Overqualified for DO?

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USCTrojan11 said:
Let me correct that. I guess with DO schools prestige doesn't matter but I've seen it help, not hurt.

However, there is a reason why you don't see crappy schools represented at Harvard Med or any other top MD school. My close friend tried to take the easy way out and went to CSU, got 4.0 and 36. Rejected instantly from all top programs, received interviews at most middle and lower tier MD and offered lots of $$$$ at two do schools that he interviewed at. I guess if you don't care about your ego or degree, which is why I assume some are applying to DO, it all works out in the end though since he'll be going to med school for free now.
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I'm sorry, but no one who gets both a 4.0 and a 36 takes the "easy way out." I think your friend is a genius. He paid far less tuition than you during undergrad and is headed to med school for free. In the end you will have the name brand of your school to talk about and he will have little to nothing in terms of monthly loan payments, working as a resident and then as an attending.

I can understand the rationale for a 4.0 and some subpar MCAT but dumb people don't get 36's.
 
aspiringOSTEO said:
I do know what went wrong, read my other posts on this thread. Oh, and thanks for stating the obvious?
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You appeared to have rushed into the MCAT without properly preparing, just making sure your weren't making the same mistake with applying to school.
 
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USCTrojan11 said:
Let me correct that. I guess with DO schools prestige doesn't matter but I've seen it help, not hurt.

However, there is a reason why you don't see crappy schools represented at Harvard Med or any other top MD school. My close friend tried to take the easy way out and went to CSU, got 4.0 and 36. Rejected instantly from all top programs, received interviews at most middle and lower tier MD and offered lots of $$$$ at two do schools that he interviewed at. I guess if you don't care about your ego or degree, which is why I assume some are applying to DO, it all works out in the end though since he'll be going to med school for free now.
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Which DO schools offer full ride scholarships? I'd figure most DO schools would just accept a "lower" applicant so they can get the tuition.
 
thepoopologist said:
I'm sorry, but no one who gets both a 4.0 and a 36 takes the "easy way out." I think your friend is a genius. He paid far less tuition than you during undergrad and is headed to med school for free. In the end you will have the name brand of your school to talk about and he will have little to nothing in terms of monthly loan payments, working as a resident and then as an attending.

I can understand the rationale for a 4.0 and some subpar MCAT but dumb people don't get 36's.
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Yeah, my classmate from the City College of New York (CUNY system school, probably not too well known) got interviews at Harvard and Penn State and a couple more at these high prestige schools. He had like a 34 and a 3.7gpa and hes from Africa. I don't think it matters where you do your undergrad. My professors even joked about it, he told us that we're gonna see a bunch of guys interviewing that went to harvard and so on for undergrad but guess what. we're sitting in the same place interviewing for the same school.
 
The reputation of your undergraduate definitely carries some weight. However, to say that someone at top 20 univ. with a 3.4 is better off than a state univ with a 3.7, then no. Maybe if they had the same gpa, mcat, research, volunteer, etc., the top 20 univ. applicant would have an edge. BUT there are too many factors to consider so it would be near to impossible to find 2 identical applicants.

All colleges provide education and degrees; some will just carry prestige. Regarldess, you have to work hard at any college!
 
My DO cousin had what seems to be a similar experience as you. 4.0 student of major University, he was never specific beyond not being a good test taker but onl had a par - subpar MCAT score. After the 2nd year of failed applications to MD schools he tried adding DO schools to the list. His feedback from the interviewers in his first years of applying hinted to a lack of community service, he was all books and clinical. He buffed up the resume with community volunteer work, etc. His third year applying he got accepted to a DO program, and his professional opinion was that his acceptance was heavily based on the fact that he dug graves in his small (no backhoes within miles) community during high school. Conclusion: med school application is a crap shoot AND DO schools, more so than MD, like lots of quality community service, not so much research or stats. Stats are just primary app relevant. So I don't think you're over qualified because stats only get you to a secondary. Then it's all personality. Interview is only used to affirm the personality picked up from your secondary essays, etc.
Being friends with an admission committee member at the University of Utah and been to many Q&A sessions with UofU dean of admissions I want to say you are not over qualified.
 
thepoopologist said:
I'm sorry, but no one who gets both a 4.0 and a 36 takes the "easy way out." I think your friend is a genius. He paid far less tuition than you during undergrad and is headed to med school for free. In the end you will have the name brand of your school to talk about and he will have little to nothing in terms of monthly loan payments, working as a resident and then as an attending.

