amoxicillin said:
So i get a letter from a doc who say an article on me. I told him I wanted to go into Pediatric Cardiology and his was response was "your resume was impressive ---- buuutt..i don't know many D.O.s who have had success trying to get into the surgical subspecialties." NOW....if my resume is impressive -- then what the heck is that...right away im look down upon.
Stuff like this makes me feel like I did make a wrong decisions to go D.O. -- but everyone said -- all that matters is what you do and how you perform -- etc..but apparently not.
Some opinions -- thanks.
Amoxicillin;
First, congrats on a great choice! At one time, I too seriously considered PedCards. However, from your post & the replies - there may be some misunderstanding.
1: PedCards is not a surg subspecialty, it is a Peds subspecialty (Peds CT surg is a surg subspec & extraordinarily competitive). When I was an MS3 / MS4 & researching this - peds residencies were on the rise, competition-wise, but still considered non-competitive - except at certain elite programs. In contrast, the peds subspecs had not seen a commensurate rise in level of comp...don't know if this is still the case.
2: PedCards fellowships are not part of the adult cards supspecs, which are very competitive & undertaken after an adult IM residency. As above, PedCards fellowships are undertaken after a Peds residency.
Now, if you want some info from DO Ped Cards people, simply contact the AOA & they can supply you with a list & contact info of all members who are BE/BC Ped Cards & DOs. When I did this in 2001/2002, there were on the order of 15 to 20, of which I wrote letters to all of them. I rec'd around 10 replies & learned that at that time, there were another dozen or so DO in PedCards fellowship in various places. That means it is do-able & that it appears that more of us are doing it.
So, stop lamenting what others tell you & do the actual research yourself. One of my biggest pet-peaves are the seemingly endless number of DO students who do not try for what they want because they have heard DOs are not welcome there. While it may be true in an exceedingly small number of specialties or programs, by in large - those are simply rumors that continually make the cycle around med schools. Personally, I feel that some DO students fall back on these sorts of rumors to make themselves feel better for not actually having the courage to try...they fear rejection & failure, which is understandable. However, the only way you & every other med students (incl MD & DO) can succeed where they wish to succeed is to give it an earnest try and that does NOT include simply getting "info" from the rumor mill, pissing & moaning & throwing in the towel.
Best of luck & success to you. Give it the old college try. You never know, success may be there simply for the effort. Do not let the naysayers & excusemakers frighten you into giving up on what you want.