Please help: US DO Vs. Carr. MD

[ByronOrpheus]

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[ByronOrpheus]

Since when should we forget about Character, morals and honesty when picking people for medical school? I think times will change back to these values its a cycle if look back in history.

When I was in Necromancer Medical School, there were others who constantly cheated, used old exams, and did everything to avoid working honestly. Thankfully, they all failed out and had to go to DO school.

 

[oldpro]

I find that if one uses the Ignor option a lot then you only see the opinions and facts you like, I think living like that is wonderful don't you all? LOL

 

[AngryBaby]

Interesting. What I don't understand is that if Caribbean schools have indeed decided they're *with* US allopathic institutions, why haven't they elected to pursue LCME accreditation? Some Canadian schools are LCME-accredited despite the fact that they are in Canada so geography can't be the answer. If the Caribbean schools have embraced the training missions and priorities of the US allopathic schools, why not just become LCME accredited? The LCME would accredit any school that meets the criteria and has the $$$. There must be more to the story.

Well the short answer from me would be that I don't know (or was that a rhetorical question). I've heard unsubstantiated reasons as to why Caribbean schools can't/don't want LCME accreditation. I do know the bylaws of LCME state that they accredit US and Canadian schools, however I'm sure that could be changed if they decided to expand their scope. Perhaps it has something to do with the "for profit" model of the off-shore schools?

 

[Jpc984]

Well the short answer from me would be that I don't know (or was that a rhetorical question). I've heard unsubstantiated reasons as to why Caribbean schools can't/don't want LCME accreditation. I do know the bylaws of LCME state that they accredit US and Canadian schools, however I'm sure that could be changed if they decided to expand their scope. Perhaps it has something to do with the "for profit" model of the off-shore schools?

I think the "for profit" is a big part of it. I think it is in the bylaws.

 

[oldpro]

Well the short answer from me would be that I don't know (or was that a rhetorical question). I've heard unsubstantiated reasons as to why Caribbean schools can't/don't want LCME accreditation. I do know the bylaws of LCME state that they accredit US and Canadian schools, however I'm sure that could be changed if they decided to expand their scope. Perhaps it has something to do with the "for profit" model of the off-shore schools?

DID not SGU start to go through the process years ago then stopped when they realized they would not be accredited?

 

[AngryBaby]

DID not SGU start to go through the process years ago then stopped when they realized they would not be accredited?

Oldpro I've got no idea. I've never heard anything about that either way.

 

[oldpro]

Oldpro I've got no idea. I've never heard anything about that either way.

Yea I thought it was SGU but it could have been AUC? It was one of them anyway.

 

[thierryhenry]

That's AUC.


St. George's is the only legitimate CARBO school that no one really considers.

 

[MDPWR]

AMG, IMG and DO all will give you a chance to practice medicine in America. It's the person under the white coat which will really make his/her respect.


Peace.

 

[NewHope]

AMG, IMG and DO all will give you a chance to practice medicine in America. It's the person under the white coat which will really make his/her respect.


Peace.

It sure sounds like a nice generalization. But these degrees afford ppl different opporunities at the gate. I'd say AMG MD being the best option. Though statistically almost 50% of U.S M.D still go te FP and IM route. Of course matching the IM at the university hospital with great shot at the fellowship program isn't the same as getting into community program. Bot U.S M.D an D.O routes are far more preferable to IMG, no matter what your goals may be.

 

[MDPWR]

It sure sounds like a nice generalization. But these degrees afford ppl different opporunities at the gate. I'd say AMG MD being the best option. Though statistically almost 50% of U.S M.D still go te FP and IM route. Of course matching the IM at the university hospital with great shot at the fellowship program isn't the same as getting into community program. Bot U.S M.D an D.O routes are far more preferable to IMG, no matter what your goals may be.

Ok AMG'S are the best lolz, if that makes you happy sure and all the other doctors are just acting on tv. Amg's take USMLE, other docs pass Dexter's Lab. Go AMG, IMG AND DO...........................

 

[oldpro]

It sure sounds like a nice generalization. But these degrees afford ppl different opporunities at the gate. I'd say AMG MD being the best option. Though statistically almost 50% of U.S M.D still go te FP and IM route. Of course matching the IM at the university hospital with great shot at the fellowship program isn't the same as getting into community program. Bot U.S M.D an D.O routes are far more preferable to IMG, no matter what your goals may be.

I do not get the Point? I know plenty of FMG's and IMG's who did get into great Residencies, I personally am going FP Rural route by choice.

