Keep DO acceptance or MD next year?

[ordinarycan1200]

I'm in a pickle. I currently have a DO acceptance and anticipating others but I have an opportunity to become an MD. I knew I wasn't a strong candidate for MD so I never made the effort to apply. However, an opportunity presented itself to me and I have a guaranteed spot at my state MD school if I complete their special program. I've already been accepted and there are no costs associated. However, I will be delaying my career by 1 year and I've always wanted to become a family doctor. I won't lie and say that I haven't fantasized about becoming an interventional radiologist or dermatologist but I never let those thoughts flourish because I knew that my prospects as a DO were limited.

My professors are encouraging me to take the DO and get on with my career. This would be a safe choice if I did not have a guaranteed MD acceptance (the program is very easy to pass from what the director told me and over 95% pass it and only those who never show up fail out which is rare to do in such an opportunity).

I come from a poor family so making a salary sooner than later is very attractive so that I no longer have to live off ramen and I can help my family financially. However, the public perception and bashing on DOs (Trump's doctor, the Figs ad) etc. have all been getting to me. I know that nobody cares what your letters are when you're a doctor but I always hear ads for local clinics on the radio advertising with "Dr. John Doe is a graduate of the [Insert prestigious MD school] and is specialized in orthopedic surgery" you can't advertise like that if you attend an osteopathic school. I also wouldn't have to deal with OMM, double boards, and will be around more interesting and well rounded people.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

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[PigsHaveWings]

Tough one. If you are 500% sure you will not do anything other family practice, then taking the DO would be the right choice. Nobody at your stage in life can be absolutely sure of this, and most medical students probably change their mind several times about their residency.

If you have still some doubts about going into a competitive specialty or going into academic medicine/research, you may want to take the MD path.

 

[candbgirl]

Trump’s doctor did that to himself. It has nothing to do with him being a DO. Some of the best doctors and finest people I know are DOs. It’s up to you what you decide.

 

[mitch90]

How old are you?

If you're 25 or under, I would definitely suggest going the MD route. That's just my opinion. It will be a constant uphill battle to get into certain competitive specialties with a DO. Regardless of the public perception of DOs (honestly who cares), there is just alot of inconvenience that tends to accompany DO schools (forcing medical students to fly to certain cities in the middle of a pandemic to take PE, learning OMM during med school, less research opportunities, clinical rotations can be farther driving distance, double boards).

If you don't mind waiting the year, I would say hold it off. I have several friends in osteopathic schools who have confided in me that they wish that they took an extra year or two to improve their app and go MD. However, this may just be "the grass is always greener" syndrome. Who knows for sure.

Just my two cents!

 

[BlueRocket]

My 2 cents: it sounds like you're hesitant to go to a DO school for multiple reasons, and if you really do have a guaranteed MD spot I'd go with that option. Plus it keeps your career options open if you end up deciding on a field other than family med. Also an MD school may have more connections to residency programs and research opportunities which would be limited at a DO school

 

[ordinarycan1200]

Trump’s doctor did that to himself. It has nothing to do with him being a DO. Some of the best doctors and finest people I know are DOs. It’s up to you what you decide.

I agree but the average person just reads the headlines/Facebook news and believes everything they see online. Most of my family think that doctors can only be MD (or NP), and have never heard of DO. So the average layperson (at least where I come from) wouldn't care to listen to someone try to explain how they're equivalent to an MD.

How old are you?

If you're 25 or under, I would definitely suggest going the MD route. That's just my opinion. It will be a constant uphill battle to get into certain competitive specialties with a DO. Regardless of the public perception of DOs (honestly who cares), there is just alot of inconvenience that tends to accompany DO schools (forcing medical students to fly to certain cities in the middle of a pandemic to take PE, learning OMM during med school, less research opportunities, clinical rotations can be farther driving distance, double boards).

If you don't mind waiting the year, I would say hold it off. I have several friends in osteopathic schools who have confided in me that they wish that they took an extra year or two to improve their app and go MD. However, this may just be "the grass is always greener" syndrome. Who knows for sure.

Just my two cents!

I'm 22. The MD will be slightly less expensive so that's another plus. I'm also worried about excelling at an MD program because I am not a stellar student by any means. My friend at the DO school I'm accepted to told me it's a blessing in disguise because they are able to become a doctor the easy way without having to take the USMLE for which they were predicted to fail. So I'm also having doubts about keeping up with the pace at an MD school, competing with smarter students, and being expected to perform well in a clinical environment when I might be barely able to keep up with readings and school work.

