How honest to be about reasons for seeking DO?

[futureNCmed]

Ok, so I'm a MD re-applicant this application cycle and I decided (very late in the game, I know) to throw in a few DO schools for good measure this year. I submitted my AACOMAS primary in mid-October (still waiting for verification, of course). Since I know full-and-well the handicap of applying this late in the cycle, I am trying to get a head start on the secondary prompts and I need some advice about the "why Osteopathic Medicine" question that seems to be found in so many of them.

The truth of the matter is, I decided to try out the Osteopathic route because I REALLLY don't want to go another full year before starting Med School and I figured my chances are better at DO schools then at MD schools.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an Allopathic snob by any means... the truth is I knew pretty much nothing about osteopathic medicine until very recently. Some of my mentors (all MDs) suggested this as a very promising alternative if I don't get in.

So... after all that wordage... here is the question: Is there any way to sugar coat this for my secondaries? Or should I just be honest and up-front about my reasons?

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[ShyRem]

A quick search will show you various ways folks have come up with why DO. You can still be honest without being snooty about it, or you can quickly do a search and come up with something about osteopathic medicine. Truly, the lines between the two are so slim these days I find it a shame they ask the question. Generally most folks do a quick search about what is osteopathic medicine and then write about treating the whole person (which is easy to come up with if you've ever been a patient). If you're into function (physical therapy for example), you can weave that into your essay as well.

Personally, when I applied I chose honesty but tempered with personal patient experience and curiosity. It served me well. I really had no other choice - if I did some BS it would have shown through as soon as they met me. I'm really a brutally honest kind of person. I don't BS well at all.

So I guess it all comes down to being true to who you are. If you're honest, be honest but temper it with curiosity. If you're a good BS'er (and some are), then go for it and make it work for you.

 

[rddoms]

Shadow a DO a bit, and that may also give you some ideas. Honesty is not a bad idea, but your wording is definitely important.

 

[djd2187]

Shadow a DO a bit, and that may also give you some ideas. Honesty is not a bad idea, but your wording is definitely important.

Definitely shadow a D.O., it will give you more of a idea about the principles. But, if you do not have time for shadowing, then I would suggest reading on some of the principles.

I related how "hollistic approach" of osteopathic medicine can be used to treat diseases rather than a symptom based approach.

 

[Tekar]

I was the same. The first time allopathic schools said I wasn't something enough. I had a life, a marriage, a family, overtime working and not enough to make the MCAT what it ought to be. I read the book "The D.O.'s" and found myself a home.

Then I applied to the DO schools on day one, 5 secondaries. I dropped MSU-COM because they required biochem and genetics: two classes I could not get in my post bac stuff. PNWU-COM took a long time to respond and wanted $200 for a secondary to a school with a disorganized 3rd and 4th year, IMHO. Waitlisted at RVU-COM and accepted to Midwestern PHX and Touro - NV two weeks after interviewing. I'm working in a clinical environment and working on an MPH full time as well. I fought my ass off to get into medical school and the osteopathic schools looked beyond a 24S and a 3.45 to say yes, please come, interview, and join us so we can teach you to be a doctor. Although, I have come to have a great deal more respect for the osteopathic schools, in the end, what do you call a graduate of an osteopathic school?

Don't let the elitism of the allopathic schools keep you from pursing what might very well be a better way to approach medicine. Yes, there are differences, but i compare the two like this. It's like the difference between an offensive minded head coach and a defensive minded head coach. Same game, same rules, same equipment, fundamentally different approach to the game. The Ravens and the Rams have shown that both are good. Don't throw away 200k a year because they keep teling you no.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

I was the same. The first time allopathic schools said I wasn't something enough. I had a life, a marriage, a family, overtime working and not enough to make the MCAT what it ought to be. I read the book "The D.O.'s" and found myself a home.

Then I applied to the DO schools on day one, 5 secondaries. I dropped MSU-COM because they required biochem and genetics: two classes I could not get in my post bac stuff. PNWU-COM took a long time to respond and wanted $200 for a secondary to a school with a disorganized 3rd and 4th year, IMHO. Waitlisted at RVU-COM and accepted to Midwestern PHX and Touro - NV two weeks after interviewing. I'm working in a clinical environment and working on an MPH full time as well. I fought my ass off to get into medical school and the osteopathic schools looked beyond a 24S and a 3.45 to say yes, please come, interview, and join us so we can teach you to be a doctor. Although, I have come to have a great deal more respect for the osteopathic schools, in the end, what do you call a graduate of an osteopathic school?

