DO specialty ability to place?

Started by DrVariables
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
D

DrVariables

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Does anyone have any data on how hard or likely it is to specialize in Derm or plastics coming from a DO school?
Also what DO school is best to apply to that will be more geared toward s this?
 
People are going to yell at you

They're going to tell you to use the search thingy
They're going to tell you that you should know this, because it's always asked.
Some people are going to make you into a jerk for wanting to do plastics.

I just wanted to type that before they did it.... 🙂

If you want to do something along those lines, you may have a better chance at getting into an Osteopathic Residency. You're still going to need awesome grades, and great scores on COMLEX

You could still get into MD Plastics, it's just less common. You'll want to take the USMLE as well.

I don't know what schools offer what rotations. I haven't done the research to know what schools have what specialty rotations/residency connections.
 
jm192 said:
You could still get into MD Plastics, it's just less common. You'll want to take the USMLE as well.
Click to expand...

Haha uhhh it is TECHNICALLY it's possible but for the sake of being practical I'll tell you that if you want MD plastics, ortho, derm, ent then you would be better off doing a masters somewhere and trying to get into an MD program. Occasionally a DO may land one of these but its only like 2-3 a year.

That being said there are DO residencies in those areas that are only open to DO's.
 
sorry if I posted in the wrong way or format. I am new to sdn and have only posted a few things.
If there is a thread for what I asked can anyone give me some key terms or direct me on where it is posted.

I dont feel bad for wanting to go in to those fields.
My older brother lost his eye in the army after enemy rockets hit his tank and shrapnel took his eye. the ophthalmologist couldnt save his eye but the plastic surgeons helped repair his face so that he looked better.
he now went on and is now married and has a life.
So I would be proud to do somethings like that for reconstructive plastics.
I am sorry if I am offending anyone or if my choices arent for everyone.
I wish everyone good luck.

as for what was written, if i want to go in to plastics or derm should i do what ever it takes to go MD? the truth is i felt there is no difference btw MD and DO and would be proud to be a DO. I would like to try or at least have that option to specialize though.
 
Here's the dealio:

1. No school is going to really give you a better chance of specializing. It's up to you. Get good pre-clinical/clinical grades, good LORs, rock whatever steps you take

2. Forget ACGME derm and plastics ... 90% of MDs can't match ACGME derm or integrated plastics. Like Team said ... a few DOs nab some really amazing ACGME stuff that only the robot, ACGME gunners get every year (the ACGME derm from CCOM a year or so back, the Rad Onc from Western in 08, etc), however, for the most part ... just forget it from the MD side. Go check out the derm forums and read some HEART BREAKING stories about people with 260+ step I, AOA, perfect grades, derm LORs, etc, who just flat out don't match. It seriously sucks.

... the silver lining ... AOA residencies. The AOA funds (kinda, lol) its own set of residencies in derm and PRS and they are only available to DOs! This greatly increases you chances, etc:

http://opportunities.osteopathic.org

3. Remember that you will change your mind in med school or may not even have the numbers for these fields by the time rolls around OR may have them but not want them anymore. Times change, things change, so go in with an open mind, work hard to keep your options open, and match. Good luck. 👍

Oh and with regards to the original question ... I'm willing to bet that with AOA residencies, it's really equal for DO to specialize compared to MD. People can debate this err whatever, but I've heard the same from a few DO students who went through the match.
 
The hard truth is that it's not very likely for anybody to get derm or plastics, regardless of where you go to school. It's akin to asking a twelve year old what he wants to do and he says he wants to play NFL football. For most people it's just a dream. Somewhere along the line reality will hit and you will realize that you have to be one of the very, very top people in your med school in order to get one of these slots. Although we all think we will be there.... it's really just a dream for almost everyone.

None of what I said is meant to make you give up, though. You'll never get the chance if you don't believe in yourself and work as hard as you can.
 
JaggerPlate said:
Here's the dealio:

1. No school is going to really give you a better chance of specializing. It's up to you. Get good pre-clinical/clinical grades, good LORs, rock whatever steps you take

2. Forget ACGME derm and plastics ... 90% of MDs can't match ACGME derm or integrated plastics. Like Team said ... a few DOs nab some really amazing ACGME stuff that only the robot, ACGME gunners get every year (the ACGME derm from CCOM a year or so back, the Rad Onc from Western in 08, etc), however, for the most part ... just forget it from the MD side. Go check out the derm forums and read some HEART BREAKING stories about people with 260+ step I, AOA, perfect grades, derm LORs, etc, who just flat out don't match. It seriously sucks.

