Chances for a Canadian applying to DO and low tier schools

[blueberryman]

sGPA: 3.85
cGPA: 3.80

PS/BS/VR
MCAT 1: 12/11/7
MCAT 2: 11/11/8

Extracurriculars: 100hrs doctor shadowing both D.O. and M.D. (two doctors in the states + 1 in Canada if that means anything), 300 hrs er volunteering, 250 hrs senior home volunteers, 150 hrs volunteering with medically fragile technology independent children, 100 hrs ronald mcdonald house volunteering, worked as a life guard/swim instructor/airway management instructor/emergency first aid instructor at the Y and municipality ~1000 hrs for 2 years, done research volunteer and for course credit with 2 profs for a total of 2 years (no pubs), playing classical guitar for 6 years- also taught guitar sporadically for about a year, 40 hrs of volunteering with this after school program for economically disadvantaged kids, Tutored 15 kids over the course of 5 years and still doing it, worked ~100 hrs as a professional student fundraiser: i'd call alumni and persuade them to donate to the university, run a lot ran 2 half marathons, random jobs: prep 101 evaluator, lsat invigilator.

LORS: would range from he did his job and was alright to real strong personal ones.

I'm looking to apply to D.O. schools that accept internationals. As well as low to mid tier M.D. schools.

What do you think?

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[Doug Underhill]

I like your ECs, they show you're ready for a lifetime of service. Your MCAT is circling the drain for MD international applicants, but is above the average for DO.

Temple, Quinnipiac, and Creighton do not accept Canadian (or any other non-US citizen/permanent resident) applicants. Oakland, Jefferson, Tulane, Tufts, Georgetown, George Washington and Rosy Franklin do. A bigger problem is tuition: international students are ineligible for US student loans. Do you have financing in place?

 

[gyngyn]

Here are some DO schools to consider:
AZCOM
Campbell
Ccom
Kcumb
Lecom
Lmu
Mucom
Msucom
Pcom
Pcom ga
Nova
VCOM (all)
Rowan
Touro
Unecom
Tycom
Kycom
Western u
Wcu

 

[blueberryman]

I like your ECs, they show you're ready for a lifetime of service. Your MCAT is circling the drain for MD international applicants, but is above the average for DO.

Temple, Quinnipiac, and Creighton do not accept Canadian (or any other non-US citizen/permanent resident) applicants. Oakland, Jefferson, Tulane, Tufts, Georgetown, George Washington and Rosy Franklin do. A bigger problem is tuition: international students are ineligible for US student loans. Do you have financing in place?

Yea I have funds that I can scrounge up to pay for school even with the drop in the Canadian dollar. Was really hoping for that ~1=1 between USD and CAD to continue… So I guess the only weak part is the mcat correct?

 

[blueberryman]

Here are some DO schools to consider:
AZCOM
Campbell
Ccom
Kcumb
Lecom
Lmu
Mucom
Msucom
Pcom
Pcom ga
Nova
VCOM (all)
Rowan
Touro
Unecom
Tycom
Kycom
Western u
Wcu

Thank you for the list.

 

[gyngyn]

Yea I have funds that I can scrounge up to pay for school even with the drop in the Canadian dollar. Was really hoping for that ~1=1 between USD and CAD to continue… So I guess the only weak part is the mcat correct?

x 2

 

[UBC2014]

Here are some DO schools to consider:
AZCOM*

Ccom*
Kcumb

Lmu*
Mucom
Msucom


Nova

Rowan
Touro-NY
Unecom


Western u

Also apply TMDSAS- to TCOM. It is one of the top DO schools and better than a lot of MD schools.

Your fine for USDO, I'd be shocked if you didn't get mutlple interviews. I've revised that list to focus on the better schools and more receptive ones of Canadians.

And then only apply to the starred schools if you dont get luck with the other's (azcom and ccom are too expensive. And lmudcom is super rural-but if that's not an issue then apply there too)

 

[gyngyn]

Also apply TMDSAS- to TCOM. It is one of the top DO schools and better than a lot of MD schools.

Your fine for USDO, I'd be shocked if you didn't get mutlple interviews. I've revised that list to focus on the better schools and more receptive ones of Canadians.

And then only apply to the starred schools if you dont get luck with the other's (azcom and ccom are too expensive. And lmudcom is super rural-but if that's not an issue then apply there too)

The other TX schools don't accept internationals. Does TCOM?!

 

[UBC2014]

The MCAT twice are low for MD but still apply if you have money- you never know. Oakland could be a fit. Many of the private MDs you could have a shot at are generally way more expensive than most of the DO schools listed..so take that into account.

Apply in Canada too, where you can anyways. I'm guessing your MCAT precludes you from most schools?

 

[UBC2014]

The other TX schools don't accept internationals. Does TCOM?!

TCOM does. An Canadian got in this year with stellar stats, dont know them personally tho so maybe they had dual citizen.. But I know TCOM is tough for OOS(and international)- he had a strong profile

 

[blueberryman]

The MCAT twice are low for MD but still apply if you have money- you never know. Oakland could be a fit. Many of the private MDs you could have a shot at are generally way more expensive than most of the DO schools listed..so take that into account.

Apply in Canada too, where you can anyways. I'm guessing your MCAT precludes you from most schools?

Yeah. I feel there is no point in putting in an effort to apply to Canada due to not meeting mcat cutoffs. Also I think my gpa is not good enough for schools where I meet mcat cutoffs. I think that If I am going to have a shot at admission, it will be in the land of opportunity. So to be clear, I was thinking of applying to 20-30 low mid MD schools and ~8 DO schools .Do you think that's a good decision? Or would you give yourself 1 year to study for the new mcat, hopefully get a nice score, and then apply.

 

[blueberryman]

I know a 30 is on the lowside, but from what I heard, its a score that neither harms nor benefits you. Also I keep hearing multiple opinions about US school's attitude towards Canadians. Some say that an American is more attractive than a Canadian. But a lot of private schools say explicitly on their website that Canadians will be treated equally to Americans in the admissions processes. Is that why you said I would have a shot at private US MD schools ? Also, a Canadian would have to pay somewhere double what an American would, isn't the increased financial gain at least marginally appealing for the school?

 

[gyngyn]

Also, a Canadian would have to pay somewhere double what an American would, isn't the increased financial gain at least marginally appealing for the school?

All OOS candidates pay the same and admissions decisions are not connected to tuition revenue.
The disincentive is that we have to get a residency for you at the other end! Most residency programs want nothing to do with supporting a visa if they can get equally good candidates without the hassle.

 

[UBC2014]

Yeah. I feel there is no point in putting in an effort to apply to Canada due to not meeting mcat cutoffs. Also I think my gpa is not good enough for schools where I meet mcat cutoffs. I think that If I am going to have a shot at admission, it will be in the land of opportunity. So to be clear, I was thinking of applying to 20-30 low mid MD schools and ~8 DO schools .Do you think that's a good decision? Or would you give yourself 1 year to study for the new mcat, hopefully get a nice score, and then apply.

I think that is fine, a 30 is a good enough score - maybe not for some of the MD schools - but it CANT HURT TO APPLY!

So apply early and get the application in and write strong applications.