Question about a course

[lucas veiger]

Hi everyone my name is Lucas. I'm a 22 year old junior Biology major at University of Colorado Colorado Springs. I'm strongly considering becoming a doctor and I'm currently collecting some information about the process. I've apparently taken all the AAMC required courses I could find in the MSAR (chem, biochem, biology, exc...) so I guess I just have to take the MCAT.

I have two questions.

1. Besides my premed advisor, what other resources would you guys recommend for someone considering entering medicine?
2. I found this course on udemy that looks pretty cool. Has anyone ever tried it or knows about the instructor?

Thanks everybody for the help!

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[MedPR]

Hi everyone my name is Lucas. I'm a 22 year old junior Biology major at University of Colorado Colorado Springs. I'm strongly considering becoming a doctor and I'm currently collecting some information about the process. I've apparently taken all the AAMC required courses I could find in the MSAR (chem, biochem, biology, exc...) so I guess I just have to take the MCAT.

I have two questions.

1. Besides my premed advisor, what other resources would you guys recommend for someone considering entering medicine?
2. I found this course on udemy that looks pretty cool. Has anyone ever tried it or knows about the instructor?

Thanks everybody for the help!

Do an SDN search on every question you have. SDN >>> other sources including (and especially) pre-med advisors.

 

[Xiao]

To your 1st question:

1. Check to see what kind of pre-med organizations/informational workshops are available at your school. These will generally be your best resources and in my experience, generally will provide enough information.

2. There are also tons of books that you can get. Just do a search for "medical school" or "premed" or "getting into medical school" on amazon and look through the reviews.

3. If you want to spend even more $$$, you can also hire personalized professional medical school consulting services. These will typically cost you a few grand.

 

[lucas veiger]

UCCS has pretty good resources, but with my GPA I might have issues getting into an MD program. I might have to go to the Caribbean and I really haven't found a lot of good material on that process. I noticed the Udemy course mentioned it, but I don't know if he is credible.

 

[WorldChanger36]

Hi everyone my name is Lucas. I'm a 22 year old junior Biology major at University of Colorado Colorado Springs. I'm strongly considering becoming a doctor and I'm currently collecting some information about the process. I've apparently taken all the AAMC required courses I could find in the MSAR (chem, biochem, biology, exc...) so I guess I just have to take the MCAT.

I have two questions.

1. Besides my premed advisor, what other resources would you guys recommend for someone considering entering medicine?
2. I found this course on udemy that looks pretty cool. Has anyone ever tried it or knows about the instructor?

Thanks everybody for the help!

First things first ...welcome to SDN
Now SDN is a great resource to find out just about everything you need to know about the SUBJECT of pre med and medicine. If you would like to understand the content of medicine, I recommend you shadow a doctor and start volunteering at a local clinic. The easiest way to shadow a doctor is to get in direct contact with them by phone or email and ask.

UCCS has pretty good resources, but with my GPA I might have issues getting into an MD program. I might have to go to the Caribbean and I really haven't found a lot of good material on that process. I noticed the Udemy course mentioned it, but I don't know if he is credible.

There are multiple ways to get into medical school. For most many apply right out of undergrad during their last year. For the rest of us we need a boost. Now I don't know how bad your GPA is but for you to have a clawing shot at most MD schools you really need at least a 3.4 GPA, while the average have a 3.6. Now before you start thinking Caribbean school weigh out all of your domestic options first. Have you considered DO? If your GPA is between 3.3 and 3.6 DO is a great option and many people apply to both schools to broaden their app and increase their chances. Also if your GPA is really bad around 3.0 or lower consider a special masters program. These one year masters let you take medical school classes or similar coursework that gives medical schools a strong comparison to their current medical students. If you are serious about being a doctor the caribbean is a last last last ditch effort, may people never finish and others never get into a residency after graduation. This should only be an option after you have tried everything else and failed.

So look around here and make sure you read the stickies at the top of the forums and do a search before you start an new thread.
For all information on MD:
https://www.aamc.org/
For a little quick information on DO:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_medicine_in_the_United_States
The AOA website:
http://www.osteopathic.org/Pages/default.aspx
For the SDN DO forum:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=13
To shadow a DO:
http://cf.osteopathic.org/iLearn/index.cfm?pageid=ment_exchange

For information on post bacc and Special masters programs (SMP):
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=71

For the best information you can ever hope for on the MCAT:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=31

Best of luck in your search

 

[lucas veiger]

First things first ...welcome to SDN
Now SDN is a great resource to find out just about everything you need to know about the SUBJECT of pre med and medicine. If you would like to understand the content of medicine, I recommend you shadow a doctor and start volunteering at a local clinic. The easiest way to shadow a doctor is to get in direct contact with them by phone or email and ask.



