What if you don't know a D.O.?

[Zendoc]

I'm applying this year and a lot of the schools require a letter from a D.O. or an M.D. I know lots of MDs personally, but I have never really developed a cloe realationship with one, nor have I ever worked directly with a D.O. does anyone know what the *@%$ I am supposed to do? If I apply anyway, are they just going to dump my application in the trash? Do I try and make contact with an M.D. or D.O. in the next month or so to build some kind of false relationship just so they can write me a letter? There are plenty of other qualified people (PhDs for example) that will vouce for me and have written letters? Can someone help me please?...I am super freaked out!

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[emeddo]

I didn't know any DOs during the application process, yet now almost everyone I know is (or will be) I think what they say in the letter is much more important than the two letters after the name of the person who writes it. I know for KCOM if you contact the admissions office at anytime they will gladly give you names of DOs in your local area who have offered to meet with premeds. You might try calling the admissions offices of schools you are applying to and ask. The admissions office is very underutilized by premeds, at least until they start applying to that particular school. They are happy to assist even those who are a few years away. In fact, it was the admissions office at KCOM helping me a full two years before I applied there that started leading me to the decision to attend the school.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

I'm applying this year and a lot of the schools require a letter from a D.O. or an M.D. I know lots of MDs personally, but I have never really developed a cloe realationship with one, nor have I ever worked directly with a D.O. does anyone know what the *@%$ I am supposed to do? If I apply anyway, are they just going to dump my application in the trash? Do I try and make contact with an M.D. or D.O. in the next month or so to build some kind of false relationship just so they can write me a letter? There are plenty of other qualified people (PhDs for example) that will vouce for me and have written letters? Can someone help me please?...I am super freaked out!

You have to live in a more DO friendly state than I. Even then, I still found a few scattered DOs. One was a Hem. Oncologist from NSU who would pretend to be an MD and on occassions has said that he signs using an "MD."

Hence, it was difficult for me. However, it can still be done.

Chances are any physician should work; however, some schools do require a DO letter, and some don't.

 

[snowy117]

I had the same problem. I wanted to shadow & develop a close relationship with a physician, but didn't know of any. So what I did was I went through the yellow pages (alot of them indicate DO/MD after their name) and through various health insurance websites for a list of physicians (again, the list shows DO/MD after their name and what schools they went to) and I called them.

I must have called between 30~40 of them and I was lucky to find a few DOs who were willing to let me shadow. So if you really want to find one (and I don't think it's too late), you can try what I did...

Good luck!

 

[boodthedog]

Try this

http://www.osteopathic.org/directory.cfm

 

[poormansDO]

I'm applying this year and a lot of the schools require a letter from a D.O. or an M.D. I know lots of MDs personally, but I have never really developed a cloe realationship with one, nor have I ever worked directly with a D.O. does anyone know what the *@%$ I am supposed to do? If I apply anyway, are they just going to dump my application in the trash? Do I try and make contact with an M.D. or D.O. in the next month or so to build some kind of false relationship just so they can write me a letter? There are plenty of other qualified people (PhDs for example) that will vouce for me and have written letters? Can someone help me please?...I am super freaked out!

You don't have to "build a relationship", I shadowed a DO for just one day (more like 8 hours) got my letter of rec and was accepted. So just do that if you can, it's definitely better than nothing.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

You don't have to "build a relationship", I shadowed a DO for just one day (more like 8 hours) got my letter of rec and was accepted. So just do that if you can, it's definitely better than nothing.

Agreed. You're in there to shadow because it's a part of playing the game. Doctors know this -- they were once where you are currently at. It's a game and play it. If you can't, then don't bother stepping onto the field ...

 

[Taty]

I did not have MD or DO letters, I was fine.