my medical school application period, I considered attending Sackler School of Medicine in Israel. This medical school has a very good reputation in the U.S. However, in the end I decided that I did not want to leave the country or my girlfriend (now wife) at the time. In retrospect, I am pleased with my decision. I am happy where I am now and I have no way of knowing if I would have been more or less happy had I went to Sackler. I have heard of the hoops that Kimberli has had to jump through on her way to happiness. I am not sure if this burden for Kimberli has outweighed the value of education she received abroad or not. As for me, I suggest a simple litmus test to determine the answer to the DO vs IMG question.

Do you think that 30 years from now you will be less fulfilled in life if you have a DO vs. an MD degree?
--If the answer is No, DO school may be right for you.
--If the answer is Yes, are you willing to jump through the necessary hoops to achieve that MD degree in a country not you own?

--I think that you get the point. It's a personal decision, not easily answered by other persons.

Good Luck. :)
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Rusty, that post says it all, and I thank you for sharing that. It made me feel good to read it.

Good luck!
 
Originally posted by Rusty:
•...of the hoops that Kimberli has had to jump through on her way to happiness. I am not sure if this burden for Kimberli has outweighed the value of education she received abroad or not. •
Click to expand...

First, congrats on finishing Rusty...err, Dr. Rusty! ;)

I had a wonderful experience abroad - just the kind of experience I was hoping for. Like you, I cannot say whether I would have been happier in a US school - I might have been happier in a non-PBL curriculum, but that is not a function of the country in which I attended medical school. IMHO a didactic program would have prepared ME better for Step 1, but we don't really know that do we?

As for the "hoops" - there really were only a few extra - the TOEFL (which was a couple of hours on a Saturday morning) and the CSA (all day), and the extra expense of these exams and the paperwork required for ECFMG. The State of PA did make me fill out more paperwork than the US grads for licensing as well.

Perhaps I would have gotten into a more high-powered residency had I stayed state-side but I am extremely happy with the program I matched to. I interviewed at lots of places and felt lucky to find a program that complimented my skills and fit my needs (and that they felt the same way about me). Alls well that ends well, eh?

I have always done things a little different than most and wouldn't begin to say those decisions would be right for anyone but me.

Thank you to my DO colleagues for coming through and answering the question about whether you felt any bias in the medical community and/or from patients. Rusty said it so very well - if you are a good doctor, it won't matter what your degree is or where you went to school, word will get around and you will have more than enough patients (paraphrasing).
 
I would like to thank you guys for all the feedback. I am not sure what decision I am going to make, but I feel much better about the DO path after reading your posts.

Also, Kimberli which foreign medical school did you attend?

Alex
 
Originally posted by amayer24:
•I would like to thank you guys for all the feedback. I am not sure what decision I am going to make, but I feel much better about the DO path after reading your posts.

Also, Kimberli which foreign medical school did you attend?

Alex•
Click to expand...

Flinders University of South Australia School of Medicine :)
http://www.flinders.edu.au
 
I myself also was on the verge of leaving the country for a foreign med school (heck I lost a $1000 dollar deposit to a foreign med school) until I found out about DO schools. My college advisor never mentioned DO schools and suggested that I apply for some other health care field. Kimberli you are one of the lucky FMGs because many have a difficult time getting into a half-way decent program in the US. Needless to say I got into a DO school and felt that I received a solid education. Did I witness some bias by MDs against DOs? Sure especially from the old-timers. Has it made me feel inferior? No, as my USMLEs and performance at allopathic hospitals will show. Does being a DO make it difficult to get into a residency program? Well that depends on the specialty. The most competitive specialties will commonly show bias towards MDs. This is generalistic because other things such as connections play a role. In addition you also have osteopathic residencies open to you. So chances are you have a lot more to lose by going foreign.
 
Amadeus is right - every year there are many IMGs who either don't match or end up at less than optimal residency programs. I'm not sure if I was "lucky" per se, as all of my classmates also ended up at University programs, but like most things in life, I did my share of research before and during the process. I was the only IMG I met vying for Categorical Surgery spots during my interviews, there were a few DOs - this might tell you that IMGs in general have a more difficult time obtaining competitive residency spots than do DOs.

Best of luck...
 
Well Kim, you know what I meant.... ;)
 
OP is 42... wonder if he/she wound up finishing by 28 as planned.

In any case, this thread doesn't need to be bumped. This question must have been asked and answered hundreds of times since 2001.

Oh, and moving to pre-med. Just for fun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 users
Status
Not open for further replies.
Next unread thread
Top