Best way to increase chances in DO school with limited time?

[bakr89]

I applied this year to 12 different DO schools. So far, it hasn't been too hopeful. I am going to start working full time pretty soon. In anticipation for my new job and the possibility of me not getting into DO school, I started thinking of ways that I can improve my application's appeal to the adcoms with my limited time. If you guys have to choose, do you think retaking the MCAT, getting an EMT certification, shadowing more, or retaking classes would help the most? I got 29 in the MCAT: 11 in bs, 11 in ps, and 7 in verbal. My gpa was 3.31 and my sgpa was 3.42.

Thanks!

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[DrMidlife]

MCAT.

 

[GrapesofRath]

When were you complete? Did you apply to the DO schools with strong regional bias or that get tons of appls mostly

ECs? Specifically I'm asking about clinical experience and volunteering experience.

Recent grade trend? Any recent poor grades or a downward trend?

Your stats are fine for plenty of osteopathic schools. You dont need to retake the MCAT for DO purposes(yes even with the 7 in verbal).

 

[cyang55]

I applied this year to 12 different DO schools. So far, it hasn't been too hopeful. I am going to start working full time pretty soon. In anticipation for my new job and the possibility of me not getting into DO school, I started thinking of ways that I can improve my application's appeal to the adcoms with my limited time. If you guys have to choose, do you think retaking the MCAT, getting an EMT certification, shadowing more, or retaking classes would help the most? I got 29 in the MCAT: 11 in bs, 11 in ps, and 7 in verbal. My gpa was 3.31 and my sgpa was 3.42.

Thanks!

If you have limited time, there isn't too much to do to increase your GPA. Even if you ace a class or two, it will barely impact your GPA.
Shadowing more will help, especially in varied medical fields to show the schools that you are interested in medicine as a whole.
Your MCAT is not extremely low. If you were to study for it again, you do have to keep in mind that you'll be studying for the new MCAT, which has more subjects, longer testing day, etc.

When did you apply? Your chances of getting an invite and acceptance can increase tremendously if you apply as early as possible. If you don't get in this year and don't have time to change anything else, that is one thing I would recommend to do.

 

[bakr89]

When were you complete? Did you apply to the DO schools with strong regional bias or that get tons of appls mostly

ECs? Specifically I'm asking about clinical experience and volunteering experience.

Recent grade trend? Any recent poor grades or a downward trend?

Your stats are fine for plenty of osteopathic schools. You dont need to retake the MCAT for DO purposes(yes even with the 7 in verbal).

I completed my AACOMAS August 11th and finished almost all of my secondaries by the end of August. Some of the schools I applied to have strong regional bias, but I would say most of them don't. I think all of them get tons of apps.

I have 2 years of biomedical engineering research experience. I made a medical app that helps physicians screen for a medical condition. I worked as a bioengineer for a year and I have 60 hours of shadowing experience.

I don't have any consistent downward trends, but I did have a few bad grades towards the end of my academic year, but they wouldn't affect my sgpa. They were related to my major.

 

[bakr89]

If you have limited time, there isn't too much to do to increase your GPA. Even if you ace a class or two, it will barely impact your GPA.
Shadowing more will help, especially in varied medical fields to show the schools that you are interested in medicine as a whole.
Your MCAT is not extremely low. If you were to study for it again, you do have to keep in mind that you'll be studying for the new MCAT, which has more subjects, longer testing day, etc.

When did you apply? Your chances of getting an invite and acceptance can increase tremendously if you apply as early as possible. If you don't get in this year and don't have time to change anything else, that is one thing I would recommend to do.

I applied at the middle of January and my application was verified around mid August. I didn't realize it took 3 weeks for the application to get processed and AACOMAS also lost my transcripts at one point...so yeah.....

 

[bakr89]

@cyang55
My bad...I meant June not January.

 

[cyang55]

I applied at the middle of January and my application was verified around mid August. I didn't realize it took 3 weeks for the application to get processed and AACOMAS also lost my transcripts at one point...so yeah.....

Even if you were verified in August, that isn't too late.
What major were you? Did you take a lot of upper division science classes? One of the reasons I've heard from people who have gotten rejections were that they didn't have many upper division science classes. If you have the time and money, it wouldn't hurt to take and ace a couple of upper division science class. Preferably in biochemistry. They want to make sure that you can handle all of the heavily science focused classes in medical school, especially if your major wasn't science related.

