question for medical students

[MichiganEMTInt]

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Has anyone ever experienced something on their rotations that led you to believe the attendings/residents/interns favored one student over another because of the school they attend? Or, even worse, MD vs. DO student? Thanks in advance-

 

[Law2Doc]

Has anyone ever experienced something on their rotations that led you to believe the attendings/residents/interns favored one student over another because of the school they attend? Or, even worse, MD vs. DO student? Thanks in advance-

I've not personally seen a situation where MD and DO students do rotations together, so this probably doesn't come up much. You will see MD and DO residents at some of the same programs, but few attendings take the time to learn last names, let alone degrees. And generally folks on core rotations will all be attending the same med school, so that's not a basis for comparison. As for favoring students over others, I'm sure it happens all the time, but can be for any multitude of reason. An attending is more likely to favor a med student who comes from the same city, or the same background or enjoys the same ECs as they did, and not based on things like school ranking. Every attending feels that the education they got and the place they work are the best, so it's not like someone who went to a higher ranked school is going to get any mileage, if that's what you are suggesting.

 

[doctah27]

I've done rotations w/ MD students and I'm a DO student. Honestly, I can't say i've felt any single-out-tedness if that's a word. Just show your stuff w/ out being a show off and you'll def make an impression on the residents/attendings.

Sure, I've come across attendings who are basically mean in general but what can you do? it's them, not you!

 

[AlternateSome1]

I had some interaction with DO students on a rotation at a VA hospital. There was no hostility/mistreatment/differential treatment from the staff, however each school had different requirements and therefore the rotation structures were somewhat different. Maybe you will find an attending who is a jerk to some students and not others, but I don't believe it will be common. Jerks are generally equal opportunity SOBs.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I did a rotation with students from two other schools, including a DO school. We were all treated the same.

 

[CCLCMer]

Has anyone ever experienced something on their rotations that led you to believe the attendings/residents/interns favored one student over another because of the school they attend? Or, even worse, MD vs. DO student? Thanks in advance-

We rotate with the students from the main Case program and there are students from other schools who do away rotations or research here. I've never heard of anyone being discriminated against because of which school they attend.

 

[Ypo.]

I only did one rotation with a DO student, but there was no difference in the way we were treated.

 

[persia]

I don't think school or MD/DO necessarily makes a difference. I haven't seen any bias based on that. But like L2D says above, I have absolutely seen bias based on gender or other superficial reasons. In other words, I have def seen male residents/attendings favor male students over female students, and some other forms of preference.

I am sure it's great if you are the one being favored but it's not much fun when you are in the un-favored group. People are people, it can be hard to control for these things. Makes a learning situation that much more difficult. But DO/MD I have seen no difference in treatment.

 

[Mayhem]

The only thing I get is residents who favour one gender over the other. Some male residents only pay attention to the female med students, which is fine because these guys usually spend time hitting on the girls and not teaching (plus they are losers who I wouldn't want to deal with anyway). Some of the girls say there are female residents that favour the guys. I've never met one but it might be true. Still, I have had male residents that were a little "tv frat boy," which was kinda funny to me but very off-putting for the girls.

 

[marie337]

No, but I have seen a student favored because he played hockey in undergrad. He was a great guy, though, so I couldn't hold it against him.

 

[vtucci]

For most rotations, I have not noticed any difference in attitude or treatment.

That being said, I had one rotation where other students (DOs) were also rotating with my preceptor on different days (this was family medicine). This particular preceptor was not happy with the knowledgebase of his 4th year DO students and would openly state so.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

No firsthand experience with other DO students on the wards, but my school has several DO residents (one of last year's IM chiefs for example) and a couple of attendings. The only thing coming close to favoritism for MD vs. DO or anything like that was during my 2-week stint with an older FP in private practice who made a couple of comments about DOs. The guy also had some not-so-progressive views on gays and women, so it was all 🙄 anyway.

Of course people are always interested in where you did your undergrad, but it's more for conversation about football or is such-and-such dump of a dorm still there. Nobody's like, "Hey run get the kid from LSU to help me put in this central line."

