DO School: To go or not to go?

[Peach Newport]

I had pretty much the same stats as you, and I had the same choice. Take the DO acceptance or wait a year for MD. I chose DO.

I'm not going to go as far as saying I REGRET the choice, but often I'm very unsure that it was the right one. At the time it seemed like an obvious choice. a doctor is a doctor, and I'm not getting any youger right? wrong. The trade-offs are real, and many have nothing to do with stigma or discrimination about the DO degree.

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[SurgDoc95]

I had pretty much the same stats as you, and I had the same choice. Take the DO acceptance or wait a year for MD. I chose DO.

I'm not going to go as far as saying I REGRET the choice, but often I'm very unsure that it was the right one. At the time it seemed like an obvious choice. a doctor is a doctor, and I'm not getting any youger right? wrong. The trade-offs are real, and many have nothing to do with stigma or discrimination about the DO degree.

Would you mind explaining why you're feeling so unsure?

 

[Peach Newport]

Would you mind explaining why you're feeling so unsure?

Mostly the same stuff SDN pounds into your head over and over.

 

[Peach Newport]

Have you experienced this stuff in the real world?

I've personaly experienced poor advising, lack of research opportunities... and OMM, which for me is maddening to learn.

IMO, some aspects of OMM actually does have some (albeit limited) clinical application. I think its main utility for me is making sure I never forget the muscles and bones I learned in anatomy, and there's really something to be said for that. Also, the knowledge of biomechanics is something MDs might not get, so that's cool.

However, studying OMM is really, really frustrating. It's completely unlike studying for any other class. If I had a dollar for everyone I know who's absolute owning every other class but nearly failing OMM... I'd have like $9, but still. OMM for me and many others is a source of severe stress... and TBH it "feels" out of place in a medical school curriculum.

What I have also experienced, however, is my MD friends getting excellent advising, easy access to research opportunities, real support resources, and great mentoring from doctors. my friend at Einstein who wants to be an orthopedic surgeon? Immediately put into contact with a staff orthopod who mentors him, introduces him to big names in the field to make career connections, and provides him with impressive (and publishable!) research opportunities. My friend at my school who wants to be an OB/Gyn? Told "you better crush your boards." It's those differences that get me.

 

[givemethenews]

Sounds like your undecided on specialty. I think the exact same about rural locations tho, so I get it. Your MCAT is similar to what mine was (I had a 61 percentile, so w/e that converts to), and mine was also unbalanced towards verbal actually, but your GPA is better. Honestly I was wait listed at several MD schools with multiple DO acceptance. I decided that I wanted to start and didn't care about the MD cause I wasn't interested in surgery. I really think that my decision was a bit short sighted. If I did exactly the same as I am doing in my DO program but as an MD I would have quite a bit more options. Time will tell, but I wish I had just waited the extra year and got my MCAT right.

You're correct on specialty, I just have not had the "aha!" moment and I would like to experience other fields I have not seen yet. I have the exact MCAT score (63%) and have come to the conclusion that your general list of acceptances/wait lists may be like mine. Reading up on the common struggles with being a DO scares me that I may be making another bad decision. Back in highschool I decided to come to my small public school over SLU, and if I were at SLU all I would had to do is maintain a 3.6 GPA and would of been straight into their med school through a program they had. Unfortunately, I came across medicine in undergrad, and didn't know then :/

This has been such a battle internally, fighting between " let's move on and save the year I would lose. The struggle may make me a better doctor" and " It's just a year, all I need is an MCAT score which I have shown I can attain. Let's work, save money, look into the profession more and give myself more doors to open".

 

[BorntobeDO?]

You're correct on specialty, I just have not had the "aha!" moment and I would like to experience other fields I have not seen yet. I have the exact MCAT score (63%) and have come to the conclusion that your general list of acceptances/wait lists may be like mine. Reading up on the common struggles with being a DO scares me that I may be making another bad decision. Back in highschool I decided to come to my small public school over SLU, and if I were at SLU all I would had to do is maintain a 3.6 GPA and would of been straight into their med school through a program they had. Unfortunately, I came across medicine in undergrad, and didn't know then :/

This has been such a battle internally, fighting between " let's move on and save the year I would lose. The struggle may make me a better doctor" and " It's just a year, all I need is an MCAT score which I have shown I can attain. Let's work, save money, look into the profession more and give myself more doors to open".

Sending PM. Message was a bit long for the post

 

[Hakuna Matata]

You're correct on specialty, I just have not had the "aha!" moment and I would like to experience other fields I have not seen yet. I have the exact MCAT score (63%) and have come to the conclusion that your general list of acceptances/wait lists may be like mine. Reading up on the common struggles with being a DO scares me that I may be making another bad decision. Back in highschool I decided to come to my small public school over SLU, and if I were at SLU all I would had to do is maintain a 3.6 GPA and would of been straight into their med school through a program they had. Unfortunately, I came across medicine in undergrad, and didn't know then :/

This has been such a battle internally, fighting between " let's move on and save the year I would lose. The struggle may make me a better doctor" and " It's just a year, all I need is an MCAT score which I have shown I can attain. Let's work, save money, look into the profession more and give myself more doors to open".

One thing to keep in mind is you could always bomb the mcat next time. It's a possibility for everyone on every exam. Your situation reminds me of the saying "the enemy of good is better". It's a big decision. Just commit either way and live with the potential consequences. If you have questions specifically on the DO route, shoot me a PM.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[JmacJax]

Hi all! Updating this thread. I turned down my DO acceptance. I decided I would rather wait. Turns out, I was accepted off the waitlist to two schools. I will be attending Wake next year and am thrilled that I get to go MD.

Thanks for all the responses and help!

Good luck to everyone.

 

[Geraltofrivia]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

 

[DrfluffyMD]

Congrats bro. Sadly if this guy ever become a PD you know who he's gonna interview.

Kinda sad that my smart DO co residents are telling me straight up that they don't expect to end up in the same fellowship I end up just because we trained at different med school 4 years ago.