Required Internship for DO's?

[JB]

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I'm a little confused because I have heard that in certain states including PA an additional internship is required for DO's to practice a medical specialty. Does this mean that DO graduates in certain states must have 2 years of intership or am I missing something?

 

[UHS03]

The only rule I am aware of is that a DO cannot be licensed in 5 states (including PA) unless they do a one-year rotating internship prior to residency. After the internship, if you do a DO residency )as well as some MD residencies) you begin as a second year resident. I also heard somewhere else on this board that you can be licensed in those states without doing the rotating internship if you first get licensed somewhere else and then transfer. I should note that you have to do a rotating internship if you plan on doing a DO residency.

 

[rhillstr]

In addition, some residencies' first year counts as your internship such as the internal med. portion of cardiology. Contact AOA if you want specifics, that's what they are there for!

 

[UHS03]

rhillstr-
Can you expand on that? I thought that you had to first complete an internal medicine residency (3 years) and then complete a cardiology fellowship (3 years) in order to become a cardiologist.