Does anyone regret going the DO route?

[OSUdoc08]

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Actually said MD hospital is having problems and quality has been waning there (so claims recent students). Possibility of removal of rotation is an option if its not brought up to speed (mainly because they need a new IM teaching staff and have until the end of this month).

But I agree. Many programs have DO and MD residencies at the same hospital, yet the DO residencies seem to get bad reps at this institution as not being equal to the MD residencies. Now this isn't for all of them, but research on scutwork.com and other internet resources, you wonder how accurate some of these (jaded) folks really are.

Then again, I see nothing wrong with DO hospitals because it provides the school with a strong affliate hospital in which no worries will insue.

Are you talking about St. Anthony's? I've never heard of anything negative about that institution.

 

[LovelyRita]

No. You can do a DO residency and an MD fellowship. Many have...some do more than one depending upon their interests.

Dr. Araghi ---CORE Institute/Phoenix

This is awesome, but I'm going to interject here. The numbers are not out there. There are possibilities, but no guarantees. DO's start med school and establish an idea of what they want to do. They are given several possibilities for how things can pan out, but to suggest that it's as simple as wanting to do it and achieving success is just plain wrong.

It's great to pump people up and make them think that anything in the world is doable, but let me tell you, it's cruel to create an illusion that you can just go from A to B to C (med school, residency, fellowship) however your little heart desires.

There are a lot of green-behind-the-ears premeds and med students on here looking for their answers. I can say that I was one of them. Med Students should not rely on this website as the final word on how their career can pan out. Med Students can/should take ideas posted here directly to a reliable source at their school and get the real answers. If they conflict, then they can at least have the school find out the real deal.

As of this post, I have *heard* (from SDN and residents out in the field) that

1. AOA residency grads can do AGME fellowships, AND I have heard that it's difficult to attain.

2. I have heard that if you do an AGME residency, that it will improve your chances of getting AGME fellowship.

3. And finally, if you do a AGME residency, you can all but forget about doing AOA fellowship.

ALL RUMORS. Where are the numbers? And FYI, my field is general surgery. Surely there may be variations in other specialty training.

 

[tsdesai]

What if you do a dual accredited residency? does that improve your chances in either fellowships?

This is awesome, but I'm going to interject here. The numbers are not out there. There are possibilities, but no guarantees. DO's start med school and establish an idea of what they want to do. They are given several possibilities for how things can pan out, but to suggest that it's as simple as wanting to do it and achieving success is just plain wrong.

It's great to pump people up and make them think that anything in the world is doable, but let me tell you, it's cruel to create an illusion that you can just go from A to B to C (med school, residency, fellowship) however your little heart desires.

There are a lot of green-behind-the-ears premeds and med students on here looking for their answers. I can say that I was one of them. Med Students should not rely on this website as the final word on how their career can pan out. Med Students can/should take ideas posted here directly to a reliable source at their school and get the real answers. If they conflict, then they can at least have the school find out the real deal.

As of this post, I have *heard* (from SDN and residents out in the field) that

1. AOA residency grads can do AGME fellowships, AND I have heard that it's difficult to attain.

2. I have heard that if you do an AGME residency, that it will improve your chances of getting AGME fellowship.

3. And finally, if you do a AGME residency, you can all but forget about doing AOA fellowship.

ALL RUMORS. Where are the numbers? And FYI, my field is general surgery. Surely there may be variations in other specialty training.

 

[sophiejane]

I think we should still remember, in spite of all these stories of people conquering some of the traditionally exclusive specialties, that what DO schools have always done and continue to do best is educate great primary care docs. I think it's the only practical way to integrate manip into your practice and stay true to the foundations of the profession.

Having said that, I'm proud that we have integrated so well into the MD world and have plenty of fantastic specialists who also have our unique training.

I chose my school because it was nationally recognized as a top school for primary care, and I wanted to be a DO. If you think you might want to be a surgeon or a dermatologist you should maybe look at schools that produce a lot of these specialists and have a good reputation for placing them in top residencies.

Bottom line, been said before: DO NOT "SETTLE" for osteopathic school.

 

[OSUdoc08]

What if you do a dual accredited residency? does that improve your chances in either fellowships?

