Few questions

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random1234

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Hey all,
I'm taking the MCAT in a few weeks and was thinking of applying to DO school. I am not sure how I will do. I am reviewing now and will be taking more tests next week, but I was thinking of applying to DO school and wanted to start preparing if I need to. I have submitted my transcript requests to the schools for AMCAS. I am not sure when the AACOMAS opens but I need to request the transcripts earlier because I have quite a few and the schools have complicated procedures for requesting.

1) I have worked as a medical assistant BUT I do not have a DO letter (only MD). Will June/July be enough to get a DO letter or will an MD letter suffice? I am interested in LECOM.

2) Do DO schools offer any scholarships? My brother recently was accepted to MD school and they are shaving off 18k a year for out of state. Unfortunately for most of the DO schools I checked, tuition is like 50k/yr since most are private. That seems like a lot to take on for a primary care field. Is that reduced in any way?

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The state DO schools and LECOM are cheaper. Most do not offer substantial scholarships, and the few that do only offer them to a handful of students. You will likely not receive one. Look into military or other government scholarships if you are super concerned about debt.
 
LECOM's tuition is normal, even cheaper than some in state MD schools, but more than 35k a year seems like a lot (to me). I think 40k would be my limit. I will look into other govt scholarships though, thanks for the suggestion. I don't think I have the gut for military.

Do you know which schools need a DO letter? Bc I am not sure if I can get one before the end of the summer.
 
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LECOM's tuition is normal, even cheaper than some in state MD schools, but more than 35k a year seems like a lot (to me). I think 40k would be my limit. I will look into other govt scholarships though, thanks for the suggestion. I don't think I have the gut for military.

Do you know which schools need a DO letter? Bc I am not sure if I can get one before the end of the summer.

Nah, I'm a 4th year, I don't remember that stuff anymore. I'm sure if you do a search it will pop up. People ask that question a lot.
 
Okay will do. Do you remember how many schools you applied to? I guess I'll search that too lol. I'm on the east coast so I think I'm going to try and limit it to region/tuition since I'll be in an internship this year and can't take many days off for interviews.
 
Hey all,
I'm taking the MCAT in a few weeks and was thinking of applying to DO school. I am not sure how I will do. I am reviewing now and will be taking more tests next week, but I was thinking of applying to DO school and wanted to start preparing if I need to. I have submitted my transcript requests to the schools for AMCAS. I am not sure when the AACOMAS opens but I need to request the transcripts earlier because I have quite a few and the schools have complicated procedures for requesting.

1) I have worked as a medical assistant BUT I do not have a DO letter (only MD). Will June/July be enough to get a DO letter or will an MD letter suffice? I am interested in LECOM.

2) Do DO schools offer any scholarships? My brother recently was accepted to MD school and they are shaving off 18k a year for out of state. Unfortunately for most of the DO schools I checked, tuition is like 50k/yr since most are private. That seems like a lot to take on for a primary care field. Is that reduced in any way?

AACOMAS has already opened. You can submit the app as early as June 1st. When do you take the MCAT? What's your GPA? These may change some of these answers, but here goes:

1) You need a DO letter for LECOM. They will NOT review your app if you don't have it (that's a post-interview review that I'm talking about. They offer interviews before you send in LORs, so as long as you have it by the interview, you should be fine). That being said, honestly, you could probably get a DO letter in a couple weeks of shadowing. Its more of a check box thing, so it doesn't have to be the best letter ever (even though that'll help of course).

These schools flat out require a DO letter: LECOM, LECOM-B, LMU-DCOM, OSUCOM, KYCOM, RVUCOM, VCOM, and WVSOM.

These strongly recommend a DO letter: AZCOM, CCOM, NYCOM, PNWU-COM, PCOM, GA-PCOM, TUNCOM, UNECOM, and the Westerns (COMP/COMP-NW). There may be others not listed here, I'm not sure.

The rest either require a physician letter (DO or MD) or don't require one at all.

2) Really, most of them don't offer big scholarships, especially for out of state, but some do. It really depends though. Most are expensive too since they are primarily private. LECOM/LECOM-B are the cheapest for OOS at ~$30,000. Unless you are Texas resident, that's your best option. The rest are $40,000-$55,000, and a few are upwards of $80,000 for OOS applicants.

That being said, there are some special scholarships and state/federal programs if you are dead set on being a primary care doc and not specializing.
 
AACOMAS has already opened. You can submit the app as early as June 1st. When do you take the MCAT? What's your GPA? These may change some of these answers, but here goes:

1) You need a DO letter for LECOM. They will NOT review your app if you don't have it (that's a post-interview review that I'm talking about. They offer interviews before you send in LORs, so as long as you have it by the interview, you should be fine). That being said, honestly, you could probably get a DO letter in a couple weeks of shadowing. Its more of a check box thing, so it doesn't have to be the best letter ever (even though that'll help of course).

These schools flat out require a DO letter: LECOM, LECOM-B, LMU-DCOM, OSUCOM, KYCOM, RVUCOM, VCOM, and WVSOM.

These strongly recommend a DO letter: AZCOM, CCOM, NYCOM, PNWU-COM, PCOM, GA-PCOM, TUNCOM, UNECOM, and the Westerns (COMP/COMP-NW). There may be others not listed here, I'm not sure.

The rest either require a physician letter (DO or MD) or don't require one at all.

2) Really, most of them don't offer big scholarships, especially for out of state, but some do. It really depends though. Most are expensive too since they are primarily private. LECOM/LECOM-B are the cheapest for OOS at ~$30,000. Unless you are Texas resident, that's your best option. The rest are $40,000-$55,000, and a few are upwards of $80,000 for OOS applicants.

That being said, there are some special scholarships and state/federal programs if you are dead set on being a primary care doc and not specializing.

Thank you so much for the helpful response!! :) I created an app and will send my transcript requests tomorrow. In my search in who requires what, I read that LECOM will have a DO physician sign a letter on the spot if you're missing one? Is this true? I am instate for Va and their tuition is more reasonable but I noticed they have a DO letter requirement :(

So looks like I need to find a DO fast right? I am taking the MCAT on May 23rd. I scored a 28 on AAMC 3 last week, but I'm afraid this may have been a fluke, because I took the biology and verbal sections before (last summer). So I'm taking some AAMCs this week that I've never seen before and I will see how I do. I have a 3.8+ overall GPA and a 3.9+ BCPM GPA.

I am def primarily interested in primary care at this point.
 
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