Should I go MD or DO?

[happydc]

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Well, since I've been on SDN I've seen a lot of good advice given, so here goes... I have been accepted to a very good DO school--AZCOM--my brothers went there, and I was truly impressed with the caliber of the school, it also has a good reputation among DO schools. I also applied to U of A (MD school) and am waiting for the third mailing results at the end of March. I have to pay a $850 deposit to AZCOM March 1st... Anyways, I really like the DO philosophy and OMM (Osteopathic Manipulative Method), but AZCOM is $37,000/year, compared to U of A's $15,000/year. Should I hold tight for U of A, or just plan on Midwestern? I'd like to do Dermatology or Psychiatry, or something like that--something with good work hours (+ something I'm interested in). (1) What do you think of my odds for U of A (GPA 3.6, sGPA 3.4, MCAT 29Q, 2+ years research experience--current one at NIH, strong leadership experience and other medically-related volunteer experience, learned fluent spanish--interviews seemed to go exceptionally well at U of A, etc.) and (2) how will a DO degree fair to an MD degree in going into a field like the ones I've given? Also, (3) Can I do research, say in immunology (dermatology-related) at a DO school? Oh, yes, and (4) Will it be harder as a DO to become a Dermatologist (do they prefer MDs over DOs?) or easier (is there a separate DO residency for Dermatology?) WHEW! Please answer any questions you can--you don't need to answer them all.
Thank you for your input!!!!

 

[synapse lapse]

I don't feel like answering all those questions but since you aren't into U of A yet just pay the $850 and sit tight, it's not a commitment to attend but it holds your spot. It's not very much money in the scheme of things.

 

[potato51]

Derm is competitive enough amongst MD applicants. DO will make it 10 times harder for you.

 

[MarzMD]

Generally not a good idea to triple post a thread.

 

[Law2Doc]

Well, since I've been on SDN I've seen a lot of good advice given, so here goes... I have been accepted to a very good DO school--AZCOM--my brothers went there, and I was truly impressed with the caliber of the school, it also has a good reputation among DO schools. I also applied to U of A (MD school) and am waiting for the third mailing results at the end of March. I have to pay a $850 deposit to AZCOM March 1st... Anyways, I really like the DO philosophy and OMM (Osteopathic Manipulative Method), but AZCOM is $37,000/year, compared to U of A's $15,000/year. Should I hold tight for U of A, or just plan on Midwestern? I'd like to do Dermatology or Psychiatry, or something like that--something with good work hours (+ something I'm interested in). (1) What do you think of my odds for U of A (GPA 3.6, sGPA 3.4, MCAT 29Q, 2+ years research experience--current one at NIH, strong leadership experience and other medically-related volunteer experience, learned fluent spanish--interviews seemed to go exceptionally well at U of A, etc.) and (2) how will a DO degree fair to an MD degree in going into a field like the ones I've given? Also, (3) Can I do research, say in immunology (dermatology-related) at a DO school? Oh, yes, and (4) Will it be harder as a DO to become a Dermatologist (do they prefer MDs over DOs?) or easier (is there a separate DO residency for Dermatology?) WHEW! Please answer any questions you can--you don't need to answer them all.
Thank you for your input!!!!

I suspect that by virtue of posting your questions on the allo board, you already know what the answers are going to be. And Derm and Psych are night and day in terms of competitiveness. Your odds of getting into derm are extremely low with an MD and even lower with a DO.

 

[deuist]

something with good work hours (+ something I'm interested in)

I'm glad that you're not going for a specialty that you're not interested in.

 

[Mike59]

It's a huge mistake to go into medical school "planning" on a certain residency. IMHO, you've got little direction in your decision making if you mention psych and derm in the same breath. Don't worry about a career choice from now, there's so much more exposure ahead of you, it'll all become clear later....

I'm not slamming DO but it's a fact of life that the MD degree provides more opportunity for landing residencies of all sorts due to the number of spots available. I'd also consider going with the cheaper school if I were you, unless the 2 places are significantly different (ghetto vs. nicer area or something) since you're looking at nearly $100k difference over 4 years, that's a significant amount of money in the long run after interest.

As someone graduating from med school in a few months, I can tell you that I would've done pretty much teh same and learned the same stuff no matter where I went. The medical school itself really doesn't do a whole lot to make or break your future. It's more about how much effort you put into it and what you want to learn and retain in the next 4 years....

Also, I'm sure that $850 deposit you have to make is refundable if you end up not going there isn't it?

Hope that helps....

 

[DrMom]

Generally not a good idea to triple post a thread.

actually there are 5 versions of this thread, so I'm closing this one.