Interviewer says "don't go DO!"

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So maybe not quite like that, but still. I interviewed at UT Houston, and one of my interviews went into a big shdeal about how even if I get into a low-ranking MD school, I should go there instead of any DO school. And that if I do go to a DO school, I should go to one that's established and well-known (he told me he'd never heard of AZCOM or Touro). He even said that it would be better for me to reapply next year for MD rather than take a DO offer! He was convinced that I will get into an MD school this year, and he proceeded to tell me which schools he thinks will interview me and so forth. It was very strange.... Especially since a couple have rejected me already lol.

Has anyone run into something like this at any MD interviews? The reason DO came up is because he asked if I had interviewed anywhere else, and I said that this was my first MD interview and that I'd had 3 DO interviews. Oh and he wasn't even an MD... he was a professor and had a PhD. I just found the whole thing kind of weird! And he made it sound like it was a given that I would get into schools like Rosalind or Rush. Not that I really even want to live in Chicago.

He was very nice, though, and chatty, but I was just surprised at how blunt he was about going DO. It's not like it's super easy to get into MD schools, he tried to make it seem like it was pretty much a given that I would get into one, and that I would necessarily want to choose one over DO (not true). Oh and he said I would definitely get interviews at San Antonio and Galveston since I had gotten one from Houston and it's "harder" lol.

I loved the school though! Would love to go there
 
Yeah this isn't all that uncommon. I wouldn't change my life plans on the word of some PhD adcom who thinks admissions standards are the same they were 30 years ago and that there are plenty of spots for everyone. 🙄

:luck:
 
Weird, I've heard of things like this happening. It's odd that he was so opinionated about DO's while he wasn't even a Physician.
 
I'm not changing anything because of what he said, just wanted to know what people thought about it and how common this is. I'm still going to pick a school based on which one is the best choice for me and not MD vs DO (if I even have that option)
 
Don't worry about it, do what you feel is best. I'm in a post bac program trying to become an MD, and I totally regret it. It's expensive and I was accepted to multiple DO's already this year. I'm actually considering going to the DO school of my choice (AZCOM is one of the possibilities) over this school, because all the DO's fit my personality way better than this MD school even with the fact my courses would transfer over, if I get accepted into their MD program. My advise, DO WHAT EVER WILL MAKE YOU HAPPIEST and you wont go wrong. Disregard what other tell you to do. Good luck with your decision.
 
Had one semi similar situation, with a PhD as well. To be frank, he was quite misinformed and told me that there was only three DO schools worth attending and talked a lot about my state schools. He was a nice guy and really wasn't crazy about it, he just wasn't very up to date. Can't really blame them I guess, they are researchers and live in the academic world. It's not too shocking that, in that environment, they would say things like that. Just know it's untrue. Doing something like giving up guaranteed DO spots to reapply MD or something is a horrible decision.
 
Most of the people who tell you not to go DO, really don't have a vendetta against osteopathic medicine. In my experience, they are doing the best they can to steer you in the right direction, but are ridiculously uninformed.
 
If I were you, I'd pick by,

1. Cost
2. Location/Climate
3. Clinical Setup
4. Preclinical Years (attendance policy/recorded lectures/dress code/transcribed notes)
5. Do the students look happy?

Even though I am happy with my school (DO), there is something to be said about in-state Texas tuition.
 
thepoopologist said:
If I were you, I'd pick by,

1. Cost
2. Location/Climate
3. Clinical Setup
4. Preclinical Years (attendance policy/recorded lectures/dress code/transcribed notes)
5. Do the students look happy?

Even though I am happy with my school (DO), there is something to be said about in-state Texas tuition.
Click to expand...

MOST IMPORTANT should be where you will be most happy. Forget everything else. Medical school sucks - don't let anyone tell you differently. You will need to attend a school with a supportive environment, good classmates, keep your family/friends close with frequent phone calls. No one has any idea what you are going through unless they are doctors.
 
bocciball said:
MOST IMPORTANT should be where you will be most happy. Forget everything else. Medical school sucks - don't let anyone tell you differently. You will need to attend a school with a supportive environment, good classmates, keep your family/friends close with frequent phone calls. No one has any idea what you are going through unless they are doctors.
Click to expand...

It's not like 1-4 doesn't contribute to the "happiness" factor. If I was going to a ridiculously low cost school in a warm, clean and sunny place, and I could skip all my lectures and study at home with transcribed lecture notes/streaming lectures, with the added knowledge that I would be applying this knowledge at my excellent clinical sites, and my only interaction were with students who were content with their choice of school, I'd be pretty happy.

