Is it difficult to become a pediatrician if I go the DO route?

[Premedgirl15]

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I am currently in undergrad and I am considering rather or not to apply MD or DO. My goal is to be a pediatrician or even pursue pediatric neurology. I was wondering if it would be significantly harder to obtain this career path if I applied DO over MD?

Thank you!

 

[ortnakas]

Pediatrician: not hard
Pediatric neurology: harder but doable.

Apply to MD and DO and see how it works out.

 

[DNC127]

Lots of people from pretty much every DO school match peds every year. I have also seen a handful of child-neurology.

 

[zafonte86]

I just matched MD peds and I only took the comlex. Peds is very DO friendly.

 

[j4pac]

You shouldn't be deciding whether or not to go MD vs DO based on specialty. You specialty could change. You should be trying to get the best education possible and keep as many doors open as possible. Generally...USMD > DO. Try to get into USMD and use DO as a fall back plan unless you have significant geographic restrictions or want to use OMT in practice.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Shoot for the MD but if you have to go DO Peds is very friendly. Top programs are possible for people wanting peds

 

[Goro]

Not at all. Tons of my grads go into Peds.

I am currently in undergrad and I am considering rather or not to apply MD or DO. My goal is to be a pediatrician or even pursue pediatric neurology. I was wondering if it would be significantly harder to obtain this career path if I applied DO over MD?

Thank you!

 

[Halcyon45]

What about.............pediatric orthopedic surgery? 🙂 how hard is that?

 

[zafonte86]

What about.............pediatric orthopedic surgery? 🙂 how hard is that?

That isn't a pediatric residency route..... But I feel like you already know that

 

[Halcyon45]

That isn't a pediatric residency route..... But I feel like you already know that

oops; shhhhh its been a long [day] of work

 

[Cytarabine]

oops; shhhhh its been a long of work

know that feel. we all have a long of work sometimes

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Pediatrician: not hard
Pediatric neurology: harder but doable.

Apply to MD and DO and see how it works out.

Child neuro is generally as easy as regular peds.

 

[IslandStyle808]

If you are having any doubts about whether you want to go DO, then apply to MD only first. If that cycle doesn't work, then apply to both MD and DO. I don't want another "should I apply MD with my DO acceptance thread."

Peds is a rather DO friendly field to begin with. In the 2014 NRMP program directors survey, 86% of programs interview and rank osteopathic students. So that is a very good amount. Plus a student from one of the Lake Erie school's this year matched into Hopkins for peds (considered one of the top program in the peds speciality forums). So even reaching for the top is a possibility (still much easier to aim for from an MD school).

 

[Sam2288]

New on here can someone tell me how i can start a new thread. I want to ask if i can get an associates of applied science degree and then a bachlors and still have a chance to be accepted into medical school. Or do i have to get an Associates of science degree?

 

[Sam2288]

Can someone tell me how i can start a new thread. I want to ask if i can get an Associates of applied science degree and have a chance to be accepted into medical school..... Or do i have to get an Associates of science degree?

 

[bears1992]

New on here can someone tell me how i can start a new thread. I want to ask if i can get an associates of applied science degree and then a bachlors and still have a chance to be accepted into medical school. Or do i have to get an Associates of science degree?

Medical schools don't care what your degree is along as you have a bachelors degree from an accredited university. You still need to have all the prereqs so it's usually easier to do a biochem or biology degree but you can do whatever you want. I did mechanical engineering and I know someone who did theater. We both had to take an extra year and a half to get the prereqs down.

To start a new thread, go to the forum and click "new thread" in the top right corner.

 

[Sam2288]

Medical schools don't care what your degree is along as you have a bachelors degree from an accredited university. You still need to have all the prereqs so it's usually easier to do a biochem or biology degree but you can do whatever you want. I did mechanical engineering and I know someone who did theater. We both had to take an extra year and a half to get the prereqs down.

To start a new thread, go to the forum and click "new thread" in the top right corner.

How can i find a list of the pre requs that i will need?

 

[IslandStyle808]

How can i find a list of the pre requs that i will need?

https://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/cib/aacom-cib-2018-front-schools.pdf?sfvrsn=0

This should have almost everything.

 

[Sam2288]

https://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/cib/aacom-cib-2018-front-schools.pdf?sfvrsn=0

This should have almost everything.

Thank you

 

[bears1992]

How can i find a list of the pre requs that i will need?

You'll have to look at each school's website to see the classes they require for admission (along with a bachelors degree in anything) Most schools will have the following prereqs:
Bio I
Bio I Lab
Bio II
Bio II Lab
Chem I
Chem I Lab
Chem II
Chem II Lab
Orgo I
Orgo I Lab
Orgo II
Orgo II Lab
Biochem
English I
English II
Physics I
Physics I Lab
Physics II
Physics II Lab

 

[IslandStyle808]

You'll have to look at each school's website to see the classes they require for admission (along with a bachelors degree in anything) Most schools will have the following prereqs:
Bio I
Bio I Lab
Bio II
Bio II Lab
Chem I
Chem I Lab
Chem II
Chem II Lab
Orgo I
Orgo I Lab
Orgo II
Orgo II Lab
Biochem
English I
English II
Physics I
Physics I Lab
Physics II
Physics II Lab

The document in my previous post summarizes every school's requirements, so no need to search every school website.

 

[trimethylpurine]

Doesn't peds fall under primary care and aren't DO schools primary care focused?

 

[Peach Newport]

Doesn't peds fall under primary care and aren't DO schools primary care focused?

Yup.

As many have mentioned in this thread, pediatrics is spectacularly uncompetitive.

 

[de Ribas]

Yup.

As many have mentioned in this thread, pediatrics is spectacularly uncompetitive.

So, if one wants to become pediatric neurologist or pediatric cardiologists, do they first do regular pediatric residency and then Fellowship in cardiology ?

 

[zafonte86]

So, if one wants to become pediatric neurologist or pediatric cardiologists, do they first do regular pediatric residency and then Fellowship in cardiology ?

Pediatric neurology is applied to separately from regular pediatric residency. Pediatric Cardiology is a fellowship that would require you to do a pediatric residency first. It is exactly like Internal Medicine in regards to fellowships.

 

[mfrey28]

My son's cardiologist is a DO who went to Nova. Possibly the only DO pediatric cardiologist in the state of OR but he is a very respected guy.

Conventional SDN wisdom holds that strong residency plays an important role in getting in to a competitive fellowship.