How difficult as a DO for specialty residency?

[Dr Dazzle]

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I have heard very different opinions. How difficult is it to match into non primary care AOA residencies for competitive specialties? Is it more or less difficult than it is for MD students to match into the same competitive ACGME residencies?

 

[st2205]

I have heard very different opinions. How difficult is it to match into non primary care AOA residencies for competitive specialties? Is it more or less difficult than it is for MD students to match into the same competitive ACGME residencies?

I think the question you should be asking yourself is that if you, as a borderline applicant somewhere between MD and DO admission (presumed else why the question?), were to simply attend an MD school would that magically transform anything about your application besides the degree? If you're looking for reassurance, you need to also ask the counterpart question ("how difficult as an MD squeaking by admissions for specialty residency?").

To answer the question more directly, this varies by specialty. For the most part, a lot of it is going to depend on what your application looks like. You probably won't be matching at ACGME neurosurgery. Then again, if you're not getting a lot of love from MD schools for admissions then it'd be doubtful that four years later you'd be getting a lot of love from ACGME neurosurgery programs. On the flipside, however, you've closed a lot of doors in the AOA match. Based on your question, however, that's more of a moot point as you're asking about ACGME.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

What do you mean closed a lot of doors in AOA match? If I'm correct there are a lot of AOA competitive specialities which are maybe equally competitive for MDs?

 

[peppy]

Totally depends on the specialty. For example, Emergency Medicine as a DO? Not hard at all. There are plenty of DOs in EM. Radiation Oncology or MD derm would be far harder - but also hard for any random MD too.