I'm still a hs student, and i was considering my options...

[xthefirst]

I am currently a high school senior. I have been accepted to Stony Brook's WISE Program and I want to major in Biology going the premed route. However, my parents have no faith in me getting into medical school and would rather I do a DO Program at NYIT, even though I know I will regret it. I absolutely don't want to do it. However, I will be forced to pick this program, though I am willing to do the work to get into medical school. I didn't apply to many schools, just Stony Brook, Columbia, Cornell, and St. John's. I did not get accepted to Columbia and Cornell, but I don't want to do Pharmacy at St. John's because although I like chemistry, I don't want to base my career on it. It's not that my stats aren't stellar, but that acceptance rates to Ivys have been exceptionally low this year since too many people applied. Plus, since I come from an incredibly competitive high school, even though I have a 93.8 average with amazing extracurriculars, I am still most likely only in the top 50% at school. My parents are unwilling to put me in Stony Brook because they feel like it will be a waste because they think I don't have what it takes to get into medical school. (This became more of an angry rant, for some reason...) I understand DO is basically an MD but focusing more on the musculoskeletal system using some spino-joint manipulation to heal patients. However, I want to go to medical school to specialize in pulmonary. If I view the DO program so negatively, I shouldn't even consider it, right?

1) I was wondering, is it wise to pursue the DO degree if I want to specialize in pulmonary in just a few special diseases and illnesses?
2) Also, if I have doubts about doing DO, should I even consider doing the DO program at NYIT, or just pursue the MD degree? How is their school in general and their DO program, and how does it compare to Stony Brook's Premed Advising and Honors Programs?

If it helps your consideration as to why I should pursue the DO program, here are my parents' reasons for not going for medical school:
1. I can't even get accepted to Columbia and Cornell for undergraduate, so how can I get into medical school?
2. I'd have to dorm, if I want to focus on my studies, and so they think I will feel like I have freedom and eventually do poorly in my studies. They heard from a random friend whose daughter went to Stony Brook University who dormed at Stony Brook, and since she got all of this freedom, she didn't take her studying seriously and her grades dropped way below average and had to transfer out to Queens College. Note that they didn't mention what she was studying.
3. Stony Brook will be too much money, and then medical school will add to that debt.
4. the DO program is a guaranteed admission, so that puts their minds at ease.
5. they think the DO program will cost less than Stony brook, even though we haven't been given the financial budget package yet, so it might cost more since it's a private college.

Do you guys consider these reasons good enough for me to let go of my dream to get an MD and get a DO instead?
( i also put this in the pre-DO thread to get both point-of-views )

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[MilkmanAl]

I'm gonna move this over to hSDN, the high school forum. You'll probably get more advice there.

 

[tennisball80]

I am currently a high school senior. I have been accepted to Stony Brook's WISE Program and I want to major in Biology going the premed route. However, my parents have no faith in me getting into medical school and would rather I do a DO Program at NYIT, even though I know I will regret it. I absolutely don't want to do it. However, I will be forced to pick this program, though I am willing to do the work to get into medical school.

Discuss with your parents about this. If you will regret for sure, you should not do the DO program at NYIT.

Good luck

 

[engineeredout]

I'm a stony brook undergrad, going into LECOM (A DO SCHOOL OMFG). I also typed up a huge ass response to your thread in Pre-Osteo and when I finally clicked submit it got closed. I'm really pissed right now.

Basically: It sounds like you know nothing about DOs, I managed to dorm at stony brook and am going to graduate with a 3.5 in chemical engineering, How can you be so dead set on pulmonary specialist, how is cost at Stony Brook a problem when it is a state school, NYIT is private and expensive, applying to med school vs. applying to undergrad have nothing to do with each other, and Stony Brook has an undergraduate respiratory therapist program that you might want to look into.

And oh yeah, NYCOM is a damn good school.