There are multiple ways to get into medical school. For most many apply right out of undergrad during their last year. For the rest of us we need a boost. Now I don't know how bad your GPA is but for you to have a clawing shot at most MD schools you really need at least a 3.4 GPA, while the average have a 3.6. Now before you start thinking Caribbean school weigh out all of your domestic options first. Have you considered DO? If your GPA is between 3.3 and 3.6 DO is a great option and many people apply to both schools to broaden their app and increase their chances. Also if your GPA is really bad around 3.0 or lower consider a special masters program. These one year masters let you take medical school classes or similar coursework that gives medical schools a strong comparison to their current medical students. If you are serious about being a doctor the caribbean is a last last last ditch effort, may people never finish and others never get into a residency after graduation. This should only be an option after you have tried everything else and failed.

So look around here and make sure you read the stickies at the top of the forums and do a search before you start an new thread.
For all information on MD:
https://www.aamc.org/
For a little quick information on DO:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_medicine_in_the_United_States
The AOA website:
http://www.osteopathic.org/Pages/default.aspx
For the SDN DO forum:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=13
To shadow a DO:
http://cf.osteopathic.org/iLearn/index.cfm?pageid=ment_exchange

For information on post bacc and Special masters programs (SMP):
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=71

For the best information you can ever hope for on the MCAT:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=31

Best of luck in your search

Wow, thanks man I really appreciate the help. My GPA is currently 2.8 with a science GPA of 2.7. I haven't taken the MCATs but I'm not very good at standardized tests. I've worked as a paramedic for two years and I really like emergency medicine thus I've been really strongly considering going to medical school.

One of the doctors in an ER I frequent went to a Caribbean school and so I know people can go through that route and what's really frustrating is that everyone seems to attack the path. I really don't see my GPA radically increasing and I think it's unfair that my application would get shredded just because I have test anxiety.

I guess what I really should be asking is does anyone have some comprehensive information about going to the Caribbean? The udemy class was the only one I even found that mentioned it without saying don't do it. My premed advisor says it's a horrible idea, but 25% of the doctors practicing medicine in the United States graduated from a foreign medical school (see page 7) A lot of them are from the Caribbean.

I guess I'm just tired of being told I can't

 

[gettheleadout]

Wow, thanks man I really appreciate the help. My GPA is currently 2.8 with a science GPA of 2.7. I haven't taken the MCATs but I'm not very good at standardized tests. I've worked as a paramedic for two years and I really like emergency medicine thus I've been really strongly considering going to medical school.

One of the doctors in an ER I frequent went to a Caribbean school and so I know people can go through that route and what's really frustrating is that everyone seems to attack the path. I really don't see my GPA radically increasing and I think it's unfair that my application would get shredded just because I have test anxiety.

I guess what I really should be asking is does anyone have some comprehensive information about going to the Caribbean? The udemy class was the only one I even found that mentioned it without saying don't do it. My premed advisor says it's a horrible idea, but 25% of the doctors practicing medicine in the United States graduated from a foreign medical school (see page 7) A lot of them are from the Caribbean.

I guess I'm just tired of being told I can't

Doctors in practice now that went to the Caribbean faced a different challenge in matching (into a US residency spot) than a new Carib grad would in today's environment. It is highly unlikely that any given Carib med student will match in today's world.

But seriously, just do a search on here for "Caribbean medical school" or whatever, and you'll find a trillion threads on it.

 

[WorldChanger36]

Wow, thanks man I really appreciate the help. My GPA is currently 2.8 with a science GPA of 2.7. I haven't taken the MCATs but I'm not very good at standardized tests. I've worked as a paramedic for two years and I really like emergency medicine thus I've been really strongly considering going to medical school.

One of the doctors in an ER I frequent went to a Caribbean school and so I know people can go through that route and what's really frustrating is that everyone seems to attack the path. I really don't see my GPA radically increasing and I think it's unfair that my application would get shredded just because I have test anxiety.

I guess what I really should be asking is does anyone have some comprehensive information about going to the Caribbean? The udemy class was the only one I even found that mentioned it without saying don't do it. My premed advisor says it's a horrible idea, but 25% of the doctors practicing medicine in the United States graduated from a foreign medical school (see page 7) A lot of them are from the Caribbean.

