Reapply, or accept offer to DO school?

[addo]

Just thought id also say that TCOM is pretty awesome. Among MD acceptances, I was seriously tempted by their offer. Just check out their class of 2015 fb page... so friendly.

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[cpants]

This is a serious risk to take. You need to really evaluate if you are going to be a more competitive applicant to MD schools. Should probably get an objective opinion from some advisors or deans of admissions on this too. I'm sure what you are doing at Duke is cool, but the reality is that it's not going to be that impressive unless you are getting multiple first author publications in impact journals this year. Otherwise it is just a job entry on your application. What makes you think that you will do better on the MCAT? What were your original MCAT and GPA?

You will have no problem specializing as a DO. You may have some trouble specializing as a neurosurgeon, plastic surgeon, urologist, ENT, dermatologist, opthalmologist. That's just the reality. Unless you have a burning desire to be a plastic surgeon, this shouldn't hold you back, but you should keep it in mind. On the other hand, you will never be able to specialize in anything if you don't get into school. You'll need to decide which is riskier.

 

[Dissected]

Dont be ignorant. The Osteopathic medical schools prepare their students for the COMLEX. Many of the students take the USMLE's just to take it without even studying for it, thus the lower pass rate.

Don't announce things when you have no vague idea what you're talking about. Every classmate of mine that is taking the USMLE is being very deliberate about it. It makes zero sense to just 'take' it and 'see how you do.' It costs $500 (plus prep materials), and doing poorly as a DO student CAN hurt you. Studying for the COMLEX and USMLE are 95% the same, since its almost all the same material. Completely different question styles, but the same material (plus OMM for the COMLEX...duh). All this crap about schools preparing you for one or the other is a myth. It's about which one's the students prepare for.

Back to the topic though -- TCOM's USMLE pass rate is really impressive, I had no idea it was that high. Even more reason to take the acceptance and run, OP!

 

[Kaustikos]

Don't announce things when you have no vague idea what you're talking about. Every classmate of mine that is taking the USMLE is being very deliberate about it. It makes zero sense to just 'take' it and 'see how you do.' It costs $500 (plus prep materials), and doing poorly as a DO student CAN hurt you. Studying for the COMLEX and USMLE are 95% the same, since its almost all the same material. All this crap about schools preparing you for one or the other is a myth. It's about which one's the students prepare for.

Back to the topic though -- TCOM's USMLE pass rate is really impressive, I had no idea it was that high. Even more reason to take the acceptance and run, OP!

All this talk really speaks to the profoundly true statement of "I want to be a doctor" that everyone puts into their personal statements and how sure they are that this is their goal. That and how sure they are that this is what they want....

"There's nothing else I want to be other than a doctor*"


*doctor being MD from Harvard specializing in a ROAD speciality

 

[GlamDoc]

Just thought id also say that TCOM is pretty awesome. Among MD acceptances, I was seriously tempted by their offer. Just check out their class of 2015 fb page... so friendly.

The fb page is fantastic! Come join us for the next 4 years twhitfill... and don't look back!

 

[Premed828]

Don't announce things when you have no vague idea what you're talking about. Every classmate of mine that is taking the USMLE is being very deliberate about it. It makes zero sense to just 'take' it and 'see how you do.' It costs $500 (plus prep materials), and doing poorly as a DO student CAN hurt you. Studying for the COMLEX and USMLE are 95% the same, since its almost all the same material. Completely different question styles, but the same material (plus OMM for the COMLEX...duh). All this crap about schools preparing you for one or the other is a myth. It's about which one's the students prepare for.

Back to the topic though -- TCOM's USMLE pass rate is really impressive, I had no idea it was that high. Even more reason to take the acceptance and run, OP!

I am sorry you are actually attending so you probably have a better idea. However, when I went to a few schools that was one of my questions to the faculty and to the students, and that was the answer I received 3/4 times.

 

[Kaustikos]

I am sorry you are actually attending so you probably have a better idea. However, when I went to a few schools that was one of my questions to the faculty and to the students, and that was the answer I received 3/4 times.

 

[venacontracta]

I also think that you won't be able to adequately respond to Adcom's question of, "So, what made you want to suddenly give up DO's philosophy and now go more towards research-oriented medical school? If you like research much and rejected DO offer, how about you just go to grad school instead? Eh? No, "PhD" and "DO" don't sound good like "MD" to you?"

--> Rejection.

