Thinking about DOs.

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PerseveranceJoe

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I have been looking into DOs and what they do. So far I am liking what I read about DOs and I am interested in becoming a DO. My questions are:

1. Why do people on here look down on DOs so much?
2. Do DOs have the same and equal opportunities as MDs to get into any specialty in the medical field?
3. Are there any disadvantages in becoming a DO?

Thanks!

P.S. I really want to be a pediatrician.
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PerseveranceJoe said:
I have been looking into DOs and what they do. So far I am liking what I read about DOs and I am interested in becoming a DO. My questions are:

1. Why do people on here look down on DOs so much?
2. Do DOs have the same and equal opportunities as MDs to get into any specialty in the medical field?
3. Are there any disadvantages in becoming a DO?

Thanks!

P.S. I really want to be a pediatrician.
Click to expand...

Lol.

If serious:

animated_search.gif



...also in
 
Read the stickies if you want to learn more about DOs.
 
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PerseveranceJoe said:
I have been looking into DOs and what they do. So far I am liking what I read about DOs and I am interested in becoming a DO. My questions are:

1. Why do people on here look down on DOs so much?
2. Do DOs have the same and equal opportunities as MDs to get into any specialty in the medical field?
3. Are there any disadvantages in becoming a DO?

Thanks!

P.S. I really want to be a pediatrician.
Click to expand...

Hi

I had the same questions when I came to this forum about 2 year ago. From what I have gathered, I can answer your questions as someone who was looking into the DO option.

1) It seems to me that only premeds and Residencies look down on DOs. The reason is mainly because of stats. Its like if someone decided to go to a Ivy league school for business vs a strong state school. After you practice, MOST (some will) patients wont care.

2) I think so, but to a lesser degree. DOs dont really have it easy when matching into competitive residencies, and I think this is due to a couple factors. For one, most DO students dont have as strong of scores as MD students, and study habits tend to build, so students with poor study skills in college are more likely to have poor skills in med school.

That being said, there is no field that is completely shut off to DOs, just certain residencies.

3) Disadvantages I can think of is cost. There are very few in state schools, and the private DO schools are very expensive. Another con is that you will be looked down on during school and residency, although that will fade once you become an attending.

One advantage? It is easier to get into.

Btw, I am looking at pediatrics as well. You should not have a problem matching into a Peds program in somewhere as a DO
 
GypsyHummus said:
Hi

I had the same questions when I came to this forum about 2 year ago. From what I have gathered, I can answer your questions as someone who was looking into the DO option.

1) It seems to me that only premeds and Residencies look down on DOs. The reason is mainly because of stats. Its like if someone decided to go to a Ivy league school for business vs a strong state school. After you practice, MOST (some will) patients wont care.

2) I think so, but to a lesser degree. DOs dont really have it easy when matching into competitive residencies, and I think this is due to a couple factors. For one, most DO students dont have as strong of scores as MD students, and study habits tend to build, so students with poor study skills in college are more likely to have poor skills in med school.

That being said, there is no field that is completely shut off to DOs, just certain residencies.

3) Disadvantages I can think of is cost. There are very few in state schools, and the private DO schools are very expensive. Another con is that you will be looked down on during school and residency, although that will fade once you become an attending.

One advantage? It is easier to get into.

Btw, I am looking at pediatrics as well. You should not have a problem matching into a Peds program in somewhere as a DO
Click to expand...

tumblr_m92orrVzQC1rsg7vb.gif
 
GypsyHummus said:
Hi

I had the same questions when I came to this forum about 2 year ago. From what I have gathered, I can answer your questions as someone who was looking into the DO option.

1) It seems to me that only premeds and Residencies look down on DOs. The reason is mainly because of stats. Its like if someone decided to go to a Ivy league school for business vs a strong state school. After you practice, MOST (some will) patients wont care.

2) I think so, but to a lesser degree. DOs dont really have it easy when matching into competitive residencies, and I think this is due to a couple factors. For one, most DO students dont have as strong of scores as MD students, and study habits tend to build, so students with poor study skills in college are more likely to have poor skills in med school.