I guess I'm just tired of being told I can't

The problem is you are thinking about this from the wrong direction. If your goal is to get into medical school the Caribbean is the way to go but if you actually want to be a doctor you should avoid it and you are better off putting in the work to increase your GPA. Carribbean IMG were only 5 percent of the market in that study you cited. Those odds suck. Ask that guy you work with about the other 300 people in his class that never got into a residency. Lets be honest here if you think Carribbean school is the way around your grade problems and your testing issues you are sadly mistaken. Do you think the carribbean is going to drop its testing requirements for you? Do you think the residencies will give you a pass if you bomb the USMLE because for test anxiety? In the end it is your choice and I truely believe anybody can go to medical school if they put in the time a work to get there. If you practice and get over your test anxiety and do well on the MCAT and then retake the classes you bombed you have a chance to get into DO schools. ( DO schools honor grade forgiveness). Go and do your homework, first make sure this is something you want to do, then figure out how you can do it, then freaking do it. We will still be here when you get back.

PS. If you don't care to take our advice on caribbean schools, you can feel free to check out studentdoc.com. All they seem to do is promote the carribean.

 

[lucas veiger]

The problem is you are thinking about this from the wrong direction. If your goal is to get into medical school the Caribbean is the way to go but if you actually want to be a doctor you should avoid it and you are better off putting in the work to increase your GPA. Carribbean IMG were only 5 percent of the market in that study you cited. Those odds suck. Ask that guy you work with about the other 300 people in his class that never got into a residency. Lets be honest here if you think Carribbean school is the way around your grade problems and your testing issues you are sadly mistaken. Do you think the carribbean is going to drop its testing requirements for you? Do you think the residencies will give you a pass if you bomb the USMLE because for test anxiety? In the end it is your choice and I truely believe anybody can go to medical school if they put in the time a work to get there. If you practice and get over your test anxiety and do well on the MCAT and then retake the classes you bombed you have a chance to get into DO schools. ( DO schools honor grade forgiveness). Go and do your homework, first make sure this is something you want to do, then figure out how you can do it, then freaking do it. We will still be here when you get back.

PS. If you don't care to take our advice on caribbean schools, you can feel free to check out studentdoc.com. All they seem to do is promote the carribean.

They are only 5 percent of the market because there are over 200 US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools operating in the United States for decades more than handful of Caribbean schools.

As for matching, SGU lists its match list every single year and has over a 90 percent match rate. I understand not all schools are created equally, but if you are ignorant of something, then don't comment or make blind assumptions. More than a quarter of all doctors in America are from foreign medical schools. That number has increased every single year and the largest area of growth is in primary care and emergency medicine.

I'm willing to work on my issues, but I don't think it is realistic to magically improve my GPA to a 3.5 in just two semesters nor do I honestly believe that something like an SMP is worth the money (spend 40 grand to get an interview?). And yes I am aware that the USMLE is a really hard test, but I imagine that the students going to the Caribbean seem to be in a similar situation.

Could someone who has some actual experience in foreign medical education post here or is this just going to be a bunch of premeds assuming they know everything?

 

[WorldChanger36]

They are only 5 percent of the market because there are over 200 US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools operating in the United States for decades more than handful of Caribbean schools.

As for matching, SGU lists its match list every single year and has over a 90 percent match rate. I understand not all schools are created equally, but if you are ignorant of something, then don't comment or make blind assumptions. More than a quarter of all doctors in America are from foreign medical schools. That number has increased every single year and the largest area of growth is in primary care and emergency medicine.

I'm willing to work on my issues, but I don't think it is realistic to magically improve my GPA to a 3.5 in just two semesters nor do I honestly believe that something like an SMP is worth the money (spend 40 grand to get an interview?). And yes I am aware that the USMLE is a really hard test, but I imagine that the students going to the Caribbean seem to be in a similar situation.

Could someone who has some actual experience in foreign medical education post here or is this just going to be a bunch of premeds assuming they know everything?

Commonly in the Caribbean if you don't match they don't count you as a regular graduate, this is why they say they have a 90 percent match rate. It is dishonest patch work but hell you are already sold of the carribean as your saving grace so why are you asking us. Everybody on this site is going to tell you the same thing even the guys that went/go to carribean school.... Don't go.

 

[NickNaylor]

Suggestion: if you're going to continue using the site, I would pick a username that isn't your name.

Otherwise, welcome.

