honest question

[twick121]

I have an honest question for people going DO. This is not me trying to start a fight or flame. And yes, I do understand the difference between DO and MD and the different way of approaching problems from the DO way of thinking.

This is my question. Are there any of you out there that DO is your honest first choice? Or is it a backup plan (but in my opinion a good backup plan) for you?

I am just curious as to whether there are people that believe really strongly in the DO way of thinking, so much that they'd prefer DO over MD. I just have no idea.

Again, I know this could be a touchy subject, my intent is not to start a fight

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[Static Line]

I have an honest question for people going DO. This is not me trying to start a fight or flame. And yes, I do understand the difference between DO and MD and the different way of approaching problems from the DO way of thinking.

This is my question. Are there any of you out there that DO is your honest first choice? Or is it a backup plan (but in my opinion a good backup plan) for you?

I am just curious as to whether there are people that believe really strongly in the DO way of thinking, so much that they'd prefer DO over MD. I just have no idea.

Again, I know this could be a touchy subject, my intent is not to start a fight

WTF, are you kidding me? read all the modern posting going on. doesn't even require a search.

 

[MaximusD]

I have an honest question for people going DO. This is not me trying to start a fight or flame. And yes, I do understand the difference between DO and MD and the different way of approaching problems from the DO way of thinking.

This is my question. Are there any of you out there that DO is your honest first choice? Or is it a backup plan (but in my opinion a good backup plan) for you?

I am just curious as to whether there are people that believe really strongly in the DO way of thinking, so much that they'd prefer DO over MD. I just have no idea.

Again, I know this could be a touchy subject, my intent is not to start a fight

SDN Pre-osteo has been rather tense the last couple of months, you may unitentionally cause a flame-war. Oh well... Nate likes to close threads anyway. kidding, of course.

You are correct, many use DO as a backup plan. For me, I view DO as being the same as MD with a very small and arguably a superficial difference in OMM... Because of that, I applied to both MD and DO concurrently, and was PLEASED when I received interview invites and acceptances to the DO schools that gave me a shot.

With that said, I am entirely unsure of whether I would have taken a comparable MD acceptance over my PCOM acceptance. For instance, if Drexel had interviewed and accepted me, my choice may have been MD. I do believe that MD keeps a few doors open that may not otherwise be the case. In Pennsylvania, the choice to apply to both was a no-brainer. With PCOM having a stellar reputation and LECOM churning out additional DOs, the state is very DO-friendly in most areas. Other regions of the country may be different.

The name of the game is the maximizing your opportunities. Would I have taken a U of Penn or Penn State acceptance over PCOM... yes, without a doubt. But it is not because of MD vs DO it is because they are powerhouse names with stellar reputations. Same goes for any of the top-ranked institutions. It may be that these institutions offer a lesser clinical training than PCOM, but I am a firm believer in keeping as many options open as possible for as long as possible...

There is no simple answer that generalizes to all people. Rather, the choice to go DO is dependent upon your regional preference, your desire for top allopathic residencies (some of which ARE STILL OBTAINABLE WITH DO), and your self-confidence.

If you do not want to explain to people what DO or after four years of intense training you would feel cheated in some way, go MD.

If you do not want to have an impossible or uphill battle for, say, Hopkins Neurosurgery, go MD.

If you want to become a great physician and that is your chief concern, DO is an excellent option.

If you want to do research, DO schools are becoming increasingly involved in research but the major grants typically go to larger academic powerhouses -- mostly MD (exceptions: UMDNJ-SOM, OSUCOM, MSUCOM, and to a lesser extent, PCOM and NYCOM..)

If you want the opportunity to practice medicine in ANY field of medicine, DO CAN TAKE YOU THERE.

Going MD is simpler and the more beaten path, IMHO. But there are some great DO schools available. You would be doing yourself a tremendous disservice by not even considering an application to some of the major DO programs.

 

[StrengthDoc]

I'm posting here only so you (OP) can have easy access to my posting history since I have addressed this at least twice already. See 5/21 and 5/10.

 

[Crookshanks]

WTF, are you kidding me? read all the modern posting going on. doesn't even require a search.

Oh COME ONE Static Line, be a little nicer. Sometimes people who are relatively new to SDN aren't familiar with how to navigate through it as well and don't spend too much time on here. He/She just asked a simple question. If you feel the answer is already posted somewhere else, why don't you just direct them to that spot by posting the link to the thread.

