DO Residencies

[srivatarun]

I'm kind of confused as to how D.O. residencies work - if I do a D.O. residency in ortho surgery, can I practice as a surgeon anywhere? Can I be faculty at any US Medical school? Is there some kind of grand benefit to doing an MD residency over a DO residency if I do ortho surgery?

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[Black Adder]

I'm kind of confused as to how D.O. residencies work - if I do a D.O. residency in ortho surgery, can I practice as a surgeon anywhere? Can I be faculty at any US Medical school? Is there some kind of grand benefit to doing an MD residency over a DO residency if I do ortho surgery?

1. Yes, for the vast majority of places (there's some hospitals that might have a rule stating that a doc needs to have done an ACGME residency).
2. Yes.
3. Yes/No. There's tons more MD residencies in ortho than there are in the DO world so you have more options. But, you come out of either of the residencies as a "full fledged" ortho surgeon with all the "glory" that comes with it.

Lastly, there's a 99.9% probablity that you will A) change your decision about ortho, B) will not have anywhere near the stats you need to land an ortho residency (DO or MD) or C) Both of the above.

 

[srivatarun]

Thanks for the info black adder. Not sure where you got that 99.9% probability without knowing me but I appreciate the confidence.

Good luck in medical school! Where are you at?
~Tarun

 

[Brachyury]

Thanks for the info black adder. Not sure where you got that 99.9% probability without knowing me but I appreciate the confidence.

Good luck in medical school! Where are you at?
~Tarun

Page 166, as a DO (i.e. an independent applicant), you'd have a 42% chance of matching to an allopathic ortho residency (assuming your scores were competitive)http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2009v3.pdf. I agree with Black Adder: 99% chance you change your mind and/or you aren't competitive.

 

[Black Adder]

Thanks for the info black adder. Not sure where you got that 99.9% probability without knowing me but I appreciate the confidence.

Good luck in medical school! Where are you at?
~Tarun

Just going by statistics. You certainly might end up being in the top 1-2% of your medical school class..... in which case, an ortho residency certainly may be within your grasps..... but just know that for 98-99% of medical students ortho or derm (...the other residency that all premeds seem certain they'll get....) simply isn't an option because they just won't have the stats for it.

If your heart's absolutely set on ortho and you're positive you won't change your mind, you're much better off going to an MD school..... of course, you'd still need to be at the top of your class regardless..