My 2 cents: it sounds like you're hesitant to go to a DO school for multiple reasons, and if you really do have a guaranteed MD spot I'd go with that option. Plus it keeps your career options open if you end up deciding on a field other than family med. Also an MD school may have more connections to residency programs and research opportunities which would be limited at a DO school

My interest in FM was mainly because that's all I'm familiar with until I started watching Youtube vlogs and reading about other specialties. I have never done any research nor do I know where to begin and I feel like I'll need all the time I can get to just keep up with studying.

 

[djiboutiman]

Take the MD conditional acceptance. It really comes down to MD opening more doors for residency. DOs are somewhat limited in residency options in terms of specialty, location, and prestige. As a DO student myself, I know that certain programs are just off-limits (they never have taken a DO student before). You are young and 1 extra year is worth it. Also, with COVID going on, it’s possible all of next school year will be virtual too which is not fun. Just to address your other concerns:

1. By no means is DO easy. Medical school is going to be hard no matter which direction you go. MD curriculum might actually be easier than DO since you don’t have to spend time learning OMM on top of the other regular medical/science stuff.
2. Most DO students take STEP 1 because a lot of residencies require it. I imagine when it goes P/F, the residency directors will still want to see a pass on the exam. You likely will also have to take STEP 2 for a score, so you better know your stuff, even if you go the DO route.
3. If you go the DO route you’ll get over the DO stigma. Other medical professionals don’t care if you’re a DO, as long as your competent. Don’t live you’re life concerned with what other people say about you.

 

[Goro]

I'm in a pickle. I currently have a DO acceptance and anticipating others but I have an opportunity to become an MD. I knew I wasn't a strong candidate for MD so I never made the effort to apply. However, an opportunity presented itself to me and I have a guaranteed spot at my state MD school if I complete their special program. I've already been accepted and there are no costs associated. However, I will be delaying my career by 1 year and I've always wanted to become a family doctor. I won't lie and say that I haven't fantasized about becoming an interventional radiologist or dermatologist but I never let those thoughts flourish because I knew that my prospects as a DO were limited.

My professors are encouraging me to take the DO and get on with my career. This would be a safe choice if I did not have a guaranteed MD acceptance (the program is very easy to pass from what the director told me and over 95% pass it and only those who never show up fail out which is rare to do in such an opportunity).

I come from a poor family so making a salary sooner than later is very attractive so that I no longer have to live off ramen and I can help my family financially. However, the public perception and bashing on DOs (Trump's doctor, the Figs ad) etc. have all been getting to me. I know that nobody cares what your letters are when you're a doctor but I always hear ads for local clinics on the radio advertising with "Dr. John Doe is a graduate of the [Insert prestigious MD school] and is specialized in orthopedic surgery" you can't advertise like that if you attend an osteopathic school. I also wouldn't have to deal with OMM, double boards, and will be around more interesting and well rounded people.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

Oh, are these threads starting already?

Give the seat to someone who want to be a doctor now, and go for the MD.

For you to think that DO students and DOs in general are NOT "more interesting and well rounded people" tells me that you're either trolling, or that you're someone I do NOT want to have as a student.

 

[deleted1066189]

and will be around more interesting and well rounded people.

 

[ordinarycan1200]

Oh, are these threads starting already?

Give the seat to someone who want to be a doctor now, and go for the MD.

For you to think that DO students and DOs in general are NOT "more interesting and well rounded people" tells me that you're either trolling, or that you're someone I do NOT want to have as a student.

I apologize. I did not mean it like that. Looking at WAMC posts on SDN and Reddit I've noticed a trend in accepted MD students having more hours in research, volunteering, and usually some unique/interesting EC like being a world-class figure skater or computer scientist. Like Stanford says "you should be a Doctor plus one (interesting thing)". On the other hand, people applying DO are told they have a good shot when they ask for their chances with 100-200 hours of ECs and on average less unique traits. This is also from reading personal statements and secondaries in admission's guide books.

The education is very similar if not identical but as someone who came from nothing, both DO and MD will make my family and my larger community very proud of me. Cannot go wrong with either one.

 

[ordinarycan1200]

\

2. Most DO students take STEP 1 because a lot of residencies require it. I imagine when it goes P/F, the residency directors will still want to see a pass on the exam. You likely will also have to take STEP 2 for a score, so you better know your stuff, even if you go the DO route.

I did some googling and I think that number is closer to 50% and generally speaking, it helps for competitive specialties but not required (the DO school mentioned something like that in their presentation but I forgot the exact details). I do like the idea of having COMLEX to match FM if I am not competent enough to pass the USMLE. If I go the MD route and match FM then I would have wasted a year and worked harder for the same result (with a chance that I delay my schooling further if I can't pass USMLE).