So whats the point?

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Very few sane medical students go into FP, why?? The average FP makes 170k a year, with many medical students with multiple six figure debts, many will want to go into lucrative specialty fields. Anesthesiologists make 300k+ on average and many can make 500k a year.

The OP would have to be insane to pick a Caribbean school if he has the option of going to a US DO program.

 

[MDPWR]

Very few sane medical students go into FP, why?? The average FP makes 170k a year, with many medical students with multiple six figure debts, many will want to go into lucrative specialty fields. Anesthesiologists make 300k+ on average and many can make 500k a year.

The OP would have to be insane to pick a Caribbean school if he has the option of going to a US DO program.

Personal attacks, that's not nice..................So you will become a doc because of money that's truely sad. If you love what you do, money will come. No further comment on this.

 

[MDPWR]

I do not get the Point? I know plenty of FMG's and IMG's who did get into great Residencies, I personally am going FP Rural route by choice.

So whats the point?

There is no point, this forum is going no where productive.

amg, img and do who's is best, let residency weed out those who are book smart but suck in clinicals.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

I was not making any personal attack, many doctors these days, especially newer ones, are deep in debt, so financial considerations are becoming more important. There are many empty seats for IM and FM residencies? Why??? Most US graduates have limited interest in them because the financially they don't pay very well, if you are several hundred thousand dollars in debt you will think about this.

Imagine if doctors earned the same amount as a deli worker, the applications to medical school in the US would drop dramatically.

 

[oldpro]

There is no point, this forum is going no where productive.

amg, img and do who's is best, let residency weed out those who are book smart but suck in clinicals.

Residency, once you get one, does this with very few since the ones who make it are qualified.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I'm making my medical degree in photoshop...i can go wherever i want and i can also switch schools with little work.

 

[oldpro]

I'm making my medical degree in photoshop...i can go wherever i want and i can also switch schools with little work.

I know that school, it's in Australia, Hut river?

 

[aliDO]

DO,DO,DO>>>>>>>>>>>>Caribbean MD. bottom line

 

[McGillGrad]

DO,DO,DO>>>>>>>>>>>>Caribbean MD. bottom line

Whatever floats your boat, dude.

 

[spicedmanna]

I dislike saying which is better and such. It's all arguable and probably a bit immature. However, I think we can all agree that the US medical route is going to be less risky overall. It is in most cases, the perferred route for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, you need to look at yourself and see what works for you. I want to emphasize that I think that there's nothing wrong with attending a Caribbean medical school if that's what's going to work for you. At the end, we all become physicians and colleagues.

 

[Lokhtar]

DO,DO,DO>>>>>>>>>>>>Caribbean MD. bottom line

No. It is not that simple. They are different degrees. If you don't want DO attached to your name, don't go. Going to school has advantages obviously, but DO is not for everyone. Pick the route that you'll be most happy with.

 

[docbill]

DO,DO,DO>>>>>>>>>>>>Caribbean MD. bottom line

Haha.. you are funny one AliG... of course you would say that.

Are you in a DO program? Funny thing is you are most likely .. sorry I mean <<<<<<<<<<<< correct.

 

[jeraldeckman]

An MD degree generally makes it easier to practice overseas but don't think that medicine is lucrative outside of the US. In many other countries with socialized medicine, salaries are lower.

McGillGrad illustrated the difficulty of practicing overseas, mentioning European physicians driving taxis in Quebec. I think the only countries that are somewhat open to IMGs outside of the US are Australia and the UK, but they have issues as well. Australia gives preferential treatment to British and South African physicians but physicians from other countries are often discriminated against. Dubai and some oil producing Gulf States hire Western physicians but do you really want to live in the Middle East?

Most places in the middle east no... but UAE is down right awesome!!!

 

[medicaldevices]

Facts are that this does not include outside the match this is only



But the above poster continues to ignor the plain facts ( this is just something he and I will never agree on), the real facts that outside the match is at least 10% (I believe higher like 20%) so that raises the lowest figure to 60% match rate but I think its way higher like 70% IMO. Hey reality is reality!

Just my Opinion.

So 3 out of every 10 FMG is not getting a residency, even after passing the USMLE's?!?!?!?!?!

Why is that?

 

[MDPWR]

Waste of time thread

DO VS Caribbean MD, both will give you the right to practice if you work hard.


