Question about the application process

[Radio Edit]

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Hello all,

I am new to the whole DO app process. can someone give me a brief run down. i went to the AACOMAS website, and it says there is a common application which is forwarded to all schools that are designated.

are there secondaries involved with the DO application process? what else that is not visibly pointed out on the aacom website?

thanks all...

RE

 

[lindseyfaucette]

RE, one thing to point out that isn't clear on the website is that you should research each school well before submitting the primary application. I regret not doing this myself-I applied to all the schools and after researching more thoroughly found only about 10 (half) I was really interested in because of lack of diversity, residencies requirements etc....I wasted a few hundred dollars. hopefully this will prevent you from doing the same.

 

[Amy B]

Hello all,

I am new to the whole DO app process. can someone give me a brief run down. i went to the AACOMAS website, and it says there is a common application which is forwarded to all schools that are designated.

are there secondaries involved with the DO application process? what else that is not visibly pointed out on the aacom website?

thanks all...

RE

Yes there are secondaries with DO schools. Basically the process is almost exactly alike to the MD process. There are a few differences such as how they each compute GPA and they are faster than AMCAS, but that's about it.

I would also agree, you need to read about each school you are going to apply to. Some schools have a DO letter as a requirement and they will not budge. So make sure you know all the individual school's requirements before you apply and spend the money.

Good luck.

 

[Radio Edit]

can you guys make suggestions about schools to apply to? i have realiezd through my work that DOs do the same exact thing as MDs do, so its basically my way of becoming a doctor. other than that, i only know basics about the philosophy.

any advice would be helpful. what schools should i look at? ( i guess im tyring to find schools with curriculums and missions as MD schools)

RE

 

[medic170]

can you guys make suggestions about schools to apply to? i have realiezd through my work that DOs do the same exact thing as MDs do, so its basically my way of becoming a doctor. other than that, i only know basics about the philosophy.

any advice would be helpful. what schools should i look at? ( i guess im tyring to find schools with curriculums and missions as MD schools)

RE

ummm, if you want a school with curriculums and missions the same as MD schools, I would suggest you apply to MD schools

 

[docbill]

I agree with Medic170.

DO schools are not a back up for MD schools or be treated as such.

There are a lot of similarities... prob 80%+... and the rights are the same.

Order the booK "The D.O." and read it before wasting your money...
Also regarding which schools you should apply to... hmmm I guess that it depends on you.. and what you are looking for... where and how. Only 20 schools very easy to research.

 

[Radio Edit]

great. thanks for all the help.

the faculty at the medical school I work at say that there is no difference between a DO and an MD in the practical world. my boss told me that thus, I should apply for to 2 or 3 DO schools for a backup as their requirements are more lenient.

please dont turn this into MD vs. DO. I am just looking for some practical advice here...

 

[Nate]

Clarification: DO requirements are not more lenient then MD schools, in fact some schools have hard cut-offs and more specific requirements. There is less of an application pool in DO schools leading to less competitive numbers in some instances or they may take, arguably, less tangible factors into account more often when selecting students. Also remember what an average is, and there are bound to be a wide variation in both MD and DO applicant/acceptance pools. Either way, DOs are successful physicians and colleagues with MDs and thus the system (DO) works to a large degree. I believe its up to the applicant to believe in either or both philosophies of how to approach medicine and make the most of their education, and subsequently their career. You can be a good doctor and compassionate as an individual regardless of the title bestowed upon you by a medical school, be it MD or DO.

The take home message, if you choose to accept it, is learn for yourself what each philosophy is, first hand, and how you feel about it and then do your very best in whatever you decide. Then you will be a good physician.

 

[Radio Edit]

Clarification: DO requirements are not more lenient then MD schools, in fact some schools have hard cut-offs and more specific requirements. There is less of an application pool in DO schools leading to less competitive numbers in some instances or they may take, arguably, less tangible factors into account more often when selecting students. Also remember what an average is, and there are bound to be a wide variation in both MD and DO applicant/acceptance pools. Either way, DOs are successful physicians and colleagues with MDs and thus the system (DO) works to a large degree. I believe its up to the applicant to believe in either or both philosophies of how to approach medicine and make the most of their education, and subsequently their career. You can be a good doctor and compassionate as an individual regardless of the title bestowed upon you by a medical school, be it MD or DO.

The take home message, if you choose to accept it, is learn for yourself what each philosophy is, first hand, and how you feel about it and then do your very best in whatever you decide. Then you will be a good physician.

sometimes you dont have the luxury of choosing what best for you. sometimes you have to choose the route where the door is open. I am not trying to be disrespectful, but please do not waste my time with these lectures. Is there anyone out there who isnt DO-righteous and can just give me a straight answer? or is everyone in this forum just like 'be DO only if it defines you, your personality, your goals, and your life philosophy'. 🙄 🙄 🙄

 

[docbill]

Radio Edit,

It is not a question of DO righteous or not giving a straight answer. DOs have to, very often, defend their position. They have to first explain to everyone what they actually do and then they have to explain why they are not MDs.

