Who do you respect more?

[Wombat]

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Just out of curiosity....
Who do you respect more (as a future physician)?
A med student from an Osteopathic med school (MCAT between 22 and 30 and a GPA between 3.2 and 3.7) or one from an overseas Allopathic school (one of those Carribean diploma mills)?

I'm really more interested in hearing from current med students and not those pre-med hopefuls who truely have no clue or experience in this matter.
Either way, also post what school you're from and what year you're in.

Thanks.

 

[dr.evil]

Here's what sucks. Intuitively, you would think that the D.O's would get more respect due to attaining a spot in the states and not having to resort to leaving the country (which I don't really think is totally bad or anything).
The thing is, D.O.'s get screwed with this stigma that M.D.'s are better. So a caribbean med student graduates with M.D. after his/her name, comes to the states for residency training, and is never thought of differently after residency (cuz rarely does anyone care where you went to med school, but where you did your residency tends to be remembered).

The D.O. however continues to have the stigma for the rest of their career (hopefully that will lessen in our career span) that they "could not get into MD school".

So it's tough. They both carry a stigma whether or not that stigma is valid is another question. I just prefer to work with competent physicians no matter where they went to school and try not to worry about where they were trained or the letters after their name.

 

[Vader]

I respect the one that becomes a good physician and listens to his/her patients. 😀

 

[intraining]

If it was up to me, I would make sure all the osteopathic students filled all the allopathic residency spots available before opening them to FMGs. Reason being is because at least we know that kind of training that osteo students receive compared to someone who went to med school in some god-forsaken place and whose quality of education is not up to par with that of the US.

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Peustow:
•Here's what sucks. Intuitively, you would think that the D.O's would get more respect due to attaining a spot in the states and not having to resort to leaving the country (which I don't really think is totally bad or anything).
The thing is, D.O.'s get screwed with this stigma that M.D.'s are better. So a caribbean med student graduates with M.D. after his/her name, comes to the states for residency training, and is never thought of differently after residency (cuz rarely does anyone care where you went to med school, but where you did your residency tends to be remembered).

The D.O. however continues to have the stigma for the rest of their career (hopefully that will lessen in our career span) that they "could not get into MD school".

So it's tough. They both carry a stigma whether or not that stigma is valid is another question. I just prefer to work with competent physicians no matter where they went to school and try not to worry about where they were trained or the letters after their name.•••••

 

[leorl]

But the thing is, several of the Carribbean schools and the allopathic schools in the UK or ex-UK regions (Ireland, Australia, India) and Israeli schools ARE up to par with US schools. So it would be a tough call, eh? when the student is a US citizen, went to undergrad in the US, and went to a well-respected foreign school. I personally would have no qualms about working with a DO, or having a DO as my personal physician. But I also would have no problems with an FMG who's done residency in the US, and passed the boards + CSA + state licensing exams.

 

[intraining]

The point is to always make sure that those that get their education in the US are guaranteed a spot as opposed to those who chose to go to international schools. Going to an international school, in my opinion, does not ensure quality control (i.e., fitness for the profession, etc) since what is more important is your ability to pay and I wonder if their screening process is the same as those who allo as well as osteo students undergo. How do you think schools like the university of guadalajara in Mexico or University of west indies in trinidad and tobago make their money? By being selective about who they accept?
•••quote:•••Originally posted by leorl:
•But the thing is, several of the Carribbean schools and the allopathic schools in the UK or ex-UK regions (Ireland, Australia, India) and Israeli schools ARE up to par with US schools. So it would be a tough call, eh? when the student is a US citizen, went to undergrad in the US, and went to a well-respected foreign school. I personally would have no qualms about working with a DO, or having a DO as my personal physician. But I also would have no problems with an FMG who's done residency in the US, and passed the boards + CSA + state licensing exams.•••••

 

[Medical123]

As a nurse, I have seen MD's, DO's, and foreign medical graduates. I have seen excellent doctors coming from each of these three options and I have seen lousy ones. I don't think it depends on the program as much as it does the student and what he tries to get out of his training. I even had a US trained MD ask me what kind of orders are normally written for a particular type of patient. That is really scary. It doesn't matter where you trained, but how hard you are willing to work and how you treat your patients.

 

[Dr. Dad]

Asking which one you like better a DO from a US med school or an MD from an overseas school is like asking of two professional baseball players, which one you like better the Left fielder who played high school baseball, or the right fielder who played in a private little league.

As you will soon learn, med school is just a kick start, it has nothing to do with your ability as a doctor. As any doctor will tell you, learning does not stop upon graduation. As any professional baseball player will tell you, learning does not end after little league/high school ball.

 

[warpath]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by intraining:
•If it was up to me, I would make sure all the osteopathic students filled all the allopathic residency spots available before opening them to FMGs. Reason being is because at least we know that kind of training that osteo students receive compared to someone who went to med school in some god-forsaken place and whose quality of education is not up to par with that of the US.

•••••your statement either makes the assumption that US medical training is the best or that residency directors do not know the quality of education in other countries. You have to ask yourself whether this is really true. What about a FMG who comes from a country with higher training standards than the US? Just something to think about.

 

[Original]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Wombat:
• or one from an overseas Allopathic school (one of those Carribean diploma mills)?
•••••I don't have any preference; however, I think several graduates of these schools you've dismissed as "carribean diploma mills" might have actually worked extremely hard. They probably received sufficient training to be admitted to U.S residency programs.

 

[carddr]

😡 Something very irksome; constantly explaining to Pts what DO stands for...they always seem to know what MD stands for...

 

[reesie0726]

Why would you post on the pre-med board and only want comments from currend md or do students? Go figure.

 

[A. Caveman]

i am sometimes shocked that you guys are so weird. maybe i'm weird. maybe i'm the one with warped values and thoughts. but the answer to this question is just like vader said, to respect most the best doctor--for his professionalism.

now as far as judging them before they're able to start practicing as doctors (ie before they land residencies, while they're applying for them) i have to say that while some carribean or otherwise foreign med schools are not as good at training well rounded doctors as SOME allopathic and/or osteopathic med schools here in the US, there are SOME that ARE better. as far as carribean schools go, i think St. George's is a better school than Some Allopathic schools here, let alone Osteopathic schools.
people should be considered, AND ARE by the people who know what they're doing (ie. residency directors..ie NOT US lowly and unknowledgeable medschool applicants), based on 'objective' exams like the USMLE and other criteria such as reputation of the school, grades, evaluations, etc. they should not just be thrown to the back of the bus because they're FMGs, and only given residencies after everyone else has had a bite out of the dead rotting carcasses that are US residencies. they should AND DO (they know what they're doing) compete with MDs and DOs for allopathic and osteopathic residencies.

i don't know what res. directors use to differentiate allo and osteo residencies or how they decide an allopath is more apt than an osteopath for a particular residency, but my guess is that they do so CAREFULLY. and there's nothign wrong with an FMG taking an allo residency since/if he was trained for one. i don't know what there is left to talk about. the discussion about respect is ridiculous because you respect people for who they ARE (as professionals in this instance) not for what they look like (ie. MD or DO). and the other discussion is handled well currently by residency directors, and us lowly applicants can't even begin to understand from our vantage point, so let's leave it up to the wise men that do this for a living.

 

[praying4MD]

Q: Who do you respect more: DO or Carribbean MD?

A: The one who doesn't care whether he is respected more or not; he just does his job to the best of his ability, takes care of his patient in every way possible and shows respect for others.