NEED ADVICE---Caribbean or DO?

[traumaMD]

If worse comes to worse for me, I have to decide between caribbean or DO....which one would you guys recommend if I want to go into surgery? and please give your reasoning. Thanks a lot in advance for your reply.

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[Atlas]

If the decision was mine to make....DO. The only caribbean school worth going to for Surgery is SGU. ROSS and AUC have had success in the past, but nothing compared to SGU. But, me, I'd want to stay in the US and train. Give me the DO label and I'll wear it with pride!

 

[rajneel1]

well, DOs still have stigmas attached to them at certain places in the country. and remember that their philosophy and teaching is also different so you would have to believe in their teachings. at the same time, caribbean school graduates are often eliminated from radiology and surgery residencies. and how do you know you want to do surgery if you haven't done a clerkship in surgery? you never know, you might change your mind. a vast majority of medical students change their mind from the specialty they thought they were going to do and the one they ended up doing. keep that in mind also. surgery residents are supposed to have higher board scores too so do you know that you are going to have higher than average board scores? so maybe you are thinking too ahead. if i were you, i would reapply to american schools if i didn't get in. then i would look towards the caribbean schools. i don't think the DO philosophy is something i can prescribe to. hope that this got you thinking.

 

[nitemagi]

I'm with Atlas- DO is the way to go. Though the DO philosophy is different, the word on the street from DO's and MD's is that over the years the two have become more and more similar. MD's have definitely reshaped their view of the patient over the last few years, and have began to incorporate others forms of healthcare. My prediction is that although there is still a stigma associated with DO's, in the long run it will become much more respected.

 

[jiffy boy]

If your not going MD in the US, then go to Belice. I wanted to go, but my wife wouldn't let me. So I'll be stuck in CA or TX looks like.

 

[none]

DO. Why take the risk of leaving the country?

 

[Aniulka]

DO...it has a great philosophy, you can learn OMM, and I think match rates tend to be higher for DO schools when compared to Caribbean schools (but don't qoute me on this). I would look up various schools on the net, look at their match lists and board scores, and make the decision after that. Good luck deciding!

 

[jimjones]

A suggestion:

Look up a bunch of surgery residency programs on the Freida program search, then email some residency directors. Ask them which they prefer, and for advice/suggestions.

 

[Atlas]

DO. Hands down. It's a matter of personal preference. Besides, I don't want to be a surgeon anyway. But, if I did want to be one, I'd have the luxury of not only the MD programs but the DO ones as well. The stigma you talk about is dying off as fast as the "old school" boys die off. Today's medical establishment fully recognizes DOs as equals. And, if you bother residency programs, I'll tell you what you're gonna hear. Their response will vary from institution to institution. Some will say DO and some will say foreign MD. Alot of it has to do with what part of the country you're looking to do your residency. Go ahead and call the places that interest you now, but who knows, after 4 years of med school, you may decide surgery isn't your place afterall.

 

[Atlas]

Oh...one more thing. SGU has a higher pass rates than most US MD and DO schools. It's a good school no doubt. But FYI: I've caught some MDs red handed trying to learn a little OMM!!! Shame on them!