Don't let the elitism of the allopathic schools keep you from pursing what might very well be a better way to approach medicine. Yes, there are differences, but i compare the two like this. It's like the difference between an offensive minded head coach and a defensive minded head coach. Same game, same rules, same equipment, fundamentally different approach to the game. The Ravens and the Rams have shown that both are good. Don't throw away 200k a year because they keep teling you no.

Wow. That was beautiful. Well said.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Yes, I especially liked the analogy to football. Well done.










Go Niners!

 

[futureNCmed]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I have been doing some research and it turns out I agree with a lot of what osteopathic medicine is all about. I have always wanted to practice primary care medicine because I prefer to look at the patient as a whole rather then a sum of their parts. In fact a lot of the reasons I have for wanting to practice primary care rather then specialize are very much in line with osteopathic thinking it seems.

I have been in contact with a DO doc that works in the Emergency Dept. but unfortunately I can't shadow him until April b/c the hospital he works at is not allowing student shadowers until the H1N1 thing dies down. He is willing to sit down and talk with me over coffee so I plan to use this opportunity to learn some good stuff for my essays too (and get a DO LOR added to my list).

I'm hoping it's not too late to get interviews.... Oh well, at least if I don't get in this year to either a MD or DO school, at least next year I'll know the process of applying to DO and will be more familiar with AACOMAS and all that.

 

[sylvanthus]

I dont want to take the stars out of your eyes, but I want to give you a heads up before you enter DO school. There really is no difference between the philosophies of allopathic and osteopathic in the real world. The only difference in the training is OMT.

I entered DO school for the same reason you want to enter DO school and have been disappointed as the whole "osteopathic" philosophy really doesn't seem to exist.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I have been doing some research and it turns out I agree with a lot of what osteopathic medicine is all about. I have always wanted to practice primary care medicine because I prefer to look at the patient as a whole rather then a sum of their parts. In fact a lot of the reasons I have for wanting to practice primary care rather then specialize are very much in line with osteopathic thinking it seems.

I have been in contact with a DO doc that works in the Emergency Dept. but unfortunately I can't shadow him until April b/c the hospital he works at is not allowing student shadowers until the H1N1 thing dies down. He is willing to sit down and talk with me over coffee so I plan to use this opportunity to learn some good stuff for my essays too (and get a DO LOR added to my list).

I'm hoping it's not too late to get interviews.... Oh well, at least if I don't get in this year to either a MD or DO school, at least next year I'll know the process of applying to DO and will be more familiar with AACOMAS and all that.

 

[DrMcKittrick]

I second reading, "The DO's". It's a tad dry in places but if you want a good representation of DO history and politics it's there.

 

[rddoms]

I dont want to take the stars out of your eyes, but I want to give you a heads up before you enter DO school. There really is no difference between the philosophies of allopathic and osteopathic in the real world. The only difference in the training is OMT.

I entered DO school for the same reason you want to enter DO school and have been disappointed as the whole "osteopathic" philosophy really doesn't seem to exist.

If you look really closely, there are some subtle differences. OTM training makes students "hands-on" from the beginning, so that can cause minor differences in the way DO's approach their patients, no matter what specialty they practice.

Again, these are small differences, but they are there.

 

[FIREitUP]

lets be realistic; do you think a DO ER Doc will treat the patient much different than an MD ER Doc? The difference between MD and DO are so minute now that the distinction is being lost, and DO schools in a fleeting attempt to retain their identity flaunt their OMM (which I'm sure very few DO physicians employ) and their more "holistic" approach to medicine. Whether you're MD or DO I don't care as long as you make your patient's your priority and not the two letters after your name.

OP: you can appease the schools or be honest and say you want to be a physician and as a DO you will be able to become one and do the best for your patients.

 

[ShyRem]

Whether the "osteopathic philosophy" exists or not depends a great deal on what school you go to, what preceptors you have in rotations, etc. Had a wonderful cardiology rotation with a DO who was an outstanding model of treating the whole patient and the family.

As for EM, We had a wonderful lecture given by a bunch of EM docs who DO use OMT in the ED with great results for MSK pain. But I'm doing an EM rotation currently at a hospital full of DOs who don't do anything "osteopathic" in their care at all.