 

[subtle1epiphany]

Had two rotations with a girl from Wayne State in Trauma Surgery and then again on Cardiology Consult.
Great person, so much more fun on a rotation when you've got a friend...I enjoyed both regardless, but it's not the same as when there's another med student with you. Never got the impression there was any judgment made either way for or against either of us on account of our schooling.
I have an interest in cardiology and a love for medicine, so I was able to shine enough to get a letter. From what I hear, she made it out alive to get back on her road to becoming a phenomenal OB/Gyn. (she wasn't a fan)
I'm sure it depends on the program, but I hope it's to the point where it isn't a big deal anymore. Just my thoughts.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Ditto the gender thing... I've noticed male attendings and residents favor female students and vice versa (residents only not attendings). I've rotated with MD students and no difference in treatment.

 

[ArcherM2]

Okay, I don't want to put a damper on this whole thing because I think in general what's been described is correct. However, over the course of my 3rd year clerkships I definitely encountered some hostility over being a DO student - most of the time this quickly dissipated by the fact that I'm a hardworker, have a strong fund of knowledge and am generally awesome 😀

Experience #1: MD surgery attending at a community hospital affiliated with both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools that would not let DO students scrub his cases. He was the clerkship director for the allopathic school but otherwise I could not find a solid reason why he would be so openly confrontational with the DO students.

Experience #2: First day of a surgery sub-internship at a program I was fairly interested in applying to. In the secretary's office I am told that the program director isn't a fan of DO's rotating in the department of surgery. Great! She then escorts me to the department of surgery where said program director flies out of his office, promptly asks who I am. I respond that I'm a fourth-year who will be starting my sub-internship today. He then asks where I'm from and I inform him that I attend LECOM. He then looks away from me, does not make eye contact with me AT ALL for the rest of this encounter. He directs a series of questions, quite angrily, at his secretary and the clerkship secretary regarding how I secured a rotation in his department and how all students must be approved prior to starting a rotation, blah blah blah. I stood there fearing I had just been kicked off of a rotation. Luckily, he wandered back into his office and his secretary proceeded to tell me he was just "cranky." She got me hooked up with a resident and so my rotation began. I then scrubbed all of his cases, spent several days at his office hours and at the end of the rotation was told he "was impressed by the way I conducted myself on the first day of the rotation" and basically that his rant was a "test." I'm convinced he was pissed to have me there initially but when he saw that I wasn't some dope. In the end, he said they'd highly consider me, if I decide to rank their program.

These are just two of the most blatant examples, I'm sure others have experienced some old school doc who doesn't get that we're basically the same. All of my rotations have been at hospitals that share affiliation between DO and MD schools, and, on the whole, I have excellent experiences with little discrimination.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

Experience #2: First day of a surgery sub-internship at a program I was fairly interested in applying to. In the secretary's office I am told that the program director isn't a fan of DO's rotating in the department of surgery. Great! She then escorts me to the department of surgery where said program director flies out of his office, promptly asks who I am. I respond that I'm a fourth-year who will be starting my sub-internship today. He then asks where I'm from and I inform him that I attend LECOM. He then looks away from me, does not make eye contact with me AT ALL for the rest of this encounter. He directs a series of questions, quite angrily, at his secretary and the clerkship secretary regarding how I secured a rotation in his department and how all students must be approved prior to starting a rotation, blah blah blah. I stood there fearing I had just been kicked off of a rotation. Luckily, he wandered back into his office and his secretary proceeded to tell me he was just "cranky." She got me hooked up with a resident and so my rotation began. I then scrubbed all of his cases, spent several days at his office hours and at the end of the rotation was told he "was impressed by the way I conducted myself on the first day of the rotation" and basically that his rant was a "test." I'm convinced he was pissed to have me there initially but when he saw that I wasn't some dope. In the end, he said they'd highly consider me, if I decide to rank their program.

This is really interesting. Thanks for sharing this. From reading this and the other responses I get the impression that DO/MD students are treated the same, and if it's any different it's due to the interest that student expresses in the rotation or their performance, which isn't really distinguishing between DO and MD, because it could also be between DO and DO or MD and MD.