Making People Choose

[notnarcsDO]

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I am starting to get annoyed with people who are applying to both. After MCAT scores come out, all of a sudden all of the people who insult the DO degree want to apply. The decision should not be based on grades, and people should not apply to DO schools just as a backup plan if they do not get into MD programs. You should choose because you are interested. The fact that people apply to both defeats the purpose of having a second philosophy. I feel that you should only be allowed to apply to one or the other. I don't know why the schools haven't done this already. If I ran a DO school, I wouldnt want people there who arent interested, but they just came because they couldnt get in. All of the DO schools are filling up with MD hopefuls holding back up plans.

Anyone agree with AMCAS mandating that people may only sumbit AACOMAS or AAMCAS??

 

[USArmyDoc]

No, because some people really are not sure. For example, I like the osteopathic philosophy and the advantages its has. However, I also recognize the negatives that come along with it. With that being said, I am trying to decided with my future career goals in mind whether a MD or DO would be better.

 

[notnarcsDO]

No, because some people really are not sure. For example, I like the osteopathic philosophy and the advantages its has. However, I also recognize the negatives that come along with it. With that being said, I am trying to decided with my future career goals in mind whether a MD or DO would be better.

I'm not denying that what you say may not be a factor. But we are supposed to shadow both during our undergrad to make that decision. If people do not decide after shadowing, then how is receiving acceptances going to make the decision any easier? I shadowed both, I picked what I liked. I am not applying to MD schools "just in case". Shadowing should be the only way to decide, and we obviously have to do that before applying. I am not implying this about you, but statistically, most "both" applicants do it as a back up plan. If people are not sure what they want to do, then they shouldnt be wasting the effort and money to apply anyway.

 

[Archer14]

What do you care if someone decides to apply to both schools. The thing is you can only experience a philosphy so much by limited shadowing experience. The literture you can find about osteopathic medicine is sometimes vague and leaves many questions. If you want to know more about both types of schools the only way is to visit them and talk to the people running and attending it, experiencing it first hand.. There has not been an interview that I have been to (osteopathic) where it hasn't been asked what other schools I applied to. I applied to both and just told them that upfront with my explanation why. If someone wants to be a phisician both schools are capable of helping reach that goal. When you try to control people to the point of pinning them in a corner and telling them they have to make up their mind when they havn't had time to experience the outcome will inevitably lead to getting bit.

 

[Nate]

I welcome all “back-up” applicants into our profession. Who cares if DO school was a “back-up” or what path led someone to medical school as long as they are willing to be open minded to their new path and take on being a DO with pride. The more applicants we get, the more diverse our applicant pool is, the better chances we have of picking up leaders in medicine for our community which is something we can definitely use more of. The problem arises when people are bitter for going to DO school and do not accept their chosen path with pride; these people should think long and hard before taking this path. However, I feel from my experience, that most people are content with their decision once here regardless of how they got here and learn that the DO path is just as good a path for them to become a physician or surgeon as the MD path if not better.

 

[USArmyDoc]

I agree with Nate. After going to my first interview, I was extremely impressed with osteopathic medicine even more than beforehand. BTW, to the OP, I want to become involved with public health (OMM anyone?) and feel an osteopathic degree would provide me with an extra tool to help those who cannot afford medication, etc. However, I do want to work my way into Health Policy. So I am not sure which one is better. I think my questions/concerns are absolutely legitimate and a good reason for applying to both. 😉


* I know you weren't questioning me I just wanted to be a little more specific.

 

[MoosePilot]

Sounds like you want to make the applicant pool smaller. Are you currently applying?

"could" "should" "purpose"... some words don't have as much meaning as others.

 

[dr.z]

I applied to both because I wanted to become a physician.

 

[Taus]

Some people just want to be a Doctor.....the more schools you apply to (MD and DO) the better your odds are as applications are somewhat of a crapshoot....

 

[Pharos]

I will be applying to both simply because I want to become a physician. MD or DO - you are a physician first, and an allopath or osteopath second. I would suspect that most (note generalization) people do not buy entirely into either philosophy 100% anyway, but likely fall somewhere in between with varying opinions that change as they grow and learn as an individual. Of course some, will seek either an allopathic or osteopathic education based on their preference.

I guess what I am trying to say is that say for example, if you really wanted to become a DO based on your feelings about the osteopathic philosophy and you only applied to DO schools but didn't get into any of them - would you simply abandon your desires to become a physician after this long and tortuous path, or would you try to apply MD? (If you abandon your desires on such a trivial aspect, then I would think IMHO, that you would be making quite a foolhardy decision).

 

[FrkyBgStok]

like people said before. i plan on applying to both because i am sincerely not sure which path i would go. I honestly cannot say if accepted to both i would chose MD or vice versa. I am going to apply, go to interviews, get acceptances (hopefully) and make my decision based on the interviews, the school, the philosophy, etc. if i become a DO i am going to work my butt off to get a good residency in a competitive field. if i become a MD i am going to work my butt off to get a good residency in a competitive field. either way works.

