Is it true that DO's have some kind of advantage when applying to EM residencies?

[carn311]

I keep hearing this here and there on these forums...

Is there any truth to it? If so, then why?

Is it that OMM is useful in the ER?

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[OSUdoc08]

I keep hearing this here and there on these forums...

Is there any truth to it? If so, then why?

Is it that OMM is useful in the ER?

Well I said it specifically for my state. Oklahoma has 1 MD school and 1 DO school. There are currently 4 DO emergency medicine residencies close to the school, with 3 of them being affiliated with the school. The MD school does not have any residencies, and there are no MD residencies in the state.

This makes an ER spot pretty much guaranteed for a graduate from my school.

As for Texas, there are DO's currently in every residency, with DO's as chief residents at a couple of them.

Additionally, the president of the largest allopathic emergency medicine physician group, ACEP, is a DO from Texas.

You will find that Michigan and Pennsylvania also have many AOA residencies in EM.

The bottom line is:

EM residencies openly take DO's, unlike allopathic surgical subspecialties.

 

[Vince]

I keep hearing this here and there on these forums...

Is there any truth to it? If so, then why?

Is it that OMM is useful in the ER?

Advantage....no way.

Do EM residencies take DO's? Yes.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Advantage....no way.

Do EM residencies take DO's? Yes.

I agree that it's not an advantage everywhere, but one can easily argue that it is in Oklahoma.

 

[crys20]

Yes I guess it would be in OK if you had to stay in OK for residency, and had to to EM.

But otherwise no, it isn't an adv but it isn't a big disadv either. If you look at match lists you'll see many, many DOs place in to EM spots, both allo and osteo.

 

[stomper627]

Yes I guess it would be in OK if you had to stay in OK for residency, and had to to EM.

Yes, but then one must ask...Why would anyone want to stay in OK?

 

[crys20]

Maybe OSUDOC can enlighten us

 

[bikerboy]

I keep hearing this here and there on these forums...

Is there any truth to it? If so, then why?

Is it that OMM is useful in the ER?

This is one of the funniest thing I've ever read! Best you can hope for is a DO neutral allopathic EM program. As for OMM being useful

 

[Nate]

I asked some DOs I shadowed in the ER about OMM and its uses and they told me there is no time for it nor do the patients come back for follow ups there so it is useless. Makes sense to me.

 

[DrFeelgoodDO]

Yes, but then one must ask...Why would anyone want to stay in OK?

If I wasn't married to a girl from here, I would rotate back to the world by going back home to the northeast. Damn I miss jersey.....

 

[Boomer]

Yes, but then one must ask...Why would anyone want to stay in OK?

God Damn, I grew up here and don't even want to stay....

 

[Boomer]

If I wasn't married to a girl from here, I would rotate back to the world by going back home to the northeast. Damn I miss jersey.....

Just move back ta Canada wit 'er ya liberal lovin' prick...

 

[OSUdoc08]

Yes, but then one must ask...Why would anyone want to stay in OK?

Just for residency, because it's a guaranteed in.

I promise, I'll be getting back to Texas as soon as my training is over.

 

[doctorperez]

The bottom line is:

EM residencies openly take DO's, unlike allopathic surgical subspecialties.

Hi OSUdoc08 What do you base the part of allo surgical subs. on? thanks

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hi OSUdoc08 What do you base the part of allo surgical subs. on? thanks

By looking at how many DO's are found in such fellowships compared to how many apply.

You can do whatever you want if you do well on the USMLE.

 

[doctorperez]

By looking at how many DO's are found in such fellowships compared to how many apply.

You can do whatever you want if you do well on the USMLE.

Osu where can one see these numbers? thanks.

 

[Boomer]

Just for residency, because it's a guaranteed in.

I promise, I'll be getting back to Texas as soon as my training is over.

Texas must be STOKED!!!!

 

[Boomer]

Lord, I apologize for that right thar....be with the pygmies in New Guinea.....


--larry

 

[vegangirl]

If I wasn't married to a girl from here, I would rotate back to the world by going back home to the northeast. Damn I miss jersey.....

Love does crazy things to people

 

[stomper627]

If I wasn't married to a girl from here, I would rotate back to the world by going back home to the northeast. Damn I miss jersey.....

Funny....Now that Im living in Jersey, marrying a girl from Long Island, and heading into a residency in the Bronx, Id love to head back to the pacific NW.

 

[DrQuinn]

Just for residency, because it's a guaranteed in.

I promise, I'll be getting back to Texas as soon as my training is over.

Just because you think you have a "guaranteed in" doesn't mean you shoudl take that option. I had several "guaranteed ins" when I was an M3-M4 at osteopathic EM residencies. There was no way in Hades I would have accepted them.

I do not believe in the blanket statement "DOs have an advantage when applying to EM residencies."

As above posters have said, there are MD residencies that will accept DOs. In the most current issue of Annals of EM, 9% of all ACGME spots for Emergency Medicine are filled by DOs. That is up from 8% last year and 7% the year before.

