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Why Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Tips and Examples
Our team of editors have put together a step by step process on how to approach the most common secondary essays . Below we dive into the “Why Osteopathic Medicine” secondary prompt.
Introduction
Getting another secondary application is just a step closer to being accepted into medical school. For this particular “Why DO” secondary prompt , it is essential to convey your interest in osteopathic medicine beyond the surface-level perspective. Here are some tips to hopefully heighten your chances of acceptance:
Recount your own personal experiences with osteopathic medicine.
This could be shadowing osteopathic physicians or your own experiences with physicians of whom are DOs. Regardless, the key is to not just relay these experiences but make the connection to how they relate to your own motivation to become an osteopathic physician. In doing so, try to transcend the typical “holistic approach” since taking into consideration the patient in a holistic manner is certainly something many allopathic physicians do as well.
Brush up on the Osteopathic Tenets to learn more about the foundation of osteopathy:
- The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
- The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
- Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
- Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.
– American Osteopathic Association
- Discuss Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM)
This is often a point of osteopathy that interests students due to the opportunity to use hands-on skills to benefit a patient’s structure and corresponding function. Training in osteopathic medicine allows students to build a kinesthetic database to later register dysfunction in patients alongside a multitude of tissue texture changes. Osteopathic medical students are also often excellent at interpersonal communication skills and anatomy due to the additional coursework in osteopathy early in their education. To that end, if any of these points interest you, you might discuss them in terms of how they relate to you and your own goals.
- Be specific.
This point may seem minuscule but it is essential. Let’s compare examples below:
- The hands-on approach to osteopathy is something that interests me in pursuing an education in osteopathic medicine.
- The hands-on approach to osteopathic medicine is something of which interests me to the utmost extent due to having a hands-on learning style myself.
As you can see, the second example is certainly more specific in that it demonstrates why the hands-on aspect of osteopathic medicine interests this student. Overall, the overarching lesson here is specificity can go a long way in demonstrating your interest in osteopathic medicine.
Why Osteopathic Medicine Essay Examples
- Recount your own personal experiences with osteopathic medicine.
- Brush up on the Osteopathic Tenets to learn more about the foundation of osteopathy:
Why are you interested in osteopathic medicine and why are you applying to the MSUCOM? (300 words)
The decision to pursue osteopathic medicine did not crystallize until after my friend’s brother helped me recover from an ankle sprain. It required years battling with a spinal deformity, coupled with working with an osteopathic physician to realize that I wholeheartedly believed in the principles of osteopathic medicine. The ideas that resonated with me were treating the patient as a whole and the opportunity to learn osteopathic medicine manipulation (OMM) that I found aligned with my own learning style and values. Osteopathic medicine allows me the opportunity to practice medicine with principles that could circumvent patients being treated for solely their symptoms, but rather as a whole entity, a personal goal of mine.
Therefore, I applied to MSUCOM because of its unique electives that expose students to OMM techniques and its strong advocacy for the underserved population through community integrated medicine and Detroit Street Care. As a believer in the benefits of osteopathic medicine, I strive to have maximal exposure to contribute to raising further awareness of osteopathic medicine and its benefits. I believe MSUCOM’s unique electives that offer students early exposure to OMM techniques as well as allow students real-time feedback will serve to improve my skills and the contribution I can make. Growing up without insurance, I am familiar with the plight of the underserved population. I have served in a federally approved center that serves the underserved population at no additional cost in NJ, and I would love to participate in the community integrated medicine and Detroit street care to provide support for those most in need of care.
I am confident that MSUCOM’s education would be the best preparation I could receive to achieve my mission of addressing the imperfections of our healthcare system in order to provide affordable care for patients and deliver holistic care that treats the whole person rather than exclusively the disease.