Just recently an AUC grad in Emergency medicine figure it out that my friend has lime tick disease, this after going to a lot of american graduates who were confused and puzzled why my friend is sick. A Columbian doctor is the chief of our Er department, he has been teaching american med student every day for the past 31 years and all the students absolutely love him.

Work hard, stop being neg and you will succeed.

Thanks.

 

[johnnyredfire]

As a wise man said to me, an MD or DO does not give you the right to practice medicine, you practice medicine through a license.

In other words, you can be an MD or DO and go into plumbing business if you desire.

Additionally, I think Carib MD schools gives you the practical perspective of practicing medicine in a foreign country that US Med schools couldnt give you. Concerning DO license, well you have to understand that the major countries give DO's the rights whereas those poorer nations who remain close-minded dont. Big deal, thats just a loss for them since some people are willing to help out in those countries.

 

[tms2]

AMG, IMG and DO all will give you a chance to practice medicine in America. It's the person under the white coat which will really make his/her respect.


Peace.

I salute you

 

[tms2]

I think this is one of the most controversial topics between pre-meds and medical students.
I think it is the nature of humans to protect their sense of self by all means, which sometimes includes degrading others and 'justifying' their decisions if they did not follow the mainstream.
I saw the use of the word "shame" associated with D.O and/or carib M.D. and I think it is a shame that some people think that way.
About M.D., D.O., and carib M.D.
I don't see any of them as superior of inferior to the other. Once you do your residency in the U.S., you earn your keep by what you put into it. I know an FMG who got internal med residency in a crappy hospital but now has been offerred a 300K contract with CCF.

About medicine, the way i look at it; i want to be a doctor, and there are a few routes that lead there, so i try them one by one, and which ever leads there is the one i'll take.

I applied to M.D. schools in 2006 and did not get accepted. Before you start, i didn't apply to D.O schools because i wasn't very familiar with the program (i'm a foreigner). Anyway, throughout the process i felt that i wasn't going to get accepted so i applied to caribbean. Long story short, i didn't get accepted in U.S. but got accepted in carib. After consideration, i decided not to go to the carib. There were everal reasons for that including visa complications.
Anyway, i considered retaking the MCAT and reapplying, but by then i was quite familiar with the D.O. program, so i thought i'd apply right away. It was around may 2007 so i thought i'd apply early instead of applying late or waiting another year.
Anyway, i got accepted and also during that year i got my citizenship, so to me it is very simple: i have an acceptance in my hands, why would i turn it down?!
If you ask me now that if i had both carib and D.O. acceptances at the same time, which would i have chosen. My answer would be D.O. for a very simple reason...the convinence of studying in the U.S. I mean i took me 15 years to get the U.S. citizenship and get out of 3rd world countries, so why would i go back there?!
About how this will affect my residency, well the specialties of my interest are psych and neuro, which are not very competitive (especially psych) and can be done whether i'm M.D. or D.O.
If i were to choose a competitive residency, well maybe the story would be different, but also remember that there are fewer D.O.s in competitive residency due to several factors including the difference in number of yearly graduates. There are way more M.D.s (from U.S. & IMG/ FMG) than D.O. so statistically, you'll naturally find more of them in those specialties. Also, if you didn't get into a competetive residency...then its NOT the end of the world!!

I know that my opinion probably differs from what most people think, but i don't consider carib as fallback. I respect those who did well enough to get into good M.D. or D.O. schools in the U.S., but i also respect those who go to the ends of the world to achieve their dreams.

"WHAT EVER YOU DO, WHAT EVER YOU ACHIEVE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE OUT THERE WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO DEGRADE YOU"

If you study in WSU, someone from Harvard might look down at you. If you're D.O. they'll say you didn't make the M.D. cut. If you're FMG, then you didn't make the U.S. cut....and the wheel goes round.

Once you get all this out of your head, you will be free.

my 0.000001 cent

For medical students all over the world, i salute your efforts
Peace

 

[oldpro]

This thread will never die

 

[AngryBaby]

why would we want it to? It provides me with great entertainment!! It's like watching the proverbial monkeys flinging poo at each other!

 

[spreebee]

Your GPA is excellent, you might want to take a tutoring course to raise your MCAT. If that is your only option DO is better than going to a Caribbean school.

