MD VS DO
Ever since many of us stepped foot on campus we have heard the many debates between what is better: An MD (allopathic medicine) or DO (osteopathic medicine). With some students going as far as saying that one of the degrees is inferior and sometimes labeling them “not real doctors”. However, I am here to tell you most of this talk is just that, talk. So how different are these two paths really? Well, the answer is not very different at all, and are actually more similar than they are different. Both have essentially identical curriculums and technically you could debate that DO’s actually learn more due to they receive extensive additional training on the musculoskeletal system (200+ hours training) as a part of their training in osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), defined by the AOA as a “set of hands-on techniques used by osteopathic physicians to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury.” Outside of the curriculum the real big difference is philosophy, Osteopathic medicine follows a holistic approach and will put a strong focus on preventive care. Where allopathic approach focuses on research-based medicine, and it often uses medications or surgery to treat and manage different conditions. But that doesn’t mean that an allopathic (MD) school won’t teach a holistic approach. So if the education is vastly the same why is there so much debate on which one is better? Well, most of that debate revolves around residency match data and the admission standards. So let’s talk about both a little bit then I will give some resources for you all to dig in and make your own conclusions on what programs you feel fit you the best for when your time to apply comes.
Admission Standards
One reason for debate on which path is better is due to the difference in admissions scores. During the 2020–2021 academic year, the average MCAT and GPA for students entering U.S. MD programs were 511.5 and 3.73, respectively. Yet, in 2018, the averages for individuals matriculating into DO programs were 503.8 and 3.54. However, some will argue that a reason for the DO program’s lower scores is they accept more nontraditional students who may or may not bring their averages down due to factors such as different grading standards when older students went to school among other factors. However, the data does show that in order to get into an MD program in 2021 your statistics do need to be slightly higher on average to get in than if you were to opt for a DO program.
Residency Match
One other traditional comparison between the two is the residency match rates. Where historically MDs are seen to place into more competitive specialties than their DO colleagues who traditionally match into easier to place into family medicine or general practice. Again, this difference is argued because it is debated that many students who go the DO route have their first choice set as family medicine or general practice and the main reason they were attracted to osteopathic medical school was that their belief that the holistic approach translates better to this field than the allopathic approach. Plus, going the DO route doesn’t mean that you can’t specialize as last year 43% of DOs matched to specialties. It is also important to mention as of 2020 there is now a fully combined MD-DO Match System which has yielded positive results for graduates from both types of schools. As reported by the American Medical Association, an “all-time high 6,581 U.S. DO seniors submitted rank order lists of programs, and the 90.7 percent PGY-1 match rate was the highest ever. That percentage is just 3 points lower than the 93.7% Match percentage posted by graduates of US MD-grant medical schools. According to AOA 2019 figures, nearly 57% of DOs practice in primary care specialties: 31.4% are family physicians, 18.1% are internists and 6.89% are pediatricians. By comparison, less than 30% of active U.S. physicians with MD credentials practice in primary care specialties: 11.3% are family physicians or in general practice, 10.6% are internists, and 6.8% are pediatricians. That data comes from the Association of American Medical Colleges.” It’s also important to consider that it is not always the degree that matters when looking at placement rates as the school you attend can play a big factor. For example, even though the average allopathic (MD) match rate in 2020 was 93.6% our very own MSUCOM posted a 99% match rate in the past match. Now for both MD and DO schools some schools are going to perform above average and some below so just keep that in mind when you compare schools.
So which should you choose?
Whatever one you feel fits you best! As Benjamin R. Chan, MD, Associate Dean for Admissions at the University of Utah School of Medicine says, “What I tell everyone is you should apply to both. Then, if you get into both schools, just the same as if you got into two osteopathic schools or two allopathic schools, you need to do your research as a premed to figure out which is the best fit”. It is really all just built on fit and where you can see yourself succeeding so don’t let stigmas or the kid in your orgo one class push you one way or another. Do your research and find your best fit.
Resources:
American Medical Association MD vs DO
Dr. Gray MD "MD VS DO, Which is Better?"
Dr. Mike DO "MD vs DO, What’s The Difference"
- Josh Klein