Why DO?

[jmart]

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I am writing my last secondary essays and there focus around why DO. I have thoroughly researched why I want to become a DO and as I am writing this I realize that my writing is like: unlike MDs, DOs do this, or they have this training, or they have these philosophies. My question is, is this okay to structure my essay or am I just restating what the schools already know? I am trying to highlight why being a DO is so great so I feel I need to touch upon the differences and philosophies. Any advice?

Thanks

 

[EmergDoc2B]

I wrote every single essay using a story of a personal experience. If you have a personal experience with a DO then write about that experience. Explain how it affirmed your decision to go DO ect...I felt all my essays were just me expanding my personal experiences in essay form to answer the prompts.

hope that helped. 🙂

 

[HalfListic]

I am writing my last secondary essays and there focus around why DO. I have thoroughly researched why I want to become a DO and as I am writing this I realize that my writing is like: unlike MDs, DOs do this, or they have this training, or they have these philosophies. My question is, is this okay to structure my essay or am I just restating what the schools already know? I am trying to highlight why being a DO is so great so I feel I need to touch upon the differences and philosophies. Any advice?

Thanks

bad idea...dont focus on MD vs DO. Thats not the point at all.

Just research DO, see what resonates with you, and talk about that.

 

[EmergDoc2B]

bad idea...dont focus on MD vs DO. Thats not the point at all.

Just research DO, see what resonates with you, and talk about that.

agreed.

 

[coolingglasses]

I wrote every single essay using a story of a personal experience. If you have a personal experience with a DO then write about that experience. Explain how it affirmed your decision to go DO ect...I felt all my essays were just me expanding my personal experiences in essay form to answer the prompts.

hope that helped. 🙂

+1

and while I agree you shouldn't focus on MD vs. DO, I did talk about how the DO I shadowed utilized an OMM referral to deal with a patient's chronic pain rather than stacking more medication on an already long list. But I never specifically mentioned that MDs don't do this, or even bothered to bring them up.

 

[MedPR]

I am writing my last secondary essays and there focus around why DO. I have thoroughly researched why I want to become a DO and as I am writing this I realize that my writing is like: unlike MDs, DOs do this, or they have this training, or they have these philosophies. My question is, is this okay to structure my essay or am I just restating what the schools already know? I am trying to highlight why being a DO is so great so I feel I need to touch upon the differences and philosophies. Any advice?

Thanks

The philosophies are not different. Don't restate things you read off the Internet.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[coolingglasses]

The philosophies are not different. Don't restate things you read off the Internet.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

To be fair, these are probably things AdComs may like to hear, whether or not they're based in fact.

edit: but again, don't say "osteopathic philosophy this, but allopathic that".

 

[backsideattack1]

If there is going to be anything mentioned in terms of MD vs DO, it would solely be that you are a huge proponent of OMM/OMT, that's it. The rest is exactly the same, whether you enjoy research or only want to become a clinician.

 

[MedPR]

To be fair, these are probably things AdComs may like to hear, whether or not they're based in fact.

edit: but again, don't say "osteopathic philosophy this, but allopathic that".

Yea you're right. Gotta play the game.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[coolingglasses]

Yea you're right. Gotta play the game.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

I went through my secondary questions just now to see if I did any talking about the "philosophy". Indeed, I did lol.

 

[hallowmann]

You have to talk about the philosophy at least a bit to demonstrate that you have at least done your research into what osteopathic medicine is. At the same time, you should probably indicate why you value/admire those certain philosophies, like you recognize the value of such and such because of this that happened to you or a relative, etc. Show the actual reason why you value it, don't just say its awesome.

 

[coolingglasses]

You have to talk about the philosophy at least a bit to demonstrate that you have at least done your research into what osteopathic medicine is. At the same time, you should probably indicate why you value/admire those certain philosophies, like you recognize the value of such and such because of this that happened to you or a relative, etc. Show the actual reason why you value it, don't just say its awesome.

True. I linked my answer to my personal health philosophy.

