Although this may be a troll, I'll attempt to answer this. As this might be a question that many readers of this page struggle with.
So, the topic of MD vs DO is a touchy subject, particularly with DOs. Many people chose which med school to go to for a variety of reasons. Some for location, some for price, yet others for philosophy of education(research based, community issue oriented, and even holistic care). To automatically assume that someone went to a DO school because they couldn't get into an allopathic school would be not taking into consideration these factors.
That being said, I had never really heard of DOs or osteopathic schools before I began to apply(Oh yeah, and not having any prior contact with the other field may be a factor). Anyway, when I first starting applying to med schools, a friend of mine suggested that I apply to DO schools as well. It was his idea that DO school would be his "back up". Back then(1996...can't speak for now), both the average MCAT score as well as average incoming student GPA was considerably lower. If I really wanted to be a doctor, I was told I would maybe have an easier time if I didn't mind being a DO.
I brought this up to my physician mentor, a neuroradiologist, who had mentioned to me that his father had attended a DO school. He suggested, just as his father advised him, that I go to an allopathic school. Partly because you always have to explain to everyone that you truly are a medical doctor, and you feel as though you always have to prove yourself as a physician.
That being said, I wasn't too keen on my MCATs and so I applied to DO schools anyway. Oddly enough, after I did some research on the history of osteopathic medicine, I was impressed. The philosophy of treating the "patient" and not the symptom seemed something that I agreed with.
I got interviews at allopathic schools and I applied to a few DO schools. I got an interview at PCOM. I was eventually accepted at PCOM, but also at my state school. Not wanting to hold on to too many acceptances(yeah, like that would happen, actually I was happy with my state school), I turned down PCOM.
Now, I think DO schools understand the competition they face from MD schools. Shortly after I sent in my withdrawal letter to PCOM, I was sent a survey. One of the questions they asked me was whether I turned them down because they were a DO school. Although it was only slightly because they were, it was more of a money issue(PCOM was expensive as hell compared to my state school).
Did it make a difference in the long run? Probably not. I'm in PM&R and our field has been traditionally friendly to DOs. Don't think however that some residency programs are still discriminatory to DO applicants(hell, some programs are discriminatory if you went to a state school...particularly the IVYs.)
Do I give my fellow DO residents grief(in jest when they piss me off) by calling them chiropractors...sure...but only because I know it gets under their skin...they are VERY sensitive about it. Do I think think that they are any less prepared for residency than others. Probably not, as I have seen many of my fellow MDs who seem to be dumb as a sack of hammers, and I wonder how they got into med school in the first place...
I had more to say, but my fingers are tired and I'm not so sure anyone is still reading this anymore...