Your chances will be the same for a fellowship, whether you do an ACGME, AOA, or ACGME/AOA residency.

What makes a difference is how well you do on boards, and how hard your work during your residency.

 

[mzztiffany]

No regrets yet. However, there are reasons to regret.

Fact #1: There are private practice groups in all specialties in all states that will not hire DOs, regardless of where they trained for residency.

Fact #2: It is a disadvantage if you wish to train at an allopathic residency program in the more competitive specialties.

What specialtiies are competitive? I was wondering if there were alot of Pediatric D.O's and if it was better they compete for allopathic? Is it hard for them to find residencies?

 

[TCOM-2006]

zero regrets - has not held me back from residency of my choice or leadership within the ama, etc. i would say apply and interview at both - and make a decision based on what each school has to offer and where you feel like you 'fit' the best

 

[TCOM-2006]

What specialtiies are competitive? I was wondering if there were alot of Pediatric D.O's and if it was better they compete for allopathic? Is it hard for them to find residencies?

peds is relativley non-competative overall. basically almost anyone MD or DO) can get a peds position somewhere - and DOs get into top peds programs all the time.

the specialties that might present a barrier (and this can be program dependant) are things like ortho, surgery, neurosurg, derm, etc - although it's not impossible for a DO to get a spot in one of these. do a search for the most recent medical education issue of JAMA - and it will give you all kinds of helpful stats on what percentage of residents per specialty are DOs

 

[OSUdoc08]

What specialtiies are competitive? I was wondering if there were alot of Pediatric D.O's and if it was better they compete for allopathic? Is it hard for them to find residencies?

Any primary care field is minimally competitive, and easy for DO's to train in. This includes Peds.

As a DO you have more residency options with the AOA and ACGME match.

 

[mzztiffany]

Any primary care field is minimally competitive, and easy for DO's to train in. This includes Peds.

As a DO you have more residency options with the AOA and ACGME match.

I'm sorry for asking a redundant question but I've tried to read other people's posts/responses and I am still a little confused. After DO med school, do you do an internship and residency in what you want to become? About how many years is both? After that, you can practice anywhere you want in the US right? I mean open your own practice.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I'm sorry for asking a redundant question but I've tried to read other people's posts/responses and I am still a little confused. After DO med school, do you do an internship and residency in what you want to become? About how many years is both? After that, you can practice anywhere you want in the US right? I mean open your own practice.

It's exactly the same as an MD.

You can do an internship and then residency in whatever specialty you would like. The residencies range from 3-6 years, with fellowship training of any number of years on top of that if you would like.

You can open a practice with another DO or an MD or work in a hospital, or whatever.

Once you enter your internship/residency, your degree becomes irrelevant.

 

[LovelyRita]

As a DO you have more residency options with the AOA and ACGME match.

No, you don't. The matches are separate. Your 'options' are with one OR the other. You can choose 10 DO programs or 10 MD programs, but not 20 DO AND MD programs.

Plus, if you don't match, which is entirely possible, once again, it is not as simple as going from A to B to C.

 

[OSUdoc08]

No, you don't. The matches are separate. Your 'options' are with one OR the other. You can choose 10 DO programs or 10 MD programs, but not 20 DO AND MD programs.

Plus, if you don't match, which is entirely possible, once again, it is not as simple as going from A to B to C.

You are clearly mistaken.

By entering the AOA match and ACGME match, you can apply to ALL AOA and ACGME residencies.

This is clearly a larger number of programs to apply to than if you are an MD and solely apply for ACGME residencies.

 

[LovelyRita]

You are clearly mistaken.

By entering the AOA match and ACGME match, you can apply to ALL AOA and ACGME residencies.

This is clearly a larger number of programs to apply to than if you are an MD and solely apply for ACGME residencies.

You can't participate in the ACGME match if you participate in the AOA match and match at an AOA residency. Therefore all that time, money and effort you spent applying to/rotating at/interviewing at ACGME programs is a waste.

 

[OSUdoc08]

You can't participate in the ACGME match if you participate in the AOA match and match at an AOA residency. Therefore all that time, money and effort you spent applying to/rotating at/interviewing at ACGME programs is a waste.

Although this is true, you are more likely to get a residency. This was my point.

