This email focuses on applying to medical school completely.
Now that you have submitted your AMCAS application and are working on your secondaries, there is another step you need to take. You need to investigate osteopathic medicine. Anyone interested in becoming a physician needs to understand both allopathic (MD) medicine and osteopathic (DO) medicine. They have much in common but a few key differences. Those differences do not dictate what medical specialty you can pursue, what part of the country or world you can work, or what your future career will be. Many variables will influence these things and the degree will not define them. If older physicians are telling you otherwise, they are wrong.
Everyone should consider osteopathic medicine but those in particular who should do their homework are those of you who
*believe physicians should treat the whole patient, not just the illness;
*believe that the body has the ability to heal itself;
*believe that the least invasive way of treating a patient may be the best;
*believe that physicians should be as broadly educated and open-minded as possible when trying to understand treatments that may benefit their patients.
Read what a couple of DO students have written about the field:
The nation’s Osteopathic Medical Colleges have their data on Applicants and Matriculants at the Data and Trends section on AACOM’s website at:
Additionally, there is social media:
AACOMAS Facebook page – a robust and engaging site for current applicants, prospective applicants and advisors.
WHAT TO DO NOW:
*Read about and talk with DOs about osteopathic medicine.
*You may want to ask a DO to write a letter for you. While many schools no longer require that, some do and it will never be a bad move to obtain one. If you want to have the letter sent here we can include it in the packet that goes out to DO schools provided it is here before you send us your request.
*Email hprc@ase.tufts.edu with the list of DO schools to which you are applying so your letters can be sent to AACOMAS. There is no extra fee for this. Regards,
Carol and Stephanie