McKayla Muse, DO, is a member of the first class to graduate from the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences at the Cherokee Nation (OSU-COM at Cherokee Nation). In March, she matched to an internal medicine residency at the OSU Stillwater campus with her COMLEX-USA scores alone. We were excited to celebrate her success and to share her thoughts and advice for future DO graduates.
Why did you choose osteopathic medicine as a profession?
My pre-med advisor encouraged me to apply to both MD and DO schools. At the time, I didn’t know what the difference was. After shadowing an osteopathic pediatrician, I learned the value of osteopathic medicine. I had also heard a rumor that DOs have a harder time matching into residencies because of biases, but I quickly learned that DO seniors were matching at the same rate as MDs—and matched at an even higher rate this year than they did last year. Some people still hold onto these archaic biases, but it’s important to remember that they were created years ago, and many things have changed since then. That is why I ultimately ignored them and chose osteopathic medicine. I never understood why insubstantial obstacles were trying to deter me from this path.
I was especially moved by the atmosphere of growth when I initially interviewed at OSU-COM at Cherokee Nation. As soon as I stepped foot on the campus, I knew it would be my future. During multiple lectures, we discussed what it meant to be an osteopathic physician and how to integrate that into practice. As I learned what sets DOs apart, I developed a basic understanding of osteopathic principles that have now become ingrained in my everyday patient care.
As DOs, we take a holistic approach; we focus on the whole patient; we see patients as people instead of just a set of symptoms. These principles align with my personal values, which only developed further when I started my clinical rotations and experienced how osteopathic medicine goes deeper into the ‘why’ of our patients’ symptoms. It unites body systems and lifestyle improvements to create an overarching view of the patient, adding color to the bigger picture and improving their health and well-being.
How did you prepare for COMLEX-USA, and what advice do you have for others about to take the exam?
I did foundational work to reinforce concepts in pharmacology, biochemistry, embryology, cell biology, and more. Answering practice questions was the primary way my fellow students and I became comfortable with taking COMLEX-USA because they ensure that I’m not only familiar with the question format, but confident in the material being covered.
Because I struggled with test anxiety during medical school, an invaluable lesson I learned was to give yourself grace. There will be times when you are not 100 percent “with it,” and that’s okay. That’s when you should give time back to yourself, including self-care. It allows you to take a moment to breathe and center yourself through a very stressful time in your life. Personally, I love watching what I call “trash TV,” which is all the dating shows on Netflix.
Why did you choose to not take other licensing examinations?
I felt confident that applying to Internal Medicine with COMLEX-USA would reflect my readiness to take on the academic rigors of residency. I matched into Internal Medicine with my COMLEX-USA scores, and am proud that the specialty I am part of has come forward in support of the use of COMLEX-USA scores for DO applicants.
COMLEX-USA is the exam for DOs, and because of the Single Accreditation System (SAS), I did not feel the need to take both exams.
I think that the SAS made it to where COMLEX is equivalent to USMLE. This equivalency is a huge step in removing the biases that DOs face. It decreases the need to take two exams that are seen as equivalent and subsequently reduces cost for osteopathic medical students. I hope to see soon that all specialties adopt this understanding.
What are you looking forward to the most in the next stage of your journey?
It has always been a dream of mine to be a physician, and now I finally get to make that dream a reality. I started residency in July 2024, and I am so excited to apply my knowledge from my osteopathic medical school to practice. My journey to this point has been a rollercoaster, and I want to give back to the people who helped mold who I am today. I look forward to being one of the many wonderful physicians who chose to help better their communities through osteopathic medicine.