General Questions for Pre-DO students / Current Med Students

[1006will]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

1. Can someone explain what moonlighting means in terms of medicine/work?

2. When do medical students start "choosing" their so-called specialties?

3. The "boards" (COMLEX for DO students) have different parts, which part(s) will decide the chance of getting into a good residency?

4. Does it matter where you go to school in respect to your residency in the future?

5. I have heard that DO students are harder to get into highly competitive residencies. Please elaborate on this probability and which types of residencies are considered competitive. I am thinking about cardiothoracic, any chance (good chance) to get in comparing with MD students?

Thanks alot.

 

[seraphkz]

1. Can someone explain what moonlighting means in terms of medicine/work?

2. When do medical students start "choosing" their so-called specialties?

3. The "boards" (COMLEX for DO students) have different parts, which part(s) will decide the chance of getting into a good residency?

4. Does it matter where you go to school in respect to your residency in the future?

5. I have heard that DO students are harder to get into highly competitive residencies. Please elaborate on this probability and which types of residencies are considered competitive. I am thinking about cardiothoracic, any chance (good chance) to get in comparing with MD students?

Thanks alot.

1) Means you work at different hospitals/work with different groups at the same time for extra $
2) Beginning of 4th year when you apply for residencies.
3) Step 1/2
4) Location sometimes matters since you will be rotating at that state most likely (MOST likely, depends on you)
5) Anything is possible, you have to work for it.

 

[jinobi]

1) 5) Anything is possible, you have to work for it.

I agree with your other 4 points. But your 5th, that's just a simplification and misleading.

It's possible to match into CT surgery as a DO, but it's much harder than if you were a MD student. Two paths you could take:

1: AOA residency. There's only one AOA integrated cardiothoracic surgery residency in the nation, and that's affliated with PCOM (Deborah).

2: ACGME residency/fellowship. This is where you'll find the vast majority of your integrated CT surgery and CT fellowship spots in the nation. Good luck trying to match into integrated CT surgery residencies with tons of other competitive MD students vying for those same spots.

Your best bet would be to aim for ACGME general surgery residency and then match into ACGME CT fellowship. Going AOA general surg residency then trying for ACGME fellowship will be difficult due to board certification (and I heard of new regulations? dunno about this). If you want ACGME residency, you'll have to take both USMLE and COMLEX to be noticed; you'll have to score above the average MD USMLE score to be seriously considered by ACGME residency programs, specially those that have never taken a DO before.

Is it possible? Yep. But realize that a DO will have a harder path to the specialities and subspecialty fields than an MD.

Also realize that what you want to specialize in will likely change throughout your years in medical school.

 

[DocEspana]

1. Can someone explain what moonlighting means in terms of medicine/work?

2. When do medical students start "choosing" their so-called specialties?

3. The "boards" (COMLEX for DO students) have different parts, which part(s) will decide the chance of getting into a good residency?

4. Does it matter where you go to school in respect to your residency in the future?

5. I have heard that DO students are harder to get into highly competitive residencies. Please elaborate on this probability and which types of residencies are considered competitive. I am thinking about cardiothoracic, any chance (good chance) to get in comparing with MD students?

Thanks alot.

1) moonlighting is taking on shifts (its usually associated with ER, but it can be anything) at a hospital between shifts at the hospital you're a resident at. US graduates can do it after their intern year, foreign grads need to wait til their residency is over to do it (so the only way they can moonlight is during their fellowships)

2) you really start choosing whenever your first elective is (usually some time in 3rd year). Basically once you get your first elective, you're starting down a path where there are few opportunities to recalibrate (so each elective pre-destines you a bit more). Your elective choices will hold A LOT of sway over where you eventually go and what you go into.

3) Steps 1 and 2. Step 1 is huge. Step 2 written is huge. Step 2 physical exam is pass/fail, so obviously its much less important. Step 3 is done when you're in residency.

4) It doesn't matter unless you're trying to take advanage of a connection your school has. ex: WVSOM has a step up on me for matching urology, since they have a uro program at their home hospital. I have a step up matching derm or ophtho since I have that in my home program. The programs like to take students they know, and if you rotate through there for many things just as cores... well then they know you. But the impact of that is 1) limited and 2) only worthwhile if you want to amtch to that exact program.

5) see jinobi's answer

 

[1006will]

Thanks for all the great comments!!🙂

 

[museic]

you can fix all your troubles by going military (army preferred) meds. they love MD/DOs the same and all residencies are AGCME approved (I think, not that it matters) and they take com(p🙂)lex and uslme.

 

[Dr Yiot]

you can fix all your troubles by going military (army preferred) meds. they love MD/DOs the same and all residencies are AGCME approved (I think, not that it matters) and they take com(p🙂)lex and uslme.

Hopeffully your joking bc going the military route just to try and match into a certain specialty is a dangerous move. Going military is a serious life altering decision that should be made after extreme consideration of the individuals circumstances, most importantly if he wants to serve in the military in the firstplace