That being said, there is no field that is completely shut off to DOs, just certain residencies.

3) Disadvantages I can think of is cost. There are very few in state schools, and the private DO schools are very expensive. Another con is that you will be looked down on during school and residency, although that will fade once you become an attending.

One advantage? It is easier to get into.

Btw, I am looking at pediatrics as well. You should not have a problem matching into a Peds program in somewhere as a DO
Click to expand...

Disagree, please do your own research prior to educating other pre-meds.
 
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PerseveranceJoe said:
I have been looking into DOs and what they do. So far I am liking what I read about DOs and I am interested in becoming a DO. My questions are:

1. Why do people on here look down on DOs so much?
2. Do DOs have the same and equal opportunities as MDs to get into any specialty in the medical field?
3. Are there any disadvantages in becoming a DO?

Thanks!

P.S. I really want to be a pediatrician.
Click to expand...

A lazy question begets a lazy answer.

1) Because this is SDN, where everyone has 3.9's and 42's.
2) Yes, if you don't mind going AOA or rural.
3) No. There are disadvantages to being a doctor. Those aren't unique to being a DO or an MD.
 
Last edited:
GypsyHummus said:
Hi

I had the same questions when I came to this forum about 2 year ago. From what I have gathered, I can answer your questions as someone who was looking into the DO option.

1) It seems to me that only premeds and Residencies look down on DOs. The reason is mainly because of stats. Its like if someone decided to go to a Ivy league school for business vs a strong state school. After you practice, MOST (some will) patients wont care.

2) I think so, but to a lesser degree. DOs dont really have it easy when matching into competitive residencies, and I think this is due to a couple factors. For one, most DO students dont have as strong of scores as MD students, and study habits tend to build, so students with poor study skills in college are more likely to have poor skills in med school.

That being said, there is no field that is completely shut off to DOs, just certain residencies.

3) Disadvantages I can think of is cost. There are very few in state schools, and the private DO schools are very expensive. Another con is that you will be looked down on during school and residency, although that will fade once you become an attending.

One advantage? It is easier to get into.

Btw, I am looking at pediatrics as well. You should not have a problem matching into a Peds program in somewhere as a DO
Click to expand...

GypsyHummus said:
Whats wrong about it?
Click to expand...

1- You are not looked down during pre-meds, med school is med school. Some residency directors have MD bias, but you are still get those top residency (plastic, orgo, rad onc).

2- Students with poor study skills do not get into medical school. People with poor study skills in college does not translate into poor studying in med school. How many people did awful in college but did good in college? A LOT! There is no significant data that shows board scores are lower in an average DO school vs average MD school.

3- You are not looked down upon. I have spoke to over 5 DO's that never saw any prejudice or were ever looked down because of their degree. Who would look down upon during med school? An MD student is not going to talk smack to a DO student, they learn THE SAME THING! The cost is more or less the same too.
 
Dr.TurkandJD said:
1- You are not looked down during pre-meds, med school is med school. Some residency directors have MD bias, but you are still get those top residency (plastic, orgo, rad onc).

2- Students with poor study skills do not get into medical school. People with poor study skills in college does not translate into poor studying in med school. How many people did awful in college but did good in college? A LOT! There is no significant data that shows board scores are lower in an average DO school vs average MD school.

3- You are not looked down upon. I have spoke to over 5 DO's that never saw any prejudice or were ever looked down because of their degree. Who would look down upon during med school? An MD student is not going to talk smack to a DO student, they learn THE SAME THING! The cost is more or less the same too.
Click to expand...

1) Nobody is denying that DO can match into top programs. From what I have experienced, premeds do look down on people who get into DO schools and are thinking about the osteopathic route. Now, I do not care what other premeds think, but you must aknowlage that there is a bias. Sometimes it is a Good bias, as some people like that OMM treatment and only go to DOs.

2) I remember this being talked about before somewhere.

