Help with interview process: DO vs MD

[rgrell]

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Hey all!
So I have had a couple mock interviews for medical school, and have a question I need help answering.
Why have you chosen MD schools over the choice of a DO program?
I really do not know how to answer this. I am interested in becoming an orthopedic surgeon and have worked in fields and researched in areas involving this aspect. I honestly haven't even considered DO school just because it isn't what I am interested in, yet I don't know how to word this for an interview setting. Frustration thy name is the interview.

 

[sideways]

Does your breath smell?

 

[ozzi22]

Hey all!
So I have had a couple mock interviews for medical school, and have a question I need help answering.
Why have you chosen MD schools over the choice of a DO program?
I really do not know how to answer this. I am interested in becoming an orthopedic surgeon and have worked in fields and researched in areas involving this aspect. I honestly haven't even considered DO school just because it isn't what I am interested in, yet I don't know how to word this for an interview setting. Frustration thy name is the interview.

you know, there is a search box on the top right corner

 

[anfleisch]

I dont think you will really get that question at US allo schools. I never did after 15 interviews or so.

 

[bige11]

you know, there is a search box on the top right corner

Come on this is easy.... Just say that you appreciate the role osteopathic physicians have in medicine but you do not want part of your time in medical school devoted to learning the techniques of MFR and other techniques because you would rather learn and practice fact based medicine. Furthermore, you have studied the residency match lists for each school respectively and believe that you would have a much better chance of getting the residency of your choice at a Allopathic school. Also, osteopathy really concentrates on primary care, an while you have an interest in primary care you wouldnt want to cheapen the medical school experience without experiencing each discipline... plus, there are generally more research opportunities at Allopathic schools..... Of course re word that and do away with my run on sentences.....

 

[ozzi22]

Come on this is easy.... Just say that you appreciate the role osteopathic physicians have in medicine but you do not want part of your time in medical school devoted to learning the techniques of MFR and other techniques because you would rather learn and practice fact based medicine. Furthermore, you have studied the residency match lists for each school respectively and believe that you would have a much better chance of getting the residency of your choice at a Allopathic school. Also, osteopathy really concentrates on primary care, an while you have an interest in primary care you wouldnt want to cheapen the medical school experience without experiencing each discipline... plus, there are generally more research opportunities at Allopathic schools..... Of course re word that and do away with my run on sentences.....

ha, like you would have the balls to say that at an allopathic interview

 

[sideways]

Come on this is easy.... Just say that you appreciate the role osteopathic physicians have in medicine but you do not want part of your time in medical school devoted to learning the techniques of MFR and other techniques because you would rather learn and practice fact based medicine. Furthermore, you have studied the residency match lists for each school respectively and believe that you would have a much better chance of getting the residency of your choice at a Allopathic school. Also, osteopathy really concentrates on primary care, an while you have an interest in primary care you wouldnt want to cheapen the medical school experience without experiencing each discipline... plus, there are generally more research opportunities at Allopathic schools..... Of course re word that and do away with my run on sentences.....

Clearly the advice of a premed.

 

[bige11]

Clearly the advice of a premed.

What exactly would you say? It sure worked for me......

 

[sideways]

What exactly would you say? It sure worked for me......

Not sure how to answer you, other than to say that you sound like a ****** tool.

 

[organdonor]

For me the allo school was cheaper.

If you are going to an allo school because it may make it easier to get into competitive specialties then say that. I imagine that would be the most common reason. Besides the cost.

Btw I've never heard anyone being asked this.

 

[bige11]

Not sure how to answer you, other than to say that you sound like a ****** tool.

Well it clearly isn't worded well being that I'm typing on my iPhone. It is just a few ideas for potential talking points. Take it or leave it.

Not sure why people get so personal and rude without any reason at all. Best of luck to all of you, and instead of calling names, why don't you advance the conversation with a few ideas of your own...

 

[bige11]

Btw, to be clear, when you say fact based medicine it isn't that osteopathic schools don't teach fact based medicine, it that you don't want to spend the time they ask you to on the uniquely osteopathic..... I can see how that sounded smug.....

 

[ozzi22]

Dont you guys get it, OP is a troll. He/she wants you guys be bashing at yourselves.

 

[anfleisch]

If the questions somehow does come up (which it wont), then just spin it in to the why you want to goto that school question. There is usually a lot more research at allo schools and they are often the big city trauma centers with the big names.

