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The Most DO-Friendly Vascular Surgery Programs in the US

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by Yousmle Staff in Residency

Are you wondering how DO-friendly (or unfriendly) vascular surgery is as a US medical specialty? Do you want to know your chances of matching in this highly competitive field? Would you love to figure out what vascular surgery programs a DO would stand the best chance?

This article will give you the most up-to-date information on DO-friendly vascular surgery programs. Use this information to strategize on whether – and where – to apply to maximize your chances of matching as a DO in vascular surgery.

Summary:

  • Vascular surgery is a competitive US medical specialty but there are still chances for DOs to match
  • Few residency programs accept at least some DOs, while others have no DO matches
  • Some vascular surgery programs have DOs, but none are filling a majority of spots with DOs
  • See the full list of searchable residency programs to strategize where DOs have recently been the most welcome
  • Be sure to bookmark this page – and sign up for the newsletter – to keep up with the latest residency and USMLE trends and maximize your chances of matching

Table of Contents

What’s the Difference Between a DO and an MD?

Let’s start with some definitions.

DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Licensed physicians trained in “whole body” wellness and treatment techniques in muscle and joint manipulation in addition to mainstream treatments.
Allopathy Vs. Osteopathy

In the US, there are two main branches of registered physician:

  • Allopathy: In this path, doctors train in modern, sometimes referred to as “Western”, medicine to treat symptoms and diseases. Doctors who train in this branch are licensed as Doctors of Medicine (MD)
  • Osteopathy: These doctors have the same education and licensing exams as MDs but have additional training in muscle and joint manipulation. Doctors who train in Osteopathy are licensed as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and have the same residency training and choices as MDs.
COMLEX vs. USMLE

To begin practicing medicine, DOs and MDs must take specific licensing exams:

  • COMLEX-USA: This test assesses osteopathic medical knowledge in addition to allopathic medical knowledge in order to become licensed as a DO in the USA.
  • USMLE: This test assesses allopathic medical knowledge and is required to become licensed as an MD.
NRMP: “National Resident Matching Program®”
  • The organization that administers the “Match.” In the match, the NRMP pairs residency applicants with a residency program.

Note that prior to the 2020 Match, DOs had access to a “pool” of residencies reserved for which only they could match. The current system has merged DO and MD residencies so that every applicant has the same “chance” for matching in their chosen specialty.

For more on how to maximize your match chances and how the “Merge” has changed residency applications, see THE MATCH: Everything You Need to Maximize Your Residency Chances

Vascular Surgery is Not DO-Friendly

Looking at the % of spots filled by DOs in the 2022 Match, we can see Vascular Surgery was not DO-friendly with only 1% of positions filled by DOs.

However, the match rate for DOs in Vascular Surgery (8%) shows the DOs still have a chance for acceptance in Vascular Surgery in the 2022 Match:

Here are the same data represented in a table:

% DO Applied that Matched% DO Unmatched% Positions Filled by DOTotal Positions OfferedTotal # All ApplicantsDO Senior MatchedDO Senior UnmatchedDO Senior Total
**Radiation Oncology0%100%0%185162
**Plastic Surgery0%100%0%194340
Vascular Surgery8%92%1%8414311213
Neurological Surgery43%57%4%24037991221
Dermatology50%50%7%544834383876
Orthopaedic Surgery56%44%13%8751,43511186197
Interventional Radiology59%41%12%169226201434
Otolaryngology60%40%6%361556211435
General Surgery62%38%12%1,6222,400200125325
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation64%36%33%53272517699275
Obstetrics and Gynecology65%35%16%1,5032,044241130371
Anesthesiology66%34%16%1,9692,560313161474
Diagnostic Radiology67%33%15%1,1551,56816984253
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics74%26%9%392458371350
Psychiatry87%13%18%2,0472,56037857435
Child Neurology89%11%9%18818217219
Neurology92%8%15%1,0141,24915013163
Pathology93%7%12%63182775681
Internal Medicine94%6%15%9,80911,5981,503931596
Emergency Medicine95%5%25%2,9212,81373638774
Family Medicine96%4%27%4,9165,0551,345621407
Pediatrics97%3%19%3,0163,15356520585

For more on the most competitive DO medical specialties, see this article.

The Most DO-Friendly Vascular Surgery Residency Programs

While most vascular surgery programs were not DO friendly, some programs may fill some spots with DOs. For example, 3 vascular surgery residencies in the most recent GME census had DO percentages of 8% or higher, and 1 had a DO rate of 20% (University of California Davis Health Program).

Here is a list of the most (and least) competitive vascular surgery programs for DOs. It includes data from the most recent National GME Census Survey. Percentages are of all residents in the program in 2020.