I can understand the rationale for a 4.0 and some subpar MCAT but dumb people don't get 36's.
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For the record I don't pay a single cent either.

And he admitted he took the easy way out, he knows and constantly jokes that he would never have gotten anything near a 4.0 at a top 25.
 
This looks like a fun thread.

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USCTrojan11 said:
For the record I don't pay a single cent either.

And he admitted he took the easy way out, he knows and constantly jokes that he would never have gotten anything near a 4.0 at a top 25.
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I'll take your word for it. Over analysis is a waste of time on the internet
 
USCTrojan11 said:
Let me correct that. I guess with DO schools prestige doesn't matter but I've seen it help, not hurt.

However, there is a reason why you don't see crappy schools represented at Harvard Med or any other top MD school. My close friend tried to take the easy way out and went to CSU, got 4.0 and 36. Rejected instantly from all top programs, received interviews at most middle and lower tier MD and offered lots of $$$$ at two do schools that he interviewed at. I guess if you don't care about your ego or degree, which is why I assume some are applying to DO, it all works out in the end though since he'll be going to med school for free now.
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Which two DO schools? If you don't mind sharing..thanks..
 
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Charlie Kelly said:
My DO cousin had what seems to be a similar experience as you. 4.0 student of major University, he was never specific beyond not being a good test taker but onl had a par - subpar MCAT score. After the 2nd year of failed applications to MD schools he tried adding DO schools to the list. His feedback from the interviewers in his first years of applying hinted to a lack of community service, he was all books and clinical. He buffed up the resume with community volunteer work, etc. His third year applying he got accepted to a DO program, and his professional opinion was that his acceptance was heavily based on the fact that he dug graves in his small (no backhoes within miles) community during high school. Conclusion: med school application is a crap shoot AND DO schools, more so than MD, like lots of quality community service, not so much research or stats. Stats are just primary app relevant. So I don't think you're over qualified because stats only get you to a secondary. Then it's all personality. Interview is only used to affirm the personality picked up from your secondary essays, etc.
Being friends with an admission committee member at the University of Utah and been to many Q&A sessions with UofU dean of admissions I want to say you are not over qualified.
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wrong. all schools pay attention to your "personality". but if you are way above their stats it's not so important. they might still reject you for various reasons, but since DO has lower numbers than MD you are much more likely to get into DO if your numbers are split, i.e. avg mcat for DO but 4.0 or avg gpa for DO but 35+ mcat. if you got 4.0 and 40 then it will be hard to get rejected anywhere.
 
USCTrojan11 said:
Let me correct that. I guess with DO schools prestige doesn't matter but I've seen it help, not hurt.

However, there is a reason why you don't see crappy schools represented at Harvard Med or any other top MD school. My close friend tried to take the easy way out and went to CSU, got 4.0 and 36. Rejected instantly from all top programs, received interviews at most middle and lower tier MD and offered lots of $$$$ at two do schools that he interviewed at. I guess if you don't care about your ego or degree, which is why I assume some are applying to DO, it all works out in the end though since he'll be going to med school for free now.
Click to expand...

One of my close friends who went to a CSU interviewed at Harvard, UCSD, and UCSF, among other competitive MD schools last year (and he turned down a bunch of other schools). He ended up going to UCSF, but he had many, many choices. There are a good amount of applicants from so-called "lower-tier" schools that get accepted to top-ranked med schools. I know other people who have been just as successful as him, who went to the same school for undergrad. You have no idea what you're talking about.
 
obuckseyesu1 said:
thank you. i was getting irritated no one noticed yet!
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I agree. Upon re-reading this thread, I feel like the OP is a troll who wanted to stir up a huge debate.