I think it is unlikely that MD school interviewers would go down this path. I suspect a much higher percentage of the academic MD community has some degree of bias against DO (even if it is minor and unlikely to ever be verbalized) than the prevailing attitude on SDN would indicate. I don't think MD schools would look down on someone getting into a DO school last cycle, realizing it is not for them, and improving their application in order to attempt to gain admissions at a MD school.

The real problem would be if you don't get into a MD school the second time around, because I doubt DO schools are likely to have a favorable view of someone who provides hard evidence that they think of DO as a lesser, "backup" option.

 

[tttttc]

I have nothing against pursuing a DO, but I think I'd like to get an MD to make it easier to specialize

Then reapply.

If I decline the offer, would that hurt my chances next admissions round?

I don't think so, but you should know that my opinion doesn't count.

Thanks!

You are welcome.

 

[PinkStarburst]

First off, congrats on your acceptance!

I may be a bit biased because I will be attending TCOM this fall. TCOM is known to be a top notch DO school. I honestly think gaining an acceptance offer at any one of the Texas schools is pretty difficult and I hear that the expectations at TCOM are pretty high (probably because it's the only DO school in TX? and feels the need to be compete with the MD schools?).

I don't know but I've been out of school and I am dying to get back (even though I will miss getting a paycheck every 2 weeks). Also, the application is wayYyyyYyy tooooOoo long! I can't imagine that you'd have to do it all over again AND change it up. Kill me cuz I wouldn't want to write another personal statement. Also, staying in TX will save you big money on tuition. I was going to go to an OOS school if I didn't get in anywhere in TX and 15,000 > 50,000. ADCOMs will also be able to see that you applied this round and denied admission to TCOM. I would think they'd be pretty rough on you and grill you on why you didn't go since all of us want to be physicians and help people.

Congrats again!

 

[USCTrojan11]

First off, congrats on your acceptance!

I may be a bit biased because I will be attending TCOM this fall. TCOM is known to be a top notch DO school. I honestly think gaining an acceptance offer at any one of the Texas schools is pretty difficult and I hear that the expectations at TCOM are pretty high (probably because it's the only DO school in TX? and feels the need to be compete with the MD schools?).

I don't know but I've been out of school and I am dying to get back (even though I will miss getting a paycheck every 2 weeks). Also, the application is wayYyyyYyy tooooOoo long! I can't imagine that you'd have to do it all over again AND change it up. Kill me cuz I wouldn't want to write another personal statement. Also, staying in TX will save you big money on tuition. I was going to go to an OOS school if I didn't get in anywhere in TX and 15,000 > 50,000. ADCOMs will also be able to see that you applied this round and denied admission to TCOM. I would think they'd be pretty rough on you and grill you on why you didn't go since all of us want to be physicians and help people.

Congrats again!

Is this necessarily true? No offense but among others I always got the vibe Texas was the best state to live in as a premed. They're like the opposite of California. Every pre-med from Texas I know got into schools (n=8) with lower stats that many of my California peers. I'm not trying to offend you, just I though the general vibe was opposite of what you said.

 

[Laryngophed]

The TCOM class of 2010 also achieved a 93.7% percent pass rate on the USMLE Step I, which is above the national average of 92.9% for performance on the USMLE I by all test-takers.

There's that for the national average.. you can search through all the Texas schools if you want

Those stats may not be reflective of the entirety of TCOM's classes, unless every single member of the class being studied took USMLE Step I. As it is, because Step I isn't required for students at DO schools, the ones who do take it (and report it because that isn't required either) are a self-selecting group. Further, because the n is so small, it is difficult to make a true statement as to whether or not TCOM's students perform significantly better on USMLE Step I.

 

[eli20]

Is this necessarily true? No offense but among others I always got the vibe Texas was the best state to live in as a premed. They're like the opposite of California. Every pre-med from Texas I know got into schools (n=8) with lower stats that many of my California peers. I'm not trying to offend you, just I though the general vibe was opposite of what you said.

The main reason it's not as hard to get into Texas schools is that the public schools have to take 90% Texas residents in their class and we have 8 MD schools (Baylor is private and takes 60ish% in state) and 1 DO school with quite a few seats at each (avg~200ish). The net effect is that the vast majority of qualified applicants get into at least one school. It's one of the few areas where Texas had made good decisions about education. California is more difficult because there are more people competing for fewer seats, and a lot of qualified people get rejected because of space reasons.