LOL, depends on the Caribbean school... AUC, St. George, Ross not as good as a D.O. school... Your kidding, right... Most of the faculty at these places are from medical schools in the states like Johns Hopkins, mayo clinic... Others are from Cambridge, Oxford, Austrialia, Russia (list goes on)... These 3 Caribbean schools match just as well if not better in M.D. competitive residencies than D.O.'s... Going to one of these forementioned 3 is like attening any other medical school (in terms of education) whether your in the U.S. or in France, Ukraine, Ireland, etc....In the end, you get the same degree(M.D.) and learn the same sort of material that physicians have been learning for decades...

 

[spreebee]

OK, even though this thread is much more comfortable now that certain posters that like to spread misinformation are "ignored" from my view, here's some hard data for people to ponder. A caveat: I have nothing against foreign medical grads, but when people start dissing the profession I love and spreading blatant lies, I use truth and actual data (DOs have to take both the COMLEX and USMLE to be licensed...you're kidding me, right?)

Anyway, here it is:

According to the American Medical Association, the top 20 countries where IMGs come from are:

India - 19.9% (47,581)
Philippines - 8.7% (20,861)
Mexico - 5.8% (13,929)
Pakistan - 4.8% (11,330)
Dominican Republic - 3.3% (7,892)
U.S.S.R. - 2.5% (6,039)
Grenada - 2.4% (5,708)
Egypt - 2.2% (5,202)
Korea - 2.1% (4,982)
Italy - 2.1% (4,978)
China - 2.0% (4,834)
Iran - 2.0% (4,741)
Spain - 1.9% (4,570)
Dominica - 1.9% (4,501)
Germany - 1.9% (4,457)
Syria - 1.5% (3,676)
Columbia - 1.4% (3,335)
Israel 1.4% (3,260)
England- 1.4% (3,245)
Montserrat (3,111)

According to the AMA website, this information is from 2007, pretty current. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1550.html

According the the Educational Commision for Foreign Medical Graduates, the match rate for ALL IMGs in 2007 was 47%. The match rate for US citizen IMGs for the same year was 50% (yikes!).

http://www.ecfmg.org/cert/factcard.pdf

Now, most people in this forum like to tell you that statistics for IMGs are skewed because people from the big 4 pass the USMLE at high rates and therefore match at high rates compared to other countries, and that IMGs from "other" countries (i.e. non-Caribbean big 4) are the ones that are bringing down the total average.

However, how do you explain the fact that:

1- According to the ECFMG, as a US citizen going abroad for a medical education, you might as well flip a coin for your future (50% match rate?!?!)

2- If supposedly most of the IMGs that pass the USMLE (and therefore become licensed to practice in the US) are from the "big 4", how come most of the IMG physicians in this country are from countries other than the big 4? Grenada (home of SGU) comes in at #7 (at least it's top ten), and the next "big 4" (Dominica, home of Ross) comes in at #14? If most IMGs that pass the USMLE are from the big 4, wouldn't it make sense that the top 4 spots for IMGs in the US are from Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat and Saba? Heck, there are more Russian IMGs in the US than from the big 4 Caribbean schools.

Again, I have nothing against IMGs, but if you piss me off, I pull the big gun: TRUTH. Would you rather have a 100% chance of being a physician, or flip a coin with a 50% chance (and be behind foreign medical graduates from India, Mexico, Russia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Italy, Iran (IRAN??!)...)

To the OP: choose the path that is best for your personal situation and future plans. However, be warned that a lot of the anonymous information in here and in sites such as valuemd are very biased and plain wrong. Follow the links I've provided in this thread, which come from reputable, unbiased places and make your own decision. Whatever you decide, good luck and I hope you achieve your goal.

Ah my friend you must remember that the BIG 4 are only 4 medical schools.. If you throw countries like India you are talking about 5-6-7 different med schools from the same country suppying IMG's, and therefore , are ranked higher on the list...

 

[spreebee]

A DO is better to have than an "MD" from a Caribbean school. Obviously if you have an MD from a North American school it is another matter.

Anti Caribbean M.D.? Is that because most Caribbean M.D.'s match into more competitive spots than primary care D.O.'s.. Last I checked the Caribbean / FMG M.D.'s that were getting competitive residencies like Neurosurgery, etc... had Ziltch (0) D.O.'s matching into those positions or the ratio was Caribbean > D.O. for competitive.... Ah M.D. really is an M.D. not matter where you go....