 

[bige11]

Have terrible troll radar

 

[235009]

This question will never come up for the simple fact that MD schools are not concerned that any applicant will ever choose a DO school over an MD school. You might however be asked "why [insert school name here]?"

On the other hand DO schools ask the "why DO?" question because they are very concerned that applicants are using their schools as a backup in case they don't get into an MD school.

 

[HAV000]

I dont think you will really get that question at US allo schools. I never did after 15 interviews or so.

This question will never come up for the simple fact that MD schools are not concerned that any applicant will ever choose a DO school over an MD school. You might however be asked "why [insert school name here]?"

On the other hand DO schools ask the "why DO?" question because they are very concerned that applicants are using their schools as a backup in case they don't get into an MD school.

+2. Hopefully this gives you peace of mind OP

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

I'll add a third instance to the posts above by saying that never came up in the 10 interviews I went on. Never happened to anyone I know as far as I know either.

 

[bige11]

I'll add a third instance to the posts above by saying that never came up in the 10 interviews I went on. Never happened to anyone I know as far as I know either.

It came up for me, but in this context:

I was asked what I was going to do if I didn't get into medical school (my interviewer knew I was a reapplicant and pushed me here) I responded by saying that I had applied to Osteopathic schools and already gained an acceptance, and basically explained that I really wanted to go to an allopathic school, but that if I didn't get in I had found another avenue that would allow mr to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. He then asked me why allo over osteo, and the response I gave is pretty much what I said in the previous post. I didn't care to learn the osteo techniques and only wanted to focus on fact based medicine, I thought research opportunities were better, and residency opportunities would be better but did wind all of that in to also why I wanted to go to that particular school. So while I agree the question is rare for the reasons given above, it can be asked!

 

[patel2]

It came up for me, but in this context:

I was asked what I was going to do if I didn't get into medical school (my interviewer knew I was a reapplicant and pushed me here) I responded by saying that I had applied to Osteopathic schools and already gained an acceptance, and basically explained that I really wanted to go to an allopathic school, but that if I didn't get in I had found another avenue that would allow mr to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. He then asked me why allo over osteo, and the response I gave is pretty much what I said in the previous post. I didn't care to learn the osteo techniques and only wanted to focus on fact based medicine, I thought research opportunities were better, and residency opportunities would be better but did wind all of that in to also why I wanted to go to that particular school. So while I agree the question is rare for the reasons given above, it can be asked!

you invited him to ask you the question, and then gave him some canned response that you had clearly prepared in advance.

It's highly unlikely an allo interviewer will ever ask "why MD and not DO" unless you volunteer some information that prompts it.

 

[mauberley]

you invited him to ask you the question, and then gave him some canned response that you had clearly prepared in advance.

It's highly unlikely an allo interviewer will ever ask "why MD and not DO" unless you volunteer some information that prompts it.

Heh. Yeah, in bige11's case, assuming that the interviewer did just ask "what would you do if you didn't get into med school" the direct answer would simply be to say you already have an acceptance, without also saying that it's an an osteopathic school. That was just leading the interviewer. Or, just answer it as a hypothetical.

 

[nlax30]

While this may be a troll post thread and I also agree that this question will not be brought up unless you steer in that direction..... I do just want to add that you do want to be careful what you say because even though you may be interviewing at an allo school the interviewer might be a DO. Just as if you were unknowingly talking to a PhD or a physician of a certain specialty, you don't want to disparage their degree or specialty.

 

[235009]

Heh. Yeah, in bige11's case, assuming that the interviewer did just ask "what would you do if you didn't get into med school" the direct answer would simply be to say you already have an acceptance, without also saying that it's an an osteopathic school. That was just leading the interviewer. Or, just answer it as a hypothetical.

This is a good point.

Saying you already have an acceptance then saying that you would much rather go to the school you are currently interviewing at raises your stock. However saying you have a DO acceptance only to go on and basically tell the interviewer that you lied your way in since clearly you must've gone to that interview and told them that OMM was the bee's knees makes you look insincere and desperate.

I do just want to add that you do want to be careful what you say because even though you may be interviewing at an allo school the interviewer might be a DO. Just as if you were unknowingly talking to a PhD or a physician of a certain specialty, you don't want to disparage their degree or specialty.

Another good point. And even if you know your interviewer is an MD because their nametag is right infront of you it is a very bad idea to take this negative route because you don't know what your interviewer's view is ...imagine after you trash DOs the interviewer goes "actually my wife is a DO" ....what then?

