Matching IM at an academic center as a DO

[OffTheLand]

How difficult is it to match into an academic center as a DO? I’m interested in doing an IM fellowship and know an academic center is the best route. Will good step scores be enough to match? Will I need research? Auditions? I’m an upcoming OMS-1 and would like to get a head start on research if I need it since I know opportunities will likely be limited. TIA.

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[Goro]

Difficult, but not impossible. Depends upon the place, as there are some that refuse to take DOs.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

DOs can match at low tier academic places like UNLV and solid academic IM residencies including places like UWash but other places like MGH have never and probably will never take one

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Difficult, but not impossible. Depends upon the place, as there are some that refuse to take DOs.

Not very difficult to be honest. There's a ton of academic centers that accept DOs for IM. You just need average board scores and willingness to move to less desirable regions

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I am not on the residency side, but from common interaction with some academic health systems that I would consider very good, I see DOs as IM/FM residents. FWIW.

 

[Prehealth1011]

You can match into academic centers with all in-house fellowships without research. You’ll need research afterwards depending on what fellowship you’re interested in

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Be average to above academically and get a little research and you’ll probably be just fine as long as you’re willing to move to less desirable locations. There are DOs that have matched places like Dartmouth, UT Southwestern, and Baylor (Houston) but they were elite applicants on par with those applying surgical subs.

 

[Isoval]

To match ANY academic program? Easy.

To match a HIGH TIER academic program? Harder. Not impossible, but think clearly above-average IM applicant and a little more above average than your MD counterparts.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

My internist who works at the local uni said the Mother Ship, (uni hospital), has never taken a DO in their IM program and never will. Their Uni Affiliates will. I'm sure this true at other uni systems.

 

[diesel2202]

It's possible but it definitely requires more work. It's well worth it though. Especially when it comes time to pursuing fellowship. As others have said, regardless of how good an applicant you are, there are places that will never take a DO though.

 

[sourjoint]

Difficult, but not impossible. Depends upon the place, as there are some that refuse to take DOs.

This double standard -if still exists- needs to be reported, revealed to the general public, and stopped at its roots. It is literally "institutional discrimination", especially after the GME merger.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

This double standard -if still exists- needs to be reported, revealed to the general public, and stopped at its roots. It is literally "institutional discrimination", especially after the GME merger.

They don’t take many low tier MDs either so why would they take DOs. The sad fact is that it looks bad for these places to have them on the roster and makes people wonder if they’ve become less competitive

 

[Formedschoolapps]

They don’t take many low tier MDs either so why would they take DOs. The sad fact is that it looks bad for these places to have them on the roster and makes people wonder if they’ve become less competitive

These are the same people who are withdrawing from the rank system because "My concerns and the perspectives I have heard from others are more philosophical than methodological, and rest on the principled belief that rankings cannot meaningfully reflect the high aspirations for educational excellence, graduate preparedness, and compassionate and equitable patient care that we strive to foster in our medical education programs (Dr. George Q. Daley, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard)." Seem very hypocritical. If they wanted to attract people who have high aspirations for educational excellence, graduate preparedness, and compassionate and equitable patient care, they wouldn't look at the two letters behind someone name or the school they attended.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

FWIW, USNWR has come out with its top hospitals list. I'm pretty sure there are DO's at pretty much all of them.

 

[calvinhobbes]

Not difficult at all. If your a solid competitive applicant, you’ll be fine at many university IM programs.