No MCAT yet but potential school list?

[FutureDO1992]

Have not taken the MCAT yet but really want to get a head start on looking to the future and what DO schools I may have a fighting chance at based off GPA, state residency, etc.

I'm not even going to waste time or $$$ on MD schools, the writing is on the wall.

cGPA: 3.6
sGPA: 3.3
nsGPA: 3.8

Average/improving EC's

Cool (somewhat) backstory of homeschooling and surfing professionally until I was 18.

24 years old, transferred twice and finishing up a BS in Psychology at my 3rd school.

Current Colorado resident

Any schools that are not overly biased to OOS that I have a chance with if I can get an average or so MCAT score?

Thanks everyone,

FutureDO

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[ctran019]

Get a MCAT score before thinking about a potential school list. Your MCAT score will determine which schools you would realistically get an interview/accepted from.

P.S: your username is just a slight bit pretentious, hope you don't go around advertising it.

 

[FutureDO1992]

Thanks for the reply! Are there any schools in particular that are OOS biased then? Which I can immediately eliminate?

Hahahah I ensure you, there is nothing pretentious about anything i say or do regarding med school in any form, if anything I am told I could use a bit more confidence

 

[ERinspired]

OOS bias doesn't really exist because you are talking about mostly private schools.


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[psu228]

Honestly your stats are hovering in a competitive range for most DO schools from the little research I've done.. obviously MCAT will be huge for you but I think your gpa is good enough to be competitive pretty much anywhere.. your science gpa could be higher but I know my top two schools Lecom and pcom state they have average of 3.2 and 3.37 science gpa respectively.. so again you are right there. I would just apply really broadly and be willing to go anywhere you get in.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Honestly your stats are hovering in a competitive range for most DO schools from the little research I've done.. obviously MCAT will be huge for you but I think your gpa is good enough to be competitive pretty much anywhere.. your science gpa could be higher but I know my top two schools Lecom and pcom state they have average of 3.2 and 3.37 science gpa respectively.. so again you are right there. I would just apply really broadly and be willing to go anywhere you get in.

PCOMs sGPA is a little over 3.4 this year. However, GPA and MCAT scores are only indicators that get your application in the door and looked at - it's what sets you apart that will be the determining factor for what schools would want you. Places with a huge bias for OOS are PCOM-Ga (from what I hear), OSU-CHS, OU-HSC, New England, PNWCOM?

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Being a professional surfer from CO would be enough of a backstory for me to open your app; surfing down mountains sounds difficult.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

PCOMs sGPA is a little over 3.4 this year. However, GPA and MCAT scores are only indicators that get your application in the door and looked at - it's what sets you apart that will be the determining factor for what schools would want you. Places with a huge bias for OOS are PCOM-Ga (from what I hear), OSU-CHS, OU-HSC, New England, PNWCOM?

Doesn't PNWCOM have a bias for the states surrounding Washington and Oregon?

 

[dwgrubbs1s]

Just focus on MCAT and apply early in the cycle. Given a decent MCAT you should be fine from everything I have understood. However, if you bomb the MCAT or it is really lopsided (a section of 122 for instance), then your chances are obviously decreased. Like others have said, it is tough to gauge a school list with no MCAT score but your GPA is competitive if combined with a solid MCAT.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Doesn't PNWCOM have a bias for the states surrounding Washington and Oregon?

Yes, regional biased. I meant to add that in there so thanks for doing that. MOST schools will have a regional bias, like UNECOM, PNWCOM, or PCOM-Ga. However, OSU-CHS, OU-COM, and the other few STATE Osteopathic schools will all be heavily IS-Biased.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Yes, regional biased. I meant to add that in there so thanks for doing that. MOST schools will have a regional bias, like UNECOM, PNWCOM, or PCOM-Ga. However, OSU-CHS, OU-COM, and the other few STATE Osteopathic schools will all be heavily IS-Biased.

The way you wrote your post, it seemed like you were saying those schools had a huge OOS bias.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

The way you wrote your post, it seemed like you were saying those schools had a huge OOS bias.

Nah, I didn't mean to. I was responding to the post about OOS biases not really existing for private schools. Sometimes, regional biases are basically OOS-Biases, but most DO schools cannot fill their classes with just IS applicants. BCOM wants to be at 99% IS, the NM School Of Medicine took over a decade to reach that number. My school accepts usually around ~110 students with ~90 guaranteed for IS students only. OU-COM requires you to sign a contract to stay in Ohio upon matriculation. Each state is different.

 

[drv123]

As above posters have said, the MCAT will help determine your school list. However, I wanted to throw in that I have basically the same GPA as you do and I've had 6 MD IIs this cycle. So, depending on your MCAT, I'm not sure the writing is on the wall in terms of DO vs MD. Just crush the MCAT, and you'll have lots of options

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Nah, I didn't mean to. I was responding to the post about OOS biases not really existing for private schools. Sometimes, regional biases are basically OOS-Biases, but most DO schools cannot fill their classes with just IS applicants. BCOM wants to be at 99% IS, the NM School Of Medicine took over a decade to reach that number. My school accepts usually around ~110 students with ~90 guaranteed for IS students only. OU-COM requires you to sign a contract to stay in Ohio upon matriculation. Each state is different.

Won't be applying to OU then. Being active duty is going to make building a school list super fun.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Won't be applying to OU then. Being active duty is going to make building a school list super fun.

Are you going into the Military medical route? If so, they make you apply through their residency match program before you can match into a non-military match site.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Are you going into the Military medical route? If so, they make you apply through their residency match program before you can match into a non-military match site.

I'm currently active duty applying through an enlisted to medical officer program. You have to apply to USUHS, but we are encouraged to apply to civilian schools as well. I'm not worried about internship yet, but I'm not really planning on applying for deferment or FTOS unless I suddenly fall in love with a super competitive specialty.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I'm currently active duty applying through an enlisted to medical officer program. You have to apply to USUHS, but we are encouraged to apply to civilian schools as well. I'm not worried about internship yet, but I'm not really planning on applying for deferment or FTOS unless I suddenly fall in love with a super competitive specialty.

Our recruiters were telling us that you HAVE to apply to a military residency, and the only time you can attend a civilian residency is if you don't match into the military residency first. Right? He was Navy, like you.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Our recruiters were telling us that you HAVE to apply to a military residency, and the only time you can attend a civilian residency is if you don't match into the military residency first. Right? He was Navy, like you.

I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm talking about applying to medical schools. We have to apply to USUHS but are encouraged to apply to civilian schools as well to broaden our options.

As for residency, the military still has grads apply for internship and then residency separately during pgy-1 (in the Navy anyway). That said, you must apply through the military match. If you are seeking a deferment to a civilian residency, you can rank deferment on your rank list along with military programs. If you are selected for deferment, you then enter the civilian match. Deferments are not often granted except for high need specialties and only to applicants they think will match to a good program.