William Carey plans to add medical school - USM Forum -- Message Board

asdf · Status: Offline

William Carey plans to add medical school

Godless Liberal · Status: Offline

When SFT was mulling this possibility over and asked my opinion (maybe the last time he bothered doing this), I suggested that a DO program would fill a regional need, fit nicely with our mission, and be perhaps a bit more palatable to Old Mess and the IHL. The powers that be thought, however, that nothing less than an MD program would befit our world class status (which was a crash and burn).

Austin Eagle · Status: Offline

Godless Liberal wrote:

When SFT was mulling this possibility over and asked my opinion (maybe the last time he bothered doing this), I suggested that a DO program would fill a regional need, fit nicely with our mission, and be perhaps a bit more palatable to Old Mess and the IHL. The powers that be thought, however, that nothing less than an MD program would befit our world class status (which was a crash and burn).

That is unfortunate, short-sighted, and just plain stupid. Godless Liberal's suggestion should have been heeded. Osteopathic medical schools have exactly the same pre-requisites and admission requirements as do traditional med schools. The curriculum is virtually identical, licensure requirements in most states are the same, and a DO may (and many do) enter any residency program available to an MD. I attended the U. of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, a perennial top 10 school. There there was a sizeable contingent of DO's in residency programs there, primarily from the U. of North Texas osteopathic medical school in Fort Worth. One would have been hard pressed to discern any difference between their training and abilities, and those of MD's. Many respected universities, Michigan State and Oklahoma State come to mind, have osteopathic medical schools. Interestingly enough, there was a proposal before the Texas legislature some years ago which would have allowed the exchange of a DO diploma for an MD credential. Lobbyists from the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association fought and ultimately helped defeat this proposal.

Harrumph,
AE evileye

Godless Liberal · Status: Offline

Agreed. I was on faculty at a med school in Philly before coming to USM (Department of Psychiatry), and many of the residents were DO trained. Some were a bit older, and second career folks (there was a pipeline through PCOM). When I sat on the IRB there, the DO faculty represented a full range of specialities (the chair of the IRB was a DO surgeon). All were well-trained and sharp--and nice people. It would have been great to have a DO program affiliated with USM and the local hospitals.

LVN · Status: Offline

Does anyone know if there's any truth to the perception that USM grads have a harder time being accepted at UM School of Medicine, than grads of the other two big universities?? I've heard that, but wondered if it's true.