 

[bakr89]

Even if you were verified in August, that isn't too late.
What major were you? Did you take a lot of upper division science classes? One of the reasons I've heard from people who have gotten rejections were that they didn't have many upper division science classes. If you have the time and money, it wouldn't hurt to take and ace a couple of upper division science class. Preferably in biochemistry. They want to make sure that you can handle all of the heavily science focused classes in medical school, especially if your major wasn't science related.

My major was biomedical engineering. All my upper division classes were science classes...I think I could take some more premed prerequisite classes like anatomy and physiology though. For bio classes, I took biochem, cell bio, developmental bio, molecular bio, and genetics

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[cyang55]

My major was biomedical engineering. All my upper division classes were science classes...I think I could take some more premed prerequisite classes like anatomy and physiology though. For bio classes, I took biochem, cell bio, developmental bio, molecular bio, and genetics

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Your gpa is a little on the low side, but nothing too bad. Your MCAT should be fine for most DO schools. You also seem like you have the right kind of classes...I'm not quite sure what you're missing.
Do you have good letters of rec? or have a lot of volunteering/clinical exposure in medicine?
Also, do you mind me asking how many interview invites you have had? Those stats should get you at least a few invites. From there, you have to make them see your love and passion for medicine. I've known people who had high MCAT and GPA scores (3.9+ gpa and 36+ MCAT) and they still get rejected due to not doing well during interviews.

 

[bakr89]

Your gpa is a little on the low side, but nothing too bad. Your MCAT should be fine for most DO schools. You also seem like you have the right kind of classes...I'm not quite sure what you're missing.
Do you have good letters of rec? or have a lot of volunteering/clinical exposure in medicine?
Also, do you mind me asking how many interview invites you have had? Those stats should get you at least a few invites. From there, you have to make them see your love and passion for medicine. I've known people who had high MCAT and GPA scores (3.9+ gpa and 36+ MCAT) and they still get rejected due to not doing well during interviews.

I have three letters of rec but I honestly don't know the content of them so whether they are good or not...I cannot say.

I have about 60 hrs of shadowing experience. I also made a medical app to help screen for a medical condition. It was kind of hard for me to get shadowing experience...

I have had one interview invite, two waitlists, and two rejections. The rest have been quiet....

 

[cyang55]

I have three letters of rec but I honestly don't know the content of them so whether they are good or not...I cannot say.

I have about 60 hrs of shadowing experience. I also made a medical app to help screen for a medical condition. It was kind of hard for me to get shadowing experience...

I have had one interview invite, two waitlists, and two rejections. The rest have been quiet....

One change I would recommend making, if you don't get in this cycle, is getting better LORs. For my letters, the professors I asked were even more excited to write them for me than I was about asking, because they wanted to help me go to medical school. The people writing your letters need to sell you to the committee, and if you don't know if they were good or not, that isn't a good sign. I also had a lor from a doctor that I've shadowed for many years on and off, I think that helped as well.

60 hours isn't much at all. Were the 60 hours of shadowing experience in more than one medical specialty? I know many medical schools like seeing an applicant coming to medical school with a broad view of medicine, and not just one specialty. Even if you can't get shadowing experience, try volunteering at the hospital. Shadowing a DO is a HUGE plus, and getting a LOR from one is even better!

 

[bakr89]

One change I would recommend making, if you don't get in this cycle, is getting better LORs. For my letters, the professors I asked were even more excited to write them for me than I was about asking, because they wanted to help me go to medical school. The people writing your letters need to sell you to the committee, and if you don't know if they were good or not, that isn't a good sign. I also had a lor from a doctor that I've shadowed for many years on and off, I think that helped as well.

60 hours isn't much at all. Were the 60 hours of shadowing experience in more than one medical specialty? I know many medical schools like seeing an applicant coming to medical school with a broad view of medicine, and not just one specialty. Even if you can't get shadowing experience, try volunteering at the hospital. Shadowing a DO is a HUGE plus, and getting a LOR from one is even better!