Q

 

[JMC_MarineCorps]

I had several "guaranteed ins" when I was an M3-M4 at osteopathic EM residencies. There was no way in Hades I would have accepted them.
Q

Big Q,

I always appreciate your input on these topics and I was hoping that you would describe some more exactly what you mean when you say that you would not have accepted [the guaranteed ins]. What sort of things were you looking for (aside from physical/geographical location) and what criteria did these progrmas not meet according to your standards.

I'll just add really quickly so you know where I am coming from...my notion is similar to the one that led me to osteopathy. I wanted to be a physician and COMP is letting me accomplish this. Similarly, AOA EM residencies will allow me to do the same (accomplish what I want to do) if I am unable to secure an ACMGE spot.

Just wanted your thoughts on the matter.

Thanks,

JMC

 

[FlemishGiant]

Big Q,

I always appreciate your input on these topics and I was hoping that you would describe some more exactly what you mean when you say that you would not have accepted [the guaranteed ins]. What sort of things were you looking for (aside from physical/geographical location) and what criteria did these progrmas not meet according to your standards.

Thanks,

JMC

Just figured I'd throw my .02 in too. By guaranteed ins, this means a program director says to you, "hey, we love you and love to have you here. Do you want to sign this contract???" This is pretty typical, from what I hear, of Osteo residencies. Now why you want to stay away from some of the osteo programs... Well many reasons, but I'll just give you mine:
1. location: (as you mentioned)
2. volume: I know of some osteo training programs that see only around 25K per year. I need more practice.
3. Trauma Centers: Most are not. The trauma centers are usually the larger allo program in the same town. I like trauma and I think that its fun. I don't want it going somewhere else.
4. Strength of off service rotations: Sometimes hospitals will correct this--by sending you out of state for a month or 2 to a larger hospital. I don't want to leave my state. Its warm here.
5. Feel: I want to work in a big county hospital that sees lots of patients w/ diverse pathology. Quite a few of the osteo programs are at smaller, community hospitals with limited pathology.
6. Academics: Do you want to do some research? I'm not sure if I want to, but I want to know that there is strong mentorship and lots of opp's should I want to.

I want to make this perfectly clear. I am refering to SOME osteo programs. Please don't think that I'm saying don't apply to DO progs. There are also some good Osteo programs out there so shop around for yourself. Just be careful and objective. One more thing: DO programs, for the most part, are MUCH more easier to get into than allo. You will match as long as you are not an anaerobe.

Good luck,
FG

 

[FlemishGiant]

As for OMM being useful

When I was doing my clerkships in EM I used it a decent amount. Worked REALLY well on my patients who were coming in w/ "total body pain" for 3 years, or the run of the mill chronic back pain (Yes I know the ER isn't quite the place for these people but whatcha gonna do?). I would rack'em and crack'em then give them motrin. They usually went away much happier than patients that only get motrin.

With that said though: I would never look for the appendix's chapman point on patients with belly pain. Nor would I try to correct T1-5 somatic dysfunction on a patient with crushing 10/10 chest pain, ST-elevations who is sweating like mad.

I guess it comes down to if you like doing OTM. You can fit it in.

FG

 

[JMC_MarineCorps]

Just figured I'd throw my .02 in too. By guaranteed ins, this means a program director says to you, "hey, we love you and love to have you here. Do you want to sign this contract???" This is pretty typical, from what I hear, of Osteo residencies. Now why you want to stay away from some of the osteo programs... Well many reasons, but I'll just give you mine:
1. location: (as you mentioned)
2. volume: I know of some osteo training programs that see only around 25K per year. I need more practice.
3. Trauma Centers: Most are not. The trauma centers are usually the larger allo program in the same town. I like trauma and I think that its fun. I don't want it going somewhere else.
4. Strength of off service rotations: Sometimes hospitals will correct this--by sending you out of state for a month or 2 to a larger hospital. I don't want to leave my state. Its warm here.
5. Feel: I want to work in a big county hospital that sees lots of patients w/ diverse pathology. Quite a few of the osteo programs are at smaller, community hospitals with limited pathology.
6. Academics: Do you want to do some research? I'm not sure if I want to, but I want to know that there is strong mentorship and lots of opp's should I want to.

I want to make this perfectly clear. I am refering to SOME osteo programs. Please don't think that I'm saying don't apply to DO progs. There are also some good Osteo programs out there so shop around for yourself. Just be careful and objective. One more thing: DO programs, for the most part, are MUCH more easier to get into than allo. You will match as long as you are not an anaerobe.

Good luck,
FG

I appreciate your reply, gives me some idea of where the 'cautionary' sentiment is derived from. Thank you.

P.S. I am not an anaerobe, thus I shall match! Then it will be off to the midwest somewhere so I can bank $300k/year, have a family life (wife & 2 kids) thanks to shift work/no call and be able to afford a decent home since not even $600k can get you very much in super sunny SoCal!