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos)

 

[mmmcdowe]

So for giggles I took SGU's match list (PGY-2 year, to avoid all the prelim matches that didn't make it into residency). There were 630 people listed. The class size of SGU is 800ish, so that gives them a match rate of 79%. Granted, this doesn't account for people who had to reapply, take time off, etc, but I'll admit that it is higher than I thought it would be.

 

[lucas veiger]

So for giggles I took SGU's match list (PGY-2 year, to avoid all the prelim matches that didn't make it into residency). There were 630 people listed. The class size of SGU is 800ish, so that gives them a match rate of 79%. Granted, this doesn't account for people who had to reapply, take time off, etc, but I'll admit that it is higher than I thought it would be.

If you factor in attrition due to unsatisfactory academic performance, those who obtained a residency outside of the match (which IMGs are allowed to do), and those who ultimately obtained a residency (through the scramble or next year), then the rate is about 90 percent. If you look at my other link on the AMA report on IMGs, then you'll notice about 7,000 doctors from Grenada practicing medicine in the United States. All of them are from SGU.

As for not counting those who didn't match as regular graduates, they count anyone who has successfully passed the USMLE step 1 and step 2 ck and cs alongside all the 3-4 year clinicals as a graduate. That's the same as the American counterparts.

I really don't like the concept of Osteopathic medicine. I mean their founder Dr. Still didn't even let doctors treat people with drugs and claimed spinal manipulation could cure diseases like diabetes.

I understand the field has evolved, but if it is identical to Allopathy, then why do we have separate schools? I think it is insulting to say an Osteopath is an MD who has a low GPA. They believe different things about the treatment of patients and I'd like to be an Allopath. So stop saying well just use the DO route to become a doctor and then do MD stuff.

 

[michmedic]

Read the book "Med School Confidential". It will tell you every little thing you need to know about med school and the process. Not to mention they give a shout out to the SDN a couple of times!

 

[penguinism]

If you factor in attrition due to unsatisfactory academic performance, those who obtained a residency outside of the match (which IMGs are allowed to do), and those who ultimately obtained a residency (through the scramble or next year), then the rate is about 90 percent. If you look at my other link on the AMA report on IMGs, then you'll notice about 7,000 doctors from Grenada practicing medicine in the United States. All of them are from SGU.

As for not counting those who didn't match as regular graduates, they count anyone who has successfully passed the USMLE step 1 and step 2 ck and cs alongside all the 3-4 year clinicals as a graduate. That's the same as the American counterparts.

I really don't like the concept of Osteopathic medicine. I mean their founder Dr. Still didn't even let doctors treat people with drugs and claimed spinal manipulation could cure diseases like diabetes.

I understand the field has evolved, but if it is identical to Allopathy, then why do we have separate schools? I think it is insulting to say an Osteopath is an MD who has a low GPA. They believe different things about the treatment of patients and I'd like to be an Allopath. So stop saying well just use the DO route to become a doctor and then do MD stuff.

That's the inherent problem with Caribbean schools, though. They do not have the same level of support for their students as US MD/DO schools do. You're more likely to fail out of a Carrib. school, and then what? If you have a 2.7/2.8 GPA in college, what makes you think that you are ready to handle a rigorous medical curriculum?

Yes, there are many Carrib. grads working here in the United States. However, as more US medical schools open and churn out new graduates, IMGs/FMGs will ultimately get pushed out of the match. The residency spots are not increasing, but the number of US medical graduates is increasing every year. It's just something to think about 4 years down the line when you're hoping to match.

Of all the Carrib. schools SGU is probably one of the best (if not the best) to attend. I know a girl that's there now, and she seems to be doing fine. However, I would not recommend attending there unless you have tried just about everything else. You may not like the concepts that DO schools teach, but aside from the OMM you learn the same things that MD students learn. It's a much better option than Carrib. Don't be stupid just because you want the "MD" after your name. Think about the potential consequences down the line.

 

[mmmcdowe]

If you factor in attrition due to unsatisfactory academic performance, those who obtained a residency outside of the match (which IMGs are allowed to do), and those who ultimately obtained a residency (through the scramble or next year), then the rate is about 90 percent. If you look at my other link on the AMA report on IMGs, then you'll notice about 7,000 doctors from Grenada practicing medicine in the United States. All of them are from SGU.


I don't believe that IMGs can match outside of the match anymore, though for the PGY-2 list that would be true since this is a new rule. However, given the fact that it is in SGU's best interest to list ALL residents, I Imagine that those are included too. Ultimately obtaining a residency is fine, and since this is a list of PGY-2s not a match list, I believe there would be a relatively similar number of students from the previous year who finally matched as there would be from the students in this year that matched a year later. The attrition is what people are criticizing SGU about. They should report the percentage of their starting, not finishing class.

