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The 2026-2027 DO School Specific Threads are now available in the School Specific Discussions forum. The 2025-2026 discussions are now available in the prior year discussions forum.
Top schools for specializing?
Started by lesoup
This same question has been asked so many times, in one form or another. The answer to your question is really pretty simple. There is no need to pull up the past years' match lists from every DO school and compare them to each other to see which list contains the most prestigious and top-tier names. It boils down to this: if you want it bad enough, you can have it.
You ask what schools have the "highest percentage of students specializing where they choose to". This data is going to throw you off, because I think you are looking for something else. For instance, if you look at a particular school's match list, you may notice that a large percentage of the students choose to go into FP, yet they don't match at top-tier programs. This is most likely because they didn't apply to the top-tier programs. It is not because (not in all instances, anyways) they could not have gotten in to the top-tier programs. You have to take into account the fact that not every person who matched applied to top-tier places. There are many other factors involved.
Search this forum long enough and you'll find this same questions phrased 1,000 different ways. If you average out all the responses, they all pretty much boil down to the same thing.
You ask what schools have the "highest percentage of students specializing where they choose to". This data is going to throw you off, because I think you are looking for something else. For instance, if you look at a particular school's match list, you may notice that a large percentage of the students choose to go into FP, yet they don't match at top-tier programs. This is most likely because they didn't apply to the top-tier programs. It is not because (not in all instances, anyways) they could not have gotten in to the top-tier programs. You have to take into account the fact that not every person who matched applied to top-tier places. There are many other factors involved.
Search this forum long enough and you'll find this same questions phrased 1,000 different ways. If you average out all the responses, they all pretty much boil down to the same thing.
Just from reading match lists, I think DMU and KCUMB turn out the most specialists. LECOM-B might be up there too.
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haha perfect placement of that smiley!
Great points. 👍
Save this post for when someone asks what the top DO schools are. You can use this twice!
I hate these questions. I go to a school that is very primary care centric. VERY. That being said, our matchlist has had integrated plastics, rad onc, derm, orthopaedic surgery, rads, etc. nearly every year. (At least a few of them) It really doesn't matter where you go as long as you work hard wherever you are.
What school do you go to?
You won't see any ROADS matches (Radiology, Opthalmology, Anesthesia, Dermatology, Surgery) on a list if few people at that school are interested in those programs. This occurs quite frequently at schools such as the one MossPoh attends. Moreover, fewer people interested in those programs is going to equate to a smaller chance of seeing a "big name" on a list. Even though matches into those specialties do appear, the frequency is lessened.
Quit worrying about whether or not the school you have been accepted to is going to be able to "send" you to a competitive residency spot. After all, that's basically what these questions are asking. "If I go to such-and-such school, what is the likelihood that I will get a competitive spot just because of the name?"
You are responsible for your own destiny.
Quit worrying about whether or not the school you have been accepted to is going to be able to "send" you to a competitive residency spot. After all, that's basically what these questions are asking. "If I go to such-and-such school, what is the likelihood that I will get a competitive spot just because of the name?"
You are responsible for your own destiny.
A lot of those ROAD programs require a transitional/preliminary year, which is often what will show up on the match list, as opposed to ophtho, etc
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Its an allopathic one. 🙂 Doesn't really matter but you can look at my post history and you'll know.
So you're saying the reason for few ROAD programs on match lists from DO schools is due to a lack of interest? This doesn't exactly make sense if one were to take a random MD and DO school the percentage of ROAD matches is quiet polarized.
I can't tell if you're joking or not, but yes, of course you can.
You can do whatever specialty you want as a MD or DO from any school; thus, the only thing that matters is how hard YOU work and if YOU do well enough to be a competitive applicant for the specialty YOU choose.
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Precisely, kdizzy. DO schools tend to push heavy on the FP side. At the same time, many DO schools accept non-traditional students. Those non-traditional students are usually older (30+ and sometimes much older), married, have children and have had careers. Taking all of this into account, I'm willing to bet that a lot of these non-traditional students don't want to devote 10 MORE years to training in order to be a surgeon. Now I know what you're thinking, and you're right. These non-traditional students probably are not that plentiful so that they completely seal my point. But they're presence helps. In addition, it seems to me that a large percentage of osteopathic students lean towards FP and less competitive specialties.
The overall point still stands. You can go to any DO school and do any specialty you choose. What really matters is "how hard YOU work and if YOU do well enough to be a competitive applicant for the specialty YOU choose".
The overall point still stands. You can go to any DO school and do any specialty you choose. What really matters is "how hard YOU work and if YOU do well enough to be a competitive applicant for the specialty YOU choose".
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I'm probably an example of the kind of student Beauregard is referring to. Matriculating at 30+ years old. After having a high stress life in a big city I have no desire to spend 5-8 years in a ultra-high gear, 100 hour a week residency or specialty.
I just want to be a family doc in a country setting...preferably near lots of skiing.
I'll take my 50 hour a week 3 year FamMed residency in the sticks and move on to an low-stress, low hours practice.
But like he and TT said, you can do whatever you want. Even at WVSOM which is probably the most PC oriented DO school on the list still had 30-40 match into competitive specialties both MD and DO in the 2009 match.
