Why are Osteopathic Schools easier to get into/has lower averages?

[GypsyHummus]

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My instant intent is to say it is because of the whole fallacious "prestige" thing pre meds have in their minds and that deters people with higher stats to apply to schools, but as I look at applying to DO schools, outside of MSUCOM and LECOM, DO schools seem very unappealing to me. I think it goes deeper than the whole MD vs DO thing, I think it has something to do with the accumulation of debt.

I think that DO school debt is outrageous. Are there any schools besides the LECOMS that have tuition under control? Why on earth would I go to a DO schools vs my state's 30K a year MD school? Does anyone else feel the same way?

Why do you feel that the stats are lower at DO schools/easier to get into than MD schools.

 

[Mx300]

Most DO schools are private. If you look at private MD schools it's usually the same or even higher. I know of some MD schools in California that are around 70k a year. Personally I feel that people who I've seen go DO are more balanced in their life. They are usually more social or have families and have a more interesting life in general. I've also noticed a trend in finances also. Most working class or children of working class from my school went DO while the people who went MD were children of professionals and they were all traditional. They were typical premeds, and kind of annoying to be around. But this is my experience so....

 

[TriagePreMed]

DO school has lower averages precisely because it doesn't offer an MD degree. Many people believe the stigma will be out of control, and as of only 5-6 years ago, getting a caribbean MD could get you into about the same ACGME specialties at similar rates as DO school. Every year DO stats increase despite there being newer schools each year that bring the overall average down.

As for DO schools not being so appealing in other ways, I have to somewhat agree. Some are extremely well established but there are a number that have iffy clinicals.

 

[bionerd89]

I think DO schools really do look at the whole applicant and not just gpa and MCAT scores. Most of them seem to focus on volunteer hours and working with underserved population. I think this correlates to the ideology of osteopathic medicine and how you should view your patient as a whole person and not just by their symptoms. Its ignorant how people think that good stats and good MD school always equals a good doctor.

 

[WingsFan]

A lot of DO schools aren't much easier to get into anymore. CCOM and MSUCOM for example have gpa averages comparable to the MD average with only a point or so lower average MCAT, and numbers at every school seem to be going up every year. It seems to me that the stigma of the old MD vs. DO grudge is falling away, especially since I am in a very DO friendly state and the only bias I've ever heard from patients between the two is a preference for DO over MD because they come off as more personable.

That being said, DO schools having higher tuition is a problem, and for many people (myself included), it will be a factor in my decision of where to go, regardless of DO or MD.

 

[Anicetus]

I think DO schools really do look at the whole applicant and not just gpa and MCAT scores. Most of them seem to focus on volunteer hours and working with underserved population. I think this correlates to the ideology of osteopathic medicine and how you should view your patient as a whole person and not just by their symptoms. Its ignorant how people think that good stats and good MD school always equals a good doctor.

I keep hearing this but I have to disagree that DOs look at the whole applicant just because of a holistic principle. People that apply MD have a ton of hours and work with undeserved populations too, so how do they quickly narrow down their pool before they give applicants a holistic view? They have no choice but to use the numbers.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I keep hearing this but I have to disagree that DOs look at the whole applicant just because of a holistic principle. People that apply MD have a ton of hours and work with undeserved populations too, so how do they quickly narrow down their pool before they give applicants a holistic view? They have no choice but to use the numbers.

DO school admission is just as stat orientated as MD schools.

 

[Goro]

There are these people called taxpayers, who help keep tuition lower at state schools because they support those schools,

Look at Georgetown's tuition charges, or U MI for OOS residents, and you'll see that MD schools do not have a monopoly of low tuition.

You might not be able to get into your state school, but, say, NOVA-COM might take you.

My own school has some 5000+ applicants for very few seats, so we come down to being harder to get into than some of the Ivies. I don't have my MSAR handy so I can't throw out a slew of stats right now.

The stats at a decent number of DO programs (like CCOM) are higher than some MD schools.

Easier to get into? That's becoming a thing of the past.