As for not counting those who didn't match as regular graduates, they count anyone who has successfully passed the USMLE step 1 and step 2 ck and cs alongside all the 3-4 year clinicals as a graduate. That's the same as the American counterparts.

This is not true. American schools list their graduation rates out of their starting class.

I really don't like the concept of Osteopathic medicine. I mean their founder Dr. Still didn't even let doctors treat people with drugs and claimed spinal manipulation could cure diseases like diabetes.

I don't like the concept of for profit medical schools.

I understand the field has evolved, but if it is identical to Allopathy, then why do we have separate schools? I think it is insulting to say an Osteopath is an MD who has a low GPA. They believe different things about the treatment of patients and I'd like to be an Allopath. So stop saying well just use the DO route to become a doctor and then do MD stuff.

They have separate schools because the AOA still doesn't want to merge with the AMA, and possibly vice versa

 

[NightGod]

As far as matching and passing USMLE, the rankings go something like this:
MD
DO


















Carrib


Drunk guy in an alley

 

[lucas veiger]

If you factor in attrition due to unsatisfactory academic performance, those who obtained a residency outside of the match (which IMGs are allowed to do), and those who ultimately obtained a residency (through the scramble or next year), then the rate is about 90 percent. If you look at my other link on the AMA report on IMGs, then you'll notice about 7,000 doctors from Grenada practicing medicine in the United States. All of them are from SGU.


I don't believe that IMGs can match outside of the match anymore, though for the PGY-2 list that would be true since this is a new rule. However, given the fact that it is in SGU's best interest to list ALL residents, I Imagine that those are included too. Ultimately obtaining a residency is fine, and since this is a list of PGY-2s not a match list, I believe there would be a relatively similar number of students from the previous year who finally matched as there would be from the students in this year that matched a year later. The attrition is what people are criticizing SGU about. They should report the percentage of their starting, not finishing class.

As for not counting those who didn't match as regular graduates, they count anyone who has successfully passed the USMLE step 1 and step 2 ck and cs alongside all the 3-4 year clinicals as a graduate. That's the same as the American counterparts.

This is not true. American schools list their graduation rates out of their starting class.

I really don't like the concept of Osteopathic medicine. I mean their founder Dr. Still didn't even let doctors treat people with drugs and claimed spinal manipulation could cure diseases like diabetes.

I don't like the concept of for profit medical schools.

I understand the field has evolved, but if it is identical to Allopathy, then why do we have separate schools? I think it is insulting to say an Osteopath is an MD who has a low GPA. They believe different things about the treatment of patients and I'd like to be an Allopath. So stop saying well just use the DO route to become a doctor and then do MD stuff.

They have separate schools because the AOA still doesn't want to merge with the AMA, and possibly vice versa

Let's start in order shall we? To answer your first question let' look to 2013,
In terms of attrition, I think it is perfectly reasonable when you are dealing with a student body that is fundamentally academically compromised to treat attrition differently. A US medical school has selection bias.

They pick students who are good at taking tests and therefore- shockingly- the students seems to have the ability to survive taking lots of tests. The Caribbean is much more lax and SGU still has a very high pass rate. That tells you that they have some serious test preparation skills. Yet it is simply unreasonable to directly compare both groups. SGU and the Caribbean as a whole take more chances with its student body.

The point on graduation rates was to say they are linked to the completion of the medical school program not residency as was previously claimed. The vast majority of American medical students finish medical school since basically the flexner report rebuilt the system nearly a century ago. Therefore this metric seems to be remarkably unhelpful besides saying students who attend a Caribbean school are overall academically weaker than their American counterparts- Duh!

I went to a for-profit paramedic program and I've saved many lives in the part two years. But I guess if I went to a not for profit program I'd be magically more ethical and somehow save more people? Get over yourself man. Whether medicine is taught in a for profit institution or in some ivory tower like Harvard, the skills require an ethical backbone that cannot be taught. It's not the medical school's job to become so familiar with a human being that they can make that call. It's the entire healthcare system as a whole.

There are over 20,000 doctors practicing medicine in the United States from for profit medical schools. They have comparable Mal-practice rates and attend the same conferences with the same licenses. And with Rocky Vista, for profit medical inside the United States is here to stay.

