Luck said:
I agree with what you said coolness. If a student gets rejected from all allopathic schools and gets only into an osteopathic school, he or she should be happy with that and accept it. They shouldn't make posts about whether they should go or not. Why did they apply in the first place if they didn't even want to go to an osteopathic school. Like you said, they should just go to the caribbean if the MD is that important to them.
Besides, for $20,000, they can get their MD by taking that class at that caribbean school. All they have to do is take online courses for a year during their 4th year of DO school and they'll graduate as a DO, MD.
I wasn't even going to bother getting involved with this, but what the hell...I'm addicted like the rest of you SDN rats. I suspect, however, that you already know the answer to your question. We apply to DO schools because we are well advised to do so, and we acknowledge that it is wiser to apply, get an acceptance, and have a couple of options when the dust settles than to be so stubborn that we must sit out another year if nothing pans out, which is by far the most excruciating part of the process.
Again, I suspect you knew the answer already.
When I got involved with my first SDN post, I don't know ~3 weeks ago or so, I was truly torn...I almost completely withdrew my acceptance. For the first time in my life, I questioned my ability to compete at this level, I felt as though my confidence was utterly shaken, and I began to fish for any other possible career interests. But alas, no such epiphany occured. Medicine is it for me.
Now, this forum helped me sift through, and validate, my emotions, concerns, and doubts. Had I not posted my reservations, I would have struggled much longer on my own, and I have no idea what the outcome would be as it stands today.
When it is widely accepted that MCAT scores predict future board success, and when no number seems too low for DO ADCOMS, it certainly raises the suspicion that you (me in this case) are the sucker. My confidence was shaken, I was very upset at what I perceived as reckless admissions tactics. But as I acknowledged in another post...I am very at ease with my decision today, and incredibly thankful that my advisor urged me to also apply DO. I am so at peace with this decision, you wouldn't even know I was the same person. For me personally, I can't put off another year when I have my shot now. I have a wife and 2 children, I have to "**** or get off the pot" as they say. The bottom line for me is to dust myself off, realize that there will be some slackers in my class who shouldn't even be there, and try to keep up with the numerous gunners that I know will be there and are way smarter than I.
At this point, its all on me and my performance (as it has been said numerous times). Do I feel overwhelming pride that I got into a DO school? No. Again, it is widely accepted that this is where a lot of us who "just want to practice medicine" go when all else fails. Of course, this is not always the case, but I dare say it is more often than not. Am I proud that I will be a medical student, able to practice medicine after passing the boards? Absolutely. Am I completely ast ease with my decision to go DO? Definitely. Will I ever look back saying "Would've, couldve, should've?" No, not I. Just waiting patiently for this MD waitlist rope to get cut for some final closure.
I know I said this in my previous post: the DO's I know are awesome, and are by far the friendliest and the most helpful physicians I have ever met. I know that once I am immersed in the DO culture at school, I'll begin to feel that pride and I just may one day become osteopathy's greatest advocate. As long as I stay on top of my game and know my stuff, no one can say anything to me anyway. I'm bigger and I'd crush 'em. Now let me get damn sleep.
