DO vs. International

[doc2b34]

Two questions guys,

1) Is it pretty easy for DO's to get an allopathic primary care residency? If so, how do we match up with the MD's that graduated from foreign med-school? I guess what I'm trying to ask is, would allopathic hospitals prefer to fill in their spots with U.S. grad. DO's or foreign grad. MD's.

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[kamya]

us grad DOs

 

[nyskindr]

US DO grads will generally do much better than most USIMGs as far as primary care matching,not to mention Rads,EM etc..although some of the foreign schools such as Sackler in Israel do very close in quality to US med schools,and the better students at St Georges do OK.

 

[Future GI Guy]

I think it's largely about ec onomics.

The US Government funds residency slots. They pay 100% for US Grads (DO's or MDs) and something like 70% for FMGs, including those who are already US citizens.

This sets up a system that rewards programs for filling with US Grads, regardless of MD vs DO, before accepting FMGs or IMGs.

If you have the opportunity to, there's no reason not to go to the DO school.

 

[doc2b34]

Thanks to everyone that typed in. Your comments are very much appreciated! They really made me feel much better about going to a US DO school. Forgive me for sounding like I'm not sure about the DO program. I was reading comments on other SDN topics and it sounds hard to get a good competitive residency without the MD initial. I am really happy with my choice to apply and getting into a DO school!! Thanks, please respond with more comments. doc2b34

 

[dbiddy]

Being a US IMG in the radiology match this year, and having communicated with several DOs, I'd say that while they DOs do have it slightly better than I do, they are not all that much better off. They are still considered to be inferior. These prejudices don't exist at all programs though.

Some places that have had positive previous experiences with IMGs (and DOs) will not discriminate though. I did manage to get a few radiology interviews in a year where radiology is perhaps as competetive as things like ortho and derm.

 

[pags]

dbiddy, i concur with your statment. Rads has been tough for both DO and IMG.

 

[Cuts]

Dbiddy, I'm a fellow US IMG... would you mind sharing with me those Rads programs that granted you interviews this year? Thanks.

 

[godfather]

At most residencies DO's and Fmg's are considered to be less desirable than us allopathic grads. Most PD's feel that if they take too many DO's the reputation of the residency will go down. So If all things are equal and or even if they are slightly inferior on paper us md's will virtually always secure a residency over a DO. That's why whenever a field gets competitive do's and fmg's are usually squeezed out. More than one pd has told me this.

 

[dbiddy]

Often times we IMGs and DOs will be extremely competetive on paper (grades, board scores, research, etc.....)and lose out to mediocre us grads. It sucks........but that's what we get for hitting the bong too many times as an undergrad.

 

[pags]

Amen, brotha...