How to answer, Why DO?

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Gamble

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How to answer that question during an interview, especially if you haven't had any DO shadowing experience? What is the best way to approach this question? Any help will be much appreciated. 😀
 
Best answer: Because I've received rejections from all the allopathic schools I applied to.
 
Gamble said:
How to answer that question during an interview, especially if you haven't had any DO shadowing experience? What is the best way to approach this question? Any help will be much appreciated. 😀
Click to expand...

Why haven't you shadowed a D.O.?
 
I know the history of osteopathic medicine, and everything else that an applicant should know before applying. I just haven't had time to shadow anyone with my busy work schedule. In addition, all the DO doctors i called refused to allow anyone to shadow them, I have called close to 10-15 in and around my area. I am just volunteeirng at a hospital. Now, I just want to become a physician, and practice medicine, and DO is the only route open for me right now. So is it wrong for me to apply even though I dont feel so strong about the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine?
 
Gamble said:
I know the history of osteopathic medicine, and everything else that an applicant should know before applying. I just haven't had time to shadow anyone with my busy work schedule. In addition, all the DO doctors i called refused to allow anyone to shadow them, I have called close to 10-15 in and around my area. I am just volunteeirng at a hospital. Now, I just want to become a physician, and practice medicine, and DO is the only route open for me right now. So is it wrong for me to apply even though I dont feel so strong about the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine?
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If you are sincere about medicine, and have no problem being a DO, and you have interest in learning OMM, I don't see the problem.
 
Gamble said:
I know the history of osteopathic medicine, and everything else that an applicant should know before applying. I just haven't had time to shadow anyone with my busy work schedule. In addition, all the DO doctors i called refused to allow anyone to shadow them, I have called close to 10-15 in and around my area. I am just volunteeirng at a hospital. Now, I just want to become a physician, and practice medicine, and DO is the only route open for me right now. So is it wrong for me to apply even though I dont feel so strong about the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine?
Click to expand...

There are probably many here who will say yes. I'm not one of them. To me, MD=DO=doctor. I'm not hung up on the initials after my name. Nor do I feel the need, as some on these boards do, to convince myself that osteopathic physicians are somehow better because of their "holistic" approach (which is crap) or because of OMM.

If you want to be a doctor, and DO is the only route open to you, go for it!
 
Gamble said:
I know the history of osteopathic medicine, and everything else that an applicant should know before applying. I just haven't had time to shadow anyone with my busy work schedule. In addition, all the DO doctors i called refused to allow anyone to shadow them, I have called close to 10-15 in and around my area. I am just volunteeirng at a hospital. Now, I just want to become a physician, and practice medicine, and DO is the only route open for me right now. So is it wrong for me to apply even though I dont feel so strong about the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine?
Click to expand...

no, as long as your are somewhat interested in learning OMM. If you are not, then yes.
 
FS-Pro said:
Even if your not interested in OMM I see nothing wrong with applying to DO.
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If you are going to feel dissapointed w/ yourself and be really worried about not having that automatic prestige that you associate w/ writing MD next to your name...please don't apply. The students who are happy to be in a DO school (or at least not upset enough about it to annoy everyone around them) would really appreciate that. If you don't fit into the above category (and really..its okay if you do...be honest w/ yourself) then go for it.

If you are interested in OMM and/or the generalist first approach to training...more power to you and please apply.
 
When they ask "why DO" ....you answer "why do what?". Or if you are not brave enough for that just say that you would rather DO then DOn't go to med school.
 
Taus said:
If you are going to feel dissapointed w/ yourself and be really worried about not having that automatic prestige that you associate w/ writing MD next to your name...please don't apply. The students who are happy to be in a DO school (or at least not upset enough about it to annoy everyone around them) would really appreciate that. If you don't fit into the above category (and really..its okay if you do...be honest w/ yourself) then go for it.

If you are interested in OMM and/or the generalist first approach to training...more power to you and please apply.
Click to expand...

👍 Exactly.

If you go to DO school, you will be learning OMM whether you like it or not, so you might as well have some interest in it.
 
Gamble said:
I know the history of osteopathic medicine, and everything else that an applicant should know before applying. I just haven't had time to shadow anyone with my busy work schedule. In addition, all the DO doctors i called refused to allow anyone to shadow them, I have called close to 10-15 in and around my area. I am just volunteeirng at a hospital. Now, I just want to become a physician, and practice medicine, and DO is the only route open for me right now. So is it wrong for me to apply even though I dont feel so strong about the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine?
Click to expand...



