Is it odd that....

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The number of allopathic schools is not increasing all that much, but the number of osteopathic schools is increasing greatly in the USA, and that many osteopathic graduates are pursuing allopathic residencies?

I'm not comparing md or do curriculum, it's just sort of an interesting demographic phenomena. What do you think it means for medicine in the long run?

 

[KMFDM]

An interesting question to which I do not know the answer.

 

[LizzyM]

The number of allopathic schools is not increasing all that much, but the number of osteopathic schools is increasing greatly in the USA, and that many osteopathic graduates are pursuing allopathic residencies?

I'm not comparing md or do curriculum, it's just sort of an interesting demographic phenomena. What do you think it means for medicine in the long run?

It may mean fewer residency spots for international medical graduates (IMG). Keep in mind that a proportion of residency slots are filled by folks who did not attend medical school in the States. Some of these docs are here as immigrants or on a visa and others are US citizens who went abroad for med school. What does that mean for medicine in the long run?

 

[JediZero]

Essentially, the health care shortage is creating both a need and an opportunity for osteopathy. MD schools are slower to expand or build new schools, for whatever reason, while right now a new DO school is coming online every other year or so. Given the DO focus on primary care, and the fact that over the next 20 years we're going to be short about 25,000 primary care doctors, I think DO's share of the total physician population is going to grow quite a bit over the next couple decades. While I think DO will still be smaller and define itself as distinct from MD, I think this trend is going to result in osteopathy becoming much more well-known and much more mainstream than it is today.

Reflecting on your question, Lizzy, I think the clearest thing that can be seen is that international and offshore medical school is going to become a much less attractive option for American students who can't get into US allopathic schools. The question is, does this mean that there's going to be a surge in mediocre DO applicants, or a decrease in the overall applicants to medical school?

 

[DirtyJustice]

Essentially, the health care shortage is creating both a need and an opportunity for osteopathy. MD schools are slower to expand or build new schools, for whatever reason, while right now a new DO school is coming online every other year or so. Given the DO focus on primary care, and the fact that over the next 20 years we're going to be short about 25,000 primary care doctors, I think DO's share of the total physician population is going to grow quite a bit over the next couple decades. While I think DO will still be smaller and define itself as distinct from MD, I think this trend is going to result in osteopathy becoming much more well-known and much more mainstream than it is today.

Reflecting on your question, Lizzy, I think the clearest thing that can be seen is that international and offshore medical school is going to become a much less attractive option for American students who can't get into US allopathic schools. The question is, does this mean that there's going to be a surge in mediocre DO applicants, or a decrease in the overall applicants to medical school?

Or an increase in DO statistics to eventually be on par with MD programs? As the DO option becomes more attractive, more applicants (with higher statistics) will apply raising their averages, etc.

 

[Parts Unknown]

The number of allopathic schools is not increasing all that much, but the number of osteopathic schools is increasing greatly in the USA, and that many osteopathic graduates are pursuing allopathic residencies?

Osteopathic schools have different accrediting standards than allopathic ones. Whereas a new allopathic school must establish affiliations with clinical training sites (for M3/M4 clerkships), osteopathic schools do not have this requirement. Hence, the limiting factor on starting a new DO school boils down to capital.

When it comes to osteopathic residencies, if you exclude the approved-but-unfunded positions, I don't believe there are enough spots to accommodate every DO grad. This explains, in part, why a fairly large proportion of DOs cross over into the allopathic match.

What do you think it means for medicine in the long run?

Not much for allopathic graduates. For the rest, I agree with Lizzy. The number of allopathic residencies has remained fairly static, and competition for the spots that don't go to allopathic students is going to get worse every year. We will probably witness an increase in practicing DOs, and a relative decrease in foreign-trained physicians.