 

[fitnessexpert]

There have been a lot of posts on the Pre-DO forum about the differences between a physician MD or DO. Those threads have striven to argue that we are ALL the same except the name. We all take the same tests, residences, and boards. This thread is strange to me because it makes it seems like people think DOs are completely different than MDs, almost inferior. We should welcome good physicians whether they applied MD or DO because medicine is not about YOU it is about treating patients. It is not a competition it is medicine. Helping people should be a #1 priority NOT if you are better than the next physician. If you do your best with every class, every test, every patient, you should not have to worry about some letters behind your name. 😛

 

[notnarcsDO]

My point is basically directed to those who torment pre-DO students. I truly doubt that any of you can say that a lot of the pre-MD students throughout undergrad have made negative remarks about the DO students. I have experienced a number of people criticizing osteopathic medicine, and then as soon as MCAT scores were released, they were all of a sudden applying DO. If they have a problem with OM, then why would they apply "just to get in somewhere"

 

[USArmyDoc]

My point is basically directed to those who torment pre-DO students. I truly doubt that any of you can say that a lot of the pre-MD students throughout undergrad have made negative remarks about the DO students. I have experienced a number of people criticizing osteopathic medicine, and then as soon as MCAT scores were released, they were all of a sudden applying DO. If they have a problem with OM, then why would they apply "just to get in somewhere"

Good point. I agree with you on this one.

 

[notnarcsDO]

Good point. I agree with you on this one.

Thank you...I did not post to attack people who are yet unsure. It is just very frustrating to deal with many people who criticized me harshly for going DO, and now they are jumping in too, even though they have stated that they felt that the DO programs were a joke

 

[CaliMD]

I completely understand where you are coming from, but you also have to remember that as harsh as it sounds, schools want your money and they also know what most applicants do. Therefore, neither MD or DO schools are going to want to support this measure, because they know that you will apply to both, and hence they will get more money.

 

[kahoo99]

as someone who has applied to both and interviewed at both, honestly other than the OMM there seems to be little difference between the two. Do people honestly believe that at allopathic schools they're not also taught to treat the patient and not the disease. Anyways that's been experience at MD schools. More to the point it seems to me that the OP's post while idealistic about the differences between the two professions is a little naive. I for one would actually like there to be more difference than I've found.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I am starting to get annoyed with people who are applying to both. After MCAT scores come out, all of a sudden all of the people who insult the DO degree want to apply. The decision should not be based on grades, and people should not apply to DO schools just as a backup plan if they do not get into MD programs. You should choose because you are interested. The fact that people apply to both defeats the purpose of having a second philosophy. I feel that you should only be allowed to apply to one or the other. I don't know why the schools haven't done this already. If I ran a DO school, I wouldnt want people there who arent interested, but they just came because they couldnt get in. All of the DO schools are filling up with MD hopefuls holding back up plans.

Anyone agree with AMCAS mandating that people may only sumbit AACOMAS or AAMCAS??

No. There would be hardly anyone in DO schools if this were true.

The majority of the remaining people there would be the ones that were rejected by ACMAS and reapplied the following year through AACOMAS.

It is a fact that AACOMAS is a common backup to those applying to MD schools. A simple survery of current DO students would solidify this fact.

 

[Ski2Doc]

Why does everyone think that the philosophies are diff. They are ONLY diff on paper, the whole body **** is the same of ANY physician. OMM is the ONLY diff. period. I have spoken to MANY do's.

 

[Fermata]

Why does everyone think that the philosophies are diff. They are ONLY diff on paper, the whole body **** is the same of ANY physician. OMM is the ONLY diff. period. I have spoken to MANY do's.

Obviously the topic is a lightning rod.

At the end of the day all of y'all will be doing the same stuff and working with each other.

People just need to relax a bit.

 

[ClubberLang]

I applied to both because I wanted to become a physician.

I think this is the case with 95% of applicants. Hell, I did the same thing.

 

[atrovariousg]

As usual, you have all missed the big picture.
$ that is.
"If you ran a DO school" ie a private institution, you would fill your seats and take your $120-140K from each student that would:
1. Be willing to pay it.
2. Bring stats to the school that would give it some sort of credibility.
LECOM just spent more than $25 million dollars on a new campus in FL...................and they paid cash.
Got the picture?

 

[strawberryfield]

I applied to both for:
a.) better chances to get in somewhere (the crapshoot phenomenon)
b.) I want to be a physician (DO or MD=a physician)
c.) I applied to specific schools for their programs, stats, history, ability to produce well-trained physicians, fit with my personality, philosophy and location... not just because it was an MD or DO program
d.) you can be the kind of doctor you want to be by going either way... you can practice holistic medicine like a DO as an MD, or you can prescribe your patient all the way up to the medicare part D catastrophic Rx coverage kicks in ($3600/yr) like a good ol' MD as a DO, (sorry 'bout that one... it truly is a MAD generalization, but I do see it more with MD's than DO's) 😱
😉

 

[TimR]

FACT: it is easier to gain admission to DO programs.

if you want to be a doctor and couldn't get into an MD school.... what would be the reasoning to not go to a DO school if accepted.

It sounds to me like the OP is worried about competition for DO schools getting tougher. tsk tsk.... competition is what this nation is built on.