DO specializing

[dangit]

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does it matter what DO school I go to if i want to specialize...I don't know if I will specialize, but in the event I do, I want to have the flexibility to do so. So does what school you come from matter, (for example if i wanted to do opthamology) or is it based on boards, grades, etc regardless of school?

 

[RySerr21]

If you go to a US medical school, you can do whatever you want. There are no limitations in terms of specialty. Its what you do at the school that matters, like you said. Your grades, rotation grades, board scores need to be at the caliber of the specialty you are interested in. So, if you do poorly in all of those, dont expect to match into cardiothoracic surgery, and then blame your DO degree when you dont. Its not your school that is poor....its your application...you know?

 

[cliquesh]

I agree with the previous poster, but I'd take a look at each schools match list, which can be found in the pre-osteo discussion forum. Some schools have specific missions, such as creating rural primary care physicians, and therefore some schools focus on primary care while others do not. But even if you go to a "primary care" school, you can do pretty much whatever you want if you get the scores and plan your rotations ahead of time, it might just be a little harder.

 

[engineeredout]

DO Schools may push towards primary care, but DOs are capable of entering into any specialty they want.

 

[group_theory]

In the end, you can specialize in any field from any DO schools.

But attending certain schools help. If the schools been around AND have alumni in the field you're interested, it helps. If the school have a residency in the field you're interested, it helps. If the school is known to have sent students to ACGME residencies, it helps. Look at the rotation schedule for 3rd and 4th year. Are you spending a vast amount of time in required primary care rotation? Do you have electives during your 3rd and 4th year rotations? Do you have inpatient rotations at hospitals where you can make connections?

Not all schools are created alike. Some are betters than others. While it may be popular to state that it doesn't matter which school you attend (and in the end, you can end up in any field you like from any school), certain schools can help you along more than other schools.


Also, cardiothoracic surgery is not a competitive fellowship. In fact, they are hurting for applicants. It's getting the ACGME General Surgery spot that will be the major hurdle for a DO applicant.

 

[scpod]

does it matter what DO school I go to if i want to specialize....

Yes, absolutely! You have to go to one in the United States. That's pretty much the only criteria. The ones in England and Australia won't do it for you 🙂.

Specializing is about you... not the school. That said, if you have a particular residency in mind, it might be more advantageous to look at particular schools because they may give you more exposure to that particular spot. For intance, if you absolutely wanted a PCOM general residency spot, then going to PCOM could give you an advantage because you would have a chance to talk at length with the decision makers. Then again, if you were a jerk it could count against you.

The bottom line is kids from every DO school get good residencies.... but they work their asses off for it. You can do it too, if you are willing to put the effort into it.

 

[RySerr21]

Also, cardiothoracic surgery is not a competitive fellowship. In fact, they are hurting for applicants. It's getting the ACGME General Surgery spot that will be the major hurdle for a DO applicant.

Interesting. Why do you think that is??

 

[spicedmanna]

Interesting. Why do you think that is??

This may prove to be informative:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=457999