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Changed to Pre-allo thread
MD while doing DO
- Thread starter Road2Doc
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It's stupid.
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come on guy, why would you do this on this message board?
Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
-Voltaire
bummer
C
Critical Mass
If you don't want to be a DO, don't apply to DO schools.
If you want to be an MD, don't matriculate in an osteopathic school.
If you want to be an MD, don't matriculate in an osteopathic school.
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Originally Posted by Road2Doc
I have been accepted into a DO program, but I want to give it one more chance at a MD without losing time. I'm wondering if it is possible to start in the fall at the DO school, but apply MD (probably early decision) now. That way, if I don't get into the MD, I would not have lost any time because I would just go with the DO. Is this possible? Thanks for any input.
I will answer this question seriously.
Your chances of getting into another medical school after matriculating are vanishingly small. No medical school will want to take someone who is already studying medicine somewhere else. They will think you are a POS for wasting the other school's time. You will have to tell them you have matriculated elsewhere -- they will ask you at some point in the application cycle (I can't remember if it was on the amcas or not).
Even if you get into the other school by not telling them about having matriculated elsewhere, you will always be in peril of getting kicked out -- it only takes a phone call from the dean of the DO school that you ditched. For four years, you will have this hanging over your head, waiting for the shoe to drop, etc... wondering if that phone call will come and you will have wasted your time and opportunity.
Don't do it.
I have been accepted into a DO program, but I want to give it one more chance at a MD without losing time. I'm wondering if it is possible to start in the fall at the DO school, but apply MD (probably early decision) now. That way, if I don't get into the MD, I would not have lost any time because I would just go with the DO. Is this possible? Thanks for any input.
I will answer this question seriously.
Your chances of getting into another medical school after matriculating are vanishingly small. No medical school will want to take someone who is already studying medicine somewhere else. They will think you are a POS for wasting the other school's time. You will have to tell them you have matriculated elsewhere -- they will ask you at some point in the application cycle (I can't remember if it was on the amcas or not).
Even if you get into the other school by not telling them about having matriculated elsewhere, you will always be in peril of getting kicked out -- it only takes a phone call from the dean of the DO school that you ditched. For four years, you will have this hanging over your head, waiting for the shoe to drop, etc... wondering if that phone call will come and you will have wasted your time and opportunity.
Don't do it.
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I completely agree with the above poster - although 2 students in my class (that I know of) did this and are now at MD schools - your best bet for the reasons above is to avoid this.
If you want those 2 letters behind your name so badly, why don't you just keep trying allopathic schools instead of possibly being (in your case) "stuck" at a DO school and being as miserable as I think you'll be from Year 1 til you retire?
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Interesting post. Two students did this, and your dean did nothing about it? He must be a good sport. Maybe the OP does have a chance of pulling this off.
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Random question, mostly just curious and I guess it could relate to your situation - if you have admission in a DO school, can you defer for a year and apply to MD (or other DO) schools in the year off? Then, if you don't get into an MD school, matriculate in the DO school you had admission in?
I kind of feel like you would probably need special permission to defer medical school for a year and would have to show them that you are doing something worthwhile but I don't really know one way or the other what the policy on deferral is and whether it varies with individual medical schools.
I kind of feel like you would probably need special permission to defer medical school for a year and would have to show them that you are doing something worthwhile but I don't really know one way or the other what the policy on deferral is and whether it varies with individual medical schools.
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I was thinking about this too. I'm in the midst of learning about the deferral process and what it entails. I always thought that if you defer for a year then you are obligated to go after that year. Not too sure.
Thanks for everyone's input. I was scared about whether I could do it and now I'm terrified; I don't want to screw myself over! I'm really having a hard time between risking another year or getting a DO. The stigma attached to a DO as well as having a harder time for residency positions is what's pushing me away. Thoughts?
**after the first few posts, I started this thread in pre-allo. mods: is there a way to combine?**
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The deferral agreement states (at least in most schools) that you will not be applying to other schools during the year. That is a contract you are signing with the school. Will you get away with it anyway? Probably - as I doubt they'd actually come after you for leaving since they have waiting lists to take your seat. But you most likely do agree you won't apply during deferral year. In response to what you posted above, you might have a harder time for residency positions at allopathic institutions (for compeitive spots - most primary care spots will welcome DO/MD that meet their criteria). However, you should realize that DO's have their spots in addition to those allopathic spots they can apply to, which consist of practically every specialty in existence (Rads, Ortho, Ophtha, Anesthesia, Dermatology, Surgery....) so if you're worried about "stigma", you should be aware that this does not exist as much in the real world as it does with pre-meds. You're a physician - and if you're good - you're highly sought after, respected and successful. End of story. This is true for both DO and MD degree holders.
By the way, if this is an insecurity you will live with forever (having DO after your name and explaining it to curious people) then you shouldn't put yourself through the 4 years of torture they call medical school and then the post-grad torture. It's not worth it if you're not going to be proud of what you'll be.
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Yeah, but usually, when something unethical (and really, it is unethical behavior) occurs, there's is one person in the class ticked off enough to spill the beans. It's not that the dean would get involved because of a transfer, I thought he would get involved (I am assuming the dean knew about it) to make a public examples of the two.