3) Again, see point 1. One of the DO ortho surgeons who had an open question forum told us that there are people who look down on you. Again, there IS a bias. Closing eyes and pretending that it doesnt exist wont help overcome the prejudice.

I am going to get super flamed for this and be excommunicated from the pre-osteopathic forum but if there is no difference in medical education, than why are there two separate degrees?

Again, this is what I have observed. Take it however you want. There is a active bias that is slowly diminishing.

With that being said, If DO school would be the only school that accepts me when I apply and the only chance of becoming a physician, than would take it; I would rather become a doctor than not.
 
GypsyHummus said:
I am going to get super flamed for this and be excommunicated from the pre-osteopathic forum but if there is no difference in medical education, than why are there two separate degrees?

Again, this is what I have observed. Take it however you want. There is a active bias that is slowly diminishing.

With that being said, If DO school would be the only school that accepts me when I apply and the only chance of becoming a physician, than would take it; I would rather become a doctor than not.
Click to expand...

1. There is a historical reason why there are 2 separate degrees, read Gevitz's book

2. knowing your attitude towards the profession, I recommend you to just apply for MD school. The osteopathic community does not need any more pre meds with small penis syndrome.
 
Didierdrogba said:
Gypsy, are you a med student?
Click to expand...

No. Much of my family is in medicine, and I ask them about the DO bias questions. I am relaying to the OP what my uncles have told me. I take what they say into considerable importance, they are the ones practicing right now. It might be all sunshine a roses for med students now, but I bet that the DO bias will matter when matching.
 
Gypsy, I think your Pre-Allotrollus Rex got lose on your keyboard again...

tumblr_me6lnnFxiK1rnm3g9.gif
 
Dr.TurkandJD said:
1- You are not looked down during pre-meds, med school is med school. Some residency directors have MD bias, but you are still get those top residency (plastic, orgo, rad onc).

2- Students with poor study skills do not get into medical school. People with poor study skills in college does not translate into poor studying in med school. How many people did awful in college but did good in college? A LOT! There is no significant data that shows board scores are lower in an average DO school vs average MD school.

3- You are not looked down upon. I have spoke to over 5 DO's that never saw any prejudice or were ever looked down because of their degree. Who would look down upon during med school? An MD student is not going to talk smack to a DO student, they learn THE SAME THING! The cost is more or less the same too.
Click to expand...

1) Most pre-meds I've met look down upon DO schools. That's just the nature of the beast in areas that don't have a lot of DOs. That being said, its stupid, because as you said, its medical school and DOs are physicians just like MDs. PDs in those competitive ACGME residencies seem to have a pretty big bias against DOs. Have you seen the NRMP PD survey? There are some specialties where only ~30% of PDs said they rank DOs. There is even one or two specialties whose programs rank US IMGs higher than DOs. That being said, there are many DO-friendly specialties out there, and every specialty is attainable.

2) I think there are people with poor study skills in med school. That's why every school has an attrition rate. Not all of it is due to "family issues" and "changing your mind."

Who knows about comparison of board scores. Not every DO takes the USMLE and MDs don't take the COMLEX, so its difficult to compare the groups.

3) I agree.
 
Dr.TurkandJD said:
. Who would look down upon during med school? An MD student is not going to talk smack to a DO student, they learn THE SAME THING!
Click to expand...

True. With the exception that DO students have a little less of the other stuff, and an extra topic of OMM.

Someone had a thread a couple of years ago that compared the number of hours in MD vs number of hours for DO in all the subjects. The DO came up a few hours short in most of the "basic science" classes. There has to be room to fit OMM in somewhere.

I am not even trying to say that OMM is not a basic science, and I don't want to start the debate that the "science" behind OMM is weak. I have had chiropractic manipulations, and I liked how they felt. I would have liked to learn some of that. I sometimes think that a good neck-cracking would be a good way to release the stress of all that studying. Maybe I can work up some friends that are going to DO school and be a "practice dummy" for their OMM. :)

Dr.TurkandJD said:
The cost is more or less the same too.
Click to expand...

