Louisville vs LUCOM; An MD vs. DO school for an aspiring EM doc

[nackbaxster14]

I have been accepted at the University of Louisville (MD program) and the four-year-old Liberty University of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) (DO program). I loved both of them and would be happy attending either. However, there a few factors I need some help on.

As of now, I want to go into emergency medicine. This very well may change, but I can only see myself going further specialized than towards primary care from here.

Louisville for me will be around $60k/year
LUCOM will be around $50k/year
*note; I have a wife and she does work full-time. She is about to get her masters degree so our income will only increase. I know we will not have to take out any additional loans for personal expenses.

Louisville has a great trauma center nearby. LUCOM seems to be smaller, more rural hospitals (also they are just matching their first class to residencies so not much data to go off of.)

Should I pay the extra 10k a year for an MD degree that could possibly give me better options as far as residency opportunities, hospital rotation quality, etc? Or would either school offer me equal opportunities? Should I just choose the cheaper route?

I HAVE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO MAKE A DECISION! HELP!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[libertyyne]

I have been accepted at the University of Louisville (MD program) and the four-year-old Liberty University of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) (DO program). I loved both of them and would be happy attending either. However, there a few factors I need some help on.

As of now, I want to go into emergency medicine. This very well may change, but I can only see myself going further specialized than towards primary care from here.

Louisville for me will be around $60k/year
LUCOM will be around $50k/year

Louisville has a great trauma center nearby. LUCOM seems to be smaller, more rural hospitals (also they are just matching their first class to residencies so not much data to go off of.)

Should I pay the extra 10k a year for an MD degree that could possibly give me better options as far as residency opportunities, hospital rotation quality, etc? Or would either school offer me equal opportunities? Should I just choose the cheaper route?

I HAVE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO MAKE A DECISION! HELP!

Well worth the extra 10k to get an MD.

 

[nackbaxster14]

Well worth the extra 10k to get an MD.

Hi libertyyne. Thanks for the reply. Care to elaborate? I'd appreciate it.

 

[darkpauladin]

Hi libertyyne. Thanks for the reply. Care to elaborate? I'd appreciate it.

MD>>DO. There is a bias for MD over DO among residency program directors. It is pretty much undisputed that having an MD degree will give you a leg up during the matching process for residency. For example, it will help you get into more competitive specialties (derm/ophtho/neurosurg/etc.) or more highly desirable (urban) residencies.

However, that is not to say that DOs cannot obtain a highly competitive specialty in a desirable location. They just have to work a lot harder for it.

For an extra 10k/year, you can avoid these biases as well as taking both the COMLEX and USMLE standardized board exams.

 

[Jdp00921]

I have been accepted at the University of Louisville (MD program) and the four-year-old Liberty University of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) (DO program). I loved both of them and would be happy attending either. However, there a few factors I need some help on.

As of now, I want to go into emergency medicine. This very well may change, but I can only see myself going further specialized than towards primary care from here.

Louisville for me will be around $60k/year
LUCOM will be around $50k/year
*note; I have a wife and she does work full-time. She is about to get her masters degree so our income will only increase. I know we will not have to take out any additional loans for personal expenses.

Louisville has a great trauma center nearby. LUCOM seems to be smaller, more rural hospitals (also they are just matching their first class to residencies so not much data to go off of.)

Should I pay the extra 10k a year for an MD degree that could possibly give me better options as far as residency opportunities, hospital rotation quality, etc? Or would either school offer me equal opportunities? Should I just choose the cheaper route?

I HAVE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO MAKE A DECISION! HELP!

I think even disregarding MD vs DO, you said yourself that LUCOM is only just now matching its first class. Knowing nothing about either school, I'd place my eggs in the more well-established basket!

Whatever you choose, good luck!

 

[libertyyne]

MD schools have much better resources for research, and better clinical rotation sites. Plus home residency programs that can help you match into the program you desire. For example if you decided you wanted to do opthomolgy or derm matching into those fields from a DO school would be almost impossible.

 

[libertyyne]

I peersonally wouldn't go to lucom because of their stringent code of conduct.

 

[nackbaxster14]

I peersonally wouldn't go to lucom because of their stringent code of conduct.