Personally, I think I like the DO philosophy a bit better, but I'm still learning more about it, and haven't read any books on it yet. I have the impression that the DO's I know have better bedside manners, and that the Osteopathic school's are more family friendly (which is something I REALLY want). I will be applying to MD and DO schools, and the 2 DO schools in my state are in my top five preferred schools, out of the +/-10 schools in my state.

 

[Dr JPH]

I have an honest question for people going DO. This is not me trying to start a fight or flame. And yes, I do understand the difference between DO and MD and the different way of approaching problems from the DO way of thinking.

This is my question. Are there any of you out there that DO is your honest first choice? Or is it a backup plan (but in my opinion a good backup plan) for you?

I am just curious as to whether there are people that believe really strongly in the DO way of thinking, so much that they'd prefer DO over MD. I just have no idea.

Again, I know this could be a touchy subject, my intent is not to start a fight

I was looking heavily at 2 schools.

PCOM (DO) and UCONN (MD)

My reasons for wanting to go to UCONN were largely financial...it was my state school.

My reasons for wanting to PCOM were largely geographic...I had been in Philly for 4 years and wanted to stay here.

In the end PCOM won out. I went on 2 interviews (PCOM and NYCOM), and politely withdrew my UCONN application.

I was accepted to and matriculated at PCOM.

I am now graduating and entering a surgical residency program. I also did an extra year at PCOM in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. This will be important for my future academic career.

I dont look back at my decision and wonder what would have happened. I think your decisions are largely influenced by the position you are in when you make the decision. Thus, my decision to become a surgeon could possibly have only come from my experiences on rotations as a PCOM student. If I had gone elsewhere, different experiences might have influenced me to do something else. Hard to say and honestly, not worth thinking about.

Best of luck.

 

[spicedmanna]

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

 

[Static Line]

Oh COME ONE Static Line, be a little nicer. Sometimes people who are relatively new to SDN aren't familiar with how to navigate through it as well and don't spend too much time on here. He/She just asked a simple question. If you feel the answer is already posted somewhere else, why don't you just direct them to that spot by posting the link to the thread.

When I first discovered SDN I went through several pages and multiple posts just looking for info. Because there were some many redundant postings and so many people telling the redundant posters to search I looked around for some time before I asked my first dumb question. Yes, it was dumb. If that is the problem this poster has they haven't even looked over this first page. There are so many wars going on between the preosteo and osteo threads right now that if one were to read them they would get many questions answered. You're right I could be a little nicer but what is the fun in that?

 

[VALSALVA]

I applied to a mix of MD and DO. Interviewed at 2 MD and 3 DO. Ranked the five programs ignoring degree designation. Got my second choice, which happened to be a DO school.

Knowing what I know now about credentialling and potential licensing issues, I would have ranked the two MD schools highest. But hindsight is 20/20, ain't it?!

 

[nlax30]

I applied to both MD and DO and in the end am very happy with the final results. Being married and having to take into consideration my wife's career choice and where we would like to live, we wanted to stay in Florida for now and at LECOM I'll be near Tampa, much larger area than the "rural" setting of the state MD school I was looking at.

 

[phluidradiation]

I applied to both, since I really wanted to be a physician. But the more time I spent with osteopathic physicians, the more they clicked with me. In retrospect I kind of noticed that during the application process I started putting more "ughmph" into my osteo applications. I just generally had a more enjoyable time visiting osteo schools than allo schools. They seemed much more friendlier to me.
I've already started getting the barrage of questions relating to osteo and it's kind of fun explaining to people my perspective on the osteo philosophy, esp. since I just finished a history of medicine course and can understand AT Still's situation more clearly.
But then again, what do I know- I'm still an MS-0 until the fall! See you in july nlax30!

 

[supernareg]

okay, to end the thread, mod's should lock it up AFTER my post.


to answer the OP's question.... YES.... 90% of the DO matriculants are matriculating because they got REJECTED by MD. plain and simple. Then they say "I view DO as being the same as MD with a very small and arguably a superficial difference in OMM... " or something of the like, to make themselves feel better. the other 10% are the ones who truely like the whole "DO philosophY" and would want to get into it. but dont let the 90% fool you and say "i chose DO because i wanted to..." they chose DO cause they HAD to, they had no where else to go and MD rejected them.