I think the only thing that could possibly add to it would be excellent low cost restaurants of every ethnic food + BBQ joint, and an attached undergrad with 90% women, all of whom are sexually liberated free spirits.
 
thepoopologist said:
It's not like 1-4 doesn't contribute to the "happiness" factor. If I was going to a ridiculously low cost school in a warm, clean and sunny place, and I could skip all my lectures and study at home with transcribed lecture notes/streaming lectures, with the added knowledge that I would be applying this knowledge at my excellent clinical sites, and my only interaction were with students who were content with their choice of school, I'd be pretty happy.

I think the only thing that could possibly add to it would be excellent low cost restaurants of every ethnic food + BBQ joint, and an attached undergrad with 90% women, all of whom are sexually liberated free spirits.
Click to expand...


AMAZING. Hahaha :laugh:
 
thepoopologist said:
If I were you, I'd pick by,

1. Cost
2. Location/Climate
3. Clinical Setup
4. Preclinical Years (attendance policy/recorded lectures/dress code/transcribed notes)
5. Do the students look happy?

Even though I am happy with my school (DO), there is something to be said about in-state Texas tuition.
Click to expand...

Lol, no kidding! Their OOS tuition is awesome too! But even besides cost, UT seemed to have a lot more to offer than the other schools I've interviewed at. In fact, if I take all the good things of the schools I've been to and add them up, UT had all of them plus more. Minus the distance from family/friends and boyfriend.
 
For what it's worth, all 8 of my close undergard friends who became MDs, (yes I went to a Pre-med factory! lol) have encouraged me to go DO. And I have yet to meet a physician in the hospital who even makes note of a difference between MD and DO.
 
MN premed said:
So maybe not quite like that, but still. I interviewed at UT Houston, and one of my interviews went into a big shdeal about how even if I get into a low-ranking MD school, I should go there instead of any DO school. And that if I do go to a DO school, I should go to one that's established and well-known (he told me he'd never heard of AZCOM or Touro). He even said that it would be better for me to reapply next year for MD rather than take a DO offer! He was convinced that I will get into an MD school this year, and he proceeded to tell me which schools he thinks will interview me and so forth. It was very strange.... Especially since a couple have rejected me already lol.

Has anyone run into something like this at any MD interviews? The reason DO came up is because he asked if I had interviewed anywhere else, and I said that this was my first MD interview and that I'd had 3 DO interviews. Oh and he wasn't even an MD... he was a professor and had a PhD. I just found the whole thing kind of weird! And he made it sound like it was a given that I would get into schools like Rosalind or Rush. Not that I really even want to live in Chicago.

He was very nice, though, and chatty, but I was just surprised at how blunt he was about going DO. It's not like it's super easy to get into MD schools, he tried to make it seem like it was pretty much a given that I would get into one, and that I would necessarily want to choose one over DO (not true). Oh and he said I would definitely get interviews at San Antonio and Galveston since I had gotten one from Houston and it's "harder" lol.

I loved the school though! Would love to go there
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that maybe it was a colorful way of seeing if you really wanted to go DO yourself... perhaps to gauge your reaction to his banterings... why would a prof at a DO school, especially one who is involved in admissions/interviews speak thusly otherwise? Just my impression.
 
Heidiho said:
For what it's worth, all 8 of my close undergard friends who became MDs, (yes I went to a Pre-med factory! lol) have encouraged me to go DO. And I have yet to meet a physician in the hospital who even makes note of a difference between MD and DO.
Click to expand...

i've had similar experiences....every doctor i've met/spoken with/etc....even some "old school" ones who you would think might be the biased ones have all encouraged it as well, saying there is no difference.....so maybe we will have to work our butts off to prove that we will be competent doctors some day, but don't md students have to do that as well....just sayin' 🙂
 
I misread your OP, please disregard MY banterings...
 
[hijack] Hey Bones, I haven't seen or heard in any updates from you in a bit. So, how goes it? I'm hoping things are playing out well for you.[/hijack]
 
JaggerPlate said:
Had one semi similar situation, with a PhD as well. To be frank, he was quite misinformed and told me that there was only three DO schools worth attending and talked a lot about my state schools. He was a nice guy and really wasn't crazy about it, he just wasn't very up to date. Can't really blame them I guess, they are researchers and live in the academic world. It's not too shocking that, in that environment, they would say things like that. Just know it's untrue. Doing something like giving up guaranteed DO spots to reapply MD or something is a horrible decision.
Click to expand...

