Originally posted by vdubpower:
hey goblue u are a biatch
wannabe, i had the same dilemma, but i realized that the DO's and MD are the freaking same, practically, U actually learn more as a Do which can only help your patient out more. Plus as a DO u can to stay in the country, im gonna be right in my home town which is good, instead of having to go to a hurricane ridden island where u can only take lke abt 100lbs of luggage with u, my damn steroe system is bigger than that, and i aint leaving that behind,
Wannabe Doc,
I would say that DOs have an advantage over FMGs in any residency program. What many people don't consider is the fact that there are far fewer DOs applying to any allopathic residency programs than FMGs. This is a guess based on many program directors I have met and past posts that I have read, but I am willing to guess than there is a ratio of betwen 50:1 and 100:1 of FMGs who apply versus DOs to any given residency program. There is also a significantly number of US MDs who apply than a US DO. The reason? Well, there are only 19 DO schools versus 125 US MD schools. A program usually gets the most applications from FMGs. Think about how many countries there are and the pool of FMGs that apply. There are many FMGs who didn't make it to a US residency and try again year after year. There are also practicing physicians from Foreign countries who try to get to the US by doing a residency. There are also recent grads from Forgeign Medical Schools that you are in the pool of FMGs. So, if a certain residency program only has one DO and two FMGs, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is easier for an FMG to get into that program. There could have been only 5 DO applicants, one got in, and the others ranked other programs higher. Whereas the two FMGS who got in could have been from a pool of 1000. This isn't an absurd number and is based on what one Anesthesia program told my classmate.
Many people don't realize that many of the DOs who want to specialize in surgery, wind up doing the DO match. The DO match occurs before the Allopathic match. It's kind of hard to pass up a spot in Orthopedic Surgery to take your chances in the Allopathic match. Once you match in the DO match, you are AUTOMATICALLY withdrawn from the MD match. Thus, for some it is not worth the gamble to not enter the DO match, because if you don't match in the MD match, you can't go back and get a DO spot. Does that make sense? Also, some DOs actually prefer to do a DO Ortho residency because the additional training in Musculoskeletal medicine is helpful for that field. I don't reall think OMM matters too much for other specialties. I could be wrong though.
When my classmates and I were interviewing, I didn't see many FMGs at all. Most of the people who I saw were DOs. I was told by several program directors that being a US grad made me a very strong candidate and that it was too bad more DOs didn't apply for their residency. If a program was particularly strong, they would take pride in the fact that they didn't have to take any FMGs that year. The main point is that there are very few DOs who match in the allopathic match because there are very few applicants to begin with. The reason is that there are only 19 schools, some opt to do the DO match, and there are virtually no DOs who didn't match and are applying for the second, third, or fourth time.
It would be interesting to see a statistic that addressed what percentage of DOs, US MDs, and FMGs matched into a program. That would be a more accurate assessment. There is no doubt in my mind that a US MD, all things being equal, has an advantage. I would say that this was more the case in the past and that advantage is definitely shrinking. Most of what it is based on is a program being unfamiliar with a DO. If you do a subinternship there, etc.. and they get to know you, the advantages quickly disappear. I hope that there is a program director or anyone who participates in the ranking who would comment on this idea that there are far fewer DO applicants than US MDs or FMGs.
This is a generalization but I would say that the standards for a US medical school (MD or DO) are much higher than most of the world. There is no doubt in my mind that wherever you go in the US, be it MD or DO, that you will receive better training that most other countries (this doesn't include Canada and some European countries).
Anyway, I didn't have a problem at all being a DO. I don't doubt that some do, but it certainly isn't the problem that many people think. Everywhere I interviewed, except prelims in medicine, I never came across a FMG. I have nothing against them, but this is what I came across. Also, if you want to do a residency in CA, it is extremely difficult for an FMG.
My feeling is that it will only get easier for DOs and it will only get worse for FMGs. This has been the trend for some time now. Due to funding and other reasons, it is VERY difficult for a FMG to get a residency spot. When I did my Urology rotation, there was a FMG (US Citizen), who couldn't get a residency spot (IM in CA) and wound up working as a medical assistant to the Urology group there.
Basically, if you are looking to do A residency, almost no DOs don't match. If you are really desperate you can try to go through the DO match, not match and then try the MD match, not match and then scramble for both MD and DO spots. I've never met or heard of a DO who didn't match. If you wanted to say be a surgeon, I would argue that it would be easier as a DO. If you wanted to get into a presitgious Ortho Residency, then you will have big problems. You have to remember though, it's not easy for a US MD to get a prestigious Ortho residency either. Remember, when you apply for a DO residency, the pool is actually really small. You are competing against US DOs only, at least half of which exclusively go through the MD match.
I know this was long-winded but I hope this helps. I think you would be making a big mistake going to a Foreign Medical school. The only reason would be due that you personally prefer the sound of MD after your name rather than DO. Believe me, you will have no shortage of patients. Even if you do go to a Foreign Medical School, if you do secure a US Residency spot, you won't have a problem finding patients. Good luck
vdubpower,
I've read several of your posts. Asking questions about which rap artist uses more dugs, etc.... Can you PLEASE post in a more professional manner? I find your language offensive. This is not meant to be an insult, but rather an honest assessment of your language and tone on this forum. You can disagree in a professional way.