 

[a817]

in these debates, the one thing no one mentions is boards. IMO a person with killer usmle scores and is a DO will be more competitive in hard residencies, then a carib MD with mediocre scores. Same goes vis versa if it is the carib MD with high score will beat out the DO with mediocre scores. There is stigma with both routes DO and FMG, so it varies between each program. Instead of worring about who is better, do well on your boards which make the school you go to less important. The only advantage i see in a DO program is the that they have there own residencies that no one else can apply to. For allopathic residencies the boards matters the most, more than this stupid carib MD vs DO debate. If you dont believe in osteopathic medicine, then go to SGU, you will be fine there. if you like osteopathic medicine be a DO. Thats why i chose DO (havent paid my deposit yet though), but SGU is a fine institution and have amazing rotation site. Liked the school alot during the interview.

Hey i also had a question, i see SGU has a 72 percent rate of its graduates going into primary care and 73 percent of its students get their first or second choice. My question is that if many students had any difficulty in going into non primary care fields, or if most of the student want to do primary care.

 

[jackets5]

Personally, i dont think Allo residencies should accept DO applicants nor should DO applicants should apply. You go to a DO school cause you believe in the philosophy. I was accepted to DO schools, Carrib MD and waitlisted at US MD schools. I choose Carrib MD because i truly did not believe in the DO philosophy and OMM. I will not wast a year of my life and all the effort in learning an unproven, boderline witchcraft OMM techniques. Also, DO residencies are being left unfilled more and more. DO students should be required to at least do an internship year at a AOA accredited hospital in order to be liscened. You are a DO after all shouldnt you do at least some post grad training in a DO program

 

[a817]

Anti Caribbean M.D.? Is that because most Caribbean M.D.'s match into more competitive spots than primary care D.O.'s.. Last I checked the Caribbean / FMG M.D.'s that were getting competitive residencies like Neurosurgery, etc... had Ziltch (0) D.O.'s matching into those positions or the ratio was Caribbean > D.O. for competitive.... Ah M.D. really is an M.D. not matter where you go....

That is a terribly inaccurate statement. 4 students kcom matched in nuero surgery last year. The reason why it seems like FMG match more in competitive residencies is because they are more of them. There only about 3,000 graduates a year for DO's. The truth is that they vary every year, and they are probably similar percentages. Can we please stop trashing one another and spreading inaccurate information? In the end FMG and DO work side by side and for the same cause, you should appriciate all the help you can get. If you got into medicine because you are overcompensating for something and need the ego boost to feel better than someone else, then you should take a long look at your self. There is no need to put anyone beliefs or education down.

 

[a817]

Personally, i dont think Allo residencies should accept DO applicants nor should DO applicants should apply. You go to a DO school cause you believe in the philosophy. I was accepted to DO schools, Carrib MD and waitlisted at US MD schools. I choose Carrib MD because i truly did not believe in the DO philosophy and OMM. I will not wast a year of my life and all the effort in learning an unproven, boderline witchcraft OMM techniques. Also, DO residencies are being left unfilled more and more. DO students should be required to at least do an internship year at a AOA accredited hospital in order to be liscened. You are a DO after all shouldnt you do at least some post grad training in a DO program

agree with you in certain extent, but the problem is that they are about 1000 DO residencies a year. and 3,000 graduates a year.

My feeling is that the position should go to the more qualified applicant. If one person has better boards scores, grades, and rec he should not be limited because he is a DO or a carib md. My feeling is that a us md student was awarded acceptance because of good mcat, grades, and recs. It should be the same for residency.

 

[jackets5]

i didnt realize the numbers were so drastic in regards to DO residency spots and DO grads. Then DO grads should have to apply to DO residency then only if they dont recieve a spot then go to MD residency.

I also believe that ALL residency spots in the US should be filled by all eligiable US citizens before a single non- US citizen is taken into residency.

 

[MaximusD]

Personally, i dont think Allo residencies should accept DO applicants nor should DO applicants should apply. You go to a DO school cause you believe in the philosophy. I was accepted to DO schools, Carrib MD and waitlisted at US MD schools. I choose Carrib MD because i truly did not believe in the DO philosophy and OMM. I will not wast a year of my life and all the effort in learning an unproven, boderline witchcraft OMM techniques. Also, DO residencies are being left unfilled more and more. DO students should be required to at least do an internship year at a AOA accredited hospital in order to be liscened. You are a DO after all shouldnt you do at least some post grad training in a DO program

There is no special DO philosophy. Here's a secret: It's marketing. End of story. We learn extra palpatory skills via OMM and also do structural diagnoses, but we do the same H&P that everyone else does. Stop spouting bull****

Oh and how you feel really doesn't matter. In four years, I'll be in an LCME MD residency in the USAF and there will be nothing you can do about it.