My instant intent is to say it is because of the whole fallacious "prestige" thing pre meds have in their minds and that deters people with higher stats to apply to schools, but as I look at applying to DO schools, outside of MSUCOM and LECOM, DO schools seem very unappealing to me. I think it goes deeper than the whole MD vs DO thing, I think it has something to do with the accumulation of debt.

I think that DO school debt is outrageous. Are there any schools besides the LECOMS that have tuition under control? Why on earth would I go to a DO schools vs my state's 30K a year MD school? Does anyone else feel the same way?

Why do you feel that the stats are lower at DO schools/easier to get into than MD schools.

 

[Mx300]

Why do you feel that the stats are lower at DO schools/easier to get into than MD schools.

I think it's due to perception. People perceive it as less desirable/prestigious and so DO schools get less applicants and applicants that are not competitive for MD schools. Honestly when you look at it logically there are few reasons going DO would be less desirable than MD and they mostly have to do with personal choices.

 

[IslandStyle808]

DO school admission is just as stat orientated as MD schools.

Not really. The applicant pool for DO have lower stats than MD, true (I know people will say this as the reason). However, if you look at the AAMC data and AACOM data, you will see a difference in the GPA of the matriculants and applicants. One post I made (a while ago) showed that the difference between applicants and matriculants to be 0.14 for MD and 0.07 for DO in 2011. So allopathic schools are a little more selective than osteopathic schools. This might change in the future so who knows.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Not really. The applicant pool for DO have lower stats than MD, true (I know people will say this as the reason). However, if you look at the AAMC data and AACOM data, you will see a difference in the GPA of the matriculants and applicants. One post I made (a while ago) showed that the difference between applicants and matriculants to be 0.14 for MD and 0.07 for DO in 2011. So allopathic schools are a little more selective than osteopathic schools. This might change in the future so who knows.

This has nothing to do with my point though, DO schools select based on stats that they can take and comfortably know that the person will attend their school. It's all a process too familiar to MD admissions.

 

[csx]

Most DO schools are private. If you look at private MD schools it's usually the same or even higher. I know of some MD schools in California that are around 70k a year. Personally I feel that people who I've seen go DO are more balanced in their life. They are usually more social or have families and have a more interesting life in general. I've also noticed a trend in finances also. Most working class or children of working class from my school went DO while the people who went MD were children of professionals and they were all traditional. They were typical premeds, and kind of annoying to be around. But this is my experience so....

this X1000000%. The premed MD's that I've met are overly neurotic, lack proper social skills, condescending, and are overall unfriendly. Just a hypothesize, its could be due to the fact that they are so driven to do nothing but gain entrance to medical school that they miss out on other forms of developing themselves. They're just not the type of students I like to be around.

 

[NontradCA]

this X1000000%. The premed MD's that I've met are overly neurotic, lack proper social skills, condescending, and are overall unfriendly. Just a hypothesize, its could be due to the fact that they are so driven to do nothing but gain entrance to medical school that they miss out on other forms of developing themselves. They're just not the type of students I like to be around.

Generalizations are always stupid.

See what I did there. 😎

 

[DrEnderW]

You clearly haven't done much research at all and are making blanket statements.

Like others have said, most DO schools are private and have the same tuition as private MD schools. You can't compare DO private to MD state schools and say " OMG DO schools are so expensive." Look at the tuition of Tufts vs a Texas school on the MD side... there's a huuuge difference too. Now look at TCOM, a DO school, and note the low tuition. This is one comparison out of hundreds that can be made. The tuition at my school is around $43k, which is not higher that most private MD schools. Obviously, if you can get into your in-state MD school with low tuition go there... not the most difficult concept. However, if you do not, for whatever reason get in, go to a DO school and become a physician. You don't need an economics degree, a CPA, and an MBA to figure this out.

 

[DocMC]

Why? Well, would you rather and MD or a DO?

 

[txbound]

Try and apply at TCOM.

 

[cliquesh]

The GME department at my residency said the average resident at my hospital has $215k of debt. Most of them are USMDs. Everyone is in lots of debt, not just DOs.