... the silver lining ... AOA residencies. The AOA funds (kinda, lol) its own set of residencies in derm and PRS and they are only available to DOs! This greatly increases you chances, etc:

http://opportunities.osteopathic.org

3. Remember that you will change your mind in med school or may not even have the numbers for these fields by the time rolls around OR may have them but not want them anymore. Times change, things change, so go in with an open mind, work hard to keep your options open, and match. Good luck. 👍

Oh and with regards to the original question ... I'm willing to bet that with AOA residencies, it's really equal for DO to specialize compared to MD. People can debate this err whatever, but I've heard the same from a few DO students who went through the match.
Click to expand...

Agree with all of the above. The search box is still your friend.
 
JaggerPlate said:
2. Forget ACGME derm and plastics ... 90% of MDs can't match ACGME derm or integrated plastics. Like Team said ... a few DOs nab some really amazing ACGME stuff that only the robot, ACGME gunners get every year (the ACGME derm from CCOM a year or so back, the Rad Onc from Western in 08, etc), however, for the most part ... just forget it from the MD side. Go check out the derm forums and read some HEART BREAKING stories about people with 260+ step I, AOA, perfect grades, derm LORs, etc, who just flat out don't match. It seriously sucks.
Click to expand...

Something else to remember is you don't know what the circumstances were in these cases. These people who matched may have gone through the process just like everyone else OR maybe their dad/uncle/brother whatever was the program director or in the program itself. Point is that these select ACGME spots obtained are far and few in between.
 
TeamZissou said:
Something else to remember is you don't know what the circumstances were in these cases. These people who matched may have gone through the process just like everyone else OR maybe their dad/uncle/brother whatever was the program director or in the program itself. Point is that these select ACGME spots obtained are far and few in between.
Click to expand...

Without a doubt. I wish my dad was a derm PD hahahahaha.
 
I've wanted plastics since I was very young (I've had many reconstructive surgeries in the past 13 years), and I hate that wanting plastics automatically makes you "that guy".

All of the info from the other posters is sound, so do with it what you will.

As far as which school will give you a better shot, it doesn't matter much. You should focus on networking early on (as well as doing well academically). Get in contact with some plastics/derm PD's, and ask them to be your mentor. You will then have someone to guide you to through your education/training.
 
DrVariables said:
I dont feel bad for wanting to go in to those fields.
My older brother lost his eye in the army after enemy rockets hit his tank and shrapnel took his eye. the ophthalmologist couldnt save his eye but the plastic surgeons helped repair his face so that he looked better.
he now went on and is now married and has a life.
So I would be proud to do somethings like that for reconstructive plastics.
I am sorry if I am offending anyone or if my choices arent for everyone.
I wish everyone good luck.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that. What type of tank was he in? I thought the Abrams was pretty solid
 
Just select the participating fellowship you are interested in, and there are stats for osteo/allo/foreign med students that landed the specific fellowship. Hope it is useful.
 
I would like to hear from the posters that start these threads and see what specialty they matched into 4 years later, just for curiosity's sake.
 
Thank you everyone for all the comments that you made, most were really helpful.
I didnt understand was someone saying that their are DO specific residencies available only to DO's? If so who would care what letters as long as you get to practice the specialty that you care for and want to devote your life too.

So are there DO Specific Specialties in fields like plastics or Derm?

Thank you to the people that posted all the links again they were helpful!!
DrVariables
 
DrVariables said:
Thank you everyone for all the comments that you made, most were really helpful.
I didnt understand was someone saying that their are DO specific residencies available only to DO's? If so who would care what letters as long as you get to practice the specialty that you care for and want to devote your life too.

So are there DO Specific Specialties in fields like plastics or Derm?

Thank you to the people that posted all the links again they were helpful!!
DrVariables
Click to expand...

JP covered this well in his earlier post but here's a quick summary:

There are DO specific residencies. They are "AOA" opposed to ACGME (MD residencies), Only DOs can go into AOA however DOs can and often do go into ACGME. There are DO specific residencies in fields like plastics and derm.

The link JP posted above is very helpful in browsing around for these sort of things, specifically:

http://opportunities.osteopathic.org/search/search.cfm
 
Actually, it is IMPOSSIBLE to place into a DO plastic surgery program out of medical school. You need to do a 5-year general surgery residency first (or rarely, orthopedics or ENT) and then apply for a plastic surgery residency. Board scores aren't as important as are your technical skills, letters of recommendation, and "who you know." There are about 6 DO plastics programs out there and each take 1-2 per year. Consider that less than a hundred people graduate from DO general surgery programs a year, and of those a handful apply for plastics, the odds really aren't that bad....
 
GregsAnatomy said:
Consider that less than a hundred people graduate from DO general surgery programs a year, and of those a handful apply for plastics, the odds really aren't that bad....
Click to expand...

Something few consider. However, I've heard it's a big 'who you know' game, and it is best to do g-surg at a program that also has a PRS residency. I just wish they were more spread out (ie Western US, hahaha).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.