:::::::: Putting on my flame suit:::::::::::

 

[DrMom]

depends on the school

at my school a good 50% had an MD acceptance & turned it down to go DO. another chunk chose to only apply DO

 

[Animus]

okay, to end the thread, mod's should lock it up AFTER my post.


to answer the OP's question.... YES.... 90% of the DO matriculants are matriculating because they got REJECTED by MD. plain and simple. Then they say "I view DO as being the same as MD with a very small and arguably a superficial difference in OMM... " or something of the like, to make themselves feel better. the other 10% are the ones who truely like the whole "DO philosophY" and would want to get into it. but dont let the 90% fool you and say "i chose DO because i wanted to..." they chose DO cause they HAD to, they had no where else to go and MD rejected them.



:::::::: Putting on my flame suit:::::::::::

I would put on a "flame suit" too if I was trying to start a flame war by the stupid things I said.

I give your great generalization backed by no evidence a 1/10. It has been done too many times before...

 

[spicedmanna]

okay, to end the thread, mod's should lock it up AFTER my post.


to answer the OP's question.... YES.... 90% of the DO matriculants are matriculating because they got REJECTED by MD. plain and simple. Then they say "I view DO as being the same as MD with a very small and arguably a superficial difference in OMM... " or something of the like, to make themselves feel better. the other 10% are the ones who truely like the whole "DO philosophY" and would want to get into it. but dont let the 90% fool you and say "i chose DO because i wanted to..." they chose DO cause they HAD to, they had no where else to go and MD rejected them.



:::::::: Putting on my flame suit:::::::::::

Ha, nice try, Super. I'm not going to add gasoline to an already incendiary post. I'm going to add some water instead.

There are camps on both ends, for sure. I think your numbers are clearly arguable, and you know that. Regardless of all this inane, sophomoric focus on nomenclature, the simple truth of the matter is that people who pursue either MD or DO want to be physicians. The path you choose is pretty much up to you. And, yes, it's most often a conscious choice, at some point, or another, in the process. My hope is that folks who make the choice to become a DO are in alignment with that choice, for their own peace of mind. As for me, I have that sense of peace.

Peace,

Spiced.

 

[StrengthDoc]

:::::::: Putting on my flame suit:::::::::::

No need, just put on your troll suit. Oh, wait, you're already wearing it.

 

[StrengthDoc]

Ha, nice try, Super. I'm not going to add gasoline to an already incendiary post. I'm going to add some water instead.

There are camps on both ends, for sure. I think your numbers are clearly arguable, and you know that. Regardless of all this inane, sophomoric focus on nomenclature, the simple truth of the matter is that people who pursue either MD or DO want to be physicians. The path you choose is pretty much up to you. And, yes, it's most often a conscious choice, at some point, or another, in the process. My hope is that folks who make the choice to become a DO are in alignment with that choice, for their own peace of mind. As for me, I have that sense of peace.

Peace,

Spiced.

Well said.

 

[Juneau]

It seems that some posters know thousands of pre-medical students and medical students in order to state that 90% of matriculants are choosing osteopathic because they could not get into an allopathic school. Wow.

I chose my school for several reasons. One being my closest friend of 15 years and best man at my wedding is a DO, and he has nothing but good things to say about it. Another reason was the staff that I had met. One more reason is the location, I wanted to get away from the city. One more reason is that I wanted to be the first class to graduate, my Colonel in the Air Force was the first to graduate from his school and said it was a great experience. And, I know it is hard to believe, but I didn't give the allopathic schools a chance to once I was accepted. I didn't want to go the Memphis, Vanderbilt is...well not for me, and ETSU would have been ok, but I chose DCOM.

I did apply to all state schools and three out of state schools. One out of state being OSU, where my friend graduated, and two in Florida, where my brother-in-law lives.

Now I am no child, like posters that can't believe that someone actually chooses an osteopathic institution over an allopathic one, even if they are not hard core OMT, and I made my choice from experience and knowledge. What everyone needs to realize is that school choices are personal and if you feel you need to justify your choice...go somewhere else.

 

[supernareg]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

 

[nlax30]

Ha, nice try, Super. I'm not going to add gasoline to an already incendiary post. I'm going to add some water instead.

