Should I go for the expensive MD school or the cheaper DO school?

[Rikkye]

I might get flamed for this , but here goes:

to the OP,

MD if you're a pessimist
DO if you're an optimist

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[gplex86]

Though the education at the DO school will be equivalent to that of the MD school, you are going to run into some, well, inconveniences:

-Spending a lot of time with OMM, which may not be something you're interested in, and likely techniques you will never use in practice
-Having to take 2 sets of boards to be considered for more competitive MD residencies
-Facing an uphill climb getting those competitive residencies (though the slope of that hill is debatable)
-Having to explain your degree to patients

For me, if the only issue was money, I'd take the MD school. They generally have better clinical connections and I just don't want to deal with all the crap that DO's do.

 

[Law2Doc]

-Having to take 2 sets of boards to be considered for more competitive MD residencies

Actually taking 2 sets of boards to be considered for ANY MD residencies. MD residencies don't take the Comlex.

 

[Lokhtar]

Good. Your pompous attitude and thinly veiled bigotry both surprise and annoy me.

Why? Can you point out the big time research oriented residencies or fellowships in the DO world? If it weren't for the residency situation, I wouldn't bat an eyelid going DO. As it is, I'm apprehensive.

Actually taking 2 sets of boards to be considered for ANY MD residencies. MD residencies don't take the Comlex.

Actually, that's not true. For things like IM/FM, many residencies do take only the COMLEX and USMLE is unnecessary. Though if you want to aim for any competitive allopathic residencies, you definitely should take the USMLE.

 

[Revilla]

Being traditional or non-traditional is irrelevant..

Of course it isn't irrelevant! Anyone who's ever been in debt knows that 215K and 300K isn't the same in the long run. In the long run, the 300K will cost him a year's salary. If you've never had to pay back loans, you have no frame of reference.

 

[Revilla]

Redundant since Lokhtar already answered!

 

[sistahmanda]

I had to make this exact decision myself-

I was in at Western and getting ready to go (I'm a CA resident, not that it matters for Western's price tag), when I got an acceptance at UIC- their tuition for OOS is 57K per year, plus 18k for summers M2 and M3- which kind of gave me heart attack, too. Plus they assign you to a campus- so right now, today, I still don't know where in Illinois I will be living.

There were a lot of reasons that I wanted Western to be the right choice, but ultimately, the MD degree gives you more opportunities- and yes, DO's can take USMLEs, but did I want to have to take multiple tests at every step? And did I want to limit myself to a school without a major teaching hospital complex?

I am also leaning towards primary care or OB/GYN- the way I see it, if I am going to go that route, I am absolutely going to try for a loan repayment program by working in an underserved area, or maybe in the coming years apply for the scholarhips that support his route.

Debt is terrifying, but the outcome in the end will be worth it- or at least I'd better make it worth my while by performing well and taking every advantage of what an MD program provides

 

[Concubine]

Ha Ha,
Same boat for me. I was getting ready to attend OUCOM, had a house and everything lined up, then BAM!, I got hit with an acceptance from WVU. The OOS tuition for WVU is $43,000 where the OOS for OUCOM is $35,000. The problem is that instate status is easy to get in Ohio after a year, making tuition go down to $25,000 a year while resident status in West Virginia, from what I've gathered so far, is notoriously difficult to obtain. That makes the differential cost for my medical degree about $80,000. However, OUCOM also comes with a hefty 5 year contract for OOS students, satisfied by either 5 years working in Ohio as an attending or completing an AOA approved residency in the state of Ohio. West Virginia has no such contract. I've decided to go to WVU, but I hope the extra $80,000 is worth it.

 

[taponthecloud]

Of course it isn't irrelevant! Anyone who's ever been in debt knows that 215K and 300K isn't the same in the long run. In the long run, the 300K will cost him a year's salary. If you've never had to pay back loans, you have no frame of reference.

You're seriously missing the entire point. Speaking of having a frame of reference, let's not talk as if one is forced to pay an entire year's salary all at once. Repayment of the 85k is stretched over many years. Being a traditional or non-traditional is absolutely irrelevant in this case. EVERYONE- every type of applicant- knows that medical school is expensive! Duh. The main point of this whole thread is deciding which degree is most suitable for your career path.

Stop talking as if you're the only one who understands the burden of loan repayment.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Why? Can you point out the big time research oriented residencies or fellowships in the DO world?

That doesn't even make sense and has nothing to do with my comment. Don't argue just to argue because I'm done with that in this thread.

 

[Murphy Brown]

You're seriously missing the entire point. Speaking of having a frame of reference, let's not talk as if one is forced to pay an entire year's salary all at once. Repayment of the 85k is stretched over many years. Being a traditional or non-traditional is absolutely irrelevant in this case. EVERYONE- every type of applicant- knows that medical school is expensive! Duh. The main point of this whole thread is deciding which degree is most suitable for your career path.