Why do you believe CCOM would provide you with the type of osteopathic medical education you are seeking? (1500 characters)
I want to become an osteopathic physician due to the fact that I believe medicine extends beyond temporizing solutions. It should permeate aspects of a person’s mind and body as they reciprocally affect the other. I long to practice medicine, where I am able to find a solution beyond the recovery of a patient’s body and taking into consideration the etiology. Furthermore, I want to become a physician who will build longitudinal rapport and establish a deep connection with patients. I have witnessed the immense benefit of this when patients feel a bond with their physician and strive to do similarly as an osteopathic physician myself. To that end, I am confident that CCOM will provide me with the osteopathic training necessary to curate my compassion and train me to impact patients in such a way. CCOM has established a patient-centered curriculum, which has evolved and incorporates elements of modern medicine to continuously train future physicians to practice the philosophies of osteopathic medicine. These principles ultimately align with the values I wish to possess and evolve as a medical student and future physician as well as am humbled to be considered by CCOM.
Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician? (500 characters)
My desire to pursue osteopathic medicine began when I received OMM for an impinged shoulder. The way OMM catalyzed my body’s ability to heal when traditional anti-inflammatory medications had stopped working helped me realize there were depths and nuances to medicine that I had yet to explore. This integrated way of thinking and depth of understanding the body as a unit is something I aspire to discover as a future physician. Therefore, I feel strongly that an osteopathic medical education is an ideal fit for my goals and personality.
Remember that there are many different ways to ask “Why osteopathic medicine?” Therefore, do not be thrown off if the secondary question is some variation of the common question. The important thing is to convey your interests in osteopathic medicine as well as how your experiences and values demonstrate this interest. My biggest piece of advice? Do not overthink it and be sure to make it true to your goals and who you are as a person. Good luck!
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How to Answer the “Why Osteopathic Medicine?” Interview Question
- By Med School Insiders
- August 14, 2023
- AACOMAS , do , Interview , Osteopathic
Medical school interviews are upon you, and you must do everything you can to prepare. While you may be familiar with common interview questions like “Tell me about yourself,” or “Why do you want to attend this medical school?”, if you are planning to apply to osteopathic (DO) schools, there is another question you must be prepared for. DO applicants must know how to answer the “Why osteopathic medicine?” interview question.
In this post, we break down how to prepare the best possible answer to the “Why osteopathic medicine?” question, as well as what interviewers are looking for and what the DO medical school interview process looks like.
The Purpose of the “Why Osteopathic Medicine?” Interview Question
Similar to your osteopathic personal statement , schools want to know why you are pursuing osteopathic medicine specifically. They want to know you’re not just looking at DO schools as a backup plan and are actually passionate about practicing osteopathy.
There are many similarities between allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) physicians. Namely, MDs and DOs are both licensed to practice medicine in the US, both have to complete four years of medical school, followed by residency, and nearly every specialization available to an MD is also available to a DO. That said, each has a different approach and philosophy when it comes to practicing medicine, and these paths don’t come with the same reputation.
An allopathic doctor, also known as a medical doctor (MD), is the most traditional path to becoming a physician in the US. Allopathy is the medical philosophy and system where medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals take a science-based (also known as evidence-based) approach to treating patients with mainstream, modern medicine, such as radiation, drugs, and surgery. MDs focus on prevention and acute care to preserve the health of their patients.
Osteopathic doctors (DOs) have a different philosophy of medicine. They differentiate themselves from MDs with a whole-body approach that treats the person—not the symptoms. DOs focus on holistic care, the interconnectedness of the body’s systems and organs and how they influence each other, and patient-centered treatment. DOs use a wide range of hands-on techniques, such as massage therapy, to support healing and ease pain. It’s also important to note that DOs can only practice medicine in the US.
Learn more: MD vs. DO: Allopathic/Osteopathic Doctor and Med School Comparison .
If you want to pursue osteopathic medicine, it is vital you understand these differences, and even more critical that you’re able to articulate them in front of your interviewer. They want to know what draws you to this type of medicine specifically with examples from your past that clearly demonstrate you understand the difference between MD and DO and are confident in your decision to become an osteopath.
