How hard it to match as a DO?

[Deepa100]

Hi,
If I go the DO route, will I need to take the USMLE as well as the COMLEX to get licensed? Will I have difficulty getting into the residency programs?
Thanks!

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[Terpskins99]

Hi,
If I go the DO route, will I need to take the USMLE as well as the COMLEX to get licensed? Will I have difficulty getting into the residency programs?
Thanks!

You are not required to take the USMLE to become licensed. However, doing well on the USMLE Step 1 can help make you more competitive for certain allopathic (ACGME) residencies. Because of this, many (not most) DO students take it.

In terms of difficulty matching, it depends entirely on the specialty. Highly selective residencies with very few spots (e.g. Dermatology, Otolaryngology) are difficult to match regardless of whether you are an MD or DO. But certain ACGME specialties have always been notoriously difficult to match as a DO (e.g. neurosurgery, integrated plastic surgery). Keep in mind, there are osteopathic residency equivalents in almost every specialty (including neurosurgery) and they only take in DO's.

Fields with many positions (e.g. internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine) are not at all difficult to match (barring a desire to place at a specific competitive region/institution... say Internal Medicine at Mass General, Pediatrics at UCSF or CHOP).

 

[DragonWell]

Hi,
If I go the DO route, will I need to take the USMLE as well as the COMLEX to get licensed?

No, Only COMLEX is required for licensure.

Will I have difficulty getting into the residency programs?
Thanks!

It totally depends on which residency programs you are talking about. Making yourself the best applicant you can is the best way to avoid difficulties.

 

[DrMidlife]

You have to take/pass COMLEX to graduate DO school, and you have to graduate to get licensed. You'll be licensed as a DO, not an MD, so the MD board exams aren't a licensing yardstick.

There are at least three types of residencies: AOA (aka "DO"), ACGME (aka "MD"), and military. Within any of these types, there are more and less competitive specialties. And whether you go AOA, ACGME or military, yes, it is very difficult to get a competitive residency. "Difficult" here means that you need excellent med school grades, excellent board scores, excellent evaluations, excellent interview skills, etc. to succeed against strong competition. There are still some ACGME residencies where being a DO is effectively a dealbreaker, but the majority of programs have been "broken into" by now.

COMLEX scores are used to evaluate you for all AOA residencies and some less-competitive ACGME residencies.

You have the option to also take the USMLE, if you want to try for more-competitive ACGME residencies.

Note that there are multiple steps to both boards, where each has a step 1 which is taken after preclinical years, and step 2, with or without a clinical skills evaluation, which you take before you graduate. Step 1 is the more important exam for residency selection. Some DOs only take USMLE step 1 on their way to an ACGME residency, but again, the more competitive the residency, the more work you have to do.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Deepa100]

Thanks to all of you who responded.
So, if IMGs can take the USMLE tests and become M.D in the U.S, why can't the DOs take USMLE and become M.D + D.O? Not trying to look smart, just trying to understand

 

[JaggerPlate]

Thanks to all of you who responded.
So, if IMGs can take the USMLE tests and become M.D in the U.S, why can't the DOs take USMLE and become M.D + D.O? Not trying to look smart, just trying to understand

If you want an 'MD' behind your name, then an osteopathic med school isn't the thing for you. IMG schools grant the 'MD' degree, US osteopathic medical schools grant the DO degree. It doesn't matter how you are licensed or where you completed a residency, the degree doesn't ever change.

 

[Bacchus]

IMGs are taking the USMLE's so they have a chance at an allopathic residency in the US. Their country licenses them as an MD so therefore they must take the USMLE to get into a residency here.

 

[Terpskins99]

Thanks to all of you who responded.
So, if IMGs can take the USMLE tests and become M.D in the U.S, why can't the DOs take USMLE and become M.D + D.O? Not trying to look smart, just trying to understand

Because medical degrees are not given simply for passing an exam. Board certification is just one component of obtaining a degree. If you wish to obtain an MD, you need to be enrolled in an allopathic program and complete all of their academic requirements.

That said, you can (and some people do) pass all three steps of USMLE and COMLEX to become double-board certified. It is by no means necessary, but some do it.

 

[a817]

Thanks to all of you who responded.
So, if IMGs can take the USMLE tests and become M.D in the U.S, why can't the DOs take USMLE and become M.D + D.O? Not trying to look smart, just trying to understand

An IMG has been granted his degree from whatever country he did med school in. The United States doesnt grant the IMG's their degree. DO's and IMG are both allowed to obtain allopathic resdencies in the US. DO does not have to take the USMLE for some allopathic resdencies but if you are shooting for a pretty competitive resdency, you have two choices only take the comlex and apply for DO resdencies for that specialty, or take the USMLE also apply to allopathic resdencies.

Honestly either an IMG or DO will match into something, if he or she wants to and passes all their exams. If you want a difficult residency ex ENT,Plastics, derm, you have to work very hard from day one, and you have the option to apply for osteo resdencies which are resdencies that a MD cant apply to.

 

[Anton Chigurh]

Which residencies are we talking about here? Allo ROAD specialties, yes, you'll find it more difficult. Osteo ROAD specialties, probably not as difficult because you're competing only against other DOs, but the limited number of seats probably makes it just as difficult to match. All other specialties, no, you won't have a problem depending on where you want to match. Desirable locations like the midwest can make it more difficult to match, and less desirable locations on either coasts are much easier.

So...it really depends on what you want to specialize in and where you want to do it.

 

[fireflygirl]

I'm not trying to be rude or anything but to the OP, and anyone else that may have similar questions, you may want to try and search for this because it seriously has been talked about a lot. It just might make it easier for you to get information on these topics faster. Also, check out the AOA website: http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm.

But as an initial response you do not have to take both exams; however, for more competitive residencies or if you decide you want to be in an ACGME residency it will be important to take the USMLE as well. Another option if you don't want to take two exams, as another poster mentioned, is to apply to DO residencies which offer the same types of specialties as an MD residency would. You may also want to check out the match lists of other schools to get a better sense of the match process.

 

[Terpskins99]

Which residencies are we talking about here? Allo ROAD specialties, yes, you'll find it more difficult. Osteo ROAD specialties, probably not as difficult because you're competing only against other DOs, but the limited number of seats probably makes it just as difficult to match. All other specialties, no, you won't have a problem depending on where you want to match. Desirable locations like the midwest can make it more difficult to match, and less desirable locations on either coasts are much easier.

So...it really depends on what you want to specialize in and where you want to do it.

I don't think anesthesiology is difficult to match.

 

[JaggerPlate]

I don't think anesthesiology is difficult to match.

There are two competing views on the 'ROAD' issue:

1. They are the 'lifestyle' specialties - meaning that people want these because they give you the most regular life (err something), and this theory really doesn't take into account the difficult of matching.

2. They are the most competitive to match into (for whatever reasons). So Gas doesn't work in this category, but apparently does in the first (though I think it's still fairly competitive, especially to match MD).

 

[bluemonkey]

I'm planning to start a home business mailing kit service just in case...

 

[TexasTriathlete]

If you are a ****ty DO with bad scores and bad marks on rotations, then you will probably have a hard time matching into something competitive.

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[JaggerPlate]

If you are a ****ty DO with bad scores and bad marks on rotations, then you will probably have a hard time matching into something competitive.

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Did you know though that if you go to an MD school you can just partay and barely pass, but still land integrated plastics and dermatology??? That's what a pre-allo told me ... they know everything.