 

[darklabel]

I am writing my last secondary essays and there focus around why DO. I have thoroughly researched why I want to become a DO and as I am writing this I realize that my writing is like: unlike MDs, DOs do this, or they have this training, or they have these philosophies. My question is, is this okay to structure my essay or am I just restating what the schools already know? I am trying to highlight why being a DO is so great so I feel I need to touch upon the differences and philosophies. Any advice?

Thanks

Honestly, a quick read of wikipedia and the school mission and you have more than enough to write secondaries.

 

[WorldChanger36]

bad idea...dont focus on MD vs DO. Thats not the point at all.

Just research DO, see what resonates with you, and talk about that.

I agree don't even play the MD vs DO card. Be realistic. Your reason to become a DO is the same reason you would want to be an MD. I have found that in interviews to draw battle lines is not helpful as they hear it all the time. It is best to state your reason why you want to become a doctor almost as if you are not aware of there being a difference between DO and MD. Only compare and contrast if they ask you to do so in an interview but don't be negative about MD even if your interviewer is.

Shape all essays by stating something you have done or want to do with the school's mission and goal but don't lie. If you have no interest in primary care and the school's mission is primary care, shape your essay to fit how primary care based education will help you achieve a strong and broad medical education. Remember anything you put in your application be ready to talk about and defend for interviews.

 

[jmart]

I agree don't even play the MD vs DO card. Be realistic. Your reason to become a DO is the same reason you would want to be an MD. I have found that in interviews to draw battle lines is not helpful as they hear it all the time. It is best to state your reason why you want to become a doctor almost as if you are not aware of there being a difference between DO and MD. Only compare and contrast if they ask you to do so in an interview but don't be negative about MD even if your interviewer is.

Shape all essays by stating something you have done or want to do with the school's mission and goal but don't lie. If you have no interest in primary care and the school's mission is primary care, shape your essay to fit how primary care based education will help you achieve a strong and broad medical education. Remember anything you put in your application be ready to talk about and defend for interviews.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I removed the one comparison but left in just a fact about mds interest in omm. I am curious if other people agree that wanting to be a DO is the same as an MD. I met with someone on the board and he went on for over an hour about what makes DOs unique and great. I think one can be positive about DOs without having to be negative about MDs

 

[coolingglasses]

Honestly, a quick read of wikipedia and the school mission and you have more than enough to write secondaries.

That is huge. The CIB is an underused resource, I think. Especially considering it's free.

But some schools do ask "Why osteopathic medicine etc etc".

 

[HalfListic]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I removed the one comparison but left in just a fact about mds interest in omm. I am curious if other people agree that wanting to be a DO is the same as an MD. I met with someone on the board and he went on for over an hour about what makes DOs unique and great. I think one can be positive about DOs without having to be negative about MDs

of course you can. if you do it any other way, youre doing it wrong.



And, again, I cant really see any comment you can make about MDs interest in OMM. There is an array of physicians out there.



If you interview at a few places, youll notice that each school has a slightly different take on this issue. I'd say, just read up on it, see how you feel and find a school that reflects your personal philosophy (and hopefully get accepted there)

 

[GUH]

I wrote about being able to be comfortable touching patients, reducing the need for pharmaceutical treatment for pain, and making better use of manual palpation in diagnosis. All of which are true, without even having shadowed a DO.

 

[BabyDoc86]

I talked about my experiences as a hospice volunteer and why I wanted to pursue medicine in general. Don't mention MD/DO, since that's nonsense.

 

[EmergDoc2B]

I wrote in a couple of essays how I supported the biopsychosocial model and my experiences as a CNA and in an urban Ed were the the reasons. I also tied in how the DO philosophy paralleled this philosophy and so on. Full disclosure: I didnt even get an interview at either school. 🙂

 

[DrWily]

i said I'm a huge car guy and I like to work with my hands (mechanic stuff) which would relate to OMM in the same way that messing with the flux capacitor and achieving 1.21 gigawatts is the only way to get back.