Not as true. Many state schools are MD schools, so the tuition is lower. My state MD school is about $20k a year cheaper than the private DO school in the same state. It is also about $30k a year cheaper (Cost of Attendance) than the other DO school where I was accepted in Florida.

Financially, it makes sense for me to go to the cheaper MD school, where I can stay in the house that I own, my spouse gets to keep the job that provides health insurance (and will pay the mortgage). Otherwise, I would have been fine attending a DO school.

dsoz
 
Mr Kenobi said:
Gypsy, I think your Pre-Allotrollus Rex got lose on your keyboard again...

tumblr_me6lnnFxiK1rnm3g9.gif
Click to expand...

It comes out every once in a while. Don't worry, next week I'll champion state DO schools like I always do.

MSUCOM or bust.
 
damn it wasn't big enough, story of my life.
 
Mr Kenobi said:
tumblr_me6lnnFxiK1rnm3g9.gif
Click to expand...

That is one of the creepiest things I've ever seen... and I've seen a LOT of autopsies. Is anyone else weirded out by the lack of a thumb?

dsoz said:
Not as true. Many state schools are MD schools, so the tuition is lower. My state MD school is about $20k a year cheaper than the private DO school in the same state. It is also about $30k a year cheaper (Cost of Attendance) than the other DO school where I was accepted in Florida.

Financially, it makes sense for me to go to the cheaper MD school, where I can stay in the house that I own, my spouse gets to keep the job that provides health insurance (and will pay the mortgage). Otherwise, I would have been fine attending a DO school.

dsoz
Click to expand...

Maybe I don't notice it because I'm from one of those few states that has no real "state" med school in the traditional sense. IS tuition is basically the same in the public schools in my state as OOS tuition is for those schools. So basically, no matter what med school I apply to, I'm paying ~$40k, unless I get into LECOM.
 
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dsoz said:
Not as true. Many state schools are MD schools, so the tuition is lower. My state MD school is about $20k a year cheaper than the private DO school in the same state. It is also about $30k a year cheaper (Cost of Attendance) than the other DO school where I was accepted in Florida.

Financially, it makes sense for me to go to the cheaper MD school, where I can stay in the house that I own, my spouse gets to keep the job that provides health insurance (and will pay the mortgage). Otherwise, I would have been fine attending a DO school.

dsoz
Click to expand...

What if you compare private MD vs private DO?
 
Dr.TurkandJD said:
What if you compare private MD vs private DO?
Click to expand...

OOS Oregon is very comparable to or more than most of the DO schools that I applied to.

There were several schools I applied to that had tuition LOWER than my IS school. I stopped caring once I was accepted to more than one school. Once I got three of my top ten, I canceled all the others.

I do remember that OOS Arizona would have been higher for the first year, but then they allow you to change states of residency, and the IS tuition would have been lower for the next three years. It would have been slightly less over the four years.

But I don't think anything beats LECOM, except maybe in-state Texas schools. Too bad I don't live in Texas.

dsoz
 
dsoz said:
OOS Oregon is very comparable to or more than most of the DO schools that I applied to.

There were several schools I applied to that had tuition LOWER than my IS school. I stopped caring once I was accepted to more than one school. Once I got three of my top ten, I canceled all the others.

I do remember that OOS Arizona would have been higher for the first year, but then they allow you to change states of residency, and the IS tuition would have been lower for the next three years. It would have been slightly less over the four years.

But I don't think anything beats LECOM, except maybe in-state Texas schools. Too bad I don't live in Texas.

dsoz
Click to expand...

Please let's not get off topic. Keep the conversation on cats and Star Wars.
 
This question has been answered. The disadvantages to becoming a DO are pretty much nonexistent. Only entitled MDs look down upon DOs. I worked with many Osteopaths at a major New York City hospital, some may say the best.
 
Ep. III ftw. I've never seen a full theater exit in silence after a movie besides this. Gotta count for something, right?
 
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