 

[Select All That Apply]

@ordinarycan1200 You work harder in the DO route to achieve the same results because you usually find yourself taking both COMLEX and USMLE. Competitive DO students take USMLE to provide a comparison point for programs to evaluate how you perform against your MD peers. This is because MD candidates set the pace for most competitive programs and are the metric to match.

In addition to barriers in the matching process, there will be a lot of time spent on OMM that DO students complain about because they find that they never will use this information in actual practice e.g. Chapman points. Dedicating any brain power to the idea of failure before you have even started medical school is irrational. If there is some malingering fear that you won't be able to perform on a standardized test, then you should be working on addressing self-doubt as you have been extended an acceptance to both programs and will have to focus on performing under stress regardless of which option you choose.

 

[Warder]

Trump’s doctor did that to himself. It has nothing to do with him being a DO. Some of the best doctors and finest people I know are DOs. It’s up to you what you decide.

Ehh, it definitely was more than just what Dr. Connely did to himself. Numerous journalists tweeted and wrote articles for places like CNN and MSNBC (so not minor or inconsequential news sources) claiming Dr. Connely isn't a doctor because he is a DO. Some of those articles and tweets have been retracted (without corrections being published), but the number of reporters (and subsequently the general public) that all quickly jumped on the "DOs aren't doctors" bandwagon was a bit frightening to watch.

I understand that part of the reason people were so quick to believe Trump didn't have a "real doctor" is due to politics, but still scary nonetheless to see how quickly DOs were dismissed as quacks by the general public simply because they don't have an MD.

EDIT: The worst part was watching people quote things from the AOA website as "proof" that osteopaths are quacks. And lastly, don't take my post the wrong way - I'm still more than happy to be a DO, just disheartened by what I've seen the last few weeks being said about DOs.

 

[deleted1066189]

Ehh, it definitely was more than just what Dr. Connely did to himself. Numerous journalists tweeted and wrote articles for places like CNN and MSNBC (so not minor or inconsequential news sources) claiming Dr. Connely isn't a doctor because he is a DO. Some of those articles and tweets have been retracted (without corrections being published), but the number of reporters (and subsequently the general public) that all quickly jumped on the "DOs aren't doctors" bandwagon was a bit frightening to watch.

Not wrong. I watched CNN call Dr. Connely an "osteopath"

 

[ordinarycan1200]

Not wrong. I watched CNN call Dr. Connely an "osteopath"

Good Morning America called Tony Adkins (PA) "the dancing doctor" multiple times and referred to him as such during his interview (he's an awesome guy and I love his videos). The general public is more likely to see "physician assistant" and think "hmm... this person is a doctor completing that residency thing I heard about" than to see a DO and think "osteopath?" Especially since osteopaths exist in Europe, and the rest of the world will just go by that definition (especially in areas with lots of immigrants who've never heard of a DO before)

 

[Blueprint Med School]

A US acceptance is a US acceptance. Unless you have major research aspirations or want to match into a very competitive specialty, there's almost no difference. Not to say DOs can't be researchers or match into a competitive specialty, but MD tends to have better research infrastructure and there's an MD bias in some specialities.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[Bloobury]

You can donate either one of your acceptances to me.

TYIA ;P

 

[ordinarycan1200]

A US acceptance is a US acceptance. Unless you have major research aspirations or want to match into a very competitive specialty, there's almost no difference. Not to say DOs can't be researchers or match into a competitive specialty, but MD tends to have better research infrastructure and there's an MD bias in some specialities.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

Hi. You seem like you're a professional at this. Do you know if it's possible to defer my DO acceptance for a year in case I end up changing my mind about the MD? Or maybe if COVID is still a thing I could possibly start at the DO program while completing the classes for the conditional MD acceptance on the side since they'll be much easier in comparison. (If classes are partially or fully online as it will afford me more flexibility)

 

[happydo1]

I'm in a pickle. I currently have a DO acceptance and anticipating others but I have an opportunity to become an MD. I knew I wasn't a strong candidate for MD so I never made the effort to apply. However, an opportunity presented itself to me and I have a guaranteed spot at my state MD school if I complete their special program. I've already been accepted and there are no costs associated. However, I will be delaying my career by 1 year and I've always wanted to become a family doctor. I won't lie and say that I haven't fantasized about becoming an interventional radiologist or dermatologist but I never let those thoughts flourish because I knew that my prospects as a DO were limited.