 

[LovelyRita]

Although this is true, you are more likely to get a residency. This was my point.

So it seems. However, I did both, took a circumstantial route, which, if you are interested I will tell you via PM, and didn't match. I do not have a residency in my chosen field.

Your point of view is identical to what mine was when I was at your level. However, now that I have direct experience, it is different than yours.

 

[OSUdoc08]

So it seems. However, I did both, took a circumstantial route, which, if you are interested I will tell you via PM, and didn't match. I do not have a residency in my chosen field.

Your point of view is identical to what mine was when I was at your level. However, now that I have direct experience, it is different than yours.

The discussion above is specifically about a primary care field (peds). What was your chosen field?

 

[LovelyRita]

The discussion above is specifically about a primary care field (peds). What was your chosen field?

It doesn't matter whether it's primary care or not. Because of the separate matches, I dropped out of the AOA match to pursue the ACGME match. And then didn't match. You can't go back to the AOA programs unless they haven't filled, which, is completely variable and should not factor into your approach as you get ready to apply for residency.

I made some mistakes along the way, and would not want anyone to follow in my footsteps. That's why I think it's important to have a crystal clear understanding of the entire process (pre-match and post-match, AOA and ACGME, in addition to the peripheral rules) as you enter into your 3rd and 4th years.

 

[OSUdoc08]

It doesn't matter whether it's primary care or not. Because of the separate matches, I dropped out of the AOA match to pursue the ACGME match. And then didn't match. You can't go back to the AOA programs unless they haven't filled, which, is completely variable and should not factor into your approach as you get ready to apply for residency.

I made some mistakes along the way, and would not want anyone to follow in my footsteps. That's why I think it's important to have a crystal clear understanding of the entire process (pre-match and post-match, AOA and ACGME, in addition to the peripheral rules) as you enter into your 3rd and 4th years.

My point is:

If you enter the AOA match and ACGME match in primary care AND do not drop out of either match, you will have a better chance at getting a residency then just entering the ACGME match (which is the only option for MDs.)

You must agree that non-primary care fields would be more difficult to match into, due to competitiveness.

I simply think we had a miscommunication.

By dropping out of the AOA match, your case is not applicable to my earlier discussion.

 

[LovelyRita]

My point is:

If you enter the AOA match and ACGME match in primary care AND do not drop out of either match, you will have a better chance at getting a residency then just entering the ACGME match (which is the only option for MDs.)

You must agree that non-primary care fields would be more difficult to match into, due to competitiveness.

I simply think we had a miscommunication.

By dropping out of the AOA match, your case is not applicable to my earlier discussion.

If you enter the AOA and match, then boom you're done, you have a residency. You are correct. If you DO NOT match at an AOA residency, you can enter the ACGME match. IF you match, then, yes, you've got a residency. REMEMBER THOUGH, you are now competing against MD students AND DO students in the ACGME match. If you don't match, then, you go to your backup plan, which, I implore you, have a solid one in place.

If you do not look good on paper, even primary care fields are tough. I will reference Panda Bear. He has a great blog on this.

 

[OSUdoc08]

If you enter the AOA and match, then boom you're done, you have a residency. You are correct. If you DO NOT match at an AOA residency, you can enter the ACGME match. IF you match, then, yes, you've got a residency. REMEMBER THOUGH, you are now competing against MD students AND DO students in the ACGME match. If you don't match, then, you go to your backup plan, which, I implore you, have a solid one in place.

If you do not look good on paper, even primary care fields are tough. I will reference Panda Bear. He has a great blog on this.

Moral of the story:

Apply to as many places as possible, and if someone guarantees you a spot, take it.

To return to the topic of the thread:

As a primary care physician, your opportunities as a DO are greater than an MD (if you had the exact same grades and board scores at both schools,) due to the larger number of residencies you can apply to (and the fact that you get 2 matches instead of one.)

 

[LovelyRita]

If you want to go into family practice, peds, or IM, you have many more opportunities between the AOA and ACGME match than an MD who just does the ACGME match.

I agree that there may be issues with having time to interview everywhere and if you turn down an AOA residency to go to the ACGME match you may be up the creek without a paddle, but in theory if you apply to a large number of places, interview at all of them, and complete both the AOA and ACGME match, you will have a greater chance overall in a primary care field.

