New MD school or DO school?

BU Medical Sciences
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
W

wildfang

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2017
Messages
23
Reaction score
31
Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
In generally I'd recommend MD over DO, but can you tell me which schools you are referring to? This could make some difference depending on the school.
 
You absolutely have to name the schools imo. Some DO programs are much much stronger than others, and what is the brand new MD program? Wash State? Are you interested in primary care or working in a rural area post-grad or what?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
angeloflogic said:
In generally I'd recommend MD over DO, but can you tell me which schools you are referring to? This could make some difference depending on the school.
Click to expand...

The schools are Pacific Northwest University (DO) and Washington State University (new MD).


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
efle said:
You absolutely have to name the schools imo. Some DO programs are much much stronger than others, and what is the brand new MD program? Wash State? Are you interested in primary care or working in a rural area post-grad or what?
Click to expand...

Yes I'm in Washington state! I am interested in both primary care and general surgery at this moment. I am interested in either urban or rural settings. The WSU MD program is very primary care focused (community-based) and PNWU will probably also have similar focus in that aspect.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Aren't those both very new? I'd go Wash State and not look back. My understanding is that MD schools don't get to open and start enrolling unless they are on track to get fully accredited just fine. I think @gonnif might know off the top of his head if there had been any recent issues with new schools failing to finish the accreditation process, I certainly haven't seen that mentioned myself anywhere on SDN.
 
efle said:
Aren't those both very new? I'd go Wash State and not look back. My understanding is that MD schools don't get to open and start enrolling unless they are on track to get fully accredited just fine. I think @gonnif might know off the top of his head if there had been any recent issues with new schools failing to finish the accreditation process, I certainly haven't seen that mentioned myself anywhere on SDN.
Click to expand...

Yes PNWU is fairly new as well. Thank you so much for your advice!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
I'm just a pre-med but I wouldn't want to be part of an inaugural class just because I am very sociable. If you have no upperclassmen, then the number of people you can hang out with is limited to your class only.
 
LoveBeingHuman:) said:
I'm just a pre-med but I wouldn't want to be part of an inaugural class just because I am very sociable. If you have no upperclassmen, then the number of people you can hang out with is limited to your class only.
Click to expand...
Well, third years are a mythical creature which exist only in legend, and fourth years are either on aways, talking about nothing but Match lists (rightfully so but a bit boring when you're years out), or checked out. So you're really only missing the second years.

Plus, nothing says you're "limited" to only other med students for your social life

Sent from my phone, sorry for any typos or brevity.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Do you want to be an osteopathic physician? Do you want to learn osteopathic manipulative medicine? If you have a real interest in it, go to the DO school.

Do you just want to be a physician and you don't care what kind? Head to the MD school. It sounds like it isn't terribly risky to do, it will simplify many things for you, and it will free up a seat at the DO school for someone who is more committed to the osteopathic side of things.

Either way, congratulations. What a nice problem to have!
 
mehc012 said:
Well, third years are a mythical creature which exist only in legend, and fourth years are either on aways, talking about nothing but Match lists (rightfully so but a bit boring when you're years out), or checked out. So you're really only missing the second years.

Plus, nothing says you're "limited" to only other med students for your social life

Sent from my phone, sorry for any typos or brevity.
Click to expand...

Add to this that second years are not hanging out with first years. They are stressing about Board study and hanging out on SDN procrastinating on doing Board study.

And you can't really ask them what to expect in your courses, because they mostly don't remember details of anything that far back. Or, I don't. I have too many facts to cram into my head to remember what I did to prepare for any given exam last year. When first years ask me, my answer is always pretty much "Study the material that the faculty assigned. Keep studying that. Do it some more." Then they are all grateful like I've shared some great wisdom.
 
Go to Wash State. Even though both are probably actually very similar and very community PC focused the MD degree will help open some doors, even from a brand new school.
 
Here's a document AAMC published back in 2012 with information about "New and Developing" MD Schools in the US --> https://members.aamc.org/eweb/uploa...ping Medical Schools in the US and Canada.pdf.

I was accepted to the other new MD school and I've been doing some research. The good news is that they are all still taking students, meaning they have all continued forward in the accreditation process. I haven't been able find an MD school that took students in and didn't continue all the way through accreditation (but I'd love to hear if someone else knows of one).

Also, if you're curious, I looked up match lists (or if I couldn't find the list, I included an article summing up the match) of their charter classes for as many of the new schools as I could find.
A few more schools will match their first class this year... so we might have more information by the end of the month.
 
Wow thank you all so much for such informative replies! I have read every word and they are so helpful in making the decision.

Since I don't have that much interest particularly in OMM and the risk at the new MD school seems very low, I will be withdrawing my acceptance at PNWU for someone else who is passionate about osteopathic medicine. Thank you again!!!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
wildfang said:
Hello! I was so lucky to get into two in-state schools this cycle -one DO and one MD school that is recruiting its charter class.

I loved both schools during the interview day, especially the energy and the excitement I felt at the new MD school opening in my state. Now I'm faced with a difficult decision to let one school go.

I am kind of scared that the new MD school has a risk of not getting accredited at the end of four years. I am also doubtful that graduating with a DO will leave me with limited opportunities when applying for residencies. What would you guys do/advice?

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
Em Dee
 
gonnif said:
They dont typically. First, institutions must first be accredited by a separate organization as LCME only does programmatic accreditation. Additionally, LCME has a multi-step, upfront process. That is, simply the steps in applying, submitting a survey, getting site visits, all must be successful in order before the next step may begin. With the power and prestige of LCME-AAMC-AMA, and other interconnected organization that make up the "medical educational accreditation industrial complex" they can keep a school from even getting the next step in the process (see Roseman Medical School) and not granted preliminary accreditation. Therefore, they make sure a school is whipped into shaped before ever being allowed to admit students. Then its following the class thru to graduation for provisional and then full accreditation. Again, with the top-down heavy professional societies, specialty academies, and joint hospital commission monitoring the clinical side in multiple of ways, which have their own accreditations to worry about before they take on an unknown medical school, especially with hospitals becoming large corporate entities worrying about their bottom line and image, it keeps everyone in line.

Let me add that one of the most important issues that any school can face is enough capital and funding to be successful. A state-sponsored school has political support and has drive of "prestige" to be successful for the state government (usually some prominent politician in power is the driver of the school). A place like Roseman is a private school not connected to a major university or hospital system and is likely the basis for it failing to gain preliminary accreditation as it doesnt have the financial or institutional capital to make sure all items are completed to LCME standards
Click to expand...
Considering CNU's success with getting approved, Roseman must have had some major issues huh
 
Go with Wash State!

I wonder if Roseman will ever come to fruition given that UNLV and Touro-Nevada is so close nearby.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

thunderlight8
New school that opened?
Replies
3
Views
926
thunderlight8
thunderlight8
drdinkles
MD & DO WAMC/School List 3.56/510
Replies
0
Views
297
drdinkles
drdinkles
versaywhat
MD & DO WAMC/School List: 510, 3.31cgpa, 3.21sgpa, ORM
Replies
4
Views
426
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
dodoo123
Matching into California from an MD school out of state
Replies
7
Views
747
Dral
Dral
J
Try for MD or accept DO?
Replies
10
Views
1K
Goro
Goro
Top