<p>Does anyone else find all the multiple tied rankings a bit odd this year?</p>
<p>Law school rankings showed numerous similar ties and in fact a number of schools that were well within the top 100 last year are now Tier 3 schools.</p>
<p>What did they do different this year or how did they change the methodology that is producing these results?</p>
<p>Been too distracted to post. Or if I did post, I don’t see it now 
but D got her UT-SW FA award. Doable. Not very exciting mind you …but doable.</p>
<p>^ Yeah but it starts out so reasonably inexpensive to begin with that ANY award still makes it a darn good buy…;)…</p>
<p>How can I start???
One of my kids has decided to pursue MD/PHD after he graduates in two more years.
You posters know so much…I’m really starting to read some of the Premed threats…but at this time I have a lot of concepts in my head: Pre-med courses, when to take MCAT, where and courses to take…</p>
<p>But at this stage all this information is a mess in my head…who can lead me? Timeline…process</p>
<p>First time in the Pre-Med forum! Thanks ahead for all your support and suggestions!</p>
<p>Read the sticky notes on the first page of the pre-med forum, maybe read them again 
then start asking questions. We are here to help and everything is fresh in our minds!</p>
<p>
So, if your goal is not research but to be a practicing physician, whether that be a family practice doc or some sub sub specialist, does one just totally disregard the primary care ranking? How do you “judge” the schools in that area?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, USN doesn’t put together such rankings. I’ve always been curious – they used to publish their formula online and maybe still do – to see what would happen if you took the research formula but took out research dollars from it.</p>
<p>Most students follow the research rankings in this situation. But it’s a shame that USN doesn’t put together a better clinical ranking.</p>
<p>You could also just use the residency director scores. My impression is that those are a little bit self-selected, unfortunately, but they should still be useful.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The difference in clinical training between medical schools is much less than the difference in research capabilities. In addition, it’s difficult to quantify the quality of clinical training.</p>
<p>And I don’t know why people keep confusing “primary care” with “clinical.” If you practice dermatology, radiology, neurosurgery you are doing clinical practice but not primary care. Primary care rankings have nothing to do with a school’s clinical training.</p>
<p>Other than percentage of students entering primary care fields, I haven’t figured out what the Primary Care Rankings purport to measure. I tend to look at the research rankings and pick and choose among the data and create my own ideas of where I would rank the schools I am interested in comparing. Other than that, it’s just a short-hand, lazy way of comparing schools and it is of little value. But, in at least one instance, it is still BETTER than the MSAR with their absolutely goofy choice of showing stats of accepted students instead of matriculated students. That still confuses lots of folks.</p>
<p>It doesn’t even measure that – it includes internal medicine and pediatrics as primary care fields even though a large number of those students are going to enter fields like cardiology.</p>
<p>Thanks somemom…just created a thread concerning the Timetable about the process. Reading some of the thread it looks like a real journey…</p>
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</p>
<p>How does one find out about a school’s clinical training? It is just word of mouth?</p>
<p>Pretty much internet word of mouth or the old fashioned way.</p>
<p>BDM, Norcalguy, and other Physicians and Physicians-to-be,</p>
<p>Could one of you explain the difference between the School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOOM) and a regular MD degree? Somehow the requirements for SOOM appear to be lower than those for an allopathic MD (?)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Do you mean DO?</p>
<p>Pharmagal:</p>
<p>A fairly comprehensive set of articles about osteopathic medicine can be found on Wikipedia. I recommend reading the first paragraphs of the [Doctor</a> of Osteopathic Medicine](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Osteopathic_Medicine]Doctor”>Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine - Wikipedia) entry and then moving onto [Osteopathic</a> medicine in the United States](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_medicine_in_the_United_States]Osteopathic”>Osteopathic medicine in the United States - Wikipedia) and [Comparison</a> of MD and DO in the United States](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_MD_and_DO_in_the_United_States]Comparison”>Comparison of MD and DO in the United States - Wikipedia).</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks, Shades. </p>
<p>Two major differences jump out clearly.</p>
<p>1) difference of 5.6 points on avg MCAT score and 2) difference in % accepted in ACGME residencies.</p>
<p>*In 2007, the average MCAT score and GPA was 30.9 and 3.66 for students entering US-based MD programs[24], and 25.3 and 3.45 for DO applicants.[25]</p>
<p>*In 2003, 99% of new US MDs and 43% of new US osteopaths went on to train in ACGME-accredited residency programs.[</p>
<p>For the second star, just want to mention that doesn’t mean that only 43% of Osteopaths managed to go into residency programs. Just ACGME.</p>
<p>I would think that completing a residency at an Institution certified by ‘Accredited Council for Graduate Medical Education’ should be important, shouldn’t it?</p>
<p>No, the DO’s have their own residency programs. They can train at allopathic or osteopathic residency programs. Since the match for the two types of programs take place at different times, someone can conceivably apply to DO programs, not match, then apply to MD programs and then match. Thus, they have two cracks at whatever specialty they want.</p>
<p>MD’s on the other hand are not allowed to apply for DO residency programs.</p>