Which would you choose: 1. In-state DO school ranked in top 25 primary care schools by US NEws (10-15k/year tuition). 2. Lower tier private MD school that is no where to be found in the ranks (40k/yr tuition)
Yeah, I do really like UNT... I even thought to myself if I got an early acceptance there I would skip a lot of other interviews (from MD schools) that may potentially come my way, but maybe that would be a big mistake? Michigan State and New Jersey's DO school could also fall into this category though.
I'm just saying that the wording of your options is ridiculously biased and is an attempt to skew the data. However, no one took the bait.
8% so far? Wow, thats even higher than the 5% of practicing physicians that are DO's in this country. Do SDN'ers prefer DO training more than other groups do?
How would you have worded it differently? I listed it public vs. private, MD vs. DO, how they were regarded by US News, and their prices... all fairly factual IMO.
Both are acceptable choices. It all depends on what you want to do. Noone can make that choice for you but you. However, you did ask and so I will say go with the DO. If cost is really that important, then go for it. If you feel the need to apply to MD residencies or whatever, you can take the USMLE when the time comes. I'd never really thought about DO until just recently, but I'm not willing to close all my options until I get to the point where I have to make a choice. Anyway, good luck. Oh, and I'm not looking to go into Primary care, so that is a deterrent for me.
Terms like low vs. super high are subjective. Factual would have just given the prices if you want to compare them objectively. "Highly ranked vs. No where to be found" has the same ring. The primary care rankings are bunk in my opinion. A major factor is % into primary care. What if most of those students are too unqualified to enter anything else? You never know. It's not a good measure of anything really.
Honostly, you need to examine your reasons for choosing one type of training over the other for more than just monetary reasons. MD's and DO's are different (not saying better or worse, although I have my opinions) because of their philosphies with respect to OMM in particular. If OMM is something you believe in and would like to integrate into your practice, then choose DO. If it is not an approach you find helpful or would like to stress certain different aspects of training, then choose MD (all other factors being the same, which for your poll is not the case).
MD rules. But DO doesn't necessarily drool. It's all about preference. Some people dig primary, some people don't.
Where do you fit in best? Is primary care one of your main interests?? Those are things you need to ask yourself when choosing which school to attend... not just it's DO or MD status.
It seems like your mind is already made up. The purpose of a question is to obtain knowledge that you do not know, but more importantly, knowledge that you will use and apply No matter what this poll says, it seems that you have already chosen. Not being harsh for making the poll (we all do), but I'm just saying, don't listen to us. We're pretty damn stupid. I say that in the best way possible. -Dr. P.
Suprise! pre-meds overwelmingly chose MD. for the next poll let's ask practicing doctors with a mortage, kids, two cars, a dog, maybe some birds, 300K student debt, decreasing salaries and rising malpractice. On second thought, minus the birds.
Actually, I'm going into medicine for the birds. I'm putting it out there. I've made peace with it. Passion aside, when it comes down to it... it's just for the birds.
No, my mind is not already made up... this is all hypothetical at this point anyway... But I do have a few early interviews (2 DO and 1 MD) and if I am really lucky I might have an acceptance in October, so this might be a question at some point. In all honesty, I think it is strange that their is so much DO stigma (or so much MD pride) since in the hospital I work in, the two work together as equals. In fact I was talking with my boss about this and he couldn't even name who in the department has a DO (there are two people and the only person he thought was a DO is actually an MD from Northwestern) If I am, at some point, faced with picking between two schools equivalent schools (MD vs. DO), I would choose the MD. But there is a decent chance I might be faced choice between two schools that vary dramatically in cost and quality (example I base my poll on)... and yes, I think there are a number of DO schools that are better than the bottom tier of MD schools.... in which case I'd be inclined (but not 100% certain) to go for the DO school.
MD simply because I don't want to be limited in my residency opportunities. I actually would prefer to go D.O., but its just not as easy to get a residency of choice, and therefore, impractical for my purposes.
DO vs. MD is a premed thing. It's been a nonissue amongst practicing doctors that I've met. I'm sure you get a few MDs that go around and poo-poo DOs. These are the same sort of folks that remember what they got on their SATs, number and percentile. I wouldn't sweat it.
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