had this happen to you?

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jisu23

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Just got accepted into a couple DO schools, but relatives from HK and even the US are urging me to consider applying to foreign medical schools (Ireland). I suspect it's largely due to their misconception of the profession in its present day as opposed to say...35 years ago.

Anyone been in the same situation? Any advice? They mean well, but I can't seem to convince them that osteopathic medicine nowadays is on par with "traditional" medicine and not just a sort of complementary medicine like chiropracting

[edit]
I'd also like to note that i am really excited about being a D.O., especially in California (I'm a native ;)) OMM's gonna be awesome too! although i've heard that many choose not to use it, i feel that it can prove pretty useful in some situations and having such tools available at all times is definitely a plus.
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Just google some articles or successful D.O.'s and show them that MD = DO > offshore med grads. Or you can just tell them to f*ck off and you are old enough to do whatever you want with your life.
 
pseudoMCAT45 said:
Just google some articles or successful D.O.'s and show them that MD = DO > offshore med grads. Or you can just tell them to f*ck off and you are old enough to do whatever you want with your life.
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Haha. I like Pseudo's approach.

To the OP, you know the real deal. You worked hard and you will be rewarded for it. I know it's frustrating. I have a friend in the health care field who asked me if DO's are competent physicians. :eek: I tried to explain it to him, but I don't think he got it. But I just don't care anymore. I worked my a** off to get to this point. No one can take that away from me.
 
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dochomer said:
haha. I like pseudo's approach.

To the op, you know the real deal. You worked hard and you will be rewarded for it. I know it's frustrating. I have a friend in the health care field who asked me if do's are competent physicians. :eek: I tried to explain it to him, but i don't think he got it. But i just don't care anymore. I worked my a** off to get to this point. No one can take that away from me.
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amen!!!
 
pseudoMCAT45 said:
Just google some articles or successful D.O.'s and show them that MD = DO > offshore med grads. Or you can just tell them to f*ck off and you are old enough to do whatever you want with your life.
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Agreed. Anyone out there over the age of 18 on here who listens that much to your parents clearly needs to grow up. Your parents shouldnt be choosing your career for you. It also shows that you probably dont want to go into medicine for the sake of helping people, but instead just want to please your parents so they can brag about how successful you will be while they drink earl gray tea with their yuppy friends
 
Oh by the way OP, I meant that if you actually gave up DO to go to Ireland. Im assuming you are smarter than that
 
OP, if you want to practice in the U.S. it will be very, very hard to get a residency spot here. Most foreign (non-US accredited school) grads end up doing years of research trying to obtain a residency spot, even if they are American or have no VISA issues. You should go with what you want to do. You know what career a DO has even if your family doesn't.
 
yup.. definitely happened to me too..
even my relatives who are currently in the US healthcare field tells me to either wait a year (to improve my MCAT... etc) or go to a carribean school...
this, of course, made my mom worry.
my mom (who's a nurse) basically went to work one day and ask one of the MD that she works with .. if there's any difference...
Not only did that MD say she think it's equivalent, she actually said that she think some of her DO collegues practice better than some of her MD collegues.. and that seems to do the trick..
now my mom supports me 100% in my pursue to become a DO..

to OP, don't practice medicine for others, practice for urself
u and I and many others know that DOs are just as competent as MDs
To me, there's no DO or MD, there's only good doctor and bad doctor..
no matter where u go to school and what's the tittle behind ur name
as long as u have a passion in helping others and came out a competent doctor, I am sure ur relatives will come to the realization that they are the same..

anyways, just my 2 cents.. hope u make the right decisioN!!!
 
My mom actually encouraged me and supported my decision to pursue DO schools (she's an RN).

The rest of my family, well, I don't care what they think, because they don't know **** about healthcare to begin with. Why would I want their opinion on what medical schools are going to be best for ME? I just tell them "Sure, i'm going to school to be a doctor." They don't need to know anymore than that.

And finally, I work in an ER. I've heard nothing but positive things when discussing my decision to go DO - and they all seem to agree that you're better off as DO from an American school than an MD from a foreign one. Plus, one of the MDs has a kid going to DO school. So I feel I've gotten lucky - supportive people all around :)
 
thanks for all the input!

drctother said:
Oh by the way OP, I meant that if you actually gave up DO to go to Ireland. Im assuming you are smarter than that
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heh no worries there. It's just been frustrating trying to explain to them when they're tuning me out, but i know what brought me here...only way is to show em what's up.
 
