DO to Orthopedic surgeon-myth or reality

[mapiafi]

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My dream has always been to be an orthopedic surgeon for a pro-athletic team. will going the DO route put me at a disadvantage. Please advice

 

[stomper627]

My dream has always been to be an orthopedic surgeon for a pro-athletic team. will going the DO route put me at a disadvantage. Please advice

Not necessarily.
A DO orthopod (Chris Peterson) in Seattle works with many Seattle Mariners as one of his partners (Mitch Storey, DO) is the team Dr. for the Mariners. (I did an elective there) Dr. Peterson didnt do his training at a top tier allo program either. He trained at Doctors Hospital in Columbus....an osteopathic ortho program.
CAn it be done, yes, are you at a disadvantage? I dont know....maybe, maybe not. Still say that usually depends on WHO you know...not always WHAT.

 

[mapiafi]

[thanks for the feedback-very helpful

 

[MechE]

It can be done. I personally know a very good D.O. orthopedic surgeon.

 

[medicine1]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/text/2005/apr/14/518602760.html

 

[electra]

There are many very good osteo ortho surgeons that have graduated from multiple training programs, many in MI and OH. Caveat: If you are thinking ortho, get ready to gun and round every weekend of your third year. Because other people will be.

If you are interested in sports medicine, I would suggest you check out the AOASM website <aoasm.org> There was a new student group formed this year to assist student in setting up rotations with sports med docs. The conference next year is in Scottsdale, May 3-6, students are very welcome.

 

[bababuey]

My dream has always been to be an orthopedic surgeon for a pro-athletic team. will going the DO route put me at a disadvantage. Please advice

If your question is "will it be harder to become a orthopod for a team after you have done your ortho residency"... then I am not sure if you are at a disadvantage...possibly yes, possibly no. However if you are questioning if going to DO school will put you at a disadvantage for getting into an ortho residency, then the answer is YES!

 

[allendo]

If your question is "will it be harder to become a orthopod for a team after you have done your ortho residency"... then I am not sure if you are at a disadvantage...possibly yes, possibly no. However if you are questioning if going to DO school will put you at a disadvantage for getting into an ortho residency, then the answer is YES!

Have to call you on that one! BULL$hit! There are plenty of orhto D.O. residencies and there are allo ones that will take you too. Go to orthogate.com and do a search and you will find more answers than you will here. Cleveland clinic, Medical college of Georgia and other allo residencies have taken D.O.'s. Plus don't forget there are many D.O. ortho spots that are very good training.

 

[Molly Maquire]

Anyone who says it is not more difficult to get into ortho as a DO is smoking crack. The fact is, there are relatively few DO ortho spots, most of which are clustered in two midwestern states. They tend to be based at small, community type hospitals.

As the above poster mentioned, there are allopathic ortho programs that have taken DOs in the past. These are the exception rather than the rule. Many programs won't look at your application, and these programs will offset the DO spots, so you will have less opportunities.

Please don't misunderstand, I am not saying it is impossible for a DO to get an allopathic ortho residency. I am saying that you will not have the same opportunities as an MD with the same board score.

Either way, be prepared to be at the top of your class. Good Luck.

 

[JonnyG]

PCOM has 21 slots for residency in orthopedic surgery, but I guess being located in philadelphia isn't considered to be in a great location...............

http://www.pcom.edu/Graduate_Medical_Education/Residency_Programs/Residency_Programs.html

 

[Molly Maquire]

Is that 21 first year spots?? Or is that 21 spots in the whole residency?? I strongly suspect it is 21 spots in the whole residency. Also, notice that I said MOST of the residency spots are in the Midwest, namely in MI and OH. Of course there are some in other areas--NYCOM has one at Peninsula Hospital in New York.

THE POINT IS THIS::

There are at least 250 FIRST YEAR ortho spots in allopathic programs. How many FIRST YEAR spots are there in the DO world?? WHy don't you look it up and get back to us. But I garantee it is a hell of a lot less than 250.

 

[Pikevillemedstudent]

Is that 21 first year spots?? Or is that 21 spots in the whole residency?? I strongly suspect it is 21 spots in the whole residency. Also, notice that I said MOST of the residency spots are in the Midwest, namely in MI and OH. Of course there are some in other areas--NYCOM has one at Peninsula Hospital in New York.

THE POINT IS THIS::

There are at least 250 FIRST YEAR ortho spots in allopathic programs. How many FIRST YEAR spots are there in the DO world?? WHy don't you look it up and get back to us. But I garantee it is a hell of a lot less than 250.

Well I looked it up and did the math and was surprised by what I found.

