Getting accepted to a US DO or attend a foreign MD school?

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loren646

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If I want to be an MD should I attend a DO?

Specifically being an anesthesiologist or surgeon?

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No. You cannot be an MD by going to a DO school.

However, if the question is: I want to be a doctor practicing in the US, then a DO school is a suitable alternative.
 
If I want to be an MD should I attend a DO?

Specifically being an anesthesiologist or surgeon?

You can be an anesthesiologist or a surgeon as a DO. You're worse off going out of the country if you want those specialties.
 
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No. You cannot be an MD by going to a DO school.

However, if the question is: I want to be a doctor practicing in the US, then a DO school is a suitable alternative.

If I am going to be either an anesthesiologist or a surgeon as a D.O. - is that going to heavily affect me later? Choices of places to work as well as income?
 
If I am going to be either an anesthesiologist or a surgeon as a D.O. - is that going to heavily affect me later? Choices of places to work as well as income?

As far as the latter goes, I'm pretty sure the billing is the same regardless of the two letters after your name. So you'll get paid the same based upon how much / what kind of work you do, not whether you're an MD or a DO
 
If I am going to be either an anesthesiologist or a surgeon as a D.O. - is that going to heavily affect me later? Choices of places to work as well as income?

no its not going to affet your income or places to work. Rule of thumb: stay in the US for medical school if you can. Last resort if all others in the US fail, go caribbean.
 
Go to the pre-osteo forum, read the FAQ, and ask questions after utilizing the board's resources.

Agreed. This is not a pre-allo question. But you (OP) should be aware that offshore schools are a much harder road, with less yield for competitive specialties, and although they confer an "MD", there is a stigma to an offshore, non-accredited MD. You will find hospitals where there are many DOs but no offshore folks. If you are putting weight on the letters themselves, and not where you got them, you are being short-sighted. A non-US MD is not equal to a US MD in many circumstances, the match being first and foremost. But if you want to compare it to a DO, then you have to read the osteo board, because this board is about folks going the US allo route.
 
there is no clear definite answer to this, but my opinion is that if you got into SGU (St. Georges) than go there over any DO school.... BUT if it is any other carribean school (including Ross), then choose DO
 
there is no clear definite answer to this, but my opinion is that if you got into SGU (St. Georges) than go there over any DO school.... BUT if it is any other carribean school (including Ross), then choose DO

I think that on SDN there actually is a general consensus on this topic, and that's if you want to practice in the US, you are better off doing your schooling someplace in the US, period. Which offshore school you are talking about is a matter of degree but won't change the overall concept. But again, this is a discussion for another board -- it has nothing to do with US pre-allo.
 
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D.O.'s can do anything except be a derm in mongolia.
 
D.O.'s can do anything except be a derm in mongolia.

Hey Binko, we need Spinkybrio's input on this! Or is it Sprinkybio's input, not sure but we need the input!
 
If I want to be an MD should I attend a DO?

Specifically being an anesthesiologist or surgeon?


I am a surgeon with plenty of colleagues both in surgery and anesthesia who are graduates of osteopathic medical school. The degree doesn't make much of a difference but your performance in medical school (osteopathic or allopathic) will.
 
Agreed. This is not a pre-allo question. But you (OP) should be aware that offshore schools are a much harder road, with less yield for competitive specialties, and although they confer an "MD", there is a stigma to an offshore, non-accredited MD. You will find hospitals where there are many DOs but no offshore folks. If you are putting weight on the letters themselves, and not where you got them, you are being short-sighted. A non-US MD is not equal to a US MD in many circumstances, the match being first and foremost. But if you want to compare it to a DO, then you have to read the osteo board, because this board is about folks going the US allo route.


You have a very valid point, but in this case the Pre-Allo thread would work for ther question that is being asked, although there are issues regarding MD schools in the carrib and they may not even compare to US medical schools, they are still in fact allopathic
 
Maybe OP meant that he wanted to do an MD residency. Doesn't matter though, you can still do allo res. with a DO.
 
You have a very valid point, but in this case the Pre-Allo thread would work for ther question that is being asked, although there are issues regarding MD schools in the carrib and they may not even compare to US medical schools, they are still in fact allopathic

On SDN, caribbean has it's own forum, as do the other international paths. So no, they are not lumped into the "pre-allo" board. Pre-allo is for folks going to US (or other LCME accredited) pre-allo schools. So no, this question has nothing to do with this board.
 
On SDN, caribbean has it's own forum, as do the other international paths. So no, they are not lumped into the "pre-allo" board. Pre-allo is for folks going to US (or other LCME accredited) pre-allo schools. So no, this question has nothing to do with this board.


Agreed. This thread belongs in either Pre-Osteo, the Caribbean, or the deleted bin because this is one of the craziest/most obvious troll posts ever.
 
Agreed. This thread belongs in either Pre-Osteo, the Caribbean, or the deleted bin because this is one of the craziest/most obvious troll posts ever.

There are a lot of people who think the way the OP does though. Just look around SDN, and I also know some people personally who think/thought that caribbean > DO. I think a big misconception amongst people like the OP is that you have to have an MD if you want to go into surgery, or some other competitive field, and that DOs only practice in primary care. If people just spent a few minutes on SDN, or google, researching this question, they would figure out the answer easily enough... but that may be asking too much :D
 
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There are a lot of people who think the way the OP does though. Just look around SDN, and I also know some people personally who think/thought that caribbean > DO. I think a big misconception amongst people like the OP is that you have to have an MD if you want to go into surgery, or some other competitive field, and that DOs only practice in primary care. If people just spent a few minutes on SDN, or google, researching this question, they would figure out the answer easily enough... but that may be asking too much :D

My rational behind calling this guy a troll is, this question "If I want to be an MD should I attend a DO?". How can anyone possibly have a question as silly as this. Its like asking if I want to become a JD should I attend x school and get a degree that is not a JD.
 
My rational behind calling this guy a troll is, this question "If I want to be an MD should I attend a DO?". How can anyone possibly have a question as silly as this. Its like asking if I want to become a JD should I attend x school and get a degree that is not a JD.

Haha, you're right. I didn't even pay too much attention to what the OP wrote in the actual post, I just read the title. In that case, I'm inclined to agree with you.
 
If I want to be an MD should I attend a DO?

Specifically being an anesthesiologist or surgeon?

No.

Apply to every allopathic MD program and if you dont get in, strengthen your app and repeat next year.

If you still dont get in, I'd go dental and then specialize.
 
No.

Apply to every allopathic MD program and if you dont get in, strengthen your app and repeat next year.

If you still dont get in, I'd go dental and then specialize.

No, no no. Do the reverse. Strengthen your app until you are competitive and then apply once. You don't take a test shot. Being a reapplicant doesn't generally help your cause -- it's a higher hurdle because programs will expect you to show "substantial improvement" over what you applied with, which is a vague and unforgiving standard. You are better off bringing your GPA up, getting your MCAT somewhere close to 30, and applying ONCE. Never wing it in this process. Get all your ducks lined into a row and THEN pull the trigger.
 
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