 

[munchymanRX]

For god's sake accept the offer to the DO school, and here's why:

-You only live once, and you're not going to get the extra year you spend reapplying back. You'll kick yourself for passing up the opportunity to be working towards your career a year earlier. Why waste time?

-Salaries for MDs and DOs are virtually identical. If the numbers make them seem lower, it's because there are proportionally more FPs and general internists on the DO side and they don't make as much as say a dermatologist or neurosurgeon. Salaries in medicine don't depend on your degree, they depend on the budget of your employer-or if you're in private practice, how good of a businessperson you are.

-That's a full year of physician pay you're passing up, and potentially more if you don't get in next year.

-You're going to lose points as a reapplicant and your chances won't be as good as this past cycle.

-You are in at a medical school this year. That's more than thousands of other people can say. Take the cards you're dealt and be a doctor! Would you rather be at medical school or in that tech job for another year?

 

[50Fly]

So I'm in a bit of tricky situation...

I applied to all the Texas schools and only got accepted into UNTHSC-TCOM (an osteopathic school). I am working at Duke as a research technician, and I'm wondering if I should reapply or accept the offer? I'm planning on improving my application if I reapply (more shadowing, retake MCAT, etc...) and thought working at Duke would help?


I have nothing against pursuing a DO, but I think I'd like to get an MD to make it easier to specialize... If I decline the offer, would that hurt my chances next admissions round?

Thanks!

Many of my personal doctors are DOs. One in particular go his DO from a California school and went on to do his Rheumatology Fellowship at Stanford. This DO is now a Rheumatologist in private practice and he does research on the side through Stanford. I think that going DO is a very personal choice, but if you think you can go and make the best of it, excel in everyway possible, then go for it.

If there are aspects of your education that cannot be "enhanced" in one year, then going DO might be a good choice. If your application is solid and you just need to enhance ECs, research, or clinical experience, then trying again next year might be a good plan. Or, if the problem was that you did not apply widely enough, then you may want to sit down with my friend Mr. MSAR and really focus on the schools were your stats fit well within the range of matriculants.

Good luck!

 

[saveourpens]

Don't care about what SDN says. I know people who were in the same position, reapplied, and got MD. I'd reapply.

As far as DO is concerned, if DO = MD then why does it exist????

 

[saveourpens]

For god's sake accept the offer to the DO school, and here's why:

-You only live once, and you're not going to get the extra year you spend reapplying back. You'll kick yourself for passing up the opportunity to be working towards your career a year earlier. Why waste time?

-Salaries for MDs and DOs are virtually identical. If the numbers make them seem lower, it's because there are proportionally more FPs and general internists on the DO side and they don't make as much as say a dermatologist or neurosurgeon. Salaries in medicine don't depend on your degree, they depend on the budget of your employer-or if you're in private practice, how good of a businessperson you are.

-That's a full year of physician pay you're passing up, and potentially more if you don't get in next year.

-You're going to lose points as a reapplicant and your chances won't be as good as this past cycle.

-You are in at a medical school this year. That's more than thousands of other people can say. Take the cards you're dealt and be a doctor! Would you rather be at medical school or in that tech job for another year?

I doubt any doctor on their deathbed is like :

"GEEE I WISH I HAD SPENT MORE TIME AT THE HOSPITAL"

Look at it as another year to boost your app, make some money, and have some fun.

 

[cher25]

So I'm in a bit of tricky situation...

I applied to all the Texas schools and only got accepted into UNTHSC-TCOM (an osteopathic school). I am working at Duke as a research technician, and I'm wondering if I should reapply or accept the offer? I'm planning on improving my application if I reapply (more shadowing, retake MCAT, etc...) and thought working at Duke would help?


I have nothing against pursuing a DO, but I think I'd like to get an MD to make it easier to specialize... If I decline the offer, would that hurt my chances next admissions round?

Thanks!

I don't know if this has already been addressed because I haven't read thru the entire thread but a couple of things:

1. It may hurt you in the Texas app, but no one can be 100% positive
2. Did you interview at other schools? They pull people off the waitlist in Texas up until mid June if you're holding other Texas acceptances
3. I had a friend in this same predicament years ago. He interviewed at all Texas med schools at the time, ranked them all, and only matched to TCOM. He considered turning down TCOM and applying more broadly (in and out of state) the next application cycle because he had the same concerns, wanting to specialize and do Anesthesiology. He consulted with several people in and out of the field and decided to stick it out with TCOM. He rocked med school and he's now completed his 4th year of Anesthesiology residency at Baylor and is on his 5th year doing a fellowship in pain management. That's pretty darn competitive if you ask me.

