Should I apply DO?

[jazger]

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I am pre-med and have only really experienced the MD side of the medical profession. I started researching DO after reading some posts, and it seems to be a little more my style than MD. I have never had any experience with a DO though, so is it worth applying?

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Shadow a DO 👍

Many osteopathic schools require or highly recommend a letter of recommendation from a DO. It will also help you better decide if it's right for you

 

[cooldreams]

a cool thing to do is either contact the state AOA association and ask for help in getting hooked up that way, or check out a DO that you know or a family/friend knows. you may also want to shadow more than just one or two MD/DOs so that you have a better sampling of the practices, one doctor may not be completely representative of what you are getting into.

i actually contacted my state aoa and by some grace of god got hooked up with the soon to be state aoa president. pretty cool guy, but i may never have found him without contacting the aoa...

good luck.

 

[racystacey07]

I am pre-med and have only really experienced the MD side of the medical profession. I started researching DO after reading some posts, and it seems to be a little more my style than MD. I have never had any experience with a DO though, so is it worth applying?

If I were you, I would start the application process ASAP and then try to hook up with a DO.

 

[skypilot]

I have never had any experience with a DO though, so is it worth applying?

You might be surprised. Many people are already seeing a DO for their primary care and don't even know it. These physicians are practicing in a group with both osteopathic and allopathic physicians and often advertise their board certification not their medical degree. A DO might have read your Xrays or administered your Anesthesia.

DO and MD are just different names for the same thing so just pick the school that fits you best and to which you have a good chance at being admitted.

Don't go DO if you don't want to learn OMM. 🙂

 

[stoic]

I am pre-med and have only really experienced the MD side of the medical profession. I started researching DO after reading some posts, and it seems to be a little more my style than MD. I have never had any experience with a DO though, so is it worth applying?

As the other posters have said, shadow a DO. Talk to a couple DO's about their experiences working in an allopath domiated world. DO's and MD's are equals, but there are still some differences speciality placement and public perception (particuarly on the coasts.)

In the end if you find that the DO philosophy fits well with you, then by all means apply DO.

Good luck,
S.

 

[jazger]

Thanks so much for the advice!

 

[uclabruin2003]

shadow and apply....though the DO i know doesnt seem to do medicine any differently than MDs