There are camps on both ends, for sure. I think your numbers are clearly arguable, and you know that. Regardless of all this inane, sophomoric focus on nomenclature, the simple truth of the matter is that people who pursue either MD or DO want to be physicians. The path you choose is pretty much up to you. And, yes, it's most often a conscious choice, at some point, or another, in the process. My hope is that folks who make the choice to become a DO are in alignment with that choice, for their own peace of mind. As for me, I have that sense of peace.

Peace,

Spiced.

Well said.... thanks for being a voice of reason.

 

[Animus]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

Shut up already no one cares about your worthless information. How about instead of caring about this issue you do us all a favor and go learn something.

It has been said time and time again in hundreds of threads that yes, some people choose DO, others resort to DO. Its no secret and it does not really matter. In the end, as Spiced said, everyone is a Physician. That is the goal and that is all that matters.

Thanks for nothing, as usual.

 

[nlax30]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

Again, you're just pulling anecdotal stats out of thin air. At least for me, a lot more goes into a decision like this than strictly looking at if it's allopathic or osteopathic.

 

[DrMom]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

well, not everyone makes the same decisions.

 

[StrengthDoc]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

How are you not banned yet??

 

[Juneau]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

I understand that it is difficult for you to look at things from someone else’s point of view, but you as an individual can only state what you would do. Each and every one of us has chosen our schools for many different reasons. The more mature and experienced (age has nothing to do with maturity nor experience) of us tend to not look at the degree granted by the institution, but at the numerous other factors such as location, opportunities, economics, cost-of-living, and how our families will enjoy the area as well, since they are going through this too.

So it seems you need to grow a little and try to view things from multiple views before stating something as fact.

 

[white_n_nerdy]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

Dude,
I only applied to DO schools. Why, I do see a difference between MD and DO. Is one better than the other? Probably not. But, I see an absolute advantage in being in the minority. Everyone states that MDs are the majority and have a definite advantage. Maybe, but sometimes being different is good. And I will use that to my advantage. You, on the other hand are obviously a troll. From researching your other posts, I can see from your grades that you have no chance of ever being a physician. So, the world does need ditch diggers. Good luck and let me know how that works out for you.

 

[Static Line]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

i went from:

1st year: 2.3 community college
2nd year 2.5 CC
3rd year 3.7 where i transferred to a university.
4th year Currently attending.

These are your stats that you posted on another thread. That 3.7 was just for your 3rd year but I highly doubt all those art classes you took 3rd year will bolster all the science D's and C's you made during your first two. After it is combined with all your C's and D's it might improve to a 2.8 or 2.9 but your sciences are still way, way, way down there. Since you like to drag the bottom I bet you are a great BASS fisherman. What a looser!

Burger King is hiring though!

 

[Dr JPH]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

Prove it.

 

[DragonWell]

I have an honest question for people going DO. This is not me trying to start a fight or flame. And yes, I do understand the difference between DO and MD and the different way of approaching problems from the DO way of thinking.

This is my question. Are there any of you out there that DO is your honest first choice? Or is it a backup plan (but in my opinion a good backup plan) for you?

I am just curious as to whether there are people that believe really strongly in the DO way of thinking, so much that they'd prefer DO over MD. I just have no idea.

Again, I know this could be a touchy subject, my intent is not to start a fight

I had a relatively strong MCAT, very good transcript and years of work and volunteering in the medical field, and, in spite of my advisor's advice, I only applied to DO schools. I'm not some brainwashed DO philosophy spouting drone, but I am a little older and have had the opportunity to see lots of docs, both MD and DO, in action. I also know myself well enough to know what fits me, where I will be happy and what I want to get out of my career. I have a background in manual therapy and I like having the training and options that the DO degree offers me.

I have yet to meet anyone, other than pre-meds, who has anything other than positive comments when I say that I am studying Osteopathic Medicine.

 

[scpod]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

Not necessarily. I chose my school really just on the basis of geography. I applied to my two state MD schools because the tuition was low, but I really wanted to go to some place warmer. There's very little chance of out-of-staters getting into Florida MD schools, so I applied to the osteopathic ones. I had a couple of friends who were DO's so I was faliliar with osteopathic med schools. I went to NSU-COM and really didn't like it all that much. It's a great place...I just didn't think it was for me. I fell in love with Bradenton when I went there chiefly because of PBL. I still almost went in-state MD school, and would have except for the fact that Bradenton's tuition is only 5 grand a year more than my state MD schools were. My two main criteria were really money and location-- I feel lucky to have won on both accounts.