I think it's more important what you believe than what your family believes. From what I hear from the docs I work with, it is harder to get a residency coming back as a FMG grad and even securing rotations in your 3rd and 4th years. Many say given the choice between the two, they would go DO. However, I do not feel that you should go DO if you do not believe in the philosophy, especially since there are many people who do and would love to be in your position. Be happy with what you believe in and don't let others pressure you into doing something you do not want to do. In my experience in the ER, I think both DOs and MDs can make equally excellent physicians and one particular DO physician stands out to me as being one of the best docs I have ever met period.
 
jisu23 said:
Just got accepted into a couple DO schools, but relatives from HK and even the US are urging me to consider applying to foreign medical schools (Ireland). I suspect it's largely due to their misconception of the profession in its present day as opposed to say...35 years ago.

Anyone been in the same situation? Any advice? They mean well, but I can't seem to convince them that osteopathic medicine nowadays is on par with "traditional" medicine and not just a sort of complementary medicine like chiropracting
Click to expand...

It depends on what your career goals are. If you want your best shot at practicing medicine in the United States, you should go to an accredited medical school in the U.S. If you are considering a competitive specialty, such as neurosurgery, urology, dermatology, etc, etc, your best odds are attending a U.S. LCME-accredited allopathic medical school. I am saying this as a matched 4th year from a DO school, so I certainly don't have a "negative DO bias." Even then, the odds will be against you to match derm (etc) with the increasing competitiveness of the match. You can match derm, neurosurgery, etc as a DO but it won't be easy. Even though there are DO-specific residencies they are numbered and very competitive. If you aren't hell-bent on being a neurosurgeon (as in neurosurgery or rather not practice medicine), then I think going the US DO route is better than attending school in Ireland IF you want to practice medicine in the US. As of right now, the general thought is US MD then US DO then US IMG (with all other things equal). Even without a need for visa, attending medical school in a foreign country will put you at a distinct disadvantage. You should go where you would be most happy, because if you're not happy where you go to medical school, you will not live up to your fullest potential. If you don't like the thought of attending osteopathic school or think DO education is inferior or are worried about what your family thinks about DOs then please don't go to DO school (because if you think those things, you will likely regret it). Look at the DO forum and the FAQs there. Look at the foreign medical school forum and look at the FAQs there. Then make the best decision for YOU. That said, I do not regret going to DO school and matched at my top choice pediatric residency program. I know that doesn't sound impressive as radiology to pre-meds, but it is my top choice and I am so excited! Good luck in your decision.
 
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Bitsy said:
That said, I do not regret going to DO school and matched at my top choice pediatric residency program. I know that doesn't sound impressive as radiology to pre-meds, but it is my top choice and I am so excited! Good luck in your decision.
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That sounds very impressive to me :thumbup:. Ped is one of my top choice too!

pseudoMCAT45 said:
Just google some articles or successful D.O.'s and show them that MD = DO > offshore med grads. Or you can just tell them to f*ck off and you are old enough to do whatever you want with your life.
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Well said there
 
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You can show them successful DOs, or better yet, try to research their docs and maybe even find a DO in the mix. My family has seen a DO PCP for 20 years, and (although I didn't get any comments when applying) I would have just said Dr X is a DO had it come up.

Keep in mind though that they are super, super wrong. Going to a foreign medical school like the Caribbean really goofs with your residency options, and going to a foreign school that isn't catered to the US model (like Ireland) is going to ensure you have a hard time taking Step I, etc, and screw you for residency.
 
Bitsy said:
That said, I do not regret going to DO school and matched at my top choice pediatric residency program. I know that doesn't sound impressive as radiology to pre-meds, but it is my top choice and I am so excited! Good luck in your decision.
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Hell yeah, Peds is up there for me too :p Thanks for the insight!
 
JustAGuy said:
I had a similar experience with my Chinese in-laws. They asked an American guy they have known for 20 years who opened an English school in China, since that makes him an expert on US medical education, and he told them DO schools are garbage and that I would be lucky to find a job after graduation. So they are very opposed to me going to a DO school. I was so happy when I got my first acceptance letter, but my celebration was cut short by them. They had nothing nice to say about it and only complained to me and my wife. They pretty much complain at every opportunity. My wife tried to show them SDN and all the successful DO's who post here, but they think this website is run and staffed by osteopathic school administrators trying to fatten their pockets. I couldn't make this stuff up. *sigh*
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Wow. This is why I am so happy my parents dont care what I do (meaning they didnt care if i did medicine or engineering or blah blah). Most of my friends are asian ( I go to a school where its like 90% asians in my science classes) and I always hear about the horror stories of their families. The family pressure in asian families is absolutely ridiculous.

One kid in my class got KICKED OUT of his house because he got a B+ in a class! Like kicked out on the streets. He had to go live with his friends and start working part time. How ridiculous is that?! Kind of defeats the purpose of parenting.

