List ACGME-accredited residencies accepting osteopathic applicants

[yungk19]

Hi guys,

I was just wondering if there is a list out there containing all ACGME-accredited residency sites which accept osteopathic (D.O.) applicants. (not necessarily those that are dually accredited by AOA and ACGME). I don't have a particular medical specialty or a U.S. state I am interested in. Any information will help.

Also, this may be a dumb question. Do some state residencies (whether AOA or ACGME accredited) give preference to applicants from one D.O. school versus another D.O. school for open spots? Here's my own example: TUCOM is a California D.O. school whose majority of graduates fill residency slots in CA (my home state), whereas KCOM is a Missouri D.O. school whose majority of graduates fill residency slots in the Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, etc.). If I'm a KCOM graduate applying for a residency slot in CA will I be less competitive compared to a TUCOM graduate applying for the same slot?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I think many/most ACGME residencies wouldn't straight up exclude an applicant just because they're DO. Maybe a program director (PD) might have a bias towards a particular school or even the degree, but there's no list of all DO-friendly programs. Do your best to prove that you're competent, and you'll have the easiest time landing the residency you want. When you see a program you like, look through their current residents and upper-classmen. Any DOs on the list? How big is the sample size? Email the PD and ask his/her feelings about grads from school X. Couldn't hurt, right?

As far as geography goes, any match list shows geographic preference. This is because a. people go to med school in areas they're from or they like, b. clinical rotations occur in areas close to med schools, c. students get to know programs through clinical rotations, and they later apply for residency at those programs.

It's often recommended to rotate through a residency program you're interested in (the caveat is that if you do poorly on that rotation, you're worse off than having never set foot in the place before your residency interview). It's much easier to rotate at programs close to you than moving for weeks/months at a time to rotate hundreds or thousands of miles away.

If you want to do residency in CA, it would most likely be less hassle if you go to med school there. However, I don't think your chances are diminished at all if you go to MO. It would just be more work.

Keep in mind that I haven't been through it. Just thought I'd sum up consensuses I've gathered, since our med student friends are busier than I am, at the moment. Stand by for more experienced comments...

 

[Red Beard]

Agree with above. There is no list out there that has been compiled. This might actually be a good project to do. One way I've explored this is by searching residencies on FREIDA, clicking through to their websites, and looking at the resident lists for DOs.

The only other way is to talk to PDs. There is more discrimination in my region than what SDN would have you believe. There are certainly PDs that will outright say "we've never had a DO, and I don't plan to take one." I have at least two acquaintances who have been told this at multiple programs (one was applying EM, the other surgery.) This is not to say that they won't match somewhere, but that you can't assume you will have a chance at a particular program just through stellar boards and kick-ass grades. It behooves any osteopathic candidate (or pre-osteo who knows they want to do something competetive) to do this legwork early and make the most informed decision they can.

 

[Lamborghini1315]

I think many/most ACGME residencies wouldn't straight up exclude an applicant just because they're DO. Maybe a program director (PD) might have a bias towards a particular school or even the degree, but there's no list of all DO-friendly programs. Do your best to prove that you're competent, and you'll have the easiest time landing the residency you want. When you see a program you like, look through their current residents and upper-classmen. Any DOs on the list? How big is the sample size? Email the PD and ask his/her feelings about grads from school X. Couldn't hurt, right?

As far as geography goes, any match list shows geographic preference. This is because a. people go to med school in areas they're from or they like, b. clinical rotations occur in areas close to med schools, c. students get to know programs through clinical rotations, and they later apply for residency at those programs.

It's often recommended to rotate through a residency program you're interested in (the caveat is that if you do poorly on that rotation, you're worse off than having never set foot in the place before your residency interview). It's much easier to rotate at programs close to you than moving for weeks/months at a time to rotate hundreds or thousands of miles away.

If you want to do residency in CA, it would most likely be less hassle if you go to med school there. However, I don't think your chances are diminished at all if you go to MO. It would just be more work.

Keep in mind that I haven't been through it. Just thought I'd sum up consensuses I've gathered, since our med student friends are busier than I am, at the moment. Stand by for more experienced comments...