To me, MD or DO really didn't matter at first, but I really have become more comfortable with my decision as time has passed. I never realized that there was a "stigma" attached to DO schools until I came to SDN. Granted, my home state has a fairly small number of DO's, so most of the residents (including my college pre-med advisor) really don't know what a DO is, but I was fortunate enough to know ahead of time. Still, I never met up with the "stigma" until I got here.

After being informed a little more about DO schools (by me), the pre-med advisor at my undergrad university began suggesting this path for a bunch of his students. The problem with most pre-med advisors is that they never applied to, got accepted to, or attended a medical school. Many of them really don't have a clue, other than what they've read in a book. As far as I know, I was the first graduate from my university to go to a DO school in the last 15 years at least. However, the last cycle saw several students pick DO schools over the two in-state MD schools.

Yes, there are a whole lot of people who would choose MD over DO given the chance, mostly due to ignorance of the profession...and your 90% figure is probably speculation based on ignorance as well. You should be careful about throwing around figures like that.

 

[peppy]

Well, I had a pretty good MCAT but ended up being late to apply thanks to a LOR snafu. I ended up being waitlisted at two MD schools. However, I didn't bother to follow up with them (didn't do the whole "letter of intent" thing or anything like that, even though at one of those interviews I had been told the school expected us to suck up to them a bit with a followup letter ) because I was satisfied with the DO acceptance I already had by that point.
I'm still very happy with my school and have no regrets. I've had some great teachers here. I found out quickly that I do not really like OMM all that much, but it is still nice to know it just in case it ever comes in handy, and I do feel that I have learned more about neurology, sports medicine, and such thanks to the OMM slant of things than I would have at an MD school. Having a solid foundation in the principles of primary care is helpful in any field, really. As I get ready to take the USMLE (just to keep my options open), I feel secure that I can hold my own with the MD kids.
Oh, I'm about to start my clinical rotations at a hospital that has both DOs and MDs working together.
If the MD was that important to us, even the worst DO student could have gotten into a Carribean school, frankly.
Do you notice or care if your dentist is a DMD versus a DDS? Probably not. That's how little the vast majority of the world notices or cares about the difference between a DO and MD.

My advice to pre-meds is: Apply to both DO and MD schools. It's just plain smart to keep your options open to the extent possible. Then, focus on going to a school where you like the atmosphere and that is organized in a way that you think will make it the easiest for you to learn. Personally, I think I got a lot more out of the lecture-based 2nd year here at my DO school than I would have from the PBL based format that dominates the 2nd year of our sister MD school.

 

[DocBR]

My school rankings:

1) In-state MD school because of tuition (17k/year)
2) In state DO school (#1 in everyway but tuition)
3+) everything else was a wash.

While my first choice was an MD school, it was not because of the degree.

 

[jathan007]

Not necessarily. I chose my school really just on the basis of geography. I applied to my two state MD schools because the tuition was low, but I really wanted to go to some place warmer. There's very little chance of out-of-staters getting into Florida MD schools, so I applied to the osteopathic ones. I had a couple of friends who were DO's so I was faliliar with osteopathic med schools. I went to NSU-COM and really didn't like it all that much. It's a great place...I just didn't think it was for me. I fell in love with Bradenton when I went there chiefly because of PBL. I still almost went in-state MD school, and would have except for the fact that Bradenton's tuition is only 5 grand a year more than my state MD schools were. My two main criteria were really money and location-- I feel lucky to have won on both accounts.

To me, MD or DO really didn't matter at first, but I really have become more comfortable with my decision as time has passed. I never realized that there was a "stigma" attached to DO schools until I came to SDN. Granted, my home state has a fairly small number of DO's, so most of the residents (including my college pre-med advisor) really don't know what a DO is, but I was fortunate enough to know ahead of time. Still, I never met up with the "stigma" until I got here.

After being informed a little more about DO schools (by me), the pre-med advisor at my undergrad university began suggesting this path for a bunch of his students. The problem with most pre-med advisors is that they never applied to, got accepted to, or attended a medical school. Many of them really don't have a clue, other than what they've read in a book. As far as I know, I was the first graduate from my university to go to a DO school in the last 15 years at least. However, the last cycle saw several students pick DO schools over the two in-state MD schools.

Yes, there are a whole lot of people who would choose MD over DO given the chance, mostly due to ignorance of the profession...and your 90% figure is probably speculation based on ignorance as well. You should be careful about throwing around figures like that.

