5 Qustions, Answers About Attending Osteopathic Medical School

Fewer than 50 percent of medical school applicants to traditional allopathic medical schools are accepted, which leaves many applicants wondering about their other options. These include osteopathic or off-shore medical schools.

For many applicants who do not want to consider leaving the U.S. to attend medical school, enrolling in an an osteopathic medical school is the only realistic way to practice medicine. And with the number of osteopathic medical schools in the U.S. increasing, this has become a very attractive option.

1. W hat is the difference between an allopathic and osteopathic medical education? The most obvious difference between allopathic and osteopathic schools is that graduates of allopathic medical schools earn a medical doctor degree -- and M.D. -- whereas osteopathic graduates earn a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree -- a D.O. So, simply looking at the initials next to a doctor's name will tell you what type of medical school he or she attended.

Get more [information on the differences between an M.D. and a D.O.]

The other significant way in which osteopathic and allopathic medical educations differ is that osteopathic medical students learn osteopathic manipulative medicine of the spine, bones and muscles as an adjunct to diagnosing and treating patients. Students spend about 200 hours of their osteopathic medical educations learning about OMM.

In addition, osteopathic education in theory puts a greater emphasis on the importance of holistic care, which highlights the value of getting to know patients as people and carefully considering the value of preventive care and patient education. In my experience, however, allopathic medical schools espouse similar ideals.

2. Do students apply to osteopathic medical school primarily because it is easier to get accepted? For many applicants, the answer to this question is yes, but getting accepted to an osteopathic school still isn't easy. You still need to do very well in medical school prerequisites and on the MCAT and must pursue meaningful extracurricular activities.

And the competition for admission is intense. Last year, nearly 16,500 applicants vied for 5,600 first year spots . But overall, students accepted to osteopathic medical schools have lower average MCAT scores and GPAs that their allopathic counterparts.

Last year's entering class, for example, had an average MCAT score of 26 and an overall GPA of 3.4. This compares with an average MCAT of 31 and overall GPA of 3.69 for allopathic students who matriculated last year.

Find out [how to show commitment on a medical school application.]

3. What do osteopath ic schools practice and what are my chances of getting the residency I want? More than half of osteopathic medical school graduates, who may continue their training in allopathic or osteopathic residency programs, practice in primary care fields, including family practice, internal medicine and pediatrics.

This high percentage is in part because osteopathic medical schools attract students who are interested in primary care. It's also because the more competitive specialties and residency programs won't consider osteopathic medical students and instead give preference to allopathic graduates.

Starting next year, The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, the accreditation body for allopathic residency programs, will start to accredit osteopathic programs as well.. I doubt that this move will change the admissions standards of the individual programs and institutions, however.

4. Which licensing exam to I take -- the COMLEX or USMLE ? When considering osteopathic medical school, it is important to understand the difference between the two existing licensing exams. The comprehensive osteopathic medical licensure exam, or COMLEX, is the preferred exam for osteopathic residency admissions committees. The United States licensing exam, or USMLE, is the preferred exam of allopathic residency programs.

Therefore, osteopathic medical school graduates need to decide whether or not to take one or both of these exams -- a decision largely determined by the competitiveness of the specialty they will pursue and whether or not they want to join an allopathic residency. The content of these exams overlaps.

One of my osteopathic medical school clients, for example, decided to play it safe and take both the COMLEX and USMLE exams and applied to both osteopathic and allopathic residency programs. She recently matched into a competitive allopathic emergency medicine residency.

Follow [four steps to assembling a top-notch medical school resume.]

5. So, s hould I apply to osteopathic medical schools? Applicants need to be realistic and objective about their competitiveness for U.S. allopathic medical schools. Often, borderline applicants apply to allopathic and osteopathic medical schools simultaneously.

If you do not understand the nuances of osteopathic practice, shadow an osteopathic physician to learn about the discipline. In my experience, the way in which osteopathic and allopathic physicians practice varies little. However, if you know you someday want to pursue a competitive residency such as neurosurgery or dermatology,you need to consider that the chances of achieving your goal are much lower via the osteopathic route.

My work with students has made me realize how many of them put too much emphasis on the initials that will follow their names. Many won't even contemplate osteopathic medical school because they want only an "M.D." after their names.

Everyone has his or her own ideas of what defines success and it is important to be honest about yours as well as your competitiveness as an applicant. At the same time, remember that an osteopathic medical degree will offer you the privilege of practicing medicine.

Jessica Freedman, M.D., is a former faculty member at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where she served on the medical school admissions committee. She is the founder of MedEdits Medical Admissions, a medical school admissions consulting company. She is also the author of four books on applying to medical school and for residency, including "The MedEdits Guide to Medical School Admissions."