Many applicants debate whether to consider allopathic (M.D.) or osteopathic (D.O.) medical programs to pursue their careers in medicine. As it's important to make an informed decision about an academic path that will affect at least four years of your life--not to mention your pocketbook--we thought it would be helpful to profile a different type of medical school, since many premedical students may not be aware of this alternative path to a medical career.
The College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., is a well known program that offers opportunities for training at multiple clinical training sites throughout southern California. (Osteopathic medicine promotes therapeutic techniques that emphasize prevention, in addition to teaching allopathic subjects and techniques.) These affiliations provide students with a broad clinical exposure, which prepares them for the clinical grind of residency training.
[Learn how to decide between an M.D. and a D.O.]
Speaking with students, alumni, and faculty, some key points about the Western experience emerged:
1. Interdisciplinary curriculum: In addition to highlighting the emphasis in Western's curriculum on case-based learning, students, alumni, and faculty also praised its efforts to help students acclimate to working with an interprofessional team of allied health professionals. That team includes physician assistant students, veterinary medicine students, as well as students from other specialties with whom aspiring osteopaths will need to interact effectively in the patients' best interests.
Western places a strong emphasis, members of its community say, on collaboration, effective communication, and empathy for patients. "We may have an applicant with a 3.8 GPA and a 35 MCAT, and they may not get in, because they may not be able to communicate well with families and colleagues, or advocate for their patients," says Michelle Emmert, Western's assistant dean for student affairs.
"As a whole, Western emphasizes approaching patients from a holistic standpoint," Emmert added.
[Read about how medical schools embrace alternative medicine.]
2. Proactive prevention: Western graduates frequently say that studying medicine through an osteopathic lens instills a focus on primary prevention, or preventing diseases from occurring in the first place, rather than waiting until patients develop a condition.
Western graduate Michael Carragher, who practices osteopathic medicine, says he didn't want to practice medicine by just following formulas. "At Western, I was able to be proactive in prevention," he says.
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Medical School Profile: Western University of Health Sciences