Post bac idiot?

[bioteacher]

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Hello,

I just passed down an acceptance to an osteopathic school to go to EVMS post bac program. I plan on going into internal medicine (most likely not a subspecialty) and most people say I'm an idiot for not going DO since it doesn't matter. Shouldn't I be a DO if I believe in OMM? I mean they teach it so I ought to believe in it, right?

I guess I'm fishing for "you made the right decision" but I'd be just as receptive to "you just wasted another year of your life, $40K in expenses and another 150K+ of lost income while finishing your third year of residency".

What's your take on it? I've asked everyone else, I might as well ask total (well informed!) strangers...

 

[Winged Scapula]

While I can understand your desire to believe in the principles of OMM, I think you will find that many osteopathic students and practicing physicians either don't "believe in it" or even use it in their treatment of patients. You may also find that there are other practices or beliefs in medicine, regardless of the curriculum, that you are not enamoured with or have strong faith in. Perhaps OMM training will change your current thoughts on the subject; it might not.

At any rate, I tend to fall into the latter category of "I think you made a mistake". Why did you apply to osteopathic schools in the first place if you weren't comfortable with either the education or degree? I would assume that you will not be applying to them in the future, as by turning down your acceptance, you have significanl decreased your chances of getting another one in the future.There is no guarantee that you'll be able to get into a program, any program, after a post-bacc education. This is more troubling to me than the added expenditure, IMHO.

Hello,

I just passed down an acceptance to an osteopathic school to go to EVMS post bac program. I plan on going into internal medicine (most likely not a subspecialty) and most people say I'm an idiot for not going DO since it doesn't matter. Shouldn't I be a DO if I believe in OMM? I mean they teach it so I ought to believe in it, right?

I guess I'm fishing for "you made the right decision" but I'd be just as receptive to "you just wasted another year of your life, $40K in expenses and another 150K+ of lost income while finishing your third year of residency".

What's your take on it? I've asked everyone else, I might as well ask total (well informed!) strangers...

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

yep. it's idiotic.

you may never get the chance to go to a school again. here you had the ball, but dropped it.

now you can only hope you'll get the ball again... if everything goes perfectly at the postbac.

 

[japhy]

not only that, but when you reapply next time you will have to list the schools you applied to and were accepted to. you better beleive schools are going to ask why you turned down the DO school.

while you claim you want to be a IM doc, that can and probably will change through the course of medical school. it may be worth it to go to an allopathic school for the added ability to match in subspecialties, etc.

 

[sunnyjohn]

okay calm down Nydia... Breathe... whowho...


Okay so you have to do what makes you happy....

But why did you turn them down???

I love EVMS, but you got in, you grabbed the gold ring, you'd eyed the prize, the fat lady had sung, Elvis had left the building, the chickens had hatched, pigs had flown, Jimmy Hoffa had been found alive, Santa Claus had come to town, etc....

But I guess you do have to do what makes you happy.....

 

[DoctorFunk]

*I tried fighting it, but the caffeine-deprived cynic in me has overcome my social niceties*

Look at the bright side...at least you'll get a nice tan down in the Caribbean.

 

[dr1day]

Ever heard the saying "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"? You had a bird in your hand (DO acceptance) and let it go for those in the bush (allo acceptance that you may not get).

Very bad move.

 

[MJB]

Considering I'll be about 32 by the time I matriculate...I'll take the DO offer if that's what I'm offered...

I would never name-call someone for doing what they think is right for them, but I would have a hard time giving up that opportunity.

 

[LSUwannabe]

Why did you apply to osteopathic schools in the first place if you weren't comfortable with either the education or degree?

Ditto.

While I didn't know all that much about Osteopathic medicine when I applied I certainly think it's interesting. Besides, haven't some DO schools become more competitive than SOME MD schools?

Not to pile on but are you sure you really WANT to become a physician? Having the opportunity to go ANYWHERE in the US and passing on it seems peculiar at best.

I have no problem w/ Caribbean schools either; if you can't get in stateside/are unwilling to wait or improve your app.

That stated spending an extra year to avoid going south of the border is understandable; forgoing an opportunity to attend in the US is squandering a great opportunity. Just my opinion...

Then again, it's obviously about what YOU want to do.

