DO vs. Carribean MD Residencies

[elijah444]

Okay, here is my dilema, I have been accepted to both and have spoken with many DO's and MD's on this issue, however I have no clear answers or trends.
If I want to become a speacialist, say in plastic surgery, will I have an easier time as a US Graduating DO or as a FMG MD?
Is there an andvantge for either one?

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[turtleboard]

Plastics? Is there a Plastics fellowship available through a DO program?

You will more likely than not run into a lot of trouble with getting a Plastics fellowship through the MD route as an Island MD graduate. Matching to General Surgery isn't that difficult -- it isn't what it was -- but getting that Plastics fellowship would take a lot for anyone, even for US MD grads.



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Tim Wu.

 

[drusso]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by turtleboard:
Plastics? Is there a Plastics fellowship available through a DO program?
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There are three DO plastics programs:

NYCOM/Wyckoff Heights Medical Center - Plastic & Reconstructive Surg Residency, Brooklyn, NY

http://www.wyckoffhospital.org/html/surgery_intro.html

OUCOM/South Pointe Hosp - Plastic & Reconstructive Surg Residency, Warrensville Heights, OH (Cleveland Clinic Affiliated)

http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/CORE/merid.htm

Philadelphia College Osteopathic Med - Plastic & Reconstructive Surg Residency, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.pcom.edu/int_res/otor.html

 

[kimberlicox]

I think you will have an easier time with the DO rather than an IMG MD. There are several Integrated Plastic Surgery residencies (ie, right out of medical school) and the more traditional, Independent Models along with the DO residencies mentioned above.

Plastics, especially the Integrated Model, is extremely competitive. I should know - I interviewed at several Integrated programs but matched into Gen Surg instead (not suprised or disappointed). If you were considering doing your MD at a commonwealth school I might say that there would only be a slight disadvantage there, but in the Caribbean MD vs US DO Grudge Match, I say the DO wins everytime.

BTW, I was the ONLY foreign grad at all of my interviews (Plastics and Gen Surg) but met a few DOs along the way.

Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by kimberlicox (edited March 28, 2001).]

 

[MD-PGY1]

Go DO.

DOs are well accepted here in the Mid west. In California when I was in med school there seemed to be some biase, but I dont notice it as much in residency.

If there are DO plastic programs then your chances are much greater than for IMGs. My attending in my plastics rotation in medschool was from mexico and I recently heard that an IMG resident from that surgery program got a Plastics fellowship, but I would not go the IMG route for any reason other than a US med school spot (Allopathic or osteopathic) was not available.