{"id":1087,"date":"2026-07-15T08:56:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T15:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/projectmed\/?page_id=1087"},"modified":"2026-08-15T09:11:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T16:11:43","slug":"md-versus-do","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/projectmed\/md-versus-do\/","title":{"rendered":"MD versus DO"},"content":{"rendered":"  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--intro-text align-center\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--intro-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  \n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>People often talk about &#8220;MD or DO, which is better?&#8221; but, what really is the difference between the two? While the requirements are the same, the routes to apply and post-bacc education may look a little different! Regardless, both routes lead to becoming a physician, whether MD or DO!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--featured-block image-left\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--featured-block\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"text-image-container\">\n    <div class=\"text-container\">\n\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Application Differences\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>While most of this site describes the process of applying to MD programs, the process of applying to a DO program is not entirely different! Instead of using AMCAS, the DO applications use AACOMAS for their application cycle. They require most of the same things: finished bachelor&#8217;s program with pre-medical requisite courses completed, MCAT score, letters of recommendation, etc., but they view your application as a whole, through a different lens when compared to the AMCAS application. Schools will look at your application holistically, meaning that your test scores and GPA will not &#8220;make or break&#8221; your chances of getting into medical school! It is, like with any route, incredibly important to get DO exposure prior to your application, likely through shadowing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/bemoacademicconsulting.com\/blog\/medical-school-application-timeline\n  target=\"_blank\"  aria-label=\"Read more about AACOMAS Medical School Application Timeline (Scroll)\"  \n>\n    AACOMAS Medical School Application Timeline (Scroll) \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n          <\/div>\n\n          <div class=\"image-container\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/projectmed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/327\/2026\/07\/AACOMAS1-768x768.webp\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/projectmed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/327\/2026\/07\/AACOMAS1-1280x1280.webp 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/projectmed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/327\/2026\/07\/AACOMAS1-768x768.webp 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 50vw, (min-width:768px) 100vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"aacomas\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n  <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--spacer \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--spacer\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--two-columns \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--two-columns\"\n    \n      >\n\n        \n    <div class=\"col-container\">\n        <div class=\"col-group\">\n                                \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Medical School\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n                                          \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <ul>\n<li>Often more prestigious<\/li>\n<li>Often more competitive to apply to<\/li>\n<li>Easier to match into competitive residencies (Orthopedics, Neuro, Plastics, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Slightly cheaper<\/li>\n<li>Very direct routes once you are in, no additional hoops to jump through<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n        <div class=\"col-group\">\n                                \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Osteopathic Medical School\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n                                            \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <ul>\n<li>Stress &#8220;holistic care&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Sometimes seen as less prestigious<\/li>\n<li>Slightly more expensive<\/li>\n<li>OMS students often have to jump through more hoops than MS students do<\/li>\n<li>Historically has more difficult for OMS students to match into competitive residencies.<\/li>\n<li>All OMS programs are different (this does not apply to all schools)!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                    <\/div>  \n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--quote \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--quote\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                        \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>All in all, once you become a doctor, you are a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  \n\n  <div class=\"quote-container\">\n\n    <div class=\"left\">\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description quote\">\n\n    \n  <p>MD physicians and DO physicians as capable and equally skilled as each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n\n    \n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1153,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1087","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - 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