 

[dr1day]

Considering I'll be about 32 by the time I matriculate...I'll take the DO offer if that's what I'm offered...

I would never name-call someone for doing what they think is right for them, but I would have a hard time giving up that opportunity.

He asked for our opinions.

 

[MJB]

Like I said, I don't see myself turning down any medical school if it's my only acceptance...

 

[Mike59]

Hello,

I just passed down an acceptance to an osteopathic school to go to EVMS post bac program. I plan on going into internal medicine (most likely not a subspecialty) and most people say I'm an idiot for not going DO since it doesn't matter. Shouldn't I be a DO if I believe in OMM? I mean they teach it so I ought to believe in it, right?

I guess I'm fishing for "you made the right decision" but I'd be just as receptive to "you just wasted another year of your life, $40K in expenses and another 150K+ of lost income while finishing your third year of residency".

What's your take on it? I've asked everyone else, I might as well ask total (well informed!) strangers...

I'd have to say "post bac idiot" is an understatement.
I seriously question the commitment to medicine of these people (they seem to be all over SDN) that make such a big deal about the DO vs. MD title. You want to be a doctor, you want to help patients and serve your community don't you??? 😕 For one to throw away their only acceptance makes me wonder about the REAL reasons they are applying to med school.

When you learn the value of a dollar and the value of time, the true monetary value of the extra $40k and the importance of a wasted year of your life from your post-bac will smack you in the back of the head and make you realize the stupidity of this whole event.

 

[quideam]

I'll go ahead and disagree with, it seems, everyone. Going to med school is a LONG and TOUGH process. If you're unhappy going to the school you're at, you're going to be even more miserable. If you don't want DO on your license, or you simply didn't like that particular school, I don't think it's crazy to do a post-bac. As long as you do well, I don't think that you have up your one and only chance - just do well, take the MCATs, and re-apply. My big question to you is - if you had the courses to get into a med school, what classes are you taking at the post-bac? I thought those were primarily for taking the basic sciences that are required for admission? And are you re-taking the MCATs?

In any case, don't let the other posters get you down too much. There ARE plenty of allopathic students that didn't apply to DO schools because they don't want to be DOs, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's a personal choice, and I don't think it means you're not "truly comitted" to being a doctor, etc. People get very defensive when you say anything negative about DO schools, so don't take it too personally. In any case, the decision is made, so good luck with the program and the next admissions cycle.

 

[bioteacher]

Thanks, I am thankful for almost everyone's responses. In response to quideam:

Post baccs are for all kinds of people. Go to http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ to see the possibilities, though you have to go to each school to get the real deal because the descriptions by AMCAS is often wrong. Some of the schools that have programs for people in with all the prereqs who want to improve their stats. They are called SMP's and are specifically for reapplicants. The ones I applied to, or considered, are Loyola, Georgetown, Drexel, EVMS, RF, BU, UConn, and UPenn.
I have a low GPA (3.04) but a 32S MCAT score. I need to prove my academic abilities and a post back would do that best. I got accepted to EVMS and like it for the following reasons (In no particular order).

1) It's at a medical school
2) It's one year
3) You get a master's degree (sure it's only a means to and end, but its icing on the cake)
4) Most importantly, you take all but two classes with the M1 class
5) High rate of acceptance into EVMS. I have been told that it is around 70% which means I would have to be one of the 14 out of 20 post bacs to be accepted.
6) You get credit for any class you "honor" or "high pass"
7) I'm ready for a change of scenery and an adventure. I've lived in CA my whole life and the cost of living is insane.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Cost of living in DC, Chicago, Boston and Philly is equal to or more expensive than most parts of Cali. Make sure you know what you're getting into with the postbac!

 

[monstermatch]

Don't worry, you did the right thing.

There is nothing wrong with having second thoughts about DO now that you have learned what you really want from the whole application process. The whole ordeal is so opaque, tedious, and frustrating that its hard to know what you really want until you have gone through the experience. I think you should stick with your goals and hope for the best - you're in a great position because now that you know what you want, you can focus all of your attention on achieving your goal - most likely the folks at EVMS will be impressed with you and you'll be able to get in if you stay focused. And don't forget to kiss a lot of butts. People really respond to that.

