How did you know?

[Buckeye(OH)]

Forgive me if I don't word this in a manner which is easily understandable.


For those of you that know DO is the way you want to go, perhaps you can answer the following question as I ponder the schools that I wish to apply for for the upcoming application cycle.


Like most aspiring physicians, being a doctor has been for as long as I can remember, my "calling" Now, with that said, as I grew older I assumed that to mean I would be pursuing the degree of MD. However, clearly that is not the only route to take.


I think the question I am asking is, when/how did you decide that you wanted to do DO rather than MD? Did you always want to do DO?


I'm not sure if that's an understandable question, but prod me a little bit and I'm sure Ill be able to get it out in a way you guys can understand.



Adrian

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[DORoe]

Alright I'll give this a shot. I think that at first I had no preference and applied to both because I wanted to be a doctor. I made the decision to go DO after researching the philosophy, especially the OMM aspect of Osteopathic medicine. I also had my decision confirmed after interviewing at WVSOM and OUCOM. The students at both schools seemed very happy and the administration was really kind and helpful. I guess you could say that I "fell" into Osteopathy and found the landing very soft.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

See, that's what I seem to hear the most. That most people *seem* to apply to both and choose the path that is most successful (meaning, the type that they get into).


I am curious to know, are there people that only apply to DO schools?

Would it be considered wrong if I said at this point I really don't have much of a preference?


Adrian

 

[DocRadak]

Whats up Adrian,

I personally did apply to only D.O. schools. I have, like you, always wanted to become a doctor. I was talking with a MD student friend of mine and he told me about osteopathic medicine and how he wished he would have at least applied to some D.O. schools. I have always looked up to this guy, and decided that if it was good enough for him, I'd check it out. I did as much research as possible on osteopathic medicine and everything I read, from the philosophy to the successful cases, turned me on to it even more. I shadowed a couple D.O.s to see what it was like, and how much different it was from the allopathic physicians I had shadowed. It was, to my suprise, not much different in terms of family practice, but the D.O.s seemed to have a much better and stronger relationship with their patients. I believe that I am most definitely a "people person" and love just sitting down and getting to know people. I decided after a short time the osteopathic route was the way to go for me, and applied to 10 schools Oct. 2003. I got accepted to my top choice school, LECOM, and will be attending the Bradenton class of 2008.

Best of luck to you in your decision process and I hope you end up where you want to be. Whether it be osteopathic or allopathic, you'll be a physician regardless and doing what you have always wanted to do.

Peace,

Ryan

 

[Aaron Earles]

Hey Adrian,

I personally applied to both MD and DO schools. I applied 4 times before I was accepted anywhere. I couple of years ago, I was placed on an alternate list, but failed to get a spot.

I applied to both to enhance my chances of gaining acceptance. I only applied to schools that I thought that I could be happy attending. The DO route, in my humble opinion, has some great advantages. So far, of the six schools I applied to, I have been accepted to two, denied interviews at two, and still have not heard from the others. I must admit, when I first applied to DO schools in 1999, I did it as a failsafe. However, I interviewed at a couple of DO schools and found that I preferred the DO route over the MD route the past couple of years. I am not suggesting that DOs are better, just the route that I prefer.

When I interviewed at PCSOM, the was amazed at the comarderie of the students and faculty. They did everything possible to make sure that we left with a good impression of the school, and it worked. WVSOM is also a great med school. On the flip side, University of Louisville, WVU, and Marshall are great schools. I had a bad experience with WVU, but I still feel that they are an excellent institution with a lot to offer future MDs.

I think either way you go, you will be satisfied that you have achieved your main goal of becoming a fully licensed physician. No one can really convince you that either route is best for you, you must research and find where YOU will be the happiest. Anyway, I wish you luck in your application cycle and would be happy to assist you in any way possible.

BTW, what part of Columbus do you live in? My brother lives in Canal Winchester. I like Columbus.

Aaron

 

[DireWolf]

I suggest applying to both. Then go to the best school you get into- whether it's MD or DO. That's what I did and it's working out so far.

Both types of schools are identical except for the 2 years of OMT. So I would base my decision solely on individual schools- not whether it's MD or DO.

 

[sportsmedicjim]

I also applied to both and had to make the tough choice between MD and DO schools.

I chose the MD program based on cost (14 K a year) and not having to move my family.

Sincerely,

Jim
MUSC
College of Medicine
Class of 2008

 

[Amy B]

I applied only MD the first time a few years ago, simply because there wasn't any DO schools in Virginia at that time. I was accepted to WVU (MD), but really did not want to go, hated the town and the housing and in the end my husband couldn't find a job and it was too far to commute home on weekends. After being on the waitlist at MCV (MD) and then rejected the week of classes starting, I decided I didn't want to apply again.

Well that lasted all of one year and then I felt the urge to apply again. My MCAT is expiring so I knew this was it. I applied to MD and DO, was accepted to both and chose DO. I really fell in love with VCOM (DO). It truely felt like home when I was there and I knew that is where I wanted to go. I grew up 25 miles from Blacksburg, so in a sense it feels a bit like home.

I knew about the DO profession because I had a DO as my family doc for all my childhood years. So it was a easy choice for me.

I would encourage all who are applying, especially older, nontrads, to give the DO profession a serious look over. You might be pleasently surprised.