Fork in the road... Deciding between D.O. and M.D.

[NontradCA]

Context:

1. I have interviews at EVMS (Norfolk, VA) and VCU (Richmond, VA).
2. I've recently heard some good news and had a great interview at an awesome D.O. program.
3. My interview for EVMS is coming up soon and I need to either book my flight ASAP or cancel.

Problem:

1. I can't decide whether or not I will be happy being a D.O. on the west coast near my family or if I would like to have the added opportunities and "smoother" education and shot at residency as an M.D. far away from my family and in locations I am not excited about.

Personal background:

1. Asian-american, grew up in a metropolitan area on the west coast.
2. Like to think of myself as "low maintenance". De-stressing for me includes the gym, playing music, food, and some drinks with friends. I do like having big city amenities and the chance at a variety of things to do, however.
3. Would like to remain on the west coast in the future
4. Going D.O. would be cheaper

Professionally:

1. While I am pretty flexible with my desired specialty (interested in EM/neurology), I can say with some certainty that I am not looking to go into surgical fields.
2. I would be happy to be a D.O., but I am worried about what kind of doors may close for me when applying for residency.
3. I am not looking forward to having to take both the COMLEX and USMLE. I would much rather just take one board exam.
4. I am worried that if I become interested in a more competitive specialty during school, I may have shot myself in the foot by going D.O.
5. While I love patient-based care and clinical medicine, I know that I am also personally interested in the academic, administrative (thinking of a MPH dual degree), and policy side of things.

Additional Concerns:

1. I've heard that Richmond and Norfolk aren't exactly great for Asian-Americans, but am I making it to be a bigger issue then it actually is?
2. How important really is location during medical education? Won't I be in class/with my classmates 85% of the time?
3. Given my circumstances, would going M.D. be worth the added tuition/living costs and possibly unhappiness for the added professional flexibility?
4. EVMS and VCU are fantastic schools and I would feel awful passing up an opportunity to visit either.


Thank you guys for any input and best of luck to all during this cycle!

This is a personal decision. You just have to know going in that you will essentially shut some doors. Another thing to consider is that medical school is temporary. You can always head back to the west coast for residency. The thing, you're not going to know which specialty you want to go into right now, and may find yourself regretting a decision to go DO because of shortsightedness. I go to a DO school btw.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Instatewaiter]

The match isn't merging for several years after the accreditation merger.

Well that sucks then.

 

[reapplicanthelpme2014]

This is a personal decision. You just have to know going in that you will essentially shut some doors. Another thing to consider is that medical school is temporary. You can always head back to the west coast for residency. The thing, you're not going to know which specialty you want to go into right now, and may find yourself regretting a decision to go DO because of shortsightedness. I go to a DO school btw.

So do you regret going DO?

 

[NontradCA]

So do you regret going DO?

No. I wasn't fooled going in and I have no expectations. Med school sucks though.

 

[reapplicanthelpme2014]

No. I wasn't fooled going in and I have no expectations. Med school sucks though.

I see. Have you personally dealt with a lot of the stigma associated with going DO?

 

[keevwu]

what'd you end up deciding to do @meatie ?

 

[meatie]

what'd you end up deciding to do @meatie ?

Despite being accepted to my top choice (for D.O.) program close to home I opted in the end to accept another invitation to an M.D. school far from where I grew up.

It became a really personal decision like a lot of the posters in here have said, but it boiled down to:

1. I want the professional flexibility and opportunities that being an M.D. provides over a D.O. degree (residency, specialty choice, etc.)
2. Even though I would be close to friends and family, I came to grips with the fact that in the end I'm someone that values personal growth and novel experiences more than comfort. I am going to struggle a lot being so far away, but I see it as a way for me to push myself past comfort zones and try something new in my life. I'd hate to say I grew up, lived, and practiced in the same state all my life. It just doesn't jive with me.
3. I don't want to deal with OMM. I do have a genuine interest in the concept and I hope that OMM becomes something that is further researched and better understood, but I don't want to have to sacrifice study time/free time to learn it until it is.
4. I was a little unnerved by the strength of some clinical rotations at some of the D.O. schools I visited. I don't want to risk having to spend time going through the logistics of setting up my own rotations when time is at a premium.

I'm happy with the ways things have turned out and I have the utmost respect for both D.O's and M.D.'s. In the end, we're under a single banner for a singular cause.

 

[keevwu]

Despite being accepted to my top choice (for D.O.) program close to home I opted in the end to accept another invitation to an M.D. school far from where I grew up.

It became a really personal decision like a lot of the posters in here have said, but it boiled down to:

1. I want the professional flexibility and opportunities that being an M.D. provides over a D.O. degree (residency, specialty choice, etc.)
2. Even though I would be close to friends and family, I came to grips with the fact that in the end I'm someone that values personal growth and novel experiences more than comfort. I am going to struggle a lot being so far away, but I see it as a way for me to push myself past comfort zones and try something new in my life. I'd hate to say I grew up, lived, and practiced in the same state all my life. It just doesn't jive with me.
3. I don't want to deal with OMM. I do have a genuine interest in the concept and I hope that OMM becomes something that is further researched and better understood, but I don't want to have to sacrifice study time/free time to learn it until it is.
4. I was a little unnerved by the strength of some clinical rotations at some of the D.O. schools I visited. I don't want to risk having to spend time going through the logistics of setting up my own rotations when time is at a premium.

I'm happy with the ways things have turned out and I have the utmost respect for both D.O's and M.D.'s. In the end, we're under a single banner for a singular cause.

Any chance you can enable your messages? I'd like to PM you. I'm in a similar situation as yours.

 

[NoahIndonesia]

Norfolk/Richmond is great is for asians!