 

[iatros]

i, like most everyone else, applied to both.

the whole, "why DO" thing came up during two of my interviews. first and foremost, i told them i want to be a physician. i talked about the DO philosophy and how i can appreciate it and how i think OMM would be a great tool to have in the tool belt.

i gave an honest and concise but reasonable answer which apparently they found agreeable.

 

[SolanoDoc]

You should be honest but no condescending, and if you are going to tell them flat out you are looking at DO schools because you could not get into Allopathic schools you could get rejected because someone will get offended. From what I know, DO schools tend to be a lot more patient and community focused, while many MD schools tend to be more focused on research and academia.

 

[rddoms]

lets be realistic; do you think a DO ER Doc will treat the patient much different than an MD ER Doc? The difference between MD and DO are so minute now that the distinction is being lost, and DO schools in a fleeting attempt to retain their identity flaunt their OMM (which I'm sure very few DO physicians employ) and their more "holistic" approach to medicine. Whether you're MD or DO I don't care as long as you make your patient's your priority and not the two letters after your name.

OP: you can appease the schools or be honest and say you want to be a physician and as a DO you will be able to become one and do the best for your patients.

I am being realistic. I'm not talking about DO's in EM, surgery, etc. doing OMM. I'm saying that because DO's are hands-on from day one, they seem more comfortable with hands-on diagnosis, and patient contact in general. I have a friend who is a second year at an allopathic school, and he has had much less patient contact than me. I guarantee that I will be more comfortable with hands-on diagnosis, and patient contact in general, than him. This isn't a philosophical difference, but a difference in basic sciences training.

 

[FIREitUP]

I am being realistic. I'm not talking about DO's in EM, surgery, etc. doing OMM. I'm saying that because DO's are hands-on from day one, they seem more comfortable with hands-on diagnosis, and patient contact in general. I have a friend who is a second year at an allopathic school, and he has had much less patient contact than me. I guarantee that I will be more comfortable with hands-on diagnosis, and patient contact in general, than him. This isn't a philosophical difference, but a difference in basic sciences training.

Maybe that one school your friend is enrolled in doesn't integrate patient contact early in the game, but many allopathic schools are doing so by having trained actors feign illnesses and by having practice robots.

 

[rddoms]

Again, I am talking about OMM lab. I'm sure most schools have Standardized Patient encounters for their students, but allopathic students don't have OMM training (obviously). Because DO students have a lot more hands-on training from the beginning, the average osteopathic student will be a bit more comfortable with hands-on patient encounters than the average allopathic student.

Again this is a generalization, and one of those minor differences I was talking about.

 

[sylvanthus]

Do you not think it is a bit of false advertising for DO programs to state that they train their students to look at the "whole person" "mind body spirit" etc etc etc, when the only real difference is some musculoskeletal manipulation?

Personally, I think this smoke and mirrors nonsense is a disservice to those who were actually attracted to what was advertised.

 

[ShyRem]

This is why you should look carefully at the schools you apply to. Do your homework and look for the qualities you desire rather than just location. Not all schools are alike. There are DO schools that do emphasize "the whole person" and integration of OMM where appropriate. There are DO schools that flat out say first day 'OMM is a piece of crap that we have to get through - then you can forget it.'

 

[JaggerPlate]

OP: Do yourself a favor, BE HONEST. I can't even explain how easy it is for interviewers to read through someone who is rattling off slogans like 'treat the whole patient' ' holistic' etc. Really, there is nothing wrong with simply increasing your chances of becoming a physicians by adding a wider array of schools (which in your case, includes DO schools). Say that. Say that ' I really want to be a physician, I don't care about the letters behind my name, practicing medicine is my end goal.' Boom. Done, end of discussion. You were honest. If the school wants to take applicants that are more 'dedicated' to becoming an osteopathic physicians ... well, that's out of your control. But I can tell you that lying to ADCOMS, which they will see through, is a death sentence. KCOM even puts on their website not to 'recite brochures' to them during interviews.

 

[rddoms]

Do you not think it is a bit of false advertising for DO programs to state that they train their students to look at the "whole person" "mind body spirit" etc etc etc, when the only real difference is some musculoskeletal manipulation?

Personally, I think this smoke and mirrors nonsense is a disservice to those who were actually attracted to what was advertised.

I think you are right. While there are some differences, they tend to be very minor. I think a big part of the "Whole Person" philosophy comes down to how each person decides to practice. You can come from ANY medical school and practice "Whole Person" medicine, so advertising Osteopathic Medicine in that way is a trick.