So I'm screwedddd....

[sowfeeah]

25M (8PS, 9V, 8BS) this time, and absolutely mortified, especially because it seems that I'm the only one who thought the NYC Hilton was a circus for the August 06 exam (yay for form DM). The madness really took its toll on my score, and it went DOWN from the first time I took it, 27O(8PS, 10V, 9BS). It would give me somewhat more hope if more people had submitted their letters to the AAMC to tell them that the exam was not given under standard testing conditions.

I sent in my application for DOs today, (I had to prepare myself by getting a little tipsy first), but I still really really want to be an MD. I'm prepared to be completely rejected from every allopathic med school I applied to, but would DO schools similarly cockblock me because of the decrease in scores? Also, I need more information about the DO programs because I know almost nothing about it except its holistic approach to medicine. Any advice would be great. Can I get an MD residency after graduating from DO? Do I get the higher salary of MDs then? Or am I bound to the stigma of DO? Am I just better off applying to SMPs, retaking MCATs, and starting over? To be honest, I think this exam really crushed me and I don't know if I have the heart to take the MCAT a third time.

My GPA isn't the best (3.0), but I have a lot of leadership skills, ambulance experience, and research.

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[timmah2k]

Hey sowfeeah,

Keep your head up. Apply to schools and see what happens. You can go the DO route if you wish. I suggest you go to the Osteopathic forum and read the FAQ first and then ask any other questions.

As for the questions you asked here...

DO is a holistic approach to medicine. They look more about the person instead of the symptoms. Honestly, many doctors do that MD or DO. The reason for that is because MD and DO are pretty much the same profession. They practice medicine to the same levels. DO has extra training in manipulations. You may want to read about that in the forum.

You can get an MD residency after DO school and of course you can get a DO residency. So you would have both options meaning more opportunities.

The salaries are the same for both MD and DO. People may say the average DO makes less than the average MD, but that's because many DO's work in primary care which pays less that specialties. Direct comparison from specialty to specialty, MD and DO pretty much make the same amount of money.

I encourage you to look at the DO forum and so alot of research. What I answered here is very general. I myself am following the DO route because I like it.

-Steve