That's correct. In theory. But in addition to shining like a star on your elective rotations, you have to take not one set of boards, but two (double the $$.)you have to do not just DO interviews, but MD interviews as well. DO interviews take place in November. MD interviews take place in December and January. (again double time and $$).

My suggestion to ALL underclassmen, at this time, when there are SEPARATE matches, is to pick one route or the other. Save yourself the aggravation and be happy. If the matches become COMBINED (very unlikely), then you will not find yourself in my predicament.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Matches are rumored per my dean, not to be combined in the next four years, or anytime in the forseeable future despite the heavy controversy and strong push by the students.

As much as I would rather do an ACGME residency. I think its smarter for me to just do an osteopathic surgical residency. That way I don't have to worry about dual accreditation and I can practice in those five states if need be.

 

[doc-synergy]

a few points here...

1> not all acgme programs participate in 1 match - most participate in nrmp, but some (like ophtho) participate in the san francisco match - which actually matched earlier that the aoa match rank order list is due. so - in these specialties - it's the opposite of most of the others in that the acgme match first - and then the aoa match. google san francisco match from more info. also - acgme urology programs have their own match.

2> i would agree that you can apply to more programs as a DO (since you can apply to aoa and acgme), but b/c there is no combined match - you can't rank all at once. this system will eventually make you choose one or the other - but it's worth applying to both in most cases to interview, learn more about programs, and base your decision on what programs you like best, and what you think your chances are

3> you are never guaranteed a spot unless the program director offers you a contract, no matter what the program director says in your interview. you can actually sign outside the nrmp match to acgme programs as a DO - but be VERY VERY suspect of programs that offer this (it usually means the program is very non-competative, in which case you could probably match into it anyway without having to remove all your other choices from consideration - or there's something wrong with the program).

4> the matches should be combined, but the aoa is too backward thinking to realize that the seperate match hurts aoa programs by making DO students not even consider aoa programs - rather than helping them by 'locking' students into a choice.

5> if you are a DO and don't do an AOA internship (or get aoa approval for your acgme first year) - you will not be able to get a license to practice medicine in 4 states: MI, FL, PA, WV. i think OK requires a transitional year for DOs (which can be acgme) - link to the specific medical boards at fsmb.org - they have a list somewhere on the site

 

[LovelyRita]

👍 awesome post by doc synergy.

You know how a lot of people say 4th year should be "cake" and that you can "relax and enjoy"? If you decide (which I STRONGLY encourage you not to) to enter both matches, your 4th year is going to be work, work, work. You will not be relaxing and enjoying, you will be wondering how the heck all of it is going to work out for you. Sometime, halfway thru 4th year I thought to myself that whoever says 4th year is cake was high on crack. 🙂

Plus, all the stress has burned an ulcer in my stomach and left me with a bald spot and a mysterious bezoar. 😕 kidding.

 

[mismd]

I respect your sense of work ethic. I think it is safe to say that most people that choose to undertake the medical school endeavor share that with you. However, I am confused as to why you think it would be a good idea to attend a certain medical school if you thought that would give you only a long shot at obtaining a certain specialty--e.g. Plastic Surgery. And if you disagree with me on that I would like to hear your response, since I have never heard of a DO doing an ACGME Plastics residency. If you have evidence of such an occurrence I would love to see it. I do agree with you about Internal Medicine, btw. But why would you not choose a medical school that would absolutely maximize your chances of doing what you want with your life? For me personally, the stakes are too big to take that kind of risk. If you want be a plastic surgeon, neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist, or something like that, why would you choose a pathway that would present you with the least amount of odds of obtaining your goal? And again, outside of those ultra specialized fields, I agree that the playing field is pretty level among MDs and DOs. I'm not being confrontational. Just trying understand your point of view.

PS Not trying to offend an lurking allopaths here but I do feel that when it comes to specialties like Peds and Family Medicine DOs do receive better training in medical school. I had to do three months of FM during my third year, and my OMM was very primary care oriented as well. Never heard of any MD students getting that kind of exposure to primary care. I felt that was an important point to make to all those who already are convinced they want primary care and are trying to decide on which medical school they should attend.

