Osteopathic Res vs Allopathic Res question

[tsazmand]

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Why do DO students apply for an allopathic residency? is it b/c a lack of DO programs.....do they have DO residency programs for DO students that r interested in doing something besides primary care>? Is the competition for DO programs comparable to an allopathic residency?

thanks and sorry if this is a rather rudimentary question.

 

[Bull's eye]

There are a lot of reasons that people look at Allopathic programs over osteopathic programs. Some want to be in a more structured academic setting with large teams like you would see in a large university setting. Some want the prestige of going to residency at Mass Gen. or Johns Hopkins. Some go allopathic because there are very few if any osteopathic residencies available in a specific specialty (Rad onc. for example). There are others that think that they will get a superior education at an allopathic institution. (Don't fall into the trap of thinking that its better cause its MD, I see Med students fall for that all the time, Its more about your effort than where you go. EVERY residency has pluses and minuses MD or DO) The answer to your second question is yes, there are a lot of specialty residencies available to DO's in the DO match. Alos, they compare very similarly to the MD counterparts in terms of competitiveness.

 

[Taus]

The only thing I will add to the previous post is that LOCATION is a big factor. Many of the DO specialty residencies are clustered in certain states/areas of the country. There's nothing wrong w/ the areas where a lot of them are concentrated....just that people have many reasons why they need to stay in a certain location.

 

[wook]

The only thing I will add to the previous post is that LOCATION is a big factor. Many of the DO specialty residencies are clustered in certain states/areas of the country. There's nothing wrong w/ the areas where a lot of them are concentrated....just that people have many reasons why they need to stay in a certain location.

I know some folks applying to Emergency MEdicine wanted to only do 3 years of residency, not 4.

Wook

 

[cabinbuilder]

I will second that LOCATION is a huge factor. If you are a DO and want to live on the west side of the country there really aren't any DO programs. That's the only reason I applied allopathic, I hate the east coast and want out quickly.

 

[Dr JPH]

The AOA does an annual survey of this very question.

Dig through some old articles on the website and you can find the surveys themselves.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Why do DO students apply for an allopathic residency? is it b/c a lack of DO programs.....do they have DO residency programs for DO students that r interested in doing something besides primary care>? Is the competition for DO programs comparable to an allopathic residency?

thanks and sorry if this is a rather rudimentary question.

Examples:

1. I want to do a residency in Texas. There is no AOA EM residency in Texas.

2. I want to start practicing as quickly as possible. AOA EM residencies are 4 years long and ACGME residencies are 3 years long.

 

[Idiopathic]

AOA EM residencies are 4 years long and ACGME residencies are 3 years long.

All valid reasons, but some (I count about one third of them) ACGME EM residencies are 4 years now as well.

 

[GAdoc]

All valid reasons, but some (I count about one third of them) ACGME EM residencies are 4 years now as well.

This is a little off-topic, but not enough so to start a new thread.

1. Say I'm 100% sure I want to go into general surgery. If I'm at an allopathic institution, I would apply for a categorical GS residency. If I'm at an osteopathic institution I can apply for a categorical, allopathic GS residency, but if I choose to do an osteopathic GS residency I HAVE to do a preliminary year. But, I've seen information about specialty track preliminary years, etc. So what exactly would be the path I'd take if I want to do an osteopathic GS residency?

2. Is it possible to apply for an osteopathic GS residency AND an allopathic GS residency? I would think that as an MS4, all you would be guaranteed is a specialty track if you do osteopathic residency. Is that true? I mean, is there any path (osteopathic) that, from MS4, would guarantee me a general surgery residency or would I only be guaranteed that PGY1 slot? Does this make sense?

 

[OSUdoc08]

Why do DO students apply for an allopathic residency? is it b/c a lack of DO programs.....do they have DO residency programs for DO students that r interested in doing something besides primary care>? Is the competition for DO programs comparable to an allopathic residency?

thanks and sorry if this is a rather rudimentary question.

My reasons:

1. No DO residencies in emergency medicine in Texas.

2. DO residencies in emergency medicine are 4 years, instead of 3.

The rest of your questions:

1. There are AOA residencies in almost any specialty.

2. DO residencies are less competitive than MD residencies do to the vast difference in the number of competitive applicants.

 

[Idiopathic]

This is a little off-topic, but not enough so to start a new thread.

1. Say I'm 100% sure I want to go into general surgery. If I'm at an allopathic institution, I would apply for a categorical GS residency. If I'm at an osteopathic institution I can apply for a categorical, allopathic GS residency, but if I choose to do an osteopathic GS residency I HAVE to do a preliminary year. But, I've seen information about specialty track preliminary years, etc. So what exactly would be the path I'd take if I want to do an osteopathic GS residency?

2. Is it possible to apply for an osteopathic GS residency AND an allopathic GS residency? I would think that as an MS4, all you would be guaranteed is a specialty track if you do osteopathic residency. Is that true? I mean, is there any path (osteopathic) that, from MS4, would guarantee me a general surgery residency or would I only be guaranteed that PGY1 slot? Does this make sense?

1) GS is a five year categorical residenty at DO programs, just as it is at most MD programs (some require research years). the base year is integrated into the residency. you apply for these just as you woudl MD programs.

2) Yes it is possible and if you match AOA you are withdrawn from the ACGME match. Just as in other specialties that require a base/intern year, you can potentially match to a linked (5 year) program or an advanced (4 year) program plus find an intern year and what you end up getting depends on where you applied and how you ranked. Some people will end up with a 4 year GS residency and no intern year or an intern year and no GS residency, while the rest match (or dont match) in the linked 5-year programs.

 

[CoverMe]

1) GS is a five year categorical residenty at DO programs, just as it is at most MD programs (some require research years). the base year is integrated into the residency. you apply for these just as you woudl MD programs.

2) Yes it is possible and if you match AOA you are withdrawn from the ACGME match. Just as in other specialties that require a base/intern year, you can potentially match to a linked (5 year) program or an advanced (4 year) program plus find an intern year and what you end up getting depends on where you applied and how you ranked. Some people will end up with a 4 year GS residency and no intern year or an intern year and no GS residency, while the rest match (or dont match) in the linked 5-year programs.

Idiopathic..... clear out your im box!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GAdoc]

1) GS is a five year categorical residenty at DO programs, just as it is at most MD programs (some require research years). the base year is integrated into the residency. you apply for these just as you woudl MD programs.

2) Yes it is possible and if you match AOA you are withdrawn from the ACGME match. Just as in other specialties that require a base/intern year, you can potentially match to a linked (5 year) program or an advanced (4 year) program plus find an intern year and what you end up getting depends on where you applied and how you ranked. Some people will end up with a 4 year GS residency and no intern year or an intern year and no GS residency, while the rest match (or dont match) in the linked 5-year programs.

Thanks! Someone who finally gave me a solid answer. They're NO help on the surgery forum. So, are the GS residency positions at PCOM linked 5 year programs? Don't get me wrong, I think a rotating internship year would make you a better doctor whether you're an MD or a DO, but if you know you want to do surgery, it just cuts out on the hastle of having to match for only one year, and then match again for the next four years. That's why I like that MD residencies have gone almost exclusively to categorical residencies.