 

[Elevencents]

You clearly haven't done much research at all and are making blanket statements.

Like others have said, most DO schools are private and have the same tuition as private MD schools. You can't compare DO private to MD state schools and say " OMG DO schools are so expensive."

This. You can't compare public and private, that just makes no sense.

 

[user3]

MD schools give out a lot more scholarships though.

 

[Mx300]

MD schools give out a lot more scholarships though.

Maybe they do but it's still pretty rare to get an MD scholarship. I'm from Texas and when tech El Paso first opened up i heard they offered like 20 people a year full rides. But the people they offered had astronomical stats and they could go to Baylor or have their choice in med schools. So basically the fact that MD offer more scholarships is not going to affect the average premed. Your chances of getting one are very slim. I have heard that tx residents who go to tcom get like 2 grand a year in either grants or scholarship I'm not sure but so it's possible for DO schools to help you out.

 

[koan]

As Goro said, there is a lot of overlap in stats presently. Many people in my class had >30 MCAT, and many were probably competitive for lower- or mid-tier MD schools but chose DO to stay local or b/c they like some aspect of it.

 

[darklabel]

Generalizations are always stupid.

See what I did there. 😎

So are MD vs. DO threads, but hey, it's been a while since the last one (like 24 hrs ago?).

 

[coolingglasses]

My instant intent is to say it is because of the whole fallacious "prestige" thing pre meds have in their minds and that deters people with higher stats to apply to schools, but as I look at applying to DO schools, outside of MSUCOM and LECOM, DO schools seem very unappealing to me. I think it goes deeper than the whole MD vs DO thing, I think it has something to do with the accumulation of debt.

I think that DO school debt is outrageous. Are there any schools besides the LECOMS that have tuition under control? Why on earth would I go to a DO schools vs my state's 30K a year MD school? Does anyone else feel the same way?

Why do you feel that the stats are lower at DO schools/easier to get into than MD schools.

Because in most cases, numerically lower tiers of candidates apply to DO school. Go with your first instinct.

Think about it. If you're say 3.7/33 and you know DOs suffer a stigma in residency applications, why on earth would you attend a DO school? In the rare case that this happens, the most common reasoning I hear is that it keeps people close to their loved ones.

It has almost nothing to do with debt. And I don't know why you would expect DO schools to be cheaper. If you want facilities that are at least on par with their MD counterparts, you need to bring in similar amounts of money to have them. Frankly, I would be pissed if my medical education was treated like a budget motel. Having students with lower stats doesn't somehow mean you need to cheap out on their educational opportunities. As someone stated, the reason your STATE MD school can offer you 30k is because the state subsidizes your tuition on account of you being a resident, assuming you'll stay close to your state of residence and provide medical services.

If you want to say tuition in general is out of control, that's one thing. If you're pinning it on DO schools, you're wrong.

 

[darklabel]

Because in most cases, numerically lower tiers of candidates apply to DO school. Go with your first instinct.

Think about it. If you're say 3.7/33 and you know DOs suffer a stigma in residency applications, why on earth would you attend a DO school? In the rare case that this happens, the most common reasoning I hear is that it keeps people close to their loved ones.

It has almost nothing to do with debt.

As sad as it is, people sometimes get rejected everywhere for MD even with these stats. No matter your stats (Unless you're an URM with high stats), it's always a safe bet to at least apply to a DO school or two you can see yourself attending as MD is never guaranteed.

 

[coolingglasses]

As sad as it is, people sometimes get rejected everywhere for MD even with these stats. No matter your stats (Unless you're an URM with high stats), it's always a safe bet to at least apply to a DO school or two you can see yourself attending as MD is never guaranteed.

I should've added that my post assumes you got into an MD school as well 😛

 

[GypsyHummus]

I just dont get it though, about the tuition. Why on earth would someone go to CCOM, with tuition around 55K, tack on another 20 for living, when they could go to a cheaper school?

Because in most cases, numerically lower tiers of candidates apply to DO school. Go with your first instinct.