While I don't know any DO with ACGME plastic residency, i do know DO with a ACGME neurosurgery residency at my place of work ( I work as a Er-tech at an hospital in spfld IL) i talked to him several times and i was surprised to learn that he didn't even take the USMLE. I believe that if you want it and work for it you can achieve ur goal.

 

[Elysium]

Folks who haven't gone through the match, or even third year, probably don't know as much about the intricacies of the process as though who have. I have several MD friends who just went through the match and it was no cake walk for any of them. One went on 23 interviews for internal medicine (with a 240 step one) and another went on 15 for ER and matched at her last choice. They're at a good MD school, too. If you think that there isn't a bias in some fields against DOs you guys are living in fantasy land. There may be 1 or 2 DOs in neurosurg or derm or plastics, but god knows there ain't many. At all. It's the exception to the rule. It's a miracle for MD students to get these spots, much less DO students. The fact is that the deck is already stacked against you, mainly because you don't get the kind of exposure to big name docs that will write you letters or the big academic medical centers. Doing a preceptorship with Dr. Smith at Dipsht Community Hospital isn't really going to set the academic world on fire. You probably won't have a problem matching primary care, but it most likely isn't going to be at JHU, Penn, MGH, etc.

Be realistic guys. This pollyanna attitude doesn't change reality. Know what the limitations are and have your eyes open. You can still be a great doc in a good location.

 

[Hiram Coggin]

I have never heard of a DO doing an ACGME Plastics residency. If you have evidence of such an occurrence I would love to see it.

Well then I guess you haven't heard that much then buddy.

 

[power ranger]

http://www.cosmetic-surgery-hawaii.com/pages/thedoc.html

Dr. Michael Pasquale is
one of Hawaii's top breast augmentation surgeons. His unique combination of education and experience give him special qualifications and insights into cosmetic plastic surgery.

Of special note, Dr. Pasquale is one of the few plastic surgeons in the world, who has not only completed a full residency in plastic surgery but has also earned a 2-year training certificate specifically in subspecialty of cosmetic surgery. He earned this certificate in Manhattan NY, at NYU Downtown Hospital, under some of New York’s Leading cosmetic and plastic surgeons.

In addition to his training in plastic surgery, Dr. Pasquale is an osteopathic physician and surgeon (D.O.), which means he has had additional training in manual medicine techniques and alternate medicine. This holistic medical education has given him a deeper understanding of medicine and knowledge about newer concepts of health.

 

[harmlessfun21]

http://www.cosmetic-surgery-hawaii.com/pages/thedoc.html

Dr. Michael Pasquale is
one of Hawaii's top breast augmentation surgeons. His unique combination of education and experience give him special qualifications and insights into cosmetic plastic surgery.

Of special note, Dr. Pasquale is one of the few plastic surgeons in the world, who has not only completed a full residency in plastic surgery but has also earned a 2-year training certificate specifically in subspecialty of cosmetic surgery. He earned this certificate in Manhattan NY, at NYU Downtown Hospital, under some of New York’s Leading cosmetic and plastic surgeons.

In addition to his training in plastic surgery, Dr. Pasquale is an osteopathic physician and surgeon (D.O.), which means he has had additional training in manual medicine techniques and alternate medicine. This holistic medical education has given him a deeper understanding of medicine and knowledge about newer concepts of health.

🙂

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

It might sound harsh, but if you can't get into the MD programs, then you don't deserve the top MD residencies. You need to work a little harder first.

That's bull****. People change between college and med school. Im one of them.


I didnt study for dick as an undergrad but now all I do is study.


I'll let my board scores decide what I deserve and not my past mistakes.

 

[OSUdoc08]

You can't always have something just because you want it. That's the whole problem right there. If you want to go through the allopathic match but can't get into an allopathic school (and just "settle" for DO), then you are at a huge disadvantage. It might sound harsh, but if you can't get into the MD programs, then you don't deserve the top MD residencies. You need to work a little harder first.

