Why do MD schools seem to hate non-trads and DO schools love them?

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Filibuster

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I feel this way because I applied to a bazillion schools. 34 MD and just 6 DO. Got everything in at about the same time. I also have fairly competetive mcat, gpa, clinical and volunteer experiences for both. I've heard nothing from the MD schools and have 5 interviews for the 6 DO schools. What gives?

I know that DO schools generally have lower mcat/gpa requirements, but damn. I'm no super applicant, but if I can pull off 5 interviews out of six schools why am I not even considered at allopathic schools.

Fortunately, this experience has somewhat turned me off to allopathic schools as I've got the impression their academics with very little respect for real world experiences.

Sorry, just blowing of some more anonymous steam.😡
 
That's because MD schools are stuck up. I applied also to tons of MD schools (ha also 34) and did not get in to any even though I had a high MCAT and GPA. I applied to 2 DO schools and got into one. 😀 The DO schools are much fairer.
 
Filibuster said:
I feel this way because I applied to a bazillion schools. 34 MD and just 6 DO. Got everything in at about the same time. I also have fairly competetive mcat, gpa, clinical and volunteer experiences for both. I've heard nothing from the MD schools and have 5 interviews for the 6 DO schools. What gives?

I know that DO schools generally have lower mcat/gpa requirements, but damn. I'm no super applicant, but if I can pull off 5 interviews out of six schools why am I not even considered at allopathic schools.

Fortunately, this experience has somewhat turned me off to allopathic schools as I've got the impression their academics with very little respect for real world experiences.

Sorry, just blowing of some more anonymous steam.😡
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Wow, I'm happy that you got 5 interviews (congratulations) and also scared that you report that you have yet to hear from the allopathic schools. This concerns me because I only applied allopathic thus far.

I hope it is only because allopathic schools drag their feet more than the osteopathic ones; maybe this is because they have more applicants. Perhaps, they haven't yet reviewed your application and it is sitting on a desk somewhere. And, in a short time, you will start to get some allopathic interviews, too. I am told that it is still very early in the season and that things happen in batches.

Also, I'm thinking that I don't know what your EC's and life experience entail. Perhaps they are more appealing to osteopathic schools, who tend to value such things more anyway.

Hmm... Your post invites me to wonder a lot about my own process and whether I should quickly apply to a few DO schools.

Edit: I'm also aware that many allopathic schools screen people out by undergraduate GPA, even if it was more than 10 years ago and you have a much better GPA now.
 
I'm sorry that you've had so little success (so far! it's still early!) with MD schools, but I can tell you that they are not categorically anti-non-trad. I applied only to MD schools and was accepted to five of them.

Don't forget, none of us apply to med school in a vacuum. We're up against some stiff competition, and the fact is that things like old low GPAs are still low GPAs. Life experience and improvement are great things, but I can tell you that my traditional classmates are every bit as deserving of their spots in my class as the non-trads.

The way I see it, those of us who slipped up as undergrads have to make some big strides to overcome those hurdles. It's not enough just to be as good as a traditional applicant; we have to be better in some fashion, whether that entails a stellar post-bacc year or MCAT score, an incredible set of ECs or life story, or some combination. It's not enough for us just to produce a year or two of numbers that would've worked had we not slept through college the first time.

Anyway, enough rambling from me. I'd better get some sleep if I'm going to finish studying for my embryo exam. I just don't want people to get the perception that MD schools are unreasonably unforgiving towards non-trads. I was pleasantly surprised to see just how much of my class is more than a few years out of college, particularly because I chose to attend what was probably the most "traditional" of the schools to which I was accepted.
 
Filibuster said:
I feel this way because I applied to a bazillion schools. 34 MD and just 6 DO. Got everything in at about the same time. I also have fairly competetive mcat, gpa, clinical and volunteer experiences for both. I've heard nothing from the MD schools and have 5 interviews for the 6 DO schools. What gives?

I know that DO schools generally have lower mcat/gpa requirements, but damn. I'm no super applicant, but if I can pull off 5 interviews out of six schools why am I not even considered at allopathic schools.

Fortunately, this experience has somewhat turned me off to allopathic schools as I've got the impression their academics with very little respect for real world experiences.

Sorry, just blowing of some more anonymous steam.😡
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I don't know anything about your particular case, but at my institution there many non-traditionals (MD) to the point that it feels inproprotionate. I don't know about the specific statistics, but have you looked into the # of traditional student applying to MD schools and DO schools?

I applied as a traditional student and I felt like the schools, at least based on talking with others and during interviews, felt like school prefer non-traditional over tradition. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.
 
blee said:
I'm sorry that you've had so little success (so far! it's still early!) with MD schools, but I can tell you that they are not categorically anti-non-trad.
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Agree with this. You will find nontrads at EVERY allo school. The competition to get into allo is steeper for both traditionals and nontrads, so it's not uncommon for any given applicant to struggle in the process. And DO schools, with their lower numerical averages, tend to put greater weight on other factors, which makes them popular with nontrads. But bottom line, if a nontrad has the stats to make him/her competitive for an allo school, they will get looked at. If they are riding on the life experience ticket alone, then sure, DO schools may be more receptive as they accept lower numericals (on average).
 