Specialty: Vascular Surgery - Integrated
ACGME residency program codeResidency program nameCityState% residents US DO graduates% residents US MD graduatesOsteopathic Recognition# applications submitted (2021 NRMP Main Match)% applicants interviewed (2020 NRMP Main Match)# of positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match)# of positions (2021 NRMP Main Match)
4510500115University of California Davis Health ProgramSacramentoCA2080No9319.411
4511121031University of South Florida Morsani ProgramTampaFL883No3972822
4513822046Cleveland Clinic Foundation ProgramClevelandOH892No13345.533
4510521021Stanford Health Care-Sponsored Stanford University ProgramPalo AltoCA0100No9224.422
4512100117Louisiana State University School of Medicine ProgramNew OrleansLA0100No1093522
4512400014Massachusetts General Hospital ProgramBostonMA0100No11222
4513521038Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ProgramNew YorkNY0100No13036.133
4514121088UPMC Medical Education ProgramPittsburghPA086No12222.422
4514800113Methodist Hospital (Houston) ProgramHoustonTX091No14029.422
4510121003University of Alabama Medical Center ProgramBirminghamALNo12211
4510321032University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson ProgramTucsonAZNo12014.411
4510421055University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine ProgramLittle RockARNo9522.111
4510500001Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium ProgramLoma LindaCANo011
4510500116UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center ProgramLos AngelesCANo9928.611
4510500117University of California (San Francisco) School of Medicine ProgramSan FranciscoCANo10010.711
4510500118Los Angeles County-Harbor-UCLA Medical Center ProgramTorranceCANo048.111
4510500119University of California (San Diego) Medical Center ProgramLa JollaCANo011
4510512011USC/LAC+USC Medical Center ProgramLos AngelesCANo10419.511
4510700001University of Colorado School of Medicine ProgramAuroraCONo
4510821084Yale-New Haven Medical Center ProgramNew HavenCTNo10735.711
4511021008MedStar Health/Georgetown-Washington Hospital Center ProgramWashingtonDCNo14234.522
4511100032University of Miami/Jackson Health System ProgramMiamiFLNo10311
4511200002Emory University School of Medicine ProgramAtlantaGANo1152522
4511600001Loyola University Medical Center ProgramMaywoodILNo011
4511600568Carle Foundation Hospital ProgramUrbanaILNo4814.711
4511621001McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University ProgramChicagoILNo13317.911
4511621034Southern Illinois University ProgramSpringfieldILNo035.211
4511731095Indiana University School of Medicine ProgramIndianapolisINNo9722.311
4511800001University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics ProgramIowa CityIANo6623.111
4512200002Maine Medical Center ProgramPortlandMENo12721.311
4512400015Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ProgramBostonMANo1181811
4512421013UMass Chan Medical School ProgramWorcesterMANo11721.722
4512500001Ascension Providence/MSUCHM ProgramSouthfieldMINo
4512521035University of Michigan Health System ProgramAnn ArborMINo11420.211
4512531015Spectrum Health/Michigan State University ProgramGrand RapidsMINo10420.511
4512600062University of Minnesota ProgramMinneapolisMNNo9527.111
4512612061Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Rochester) ProgramRochesterMNNo12222.311
4512800112Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium ProgramSt. LouisMONo11616.711
4512800113St Louis University School of Medicine ProgramSt LouisMONo11230.111
4513221059Dartmouth-Hitchcock/Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital ProgramLebanonNHNo12318.811
4513300125Rutgers Health/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School ProgramNew BrunswickNJNo11528.411
4513300126Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/Cooper University Hospital ProgramCamdenNJNo11727.222
4513300128Rutgers Health/New Jersey Medical School ProgramNewarkNJNo011
4513500114Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine ProgramBronxNYNo12246.811
4513500121NYU Grossman School of Medicine ProgramNew YorkNYNo12219.511
4513500122Albany Medical Center ProgramAlbanyNYNo10624.411
4513500123Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell ProgramNew Hyde ParkNYNo052.111
4513512002Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Lenox Hill Hospital ProgramNew YorkNYNo12421.711
4513513004University at Buffalo ProgramBuffaloNYNo11027.611
4513521006University of Rochester ProgramRochesterNYNo11418.511
4513521051Stony Brook Medicine/University Hospital ProgramStony BrookNYNo11027.711
4513600008Duke University Hospital ProgramDurhamNCNo10721.211
4513621007University of North Carolina Hospitals ProgramChapel HillNCNo12529.211
4513800122Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center ProgramClevelandOHNo12614.611
4513800123Ohio State University Hospital ProgramColumbusOHNo10223.111
4513831043TriHealth (Good Samaritan Hospital) ProgramCincinnatiOHNo10043.911
4513831078University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine ProgramCincinnatiOHNo1113711
4514000001Oregon Health & Science University Hospital ProgramPortlandORNo
4514100001Geisinger Health System ProgramDanville, PAPANo0
4514100120University of Pennsylvania Health System ProgramPhiladelphiaPANo13010.411
4514100123Albert Einstein Healthcare Network/Einstein Medical Center Montgomery ProgramEast NorritonPANo10248.811
4514113014Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center ProgramHersheyPANo11736.911
4514131111Allegheny Health Network Medical Education Consortium (AGH) ProgramPittsburghPANo10638.511
4514531010Medical University of South Carolina ProgramCharlestonSCNo11530.722
4514800124University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals ProgramGalvestonTXNo10841.511
4514800125University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ProgramHoustonTXNo13113.811
4514800126Baylor College of Medicine ProgramHoustonTXNo12714.411
4514800127University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center ProgramDallasTXNo288.211
4515100002Eastern Virginia Medical School ProgramNorfolkVANo3610.111
4515100003Virginia Commonwealth University Health System ProgramRichmondVANo0
4515400007University of Washington School of Medicine ProgramSeattleWANo12517.222
4515500126Charleston Area Medical Center/West Virginia University (Charleston Division) ProgramCharlestonWVNo10326.311
4515631005University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics ProgramMadisonWINo10715.711

Concluding Thoughts

Vascular surgery is a competitive specialty for DOs. Thus, there are few places for DOs with only 3 residency programs accepting at least one DO. Therefore, DOs who hope to match into the most prestigious residency programs may face more competition, as some programs have no DOs. (eg., Harvard-MGH and Johns Hopkins).

Are you despairing at your chances of matching into vascular surgery as a DO? Then, check out Never Forget, where you can learn how to master – not memorize – for the impressive USMLE scores to match at your dream residency. And if you’re looking for a residency advisor, look at our residency advisory services.

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Want FREE Cardiology Flashcards?

Cardiology is key for impressive USMLE scores. Master cardiology from a Harvard-trained anesthesiologist who scored USMLE 270 with these 130+ high-yield flash cards. You’ll be begging for cardio questions - even if vitals make you queasy.

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