Why don't DO schools just change their degree to an MD?

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DiffusionJones

DiffusionJones

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I mean, it seems pretty obvious to me that a big reason why people don't want to go to DO schools is just the stigma of having a DO degree.

So why don't they just give out MD degrees instead? Or at least make it an option.
 
DiffusionJones said:
Why?
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They are two different bodies/associations. They have only recently started collaborating to the extent of having the residency merger, that took years. From what I've gotten out

But to rid of the D.O. degree overall would basically destroy the fact that osteopathic medical education is founded on different values and approaches to human disease.

The stigma against D.O. is really not all the bad now (look at the increase in applicants). More and more students are realizing that at the end of the day, it's medical education that gets you to the end goal.

If there was better representation of osteopathic medicine in both the pre-medical community I think that stigma could very quickly be removed.
 
I cannot understand what sense of entitlement would lead someone to think that having a very expensive, professional degree that qualifies someone as a physician would somehow be undesirable because of a stigma perpetuated for the most part by people who may never get into medical school. It's not like everyone has a medical degree.
 
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J Senpai said:
I cannot understand what sense of entitlement would lead someone to think that having a very expensive, professional degree that qualifies someone as a physician would somehow be undesirable because of a stigma perpetuation for the most part by people who may never get into medical school. It's not like everyone has a medical degree.
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I think it's because most people don't want to be grouped together with matriculants who likely got C's in basic math/science classes (Geometry, Algebra, General Chemistry, etc.)
 
J Senpai said:
I cannot understand what sense of entitlement would lead someone to think that having a very expensive, professional degree that qualifies someone as a physician would somehow be undesirable because of a stigma perpetuation for the most part by people who may never get into medical school. It's not like everyone has a medical degree.
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OP, where are you getting this rationale of "bad" stigma against the D.O. degree?
 
DiffusionJones said:
I think it's because most people don't want to be grouped together with matriculants who likely got C's in basic math/science classes (Geometry, Algebra, General Chemistry, etc.)
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All those Cs explain the 3.5 average across all COMs and the math too considering it is not part of the science calculations. You're such an astute observer.
 
Historically, this was debated/considered due to the public's lack of knowledge of DOs in the 1920s and 1930s. There was a lack of support for it within the DO community and the AOA actually made a statement about it during that time.

Also, osteopaths is an outdated term (it is in the linked article) as after the aforementioned time, it was switched to osteopathic physicians. Not to be rude, but if you are that concerned about the letters behind your name, you probably are in this for the wrong reasons.
 
To answer your questions OP, read this book and it should give you a pretty good idea of the journey that Osteopathic medicine has gone through and give you some insight on the development of the politics between the AOA and the AMA. Please read Osteopathic Medicine in America.
 
I'm going to go with *drumroll* ... because it's a different degree.

That would be like majoring in Mechanical Engineering and expecting an Electrical Engineering degree.

And if you don't "want" to go to a D.O. school, please don't so there are more seats for us who D.O. (see what I did there)
 
FutureDrB said:
I'm going to go with *drumroll* ... because it's a different degree.

That would be like majoring in Mechanical Engineering and expecting an Electrical Engineering degree.

And if you don't "want" to go to a D.O. school, please don't so there are more seats for us who D.O. (see what I did there)
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How is it a different degree? I don't see them as different degrees, at least not in the way that you see it.
 
Please don't take this as sarcasm, but every applicant, whether M.D. or D.O. should educate themselves on the similarities and differences between the two degrees long before applying to either.

Depending on the route you're interested in, you should approach your application, volunteering, shadowing, etc. in completely different manners. The most important thing as far as differences in the two depends on your own personal approach/philosophy on medicine.

Yes, they both result in you being a physician, just like both engineering degrees result in you being an engineer. There is plenty of information available online that will help clarify the two.
 
DiffusionJones said:
How is it a different degree? I don't see them as different degrees, at least not in the way that you see it.
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Read some books, do some researching online, talk to/shadow both DOs and MDs and only then will you see and understand the difference a DO makes.
 
FutureDrB said:
Please don't take this as sarcasm, but every applicant, whether M.D. or D.O. should educate themselves on the similarities and differences between the two degrees long before applying to either.

