Is San Diego DO friendly for residency?

[dude16]

Does anyone have any recommendations on residencies in San Diego that might be DO friendly? There aren't any AOA residencies in San Diego and I'm wondering if it'd be worth even applying to an MD residency there as I have heard they are not DO friendly

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[fireflygirl]

I have two friends from my class that are out in SD. However, they did take Step 1 and went through the ACGME match. In talking with them, it's not that SD isn't DO friendly, it's just that they don't have any AOA residencies. They didn't feel like they were treated any differently because they were DOs. I would advise doing a rotation out there which I think would greatly help your case. That's in part, I think how my friends ended out there; they made some connections and got letters from those programs' residency directors. They applied to several places knowing that Cali is hard to break into especially if you are coming in from the outside but I think doing well in school, taking Step 1 and applying via ACGME is the way to go.

On a personal note, I have spent quite some time out in California and have seen a A TON of DOs practicing out there. Much of SoCal specifically is into integrative and/or holistic medicine and so everyone out there is practicing some form of alternative medicine including OMM, acupuncture, reiki...etc. So I would definitely encourage you to take a chance and try to get out there for residency. You may just have to do some extra work!

 

[fireflygirl]

Oh and one friend is at UCSD doing FM and the other is a little further away in Fresno doing Peds. Both graduated from PCOM with me.

 

[hallowmann]

If you are applying ACGME anyways, just apply to them. I have heard similar things to what fireflygirl said from people I know out there. It's not particularly DO unfriendly in San Diego, it's just a more competitive region with no AOA programs.

Definitely try to do an away rotation out there if you can.

 

[pattr]

To answer your question, just think about which residency programs are actually in San Diego:

UCSD:
Anesthesiology
Dermatology
Family Medicine
Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
Emergency Medicine
OBGYN
Neurology
Orthopedic Surgery
ENT
Pathology
Pediatrics
General Surgery
Preventive Medicine
Diagnostic Radiology
Plastic Surgery
Psychiatry
Urology

Scripps Green:
Internal Medicine

Scripps Mercy:
Internal Medicine
Family Medicine
Transitional Year

Kaiser San Diego:
Family Medicine
Emergency Medicine

Now which of these programs would realistically take DOs?

For sure that I know of: UCSD FM, Psychiatry, Pathology, Neurology, Preventive Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Scripps Mercy IM, FM and Transitional Year, Kaiser SD FM

EDITED for accuracy.

 

[bajastapler]

For the competitive ones it's not going to happen, but i remember an ortho resident from an AOA program talking about doing a spine fellowship at UCSD post graduation. Will you get that ENT spot at UCSD? Hell no. Can you consider applying later on for a fellowship? Probably.

 

[NontradCA]

To answer your question, just think about which residency programs are actually in San Diego:

UCSD:
Anesthesiology
Dermatology
Family Medicine
Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
Emergency Medicine
OBGYN
Neurology
Orthopedic Surgery
ENT
Pathology
Pediatrics
General Surgery
Preventive Medicine
Diagnostic Radiology
Plastic Surgery
Psychiatry
Urology

Scripps Green:
Internal Medicine

Scripps Mercy:
Internal Medicine
Family Medicine
Transitional Year

Now which of these programs would realistically take DOs?

For sure that I know of: UCSD FM, Scripps Mercy IM, Scripps Mercy FM AND Transitional Year

And UCSD Psych, Path, Neuro, Preventive Med

There's also Kaiser EM in SD

 

[Silent Cool]

I have two friends from my class that are out in SD. However, they did take Step 1 and went through the ACGME match. In talking with them, it's not that SD isn't DO friendly, it's just that they don't have any AOA residencies. They didn't feel like they were treated any differently because they were DOs. I would advise doing a rotation out there which I think would greatly help your case. That's in part, I think how my friends ended out there; they made some connections and got letters from those programs' residency directors. They applied to several places knowing that Cali is hard to break into especially if you are coming in from the outside but I think doing well in school, taking Step 1 and applying via ACGME is the way to go.

On a personal note, I have spent quite some time out in California and have seen a A TON of DOs practicing out there. Much of SoCal specifically is into integrative and/or holistic medicine and so everyone out there is practicing some form of alternative medicine including OMM, acupuncture, reiki...etc. So I would definitely encourage you to take a chance and try to get out there for residency. You may just have to do some extra work!

You mean like learn real medicine?

Sounds legit.

 

[Izanami]

Look what we have here, if it isn't the director of the Board of DO-Bashing. She meant the OP needs to put in the extra effort to break into the area. Say what you will, those "integrative practices" are doing quite well in the West. I know tons of FM people on the MD side would kill to have something like that to help pay off their enormous student debt

 

[MRSAful Fate]

On a personal note, I have spent quite some time out in California and have seen a A TON of DOs practicing out there. Much of SoCal specifically is into integrative and/or holistic medicine and so everyone out there is practicing some form of alternative medicine including OMM, acupuncture, reiki...etc. So I would definitely encourage you to take a chance and try to get out there for residency. You may just have to do some extra work!

Gross. Glad that hasn't been my experience in SoCal.

 

[ToKingdomCome]

Rowan had an em match at ucsd last yearyear

 

[GUH]

You mean like learn real medicine?

Sounds legit.

Right, because we don't really learn "real medicine" at DO school. We spend 30 hours per week learning hand-waving and another 10 on homeopathy.

 

[Silent Cool]

Right, because we don't really learn "real medicine" at DO school. We spend 30 hours per week learning hand-waving and another 10 on homeopathy.

Even our friend @MRSAful Fate supported my distaste for the "alternative medicine" BS. Of course DO school teaches real medicine, but spare me the reiki, acupuncture, etc.., BS.