Stop talking as if you're the only one who understands the burden of loan repayment.

Actually, I think you're the one missing Revilla's point. Your point is about the degree. Revilla's point is about the money. It has been since you posted that 85 grand isn't that big a deal. I'm also an older applicant and I can tell you that when you say things like 85,000 doesn't matter in the long run, you sound like a naive teenager who has no sense of what loan repayment is like.

 

[taponthecloud]

Actually, I think you're the one missing Revilla's point. Your point is about the degree. Revilla's point is about the money. It has been since you posted that 85 grand isn't that big a deal. I'm also an older applicant and I can tell you that when you say things like 85,000 doesn't matter in the long run, you sound like a naive teenager who has no sense of what loan repayment is like.

Uh... You need to seriously read this thread more closely. I never said 85k is not a big deal. I said there is little difference between 300k and 215k in the long run. I EVEN wrote this twice to clarify. Here I've said it again- for the third time- just for you. So get it through your thick skull.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Dude you're not going to win people over with that tone. No one around here insulted you like that. As you've reminded us you said three times that there is little difference between 215 and 300 grand. You are wrong. That 85 grand actually ends up being close to $200,000 EXTRA money in addition to the amount you're paying back on your loans when you get out of school and that's a huge chunk of money even for a doctor. Just let it go.

 

[taponthecloud]

Dude you're not going to win people over with that tone. No one around here insulted you like that. As you've reminded us you said three times that there is little difference between 215 and 300 grand. You are wrong. That 85 grand actually ends up being close to $200,000 EXTRA money in addition to the amount you're paying back on your loans when you get out of school and that's a huge chunk of money even for a doctor. Just let it go.

In any situation, if you're gonna spend a crapload of money no matter what, it's imperative that you pick your preferred choice. I can't understand people advocating spending 215k on something you'll be unhappy with for the rest of your life- even if it is 85k cheaper. And I don't think I've been the only one echoing this sentiment on this thread.

 

[gplex86]

In any situation, if you're gonna spend a crapload of money no matter what, it's imperative that you pick your preferred choice. I can't understand people advocating spending 215k on something you'll be unhappy with for the rest of your life- even if it is 85k cheaper. And I don't think I've been the only one echoing this sentiment on this thread.

Agreed. If the OP expressed an interest in manipulative medicine (which takes up a lot of time in DO school), or was certain about primary care, or took pride in the philosophy, I'd tell him to go DO.

If you go for the cost savings, you won't be closing any doors. But you might find them a little sticky. And who the hell likes a sticky, squeaky door?

 

[TheRealMD]

When you realize that states are building more and more allopathic medical schools and increasing school sizes without the accompanying increase of residencies, you know that the system is working against you. Not that being a DO is anything less in what you've learned as a physician, but the real world is not as idealistic as many pre-meds would like to believe.

 

[ar2388]

In any situation, if you're gonna spend a crapload of money no matter what, it's imperative that you pick your preferred choice. I can't understand people advocating spending 215k on something you'll be unhappy with for the rest of your life- even if it is 85k cheaper. And I don't think I've been the only one echoing this sentiment on this thread.

I think you said it best.. why spend 215 thousand! dollars on something you wont be happy with... its a crapload of money!

 

[tkim]

Actually taking 2 sets of boards to be considered for ANY MD residencies. MD residencies don't take the Comlex.

Not true.

 

[loganhayes]

To the OP, if you believe in OMM, go with DO. If not, run with your MD acceptance. Don't go with a DO route if you don't believe in its practices. Don't think about the money. You will be able to pay it back later anyway.

 

[podocs]

To the OP, if you believe in OMM, go with DO. If not, run with your MD acceptance. Don't go with a DO route if you don't believe in its practices. Don't think about the money. You will be able to pay it back later anyway.

thanks for the reassuring words . . . haha just hope i can manage this huge debt after med school

 

[gplex86]

thanks for the reassuring words . . . haha just hope i can manage this huge debt after med school

You'll survive. My loans at NYMC will be $65,252 a year with living expenses.

...And I'm going into primary care...

 

[academician2008]

Would anyone pay eighty-five thousands greenbucks for some bulls... title???

If there are no other factors for you, go DO!

You should consider what school you like better, where you think you could spend 4 years happier... Then you make a decision.

 

[gplex86]

Would anyone pay eighty-five thousands greenbucks for some bulls... title???

If there are no other factors for you, go DO!

You should consider what school you like better, where you think you could spend 4 years happier... Then you make a decision.

As has been discussed, there's more at stake here than just the title. He will have to deal with OMM, which even DO students cringe at, and will have a harder time getting competitive residencies.

That's not something to just blow off.