Then what are they if not failed MD applicants? You're trying to have your cake and eat it. It doesn't work like that. Let me give my thoughts clearly:
Essentially you're saying that someone who doesn't achieve their first choice is a failure. I don't think that's true. Not all DO matriculants applied to MD schools. In light of that, it's completely untrue to call DO matriculants "failed MD applicants" as you are.
I think nearly everyone wants to go to the best school possible. This means that if you're going to UC San Diego you're going to a "backup MD" because you didn't get into Harvard. If you don't get into an MD school and go to a DO program, you are doing the exact same thing. You're going to a "backup" too, except because it has the letters "DO" then people want to marginalize it. So in the end, your coveted non-HMS MD is as much "backup" as a DO is.
Not everyone wants HMS or JHU. Lots of people prefer state school because it's cheaper, but that's besides the point. There's nothing wrong with applying to backups. Everyone does it. I don't have a problem with people applying to or attending a back up. You are the only one who continues to talk about it negatively. I don't know how big their classes are, but lets assume 100 students per class at HMS and JHU. That's 200 students. There were something like 45k applicants last year.
By your logic, 99.56% of matriculants are attending a backup.
Now, do some people exist that want to go into MD only because they believe there's something wrong with DO schools? Yes. Are they right? To them, yes. No problem. It's like me saying I wouldn't want to go to a school in a really dangerous and racist area. That's my problem. Are there people that genuinely do NOT want to go to an MD school and want a DO school? Yes. Are they right? To them, yes. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe to YOU OMM and the Osteopathic history and philosophy is bull****. Congrats to you, but that doesn't mean everyone else's opinion is the same.
I already said there was nothing wrong with someone choosing DO over MD. Perhaps your tunnel vision focus on certain topics didn't allow you to see it.
To both MedPR and Darkskies and whoever else shares these sentiments:
I'm going to try to be as clear as possible and hopefully it will help settle your personal vendetta against me
MedPR said:
Truthfully, I read nothing beyond what I've quoted. I don't have a personal vendetta against you. You and I have differing opinions. You express yours and I express mine. I don't feel like you are attacking me, and I don't think you should feel like I'm attacking. I'm not attacking you. My opinion (in relation to you) is that MD is the easier path. I think most people share this opinion. I also believe that I want to take the easier path if at all possible. Again, I think most people would agree. If you choose to take the more difficult path, that's your prerogative. I disagree. It's really that simple. I don't mean to be disrespectful and I'm certainly not judging you in a negative way. I apologize if it appears otherwise, but I assure you it's as simple and clear as I have made it in this post.
You're trying to act all high and mighty, but you keep harping on points I haven't made and/or have corrected. I didn't say Osteo history or OMM is bs. I said MD is the easier route and hence is my preference. You continue to quote me, but you never actually respond to anything in my post. Do I believe OMM works? Sure, just as much as chiropractic adjustments or acupuncture. Do I care about the history of Osteopathic medicine? No, but I don't care about the history of Allopathic medicine either. I'm not interested in history at all, actually.
This is it. There's nothing more to say. Go to the school you want/can get into. You don't know the heart-of-hearts of other people, so don't pretend to talk for them or insult them by saying they are inferior. And if they are, so what? Not your problem. You're welcome to believe whatever you want. In my experience, DO's tend to be open about accepting they just didn't get into an MD school and have pretty strong self-esteem because they don't let that dictate who they are as people. The truly weak people would rather abandon medicine than put up with having different initials.
I've said from the get go that people are sensitive about "MD > DO" because they have self esteem issues. I've said that, if you truly believe in DO and if you truly prefer DO to MD, then you won't be offended by what people say about it. That is my belief about most things. Lots of people say physicians are money hungry and will order tests just to rip you off and get more cash. Is that offensive to me? Nope. I'll be happy being a physician. I don't care if I'm a DO or MD. I care that I have access to the opportunity (residency/fellowship) that I ultimately want. MD is the safest way to ensure that, but it's also very likely that DO won't prevent me from getting what I want provided I don't want some hypercompetitive specialty. I've never said DO is outright inferior to MD. I said the average DO matriculant has inferior stats to the average MD matriculant and that in terms of quantity and variety of location AOA is inferior to ACGME. Does that make DO students or practicing DOs inferior to their MD counterparts? Of course not. Please be more accurate in what you quote. If I'm not clear, simply ask me to be clear instead of making outlandish assumptions as you have done here.
Lastly, why is someone weak just because they choose a different profession if they can't be an MD? They simply don't want to be a physician all that bad. That doesn't mean they are weak...
Edit: Changed to make it more direct.