 

[sunnyjohn]

bioteacher,

Although I may have made a different choice (considering the debt burden) if I had received a DO acceptance, I am certain you will do well at EVMS.

It is a small program, but if you do well, you stand a better than average chance of getting into EVMS. You do get cerdit for a part of that SMP year if you do very well.

I am really looking at EVMS myself. You may be my advisor in a year or two!!

Good luck

 

[ddmo]

You see, you have to go with your own feelings, not those of others. I know of a few people who either spent a year or graduated from an osteopathic school, and felt so insecure in their degree that they went back to an allo school to repeat the process. Now that would be a waste of time! The education is the same either way. But, it's better to get what you want now, rather than settle and question your choice for the rest of your life. So, stop reading these posts because your decision has been made. It's time to look forward, not back.

 

[dpill]

You only go through life once, so do what feels right. You can't live off of "what might happen if"... I am 36 and I just applied and was accepted to medical school- I struggled with the decision on whether or not to go right out of college over 14 years ago. I could look at my decision as lost income or years of practicing medicine lost, but I am really very content with the choice I made. I decided to go back and get an MPH before I applied to medical school- I am sure some people look at that decision as financially poor/ wasting time as well. But, likewise, I am happy with it (I also felt the need to prove my academic ability). Don't let someone that doesn't know you question your commitment... it is all a matter of perspective and only you know how committed you are. I waited a very long time to finally pursue medical school, but I have always remained committed. In fact, I had to self-study gen chem and physics after 15 years just to take the MCAT! It worked out fine... I got rejected at some schools and accepted at some. Who knows which schools would have accepted me right out of college that didn’t accept me this time- at this point it really is a non-issue. And I didn't apply to any DO schools. If I hadn't gotten accepted to an MD school, perhaps I could "regret" my decision not to apply to a DO school. But in reality, I would have just tried again next year. Get my point? Life is full of uncertainties and decisions- I doubt you have made a "fatal" mistake as far as med school goes. And as long as you make the best of the next year (very important point), you are likely to be happy with your decision. I am sure you have a decent chance of getting into a DO school the second time WITH a post-bac if you got in one without one. While some schools may question your decision to wait a year, I doubt all will. And it is a good idea to try to improve your GPA if you want to get an MD acceptance. So best of luck... just try to move forward with your decision and be happy with it!

 

[emgirl]

I agree that you have to do what is best for you, and I think it *is* different to pass up a DO acceptance vs. passing up an MD acceptance- they are not the same thing (I would say that passing up any MD acceptance would be foolish but you're not in this position).

If *you* really want to be an allo then you should go for EVMS (I would have done what you did)- they offer a very strong linkage program with their own med school and I believe you may be able to matriculate the following year if you do well in the post bac program so you would save a glide year. Don't let other people's opinion of wasting money and time dictate your decisions- yeah post bacs cost a lot of money but it's worth it if it gets you where you want to go. I really don't think that allos interviewing you next time around would be put off by the fact you passed up a DO opportunity if you explain your reasoning (didn't like the school when you visited, reflected on the philosophy of DO and decided it wasn't for you, etc). Best of luck to you 🙂Em

 

[Elysium]

At the end of this long process, the only people that really care about the DO/MD thing are pre-meds. When you're in the hospital (especially as an internist!) no one cares what your letters are. There is no real difference b/w the way DOs and MDs practice medicine, most of my friends who are in rotations don't even know if their attendings are DOs or MDs. I go to a DO school, and, besides the 3 hours a week we spend in OMM lab, there is no difference in the education. We learn all the same useless crap that the MD students do. I think you're a ***** for pissing away the time and money, but whatever. It's your life. You can say that you spent 150,000 + 40,000 to write MD after your name! Congrats!

 

[WillHague007]

Hey I think you made the best choice for yourself...there are NUMEROUS threads on this website that say to do what will 'make you happy'. I know someone who turned down JHU Med to come out to a UC because it was closer to his family and friends. I think this is, in many ways, similar to your decision.
Why go to a DO school if you'll regret being a DO later in life (for whatever reasons)? You took a risk doing this, but great things in life are only accomplished when people take risks...and who knows, maybe in a few years you'll find that you want to go into a surgical subspecialty, and your MD will certainly help in the application process.
Good luck!