Think about it. If you're say 3.7/33 and you know DOs suffer a stigma in residency applications, why on earth would you attend a DO school? In the rare case that this happens, the most common reasoning I hear is that it keeps people close to their loved ones.

It has almost nothing to do with debt. And I don't know why you would expect DO schools to be cheaper. If you want facilities that are at least on par with their MD counterparts, you need to bring in similar amounts of money to have them. Frankly, I would be pissed if my medical education was treated like a budget motel. Having students with lower stats doesn't somehow mean you need to cheap out on their educational opportunities. As someone stated, the reason your STATE MD school can offer you 30k is because the state subsidizes your tuition on account of you being a resident, assuming you'll stay close to your state of residence and provide medical services.

If you want to say tuition in general is out of control, that's one thing. If you're pinning it on DO schools, you're wrong.

 

[coolingglasses]

I just dont get it though, about the tuition. Why on earth would someone go to CCOM, with tuition around 55K, tack on another 20 for living, when they could go to a cheaper school?

There are always the rare people who simply wanted DO over MD. But for those who wanted to stay close to loved ones, it's easy. The extra debt is worth having their support and comfort close to you. Med school gets pretty grueling. Or maybe you have every intention of practicing where the school is located, in which case the networking opportunities can't be dismissed.

 

[DrEnderW]

I just dont get it though, about the tuition. Why on earth would someone go to CCOM, with tuition around 55K, tack on another 20 for living, when they could go to a cheaper school?

I have absolutely no idea.

I said thanks but no thanks to that offer after looking at the financial packet.

 

[GypsyHummus]

I understand that. I was referring to not only MD over DO and vice versa, but DO vs DO. CCOM supposedly has the highest DO stats, yet they are the most expensive DO school. To me, I think the opposite would be true; places like LECOM are flooded with people wanting to go there (Which I am sure that there are) and CCOM being a backup choice school because of the outrageous tuition. There is no reason for this large of the disparity in tuition rates, if a school like LECOM or even LMUDCOM can offer tuition lower than 40K a year, why cant others?

There are always the rare people who simply wanted DO over MD. But for those who wanted to stay close to loved ones, it's easy. The extra debt is worth having their support and comfort close to you. Med school gets pretty grueling. Or maybe you have every intention of practice where the school is located, in which case the networking opportunities can't be dismissed.

 

[cliquesh]

The people I've met from LeCom have told me stories about how they felt like they were on their own when setting up rotations and that it was not uncommon to have rotations that were set up by the school to be suddenly canceled last minute. I think that's how they keep costs so low; you do a lot if it yourself.

 

[circulus vitios]

Not everyone has a state MD school, like people who live in PA.

 

[darklabel]

I understand that. I was referring to not only MD over DO and vice versa, but DO vs DO. CCOM supposedly has the highest DO stats, yet they are the most expensive DO school. To me, I think the opposite would be true; places like LECOM are flooded with people wanting to go there (Which I am sure that there are) and CCOM being a backup choice school because of the outrageous tuition. There is no reason for this large of the disparity in tuition rates, if a school like LECOM or even LMUDCOM can offer tuition lower than 40K a year, why cant others?

I agree, but it is what it is. It's unexplainable how schools (besides LECOM) can get away with increasing tuition every year much faster than inflation and simply saying "Budget shortfalls" every year just gets tiring.

But its the price to pay for being a physician. If you're fortunate to get into multiple schools, see what they offer as package and where you will be happy. If one school is expensive, then just don't go there. There are tons of people willing to pay that price.

 

[cliquesh]

Not everyone has a state MD school, like people who live in PA.

Penn state, hershey doesn't count?

 

[circulus vitios]

Penn state, hershey doesn't count?

$43k tuition/$60k COA and the class is only ~45% in-state. Not that great of a deal.

 

[WillburCobb]

As others have said, its not an MD v. DO issue. Its an issue of IS v. OOS v. private education. I applied to 7 MD programs and 6 DO programs this cycle and have closely researched tuition, other fees, and cost of living for every program, to the point I'm at least 90% sure of what I would be taking out in loans for each school. If I were to rank my school list solely on tuition, my state school (MD) would be #1, #2-4 would be DO programs, and after that it becomes wash (maybe a difference of 1K tops). #11-13 would be MD programs and only one of them is private. Also, CCOM is one of the schools to which I applied... So, yes I'll agree that med school tuition is fu(k!n& outrageous, but its not an issue of DO v. MD.