LUCOM's code of conduct is zero problem for me. I know I dont' want to derm or optho. In that case, would it really matter?

 

[libertyyne]

LUCOM's code of conduct is zero problem for me. I know I dont' want to derm or optho. In that case, would it really matter?

You are currently interested in em, you might become interested in something else like surgery. The DO school is going to make it more difficult than it has to be to match in those specialties.
Most do graduates end up going into primary care.

I would suggest you speak to some DOs in the forum or read this thread .
Why are DO schools promulgating the idea that the residency merger is of benefit to DO students?

Besides that it is your career , you do you.

 

[darkpauladin]

LUCOM's code of conduct is zero problem for me. I know I dont' want to derm or optho. In that case, would it really matter?

If right now you don't know, it's better to leave the door open than shut it almost all the way. For example, imagine in the future, 2-3 years after starting medical school you might decide you want to go for a competitive specialty or want to be in an urban place for residency (SF/LA/NYC/Philly/Chi). You'll be handicapping yourself by going DO.

What's holding you back from going to Louisville? Cost? 10K is a drop in the bucket compared to your future attending salary ($200k+), and it's not worth potentially jeopardizing your future career.

On the other hand, if you are already 100% going into primary care (peds/internal medicine/etc.) and plan to serve a rural population for most if not all of your career. Going DO may be a financially savvy way that most people would not think of (per White Coat Investor's advice). At the end of the day this is just advice from internet strangers, you have to think what is right for you and the people you care about most in the world.

 

[nackbaxster14]

If right now you don't know, it's better to leave the door open than shut it almost all the way. For example, imagine in the future, 2-3 years after starting medical school you might decide you want to go for a competitive specialty or want to be in an urban place for residency (SF/LA/NYC/Philly/Chi). You'll be handicapping yourself by going DO.

What's holding you back from going to Louisville? Cost? 10K is a drop in the bucket compared to your future attending salary ($200k+), and it's not worth potentially jeopardizing your future career.

On the other hand, if you are already 100% going into primary care (peds/internal medicine/etc.) and plan to serve a rural population for most if not all of your career. Going DO may be a financially savvy way that most people would not think of (per White Coat Investor's advice). At the end of the day this is just advice from internet strangers, you have to think what is right for you and the people you care about most in the world.

Super good advice. Appreciate it. Would you lump EM into primary care?

 

[sunshine859]

No, don't lump EM into primary care. Absolutely go for the MD--10,000 a year is nothing in the long run.

 

[darkpauladin]

Super good advice. Appreciate it. Would you lump EM into primary care?

Since I'm also an applicant, I am not an authority on the subject, but I would lump EM into primary care (especially in rural communities). Rural areas are often hurting for doctors and often try to incentivize doctors to come out by giving out higher salaries. As a result of physician shortages in rural areas, you might find yourself practicing and treating for a wide range of diseases.

 

[libertyyne]

Em is not lumped into primary care.fp / I'm/ peds and obgyn are primary care

 

[DBC03]

I'd go with the MD (and I have plenty of friends who have attended Liberty for various other degrees, so I have no issue with the school itself). LUCOM is not as established, even as a DO school, so you will be in a better position choosing a more established MD school. Also, don't just consider whether you can match into EM, but how to place yourself in the best possible position to match. If you go with LUCOM, it might not only be slightly harder to match to EM, but you might be stuck with whatever you can get - including living in a location you don't like, choosing a particularly harsh residency program, etc. You have the option to go to an MD school at a relatively minor difference in cost, so I would give yourself every opportunity to be in the best possible position for the future.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

I'm on an MD waitlist so I'm currently going to be attending a DO school in the fall (and an established one compared to LUCOM). You should definitely take the MD acceptance. $10k/year is not a lot to keep the most doors open. Unless you were 100% certain on wanting FM or IM, I would take the MD over the DO.

 

[Magus5454]

I'm on an MD waitlist so I'm currently going to be attending a DO school in the fall (and an established one compared to LUCOM). You should definitely take the MD acceptance. $10k/year is not a lot to keep the most doors open. Unless you were 100% certain on wanting FM or IM, I would take the MD over the DO.

In this case it's very established MD vs new DO. Its a no brainer even if FM or IM to go MD