OK to mention osteopathic shadowing in allopathic secondaries?

[IAmTheCheese]

So I shadowed an osteopathic physician (a D.O.) in her primary care center over a period of several months. It was a great experience, and I feel that I learned a lot. I certainly feel that this experience was more meaningful than my hospital volunteering, and I have already mentioned it on my primary application via AMCAS.

Although the doctor I shadowed wrote me a letter of recommendation, she specifically mentioned osteopathic schools, and told me that allopathic schools generally don't accept letters from osteopathic physicians.

Would there be any reason not talk about shadowing a DO on secondaries for allopathic schools that ask about clinical experience, or am I just being paranoid?

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[DrBowtie]

Why the need to bring up the fact she was a DO when describing your shadowing experience. Just say when shadowing a PCP.....

 

[BushidoBrown]

Yeah, it's okay. It's not voodoo, it's still real medicine.

 

[CodeBlu]

Why the need to bring up the fact she was a DO when describing your shadowing experience. Just say when shadowing a PCP.....

Yes, this works.

Yeah, it's okay. It's not voodoo, it's still real medicine.

 

[NewYorker9]

Yeah, it's okay. It's not voodoo, it's still real medicine.

pretty much

 

[JOHNNYCAGE]

I got a DO letter when I applied to all MD schools and I'm sure it was better than any MD letter I would have gotten. It didn't seem to affect me at all. I'm not sure why you need to mention on your secondaries that the physician you shadowed was specifically a DO. If it comes down to it that you have to though, not a big deal.

 

[sector9]

Why the need to bring up the fact she was a DO when describing your shadowing experience. Just say when shadowing a PCP.....

In the Work/Activities thread, Catalystik told me to mention the degrees (DO or MD) of doctors I shadowed.

However, MD schools generally don't care if you are shadowing a DO or MD. They're all doctors...

 

[Isoprop]

All I had were DO LORs and DO shadowing experience. No problems.

And I didn't put degrees down in my work/activities. I put "shadow Dr. Smith in her family practice office" or something similar.

 

[Gigantron]

In the Work/Activities thread, Catalystik told me to mention the degrees (DO or MD) of doctors I shadowed.

However, MD schools generally don't care if you are shadowing a DO or MD. They're all doctors...

I'm just curious why the mentioning of degrees is necessary?

 

[HumbleMD]

You'll mention it when you list the name of the physician you shadows: "John Smith, DO"

It won't matter at all. Clinical experience is clinical experience. I had 2 letters from PhDs when I applied to med school. They certainly weren't MDs.

 

[sector9]

I'm just curious why the mentioning of degrees is necessary?

I don't know why. She just gave that advice. Hopefully, Catalystik will see this thread and comment if there's a specific reason