It is a slightly different phil. To be part of this prof I think one will have to have a lot of patients for dealing with the struggle of defending themselves against public preseption. Some states less so then others. Osteopathy has evolved into something great... in the 21st century if people knew more about DOs they would have little dought about what they do.

DO schools do not accept everyone. They tend to like more mature students with a range of experience (that is what I am told and hear). Also EC activity.

EXAMPLE... I was not given an interview at DMU... I have a good MCAT score.. and even though I don't have a high undergrad GPA, I have Graduate degrees to make up for the low undergrad GPA. I would be deamed very competetive in most research oriented Medical schools. Maybe not all traditional med schools.

What I am trying to emphasise is that even though DO schools may have lower GPA and MCAT requirements... they are evaluating applicants more on the rest of the package. Also the reason for the highter requirements in MD schools is purely a question of demand.

I am lost now.. so I am going back to work.

 

[JohnDO]

or is everyone in this forum just like 'be DO only if it defines you, your personality, your goals, and your life philosophy'.

I wouldn't call it necessarily DO-righteous. Some of us who are only applying to osteopathic schools feel a bit robbed by students who really want the MD after their name but just use DO as backup. Most of us don't have any problems with people who just want to be a doctor and will do anything to get there. It's specifically "well i really want to be an MD but I don't have the scores" mentality that some people have a problem with.

can you guys make suggestions about schools to apply to? i have realiezd through my work that DOs do the same exact thing as MDs do, so its basically my way of becoming a doctor.

Most schools have their curriculums available online, and all schools will have the same core science courses as an MD school. You just need to find out what sort of school you're looking for. You want a rural school? Look at KCOM. Big city? Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, etc. You can find all the information about school's curriculums online, but you can get a good idea of what it's like to attend the schools by asking here. Some school's place emphasis on primary care, some of them focus on rural care. Some of them have lots of inner-city rotations, some of them have suburban rotations. You just need to know what you want and then find out what schools offer that.

Here's a few I have in my favorites:

AZCOM's Curriculum
CCOM's Curriculum

KCOM's Curriculum

 

[Nate]

You mean a straight answer meaning what you want to hear rather then someone's actual opinion?
Ok, apply to any DO school you want because they will all feel blessed to be sloppy seconds.

sometimes you dont have the luxury of choosing what best for you. sometimes you have to choose the route where the door is open. I am not trying to be disrespectful, but please do not waste my time with these lectures. Is there anyone out there who isnt DO-righteous and can just give me a straight answer? or is everyone in this forum just like 'be DO only if it defines you, your personality, your goals, and your life philosophy'. 🙄 🙄 🙄

 

[medic170]

sometimes you dont have the luxury of choosing what best for you. sometimes you have to choose the route where the door is open. I am not trying to be disrespectful, but please do not waste my time with these lectures. Is there anyone out there who isnt DO-righteous and can just give me a straight answer? or is everyone in this forum just like 'be DO only if it defines you, your personality, your goals, and your life philosophy'. 🙄 🙄 🙄

Sorry that we wasted your time. Maybe you should not waste the time of DO ADCOMS since you seem to have no interest in DO other than as a mere backup. If you get interviews at DO schools, be sure to tell them why you want to be a DO, they will be very impressed. 🙄

 

[JohnDO]

She didn't say anything about seconds.

"i have realiezd through my work that DOs do the same exact thing as MDs do, so its basically my way of becoming a doctor. "

Be kind. If you can't contribute, why bother?

 

[medic170]

She didn't say anything about seconds.

"i have realiezd through my work that DOs do the same exact thing as MDs do, so its basically my way of becoming a doctor. "

Be kind. If you can't contribute, why bother?

I feel what you are saying John, but it is a public forum and I felt like responding to what I thought was a condecending comment. I come off cocky sometimes, and I do not mean too, and best of all, I am NOT always right even though I think I am 😀

 

[Radio Edit]

John DO, thank you for your support. I am glad you were able to interpret my intentions. i was beginning to think that i was gonna get absolutely no help here. thanks again... 🙂 🙂

 

[docbill]

I come off cocky sometimes as well.. okay maybe not sometimes.. maybe lots of times.
But I do get frustrated with people (I am not talking about you Radio Edit.. so please don't take it personal). Especially those applying to medicine for no reason of their own. It makes for difficult situations. My mommy and daddy never told me to go into med.. contrary.. they want me to stop studying already.. but I do it for myself.

My second pet peave.. are people that ask others.. what you wrote on your personal biography.. or what should I put for so and so... these kind of questions. I am sorry but I would never ask that on a forum. I would ask my friend who is applying with me... but not people I don't know. I would ask to find out what the structure is like and to see if my essay is up to par.

I guess on SDN they call it trolls...

Someone should put a post for Trolls and they can all post there.