My professors are encouraging me to take the DO and get on with my career. This would be a safe choice if I did not have a guaranteed MD acceptance (the program is very easy to pass from what the director told me and over 95% pass it and only those who never show up fail out which is rare to do in such an opportunity).

I come from a poor family so making a salary sooner than later is very attractive so that I no longer have to live off ramen and I can help my family financially. However, the public perception and bashing on DOs (Trump's doctor, the Figs ad) etc. have all been getting to me. I know that nobody cares what your letters are when you're a doctor but I always hear ads for local clinics on the radio advertising with "Dr. John Doe is a graduate of the [Insert prestigious MD school] and is specialized in orthopedic surgery" you can't advertise like that if you attend an osteopathic school. I also wouldn't have to deal with OMM, double boards, and will be around more interesting and well rounded people.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

if the program is truly guaranteed spot upon completing the program might as well go especially since you are having doubts now about going DO.

 

[deleted314957]

I'm in a pickle. I currently have a DO acceptance and anticipating others but I have an opportunity to become an MD. I knew I wasn't a strong candidate for MD so I never made the effort to apply. However, an opportunity presented itself to me and I have a guaranteed spot at my state MD school if I complete their special program. I've already been accepted and there are no costs associated. However, I will be delaying my career by 1 year and I've always wanted to become a family doctor. I won't lie and say that I haven't fantasized about becoming an interventional radiologist or dermatologist but I never let those thoughts flourish because I knew that my prospects as a DO were limited.

My professors are encouraging me to take the DO and get on with my career. This would be a safe choice if I did not have a guaranteed MD acceptance (the program is very easy to pass from what the director told me and over 95% pass it and only those who never show up fail out which is rare to do in such an opportunity).

I come from a poor family so making a salary sooner than later is very attractive so that I no longer have to live off ramen and I can help my family financially. However, the public perception and bashing on DOs (Trump's doctor, the Figs ad) etc. have all been getting to me. I know that nobody cares what your letters are when you're a doctor but I always hear ads for local clinics on the radio advertising with "Dr. John Doe is a graduate of the [Insert prestigious MD school] and is specialized in orthopedic surgery" you can't advertise like that if you attend an osteopathic school. I also wouldn't have to deal with OMM, double boards, and will be around more interesting and well rounded people.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

As an aside, I have not yet read ANY responses you may have received. I am a 69 yo retired physician.
You get into med school ASAP if you are ready. DO/MD difference is a myth today. Also , if you delay/waste one year, you are losing one year of what will likely be among your highest earning years. Do you feel like throwing away $275000 or more?

 

[deleted314957]

How old are you?

If you're 25 or under, I would definitely suggest going the MD route. That's just my opinion. It will be a constant uphill battle to get into certain competitive specialties with a DO. Regardless of the public perception of DOs (honestly who cares), there is just alot of inconvenience that tends to accompany DO schools (forcing medical students to fly to certain cities in the middle of a pandemic to take PE, learning OMM during med school, less research opportunities, clinical rotations can be farther driving distance, double boards).

If you don't mind waiting the year, I would say hold it off. I have several friends in osteopathic schools who have confided in me that they wish that they took an extra year or two to improve their app and go MD. However, this may just be "the grass is always greener" syndrome. Who knows for sure.

Just my two cents!

It is a “grass is always greener” situation. As you progress thru your career you will find that also applies to every specialty. Plastics wish they were rads. Surgeons wish they were path. I have heard it all over decades.

 

[Goro]

Hi. You seem like you're a professional at this. Do you know if it's possible to defer my DO acceptance for a year in case I end up changing my mind about the MD? Or maybe if COVID is still a thing I could possibly start at the DO program while completing the classes for the conditional MD acceptance on the side since they'll be much easier in comparison. (If classes are partially or fully online as it will afford me more flexibility)

Deferments are hard to get and are usually reserved for illness or family emergencies. In addition, they may have you sign a contract that you will not apply to other schools in the mean time.

Just dump the acceptance already. Students like you end up as self-hating DOs and make life unhappy for my DO Faculty colleagues.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Students like you end up as self-hating DOs and make life unhappy for my DO Faculty colleagues.

What percentage of DO admits are unhappy ones?

 

[WheezyBaby]

If it's truly a "guaranteed MD acceptance" defer for a year. The residency options MD opens for you are worth one year salary, even if you ultimately stick to FM

 

[jmtbekm]

Hi. You seem like you're a professional at this. Do you know if it's possible to defer my DO acceptance for a year in case I end up changing my mind about the MD? Or maybe if COVID is still a thing I could possibly start at the DO program while completing the classes for the conditional MD acceptance on the side since they'll be much easier in comparison. (If classes are partially or fully online as it will afford me more flexibility)

You’re worried about potentially failing the USMLE while simultaneously confident that you can handle a DO school curriculum (which has more lecture/lab hours per week than an MD school because of OMM) while completing the MD program courses?

