I’m not an especially competitive med school candidate. I had a 3.2 as an undergrad in an unrelated field, and am now in a Post Bacc program after working in the fortune 500 world for 3 years. So far as a Post Bacc student I have a 4.0. I haven’t taken the MCAT’s yet, but I will be studying hard, and I usually do very well on standardized tests in general.
I want to study emergency medicine, and work abroad after medical school. I have spoken with a firm that does recruiting for positions in Australia, and they told me that they don’t accept osteopathic doctors. I don’t know if that is common to other countries or not.
I know that for competitive residencies, DOs from American universities will generally get preference over MDs from the Carribbean or abroad. In short, a Carribbean MD will help me working abroad later in life, but a DO from the states will help me get a better residency. Which one would be more advantageous given my goals? Is there anybody that has a DO that has worked abroad? How significant of a barrier is the DO title when working on foreign soil? Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
I don’t have any particular advice on the working abroad thing, although it seems like I read on SDN that there is some movement to recognize DOs in some countries. The big problem is that in some countries, what they call an osteopathic physician is equivalent to our chiropractors.
However, I think it’s a little early in the game to be counting yourself out as a competitive candidate. Depending on your EC’s and your MCAT, you have an excellent chance at being a competitive candidate, despite your initial undergrad GPA as long as you continue to do well on your MCAT. 
I can’t help out too much with the overseas thing, but would love to know more.
I would like to reiterate what Emergency has told you. Don’t sell yourself short with your numbers. I started out with a 3.1 from undergrad, did a 4.0 post bacc, and did well on the MCAT (the only thing you have yet to do). I ended up with many interviews, and a number of acceptances - including 2 top 10 schools.
Keep up the good work. Your numbers are not THAT bad. Do well on the MCAT, and I think you will find that you get some good action for allopathic schools.
Hopefully so guys, and thanks for the encouragement. All we can do is our best!
International practice rights of DO’s vary from country to country. Because DO’s are uniquely American phenomena (despite the fact that they can do most of what MD’s can do), they are not recognized by all countries. DO’s are just too new; MD’s have been around for centuries (For example, recently I came across a reference to the title MD as in Doctor of Medicine in a 14th
Century manuscript).
SDN has a list of international practice rights. Clickhere.
Another reason why DO’s are not recognized abroad is that there is confusion with the British Osteopath – doctors who do just manipulations, remedies, and the sort but are not the same as physicians. A.T. Still MD, the founder of Osteopathy, probably did a disservice by naming his new therapy “osteopathy” (or did someone else name it?)
Things are changing; the greater proliferation of DOs abroad has increased their acceptance, but in some parts of the world, DO’s are looked at askance because no one knows who they really are and whaty they do.
-D
- nahani2 Said:
"despite the fact that they can do MOST of what MD's can do?!?"
Your post was good information, so I don't mean to be nitpicky, but what, specifically, can an MD do that a DO can't do in the USA? In fact, I would say D.O.'s can do more than M.D.'s if you count OMM. Not to turn this into an M.D. vs. D.O. pissing match, I know there are already more than enough of those(1 is more than enough), but I am just curious what you meant by the term "most"?
Everyone sing along…
Anything you can do,
I can do better.
I can do anything
Better than you.
No, you can’t.
Yes, I can. No, you can’t.
Yes, I can. No, you can’t.
Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!
Anything you can be
I can be greater.
Sooner or later,
I’m greater than you.
No, you’re not. Yes, I am.
No, you’re not. Yes, I am.
No, you’re NOT!. Yes, I am.
Yes, I am!
From the musical, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
Sorry… couldn’t help it. Former theatre major.
… yeah I knew no matter what I said in this, it was going to sound like that. And it does.
My only reason for posting that was that I honestly am curious if there is anything anyone can say (aside from international work in some places) about MD having legal authority to do something, anything, that a DO can’t. I already know the answer, I guess, so I shouldn’t have bothered. Still, since I am likely going to have to make a decision in the next 2 - 4 months between MD and DO, I am really looking at every possible angle.
Sorry to come off as defensive. I’m not even in a school yet, so I can’t really claim one side or the other, and the fact that there even ARE sides really pisses me off, frankly. The only side that really loses from the whole political war over the past century between AMA and AOA is the state of American Health Care. However, as you can probably tell, I am leaning toward DO schoool, myself.
- SamMed Said:
My only reason for posting that was that I honestly am curious if there is anything anyone can say (aside from international work in some places) about MD having legal authority to do something, anything, that a DO can't. I already know the answer, I guess, so I shouldn't have bothered. Still, since I am likely going to have to make a decision in the next 2 - 4 months between MD and DO, I am really looking at every possible angle.
Sorry to come off as defensive. I'm not even in a school yet, so I can't really claim one side or the other, and the fact that there even ARE sides really pisses me off, frankly. The only side that really loses from the whole political war over the past century between AMA and AOA is the state of American Health Care. However, as you can probably tell, I am leaning toward DO schoool, myself.
I think your point is well taken. At present, there is no difference in opportunities within the 50 United States between M.D. and D.O., apart from occasional prejudicial attitudes and not enough public awareness of what a D.O. is.
The OP's question is a valid one; Australia recognizes only the British version of osteopathy which is mostly the OMM minus the general medical training. The AOA is working on the international recognition of the American D.O. and I am hopeful that over the next few years there will be more international opportunities for those of us interested in working abroad.