Worst MD or best DO school? Is one better or is it pretty close?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Lawyer101 said:
Any advantages that the worst MD would always have?
Click to expand...
If you're a DO student, you will be at a *massive* disadvantage for competitive residency programs, and especially surgical subspecialties (I once heard at a national conference, a subspecialty PD comment on how we "all know that DOs have a snowball's chance in hell of matching," albeit in the context of explaining the one-in-a-million case of when a DO actually matched at his program). Some programs won't let you do a rotation there if you're a DO student - HSS says it explicitly, as does Iowa; other places might have a "LCME-accredited school" requirement or just de facto won't bother getting back to DO students.

On the other hand, the vast majority of students will not be going into these programs, and in that case, the best DO program will probably have more connections than the worst MD program.
 
Last edited:
Lawyer101 said:
Any advantages that the worst MD would always have?
Click to expand...
I've been reflecting about this, and if you put a gun to my head, I'd rather my kids went to LUCOM than CNU.

Why? One I have issues with their politics; the other I have issues with their morals.

But since you asked about best DO vs worst MD, I'd send my kids to the best DO anytime.

What's that you say? They won't be vascular surgeons or orthopods?

That's fine, they still get to be doctors.

BTW, about 10% of my 2019 grads went into historically DO-unfriendly uber-specialties, and at good places. This seems to be a trend for a fair number of DO schools, including new CUSOM. Can't say that about CNU.
 
At the end of the day, you'll have people graduating from Harvard doing [INSERT YOUR LEAST DESIRABLE RESIDENCY], and you have someone from my DO medical school class that went into radiation oncology. You may limit yourself to certain programs, but you can be anything you want, whether you're an MD or DO. Go where you can be most successful, or in other words, get the best Step 1 score.
 
Planes2Doc said:
At the end of the day, you'll have people graduating from Harvard doing [INSERT YOUR LEAST DESIRABLE RESIDENCY], and you have someone from my DO medical school class that went into radiation oncology. You may limit yourself to certain programs, but you can be anything you want, whether you're an MD or DO. Go where you can be most successful, or in other words, get the best Step 1 score.
Click to expand...

Please continue to shout this from the rooftops for all of the people in the back. It is such a common misconception that you’re “locked out of a speciality” because you went to a DO school.
 
Isoval said:
Please continue to shout this from the rooftops for all of the people in the back. It is such a common misconception that you’re “locked out of a speciality” because you went to a DO school.
Click to expand...
You certainly are not locked out of a specialty, but you can be locked out of many specific programs that out right refuse DOs.
 
curious what people would consider the "worst MD" program and the "best DO" program. i have seen threads about TCU VS TCOM? and a few others new M.D school vs established D.O school.
 
Goro said:
TCOM is a very good school

Drexel seems to take a lot of flak from its students here on SDN.
Click to expand...

It isn’t the students talking trash on DUCOM. We match well. If SDN wants to believe i go to the “worst” MD school in the US, so be it. I’ll still match and I don’t even care.
 
ciestar said:
It isn’t the students talking trash on DUCOM. We match well. If SDN wants to believe i go to the “worst” MD school in the US, so be it. I’ll still match and I don’t even care.
Click to expand...
Calm down!!! Note I used the word "seems"?

I always have Drexel on my recommend lists.

Never CNU.
 
Goro said:
Calm down!!! Note I used the word "seems"?

I always have Drexel on my recommend lists.

Never CNU.
Click to expand...

Im just sick of seeing all the crap dished onto DUCOM.
 
Indeed you are an MD from the lowest ranked school. Some programs in surgery and IM wont interview DOs. You would have to be living under a rock to not know this. What people refuse to admit, someone with 505 on their MCAT and cant get into an MD school, but gets accepted to a DO school, struggles to put a competetive app together to be considered for an uber competetive residemcy. As @Goro is fond of saying, pre meds think they are all going to come into the game and score a 3 pointer to win with no time left. Step scores are not the only determinant required for an uber residency. If you scored in the 60%tile on the MCAT, chances are you will be in a similar range on the Step. A 95%tile score for that person would be unusual. To get that surgical or IM fellowship, you need to start building your app from day one in DO school, and apply to DO friendly programs, which are getting more plentiful.
 
Lawyer101 said:
Any advantages that the worst MD would always have?
Click to expand...

Honestly I would take PCOM over CNU for a whole host of reasons. Yes, even for the competitive specialties.

Edit: for example the PCOM Ortho program is about half PCOM grads in the program, and they are a bigger program with like 5 total spots. GS is about half PCOM grads as well, and the also have ENT and neurosurgery programs that definitely give PCOM students the first bite at the apple.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
drtribbiani said:
Unrelated, but what's wrong with drexel?
Click to expand...
I don't think there's anything wrong with Drexel, that's why I continue to recommend it.

This may be a sampling error, but it's the only medical school that I know of that seems to get more flak then mere background noise on sdn.

If I had a list of those MD schools that required lecture attendance, those I might be a little less inclined to recommend. And yes, they're apparently are some penal colonies like that in the MD world.
 
Moko said:
I'll tell you if they ever win. Don't hold your breath...
Click to expand...

Now im curious what sport we’re referring to. But it obviously isn’t Boston we’re talking about.

You can sit with me and the never winning Flyers.
 
Moko said:
It's in Philly and you'll have to deal with their fans.. :yuck:
Click to expand...

LOL'd

Goro said:
I don't think there's anything wrong with Drexel, that's why I continue to recommend it.

This may be a sampling error, but it's the only medical school that I know of that seems to get more flak then mere background noise on sdn.

If I had a list of those MD schools that required lecture attendance, those I might be a little less inclined to recommend. And yes, they're apparently are some penal colonies like that in the MD world.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear, cause I sent my primary app to Drexel. But why do sdners (and "outsiders") have beef with Drexel? According to MSAR, they don't have a lecture attendance policy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Is this a nonclinical volunteering experience, or an academic/tutoring one?
Replies
2
Views
117
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
H
do i include excuses in secondaries? or is it best to leave it alone?
Replies
16
Views
1K
pablo213
pablo213
FutureDOCTORR123456789
Is hospital volunteering considered clinical or nonclinical
Replies
7
Views
737
Goro
Goro
C17H21NO4
Is it necessary to have a "narrative" or cohesive EC's in your application?
Replies
6
Views
1K
C17H21NO4
C17H21NO4
S
Ms or PhD before MD?
Replies
6
Views
340
LizzyM
LizzyM
Top