 

[Bacchus]

Essentially, the health care shortage is creating both a need and an opportunity for osteopathy. MD schools are slower to expand or build new schools, for whatever reason, while right now a new DO school is coming online every other year or so. Given the DO focus on primary care, and the fact that over the next 20 years we're going to be short about 25,000 primary care doctors, I think DO's share of the total physician population is going to grow quite a bit over the next couple decades. While I think DO will still be smaller and define itself as distinct from MD, I think this trend is going to result in osteopathy becoming much more well-known and much more mainstream than it is today.

Reflecting on your question, Lizzy, I think the clearest thing that can be seen is that international and offshore medical school is going to become a much less attractive option for American students who can't get into US allopathic schools. The question is, does this mean that there's going to be a surge in mediocre DO applicants, or a decrease in the overall applicants to medical school?

I don't know the truth behind it, but according to one of my professor's after whitecoat: "...formally extends heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2013 ... you are off to a great start! Welcome to the osteopathic profession ... you are joining a cohort of physicians-in-training which will be 1/3rd of the profession when you start practice. You will shape our future!"

Regardless of the caliber of student, doctors are going to be trained. Everyone has different abilities. Students that did "worse" than me in college are doing better than I am. As long as we make it through, we'll be competent.

 

[MexicanDr]

The question is, does this mean that there's going to be a surge in mediocre DO applicants, or a decrease in the overall applicants to medical school?

What I believe will end up happening is that DO acceptance is going to become more rigid and many of those student that opt for International Medical Programs might end up just making a different career choice.

I mean, think about it, if DO will get closer to MD average starts for acceptance, then those applicants with bad academic history will either chose a different health field or keep battling to get into med school by doing some amazing things.

I dont think these applicants might turn to PA as PA school acceptance is very rigid in terms of GPA, GRE and past medical experience so maybe RN? or do something different...

All in all its a great thing that more DOs will be produced and hopefully that misconception that DOs are less than MDs will start to dissapear. Maybe DO schools should start offering more residency spots not just for DOs, but also for MDs and even the application--acceptance pre-resident pool.

 

[JediZero]

I don't know the truth behind it, but according to one of my professor's after whitecoat: "...formally extends heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2013 ... you are off to a great start! Welcome to the osteopathic profession ... you are joining a cohort of physicians-in-training which will be 1/3rd of the profession when you start practice. You will shape our future!"

Regardless of the caliber of student, doctors are going to be trained. Everyone has different abilities. Students that did "worse" than me in college are doing better than I am. As long as we make it through, we'll be competent.

Hmm... I think saying DO will be 33% of the profession in 4 years is a gross exaggeration. The doctors that are out there now have been trained over the last fifty years or so, before DO really started expanding, and even now there are about 30 DO schools vs. 120 MD. But I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, say, fifty years from now. We'll see how this goes.

 

[MSSM2013]

assuming that DO schools are increasing but residency spot stays the same.

first: IMGs are squeezed out of match
second: most DOs are squeezed into spots IMGs previously hold, primary care and all
third: massive oversupply of physicians, not enough matching spots: MD school tiers begin to matter.

 

[J ROD]

assuming that DO schools are increasing but residency spot stays the same.

first: IMGs are squeezed out of match
second: most DOs are squeezed into spots IMGs previously hold, primary care and all
third: massive oversupply of physicians, not enough matching spots: MD school tiers begin to matter.

this is what I think too!! Given over the next 10 yrs or so.

 

[MSSM2013]

I don't think the third is ever going to happen, though.

 

[J ROD]

I don't think the third is ever going to happen, though.

maybe 20-25 yrs then!! After all the babyboomers die off!! 😀

 

[rama kandra]

There are 130 allopathic schools. There are 20 osteopathic schools. On a 1:1 basis, its like comparing the potential for Microsoft to outgrow its size to that of a smaller competitor.

For the long term, osteopathic schools will be growing in large numbers. I would not be surprised if someday there are 50 of them in the country.

It is unlikely allopathic schools will grow to make a significant dent in their overall size.