Science Prof told me not to be a D.O.

[SuzyQ]

Isnt that nuts?!?! Yeah, so I went to my university to hand in some evaluation sheets to my premed advisor and I ran into one of my science professors. He asked me what schools I was applying to and I listed about 10 osteopathic schools. He started to shake his head and said......no no no no, you can do much better than D.O. schools . Dont even bother applying to those schools, people dont learn anything there. He continued to say, ohhh if I was dying I would want an MD to treat me, I wouldnt allow a D.O. to come near me, blah blah blah. I tried to explain to him that they go thru the same medical training and are certified and all that but he just wouldnt listen. Has anyonen else had an experience where there professors have tried to discourage them from becoming an Osteopathic physician??

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[sliceOheaven]

What a Jackass!

 

[Centrum]

Once again that medical field stigma. I respect all of you future DO's. You aren't becoming a doctor for your science professor, you are doing it for yourself and your future patients. So say screw em' and follow your heart. DO's are doctors and that is all that matters.

 

[Dr/\/\om]

Originally posted by Centrum
Once again that medical field stigma. I respect all of you future DO's. You aren't becoming a doctor for your science professor, you are doing it for yourself and your future patients. So say screw em' and follow your heart. DO's are doctors and that is all that matters.

I wish to second your statement, Centrum!

 

[ermonty]

I have this biology professor at my university that is going to write one of my personal recommendations. Anyways, he was telling me one day how he would give me an outstanding rec, and that "I was the best medical school applicant he'd ever met," in terms of potential and passion for medicine. So, he then asked me where all I am going to apply, and I rattled off the MD schools and then I started naming the DO schools right behind them (no pause to justify my reasons for applying DO - as if applying to DO schools needs justification ). Before I even finished naming the schools, he was shaking his head "no" with a disgusted look on his face. He went on to say that I was too good of an applicant to be applying DO. I was offended, and told him about the DO that's a friend my family that applied MD three years in a row and never got in, but he did eventually get into a DO school, and now he's and ORTHO surgeon. My advisor still wouldn't budge, insisting that DOs were inferior to MDs. Long story short (too late!), by the end of the conversation, his enthusiasm for recommending me for medical school (MD - not to mention DO) was all but gone. Now, I don't even know if I'm gonna use him as a recommendation.

In summation, I think Centrum put it best, I'm applying to medical school for me. So, I've applied MD and DO, and I will find LORs from people who support me - and not some notion of what they think a doctor should be!

 

[too-sweet-phat-cool 4-life]

I think as pre-meds we emphasize the minority of these types of occurances. When I was working in a hospital I came across hundreds of MD's and DO's. Two or three told me that I was crazy to want to go to medical school and if they could do it over again they would go into business. They also said they hated being physicians and that it had destroyed their personal lives. Does this mean the majority of docs hate what they do? OF COURSE NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I went to my pre-med advisor and told him where I was applying, he told me he hoped I got into OSU-COM because he thought that was the best school I was applying to (DO or MD). All my other pre-med professors were very happy for me when I got accpeted and deceided to go to an osteopathic school. In fact, I have had nurses, hospital staff, classmates, the guy at wal-mart, and other docs (MD's) tell me that they think I will make a great doctor no matter where I go to school and they are all supportive of me going the DO route.

Good luck wherever you go and just study hard, not for the letters behind your name, but for your future patients!!

 

[drusso]

My premed advisor at Berkeley (Peter VanHouten)**ENCOURAGED** me to apply to D.O. schools. He thought I'd be a better "fit" at an osteopathic school. Maybe he was just being sarcastic. Maybe he was saying that I didn't have the grades for M.D. school (although I applied and was accepted at MD schools and chose a D.O. school). I guess that it really doesn't matter since I matched at my first choice for residency at the Mayo Clinic. All's well that ends well...

 

[ermonty]

I think the occurrence of bias against DOs depends on the area of the country you live in. Here in the South (GA in particular) there just aren't that many DOs. I've experienced several cases of people talking bad about DOs, but even then this is still a small number relative to the fact that there are always gonna be people who have prejudices against anything that isn't mainstream.