 

[supergumbo]

The only difference between the DO and MD practice is that you can perform OMM as a DO. That's it. DOs and MDs are both physicians through and through. DO and MD schools are both medical schools. Also, you cannot be sure at such an early time you will go into pulmonary. However, your parents' reason for saying you can't get into an MD medical school is, I'm sorry to say it, plain whack. In the end, it should still be your decision so research more on this and discuss with them.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Don't listen to your parents on this one. However, don't fight them about it, either. Just go about your business, crank out good grades in college, do all the pseudo-required extracurriculars, and rock the MCAT. Then see what they have to say.

 

[Semicolon]

Don't listen to your parents on this one. However, don't fight them about it, either. Just go about your business, crank out good grades in college, do all the pseudo-required extracurriculars, and rock the MCAT. Then see what they have to say.

I totally agree. My family didn't want me to become a physician (they wanted me to become a pharmacist). I didn't obey their wishes and went to undergrad. They worried constantly that I wouldn't be able to get into medical school and told me throughout my four years of high school "you should have done pharmacy".

Long story short...look at my sig.

Do what YOU want, not what your parents want. While you have a very misunderstood outlook towards osteopathic medicine, if it doesn't make you happy anyway, then don't do it.

 

[aRnonymous]

Your parents are wrong. I didn't go to an uber-competitive high school, and I wasn't THE best student. Sure, I was in the top 5 or 10%, but I wasn't phenomenal or anything. The problem was that in high school I didn't like the concept of being told exactly what to do and how to do it. Homework, assignments, attendance, etc. I much preferred the freedom that college afforded, and it reflected in my grades. I finished a BS in Chemistry with both university and departmental honors with a 3.98 GPA. I have one of the highest grade point averages at my school and have recieved tons of awards and honor society appointments for it. Sure, it was not easy, but I enjoyed it more. And here I am today, accepted to several med school. I get a sense that you do have what it takes to go for MD. Your parents underestimate you, but don't underestimate yourself. Don't aim for the DO track right now, because you'll regret it. Maybe later down the road you'll change your mind, but keep your doors open for now.

 

[TheMagicCookie]

Don't listen to your parents on this one. However, don't fight them about it, either. Just go about your business, crank out good grades in college, do all the pseudo-required extracurriculars, and rock the MCAT. Then see what they have to say.

Everything AL said.

 

[Crazyday]

You're 18 (or will be soon). Your parents can't control you any more. They can't make you apply to one school over another or not apply to one.

Do what you want. You know what's best for you, you're mature enough.

You'll be miserable if you do what your parents want you to do when you don't want to do it. Forgive my crudeness, but screw them. You only live once, do what you desire. If they excommunicate you because of it, well at least you'll be living how you want and that should make you happier than living how another person commands you to (yes, even your parents).

 

[coffeeeandtea]

I totally agree. My family didn't want me to become a physician (they wanted me to become a pharmacist). I didn't obey their wishes and went to undergrad. They worried constantly that I wouldn't be able to get into medical school and told me throughout my four years of high school "you should have done pharmacy".

Long story short...look at my sig.

Do what YOU want, not what your parents want. While you have a very misunderstood outlook towards osteopathic medicine, if it doesn't make you happy anyway, then don't do it.

omg my parents were the same! they didn't think i was going to get in this application cycle, so they were like "yeah just come home and take classes, then apply to pharmacy school." i really don't want to do pharmacy; i respect those who want to, but it's just not something i would want to do. (hence why i applied to medical school... right?)

for the OP - "If I view the DO program so negatively, I shouldn't even consider it, right?" ummmm... no. you should at least do a little research into it, maybe even shadow a few DOs yourself (hint: they're pretty much identical to MDs nowadays), before you just write it off as a no-go. good general rule for life - find as many opportunities for yourself as you can! closed doors don't really do any good for you.. try to keep an open mind

 

[JJMrK]

Do what you want to do. Your parents shouldn't be making this decision (nor should they be forcing you into medicine, for that matter).

