scared about applying

[confusedaboutfuture0918]

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hi everyone. im sort of new to posting on this forum (lurker) and im not sure where i can post some of my concerns. i hope im not stepping on anyones toes by posting this here:

i took my mcat in december and got a 26 and my gpas are 3.4 and 3.2. osteopathic medicine seems like my only option right now. here's my (shortened) story:

ive taken off the last year (since feb 2014) to help my family out and to study for the mcat. i graduated fall of 2013, so ive been out of school for a while. im 26 and i feel like ive wasted a lot of time already not pursuing medicine. however ive been reading a lot of things on this website and im scared of applying to do schools for many reasons. in order of more logical to less logical- im afraid that DOs will turn into IMGs and that osteopathic medicine will just be overrun by allopathic, im afraid that there will be more of a distinction between the two degrees in the future and that there will always be that difference between the two degrees, and im afraid that my feelings of inferiority will not pass (if i even get into an osteopathic school). im not afraid to restudy for the new mcat and take some classes at my school if my fears are warranted. maybe an osteopthic student who has shared my feelings can message me and help me out with how they came to terms?

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

I smell troll...

 

[AlteredScale]

hi everyone. im sort of new to posting on this forum (lurker) and im not sure where i can post some of my concerns. i hope im not stepping on anyones toes by posting this here:

i took my mcat in december and got a 26 and my gpas are 3.4 and 3.2. osteopathic medicine seems like my only option right now. here's my (shortened) story:

ive taken off the last year (since feb 2014) to help my family out and to study for the mcat. i graduated fall of 2013, so ive been out of school for a while. im 26 and i feel like ive wasted a lot of time already not pursuing medicine. however ive been reading a lot of things on this website and im scared of applying to do schools for many reasons. in order of more logical to less logical- im afraid that DOs will turn into IMGs and that osteopathic medicine will just be overrun by allopathic, im afraid that there will be more of a distinction between the two degrees in the future and that there will always be that difference between the two degrees, and im afraid that my feelings of inferiority will not pass (if i even get into an osteopathic school). im not afraid to restudy for the new mcat and take some classes at my school if my fears are warranted. maybe an osteopthic student who has shared my feelings can message me and help me out with how they came to terms?

Retake the MCAT and apply MD only when you are ready.

 

[confusedaboutfuture0918]

im really not trying to troll. i appreciate any help. thank you for your response alteredscale. do you think i could message you?

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

hi everyone. im sort of new to posting on this forum (lurker) and im not sure where i can post some of my concerns. i hope im not stepping on anyones toes by posting this here:

i took my mcat in december and got a 26 and my gpas are 3.4 and 3.2. osteopathic medicine seems like my only option right now. here's my (shortened) story:

ive taken off the last year (since feb 2014) to help my family out and to study for the mcat. i graduated fall of 2013, so ive been out of school for a while. im 26 and i feel like ive wasted a lot of time already not pursuing medicine. however ive been reading a lot of things on this website and im scared of applying to do schools for many reasons. in order of more logical to less logical- im afraid that DOs will turn into IMGs and that osteopathic medicine will just be overrun by allopathic, im afraid that there will be more of a distinction between the two degrees in the future and that there will always be that difference between the two degrees, and im afraid that my feelings of inferiority will not pass (if i even get into an osteopathic school). im not afraid to restudy for the new mcat and take some classes at my school if my fears are warranted. maybe an osteopthic student who has shared my feelings can message me and help me out with how they came to terms?

Your worries about DOs becoming like IMGs isn't going to happen. Quite frankly you have three choices:

1) work hard to bolster your app for MDs
2) try for DO
3) go for another profession.


Personally I would go with 2. It seems like you have an inferiority complex and need to be validated by your degree. Do you have a constant need to be validated?

I hope you don't let letters get in the way of achieving your goal.

 

[AlteredScale]

im really not trying to troll. i appreciate any help. thank you for your response alteredscale. do you think i could message you?

Please do 🙂

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

Don't apply to DO schools. We don't need people like you.
DO --> IMG??? Do you know what international means??
Which thread have you been reading?

Overrun by allopathic??
Allopathic would have overrun DOs decades ago if they were going to. Why would they wait until more and more DO schools appear?

It's because of premeds like you who are so closed minded and do not do enough research that the DO stigma still lingers. You obvious don't know jack about DO field to be asking these questions.

Let me guess, podiatrists and chiropractors --> FMG?

 

[confusedaboutfuture0918]

Don't apply to DO schools. We don't need people like you.
DO --> IMG??? Do you know what international means??
Which thread have you been reading?

Overrun by allopathic??
Allopathic would have overrun DOs decades ago if they were going to. Why would they wait until more and more DO schools appear?

It's because of premeds like you who are so closed minded and do not do enough research that the DO stigma still lingers. You obvious don't know jack about DO field to be asking these questions.

Let me guess, podiatrists and chiropractors --> FMG?

hey theres no reason to get aggressive with me. when i said im afraid DOs will become like IMGs i meant that they would share the difficulties they have with respect to getting residencies and respect. i think that the merger is gonna make it harder for DOs to be considered for some of the residencies (a thought plenty of people share) in the future. the fact that more and more DO schools are appearing hurts osteopathic medicine just as much as you think it can help. with more schools coming out it will be a lot easier to get into DO programs and that can devalue the degree. a school like liberty has the same exact degree as any other osteopathic school. does that not concern you? arent you worried that more schools with the admission requirements as liberty are going to arise?

ive read plenty about osteopathic medicine and i feel like my concerns are legitimate. theres no need for you to be so angry.

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[AlteredScale]

Friendly reminder to please keep your responses civil and professional. 🙂

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

 

[moonwake]

hey theres no reason to get aggressive with me. when i said im afraid DOs will become like IMGs i meant that they would share the difficulties they have with respect to getting residencies and respect. i think that the merger is gonna make it harder for DOs to be considered for some of the residencies (a thought plenty of people share) in the future. the fact that more and more DO schools are appearing hurts osteopathic medicine just as much as you think it can help. with more schools coming out it will be a lot easier to get into DO programs and that can devalue the degree. a school like liberty has the same exact degree as any other osteopathic school. does that not concern you? arent you worried that more schools with the admission requirements as liberty are going to arise?

ive read plenty about osteopathic medicine and i feel like my concerns are legitimate. theres no need for you to be so angry.

Well people get offended when people make comments that show a lack of research- kind of like your OP or if it was worded in a way to be interpreted like that aka DO---> IMG. Doors for DO's have only been opening, not closing. It has been around for 120 years and it has come a long way. A huge step is that we will be accredited the same as MDs (ACGME) by 2020. If you look at match statistics of DOs vs Carribean there is where you will find your solace since 95%+ match at DO schools and maybe the average at Carribean is 70%? Technically, if you do the work in med school and dont slack off you can do anything with a DO degree that you can do with a MD. The only reason I think DO schools have that stigma is because some DO schools accept students with average MCAT scores 25-27 and that might be an indication for the test taker that Step 1 might be difficult. So like @DoctorSynthesis said, unless you HAVE to have MD by your name for the sentimental value- you are at no more risk of problems by becoming a DO than you do a MD. Both can get you into neurosurgeon residencies, FM, IM, any specialty.