The problem with the DO letter requirement....

[Pet of the Week]

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...is that it unfairly disadvantages those of us from regions of the country with few DO's.

It seems my letter obtaining shadowing experience has fallen through with one of the only 6 DO's practicing within 100 miles. None of the phone numbers I have for the DO I was going to shadow work. He agreed to let me shadow and to write a letter months ago, but I had to go through a hospital orientation. They took their sweet time, and I finally got approved or whatever last week. He works in different parts of the hospital and in a clinic in town (but won't be back there until next month). I literally have no way of contacting him now. Physical stalking perhaps, but that's creepy.

So I will be calling the other 5 tomorrow morning and hope someone will be willing to let me shadow and send a letter for me within the next week.

Also, my best friend from college (the first time) is a DO. She agreed to write a letter for me which admittedly would be more of a personal than a professional reference. In desperation, I emailed her last week, sent a facebook message several days later, and have heard nothing back from her. Of course she is a busy resident now, so I understand.

I'm just getting so far behind. I'm only complete at PCOM-GA, UASOM, and USACOM without the letter.

So I honestly think they should get rid of the letter requirement. How much insight could a physician whom I shadow 20 hours or so really give adcom anyway?

 

[sideways]

Since when do you need a letter from a DO? MD will suffice. But if you have a best friend who's a DO, it sounds like your real problem is a lack of creativity. 😉

 

[cbrons]

Since when do you need a letter from a DO? MD will suffice. But if you have a best friend who's a DO, it sounds like your real problem is a lack of creativity. 😉

Some schools allow you to submit a letter from an MD in lieu of a letter from a DO although in most cases, they make it known they "strongly prefer" a DO.

I also think the requirement is somewhat unnecessary. Thankfully I'm from a rural area and my mentor was a DO who runs the pathology department at the local hospital.

 

[sideways]

Some schools allow you to submit a letter from an MD in lieu of a letter from a DO although in most cases, they make it known they "strongly prefer" a DO.

I also think the requirement is somewhat unnecessary. Thankfully I'm from a rural area and my mentor was a DO who runs the pathology department at the local hospital.

I guess so. But for crying out loud, the girl's best friend is a DO, and she's wondering how to fulfill the DO letter requirement!

 

[Pet of the Week]

I guess so. But for crying out loud, the girl's best friend is a DO, and she's wondering how to fulfill the DO letter requirement!

So she was originally going to write this letter for me, but as I was filling out secondaries, it seemed that most schools wanted the letter to be from a DO who I had observed in a clinical setting for 20 or more hours. She's in Erie, PA, and in the first year of her residency, so fulfilling that part of the requirement was not really possible.

So conveniently, my boyfriend was working at a family medicine clinic as a nutritionist with physicians, one of whom happened to be a DO. I thought it would be easy.... but the DO wanted me to shadow at the hospital instead of the clinic, so I had to do the orientation approval thing. And before I was oriented and approved, my boyfriend quit his job at that clinic on not so great terms with the management staff. That closed my easiest line of communication with the DO. I have three phone numbers for him, but the rude people who answer each of them tell me that I need to contact him elsewhere. I can't imagine how a patient would get in touch with him...

It will work out. There is a family practice clinic less than a mile from my home owned by a DO. I'll call/drop by tomorrow.

 

[PeachyPhd]

If your friend is in her first year of residency, then she isn't even liscenced yet, so I'm not sure that necessarily is the best approach. The letter is supposed to support your understanding and awareness of osteopathic medicine.

Where are you in Al? You can PM me if you want. After some creative searching and phone calls, I found quite a few DOs to shadow.

Be your own advocate and try not to blame anyone else. Your persistence will pay off!

 

[cbrons]

I guess so. But for crying out loud, the girl's best friend is a DO, and she's wondering how to fulfill the DO letter requirement!

Lol, she'd prob write a real good 1 too.

So she was originally going to write this letter for me, but as I was filling out secondaries, it seemed that most schools wanted the letter to be from a DO who I had observed in a clinical setting for 20 or more hours. She's in Erie, PA, and in the first year of her residency, so fulfilling that part of the requirement was not really possible.

So conveniently, my boyfriend was working at a family medicine clinic as a nutritionist with physicians, one of whom happened to be a DO. I thought it would be easy.... but the DO wanted me to shadow at the hospital instead of the clinic, so I had to do the orientation approval thing. And before I was oriented and approved, my boyfriend quit his job at that clinic on not so great terms with the management staff. That closed my easiest line of communication with the DO. I have three phone numbers for him, but the rude people who answer each of them tell me that I need to contact him elsewhere. I can't imagine how a patient would get in touch with him...

It will work out. There is a family practice clinic less than a mile from my home owned by a DO. I'll call/drop by tomorrow.

 

[Pet of the Week]

If your friend is in her first year of residency, then she isn't even liscenced yet, so I'm not sure that necessarily is the best approach. The letter is supposed to support your understanding and awareness of osteopathic medicine.

Where are you in Al? You can PM me if you want. After some creative searching and phone calls, I found quite a few DOs to shadow.

Be your own advocate and try not to blame anyone else. Your persistence will pay off!

That's exactly what I was thinking. If the purpose of the requirement was to show that I know what osteopathic medicine is, then a letter from her would be fine. But otherwise, it's really not the best option.

Also, I'm definitely not blaming anyone else. I wish I had taken more initiative and gotten this requirement out of the way last spring instead of waiting until the summer.