The top osteopathic programs are hard to get into as well. If you qualify for an MD medical school, but choose to go DO for medical school because of philisophical reasons, then you ought to stick with DO residencies for the same philisophical reasons. If you choose to go DO for medical school, but have good enough scores that you choose the MD match and fail, then tough $#!*. You can still have a DO derm or plastics residency if you are one of the top DO candidates. Who cares if you can't get into the allopathic match?

I appreciate you affirming that some DO schools are better than a number of MD schools. This is affirmed by the fact that many DO schools match students at top MD residency programs.

 

[Hernandez]

Are you talking about St. Anthony's? I've never heard of anything negative about that institution.

Yes, St. Anthony's. The IM rotations were without an IM attending for the last few months. They were told they have a month to hire an IM attending or they will no longer have students there doing IM core rotations. As of a week ago, I know for a fact that the IM rotation was being run by Family medicine.

 

[Hernandez]

I have never heard of a DO doing an ACGME Plastics residency. If you have evidence of such an occurrence I would love to see it.

you've probably never heard of a MD teaching OMM either, but they're out there.

 

[Rumplestilskin]

hello,
i am suriously thinking about become a do. i know a lot of schools require that you work with a do. how do you find one in your area? please pm me.

thanks!

R~

Thats a good question, and you are well within your rights as a potential applicant to osteopathic schools to be asking it. As a second year student, about to start my 3rd year and clinical rotations, I'll give you my opinion.

As an MS1, I seriously questioned whether I had made a good decision coming to a DO school. At that time, I thought I wanted to do a fairly competitive, non-primary care specialty. I also HATED osteopathic manipulation classes (due to the manner that some of our faculty pushed it on us) and I was having quite a bit of difficulty adjusting to and coping with the academic workload. So if you had asked me back then, I would have told you that I did regret it. Most of that angst was due to how incredibly hard medical school was and how discouraged I was at times.

Now that I have the benefit of almost 2 years of hindsight to look back on, I can tell you with absolutely no reservations that I am 100% satisfied with becoming a DO. Many things have changed - I do fine in school, I love OMM, and I found out that I like seeing patients instead of microscope slides and cadavers. In fact, I can't imagine not being a DO. I can't imagine only giving a patient muscle relaxants to deal with musculoskeletal issues. My ideals and goals have changed, and I have found myself leaning much more towards primary care - an area in which I feel DOs excel at.

Who you are at the beginning of medical school is probably not who you will be halfway through, or at the end. I love my DO school, and if that makes you feel better about going to an osteopathic school, then thats great.

Feel free to PM me.

 

[PlasticMan]

hello,
i am suriously thinking about become a do. i know a lot of schools require that you work with a do. how do you find one in your area? please pm me.

thanks!

R~

http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=findado_main

 

[AmeliePoulain]

As a DO: Just wondering where emergency med is in terms of the competition spectrum. Is matching in EM significantly more difficult than primary care? I am assuming that it doesn't fall into the "possible but rare" category (like plastics do) for DOs - am I on the right track here?

 

[OSUdoc08]

As a DO: Just wondering where emergency med is in terms of the competition spectrum. Is matching in EM significantly more difficult than primary care? I am assuming that it doesn't fall into the "possible but rare" category (like plastics do) for DOs - am I on the right track here?

1. Matching in EM is competitive, but not like the other specialties.

2. EM is considered primary care in some areas, but yes, it it more difficult that family medicine. It may be around the same as internal medicine.

3. There is minimal DO discrimination with ACGME residencies as compared to other specialties. Not only do DO's get into most ACGME EM programs, but you'll find DO's as chief residents, attendings, and program directors at ACGME programs. There are several ACGME programs that have as many DO's as MD's in the program and some have even more.

 

[Sinnman]

1. Matching in EM is competitive, but not like the other specialties.

What other specialties are you referring to?

2. EM is considered primary care in some areas, but yes, it it more difficult that family medicine. It may be around the same as internal medicine.

EM is MUCH more competitive than IM.

3. There is minimal DO discrimination with ACGME residencies as compared to other specialties. Not only do DO's get into most ACGME EM programs, but you'll find DO's as chief residents, attendings, and program directors at ACGME programs. There are several ACGME programs that have as many DO's as MD's in the program and some have even more.

This part is true.