 

[coolingglasses]

I understand that. I was referring to not only MD over DO and vice versa, but DO vs DO. CCOM supposedly has the highest DO stats, yet they are the most expensive DO school. To me, I think the opposite would be true; places like LECOM are flooded with people wanting to go there (Which I am sure that there are) and CCOM being a backup choice school because of the outrageous tuition. There is no reason for this large of the disparity in tuition rates, if a school like LECOM or even LMUDCOM can offer tuition lower than 40K a year, why cant others?

I know I had personal issues with LECOM's policies/arrangements. Med school is tough, I can genuinely say it's not worth the savings to me if I'm making a tough four years considerably tougher.

And like I said, as for any other school with lower tuition, you have to consider that people want to be near loved ones or want to forge connections in the area where the school is located/has rotations. Or maybe you like the curriculum style of the school. IF you can equalize those points, then yeah you go where it's cheaper.

Chicago is a popular city, I can't say I'm surprised people want to go to a school that's located within its sphere (Downer's Grove). It's also well-established, which matters to people whether it's actually a significant trait in the realm of DO schools or not.

I guess what I'm saying is, yeah money matters, but you pick your school based on where you think you'll thrive. If you can't get a good foundation for boards, you're screwed no matter where you are.

As for the actual disparities in tuition (excluding LECOM), I can't tell you much about that because I don't know what other schools offer/lack. I know that we learn to perform ultrasound here, have a wide variety of rotations, and really supportive faculty. We're also well-established in the area, which might actually matter for regional residency directors. It's worth the extra money to me (I think we're at 48k now).

Not everyone has a state MD school, like people who live in PA.

Same is definitely true out west, although I think WICHE might allow for in-state tuition for regional OOSers? Just hazarding a guess though. Still, that's a limited number of seats to cover such a large region.

 

[TriagePreMed]

My own school has some 5000+ applicants for very few seats, so we come down to being harder to get into than some of the Ivies. I don't have my MSAR handy so I can't throw out a slew of stats right now.

The stats at a decent number of DO programs (like CCOM) are higher than some MD schools.

In terms of what? Because I honestly haven't seen a single DO school being harder to get into than an ivy league in terms of numbers. I would be surprised if that were the case even if it were for number of required volunteer hours, research, etc. Besides, this argument sounds like "its harder to get a job at walmart as a greeter because there are 500 applications for 1 spot than CEO where only 50 applicants apply for 1 seat." Clearly qualifications > numbers.

Also, what MD schools? Besides Puerto Rico and HBCU, DO schools universally fall under that of MD schools, and even then "a decent amount" is not something I'm prepared to believe without data, unless you define it as just DMU and CCOM.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

^^^ TPM, I think Goro just means total applications versus total acceptances

 

[Goro]

In terms of acceptance rates, either overall (# applicants/seat) or # interviewees/seat).

In terms of what? Because I honestly haven't seen a single DO school being harder to get into than an ivy league in terms of numbers. I would be surprised if that were the case even if it were for number of required volunteer hours, research, etc. Besides, this argument sounds like "its harder to get a job at walmart as a greeter because there are 500 applications for 1 spot than CEO where only 50 applicants apply for 1 seat." Clearly qualifications > numbers.

Ballpark guess, since I don't have my MSAR handy, say, U KS or U MO

Also, what MD schools? Besides Puerto Rico and HBCU, DO schools universally fall under that of MD schools, and even then "a decent amount" is not something I'm prepared to believe without data, unless you define it as just DMU and CCOM.

On another note, while MD schools look for people who are, say A/A in terms of GPA/MCAT, DO schools are much more forgiving of people who are are B/A or A/B For plenty of DO programs, it's more like B+/A or A/B+.

