I have been hearing a lot of gloom and doom about the upcoming residency crunch. Is it really possible that DOs will be forced out of ACGME programs by 2016 ? If this happens what percentage of DO graduates will be able to match into a residency ?
I have been hearing a lot of gloom and doom about the upcoming residency crunch. Is it really possible that DOs will be forced out of ACGME programs by 2016 ? If this happens what percentage of DO graduates will be able to match into a residency ?
They're accepting more. The DO match rate has been relatively going up, little by little. The current match rate is 72% in the NRMP match. The NRMP match typically grows by about 500 spots a year over the past couple of years.Anyone know the trends with the NRME match? Are MD residencies accepting more DO's or less DO's?
As a US MD/DO class of 2016, you'll have little trouble landing a residency in the states. However since the number of grads is increasing at higher pace than residency spots, there will be more competition for desirable residencies or residencies in high end locations such that board scores among other things will get even more important.
Let's look at the numbers. Here's the NRMP match (aka MD match). US allo seniors make up over half of the applicants (54.1%). The rest of the chart groups osteo, IMG, and non-US IMG graduates together, collectively called "Independent applicants".
Notice the number of successful independent matches. It's unfortunate they lumped IMG's and DO's into the same category, I would love to see the difference.
Let's take a perennial SDN favorite: Emergency Medicine. Notice the difference in Step 1 scores between US Seniors and Independents. Again, IMG's are lumped in with DO's, which is unfortunate, as IMG's usually have about 6-8 months of straight studying whereas MD and DO students usually only have 6 weeks.
For an 80% probability of matching into an MD EM residency as a US allopathic senior, you only need a Step 1 score of ~195. For the same chance, DO/IMG students need a Step 1 of almost 260!
This does not take into consideration the whole application portion of getting interviews and audition rotations. Of course there are old skool Program Directors who think negatively about DO students and throw all their apps in the trash, but I believe this is not as common as once thought. But for a mildly competitive EM residency, they get thousands of apps for only a few spots, and they can be very selective when setting their criteria. Just goes to show that doing well on Step 1 is the absolute most important component in order to open up residency opportunities in all fields (except for FM, PM&R, and Psych).
Is there any charting outcome data for just DO applicants in the NRMP match? I would be curious to see it.
Your posts are USUALLY decent but you have been slipping recently (esp. today)... You have to re-start utilizing some of those critical thinking skills that I know you posses...
You have been reading too much into few OMS-IVs posts at a time when everyone is really nervous about outcomes.
I'm pretty sure that the charting outcome data about independent applicant board scores does not include DO applicants. In the document it says, "Almost all of the applicants who did not have Step 1 scores were osteopathic medical school seniors and graduates who either take an alternative examination (the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, or COMLEX-USA) or who take the USMLE exams but whose data are not shared with the AAMC." And if you look at the number of DO applicants that matched a particular ACGME speciality and you compare that number to the number of unknown scores, they usually are the same or similar. So, for example, if you look at the EM info posted above, there were 181 people that matched EM with unknown boards scores and in 2011 there were 177 DOs that matched PGY1 EM and 4 that matched PGY2 EM.
Unnecessary.
I'm pretty sure that the charting outcome data about independent applicant board scores does not include DO applicants. In the document it says, "Almost all of the applicants who did not have Step 1 scores were osteopathic medical school seniors and graduates who either take an alternative examination (the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, or COMLEX-USA) or who take the USMLE exams but whose data are not shared with the AAMC." And if you look at the number of DO applicants that matched a particular ACGME speciality and you compare that number to the number of unknown scores, they usually are the same or similar. So, for example, if you look at the EM info posted above, there were 181 people that matched EM with unknown boards scores and in 2011 there were 177 DOs that matched PGY1 EM and 4 that matched PGY2 EM.
Battling massive hangover today. Critical thinking skills are shot. Looking back, pink text? Really?! What was I thinking?!
Bala, I don't know why you feel the need to attack me and nitpick every post I've made, but if it makes you feel like a real man then go for broke, son.