I am a 25 year old graduate student in speech-language pathology who is considering entering medical school when I graduate next year. My dream is to become an ENT (residency placement willing). I think that speech therapy is a great field and much needed, but I want to do more. All the knowledge of the head and neck that I have obtained in my undergraduate and graduate career fascinates me and I want to do more than 50 minute therapy sessions 2x weekly.

I am concerned about coming in with a masters. Some schools have told me that it looks bad seeing as I want to enter another medical field. They've told me it makes ADCOMs believe that you've become "bored" with your current track. This is not the case at all and I will make it as clear as possible in my personal statement. Has anyone had this issue?

Then there's the DO/MD debate. I have zero idea as of this posting which I would like to enter into. My graduate GPA is 4.0 undergraduate of 3.6. I have been preparing (early, I know) for the MCATs. I shadowed an ENT in the OR this week and observed multiple bilateral myringotomy procedures as well as tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies, septoplasties, etc. and have decided that ENT is definitely the route I want to take.

I know it's a long road to take post-graduate studies, but I know that I will feel more secure in my career if it's in medicine and not strictly therapy. Any thoughts from M.S./M.A. students who have done (or are doing) the same thing? I have had some promising calls with post-bacc programs with linkages with well known MD/DO schools, so this has been a little bit of relief. Thanks!

I am sorry no one has yet answered your post. I am not an md via M.S. /M.A., but my husband teaches at a college that does not have a pre-med track. He has had several students successfully go to med school through post-bacc programs.
I think ENT is pretty competitive, MD programs usually draw students with higher GPA's (compared to DO). My bias is MD (because that is my degree).
Good luck with your plans. (I don't think your masters is a detriment... it is a sign of your maturity and good evidence that you can handle post-grad studies with success).

Being a DO I can honestly tell you I have only seen one DO ENT in the last 10 years. If that is what your heart is set on (and I NEVER SAY THIS) I would go MD. Bear in mind that ENT is super hard to match into so your board scores will need to be very high.

Yes, I second Kathie DO. It is becoming increasingly hard to match into specializations like ENT.

I am also a medical student currently working on my step 1. Hope this forum can help me also.