I've come across some of those PhD adcom members at MD schools myself. A few years ago I even paid one as an admissions consultant to review my application, thinking he'd be useful in the applications process. I was totally wrong and completely wasted my money. He was completely uninformed about anything related to DO as well.

OP, I wouldn't take people's advice like this too seriously, as many of them are coming from very limited perspectives. If you have any doubts or discomforts with going the DO path, go shadow some DOs and you'll see their practices are very similar to their MD colleagues.
 
thepoopologist said:
It's not like 1-4 doesn't contribute to the "happiness" factor. If I was going to a ridiculously low cost school in a warm, clean and sunny place, and I could skip all my lectures and study at home with transcribed lecture notes/streaming lectures, with the added knowledge that I would be applying this knowledge at my excellent clinical sites, and my only interaction were with students who were content with their choice of school, I'd be pretty happy.

I think the only thing that could possibly add to it would be excellent low cost restaurants of every ethnic food + BBQ joint, and an attached undergrad with 90% women, all of whom are sexually liberated free spirits.
Click to expand...

:laugh: 90% women😍😍😍😍😍😍
 
At least adcoms are little better than counselors. Too many times I've heard from counselors DO's aren't real physicians...
 
JaggerPlate said:
Really??? Weird.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's only in my experience though. Granted, I've only met 4 counselors, 3 of which were at my current university. This is why I'm no fan of pre-med counselors. Even the two adcoms I talked to at my school acknowledged the DO degree. This is why I'm no fan of premed counselors.
 
LastPolarBear said:
Yeah, that's only in my experience though. Granted, I've only met 4 counselors, 3 of which were at my current university. This is why I'm no fan of pre-med counselors. Even the two adcoms I talked to at my school acknowledged the DO degree. This is why I'm no fan of premed counselors.
Click to expand...

Pre-med counselors are notoriously bad. My school had none, and I consider it a good thing.
 
JaggerPlate said:
Pre-med counselors are notoriously bad. My school had none, and I consider it a good thing.
Click to expand...

I avoided all the pre-med counselors. I got a LOR from my counselor who was a teacher, and when she saw some of the grades on my transcript, she called the pre-med adviser about me, who advised me to take more classes and raise my GPA.

"How ya like me now?"
 
JaggerPlate said:
Pre-med counselors are notoriously bad. My school had none, and I consider it a good thing.
Click to expand...

My pre med committee dept chair is a know-it-all but really don't know jack doofus with a large chip on his shoulder. He told me that I needed to go talk to someone in the philosophy department to determine whether or not I was a good fit for a DO school. Needless to say, I didn't want him anywhere near my application. I did not use my schools committee and am 100% happy with my choice to avoid that cluster. I chose the lockout your pre-med advisor option on my AMCAS (can't remember if AACOMAS had the option but if it did, I sure as hell chose it).
 
I've had 2 MD's tell me that if they had it to do all over again they would be DO - a surgeon and an anesthesiologist. Have not heard from one DO who regrets it! My .02
 
i had an interview at an allopathic school today with a phD, and he seemed to refute osteopathic schools....despite what both allopathic and osteopathic physicians that i had shadowed said recently. on the contrary, both he and the physicians that i had shadowed both agreed that 'pcp is pcp' and that the main difference today is the placement into the residencies that you are placed in...

residency placement is contingent on many factors, and as i interpret the situation, everything is basically the same....dont believe the interviewers, they're most likely skewed, i'd take it from experience/testimony from a physician that has nothing to do with your acceptance process (other than providing unbiased insight).....or from a random post on sd.net.
 
LastPolarBear said:
At least adcoms are little better than counselors. Too many times I've heard from counselors DO's aren't real physicians...
Click to expand...

Premed counselors should be accepted pre-med students who are just waiting for M1 to start. I had to re-advise a lot of my friends who got TERRIBLE advise from the counselor at my university.
 
JaggerPlate said:
I'd be interested as to why.
Click to expand...
I'd be interested to hear why two M.D.'s would rather be D.O.'s as well. I wonder, does anyone know if going the D.O. route makes it somewhat easier to get into certain specialties? A friend who is at DMU said you can apply to both M.D. and D.O. residency programs as a D.O., which gives you somewhat of an advantage I would think.
 
doktor said:
I'd be interested to hear why two M.D.'s would rather be D.O.'s as well. I wonder, does anyone know if going the D.O. route makes it somewhat easier to get into certain specialties? A friend who is at DMU said you can apply to both M.D. and D.O. residency programs as a D.O., which gives you somewhat of an advantage I would think.
Click to expand...

