never shadowed DO

Started by Mkitties
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Mkitties

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15+ Year Member
I'm worried about not having had any actual experience with a DO. I have done plenty of research on what they do, OMM, the history and all that stuff but I have never seen it done in person. Is this going to adversely affect me in an interview. Will adcoms specifically ask me if I have interacted with a DO? I know the simple answer would be to go out and get some experience but my interview is next week. Has anybody been in this position before?
 
Mkitties said:
I'm worried about not having had any actual experience with a DO. I have done plenty of research on what they do, OMM, the history and all that stuff but I have never seen it done in person. Is this going to adversely affect me in an interview. Will adcoms specifically ask me if I have interacted with a DO? I know the simple answer would be to go out and get some experience but my interview is next week. Has anybody been in this position before?
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No. There is no requirement to shadow a DO. You need to be familiar with osteopathic medicine, however. Read up on it in a book.

Also, you may need a DO letter. Several schools require them, and you don't necessarily have to shadow them for to write you a letter.
 
If I recall correctly, you're interviewing at COMP, right? You may be asked the question, but saying no shouldn't hurt you as long as you know about osteopathic medicine. They don't 'require' that you shadow a DO beforehand. I'm in the 2008 class and I had never even met a DO before arriving last summer to start first year (granted, there's like 5 in my entire home state...). Don't worry too much about it. Be glad you got on interview this late, be yourself, and cross your fingers. Good luck next week. Your interview is on our last day of classes, you may get to talk to some of us still hanging around after our final.
 
Thanks for the responses. I usually don't perform well on interviews and the fact that I've never even met a DO was making me really nervous. Now I can calm down a little bit.
 
dr.z said:
I got accepted to 2 schools without being in touch with any DO. Just make sure you have your basic knowledge covered.
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word...just know the basics of osteopathy and be able to confidently answer why you want to become a DO. this is a pretty standard question among DO schools or the general "so why do you want to become a doctor?"
 
Heya Mkitties!

Don't sweat it. I was accepted to COMP, and all my letters were from MDs (and I had never met a DO until my interview day.)

As for your interview, if you get the interviewer I had, the only thing you have to do is be yourself. It never hurts to be overly prepared (I guess some people have had ethics questions tossed at them), but just go in, be honest, and show them who you really are. 🙂

Good luck!!! 😀
 
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