How to Answer the “Why Osteopathic Medicine?” Question
1 | speak to osteopathic values.
It is imperative that you know the overarching principles of osteopathic medicine in and out and can naturally speak about why you are passionate about these values and how they align with your own.
There are four principles of osteopathic training and practice , also known as the tenets of osteopathic medicine. They have been approved as policy by the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates.
- The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
- The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
- Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
- Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.
The focus of osteopathic medicine is on preventing illness and understanding the connections between the various systems and organs in the body, as well as how they influence each other. Osteopathic medicine is holistic and patient-centered and looks beyond the physical symptoms of illness or injury to consider the overall health and wellbeing of their patients.
Why do you share these values? Why do you believe osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) is effective and superior to allopathic approaches? How have you lived these values in your own life, and have you seen the osteopathic approach work?
Always backup your words with authentic anecdotes and concrete examples from your own life.
2 | Avoid Cliches and Generalizations
Don’t be obvious and simply list the principles of osteopathic medicine as your own. Just like with the “Why medicine?” interview question , avoid cliches and common answers, like “I want to help people.” While this is certainly true, it’s also true of every other premed applying to become an MD or DO. You want to stand out from the pack.
While this isn’t easy, you can avoid cliches by providing specific examples from your own past. Your path and ambitions may be similar to your fellow applicants, but the details are unique, so be as specific as possible about your experiences with osteopathy and why you believe it’s the right path for you.
It may sound obvious, but it’s important to actually answer the question being asked. Keep in mind that the question here specifically wants to know why osteopathy—not just why you want to pursue medicine in general.
Why do you, based on everything you currently know about medicine and your past experiences, believe osteopathic medicine is your future?
3 | Provide Examples From Your Experience With Osteopathy
As we’ve touched on previously, providing examples of your experiences with osteopathy is absolutely essential. How else can you authentically say that you want to become a DO if you have no idea what they’re about or what a day in the life of an osteopath actually looks like?
Prove you have the experience to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that osteopathy is right for you; it’s not a last-minute decision based purely on your lackluster MCAT score. Even if your qualifications and test scores are a major factor in your decision, you must not convey this to your interviewer. They need to hear you speak about osteopathy with conviction, enthusiasm, and real world knowledge.
It’s vital that you have worked with or shadowed DOs in the past and know what the profession is like. Use specific examples from your experiences.
What was it about seeing osteopathy at work in a clinical setting that inspired you or made you want to choose this path? What character traits or values did you see in the DO you shadowed that you want to emulate in your future career? What was it like to see manual therapies and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) in practice? When specifically did it click for you that you had to be an osteopath?
The DO Medical School Interview Process
The DO application process is very much like the MD application process, and the same is true of interviews.
Learn more about the application process for osteopathic medical schools in our comprehensive AACOMAS Application Guide For DO Schools .
Just like with allopathic schools, the AACOMAS applications open around the beginning of May each year. Medical schools begin receiving applications around mid-June. Stay on top of your deadlines and submit your application as soon as possible.
Applying early is one of the most critical medical school admission strategies.
Secondaries arrive about two to four weeks after schools receive your primary application, and it’s critical that you get these submitted within 7 to 14 days (two weeks) of receiving them. This is no mean feat, as depending on how many programs you applied to, you could receive as many secondaries all around the same time.
Draft answers to common secondary questions in advance so that you’re as prepared as possible. The faster you submit your secondaries, the faster you’ll receive invitations to interview.
Interview invites could arrive as early as late August or as late as spring of the following year. You may receive invitations at any point during this time, so it is vital that you start preparing for interviews long before you begin receiving invites.
For more information about ideal scheduling, read our Medical School Application Timeline Guide .
It is critical that you respond to your interview invitations as fast as you possibly can, as available dates and times will be gone before you know it. Never forget about rolling admissions —medical schools, including osteopathic schools, review applications on a continuous (rolling) basis, meaning the first people to respond get the first interviews. Since schools only offer spots while they’re available, waiting to schedule your interviews actively lowers your chances of acceptance.