 

[Salvorix]

OP, you and your parents need to research the medical profession more. There are a bunch of really great FAQ's on this site that I think would really help you learn more about applying to medical school and the differences between allopathic and osteopathic medical school.

Try this:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=531553

 

[DLi]

I totally agree. My family didn't want me to become a physician (they wanted me to become a pharmacist). I didn't obey their wishes and went to undergrad. They worried constantly that I wouldn't be able to get into medical school and told me throughout my four years of high school "you should have done pharmacy".

Long story short...look at my sig.

Do what YOU want, not what your parents want. While you have a very misunderstood outlook towards osteopathic medicine, if it doesn't make you happy anyway, then don't do it.

My parents are the other way. Before I wanted to do military engineering, then business, and I finally capitulated somehow after many years and now I want to become a physician. They treat me better now. All I have to do now is get into med school (easier said than done.)

Hopefully join the class of 2017 somewhere soon.

 

[Salvorix]

My parents are the other way. Before I wanted to do military engineering, then business, and I finally capitulated somehow after many years and now I want to become a physician. They treat me better now. All I have to do now is get into med school (easier said than done.)

Hopefully join the class of 2017 somewhere soon.

Cheers to the future class of 2017!

 

[xthefirst]

okay, I feel more okay with the DO Program. Thank you guys for your responses. I looked up the DO Program, and it actually seems really cool. But it just seems so structured... I feel like I won't have time to take any electives I'm interested in...
Honestly, I think I bashed the DO Program so much in that post only because I didn't like NYIT. I even heard from the people who went to my high school who did DO at NYIT that they wished they did regular premed at another school because they didn't like NYIT very much. If anyone here went to NYIT's undergrad for the DO program, how did you like the undergrad college?

 

[Tots]

Don't listen to your parents on this one. However, don't fight them about it, either. Just go about your business, crank out good grades in college, do all the pseudo-required extracurriculars, and rock the MCAT. Then see what they have to say.

You could always go to a D.O. school after undergrad anyways. Why limit yourself? Unless you got into the B.S./D.O. program, but you didn't mention it, you said you got into Stony Brook and St. Johns? Sorry if I am a little confused.

Good luck! Don't let your parents bring you down!

 

[xthefirst]

you know what, i just found out today that my sister went to talk to her dean of her pharmacy program at st. johns, ad he is trying to put me in the program. i'm like, wtf? i can't refuse it because it would make my sister look bad to the dean and it would make the dean look bad to the school, but i don't want to accept because i'm not interested in pharmacy at all.


so, i asked a few people who went to NYIT for their DO program, and one said that she honestly regrets it and she only went because she was waitlisted to WISE, that the school is horrible, that there is no campus life, and that it is not worth the money. also, she said the only incentive is the program itself, but that's no reason to go to a sucky school. i'm still waiting for two more people to see their reactions. if they say the same thing, then i'm convinced i won't like NYIT.

 

[engineeredout]

Is this pharmacy at St. Johns a fast track Pharm.D program, or is it just a bachlors in pharm? Getting a bachlors isn't the worst thing in the world, and wouldn't prevent you from applying to med school...

 

[aRnonymous]

you know what, i just found out today that my sister went to talk to her dean of her pharmacy program at st. johns, ad he is trying to put me in the program. i'm like, wtf? i can't refuse it because it would make my sister look bad to the dean and it would make the dean look bad to the school, but i don't want to accept because i'm not interested in pharmacy at all.


so, i asked a few people who went to NYIT for their DO program, and one said that she honestly regrets it and she only went because she was waitlisted to WISE, that the school is horrible, that there is no campus life, and that it is not worth the money. also, she said the only incentive is the program itself, but that's no reason to go to a sucky school. i'm still waiting for two more people to see their reactions. if they say the same thing, then i'm convinced i won't like NYIT.

Dude, you're an idiot! Stop caring what others are going to think, it's her problem not yours! Stand up for yourself for once and stop letting your parents/family push you around!