Path to Becoming a DO

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I say this to my patients and medical students all the time. Everyone’s journey to medical school is unique - some matriculate straight from college, others take time off or have an entire career before deciding on medicine (in my medical school class we had a nurse, a lawyer, and an opera singer). Whatever path you’re on, keep a steady pace, don’t lose sight of what’s ahead, and know that you will get to the finish line.

I chose DO over MD when it came to applying for medical school because I admired the holistic philosophy and osteopathic approach. I liked the idea of having osteopathic manipulative medicine as an extra alternative tool to offer patients. I also shadowed a DO who inspired me to go to his medical school - the way he interacted with his patients, getting down at eye level, taking a seat to focus on them and not the computer or documentation, how he knew each patient's story made me aspire to be like him. And you can too! Here is a simple outline of how to become a DO. Plus you can keep scrolling to learn more about my own path:

• 4 years of undergraduate in any major as long as you complete pre-med requirements.
• I earned a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Classics
• I loved combining the arts and sciences and was even able to travel abroad three times (London, Italy, and the Netherlands).
• Learning Greek and Latin helped me with medical terminology as well.
• One thing my dad taught me was not to judge a school (whether college or medical school) by its name but by the curriculum and the professors - learn about their background and teaching styles, what the course structure is for however many years. Get a feel for if it offers what you're looking for and if it can help you achieve your future goals.
• Get involved in extracurriculars like clubs/organizations, volunteering, shadowing, and research.
• I was an EMT, as well as an ER volunteer, research assistant for several labs, and more.
• I shadowed DOs and MDs during college for early clinical exposure.
• These experiences introduced me to patient care, which helped solidify my desire to become a doctor.
• Take MCAT exam, apply, interview, get accepted to medical school. I summarized this in one line but, of course, it’s not that easy.
• I took the MCATs twice to work on improving my score. Fun fact, I applied to medical school while I was doing research in the Netherlands...talk about a challenge - coordinating all the paperwork and making phone calls from another country is not easy, especially with time zone differences.
• I was accepted my first time applying but I know some incredible doctors who didn’t get in until their 2nd or 3rd cycle.
• As I said in the beginning, not everyone goes to medical school right away and that’s NORMAL. I matriculated straight out of college but I had classmates who took time off or had an entire career before deciding on medicine - one was a nurse, one was a lawyer, and one was even an opera singer. 
• If you want it badly enough, you will succeed.
• 4 years medical school with OMM (Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine) courses.
• This is broken down into two years of medical knowledge (think - hitting the books) and two years of clinical rotations (where you are actually working in clinics/hospitals).
• Don’t forget to get involved in clubs/organizations, research, and volunteer opportunities. That’s right - on top of endless studying, exams, and reviews you want to keep building experiences that will help you find and match into your future specialty.
• Take COMLEX Levels 1, 2, and 3 (+/- USMLE)
• These are the medical school board exams you need to pass as a DO (one of which includes a clinical skills portion).
• I also took USMLE (specific for allopathic or MD) but now that residency programs have merged, it’s not really necessary and IMO it’s a money grab.
• Apply, interview, and match into residency (3-7 years on average +/- fellowship).
• By now you have graduated from medical school and have earned the title of "Doctor" but are still in need of refining your clinical and diagnostic skills. This involves additional training in your chosen specialty.
• Note that not everyone goes into residency right away or at all - it depends on how you want to use the DO degree. I knew some doctors who chose to work in research, quality improvement/medical startups, and pharmaceutical industries with their knowledge rather than go into clinical practice.
• The match process itself is weirdly kind of similar to a dating app. More info in future posts. I ended up in Philadelphia at one of my top choices for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
• Once you’ve graduated from residency you have the option to further specialize in fellowship. For example, I’m doing Cancer Rehabilitation, helping medically manage and optimize patients' functionality and quality of life before, during, and after cancer treatments.

Finally, this time next year I will have reached the metaphorical “finish line” and be able to call myself an attending! But that doesn't mean it's over. A doctor is a lifelong learner, helper, and healer.

Did I know I wanted to go into PM&R when I started medical school? No.

Did I know I wanted to be a Cancer Rehabilitation doctor when I started residency? No.

Did I know I wanted to be a great doctor, inspire my patients (and you) to be their best selves? Yes, and that’s what matters. All the rest comes with time, patience, and a little networking over Butterbeer (at least that's how I ended up learning about Cancer Rehabilitation).

Questions? Feel free to DM me on IG (@doctor.cole), send me an e-mail, or leave a comment below!