It doesn’t matter how well you perform on the other aspects of your AACOMAS application; if you give a poor interview, it will squander your chance of acceptance. You must prepare for your interviews throughout the entire application process.
Read our comprehensive Medical School Interview Guide for a complete overview of common interview questions, preparation advice, and mistakes to avoid.
Practice With Mock Interviews
Mock interviews give you the opportunity to put your interview skills to the test in a controlled environment and format that authentically simulates interview day. Med School Insiders offers mock interviews with former interviewers who will provide you with direct, insightful feedback on your performance.
Our doctor advisors have served on both sides of medical school admissions committees. We know what it takes to stand out, and we’ll help you craft a standout AACOMAS application that knocks each aspect of the application out of the park.
We also offer a comprehensive course on How to Ace the Medical School Interview that covers the entire interview process, providing you with thorough and thoughtful training. We’ve painstakingly covered everything you need to know, from your packing checklist to thank you notes to body language to example answers, and much more.
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Be Ready to Explain Why You Want to Be an Osteopathic Physician
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As an osteopathic (DO) medical school applicant, you find yourself faced with some form of the question “Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician?” many times during the medical school application process.
Although DO schools have a lot in common with allopathic (MD) schools, they’re also proud of their unique history, traditions, and principles, and they seek students who are genuinely interested in attending an osteopathic medical school. Making the case to DO schools that the osteopathic medical profession is a great fit for you will make you a stronger candidate for admission.
Questions about your interest in osteopathic medicine are popular ones on school-specific secondary (supplemental) applications and during interviews. Although you may have discussed your interest in osteopathic medicine on the personal statement on your American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) primary application, that space is also a place to discuss topics such as your interest in medicine in general and elements of your background that you want to highlight.
Specific questions on secondaries and during interviews allow you to go more deeply into your reasons for applying to DO schools than you did on the primary application.
The first step to crafting a strong response about your interest in osteopathic medicine is understanding the background of the DO profession. If you haven’t already researched the history and development of osteopathic medicine, spend some time reading up on it. A good starting place is What Is Osteopathic Medicine? page at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) site.
If you want to dig more deeply into the history and philosophy of osteopathic medicine, the book The DOs: Osteopathic Medicine in America by Norman Gevitz (The Johns Hopkins University Press) is a good resource. With a firm understanding of how the osteopathic profession evolved in the United States, you’ll be much better equipped to explain why want to be a member of it.
Although understanding the background and philosophy of the DO profession is essential to creating strong responses, the foundation of your answers should be built around your interests and goals as well as your experiences with osteopathic medicine:
For example, if you envision practicing medicine in an underserved area, discuss how you believe that an osteopathic medical education will prepare you to work with this patient population. If you have an affinity for preventive medicine, talk about your desire to incorporate nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle changes into your work with patients and how the osteopathic philosophy fits ideally with that approach.
Make sure that you also include your experiences with osteopathic physicians and how they’ve influenced your decision to apply to osteopathic medical schools. You may have seen osteopathic physicians demonstrating some of the approaches, such as holistic care and the use of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), that attract you to osteopathic medicine. Discussing those methods on your applications and/or with your interviewer make it clear that your interest in osteopathic medicine is based on careful exploration of the profession.
Don’t denigrate allopathic medicine in the process of discussing why you’re interested in osteopathic medicine. Demeaning MDs won’t win you points with DOs; instead, it will make you look unprofessional. Stick with talking about what you like about osteopathic medicine. With that approach, you can’t go wrong!
About This Article
This article is from the book:.
- Getting into Medical School For Dummies ,
About the book author:
Carleen Eaton , MD, has used her expertise in admissions and test preparation, as well as her experiences as an applicant who received acceptances to top-ranked medical schools, to guide hundreds of applicants successfully through the medical school admissions process. She is the founder of prehealthadvising.com, a medical school admissions consulting firm.
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