I know plenty of DO's that are extremely successful, one being the Medical Director of an endocrinology practice that I worked for. I'm pretty sure if you scroll over to the DO forum, you'll find that a DO student from a good school such as TCOM is just as competitive as a student from an allopathic school. This is your life, consult with some professionals and even some ADCOMs before you risk throwing away the year and reapplying and/or turning down the acceptance. And if you have other acceptances, it surely won't hurt you to ride out the possibilities of getting off of another waitlist.

 

[munchymanRX]

Don't care about what SDN says. I know people who were in the same position, reapplied, and got MD. I'd reapply.

As far as DO is concerned, if DO = MD then why does it exist????

Because of a philosophical split that happened over a century ago that is far less relevant today. DOs and MDs have full and unlimited medical practice rights within the united states, and the patient outcomes are the same.

You'll find that many countries recognize multiple medical degrees, from the MBBS, MBMS, DO, BMed, MDCM, MBChB, to several others. What's in a name, hm?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Don't care about what SDN says. I know people who were in the same position, reapplied, and got MD. I'd reapply.

As far as DO is concerned, if DO = MD then why does it exist????

Because medicine was more of a pseduoscience based on injecting mercury and other harmful things into people. A.T Still in the late 19th century? didn't like that and decided to create an alternative form of treatment which he believed doctors should help the body's systems fend of disease instead of injecting heavy metals or bloodletting. Overall his philosophy is pretty much common sense now a days. However he developed OMM as a means of assisting the body to better regulate and etc. etc. and that isn't very popular now a days except for DO's who have to deal with muscle or bone damage ( essentially kinda like PT techniques).

 

[Siggy]

A slightly unrelated question, how much do DO make at an average? Thanks.

Very little because we have to buy franchises from the MDs. Without franchise rights, we can't open up any McClinics.

 

[Siggy]

2. If DO and MD is equal in residencies why then are DO's taking the USMLE's trying to get MD residencies?

Neither MD or DO designation of residencies make them good or bad. There are good MD, DO, MD/DO residencies and there are bad MD, DO, MD/DO residencies. Additionally, there are somethings out of the control of the actual residencies, such as location.

 

[slammer922]

Those stats may not be reflective of the entirety of TCOM's classes, unless every single member of the class being studied took USMLE Step I. As it is, because Step I isn't required for students at DO schools, the ones who do take it (and report it because that isn't required either) are a self-selecting group. Further, because the n is so small, it is difficult to make a true statement as to whether or not TCOM's students perform significantly better on USMLE Step I.

I believe the number you are looking for is 85%. Yes over 85% of tcom takes usmle and over 93% pass their first time. With 220 class size that is not a small n dude. I'll let you do the math. There is no self reporting , tcom gives out those numbers like candy bc they are proud of them...What you talking bout Willis, are you even from Texas?

 

[Laryngophed]

I believe the number you are looking for is 85%. Yes over 85% of tcom takes usmle and over 93% pass their first time. With 220 class size that is not a small n dude.

When the difference between the two groups reported is so small (Step I first time pass rates for all others versus TCOM) that is a very small n, especially given the difference in size between the groups.

I'll let you do the math. There is no self reporting , tcom gives out those numbers like candy bc they are proud of them...

Yes, they are self-reporting. Because DO schools do not require the score for the degree, it is up to the discretion of the students to release the scores. That makes the scores available a self-selected group. Further, because not all TCOM students are required to take it, only students who want to do so or think they will do well (or whatever reason you or I can think of) take the exam, making them a self-selected group.

What you talking bout Willis, are you even from Texas?

Irrelevant to the discussion.

I'm not bagging on TCOM, I'm merely stating that throwing those numbers out doesn't really allow for the drawing of any profound conclusions.

 

[Dissected]

I'm not bagging on TCOM, I'm merely stating that throwing those numbers out doesn't really allow for the drawing of any profound conclusions.

Regardless of your observations, they do in fact lay waste to the COMLEX every single year. They are almost always #1 in the country for pass rate and average scores. Even though it is a different test, it shows that their class is prepared to perform well on boards. Clearly, a student that puts in the extra effort at this school would be in a position to perform respectably on the USMLE as well.

 

[fruitdealer]

Take it and start living your life. Being in limbo is horrible.