The reason I wasn't sure was because this happened all through email. I decided to go to med school well after I graduated so it was a bit hard trying to reconnect with my professors to get those LORs. I did get a LOR from the physician I shadowed. And he was also a DO. It was just one specialty unfortunately. Like I said, I didn't have much luck...I asked my own physicians if I could shadow them and I asked around, trying to shadow many others but they required I have my stats within a certain range, be part of some academic institution, or had super strict admin rules that didn't allow students to shadow them...I was exposed to many specialties in different ways though....so...idk. I was actually thinking of getting EMT certification, but I don't know if I will have time in my work week to actually be an EMT.

 

[darknecrosforte]

Shadowing != clinical volunteering or volunteering, in general. THIS is your problem, not your perfectly acceptable MCAT for over half of the DO schools. The verbal section is weak, but luckily, you are given at least 2 opportunities to show your literary talent in the forms of essays. If your experience is weak, use your writing ability to help lessen that weakness. Shadowing is just to mitigate future mental breakdowns. Volunteering is a sign that you aren't just an antisocial nerd who wants to make "big money" or get "prestige".

There is little evidence to convict you of altruism. Sorry, man. I was also in the same boat except for military service as a Marine for 5 years and training fellow servicemen to lose weight to prevent them from getting fired in my free time was my way to demonstrate concern for others when no one is watching.

 

[cyang55]

The reason I wasn't sure was because this happened all through email. I decided to go to med school well after I graduated so it was a bit hard trying to reconnect with my professors to get those LORs. I did get a LOR from the physician I shadowed. And he was also a DO. It was just one specialty unfortunately. Like I said, I didn't have much luck...I asked my own physicians if I could shadow them and I asked around, trying to shadow many others but they required I have my stats within a certain range, be part of some academic institution, or had super strict admin rules that didn't allow students to shadow them...I was exposed to many specialties in different ways though....so...idk. I was actually thinking of getting EMT certification, but I don't know if I will have time in my work week to actually be an EMT.

Finding a doctor to shadow is hard, but I'm sure you can find a few. The varied exposure will help you, and I think your limited shadowing experience is one of the biggest things holding you back. Most applicants have TONS of shadowing or volunteering hours. Some even from as far back as high school.

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/pages/find-a-do-search.aspx

Here is the site where you can find all DOs in your area. I've called 50+ before I heard back from one. After I went through this list, I also went on google and called all of the doctors that weren't on the list. Good luck!

 

[bakr89]

Finding a doctor to shadow is hard, but I'm sure you can find a few. The varied exposure will help you, and I think your limited shadowing experience is one of the biggest things holding you back. Most applicants have TONS of shadowing or volunteering hours. Some even from as far back as high school.

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/pages/find-a-do-search.aspx

Here is the site where you can find all DOs in your area. I've called 50+ before I heard back from one. After I went through this list, I also went on google and called all of the doctors that weren't on the list. Good luck!

Thanks again for all of your help!

 

[cyang55]

Thanks again for all of your help!

Np Good luck!

 

[Goro]

Your stats are fine for many DO schools, including my own. Your PS or secondaries might be weak, or you have some IAs that you're not mentioning, or you have a really lethal red flag of a LOR in your app.

Most Adcom members (including me) view EMT as a glorified taxi driver.

Have you shadowed a DO?
Have DO LOR???

I applied this year to 12 different DO schools. So far, it hasn't been too hopeful. I am going to start working full time pretty soon. In anticipation for my new job and the possibility of me not getting into DO school, I started thinking of ways that I can improve my application's appeal to the adcoms with my limited time. If you guys have to choose, do you think retaking the MCAT, getting an EMT certification, shadowing more, or retaking classes would help the most? I got 29 in the MCAT: 11 in bs, 11 in ps, and 7 in verbal. My gpa was 3.31 and my sgpa was 3.42.

Thanks!

 

[bakr89]

Your stats are fine for many DO schools, including my own. Your PS or secondaries might be weak, or you have some IAs that you're not mentioning, or you have a really lethal red flag of a LOR in your app.

Most Adcom members (including me) view EMT as a glorified taxi driver.

Have you shadowed a DO?
Have DO LOR???

I think writing is one of my strengths. If I had to guess, my lack of experience or my LORS are working against me.

What's an IA?

I shadowed a DO, a neurologist, for a few months, totaling 60 hours of shadowing.

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[Goro]

Institutional Action.

