I'm debating whether or not I should take USMLE step 2. I'm trying to get into the top programs...I'm looking at Penn, Jeff, Einstein, Pitt, Hopkins, Cleveland clinic, UMass, U. of Maryland. I'm working on research right now but won't have anything published by the end of the year. Board Scores: USMLE Step 1 233 Comlex 1 569 Comlex 2 515. I'll have a really good LoR from the Chief of Neurology here. Appreciate it!
Should I take USMLE Step 2? (DO Student)
- Thread starter sunyD
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I can tell you that Cleveland Clinic takes on a fair amount of DO GME, so I do not think it will be required for them.
UMass, Hopkins, yeah, they may want to see a USMLE score.
Your COMLEX scores are solid. The problem is, a great number of MD program directors cannot figure that out, even after it is explained to them.
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Yeah, every bar near campus eventually gets shut down eventually for serving under age. But on a more serious note:
The is +/- on DO's.
I know a few DO neurologists that have done fellowships in neuromuscular at Pitt, so possible, but there is some DO bias overall.
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Sorry to beat on this but a simple clarification.
UPMC own virtually every hospital in Western and Central PA now. It is spreading like a disease. So NOW the Hamot program in Erie, which is strictly osteopathic is NOW UPMC, but is NOT "Pitt"!!!
Many of the UPMC affiliated hospitals are more than happy to take on DO's for surgery, FP, etc. such as UPMC McKeesport (Ghetto), UPMC Horizon (almost Ohio), UPMC St. Margaret, UPMC Mercy, etc.
The main campus in the Oakland district has a slight DO bias, but not so much in neurology, so have at it.
Sounds like undergrad at RU...
Yeah I figure at this point just apply and see what happens. I keep hearing about the DO bias but I thought I could offset it slightly by taking the USMLE. But I didn't know about the "UPMC virus" haha, I'll have to look out for it.
Yeah I figure at this point just apply and see what happens. I keep hearing about the DO bias but I thought I could offset it slightly by taking the USMLE. But I didn't know about the "UPMC virus" haha, I'll have to look out for it.
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Similar in eastern OH, virtually every community hospital is being bought up by Cleveland Clinic.
In Pittburgh, Highmark is one of the largest competitors to UPMC, so that whole West Penn System is the main opponent. Don't forget about them by the way, there is a neurology program on the Northside of Pittsburgh through the West Penn System at Allegheny General Hospital.
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how is the west penn--agh neuro program? i was looking into it but couldn't find much info..a former resident told me it wasn't as academic as upmc as they had a more clinical focus. is it considered a mid-tier or lower tier-ed program?
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Well, Lets be technical, West Penn is technically West Penn Allegheny Health System, or WPAHS. I only point this out as a staff member referred to his program as "Whoop ass!".
Okay, back to being serious for a moment.
WPAHS does not have the fame as much as UPMC in the academic world. As much as we may not like to admit it, the neurosurgery programs brings more fame to the overall neuroscience departments at either of the institutions than do the neurology programs. Because UPMC sits on campus at a major university, this results in a tremendous amount of cross over research with non-physician professors that usually results in ground breaking, state of the art, high tech kind of stuff. For example, whenever I was a chemical engineering major at U of Pitt, a few of my profs were also profs of surgery??? Yes, because they were highly involed with the development of things that I had mentioned.
This is not the case for WPAHS, they do not sit on campus with a major university that can pump in non-physician scientists to perform cross over research. Oddly, WPAHS, which sits on the North side of Pittsburgh, has ian academic affiliation with the medical school in Philadelphia???
That being stated, I grew up as a Pittsburgh native, so I can share with you the general public opinion. Allegheny General is viewed as a top notch tertiary care center by surrounding citizens, ever so much as UPMC. Many of my own family members had received care at Allegheny General and I can attest to the high quality of care personally.
UPMC is a health care giant with their own health plan. As I stated in an earlier post, there are a number of mid-sized and smaller community hospitals around PA that tag UPMC as a prefix to their name. Many top employers in the community offer their employees UPMC health insurance. What it simply boils down to is this, if you require tertirary care, live in the PIttsburgh area, and have a UPMC health plan, you are looking at a transfer to UPMC Presbyterian. If you have Highmark insurance, then you are going to Allegheny General for tertiary care.
I suppose it all depends on what you want. I only pointed out the existence of Allegheny General because if you want to go to Pittsburgh, don't forget about them. Pittsburgh is an awesome city and obviously near and dear to my heart 😉 I think that anything that you see at UPMC, you will also see at Allgheny General. Again, the only difference between the patients at UPMC versus Allgeheny General is what insurance they are carrying.