 

[ordinarycan1200]

If it's truly a "guaranteed MD acceptance" defer for a year. The residency options MD opens for you are worth one year salary, even if you ultimately stick to FM

it's truly guaranteed. They technically "forbid" you from applying to other AMCAS schools (the advisor told me there's no way of knowing unless it's another local school and they talk to each other). I just want to make sure I'm not getting ahead of myself and end up regretting my decision.

 

[ordinarycan1200]

What percentage of DO admits are unhappy ones?

Curious about this too.

 

[jmtbekm]

What percentage of DO admits are unhappy ones?

In my opinion, the ones that would have been unhappy in MD school too. Some people are just unhappy no matter what their situation.

 

[Damson]

it's truly guaranteed. They technically "forbid" you from applying to other AMCAS schools (the advisor told me there's no way of knowing unless it's another local school and they talk to each other). I just want to make sure I'm not getting ahead of myself and end up regretting my decision.

consider your program's pass rate
difficulty
location
tuition
your family's perspective, if they're paying
and how much you want the MD vs DO

then make the decision

 

[ordinarycan1200]

consider your program's pass rate
difficulty
location
tuition
your family's perspective, if they're paying
and how much you want the MD vs DO

then make the decision

The program is free of charge. My family is poor. I am expecting loans/scholarships for medical school.

 

[DNAJB6]

If you want to go into IM, EM, FM, anesthesiology, PM&R, or neurology then MD v. DO probably doesn't matter. If there is a chance you could want to do something else, I'd try for allopathic medical school. I wonder if you could come up with a reason for a deferment and hold the acceptance for another year should you fail to be admitted to an allopathic medical program. Is this bridge program degree granting? Any way you could sell it as a 1 year "medical school preparatory experience?" Some schools may grant "academic" deferments.

P.S. Many guaranteed programs aren't really "guaranteed" unless you meet certain criteria (MCAT and program GPA). Make sure you can meet those requirements or risk burning bridges.

 

[DNAJB6]

I'm in a pickle. I currently have a DO acceptance and anticipating others but I have an opportunity to become an MD. I knew I wasn't a strong candidate for MD so I never made the effort to apply. However, an opportunity presented itself to me and I have a guaranteed spot at my state MD school if I complete their special program. I've already been accepted and there are no costs associated. However, I will be delaying my career by 1 year and I've always wanted to become a family doctor. I won't lie and say that I haven't fantasized about becoming an interventional radiologist or dermatologist but I never let those thoughts flourish because I knew that my prospects as a DO were limited.

Never sell yourself short.

My professors are encouraging me to take the DO and get on with my career. This would be a safe choice if I did not have a guaranteed MD acceptance (the program is very easy to pass from what the director told me and over 95% pass it and only those who never show up fail out which is rare to do in such an opportunity).

This program sounds too good to be true.

 

[deleted1075353]

I'm 22.

You're so freaking young!!! Go MD and you'll never care about the DO stigma again in your life.

 

[deleted314957]

If it's truly a "guaranteed MD acceptance" defer for a year. The residency options MD opens for you are worth one year salary, even if you ultimately stick to FM

My decades of experience ( including being sec’y-treasurer of a 20+ physician multimillion dollar practice) make me believe that is a HIGHLY speculative opinion. Believe me, in IM or FM, if you have an entrepreneurial bent, you can do much better than the average derm, rad, ortho. I’v seen it.

And, future incomes in medicine are not going to be what they have been. They will be less for the majority.

 

[WheezyBaby]

My decades of experience ( including being sec’y-treasurer of a 20+ physician multimillion dollar practice) make me believe that is a HIGHLY speculative opinion. Believe me, in IM or FM, if you have an entrepreneurial bent, you can do much better than the average derm, rad, ortho. I’v seen it.

And, future incomes in medicine are not going to be what they have been. They will be less for the majority.

I'm not talking about career earnings. Just from a career satisfaction standpoint it's about having the best opportunity to pursue your residency of choice. If he decides he doesn't want to do family and would prefer ortho instead, the disadvantage he's placed on himself by choosing do instead of MD is substantial

 

[Goro]

My decades of experience ( including being sec’y-treasurer of a 20+ physician multimillion dollar practice) make me believe that is a HIGHLY speculative opinion. Believe me, in IM or FM, if you have an entrepreneurial bent, you can do much better than the average derm, rad, ortho. I’v seen it.