I strongly advocate taking USMLE and using that as your selling point...if you want to be in the allopathic world you need to fulfill their requirements simple as that, people who live under the impression that you should accept my comlex score will find a harsh reality. I am lucky to have known programs or people way early during college years to see attitudes, mentalities that exist in the medical world...the most imp thing any program wants is a passionate candidate but they can only give you an edge if you stand in line with their current residents. You want to do peds in some no name place..they don't expect a 250 on the USMLE and also less likely to discriminate against DO's...however a radiology program will most likely make sure you have that 250 because that's what it takes the MD's to crack it, so realize to play the game with their rules not your own. Audition rotations are a big if, i have gotten mixed opinions from students to clinicians..imo an effective strategy is critical you need to list programs that you think would need an extra star on your resume to crack as part of your audition rotations while those programs that you think are clearly in your grasp based on everything you already have on your CV should be left alone. I wouldn't worry so much about which program will hate or welcome DO's...if you are smart, useful and have the make up for a certain role you intend to fulfill there's no doubt you will match. All the pre-conceived notions about DO's is an unintended consequence of having two medical degrees...its bound to change!

 

[group_theory]

There is no list.

Any attempt to compile or create such list will be futile.

There are TOO many residency programs (there are 743 residency programs in CALIFORNIA alone according to Freida).

There is no way to know if they have had DOs in the past.

Many programs don't even list their current residents.

Some program websites erraneously list DOs as MDs.

There is no way to know if they have interviewed DOs in the past and have ranked them


Do well in school. Do well on boards. Be a good person. Make contacts and connections. Do audition rotations. And don't put all your eggs in one basket.

 

[hooperg]

There is no list.

Any attempt to compile or create such list will be futile.

There are TOO many residency programs (there are 743 residency programs in CALIFORNIA alone according to Freida).

There is no way to know if they have had DOs in the past.

Many programs don't even list their current residents.

Some program websites erraneously list DOs as MDs.

There is no way to know if they have interviewed DOs in the past and have ranked them


Do well in school. Do well on boards. Be a good person. Make contacts and connections. Do audition rotations. And don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Very wise. This post alone should put an end to this thread .

 

[DOinMS]

Go to http://www.nrmp.org/data/index.html and select the document "2008 Match Results by State, Specialty, and Applicant Type." This will give you some geographical idea of where folks are going.

 

[Old_Mil]

I strongly advocate taking USMLE and using that as your selling point...if you want to be in the allopathic world you need to fulfill their requirements simple as that, people who live under the impression that you should accept my comlex score will find a harsh reality. ...I wouldn't worry so much about which program will hate or welcome DO's...if you are smart, useful and have the make up for a certain role you intend to fulfill there's no doubt you will match. All the pre-conceived notions about DO's is an unintended consequence of having two medical degrees...its bound to change!

Great advice.

 

[scpod]

...if you want to be in the allopathic world you need to fulfill their requirements simple as that, people who live under the impression that you should accept my comlex score will find a harsh reality....

Note that there is actually something known as the "COMLEX acceptance project" taking place. A list of residencies that either don't ake COMLEX or strongly suggest the USMLE is being compiled by COSGP here:

http://65.242.33.236/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=72

Anyone who has information about a program like this is asked to enter that info into the database. NBOME intends to contact the residencies and attempt to sway them by providing educational materials, etc. The only thing I don't really know is if students will actually have access to this information.

 

[Old_Mil]

Note that there is actually something known as the "COMLEX acceptance project" taking place. A list of residencies that either don't ake COMLEX or strongly suggest the USMLE is being compiled by COSGP here:

http://65.242.33.236/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=72

Anyone who has information about a program like this is asked to enter that info into the database. NBOME intends to contact the residencies and attempt to sway them by providing educational materials, etc. The only thing I don't really know is if students will actually have access to this information.

So, we in the osteopathic world who know Comlex is a garbage test are going to be writing to allopathic PDs encouraging them to accept it instead of fixing the exam? Yeah, that makes sense.