Depending on the route you're interested in, you should approach your application, volunteering, shadowing, etc. in completely different manners. The most important thing as far as differences in the two depends on your own personal approach/philosophy on medicine.

Yes, they both result in you being a physician, just like both engineering degrees result in you being an engineer. There is plenty of information available online that will help clarify the two.
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There are electrical engineering programs all across the country. I'm sure that some of the programs will emphasize materials that may be absent in other programs. It doesn't change the fact that all students receive a B.S. in electrical engineering.
 
Dr. Zombie said:
Yeah tell that to the residency program directors who discriminate against stellar applicants solely because of those initials.
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and make DO students getting higher scores than MDs on step 1s to qualify their programs.
 
mrh125 said:
and make DO students getting higher scores than MDs on step 1s to qualify their programs.
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just to probably get ranked low anyhow.

1. High class rank? Probably your classes are easier because your initials are weird.

2. Honoring your rotations? Probably pity grades because your initials are weird.

3. High Step 1/2 scores? You just got lucky on the questions because your initials are weird.
 
To me the only big source of "stigma" would be the confusion of osteopathic medicine with acupuncture naturopaths and witch doctors
 
Dr. Zombie said:
just to probably get ranked low anyhow.

1. High class rank? Probably your classes are easier because your initials are weird.

2. Honoring your rotations? Probably pity grades because your initials are weird.

3. High Step 1/2 scores? You just got lucky on the questions because your initials are weird.
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What's life without a little adversity?
 
J Senpai said:
What's life without a little adversity?
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extra adversity that you unfortunately wouldn't have to go with if you go to a MD school, that unfortunately makes DO less appealing. plus you have to take the USLME and COMLEX. that's a ton of exams to take all while potentially not being taken as seriously :/
 
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mrh125 said:
extra adversity that you unfortunately wouldn't have to go with if you go to a MD school, that unfortunately makes DO less applying. plus you have to take the USLME and COMLEX. that's a ton of exams to take all while potentially not being taken as seriously :/
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This is a dilemma many of us had to face at judgement time. Unfortunately, it comes down to "how bad do you really want to be a physician?"
 
image.jpg
 
WesternRedCedar said:
With grade replacement.

Without grade replacement it would be closer to 3.0 no doubt.
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I imagine its closer to 3.2/3.3. While many non-trads use grade replacement, most trads don't or they use it pretty minimally (1-2 courses replaced). Plus, I think most DOs have an issue with the MCAT as opposed to GPA..
 
hallowmann said:
I imagine its closer to 3.2/3.3. While many non-trads use grade replacement, most trads don't or they use it pretty minimally (1-2 courses replaced). Plus, I think most DOs have an issue with the MCAT as opposed to GPA..
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may you please elaborate more on DO schools having issues with the MCAT but not GPA?
 
MCAT prep courses pay off. Many prep course can give you a lot of bang for your buck. Everyone I have spoken to who has scored above 35 has had some kind of a prep course. There are many people with ambitions to med school who don't have the prep course fee, or don't have as much time to study.

The cadre at DO schools contains a higher ratio of non-trads. Non-trads generally support themselves, and sometimes a family as well. Working and supporting a family can be reflected in lower undergrad grades, and lower MCAT scores as well since time and money are both pressing constraints that can alter performance. I have also come to believe that DO schools contain more 1st generation college student, students with a background of poverty, and children of the working class as students.

Lower grades and lower MCATs don't always translate to lower IQs and lower competency. Socioeconomic class and family obligations can weigh heavily on both grades and MCATs. On the other hand, the children of the wealthy, the young, slender, affluent, white, leisured class are vastly over represented in MD schools. It's hard work to get any acceptance at all to any school MD or DO. Shame on any and all who fail to perceive the extraordinary impact that our backgrounds have on our competitiveness for med schools, and bravo to DO schools and those private schools like Harvard, that look past the numbers.

I also have spoken with students and physicians who realize that OMM is problematic and has yet to be replicated successfully in an animal model. Sniping on SDN isn't the best method to approaching necessary reforms to the OMM treatment modality. Such reform would require systemic cooperation between physicians, journals, accrediting agencies, and schools. The best thing SDN forum members can do is to adapt an attitude of willingness to address future issues surrounding OMM and medicine in total.
 
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