NYC area EM residencies for a DO- USMLE needed?

[The Tolf]

I'm a 2nd year Osteopathic medical student deciding whether or not to take the USMLE step1. I want to be a competitive applicant for EM residencies in the NYC area, but does that mean USMLE's are needed???
Any info about DOs in allopathic EM residencies would be much appreciated! Thanks.

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[shortbread9]

hey there, im a fellow do ms4 going for EM. I took the usmle and highly recommend doing so. It makes you a better candidate and can really only help you out. You can't really fault programs that dont know much about the comlex...and this way you can be on a level playing field. I did about average on them...and applied to a ton of programs b/c i didnt know how many allopathic i would get. in the end i got around 11 or 12 interviews and went to 9. 4 of those are in NY. If you have any questions specifically about those programs PM me...ill be happy to share, as well as anything else about the process from a DO point of view.
Good luck

 

[kalico]

I also took the USMLE in addition to COMLEX. I did about average on step 1 but did better on step 2.

I got interview offers at:
NY Beth Israel
Lincoln/Bronx
Jacobi
Metropolitan
Maimonides/Brooklyn
Brooklyn Hospital
Long Island Jewish

Personally, I think it was worth the investment. Less for the NYC programs, and more for the other programs I'm interested in.

 

[ricanrage2]

I am a 4th year DO student applying for allopathic EM who didn't take the USMLE. I did very well on COMLEX level 1 and 2. I did go on 8 interviews and turned down 3. If I had to do it over again, I would have taken the USMLE, just increase my chances at more east coast programs (the majority of my interview rejections were from programs that had 2 or less D.O.'s and were located in nc/sc)

 

[The Tolf]

Thanks for everyones input! Looks like I have to suck it up and take both exams... Good luck with the upcoming match! I cant wait to get onto 3rd year rotations, and I am sure you all cant wait to get on with residency.

 

[DOnut]

I personally think a GREAT SLOR or 2 from program directors will do much more than USMLE. I applied using COMLEX only, had many allo interviews (14 or so) including the programs I wanted in NYC. You do have to have a strong COMLEX score though.

I would strongly recommend doing a rotation or 2 in NYC, get a strong SLOR from a program director. All program directors in New York know eachother very well, and a strong word will go a long way.

When the SAEM conference was in Manhattan a few years ago, I attended the medical student symposium and asked that exact question. Almost every program director said that a strong SLOR or 2 with good COMLEX is better than USMLE for DO students.

SLOR (standard Letter of Recommendation) from CORD website.