MD & DO Borderline OH Applicant. Focus on MD or DO?

[dabake]

Year in school: Graduating Senior at a private Ohio university with OH residence

Cumulative GPA:3.65 Science GPA:3.68 MCAT Score:29

Research – Just finished a genetics senior thesis that I spent all last summer and this school year working on it. So far I have been looking for research assistant positions in my gap year and have a summer internship lined up with the US Army working with burn and trauma treatment research and development.

Volunteering- been volunteering at my local hospital in the ED since Freshman year. 85 hrs. Also have volunteer experience at the Children's hospital: 30 hours. Spent 7 days providing healthcare to a rural village in Honduras

Physician shadowing –OR and office hours with ortho 40 hrs. Family practice (MD and DO)- 25hours program with local hospital that let pre-med students spend a day each in endoscopy lab, cath lab and intervention radiology, 20hrs

Non-clinical volunteering: Habitat for Humanity 20 hours, local civic organization with my hometown 45 hours

Extracurricular activities: Alpha Epsilon Delta-3 years with Exec position senior year, Sigma Nu social Fraternity, Disc golf club, healthcare service club exec member,

Employment history-part-time job working at the student union dealing with customer service: 300+ hours, one year working as a office assistant/ receptionist 200hrs, scribing at a Children's hospital ED-150hrs

Schools I'm looking at: OSU, U of Cincy, Wright St, Toledo, Indiana, Loyola, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, George Washington, Jefferson, Temple, NEOMED, Ohio(DO), Mirian, Mich St (both), Midwestern, Des Moines, Edward Via,

Right now my major question going into my gap year, is whether adding more research through Research Assistant positions would be the best way to bump me up to a higher MD consideration or if I'm stuck regardless with my MCAT score. I don't have the money for a post-bacc to bump up numbers across the board, and really enjoy the research I've done so far. Thanks!

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[Catalystik]

Year in school: Graduating Senior at a private Ohio university with OH residence

Cumulative GPA:3.65 Science GPA:3.68 MCAT Score:29

Research – Just finished a genetics senior thesis that I spent all last summer and this school year working on it. So far I have been looking for research assistant positions in my gap year and have a summer internship lined up with the US Army working with burn and trauma treatment research and development.

Volunteering- been volunteering at my local hospital in the ED since Freshman year. 85 hrs. Also have volunteer experience at the Children's hospital: 30 hours. Spent 7 days providing healthcare to a rural village in Honduras

Physician shadowing –OR and office hours with ortho 40 hrs. Family practice (MD and DO)- 25hours program with local hospital that let pre-med students spend a day each in endoscopy lab, cath lab and intervention radiology, 20hrs

Non-clinical volunteering: Habitat for Humanity 20 hours, local civic organization with my hometown 45 hours

Extracurricular activities: Alpha Epsilon Delta-3 years with Exec position senior year, Sigma Nu social Fraternity, Disc golf club, healthcare service club exec member,

Employment history-part-time job working at the student union dealing with customer service: 300+ hours, one year working as a office assistant/ receptionist 200hrs, scribing at a Children's hospital ED-150hrs

Schools I'm looking at: OSU, U of Cincy, Wright St, Toledo, Indiana, Loyola, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, George Washington, Jefferson, Temple, NEOMED, Ohio(DO), Mirian, Mich St (both), Midwestern, Des Moines, Edward Via,

Right now my major question going into my gap year, is whether adding more research through Research Assistant positions would be the best way to bump me up to a higher MD consideration or if I'm stuck regardless with my MCAT score. I don't have the money for a post-bacc to bump up numbers across the board, and really enjoy the research I've done so far. Thanks!

You already have a good amount of research experience. An area in which you seem weaker would be nonmedical community service to those in need (so I encourage you to engage in this now and during your application year). For that reason, consider taking Loyola off your list and maybe substituting Rosalind Franklin (near Chicago). More research might impress some of the schools on your list, but since you'd be applying before you accomplished much in a new lab, probably the greater benefit of another research year would come when applying for residency positions.

 

[tarheel1408]

To answer the thread title, I believe if you continue to work on your application you'll have a shot at MD schools. If you feel like you'd like to improve your MCAT score, be sure that you're scoring at least 3 points higher on average. If you do bump up your MCAT, you will open a lot of doors at mid-tier MD schools. If you're not opposed to the philosophy, DO schools are definitely an option.

 

[Goro]

You're fine for the OH schools, any DO school, and the low-tier MD schools.

 

[CINDIEE]

I haven't done any non-medical community service (I only have done medically related community service..) and I am applying this cycle.
Is nonmedical communitry service something that schools take consideration of heavily? ie is it going to cause II to NO II necessarily?

 

[Goro]

I think it might help to build up the non-clinical ECs, but your numbers are good for ANY DO program, and the following:

NEOMED, Toledo, Wright St, Indiana (maybe), Loyola, Rush, MCW, Illinois (maybe), Kentucky (maybe), Louisville (maybe), Georgetown, Creighton, MCV, EVMC, George Washington, Jefferson, Temple, Drexel, NYMC, Albany, Loma Linda, Tufts, and all new MD schools.

 

[Catalystik]

I haven't done any non-medical community service (I only have done medically related community service..) and I am applying this cycle.
Is nonmedical communitry service something that schools take consideration of heavily? ie is it going to cause II to NO II necessarily?

Some schools will specifically look for it, some will be fine with other evidence of altruism (including medical volunteerism), but even where it isn't expected and other strengths can compensate, having it seems to appeal to adcomms. Not having it won't sink you if you apply broadly.