 

[darklabel]

In terms of what? Because I honestly haven't seen a single DO school being harder to get into than an ivy league in terms of numbers. I would be surprised if that were the case even if it were for number of required volunteer hours, research, etc. Besides, this argument sounds like "its harder to get a job at walmart as a greeter because there are 500 applications for 1 spot than CEO where only 50 applicants apply for 1 seat." Clearly qualifications > numbers.

Also, what MD schools? Besides Puerto Rico and HBCU, DO schools universally fall under that of MD schools, and even then "a decent amount" is not something I'm prepared to believe without data, unless you define it as just DMU and CCOM.

This pretty much answer's OP's original question. Even if some DO schools get more applications than MD schools, the qualifications for MD and DO applicants are different. MD applicants tend to have higher stats overall than DO applicants, thus the lower numbers for DO schools and perceived easiness of entering a DO program compared to MD.

Thats changing over time as DO schools are recognized and people with great stats look for other ways of being a physician besides going to the Carrib, but I doubt it will ever be equal, just very close.

Just because one school has more applicants than another doesn't make it better. One of my crappy state schools has a lower acceptance rate than the flagship state school, but the applicant pool for both is very different.

 

[r0703]

$43k tuition/$60k COA and the class is only ~45% in-state. Not that great of a deal.

i feel ya. PA residents get kinda screwed over 🙁

 

[razor]

Why do you feel that the stats are lower at DO schools/easier to get into than MD schools.

Because it takes honey to attract bees. Premeds (successful ones anyway, not posers) are inherently high achievers, so only the less competitive applicants settle for DO. When I say less competitive, I don't mean less competent or going to make a crappy physician. Usually just non-trads and undergrads that liked to Part-ay! alot but are still equally intelligent. The discrepency is still fallout from a long history of hate on DOs. Not because any individual DO is less competent. The scary ones are the pre-mediclone type of applicant that have no life, all they did was study, and still struggled academically and wound up settling for DO.

 

[budda10000]

My instant intent is to say it is because of the whole fallacious "prestige" thing pre meds have in their minds and that deters people with higher stats to apply to schools, but as I look at applying to DO schools, outside of MSUCOM and LECOM, DO schools seem very unappealing to me. I think it goes deeper than the whole MD vs DO thing, I think it has something to do with the accumulation of debt.

I think that DO school debt is outrageous. Are there any schools besides the LECOMS that have tuition under control? Why on earth would I go to a DO schools vs my state's 30K a year MD school? Does anyone else feel the same way?

Why do you feel that the stats are lower at DO schools/easier to get into than MD schools.

They are certainly easier to get into if your a non-trad. I had 100% acceptance to every DO school I applied and 100% rejection to all the MD programs I interviewed at. Granted I was only interviewing at California schools so I have no idea how I would have done out of state. I was told by both UC Davis and UCI that they though I was "too risky" to accept even though I interviewed well... Other rejections were no surprise since I was below avrg for stats. For all the blather about wanting unique applicants MD programs prefer to play it safe and go with the traditional applicant. That is just my anecdotal experience though.

 

[user3]

They are certainly easier to get into if your a non-trad. I had 100% acceptance to every DO school I applied and 100% rejection to all the MD programs I interviewed at. Granted I was only interviewing at California schools so I have no idea how I would have done out of state. I was told by both UC Davis and UCI that they though I was "too risky" to accept even though I interviewed well... Other rejections were no surprise since I was below avrg for stats. For all the blather about wanting unique applicants MD programs prefer to play it safe and go with the traditional applicant. That is just my anecdotal experience though.

I have to agree. N=1, but I remember an MDapps profile of a non-trad who had near 4.0 postbac (100 hrs) and 32, and decent EC's I assume. His final GPA was only 3.4 though and he only received interviews to 2/25 schools and 1 acceptance.

