How much does being a DO hinder you on the west coast?

[moxymed]

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Hi! I have searched ad nauseam for a complete discussion on the matter and came up dry for my concerns.

I'm only an OMS-I, but I think I want to be an allergist. I am doing my due diligence researching how this will play out if I am even successful.

I see a lot of job listings in SoCal and other west coast regions say: MD degree required. A couple years ago, they'd say: ACGME residency only. (Obv with the merger, this is less effective.)

The bottom line: there seems to still be prejudice against DOs in certain regions.

My heart will be broken if I do the research, the volunteering, the fellowship to be an allergist ... and I can't even practice near my family.

Please advise.

 

[Frogger27]

Hi! I have searched ad nauseam for a complete discussion on the matter and came up dry for my concerns.

I'm only an OMS-I, but I think I want to be an allergist. I am doing my due diligence researching how this will play out if I am even successful.

I see a lot of job listings in SoCal and other west coast regions say: MD degree required. A couple years ago, they'd say: ACGME residency only. (Obv with the merger, this is less effective.)

The bottom line: there seems to still be prejudice against DOs in certain regions.

My heart will be broken if I do the research, the volunteering, the fellowship to be an allergist ... and I can't even practice near my family.

Please advise.

Most of these jobs, particularly for what you are talking about (eg, primary care such as allergy), refer to a physician when they say MD, not a non-DO physician

 

[deleted898021]

Hi! I have searched ad nauseam for a complete discussion on the matter and came up dry for my concerns.

I'm only an OMS-I, but I think I want to be an allergist. I am doing my due diligence researching how this will play out if I am even successful.

I see a lot of job listings in SoCal and other west coast regions say: MD degree required. A couple years ago, they'd say: ACGME residency only. (Obv with the merger, this is less effective.)

The bottom line: there seems to still be prejudice against DOs in certain regions.

My heart will be broken if I do the research, the volunteering, the fellowship to be an allergist ... and I can't even practice near my family.

Please advise.

LOL the md degree thing prbly only means physician and no np/pa’s (more of a sementics thing) and NO LOL being a carribean grad is not better than being a DO on the west coast, it’s NOT even close, look at the rosters for schools like OHSU and Loma Linda, U Wash, to name a few, you often see DO’s across all specialties and you seldom see carribean grads at those programs, it’s no different then the rest of the country, the prorgams that prefer carribean grads are often the sweat shops that no USMD or DO wants to go to.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Competitive locations/markets require competitive resume's. Sure you can work in a lot of places, but some markets are simply saturated and are going to be hard to get into.

Job listings saying "MD required" typically mean "no mid-levels." Also, most physician jobs aren't found on job websites and are more word of mouth from people in the know.

 

[calivianya]

There’s also a difference in practicing in an area vs. matching there.

I also think the “MD” thing is just referring to physicians. The standards are different once you’re out of fellowship - I met several people at a conference who were DOs, who were faculty at hospitals/universities that do not take DOs into their residency programs. Younger faculty, too - so got those jobs not that long ago. Once you’re done with everything MD/DO matters much less than while you’re still trying to match residency/fellowship.

 

[moxymed]

Competitive locations/markets require competitive resume's. Sure you can work in a lot of places, but some markets are simply saturated and are going to be hard to get into.

Job listings saying "MD required" typically mean "no mid-levels." Also, most physician jobs aren't found on job websites and are more word of mouth from people in the know.

There’s also a difference in practicing in an area vs. matching there.

I also think the “MD” thing is just referring to physicians. The standards are different once you’re out of fellowship - I met several people at a conference who were DOs, who were faculty at hospitals/universities that do not take DOs into their residency programs. Younger faculty, too - so got those jobs not that long ago. Once you’re done with everything MD/DO matters much less than while you’re still trying to match residency/fellowship.

Thank you <3

Do you think this is still true for competitive, high COL areas?

I’m not able to find a lot of content online from DOs matching competitively documenting their journey into or out of their GME.

 

[Kardio]

I see a lot of job listings in SoCal and other west coast regions say: MD degree required.

Only one time did I read something along these lines and reckon they weren’t using the term synonymously with ‘physician.’ It was for a senior faculty position at an academic institution and read “MD from an LCME accredited medical school.”

In other cases, I agree with everyone else’s posts here.

 

[calivianya]

Thank you <3

Do you think this is still true for competitive, high COL areas?

I’m not able to find a lot of content online from DOs matching competitively documenting their journey into or out of their GME.

Can’t tell you for high COL, but the person I met is working in, and teaching, trauma surgery at Duke. Considering general surgery at Duke is exactly 0% DO, that’s pretty awesome.

 

[BeLikeH2O]

LOL the md degree thing prbly only means physician and no np/pa’s (more of a sementics thing) and NO LOL being a carribean grad is not better than being a DO on the west coast, it’s NOT even close, look at the rosters for schools like OHSU and Loma Linda, U Wash, to name a few, you often see DO’s across all specialties and you seldom see carribean grads at those programs, it’s no different then the rest of the country, the prorgams that prefer carribean grads are often the sweat shops that no USMD or DO wants to go to.

Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara IM Residency.

https://www.cottagehealth.org/app/files/public/3231/Cottage_Health_New_Resident_Guide_2019-2020.pdf

 

[deleted898021]

Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara IM Residency.

https://www.cottagehealth.org/app/files/public/3231/Cottage_Health_New_Resident_Guide_2019-2020.pdf

This is one program and I am also seeing DO’s in thier IM program?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Do you think this is still true for competitive, high COL areas?

I mean yeah you can work there, but it's likely going to be a saturated market, which means it will be hard to find a job there for any MD/DO. I know a DO ENT grad who had job offers out the nose, but in certain states/locations he couldn't find any openings simply because the market is saturated and no groups were hiring. It's not really related to MD or DO, but to the current state of the market in that location for a physician in X field.

You will also typically take a huge pay cut to work in competitive, high COL areas.

 

[Goro]

Hi! I have searched ad nauseam for a complete discussion on the matter and came up dry for my concerns.

I'm only an OMS-I, but I think I want to be an allergist. I am doing my due diligence researching how this will play out if I am even successful.

I see a lot of job listings in SoCal and other west coast regions say: MD degree required. A couple years ago, they'd say: ACGME residency only. (Obv with the merger, this is less effective.)

The bottom line: there seems to still be prejudice against DOs in certain regions.

My heart will be broken if I do the research, the volunteering, the fellowship to be an allergist ... and I can't even practice near my family.

Please advise.

Doesn't seem to hurt my students from CA.

 

[DrRedstone]

I know a DO ENT grad who had job offers out the nose...

Heh

 

[FourniersGreenGang]

You also don’t have to be an employed physician. You can open a practice wherever you want. Just learn as much as you can about that route if it’s something you would consider. Like any business, it’s best to go in with realistic expectations and some capital to get you through the building phase.

 

[DO2015CA]

Most of these jobs, particularly for what you are talking about (eg, primary care such as allergy), refer to a physician when they say MD, not a non-DO physician

allergy isn’t primary care

You also don’t have to be an employed physician. You can open a practice wherever you want. Just learn as much as you can about that route if it’s something you would consider. Like any business, it’s best to go in with realistic expectations and some capital to get you through the building phase.

exactly what i was about to say. You have a license to practice medicine. you can practice anywhere you’d like. Just her money wise enough to run a business then you are golden

 

[calvinhobbes]

West Coast loves DOs, there’s plenty. So don’t worry 🙂 MD means “physician” wanted. Cali even has its own DO licensing board. (You’re licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California).