Emphasis on osteopathy in essays

[Apparition]

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I am applying to both osteo and allo schools. I explain my interest in osteopathy but I'm sure the question whether I'm applying to MD schools will come up.
How do I explain why I'm applying to MD schools if I want to be an osteopath.

(I'm applying because I just want to be a doctor and either path will take me there but that's probably not what they want to hear).

 

[dr.z]

When I was asked, I just told them I was applying to both schools to increase my chance of acceptance.

 

[crys20]

Yeah you need to say that you know how random of a process med school application is and you wanted to maximize your chances at getting somewhere.

I really would stay away from the whole "i just want to be a doctor' thing in the DO interviews, as honest and genuine a reason as it is. There's gotta be something cool you find about the DO schools, whether its more laid back and generally cooler people (because they, too, 'just wanted to be doctors') or you really like primary care and DO schools with an emphasis on that produce some darn good primary care docs, or SOMETHING you know.

If they ask me verbatim I will say of course the increase the chances thing...And mention that being from OH there were alot of cheap, state schools I wanted to give myself a shot at. I will probably not mention the other 20 schools I applied to. 😉

 

[OSUdoc08]

I am applying to both osteo and allo schools. I explain my interest in osteopathy but I'm sure the question whether I'm applying to MD schools will come up.
How do I explain why I'm applying to MD schools if I want to be an osteopath.

(I'm applying because I just want to be a doctor and either path will take me there but that's probably not what they want to hear).

It never came up in my 5 interviews...I don't see how they have access to the information that I'm applying to allopathic insititutions. (AMCAS vs. AACOMAS)

On there other hand, the Texas application TMDSAS allows for that information. However most people apply to both MD and DO schools within Texas.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

i would say focus on aspects that are important in primary care, like compassion. i didn't specify why osteopathic medicine in my primary statement and have only brought it up with schools that has secondaries that specifically ask that question (ccom for instance). i'm applying to m.d. programs, too, but i do really like the osteopathic medicine philosophy and feel like it does enhance medicine care. however, i'm not likely to blow off applying to my one state school just because it's not a d.o. program.

in interviews, i'm going to say that i want to do primary care, and i'm open to all avenues that would let me do that. while i prefer the d.o. philosophy, i'm going to evaluate each school on an individual basis.

 

[Sundarban1]

Keep in mind that many DO's work hand in hand with MD's and coming from a teaching hospital where I see this every day, you come to realize that compassion is a person vs. person issue, not a DO vs. MD issue. No school can teach compassion and to somehow insinuate that DO's are more compassionate than MD's is a farse as far as I'm concerned. You may offend some people by differentiating your interest in DO's based on compassion is what I'm saying. I made that mistake when taking to a DO physician, who works with my PI, who is an MD. Just be aware that the two are more similar than you may think.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Keep in mind that many DO's work hand in hand with MD's and coming from a teaching hospital where I see this every day, you come to realize that compassion is a person vs. person issue, not a DO vs. MD issue. No school can teach compassion and to somehow insinuate that DO's are more compassionate than MD's is a farse as far as I'm concerned. You may offend some people by differentiating your interest in DO's based on compassion is what I'm saying. I made that mistake when taking to a DO physician, who works with my PI, who is an MD. Just be aware that the two are more similar than you may think.

that's not what i was saying. in fact, i emphasized compassion on both my md and do applications. however, i think it's important on a do app to show that you're compassionate and that you want to be a clinician. it's maybe (don't know) less significant for an md application, especially for a school that emphasizes research over primary care. i certainly don't think you need to say that you want to be a do because do's are more compassionate, but i think it's probably helpful to say you want to be a physician because you have compassion for people and want to help them.