MD schools do seem less open to second chances than DO schools.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

They are certainly easier to get into if your a non-trad. I had 100% acceptance to every DO school I applied and 100% rejection to all the MD programs I interviewed at. Granted I was only interviewing at California schools so I have no idea how I would have done out of state. I was told by both UC Davis and UCI that they though I was "too risky" to accept even though I interviewed well... Other rejections were no surprise since I was below avrg for stats. For all the blather about wanting unique applicants MD programs prefer to play it safe and go with the traditional applicant. That is just my anecdotal experience though.

Do you have to bump this stupid thread?


DO schools are mission based. It leads to lower stats. MD schools that are mission based have lower stats also. Doesn't mean anything.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Also add the fact that some DO schools have better averages on the boards than MDs.

 

[Zelda840]

I have to agree that it must be mission or fit based. From my anecdotal experience, it's not any easier to get into a DO school. I'm a nontrad with average stats and I've received 2 MD II so far and nothing from DO schools except one hold at DMU.

 

[jjtheairplane]

Because it takes honey to attract bees. Premeds (successful ones anyway, not posers) are inherently high achievers, so only the less competitive applicants settle for DO. When I say less competitive, I don't mean less competent or going to make a crappy physician. Usually just non-trads and undergrads that liked to Part-ay! alot but are still equally intelligent. The discrepency is still fallout from a long history of hate on DOs. Not because any individual DO is less competent. The scary ones are the pre-mediclone type of applicant that have no life, all they did was study, and still struggled academically and wound up settling for DO.

I'd have to disagree heavily with the first part of bolded. I'm just one example, but many people I have ran into during interviews and just in general, are undergrads who worked hard. I've worked incredibly hard, did not party much, and the only *flaw* in my application is my mcat. MD's are very very stat oreinted. DO schools have complimented me on my rigorous schedule and EC's, but apparently this will not make up for my mcat for MD's as I have no md ii's yet (28 and 26). I will not take a gap year (or more) just to get that md degree/improve my mcat.

Many successful DO applicants at top DO schools simply have a mediocre mcat or gpa. But, EC's tend to be stellar because DO schools appreciate that more.

 

[JimmyB123]

I'd have to disagree heavily with the first part of bolded. I'm just one example, but many people I have ran into during interviews and just in general, are undergrads who worked hard. I've worked incredibly hard, did not party much, and the only *flaw* in my application is my mcat. MD's are very very stat oreinted. DO schools have complimented me on my rigorous schedule and EC's, but apparently this will not make up for my mcat for MD's as I have no md ii's yet (28 and 26). I will not take a gap year (or more) just to get that md degree/improve my mcat.

Many successful DO applicants at top DO schools simply have a mediocre mcat or gpa. But, EC's tend to be stellar because DO schools appreciate that more.

Top DO schools? That's all hearsay. No such thing.

 

[Seth Joo]

My instant intent is to say it is because of the whole fallacious "prestige" thing pre meds have in their minds and that deters people with higher stats to apply to schools, but as I look at applying to DO schools, outside of MSUCOM and LECOM, DO schools seem very unappealing to me. I think it goes deeper than the whole MD vs DO thing, I think it has something to do with the accumulation of debt.

I think that DO school debt is outrageous. Are there any schools besides the LECOMS that have tuition under control? Why on earth would I go to a DO schools vs my state's 30K a year MD school? Does anyone else feel the same way?

Why do you feel that the stats are lower at DO schools/easier to get into than MD schools. When you think of it medical school is like a car, but there are different brands of cars, there are Toyotas and then there are BMWs, both will get you from point A to B.

Osteopathic schools are not as well known as MD schools. I recall a video a DO student made on youtube where she went to a foreign country and started telling people she went to an Osteopathic Medical school, she received very confused looks from people. Even in the US, in certain parts of the country a lot of people are not familiar with DOs. I am from Massachusetts and while my state has several MD schools, including some of the most prestigious ones such as Harvard, we do not have a single DO school.

DO schools also tend to attract different kinds of students, they tend to be more open to non-traditional and older students, and people who come from career experiences outside of medical and scientific fields. I have a friend at one program who used to be a Philosophy professor, and another was an Investment Banker.

At the end of the day whether you go to a DO school or an MD school, you will still be a doctor, and for the most part your duties and responsibilities will be the same.