Total funded DO ortho--304 in 30 programs (http://opportunities.aoa-net.org ). Divided by 4 since they do not include internship as an ortho spot=76 per year

DO =2500 graduates per year/76= 32.89 DO grads per 1 ortho position
MD=17,000 graduates per year/589 (in 2004)=28.86 MD grads per 1 ortho position

I think that is a close ratio considering many DO grads are interested in primary care. I would also guarantee that the number of applications per position is much lower at the osteopathic residencies due to the fact that only DO grads can apply. You could therefore reason that you would have an equal or perhaps even better chance of obtaining an ortho position graduating from an osteopathic school.

 

[stretch210]

nothing to add...except nice work pikevillemedstudent

 

[1viking]

Isn't ortho 5 years, not 4? If that is the case then it would be 41 grads per residency, or about 4 D.O.s per class matching. That is very competitive. Good luck with that.

 

[Pikevillemedstudent]

Isn't ortho 5 years, not 4? If that is the case then it would be 41 grads per residency, or about 4 D.O.s per class matching. That is very competitive. Good luck with that.

Yes ortho is five years, but the DO residencies count it has 1 year internship+4years ortho. When you look at current funded positions on the opportunities website above, you will see ortho funded positions starting at the PGY2 level.

Example: Grandview Medical Center Ortho
Total approved positions: 12
Current Funded Postions: 12

Current Filled Postions
OGME 1: 0
OGME 2: 3
OGME 3: 3
OGME 4: 3
OGME 5: 3

The figure of 304 total ortho positions is based on number of spots per year times four years, not five since they don't count the ortho linked internship as a current funded position and many programs do not have a linked internship. First year ortho positions in AOA residencies are at the PGY2 level. My previous calculations stand true. Sorry if I confused anyone.

BTW I have no interest in ortho (already matched in another surg spec.) just presenting the facts.

 

[electra]

I would tell the O.P this.....

You can go allopathic or osteopathic for residency. There is no guarantee either way that you will be a doc for a pro sports team. This route will require that you pay your dues starting with amateur and going up (I know this is true because I want to work with the USFSA and that takes time and patience and dues paying.)

If you are in osteopathic school, I think you will have an easier time getting an osteo residency that allopathic. Allo residencies really require the USMLE - "in order to compare you" and unfortunately there is still prejudice in the world. If you rotate through osteo programs, you have a **VERY GOOD** chance of being interviewed and that is the step you need to be considered for a postition. At the same time, as I said in my previous post, get ready to gun. Because a lot of people want it.

You might go to the orthopedics forum and see if there is a related thread.

 

[DreamJob]

My dream has always been to be an orthopedic surgeon for a pro-athletic team. will going the DO route put me at a disadvantage. Please advice

Dr. Joe Billings spoke at our school recently. He is the orthopedic surgeon for the Orlando Magic (Yes, he got some heat for the Grant Hill situation).

Oh by the way, he is a D.O. and a tremendous physician! (Those two things seem to go together)

Best of Luck!

 

[Freshnstylin]

woooooooooooow! really? A D.O....you mean he didn't graduate from Stanford and do his residency at USC/UCLA? Go figure...hahahahaha

Dr. Joe Billings spoke at our school recently. He is the orthopedic surgeon for the Orlando Magic (Yes, he got some heat for the Grant Hill situation).

Oh by the way, he is a D.O. and a tremendous physician! (Those two things seem to go together)

Best of Luck!

 

[espbeliever]

Well I looked it up and did the math and was surprised by what I found.

Total funded DO ortho--304 in 30 programs (http://opportunities.aoa-net.org ). Divided by 4 since they do not include internship as an ortho spot=76 per year

DO =2500 graduates per year/76= 32.89 DO grads per 1 ortho position
MD=17,000 graduates per year/589 (in 2004)=28.86 MD grads per 1 ortho position

I think that is a close ratio considering many DO grads are interested in primary care. I would also guarantee that the number of applications per position is much lower at the osteopathic residencies due to the fact that only DO grads can apply. You could therefore reason that you would have an equal or perhaps even better chance of obtaining an ortho position graduating from an osteopathic school.

especially since DOs are not limited to DO only programs.

if you added only 10 more first yr spots for the DOs, then 2500/86 is 29.07

those 10 spots are only 1.69% of the available MD positions. this is entirely plausable. and the new md ratio is 17000/579 = 29.36 making DO have a better ratio. if more than 9 spots in a given year goto DOs from MDs, then in that year, DOs had a better statistical chance of going ortho than did MDs. simple facts... yay...