And finally the AOA and the AMA are different not because of some organizational pride but because they are different medical philosophies. The DOs adopted a lot of Allopathic belief to comply with state boards requirements, but let's never forget that the AMA tried to destroy Osteopath. I still hold my position that it is insulting to practicing Osteopathic physicians to imply they are MDs with bad grades. Also the national Osteopathic match rate is around 67%. Numbers don't lie.

 

[gettheleadout]

You need to talk to some practicing DO's about their "unique" philosophy on medicine. Also, go to the Caribbean if you want; nobody's stopping you. That said, if you try to convince other applicants here that it's a viable option, you're going to get smacked down by med students and residents here who know their stuff and care more than I do at the moment to shoot down the BS the Carib schools put out. If you'd rather skip right to that just search SDN for a discussion of Caribbean schools; there are hundreds of pages for you to read.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

 

[mirimonster]

Successful troll is successful.

Troll: Hey guys, I'm new to all this and I just want to be a doctor. How do I do that?
SDN people: Welcome, here's all the resources you need + lots of friendly advice + good luck to you
Troll: Yeah, but I'm just going to go Caribbean
SDN: That's a bad idea (still friendly)
Troll: No, you're all wrong. I actually know everything about DO/MD and Caribbean is great! Now let's debate the validity of SGU's match list

Thread dissolves into MD vs DO vs Caribbean........

 

[Xenops]

Successful troll is successful.

Troll: Hey guys, I'm new to all this and I just want to be a doctor. How do I do that?
SDN people: Welcome, here's all the resources you need + lots of friendly advice + good luck to you
Troll: Yeah, but I'm just going to go Caribbean
SDN: That's a bad idea (still friendly)
Troll: No, you're all wrong. I actually know everything about DO/MD and Caribbean is great! Now let's debate the validity of SGU's match list

Thread dissolves into MD vs DO vs Caribbean........

Point goes to troll.

 

[passerine]

If you have a 2.7/2.8 GPA in college, what makes you think that you are ready to handle a rigorous medical curriculum?

I think this is the real issue here. Because your GPA is well below average for US MD schools, it seems like you've backed yourself into a corner and are now trying to rationalize a choice that most agree is a bad one; sketchy at best. The reason that med schools prefer students with higher grades is because that's a decent measure of how well you'd do as a medical student. So right now, your own work isn't necessarily reflecting that you could handle med school right now. To go to the Caribbean and waste your money on an expensive MD program that won't even give you the same opportunities that a US MD school would IF you graduate is just a bad idea. It's a poor investment, and I think it shows that you're not really thinking about the long-term aspects of a medical education.

You will only be doing yourself a disservice by not coming up with a way to improve your GPA; there's just no way around it. Yeah, SMPs are expensive, but so are Caribbean med schools. Just have a look at SGU's cost of attendance. http://www.sgu.edu/financial-services/som-tuition.html

Look hard at DO and at ways you can improve your GPA. You don't have to take the bad option just because it's the only one available to you right now.

 

[NightGod]

And finally the AOA and the AMA are different not because of some organizational pride but because they are different medical philosophies. The DOs adopted a lot of Allopathic belief to comply with state boards requirements, but let's never forget that the AMA tried to destroy Osteopath. I still hold my position that it is insulting to practicing Osteopathic physicians to imply they are MDs with bad grades. Also the national Osteopathic match rate is around 67%. Numbers don't lie.

This paragraph alone shows how completely ignorant you are of the realities of modern medicine. Yes, there are some philosophical difference, but the reality is that most modern osteopaths rarely, if ever, use their osteopathic-specific training when practicing medicine. Things have changed a LOT in the past few decades. For the vast majority it's another occasionally useful tool in their toolkit, not the hammer they bring out to swing at every patient. You wouldn't even know most of them were DOs if you didn't know to look for the different initials. DO is also very popular with non-traditional students or those who decided on medicine late in their college career because they offer grade replacement, which is an excellent second chance for those who may have made some mistakes early on. You won't find many people who truly know medicine who consider them to be any less of a proficient doctor than anyone who graduated from an allopathic school.

 

[mirimonster]

Point goes to troll.

He pulled the ol' bait and switch!

 

[starsworld]

As far as matching and passing USMLE, the rankings go something like this:
MD
DO


















Carrib


Drunk guy in an alley

 

[NightGod]

He pulled the ol' bait and switch!

Baiting level: Master.

 

[seahawks2013]

why yall posting in a roll bread (troll thread)

 

[NightGod]

why yall posting in a roll bread (troll thread)

Not sure about others, but I do it on the off chance someone who's actually serious about the process could show up here and find this thread on a search and get a pile of completely awful information without any rebuttal.