 

[Dr. MAXY]

My case is the exact opposite. It was the chairman of our pre-med committee that told me about Osteopathic Medicine. For some reason, he is so much into the Osteopathic philosophy and most important, he knows OSU-COM is a great school.

When I first visit with him and told him about my decision to go into medicine, the first question he asked was " Have you heard of Osteopathic Medicine? I was like huh, because by then I didn't know squart about Osteopathic Medicine. He then gave me a book entitled " The difference a DO makes" by Bob Jones, to read. I later found out that that's what he does to all incoming pre-med students.

Every year, there is a Med Extravaganza at OSU-COM and he drives pre-med students there himself. He has no problem with students chosing the MD or DO route but he makes sure his students knows about both types of Medical Schools.

 

[racerx]

I too had a near-opposite experience. I am older (35) and have a friend that is an allopathic physician (Opthalmologist). When I told him that I was heading back to school, his first response was, "don't forget osteopathic schools." He went on to explain that it was his opinion that COM's were much more non-traditional and family friendly than allopathic schools and that the quality of the education was identical. That actually has given me a push toward investigating osteopathy and osteopathic schools in more depth.

Ian

 

[DOtobe]

My pre-med advisor was a lot like SuzyQ's professor. He never seemed to accept that some people would actually want to be a DO. He never had any information about the DO schools in his office, but he had information about a ton of allopathic schools. When people at my school got into allopathic schools, he would kiss their asses, but if people got into DO schools, it was just like, "Oh, that's good..." and that's it. My school had the attitude that it's "reputation" would be somewhat tainted by...OH MY GOD DO acceptances instead of MD! Whatever. I am so glad to be out of my undergrad. Our premed advisor was an ass, and he also gave us the impression that if we didn't get in in our first attempt right out of undergrad, we were screwed. Well, I ended up getting in a year after undergrad after I didn't get in my first year trying.

Bottom line, do what is best for you. It pisses me off when science professors who haven't been exposed to medicine as much are so ignorant and fuel the MD vs DO debate even more.

 

[WishUponAStar]

Suzy Q...


You know what? Look up that professor in 10 years when you're a successful "insert specialty here", and ask him to compare his W2 form with yours. I've never seen a starving D.O. ;-)

You can say... Well... Here I am... A pathetic D.O. I may be poorly trained, chastised by the public, and disrespected by my peers, but hey, at least I make twice as much as you do. ;-p

 

[WishUponAStar]

Yes Moly,

I am sure she really thought I was serious. I am sure she was going to print my post and remember to flaunt her success 10 years from now. Lighten up.

 

[Toejam]

Your science prof is just ignorant, plain and simple.

DO's are everywhere, saving lives, coming up with better modalities of treatment, bonding with their patients.

When I first applied to med school almost 10 years ago, an MD friend of mine EMPHATICALLY recommended applying to DO school. He was very familiar with the training and education (his father was a DO/MD). I was also applying to DPM school, which he stated, in no uncertain terms, was a big mistake. I guess I could say that I wished I had listened, but now that I'm a DPM I have a better shot at becoming a DO! Expensive and a circuitous route to be sure, but whatever it takes, eh?

If you can do it, I'd avoid a rec letter from this dolt.

 

[Cranialpressure]

Your science professor is ignorant of the wonderful aspects of osteopathic medicine and the equivical training one receives at an osteopathic school. Maybe after some manipulative treatment he would loosen up.....get it???

 

[jhug]

my pre-med advisor also frowned on the DO thing.....then again she told me that as a white male i didn't have a chance and that if only i was a woman or minority i'd get in anywhere--(her exact words!!!) My cousin, who is a pharmicist, told me not to be a DO, I just laughed him off and told him he'd be filling my Rx's just like the next guy. People will say talk about your race, religion, sex-- let alone the degree you hold. I truly believe that what goes around comes around. Someday that prof. will be in the ER and a DO will save his life-- next thing you know he's always been fond of DO's and even encouraged students to go the DO route.