To those you keep bickering back and forth: You are feeding the troll, even if u dont mean to
 
drctother said:
I agree. Upon re-reading this thread, I feel like the OP is a troll who wanted to stir up a huge debate.

To those you keep bickering back and forth: You are feeding the troll, even if u dont mean to
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I said two weeks ago that this thread is ******ed and I don't get why people aren't letting it die.
 
Hottpants89 said:
I said two weeks ago that this thread is ******ed and I don't get why people aren't letting it die.
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In homage to your avatar, and in the spirit of keeping-the-troll-alive-by-trying-to-kill-him:

trollwins.jpg
 
nutritiontomed said:
I'm sorry if this may sound cocky, but I came to this conclusion from this year's application. I really wanna do DO not because I cant get into MD but 'cause I would learn more in DO. However, I didnt even get ONE interview with a 3.9ish and a 27R MCAT. Are they rejecting me 'cause they think I wont join if I get accepted? And if so what do I do?
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Going into a med school application cycle with a set of numbers (cGPA, sGPA, and MCAT) is like trying to work a puzzle to completion without the corner pieces.

Do you have at LEAST 100+ hours shadowing, significant extra-curricular/club activities in undergrad, positions of leadership, research experience, an excellent personal statement (in someone else's opinion - not yours), excellent letters of recommendation, etc.? For DO school, more importantly, do you have a desire to serve the underserved? These factors are a fraction of what makes a successful DO applicant.

There are many factors. A set of numbers are only one small part of the puzzle.
 
The Op went Casper. This was a troll post or he exaggerated on how many schools rejected him. That many schools in so little time ... Not
 
Let's forget for a minute which school someone went to. How is it possible to be overqualified to deal with another persons life?? Doctors, both allopathic and osteopathic, have an unbelievable opportunity to save countless lives, and that is a tremendous responsibility that should be taken with a bit of humility.
 
Nutritiontomed,

I have just read the entire thread and would like to offer my take based on my experience. I applied to medical school the first time with the idea that I would be able to choose which school I would go to. I didn't get in anywhere. Then, I took the mcat again, did even better, and reapplied everywhere. That humbling experience matured me and changed my entire demeanor because I realized that I wanted to be a doctor regardless of what it took. It wasn't a pride issue any longer. This year, the only real difference in my application is a few mcat points and my attitude. I am in 3 allopathic schools, 4 osteopathic schools, and have turned down 10 plus interviews. Can attitude really make that much difference?! Absolutely. I spent longer writing personal statements. It was the most important thing in my life at the time. I spent 40 hours or more preparing for my interviews. When I spoke to my interviewers I didn't fake humility, desire to serve, or my ability to communicate my passions. All of those things were easily seen in my eyes.

Nutrition, listen to everyone on this forum. Essentially they are saying you are a spoiled brat with an entitlement mentality. Listen to them, if everyone is saying it then maybe you should listen! Then when you decide becoming a physician is more important than pride, and you are willing to work incessantly, reapply. You'll be fine.
 
Did you retake many classes? Retaking more than 3 can raise red flags. But I agree with the rest..it's the LOR's and personal statements. Gotta separate yourself from the rest. Maybe retake the mcat if you feel you are capable of higher score? I have a 31 but am retaking in April. I would say do whatever it is you can to make your app better before June. But I just went through sammme thing as you this application cycle, but I also applied in beginning of January :(


Also when it comes to MD or DO, there is no such thing as overqualified. Next time think before you post because it obviously offends alot of people!
 
nutritiontomed said:
I'm sorry if this may sound cocky, but I came to this conclusion from this year's application. I really wanna do DO not because I cant get into MD but 'cause I would learn more in DO. However, I didnt even get ONE interview with a 3.9ish and a 27R MCAT. Are they rejecting me 'cause they think I wont join if I get accepted? And if so what do I do?
Click to expand...


Possibly because your MCAT was only a 27, and you clearly have a terrible grasp of the English language, so maybe your personal statement came out wrong.
 
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