In the allopathic world, EM is a pretty competitive field now and probably will become more so in the future. Granted, it's not integrated plastics, rad-onc or derm but it's up there. In general, allopathic EM ranks somewhere around general surgery, OB/GYN, anesthesiology and PM&R (now). It's much more competitive than IM and more than FP, neurology, psychiatry, pathology and others.

On the other hand, osteopathic EM is pretty easy to obtain.

Bear in mind that there is a huge flux in popularity in almost all fields and nobody can really give you a numeric value (ordinal or interval) of competitiveness that is truly meaningful.

EM does have a reputation for being "D.O. friendly."


Good luck.

 

[docmon]

You definitely express many of my thougths about the DO route in much more eloquent way than I could have imagined. You seem very self confident and I admire that in people. Good for you and good luck.

I am starting school in the fall, and I have already had to answer the question "What's a DO" A LOT! >80% of friends and family that I have spoken to are not familiar with the degree. However, I haven't yet experienced a single case of someone questioning my future credentials once I have explained the training and licensing to them. I don't believe this will ever cause me to regret my choice. I could see how it might get annoying to some people over time. I'm definitely getting my spiel dialed in: "I will be a fully licensed physician that can train in any medical specialty. In addition, I will have training in osteopathic manipulation, which is a set of techniques similar to chiropractic and physical therapy that can be a useful tool in the treatment of a variety of conditions."

Yes, I believe I will eventually meet someone who's prejudice will cause them to question my credentials. Will that bother me? Minimally...it just depends how you feel about your own abilities, and I feel fine about mine.

Some things to consider about my experience so far are:

1) I live in the Pacific Northwest, which has far fewer DOs than some of the areas in the midwest and east.

2) MD friends and family of mine, who all live and practice in the region, have all been quite encouraging of my choice of degree. My MD PCP, while performing my school's required physical, said that if he had been more aware of DO training when he applied to medical school he would have chosen that route, for both the OMM training AND what he feels is an obvious philosophical difference which manifests itself in the way DOs interact with patients in primary care.

3) The family practice DO that I shadow, who inherited his busy practice from his DO father, is quite happy and makes very good money at what he's doing. He told me if he could go back he wouldn't change anything. He was a graduate of CCOM, by the way. 🙂

 

[docmon]

Props to you! It's all about working hard and making the most of where you go and you definitely are living up to your full potential.

Well, I don't know about other specialities but in ortho, you can do an AOA approved residency and do a ACGME fellowship. As to the intial question, I HAVE NO REGRETS and I will do it agian if I have to. For instance I matched into a GREAT AOA approved ortho program. However, my friends in Allopathic programs didn't match ortho and have to settle for other specialities. Ten yrs from now, I will be an orthopod and my buddies will be wondering what if. In this case, going Osteopathic really worked for me.

Here is a reply a posted on a similar question in a different forum.

 

[OSUdoc08]

What other specialties are you referring to?



EM is MUCH more competitive than IM.



This part is true.

In the allopathic world, EM is a pretty competitive field now and probably will become more so in the future. Granted, it's not integrated plastics, rad-onc or derm but it's up there. In general, allopathic EM ranks somewhere around general surgery, OB/GYN, anesthesiology and PM&R (now). It's much more competitive than IM and more than FP, neurology, psychiatry, pathology and others.

On the other hand, osteopathic EM is pretty easy to obtain.

Bear in mind that there is a huge flux in popularity in almost all fields and nobody can really give you a numeric value (ordinal or interval) of competitiveness that is truly meaningful.

EM does have a reputation for being "D.O. friendly."


Good luck.

1. I believe you'll find that the percentage of DO's in ACGME EM programs is actually HIGHER than the percentage of DO's in ACGME IM programs. This may have nothing to do with competitiveness, but it is a fact nevertheless.

2. I would have to disagree with your assertion that ACGME EM programs are "much more" competitive than ACGME neurology and psychiatry programs for DO's. This may have to do with the number of applicants vs. spots available, however, and it also may have to do with the fact that ACGME EM programs are more accepting to DO's than most other specialties.

3. In general, osteopathic EM is easy to obtain if you are not restrictive to program. There are a couple of EM programs that are very competitive, and this is partly the reason I am considering the ACGME match as a "backup."