And, future incomes in medicine are not going to be what they have been. They will be less for the majority.

To follow up on this, the OP states " I knew I wasn't a strong candidate for MD". This is not the profile of someone who will benefit from the MD door opening into the uber-specialties. Just because one has the MD doesn't mean one waltzes into such specialties.

 

[dindjarin87]

This post is really making my skin crawl. I know it has been some-what addressed, but the "will be around more interesting and well rounded people" comment combined with the "defer my DO acceptance for a year in case I end up changing my mind about the MD?" are both really bothering me. Especially since the OP continues to refer to MD students as "smarter".

Besides @Goro's above point about not being a strong candidate for MD likely being indicative of performance in medical school (especially DO since there are additional courses in OMM)...I cannot imagine the OP poster faring well in interviews nor during auditions or rotations for the match. These comments are said in such a fleeting way but unearth quite a bit about the OPs attitude. They're young, but not too young to be mindful of how they present themselves. Whether its anonymous or not, we are all humans on the other end of these comments.

To defer means you intend to matriculate. Pursuing this "guaranteed" program is dishonesty. Aren't physicians supposed to have integrity? Also, what program is this? It can't be a BS/MD because OP has an acceptance to a DO school and I can't think of an SMP that would offer guaranteed ACCEPTANCE. Interview, maybe, but not acceptance.

I had a DO acceptance last year and WITHDREW my acceptance and reapplied this cycle to allopathic programs because of things happening in my personal life — part due to loss of employment with COVID and being unable to afford the move and also to try and stay near my partner where our nearby institution is an MD school (I qualify for FAP which helps, too).

The hardest part about that decision was because I am a strong advocate for osteopathic medicine it felt like a betrayal of opinions I had been public about. What changed? I realized that whether its a DO or an MD....I WOULD BE A PHYSICIAN. If that is your end goal, listen to your professors and be grateful you landed the DO acceptance.

 

[RJ McReady]

OP
Do what your gut tells you. You’re only 22, and if you want the MD you won’t lose anything by waiting a year. It may or may not open more doors for you, depending on what you’re interested in. Some of the things stated in your post will naturally upset DO’s, even though you may not have meant to do so. If I were in your shoes I would choose the MD, because if you do really like a more competitive specialty it will be easier for you to pursue it with an MD.

 

[RJ McReady]

I had a DO acceptance last year and WITHDREW my acceptance and reapplied this cycle to allopathic programs because of things happening in my personal life — part due to loss of employment with COVID and being unable to afford the move and also to try and stay near my partner where our nearby institution is an MD school (I qualify for FAP which helps, too).

The hardest part about that decision was because I am a strong advocate for osteopathic medicine it felt like a betrayal of opinions I had been public about. What changed? I realized that whether its a DO or an MD....I WOULD BE A PHYSICIAN. If that is your end goal, listen to your professors and be grateful you landed the DO acceptance.

So you had a DO acceptance but withdrew and reapplied hoping for an MD acceptance.
That is not the same situation as the OP who has a guaranteed MD acceptance. You are rolling the dice hoping for something better. He is not. To tell him he should take a DO acceptance now when he has a guaranteed MD acceptance after a year seems hypocritical.

 

[dindjarin87]

So you had a DO acceptance but withdrew and reapplied hoping for an MD acceptance.
That is not the same situation as the OP who has a guaranteed MD acceptance. You are rolling the dice hoping for something better. He is not. To tell him he should take a DO acceptance now when he has a guaranteed MD acceptance after a year seems hypocritical.

Not "better" in my opinion. I wanted to go DO and deciding to apply MD was actually NOT what I wanted to do but was in the best interest of my family. I make mention of this because it illuminates that a physician is a physician. Also, I am skeptical of the MD acceptance being guaranteed. How would a self-proclaimed 'not strong MD candidate' stumble upon an opportunity like this?

 

[deleted314957]

Yada, yada, yada. Last call folks. I wish there were an emoji for a dead horse.

 

[RJ McReady]

Surgeons wish they were path

I’ve yet to meet a surgeon who wishes they had become a pathologist lol

 

[WheezyBaby]

Not "better" in my opinion. I wanted to go DO and deciding to apply MD was actually NOT what I wanted to do but was in the best interest of my family. I make mention of this because it illuminates that a physician is a physician. Also, I am skeptical of the MD acceptance being guaranteed. How would a self-proclaimed 'not strong MD candidate' stumble upon an opportunity like this?

I'm also skeptical, all my advice is based on taking it being guaranteed at face value.