I too would like to know why they'd go DO over the MD. Maybe they wish they learned OMM?
 
While I was in undergrad, I visited Georgetown to speak with the admissions office and get an idea of what the school was like. While I was speaking with the director of admissions, I asked her how their view of 'cura personalis' was similar or dissimilar to osteopathic views, as I was planning on applying to both MD and DO. She scoffed and told me to "get myself a real medical education".

It's unfortunate that attitudes like this are there in the medical community. People this close to the process should know better. 👎
 
doktor said:
I'd be interested to hear why two M.D.'s would rather be D.O.'s as well. I wonder, does anyone know if going the D.O. route makes it somewhat easier to get into certain specialties? A friend who is at DMU said you can apply to both M.D. and D.O. residency programs as a D.O., which gives you somewhat of an advantage I would think.
Click to expand...

There are various ways of looking at it.
 
JediZero said:
While I was in undergrad, I visited Georgetown to speak with the admissions office and get an idea of what the school was like. While I was speaking with the director of admissions, I asked her how their view of 'cura personalis' was similar or dissimilar to osteopathic views, as I was planning on applying to both MD and DO. She scoffed and told me to "get myself a real medical education".

It's unfortunate that attitudes like this are there in the medical community. People this close to the process should know better. 👎
Click to expand...

Lame.
 
JediZero said:
While I was in undergrad, I visited Georgetown to speak with the admissions office and get an idea of what the school was like. While I was speaking with the director of admissions, I asked her how their view of 'cura personalis' was similar or dissimilar to osteopathic views, as I was planning on applying to both MD and DO. She scoffed and told me to "get myself a real medical education".

It's unfortunate that attitudes like this are there in the medical community. People this close to the process should know better. 👎
Click to expand...

Is the director of admissions also a physician? If not, you'll be having the last laugh when your fake medical education nets you a higher salary than she has.
 
LastPolarBear said:
Is the director of admissions also a physician? If not, you'll be having the last laugh when your fake medical education nets you a higher salary than she has.
Click to expand...

it's most likely that she is a MD.
 
Did you fall into the trap he was trying to set for you?
 
n618ft said:
Did you fall into the trap he was trying to set for you?
Click to expand...

Are you asking me? I don't think it was a trap, since he was at an MD school, not a DO school. He was basically trying to tell me that he thinks I had the numbers to get into an MD school, so I shouldn't go to a DO school. I didn't really know what to say, I just accepted his advice but tried to move the topic to how I wanted to go to Texas. lol
 
I was thinking, how different is this from DO schools telling you "Don't go MD, we teach you to treat the whole person."
 
bocciball said:
MOST IMPORTANT should be where you will be most happy. Forget everything else. Medical school sucks - don't let anyone tell you differently. You will need to attend a school with a supportive environment, good classmates, keep your family/friends close with frequent phone calls. No one has any idea what you are going through unless they are doctors.
Click to expand...
ive heard that there is no such thing as a supportive med school classmate. i heard that everyone wants the best residency, so if you miss notes or dont understand something, like a homework, and you ask a classmate, they will screw you up on purpose.
 
rctriplefresh5 said:
ive heard that there is no such thing as a supportive med school classmate. i heard that everyone wants the best residency, so if you miss notes or dont understand something, like a homework, and you ask a classmate, they will screw you up on purpose.
Click to expand...

Heard the exact opposite at the two med schools I was deciding between. People would email each other stuff randomly that they found, help each other, etc.
 
Kevon said:
I was thinking, how different is this from DO schools telling you "Don't go MD, we teach you to treat the whole person."
Click to expand...

Did you have DO interview that said not to go MD??
 
Handy388 said:
it's most likely that she is a MD.
Click to expand...

I doubt the admissions director is an MD. If you spent all that time and money going to med school and your job is admissions director at a medical school than something went wrong somewhere. What a total waste of a clinical degree. This is a job that can easily be done by somebody with an online MBA. Im sure they exist but what a waste. Nothing could be more annoying than reading a hundred emails from pre-meds wondering if they wait-list has moved in the last 3 hours.
 
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