 

[DOtobe]

I just wish my premed advisor would have encouraged both MD and DO. He was very anti-DO and he did a good job of pissing off the pre-DO's. How about encouraging both so neither the pre-MD's nor the pre-DO's are pissed off? If you want to go MD, fine. If you want to go DO, fine. Isn't the most important thing of all just getting into MEDICINE???

 

[Dr JPH]

Originally posted by Molybdenum
I think if every pre-med advisor advises everybody to go to DO schools, the pre-MD people will get pissed off and feel degraded cuz they think they deserve better, and consequently the advisor would receive even more complaints about his being an "ass."

I don't think it is the job of an advisor to push a person in ANY direction. They should be doing what their title says...advising...giving advice.

I had an advisor who spoke highly of the osteopathic profession. She knew a great deal about it and really encouraged me to work at getting into a DO school. She did a great job.

Again, an advisor should present options and answer questions about things in an objective manner...not offer one choice with a take it or leave it attitude.

 

[SuzyQ]

Thanks for all of your responses There is no way in heck that I am going to let a professors negative thoughts about osteopathy stop me from becoming an Osteopathic Physician. I do realize that there are some ignorant people out there or people who are stubborn that wont accept osteopathy. Anyways...yeah, I was actually thinking about asking him for letter of rec but after he gave me his opinions I am definately asking someone else.

 

[looserdude]

JPHazelton:

I read a lot of your posts; and I really admire you for your big heart, enthusiasm of osteopathic profession, and your deliberate thought. Very great to have you around...

SuzyQ:

Keep up your good work, confidence, great attitude, and passion of becoming a good doctor...(It's in your heart that matter the most!!!)

 

[Doc_Thks_JC]

Hi,
I was reading your post and found it quite interesting. First, I would like to say-- Never let someone put pressure on your for believing in something they don't!!! OK! First, the chair of my premed committee was a cell biologist and cancer specialist and he was my research mentor. He loved science in every aspect, and yet he still supported "non mainstream medicine". He fully supported DO's and he even stated that DO's have a better philosophy than MD's. I do not support this thought fully, because I think being a great doctor depends on how hard you work to learn medicine and nothing at all to do with the letters after your name. Osteopathic medicine has been down so many rough roads, yet it is still here. Today, you are seeing modernization and movement in the profession. We have proven our place in medicine and in patient care. We are not afraid to interact with our patients, show empathy, and actually touch them--- as so many others are. Well, to make a long story short-- He was the head of our premed committee and fully supported osteopathic medicine (actually liked it better than allopathic). I also had a biology professor that told me a story that when his wife was pregnant, the only doc in his town was a DO because all the MD's went off to serve in the military. He stated that the DO was the best doc he and his wife had ever had. He said they loved him and learned quickly, that a DO is a Doc not because he is a DO, but because he cares for his patients. Its ironic and sad that we as people have to find faults in anyone that is different. IF we could only be more understanding. I am so glad that I chose osteopathic medicine and think it is the greatest profession on earth. I have worked with numerous docs (DO's and MD's) and from what I have seen, the DO's where much better clinicians (they actually interacted with their patients and acted like they cared). I think medicine is too big, to be squabbling over DO Vs. MD. We should be squabbling over healthcare policy and managed care. We should be worried about taking medicine back from the insurance companies. We should be worried about giving the best possible healthcare to our patients as possible. Etc.....

Just remember, Life is but a vapor. It appeareth for a little while and then it vanisheth away. --- So Follow your heart in any professional direction it takes you and as far as your Advisor is concerned, let him choose his path, and let him walk it alone ----oh yeah!, and inform him that doctor begins with DO!!!!

Good luck and many blessings to you!!!!

 

[Dr JPH]

Originally posted by looserdude
JPHazelton:

I read a lot of your posts; and I really admire you for your big heart, enthusiasm of osteopathic profession, and your deliberate thought. Very great to have you around...

I am truly flattered.