 

[bige11]

Fwiw my interviewer liked my response and went on to say his neice was in DO school for same reason. Also I got in so it didn't hurt me. It's also important to note, again, that responses to interview must absolutely be conversational and not canned responses. It impossible to mimic the conversational nature of an interview and the delivery of your response in a forum such as this.

 

[bige11]

Also, I did originally say I had gained acceptance somewhere else and he asked me where. I couldn't lie.

 

[mauberley]

However saying you have a DO acceptance only to go on and basically tell the interviewer that you lied your way in since clearly you must've gone to that interview and told them that OMM was the bee's knees makes you look insincere and desperate.

Heh. I don't necessarily hold that against him. I think a certain amount of bull^H^H^H^Htruth-stretching is expected to take place at interviews.

 

[Genius1984]

.....

 

[jvesco22]

I have a great background and choose DO over MD schools. I applied late in season (January 15th of this year) and so far I got accepted to every school I applied to. I'm a great player of this medical game. If you want to go into a specialty like Orthopedic Surgeons, Cardiovascular/Cardiac Surgeons, Radiology, and etc. you have to compete for a few residency spots against alot of people.

I plan to go to be a Neurosurgeon.The great thing about being a DO, you can apply to both MD and DO residencies which increases my chances of doing exactly what I want to do. Alot of undergraduates have this bad image in their head that they would get treated different by their MD counterparts, but I think this misconception can only be valid if you actually worked or shadowed physicians because I shadowed and worked in a hospital and I don't see any discrimination. We are all physicians here to serve our community and to satisfy our hopes and dreams to make a difference. Oh yea, in DO school we get free massages so that helped too in my decision lol...j/k

I don't even know how to respond to this post.

 

[patel2]

I have a great background and choose DO over MD schools. I applied late in season (January 15th of this year) and so far I got accepted to every school I applied to. I'm a great player of this medical game. If you want to go into a specialty like Orthopedic Surgeons, Cardiovascular/Cardiac Surgeons, Radiology, and etc. you have to compete for a few residency spots against alot of people.

I plan to go to be a Neurosurgeon.The great thing about being a DO, you can apply to both MD and DO residencies which increases my chances of doing exactly what I want to do. Alot of undergraduates have this bad image in their head that they would get treated different by their MD counterparts, but I think this misconception can only be valid if you actually worked or shadowed physicians because I shadowed and worked in a hospital and I don't see any discrimination. We are all physicians here to serve our community and to satisfy our hopes and dreams to make a difference. Oh yea, in DO school we get free massages so that helped too in my decision lol...j/k

not sure how that logic makes any sense. It's cool that you preferred DO, but it certainly will not set you up better for these fields. Yes, you can apply to both, but <5 DOs match into ACGME Ortho last year, and the fields you listed have pretty big DO bias in the MD world.

In regards to DO residencies in these fields, they are still proportionately less than MD.

 

[Genius1984]

.....

 

[235009]

I have a great background and choose DO over MD schools. I applied late in season (January 15th of this year) and so far I got accepted to every school I applied to.

I don't have anywhere near a subpar academic background and had scores to get into Cornell (the only MD school I applied to and got an interview, but didn't get in for another reason).



It don't matter that the number of DO residencies in these fields is lower than MD. If there are 30 MD spots and 10 DO spots, that mean I can apply to 40 spots. MD students can only do their 30 available spots. DO students know the same material as MD students, but get over 300 more hours of OMM. So I'm just as competitive as my MD counterparts if I do just as well as them on my STEP exams. This is just my way of playing this medical game and if you don't know this is game then you are about to be surprised when you enter medical school. (My dad is a Cheif of medicine at a hospital, so I think I know a little bit about what I'm talking about)

oh so it turns out you didn't get into every school you applied to nor did you have a choice between MD and DO because you didn't actually get into any MD schools. does your dad work at cornell? is that why you got an interview there?

OMM is most useless in neurosurgery so that's 300 hours of your life that would be completely wasted ...no chance at all to use OMM as a neurosurgeon ...not sure how that would be a plus in any way

your logic is very rudimentary ...it's basically how a 12 year old would think and you ignore all the nuances ....you are pretending that you will have the same shot at the MD residencies as a DO but we all know that is absolutely false when it comes to specialties of high and medium competitiveness.

 

[Tapepsi]

Yeah like everyone has been saying I was not asked at any of my allo interviews why MD.

