DO schools for non-trads

[RisingSun]

Hello all -

I want to echo other comments regarding how helpful this forum is - I'm always relieved to know that I'm not the only one juggling school, work, and family as I try to get into med school.

Just a question for those of you who have considered osteopathic schools. I know that a lot of the schools have very decentralized third and fourth years that require students to travel all over the state (sometimes nation!) to get in their clinical rotations. If I were single without family I don't think I'd mind - in fact, I'd probably be very willing to travel - but with a family I don't want to have to move them around _at all_ during third and fourth years. Short externships away I could do myself without them, of course.

In light of the above, which DO schools have some of you guys (and gals) with families considered? And which ones would you avoid?

RisingSun

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[DrMom]

I think most of them are going to be at least somewhat family-friendly because they're all pretty non-trad-friendly.

You may want to look at their class attendance requirements for the first 2 years and how they arrange rotations for the last 2.

As far as OSU-COM goes: MS1/2 you only really have to show up for labs & a couple of classes during MS2. MS3/4 the required rotations are not going to be to where you'd have to move. You end up doing 1 month of rural medicine and 2 months of small hospital (which may be rural...and may very well be close enough to commute).

 

[Khenon]

I could be completely wrong about this, so someone please correct me if I am. But I've gotten the impression that schools that are in bigger cities, or in areas where there alot of of different cities all close together, have rotations in the neighboring areas. ie You wouldn't have move, you just would have to work in different hospitals/clinics in the area. It seems that schools in smaller, more rural areas, have to actually move to another state or town to get the rotations in. Again, I'm applying too, so I don't know this for a fact. But I also do not want to move for at least 4 years once I get into med school, so this is a concern for me as well. Assuming I get some interviews, this will definitely be a question that I ask! Good luck to you in your application process.

 

[ntmed]

I know that a lot of the schools have very decentralized third and fourth years that require students to travel all over the state (sometimes nation!) to get in their clinical rotations.

For U.S. schools, this is not really true. It's the Carribean schools that require you to travel all over the U.S. to complete your clerkships.

Most U.S. medical schools (both allopathic and osteopathic) have a small number of teaching sites in very close proximity to where there medical school is located. They may have other sites that are elsewhere in the state, but it would be rare if you were forced to rotate there.

There are a couple exceptions, but in the vast majority of cases, you won't have to travel to do your clerkships. If you're not sure about a particular school, you can visit its website to see a list of their clinical sites.

 

[RisingSun]

Thanks for the replies guys. I know that UNECOM and DMU at least have rotations all over the place, and that these sites are chosen by lottery (maybe there are more schools that do this?). I would hate to draw the short stick and have to move far away or around. I've also read that Arizona really makes you hustle for rotation spots in the area.

I'll have to research more and find out how much flexibility we have to choose our clinical year sites. Maybe I am misinformed and the rotation sites for these schools are closer than I think.

RisingSun

 

[Sugar72]

At azcom the clinical ed office will arrange all of your rotations for you if you stay in the area. You can do them all in the phoenix megalopolis - or you can do them all in Kingman, Az. The problem with staying in phoenix is that if you don't leave the area at all - most of your rotations will be ambulatory and most students want some inpatient teaching hospital rotations. Kingman is a small town, but the majority of the rotations are inpatient teaching hospital ones. Touro is opening a campus in Nevada and will also be using Kingman for clinical rotations so I don't know if the option of doing all your rotations in Kingman will be there in a couple of years.

As for hustling - my life would be a lot easier if I just stayed in phoenix and let them schedule everything! Instead, I am harassing cardiologists in New Orleans trying to find some lucky doc to take me as a student in March! Anyone have any leads!