How many clinical volunteering hours? Other ECs?

I think writing is one of my strengths. If I had to guess, my lack of experience or my LORS are working against me.

What's an IA?

I shadowed a DO, a neurologist, for a few months, totaling 60 hours of shadowing.

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[bakr89]

Your stats are fine for many DO schools, including my own. Your PS or secondaries might be weak, or you have some IAs that you're not mentioning, or you have a really lethal red flag of a LOR in your app.

Most Adcom members (including me) view EMT as a glorified taxi driver.

Have you shadowed a DO?
Have DO LOR???

And yes, I also received a LOR from the DO I shadowed.

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[Goro]

When were you complete for your primary app? Have you received secondaries?

 

[bakr89]

Institutional Action.

How many clinical volunteering hours? Other ECs?

Unfortunately, I don't have any clinical volunteering hours.

I have 2 years of biomedical engineering research experience. I made a medical app that helps physicians screen for a medical condition. I worked as a bioengineer for a bit over a year.

 

[bakr89]

When were you complete for your primary app? Have you received secondaries?

I completed my primary in mid July, so it was processed by August. I received secondaries from every school that received my primary application.

 

[Goro]

That would explain it.

What are you going to say when asked how you know you are suited for a life of caring for the sick and suffering? “That you just know”? Imagine how that will go over!

Here's the deal: You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanistic side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.

Here's another way of looking at it: would you buy a new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit or dress without trying it on??

We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.

I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities. The key thing is service to others less fortunate than you. And get off campus and out of your comfort zone!

Examples include: Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, Humane Society, crisis hotlines, soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless or women’s shelter, after-school tutoring for students or coaching a sport in a poor school district, teaching ESL to adults at a community center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or Meals on Wheels.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

Unfortunately, I don't have any clinical volunteering hours.

I have 2 years of biomedical engineering research experience. I made a medical app that helps physicians screen for a medical condition. I worked as a bioengineer for a bit over a year.

 

[bakr89]

That would explain it.

What are you going to say when asked how you know you are suited for a life of caring for the sick and suffering? “That you just know”? Imagine how that will go over!

Here's the deal: You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanistic side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.

Here's another way of looking at it: would you buy a new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit or dress without trying it on??

We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.

I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities. The key thing is service to others less fortunate than you. And get off campus and out of your comfort zone!

Examples include: Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, Humane Society, crisis hotlines, soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless or women’s shelter, after-school tutoring for students or coaching a sport in a poor school district, teaching ESL to adults at a community center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or Meals on Wheels.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

Thanks for your input and time! I really appreciate you giving me these tips. I will definitely look into it. I have gotten some mixed messages about volunteering for organizations and what sort of experience is considered "relevant." I will definitely start working towards that...

 

[beestrng]

Your stats are fine for many DO schools, including my own. Your PS or secondaries might be weak, or you have some IAs that you're not mentioning, or you have a really lethal red flag of a LOR in your app.

Most Adcom members (including me) view EMT as a glorified taxi driver.

Have you shadowed a DO?
Have DO LOR???

Goro,

How do adcom members see people who have been in their fields for a short period of time? Ill aiming to apply to my local DO school but will only have a year or so under my belt.

 

[yanks26dmb]

I wrote a long post, without even reading. OP ...listen to Goro, he's a cool dude.

 

[Giovanotto]

MCAT.

That's just bad advice. The OP scored above average on the MCAT for DO schools. Please don't retake it.

 

[DrMidlife]

MCAT.

That's just bad advice. The OP scored above average on the MCAT for DO schools. Please don't retake it.

I got 29 in the MCAT: 11 in bs, 11 in ps, and 7 in verbal.

 

[bakr89]

That's just bad advice. The OP scored above average on the MCAT for DO schools. Please don't retake it.

What does OP stand for?

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[esob]

What does OP stand for?

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OP = Original Poster

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Goro, regarding an EMT as a glorified taxi driver, I think that would need some more perspective. I was an EMT going on 15 years when I applied but I also was a line officer (at one point 3rd in command) and was in charge of educational activities including lecturing new recruits and EMTs on various topics. In addition, I found that by being an EMT and serving in EMS helped me in talking to patients and families. I think that taking into perspective the length of time, what that person did, EMS vs just transport or only for the CV.