Meh...

I'm fortunate enough to work with a few DO's. When I ask them about it, they all say the same thing; "It's all the same. There's really no difference." Then they babble on about how they got a good education at the school they went to.

They're no help at all. :laugh:
I think very few do OMM in practice anyway.
 
FS-Pro said:
Even if your not interested in OMM I see nothing wrong with applying to DO.
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you're a better person to ask since you've already started, but it seems like if you are not at all interested in OMM you will be upset about wasting time learning it.
 
Fermata said:
Because my penis is sufficiently large where I don't care?
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Awesome!

This is way better than the cookie cutter answer that 9/10 interviewees give me everytime I interview for admissions. One day (when in a bad mood) I really want to confront them & point out how plenty of MD's are very "holistic" and "whole patient" oriented. Grrrrrrrrrrrr....damn template answers piss me off.

Original thought shouldn't be that hard to come by where you have to post on forums for someone to answer that question for you.👎
 
Ok, I will tell you the truth...before I started medical school I was afraid...or better yet, hoping someone wouldnt ask..."why did you choose to go to a DO school?" It wasn't that I didn't want to go DO...I just liked the osteopathic schools I interviewed at a lot better than the allopathic ones...so I picked it. Honestly, I played the old BS game of, "I want to be an osteopathic physician to treat the whole patients, not treating just a symptom. Blah Blah Blah Blah"...if you spout out the entire definition of an osteopathic physician to an interview panel or someone who has no idea what the hell a DO is, they will be yawning and bored with your answer in like 10 seconds. So over a year and a half of osteopathic training....instead of fretting the idea of someone asking me that question b/c I would have to go into a five minute monologue on the difference b/w MD vs. DO...I actually like the question. So what I usually say now is, "A DO is fully licensed doctor (physician or whatever term you like) who is better with their hands." Once you go to DO school you will see what I mean...you learn about palpation, touch, etc. from day one. I believe all/most schools are teaching better communication skills....but DOs are taught OMM which is the little thing extra of using our hands. So if you are asked on an interview Why DO? Just say I want to be an awesome physician who is great with my hands. You might get a laugh, blank stare or quick...what do you mean. And then you can go into all the OMM stuff you've read etc etc...but if a normal person asks (a person not in medicine...like someone you meet on an airplane) then saying that will spark good conversation and prevent the whole elitist DO vs. MD bullsh$t. 😎
 
Honestly, I didn't want to reply to this question because it would probably start controversy but I am taking a break from immunology. Why DO? That answer should come from your heart and own opinion, because throughout the rest of your life you will be asked that question by patients, friends and family. During my interview I was able to answer the question easily and with passion because of my strong beliefs and knowledge I learned. The answer comes from within.
 
Because I wana
 
I straight up told em I wanted to be a surgeon and applied both DO and MD to increase my possible chances at attaining that goal. I wasn't going to pretend I favored DO or that I was interested in primary care. I wanted a school that would support my goal of specializing.
 
the question really is do you really want to be a DO as oppose to an MD. If you really just want to be a DO and you have your reasons PM me and I'll give you some suggestions.
 
Will any school believe a student who answers with they want to do primary care? Or has it been so overused that no matter how sincere I am, it will seem like a lie?
 
In all honestly, I told the schools that I am straight up biased towards the DO culture. I have grown up around DOs, been helped and embraced by them, and they have taken me under their wing to help me in immense ways. Also, I made it very clear that I have no issue with MDs or the allopathic route, I just see myself as a person with a "if it ain't broken, then don't fix it" attitude. Therefore, since DOs have treated me so well and I have enjoyed the learning experience, then DO is what I already KNOW I like so I am going to head down that path. I have also read the history and evolution of osteopathic medicine, so we usually have a little talk about the gory stuff that used to go on in medicine and all of that jazz. In the end, if you have to ask how to answer this question...well, you probably should do a little research and find a legitimate reason because as one person mentioned above, ADCOMs can sniff out the BS and cookie cutter answers will gain you no ground with them.
 
Say holistic 10 times. That should answer the question!

Just interviewed at WesternU Pomona yesterday with about 50ish interviewees, with 90% being Californian. Most of em were there as backup in case they didn't go allopathic, as well as I was. I've had no trouble getting into DO schools with no DO experience at all. I've never met a DO doctor in fact.
 
Do people not read? Or understand basic forum etiquette?

This thread is a damn zombie. Coming back to life after being laid to rest.
 
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