 

[MaximusD]

i didnt realize the numbers were so drastic in regards to DO residency spots and DO grads. Then DO grads should have to apply to DO residency then only if they dont recieve a spot then go to MD residency.

I also believe that ALL residency spots in the US should be filled by all eligiable US citizens before a single non- US citizen is taken into residency.

If a US citizen is less qualified so much so that a FMG is able to take their spot with an uphill battle, they dont' deserve that residency. Earn your ascension into the medical profession. Only the best deserve to rise to the top. (That's not my ambition, btw)

 

[MaximusD]

Bingo! Back in the day when DOs were second class citizens only people that truly felt the DO path was a better path to medicine became DOs.

Today, MD and DO are the same. Same drugs, same specilaties, same stethoscopes, same shiny red cars. A blessing and a curse.

As someone once said, Osteopathic medicine is a victim of its own success.

Interesting POV.

 

[MaximusD]

DID not SGU start to go through the process years ago then stopped when they realized they would not be accredited?

oldpro, do you remember me from studentdoc.com? My name on there was Wagdog1.

 

[MaximusD]

LOL, depends on the Caribbean school... AUC, St. George, Ross not as good as a D.O. school... Your kidding, right... Most of the faculty at these places are from medical schools in the states like Johns Hopkins, mayo clinic... Others are from Cambridge, Oxford, Austrialia, Russia (list goes on)... These 3 Caribbean schools match just as well if not better in M.D. competitive residencies than D.O.'s... Going to one of these forementioned 3 is like attening any other medical school (in terms of education) whether your in the U.S. or in France, Ukraine, Ireland, etc....In the end, you get the same degree(M.D.) and learn the same sort of material that physicians have been learning for decades...

Two years ago PCOM had a specialty match rate of >67%, rivaling Harvard and JHU... care to revise your statement?

 

[oldpro]

oldpro, do you remember me from studentdoc.com? My name on there was Wagdog1.

Maybe? If you remember I hate these debates with a passion since I see practice as the goal, of course its better to take the best route for your future.
I always agree with that. But to tell others that you can never succeed as a DO or a Caribbean / FMG grad is wrong, many have and are currently and will in the future.

Goal = Physician

 

[spreebee]

Two years ago PCOM had a specialty match rate of >67%, rivaling Harvard and JHU... care to revise your statement?

If you go D.O. and can get the same residency, or if you go FMG and can get the same residency, that's great....

 

[TruthMD]

Oh you guys still having these US DO or Carribean MD postings.

Well it depends on the school in the Carrib. SGU has been very good so far and definitely a better decision (for me) than the DO option.

 

[Vermian]

I am sorry to come into this "debate" a little late. Before going further, let me state my background (for those of you who have not read my other posts)...

Graduated AUC 2002 - currently PGY5 in neurosurgery.

That said, I feel the need to revisit two points mentioned earlier. Both confused me. One was the lack of need to take the USMLE. As a resident currently, I am not sure how you can get around that in any program. Even if you could, how could you apply for licensure in any state? Perhaps there are regulations I don't know about out there, but I know I needed my USMLE scores for SC, WA, AL, and LA.

The other was the statement that DOs had their own neurosurgery programs. Really?!? That must be why I have yet to meet a neurosurgery resident or staff that is DO. I am not saying that they are not out there, and I would not have any problem meeting them. Also, how is their interaction with the ABNS (the authority for certification of neurosurgeons)?

Like so many other people stated, the path you choose is a personal choice (or the last resort depending), but you are the only one who has to live with it in the end. No one asks me where I went to medical school, but I would tell them if they did. I have no need to "hide" my Caribbean diploma. Frankly, no one really cares. I am pretty sure the same holds true for the few DOs I have encountered along the way. No one takes that much time to look at your jacket to figure out what is after your name. Heck, most of the time they don't even look at your name.

I would also have to state that the whole match statistics is a bit misrepresented. If you attend a US school, you are required to obtain a residency position through the match right out of medical school. Caribbean students are not limited that way, and I know a lot of my classmates who found positions prior to graduation. Therefore, they did not even participate in the match. I don't know where their numbers may be documented, but I would think that is tracked somewhere.

I wish everyone the best of luck. I would be interested in seeing how many of you quiz your fellow applicants during residency interviews and after six months of intern year as to what school they attended. I am pretty sure that by the time you figure out how to survive intern year, you will realize no one cares.

Good luck to you all.