orthopedic surgery residency for DOs and MDs

[gambit92]

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Hi,
I was wondering is it harder to become an orthopedic surgeon as an MD or as a DO.

To be more specific, are there more opportunities to become an orthopedic surgeon as a DO or as an MD? Is the acceptance or matching rate higher for DOs and orthopedic residencies or MDs and orthopedic residencies?

Thanks in advance! Your input will be greatly appreciated!

 

[skiz knot]

Hi,
I was wondering is it harder to become an orthopedic surgeon as an MD or as a DO.

To be more specific, are there more opportunities to become an orthopedic surgeon as a DO or as an MD? Is the acceptance or matching rate higher for DOs and orthopedic residencies or MDs and orthopedic residencies?

Thanks in advance! Your input will be greatly appreciated!

I sure hope you will not be basing your decision on where to go to medical school on the answer.

 

[perilou]

Go MD if you can. Everything will be easier.

 

[DocInProgress]

Go MD if you can. Everything will be easier.

Actually, it's easier if you go DO since you can apply to both DO and MD orthopedic surgery programs. But, if you're all in for allopathic only orthopedic surgery, then yes, going MD might be easier depending on the institution.

 

[kdburton]

Actually, it's easier if you go DO since you can apply to both DO and MD orthopedic surgery programs. But, if you're all in for allopathic only orthopedic surgery, then yes, going MD might be easier depending on the institution.

Are you aware that there are ~5 times as many allopathic ortho programs out there and its infinitely easier to match at any one of those if you've got an MD rather than a DO?

 

[DocInProgress]

Are you aware that there are ~5 times as many allopathic ortho programs out there and its infinitely easier to match at any one of those if you've got an MD rather than a DO?

With the exceptions of big name hospitals like General Mass, Bingham, and Presbyterian, can you explain how is it "infinitely" easier? I've seen a good number of DO's matching into allopathic programs within the past couple of years.

 

[ddmo]

My wife is a DO. She and many of her colleagues will say to do MD if you can, it will make your life much easier on so many levels. More opportunities, more recognition, less regulatory headaches, etc.

 

[Therecanbeonlyo]

With the exceptions of big name hospitals like General Mass, Bingham, and Presbyterian, can you explain how is it "infinitely" easier? I've seen a good number of DO's matching into allopathic programs within the past couple of years.

I can help explain some of it. Though there are some DO's matching into allopathic programs, there are many allopathic programs that will not even entertain an applicant if they are a DO. For example, and this is on their website, UVA has written that their school trains allopathic students and will only take them into their resideny. You can further confim this by looking the current residents in most orthopaedic programs. They are almost exclusively MDs.

And this does not apply to "big name programs" alone...it's pretty much across the board.

Being a MD student applying for ortho, I can't speak at all about the DO programs cause I don't know anything about them. I am on a military scholarship too, which is a very DO friendly place, and I have been told explicitly that DO students are at a disadvantage in orthopaedis.

I would encourage you to check out orthogate.org as this site is actually run by orthopaedic surgeons, program directors comment on it, etc.

 

[Wolfman1]

Here is the deal. I am a DO going into orthopedics so I have invested a significant amount of time in the subject. Over the last five years, anywhere from 0 to 2 DO students have gotten into an allopathic orthopedic program nationally per year. That is dismal.

Among DO programs, in 2009 there were 1.5 applicants per ortho spot, but it seems like there are many more applicants this year.

Additionally, if you do well in school, and do well on your boards, you set yourself up well for getting into an allopathic program if you are an MD. On the other hand, doing well in DO schools and boards only gets your foot in the door, but the most important factor by far for getting into an osteopathic ortho program is your performance on audition rotations. In other words, it is not uncommon to get an interview and get accepted in an MD program based on your scores, while many DO programs will not even offer an interview unless you visited them for a month and really busted your butt to prove yourself.

So, aside from the fact that it would be ridiculous to choose between MD and DO based on the ease of getting into orthopedics, MD is the way I would go if I could do it again.

 

[womp]

If you're going to bust butt anyway in medical school, bust butt in a US MD school.