Very well said!!!!

 

[jathan007]

Well, I had a pretty good MCAT but ended up being late to apply thanks to a LOR snafu. I ended up being waitlisted at two MD schools. However, I didn't bother to follow up with them (didn't do the whole "letter of intent" thing or anything like that, even though at one of those interviews I had been told the school expected us to suck up to them a bit with a followup letter ) because I was satisfied with the DO acceptance I already had by that point.
I'm still very happy with my school and have no regrets. I've had some great teachers here. I found out quickly that I do not really like OMM all that much, but it is still nice to know it just in case it ever comes in handy, and I do feel that I have learned more about neurology, sports medicine, and such thanks to the OMM slant of things than I would have at an MD school. Having a solid foundation in the principles of primary care is helpful in any field, really. As I get ready to take the USMLE (just to keep my options open), I feel secure that I can hold my own with the MD kids.
Oh, I'm about to start my clinical rotations at a hospital that has both DOs and MDs working together.
If the MD was that important to us, even the worst DO student could have gotten into a Carribean school, frankly.
Do you notice or care if your dentist is a DMD versus a DDS? Probably not. That's how little the vast majority of the world notices or cares about the difference between a DO and MD.

My advice to pre-meds is: Apply to both DO and MD schools. It's just plain smart to keep your options open to the extent possible. Then, focus on going to a school where you like the atmosphere and that is organized in a way that you think will make it the easiest for you to learn. Personally, I think I got a lot more out of the lecture-based 2nd year here at my DO school than I would have from the PBL based format that dominates the 2nd year of our sister MD school.

Nice food for thought!!!

 

[MaximusD]

I hope your goal is to just hold your own, though. Best of luck and congrats on your accomplishments!

Well, I had a pretty good MCAT but ended up being late to apply thanks to a LOR snafu. I ended up being waitlisted at two MD schools. However, I didn't bother to follow up with them (didn't do the whole "letter of intent" thing or anything like that, even though at one of those interviews I had been told the school expected us to suck up to them a bit with a followup letter ) because I was satisfied with the DO acceptance I already had by that point.
I'm still very happy with my school and have no regrets. I've had some great teachers here. I found out quickly that I do not really like OMM all that much, but it is still nice to know it just in case it ever comes in handy, and I do feel that I have learned more about neurology, sports medicine, and such thanks to the OMM slant of things than I would have at an MD school. Having a solid foundation in the principles of primary care is helpful in any field, really. As I get ready to take the USMLE (just to keep my options open), I feel secure that I can hold my own with the MD kids.
Oh, I'm about to start my clinical rotations at a hospital that has both DOs and MDs working together.
If the MD was that important to us, even the worst DO student could have gotten into a Carribean school, frankly.
Do you notice or care if your dentist is a DMD versus a DDS? Probably not. That's how little the vast majority of the world notices or cares about the difference between a DO and MD.

My advice to pre-meds is: Apply to both DO and MD schools. It's just plain smart to keep your options open to the extent possible. Then, focus on going to a school where you like the atmosphere and that is organized in a way that you think will make it the easiest for you to learn. Personally, I think I got a lot more out of the lecture-based 2nd year here at my DO school than I would have from the PBL based format that dominates the 2nd year of our sister MD school.

 

[VALSALVA]

if you were offered and MD acceptance and DO.... 90% would choose the MD. hands down.

This is a DO that would have taken the MD acceptance...but only in hindsight. So I guess I can't necessarily support your statement. It could be true, but I would guess it's more like 80/20 or 70/30.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Knowing what I know now about credentialling and potential licensing issues, I would have ranked the two MD schools highest. But hindsight is 20/20, ain't it?!

What does this mean? Can you expand on it please?

 

[Static Line]

What does this mean? Can you expand on it please?

I suspect the only credentialing issues he is talikng about is the 5 states that give you a hard time for not doing a preexisting approved AOA 1 year internship. Personally I don't see those rules holding much water very much longer. The AOA is already caving in a little bit and now has 3 plans to get approved for your internship. There are also other rules that allow you to get around the internship rules but it requires your time which in residency many don't want to waste their time trying to please the AOA so what needs to get done for AOA approval never gets done. This is the main antiquated AOA rules that will be disappearing before long and the momentum for doing so is gaining strength.

However the name is here to stay.