I just want to be a family doc in a country setting...preferably near lots of skiing.
I'll take my 50 hour a week 3 year FamMed residency in the sticks and move on to an low-stress, low hours practice.
But like he and TT said, you can do whatever you want. Even at WVSOM which is probably the most PC oriented DO school on the list still had 30-40 match into competitive specialties both MD and DO in the 2009 match.
I guess you haven't met Dr. Will Kirby, a physician on E!'s reality series: Dr. 90210. He may be a douchebag, but he's got quite a list of educational credentials: NOVA for DO, Mt Sinai and Miami Heart Institute for Internal Medicine which he switched out of to do Derm at Western/COMP in Cali.
To directly answer the OP's question I once saw a list of DO school's and their percentage of match into PCP specialties in recent years.
I don't have a source but I recall that PCOM-Philly had approx. 38% match into PCP w/ the rest into specialties. They were the highest specialty match on the list.
I'm sure if Chocolate Bear or JaggerPlate drops in here they can post the lists.
I don't have a source but I recall that PCOM-Philly had approx. 38% match into PCP w/ the rest into specialties. They were the highest specialty match on the list.
I'm sure if Chocolate Bear or JaggerPlate drops in here they can post the lists.
I have to agree. I remember reading "somewhere" or hearing "somewhere" that they usually matched over 60% into specialties.
This is that list you speak of. Just like everyone said take it with a grain of salt.
The one you get into. Attend RVU at your own risk, though. Rumor is they're having administration problems.
Yeah, but isn't PCOM-Philly in... Philly? I hear all anyone does there is eat cheesesteaks and shoot at eachother. Rumor?
MossPoh goes to Florida State U. College of Medicine in Tallahassee, FL founded in 2000 AD grown from the previous PIMS program cooperative w/ UFL COM and into it's own school.
Known for it's bridge program and devotion to allopathic primary care medicine for rural/underserved programs. Although only 9 years old already has excellent rep and produces excellent match lists including competitive disciplines/specialties highly represented.
Sheesh.
lol or you could just tell us... that wouldn't be too hard... but your "location" says Tally... so from FSU? Florida State is a newer allopathic school which heavily stresses primary care and rural medicine I believe.
Edit: so obviously posted this before that last post was up!
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Hey, just wondering if there were other excel files for the other schools, just out of curiosity I would like to see that information. Thanks.
I havn't seen any other list but it just has to wait long enough before someone has too much free time on their hands to make it.
It's all pretty irrelevant though because the list can change drastically from year to year.
For example, in 2007 CCOM matched these specialties:
8 Anes
10 Rads
3 NS
8 Ortho
1 ENT
2 Optho
6 GS
2 Uro Surg
Then in 2009:
3 Anes
4 Rads
3 NS
2 Ortho
1 ENT
0 Opth
3 GS
2 Uro Surg
My point is that regarding each particular specialty it really differs from class to class depending on what the people in that class want. One possible exception seems to be at DMU where the surgical specialties always seem to be popular with their students.
Yup true enough, oh well. I was just curious, but I understand how irrelevant it could be.
Dunno about the others, but I have seen MSU's, CCOM's and DMU's match lists. They all turn out a bunch of kids who get into competitive residencies.
In no particular order:
1.MSU-COM
2.CCOM-Midwestern
3.Des Moines
If one had to pick between those schools, location would be the biggest caveat. I would say its a toss up between MSU and CCOM, because of their locations.
In no particular order:
1.MSU-COM
2.CCOM-Midwestern
3.Des Moines
If one had to pick between those schools, location would be the biggest caveat. I would say its a toss up between MSU and CCOM, because of their locations.
yes but does anyone have any data on how many medical subspecialists each school puts out?
Wouldn't that be almost impossible to track, hernandez? I'm just wondering if an IM res. 3 years out would notify his school of his/her fellowship or lack thereof.
It is impossible which is another huge reason why threads like this are ultimatly worthless unless your interest in "specialization" is merely something that you go right into.
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You took all the fun out of it. Good job on the history though. I don't even think many of the current students know much about the PIMS program.
Those that had to withdaw mid-year in 1999 sure do, that much I can tell you.
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Yeah, I'm starting medical school at 29 and I don't want to do any more than 5 years of GME.
I have actually heard that you can make a lot more money "during" residency if you do something less time-consuming i.e., FM or IM because you can moonlight a lot.
A guy in the DO FM program where I work told me he made over 100K last year with his stipend + in house/external moonlight privilidges. Oh and his wife is an ICU nurse and she made like 115K. Together...215K and still a resident. Dick.
I had no idea they did that. It isn't something they really tell you.
i'd like to know what kind of icu nurse makes 115k. im a ed rn and make <40k/yr. granted, im in the bottom 10% in the country and i already know this (thanks alabama!). but still, even with travel nurse salary 115k seems exaggerated.
Hmmmm.....a capped nurse at my facility, working only nights and weekends, is less than 100k/yr
The class of 2009 matched 5 into uro. One of which, was allopathic.
Good to know (and impressive), this even furthers the point that match lists are not a viable source to use in school decisions. Unless they have changed the list since they first put it out, it is incorrect.