However, at both osteo interviews I was asked why DO, and the first one I was caught by surprise and I guess made it sort of sound like it was a fall back (honesty that backfired) and I was rejected even though I thought the rest of my interview went fine and my stats were above their averages. Even the second interview I couldn't make myself sound enthusiatic b/c well...I'm not interested in OMM and whatever other differences they have. Oh well...

Besides, I never really got the whole osteopathic philosophy. As a physician I will have a holistic view of the patient regardless of the type of school I go to.

 

[Genius1984]

.....

 

[Genius1984]

Yeah like everyone has been saying I was not asked at any of my allo interviews why MD.

However, at both osteo interviews I was asked why DO, and the first one I was caught by surprise and I guess made it sort of sound like it was a fall back (honesty that backfired) and I was rejected even though I thought the rest of my interview went fine and my stats were above their averages. Even the second interview I couldn't make myself sound enthusiatic b/c well...I'm not interested in OMM and whatever other differences they have. Oh well...

Besides, I never really got the whole osteopathic philosophy. As a physician I will have a holistic view of the patient regardless of the type of school I go to.

Yes you right Tapepsi, at the end of the day we all just want to be physicians and the DO and MD labels don't really matter once you start practicing. I see you got into Penn State University, Congratulations!!!!

 

[Tapepsi]

Yes you right Tapepsi, at the end of the day we all just want to be physicians and the DO and MD labels don't really matter once you start practicing. I see you got into Penn State University, Congratulations!!!!

Thanks! I'm really excited! 🙂

Yeah I mean once you start practicing, no one cares if you're a D.O. or M.D. A doctor is a doctor.

 

[235009]

You are irrelevant and ignorant. That is the only reply you will receive from me.

sorry i know the truth hurts

 

[DaTruMD]

sorry i know the truth hurts

 

[FIREitUP]

sorry i know the truth hurts

lol, not to DO hate, but OMM is kind of a waste for me and the bigger price tag coupled with the high and mighty "holistic approach" (which apparently you won't do as an MD) really turned me off.

 

[DrBowtie]

not sure how that logic makes any sense. It's cool that you preferred DO, but it certainly will not set you up better for these fields. Yes, you can apply to both, but <5 DOs match into ACGME Ortho last year, and the fields you listed have pretty big DO bias in the MD world.

I don't dwell too much into stats because its soo many factors that can be misleading. One of the main reasons <5 DO match into ACGME for orthro may be misleading is because most DO schools let people into ther institutions who shouldn't be in medical school in the first place. Some get in with subpar GPAs and MCATs and some do mediocre on their STEPs and expect to get into these highly competitive specialities. I don't have anywhere near a subpar academic background and had scores to get into Cornell (the only MD school I applied to and got an interview, but didn't get in for another reason).



It don't matter that the number of DO residencies in these fields is lower than MD. If there are 30 MD spots and 10 DO spots, that mean I can apply to 40 spots. MD students can only do their 30 available spots. DO students know the same material as MD students, but get over 300 more hours of OMM. So I'm just as competitive as my MD counterparts if I do just as well as them on my STEP exams. This is just my way of playing this medical game and if you don't know this is game then you are about to be surprised when you enter medical school. (My dad is a Cheif of medicine at a hospital, so I think I know a little bit about what I'm talking about)

What you're failing to realize is that your "40" apps is really about "15-20" apps since there are many NS programs who won't consider DOs at all or at a bias.

Your best bet will be those "10" DO programs.

 

[DrBowtie]

And you won't be asked about DOs in MD schools as there isn't a perception of an MD as being a backup and screening out for that.

 

[FIREitUP]

not sure how that logic makes any sense. It's cool that you preferred DO, but it certainly will not set you up better for these fields. Yes, you can apply to both, but <5 DOs match into ACGME Ortho last year, and the fields you listed have pretty big DO bias in the MD world.
What you're failing to realize is that your "40" apps is really about "15-20" apps since there are many NS programs who won't consider DOs at all or at a bias.

Your best bet will be those "10" DO programs.

Dude, his dad is chief of medicine at a hospital /thread.

 

[orthomyxo]

(My dad is a Cheif of medicine at a hospital, so I think I know a little bit about what I'm talking about)

So, is Cheif of Medicine anything like Chief of Medicine?

 

[FIREitUP]

So, is Cheif of Medicine anything like Chief of Medicine?

i before e except after f, idiot.