 

[ordinarycan1200]

Not "better" in my opinion. I wanted to go DO and deciding to apply MD was actually NOT what I wanted to do but was in the best interest of my family. I make mention of this because it illuminates that a physician is a physician. Also, I am skeptical of the MD acceptance being guaranteed. How would a self-proclaimed 'not strong MD candidate' stumble upon an opportunity like this?

I stumbled upon it in kind of a roundabout way. I was discussing my career goals with my professor and he told me about a student of his who completed a program offered by our state MD school. I spoke with an advisor at that program and discovered that I was a good fit (requires lower stats than applying directly to the regular program). It's essentially a "boot camp" to familiarize myself with the material but I am only required to pass the courses in order to matriculate into their MD program. The advisor told me that nearly everyone passes (there is a LOT of support). I was only hesitant because I fear that I would procrastinate and do the bare minimum so I wouldn't really be preparing for the tougher med school curriculum. They only select a handful of people that meet certain criteria so this isn't open to 99.9% of applicants out there.

 

[PigsHaveWings]

This post is really making my skin crawl. I know it has been some-what addressed, but the "will be around more interesting and well rounded people" comment combined with the "defer my DO acceptance for a year in case I end up changing my mind about the MD?" are both really bothering me. Especially since the OP continues to refer to MD students as "smarter".

Besides @Goro's above point about not being a strong candidate for MD likely being indicative of performance in medical school (especially DO since there are additional courses in OMM)...I cannot imagine the OP poster faring well in interviews nor during auditions or rotations for the match. These comments are said in such a fleeting way but unearth quite a bit about the OPs attitude. They're young, but not too young to be mindful of how they present themselves. Whether its anonymous or not, we are all humans on the other end of these comments.

To defer means you intend to matriculate. Pursuing this "guaranteed" program is dishonesty. Aren't physicians supposed to have integrity? Also, what program is this? It can't be a BS/MD because OP has an acceptance to a DO school and I can't think of an SMP that would offer guaranteed ACCEPTANCE. Interview, maybe, but not acceptance.

I had a DO acceptance last year and WITHDREW my acceptance and reapplied this cycle to allopathic programs because of things happening in my personal life — part due to loss of employment with COVID and being unable to afford the move and also to try and stay near my partner where our nearby institution is an MD school (I qualify for FAP which helps, too).

The hardest part about that decision was because I am a strong advocate for osteopathic medicine it felt like a betrayal of opinions I had been public about. What changed? I realized that whether its a DO or an MD....I WOULD BE A PHYSICIAN. If that is your end goal, listen to your professors and be grateful you landed the DO acceptance.

I dont know why the question from OP should upset anybody.

There is nothing in the OPs post that should give anybody a holier than thou attitude to make your skin crawl or anything dishonest about what he is thinking about.

Let me give you a classic instance of what FULLY GRADUATED PHYSICIANS do EVERY YEAR, which would not be much dis-similar than what OP is asking. If you take a minute to look at the NRMP residency matching list , there are more than 100's of instances every year.

If you look at the NRMP matching, lots of graduates do not match into their desired specialty (lets just say a more competitive specialty--- neurosurgery). They accept a residency slot ROUTINELY in an alternative specialty (lets say a less competitive specialty ---pediatrics) which has absolutely no connection to neurosurgery and then reapply and match into their desired specialty. None of them , ever had an intention of completing this residency program they went into.

Does this mean, all these physicians were dishonest in picking a residency year into a specialty they had no intention of completing ? ---- hundreds of physicians who have gone through tons of ethical classes dont think so.

did they destroy somebody else's residency aspirations who would have been perfectly happy with that specialty ? ---- residency program directors see this every day and dont think so, because clearly these people are being accepted by the program directors, and they dont think this is unethical or breaking integrity barriers.

Before you start bullying a 22 year old kid about "integrity" and "dishonesty" can you please answer these two questions, and let us know how this is dis-similar than what OP is asking ?

This is called real life decisions, nothing dishonest about it. I agree with the advice given above by @RJ McReady , follow your dream.

 

[dindjarin87]

I dont know why the question from OP should upset anybody.

There is nothing in the OPs post that should give anybody a holier than thou attitude to make your skin crawl or anything dishonest about what he is thinking about.

Let me give you a classic instance of what FULLY GRADUATED PHYSICIANS do EVERY YEAR, which would not be much dis-similar than what OP is asking. If you take a minute to look at the NRMP residency matching list , there are more than 100's of instances every year.

