If one wanted to become a general surgeon, is it better to go to a DO school or foreign MD, and why?
Actually, if you go for the DO, you can have two opportunities as long as your COMLEX/USMLE are competitive enough. DO’s have their own residencies or you can compete for a MD surgical residency.
It might be tougher for the foreign MD, not impossible, but harder. You would really have to get an real high score on the USMLE.
A DO is a graduate of an American Medical School. There are no restrictions and the residency programs are aware of the training that you received. Going out of state makes you a Foreign Medical Graduate. You will not be given the same consideration for residency spots in the US. Rather, you will be on the bottom of the list over any Medical Student from an American Medical School.
I will echo what the others have said. As a DO you will have many opportunities to get into quality surgical residency programs in the US, whether they are MD or DO affiliations. IMHO, foreign medical schools are wonderful opportunities for those students who may not, for whatever reason, be accepted into a US program and who have a strong desire to become a physician. However, the unfortunate reality is that students who do graduate from foreign medical schools do not have equal footing with those from American schools with respect to gaining residency positions.