At in my classes, its pretty well accepted every single Asian person HAS TO go into medicine or Law, anything else is not acceptable lol so I feel your pressure, i saw it all undergrad

Good luck! I say still go for DO, when you show up your in nice sports car they will shut up. (im only saying that because clearly something extreme like that would need to be done to shut them up)
 
drctother said:
Oh by the way OP, I meant that if you actually gave up DO to go to Ireland. Im assuming you are smarter than that
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Eh... its not the end of the world going either way. I had a friend who scored a 28 and was devastated. He ended up going to Ireland and is having the time of his life over there.

I would just pick what you are happiest with. Either option will get you to the same place you want to go. I plan to attend a DO school and my family thinks I'm going to be a "bone doc".
 
mechanictodr said:
Eh... its not the end of the world going either way. I had a friend who scored a 28 and was devastated. He ended up going to Ireland and is having the time of his life over there.

I would just pick what you are happiest with. Either option will get you to the same place you want to go. I plan to attend a DO school and my family thinks I'm going to be a "bone doc".
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Please quit giving out bad advice ... it's not the same thing, not by any means. Schools that don't cater to the US model don't prep you for the USMLE. In certain cases, you could be completely on your own to take it, and this could put you in a world of hurt. Furthermore, the most important aspect of going to medical school is landing a residency. FMGs match way, way worse than DOs into ACGME residencies (48% vs 70%). It's fine to say, at a pre-medical level, go and have fun ... you'll be fine, but the fact is that there are implications you aren't considering at this point, and they are the most important.
 
jagger, it's possible that this friend in ireland plans on staying there. their future intentions aren't mentioned. and if someone is having the time of their life somewhere, why leave?
 
The Poet Sings said:
jagger, it's possible that this friend in ireland plans on staying there. their future intentions aren't mentioned. and if someone is having the time of their life somewhere, why leave?
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I dont think its quite that simple. I dont believe its either to stay in Ireland as an American (unless u have citizenship) or Australia if you do Med there.

But thats a WHOOLE other topic
 
The Poet Sings said:
jagger, it's possible that this friend in ireland plans on staying there. their future intentions aren't mentioned. and if someone is having the time of their life somewhere, why leave?
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Doubtful ... but if that's the case, then he's fine. However, I think the OP's original question was about going out of country and then returning to the US to practice. In this case, DO is a far better choice in every category.
 
that's right...and i put my foot down. the matter's settled :) thanks everyone!
 
drctother said:
I dont think its quite that simple. I dont believe its either to stay in Ireland as an American (unless u have citizenship) or Australia if you do Med there.

But thats a WHOOLE other topic
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although it is a whole other topic, i always thought the point of letting in international students was the hope that they'd stay in your country to practice. that was just my logic. especially since it's much more effort to practice in a country other than the one you studied in. and you lost me on the word "either". did you mean easier?

JaggerPlate said:
Doubtful ... but if that's the case, then he's fine. However, I think the OP's original question was about going out of country and then returning to the US to practice. In this case, DO is a far better choice in every category.
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ya i know that the op's situation was definitely what you said, but i thought maybe the other person was just saying that even though their friend ended up in another country, they're having a jolly old time and might even stay (considering how hard it would be for them to come back, anyways). but maybe i thought too much into that.

jisu23 said:
that's right...and i put my foot down. the matter's settled :) thanks everyone!
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what have you decided?
 
jisu23 said:
I decided to go with the DO school. I was already pretty set with my decision...I just wanted to see how others have dealt with this situation.
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Tell them to watch Dr Will Kirby, DO on Dr 90210.
 
^^

Yup. He can definitely be a bit on the 'd-bag' side from time to time, but I respect the guy for thinking outside the box and becoming as successful as he has, especially with the Dr Tatoff branding and expansion. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's a DO dermatologist :D
 
JaggerPlate said:
Please quit giving out bad advice ... it's not the same thing, not by any means. Schools that don't cater to the US model don't prep you for the USMLE. In certain cases, you could be completely on your own to take it, and this could put you in a world of hurt. Furthermore, the most important aspect of going to medical school is landing a residency. FMGs match way, way worse than DOs into ACGME residencies (48% vs 70%). It's fine to say, at a pre-medical level, go and have fun ... you'll be fine, but the fact is that there are implications you aren't considering at this point, and they are the most important.
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I am so sorry oh wise and all knowing Jagger. Please forgive me for being so much less perfect than yourself. :bow:
 
HAHAHA, his ploy worked in this thread ...

A troll was banned last week (via me), so he came back with a vendetta and made an account called JagerPlate (only one G) he's now pretending to be me on the forums ... he is not. LOL.

I apologize, it will be cleared up asap.
 
mechanictodr said:
Dude, I'm not the one with nearly 6500 posts... I think I can take it. I do SDN when I'm at work and all the patients are sleeping.
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What does the number of posts have to do with anything??? If you can take it, quit bringing it up. You gave bad advice. It's not the end of the world, but I don't know what you're expecting from me when you say things like I implied you were incredibly stupid or something.
 
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