If you look at the NRMP matching, lots of graduates do not match into their desired specialty (lets just say a more competitive specialty--- neurosurgery). They accept a residency slot ROUTINELY in an alternative specialty (lets say a less competitive specialty ---pediatrics) which has absolutely no connection to neurosurgery and then reapply and match into their desired specialty. None of them , ever had an intention of completing this residency they went into.

Does this mean, all these physicians were dishonest in picking a residency year into a specialty they had no intention of completing ? did they destroy somebody else's residency aspirations who would have been perfectly happy with that specialty ? Before you start bullying a 22 year old kid about "integrity" and "dishonesty" can you please answer these two questions, and let us know how this is dis-similar than what OP is asking ?

This is called real life decisions, nothing dishonest about it.

I mean that's news to me. I hadn't heard of matching into a less competitive specialty to try and match into something else the following year. I've heard of folks doing prelims to build training for a different specialty (ie surgical for radi-onc). To me, requesting to defer and instead take classes to get into an MD program absolutely reads as dishonesty.

Sorry if that came off as bullying, OP. Recent events have made me particularly sensitive to this because of the Conley discussions in the media. I would think a board like this or the medical community at large would rally behind DO's rather than make statements about how MD students are smarter.

 

[PigsHaveWings]

I mean that's news to me. I hadn't heard of matching into a less competitive specialty to try and match into something else the following year. I've heard of folks doing prelims to build training for a different specialty (ie surgical for radi-onc). To me, requesting to defer and instead take classes to get into an MD program absolutely reads as dishonesty.

Sorry if that came off as bullying, OP. Recent events have made me particularly sensitive to this because of the Conley discussions in the media. I would think a board like this or the medical community at large would rally behind DO's rather than make statements about how MD students are smarter.

There are lots of instances of graduating Residents switching their specialty after year one, because they could not match into their preferred specialty and had to scramble getting into an alternate specialty at the last minute (also called the SOAP week) . Most of them dont have an intention of completing that specialty.

We have to be careful of preaching to a 22 year old in the infancy of his career and telling him this would be considered dishonest behavior lacking integrity. This has nothing to do about DO or MD degree, i do believe both of those are equivalent and the quality of the doctors in training or after graduation would be equal, end of the day.

 

[dindjarin87]

I stumbled upon it in kind of a roundabout way. I was discussing my career goals with my professor and he told me about a student of his who completed a program offered by our state MD school. I spoke with an advisor at that program and discovered that I was a good fit (requires lower stats than applying directly to the regular program). It's essentially a "boot camp" to familiarize myself with the material but I am only required to pass the courses in order to matriculate into their MD program. The advisor told me that nearly everyone passes (there is a LOT of support). I was only hesitant because I fear that I would procrastinate and do the bare minimum so I wouldn't really be preparing for the tougher med school curriculum. They only select a handful of people that meet certain criteria so this isn't open to 99.9% of applicants out there.

I am dying to know which school this is haha. Don't post. Keep your anonymity. Also, sorry if I came off as a bit abrasive in my post. The later poster referred to it as bullying. Not my intention. I'll echo @mikesheree and recommend that you start your career earlier and stick with the DO and also agree we're beating a dead horse at this point.

There are lots of instances of graduating Residents switching their specialty after year one, because they could not match into their preferred specialty and had to scramble getting into an alternate specialty at the last minute (also called the SOAP week) . Most of them dont have an intention of completing that specialty.

We have to be careful of preaching to a 22 year old in the infancy of his career and telling him this would be considered dishonest behavior lacking integrity. This has nothing to do about DO or MD degree, i do believe both of those are equivalent and the quality of the doctors would be equal end of the day.

Isn't SOAP for folks that didn't match? (asking to understand not argue)

 

[deleted555445]

does this MD program come with a guaranteed acceptance in writing? just be cautious, sometimes the people advocating for programs like this don't have the full picture and you may end up looking for a chair when the music stops. i don't know if i could give up a sure thing (DO) without something on paper

 

[PigsHaveWings]

I am dying to know which school this is haha. Don't post. Keep your anonymity. Also, sorry if I came off as a bit abrasive in my post. The later poster referred to it as bullying. Not my intention. I'll echo @mikesheree and recommend that you start your career earlier and stick with the DO and also agree we're beating a dead horse at this point.



Isn't SOAP for folks that didn't match? (asking to understand not argue)

yes SOAP is for graduates who did not match. Theoretically, all of the students who are interested in neurosurgery should walk away and say they will do a gap year doing research in neurosurgery or working with a neurosurgeon. some of them do that. others will take up a different specialty for a year in the SOAP scramble, and reapply during that next year, within the first 2 months of entering in.