I applied to only allopathic schools and received interviews at all of them except two, and received 11 acceptances....I am sorry to hear that you have not had any success yet *but* it is very very early for allopathic schools hang in there.
 
If you had lower grades earlier in life, I'm pretty much convinced you're pretty much screwed when it comes to some MD programs...they tend to put a ton of weight on what people do when they are 19 years old and ignore what they might do in the 10 years after that...

Much more stats driven, it seems.
 
I received invitations for interview at six out of six schools that I applied to and eventually acceptance by all of them too. I applied to all allopathic schools (back in 1997) and was well over 40 years old when I applied. My application was competitive whether I had been traditional or non-traditional.

In my experience, allopathic schools are no more "stuck up" or not looking for non-traditional applicants than osteopathic schools. You may not fit the profile of all of the schools that you applied to. The 2004 average undergraduate GPA for matriculants was 3.6 and the MCAT score was 30. Judging by the numbers on the applications that I am reviewing today those numbers for matriculants in the class entering in 2007 are going to be much higher. (You may or may not be "fairly competitive"). I suspect, based on the applications that I have seen, that the averages for matriculants are going to be well above 3.7 and MCAT scores well above 35. Of course, none of the August scores are in yet.

Allopathic schools are more competitive in many ways than osteopathic schools whether you are traditional or non-traditional. I doubt if being non-traditional keeps you from getting interviews (look at Efex for example) or acceptances (look at blee and Efex). I also know that candidates to my schools are better this year both traditional and non-traditional.

What is the hang-up? All you need is one acceptance so osteopathic or allopathic, if you want to be a physician, take what you get and go with it. You have cast a wide net. Other than that, you are in the "wait and see" stage.
 
njbmd said:
I suspect, based on the applications that I have seen, that the averages for matriculants are going to be well above 3.7 and MCAT scores well above 35. Of course, none of the August scores are in yet.
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You may want to think this through a bit.
 
Law2Doc said:
I imagine she is talking about a particular school's matriculants rather than matriculants over all?
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I certainly hope so.... just seeing this thread has me feeling demoralized....
 
yanky5 said:
That's because MD schools are stuck up. I applied also to tons of MD schools (ha also 34) and did not get in to any even though I had a high MCAT and GPA. I applied to 2 DO schools and got into one. 😀 The DO schools are much fairer.
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well, what is your definition of a "high mcat" and "high gpa" ? If you were a 35+, 3.9+, then you should have gotten interviews just about every where.... i know i did.
 
Should be studying and not responding, but….

Allopathic schools just want to insure that those admitted are up to the task of completing their academic program. The most surefire readily available data is based on MCAT and previous academic work. Trust me that what is expected for the average medical student to retain and apply is massive and it would be patently unfair for ADCOMs to drop students into a situation that they cannot handle. Just because you really dig the idea of medicine, doesn’t mean you’ve necessarily got what it takes to complete the training.

MCAT scores can compensate for poor grades. I have personal proof of this. A competitive MCAT (where ADCOMS look twice) will be >35, in my experience. Saying that, I studied more the first week than I did in entirety for the MCAT.

Also, my class has A LOT of us so called non traditional students.

Allopathic schools are competitive, no doubt, but as a previous poster stated, at the end of the day, it's all about practicing and a DO slot would have been great for me if had come down to that.

One last thing, medical school rocks; there is no education like it, and it’s worth working for. So all you other non-trads, keep on keeping on!
 
I think Law2Doc and njbmd have it right. The average GPA of my entering class is 3.67, and average MCAT score is around 31-32. I would not be surprised if my GPA was almost an outlier in the data set. When taken out of the calculation, I estimate that the average would increase by roughly 0.03.

Think about this -- roughly half of my peers have no worse than an A- average through four years of school; many of them are science majors, so we're not talking about fluff classes either. They somehow did this while holding down a few volunteer activities, probably some officer positions, and leading the typical undergrad life (if their current partying is any indication). If it weren't for my MCAT score, I'm certain that I would've been shunned by a lot of the schools that extended me an interview invitation.
 
blee said:
I'm sorry that you've had so little success (so far! it's still early!) with MD schools, but I can tell you that they are not categorically anti-non-trad. I applied only to MD schools and was accepted to five of them.

Don't forget, none of us apply to med school in a vacuum. We're up against some stiff competition, and the fact is that things like old low GPAs are still low GPAs. Life experience and improvement are great things, but I can tell you that my traditional classmates are every bit as deserving of their spots in my class as the non-trads.
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I have to agree with blee, efex, Law2Doc, and njbmd too. We all have our own definitions of what it means for a school to be "friendly" to non-trads, but as far as interviewing and accepting us is concerned, any school will take a non-trad applicant seriously if we fit their profile. I was another MD-only applicant. I applied to 22 schools, received 19 invites, attended 17, was accepted to 12, and got full scholarships at six. Three of the other schools invited me to apply for scholarships as well.

One thing I did that made a huge difference in terms of helping me strengthen myself as a candidate was to get pre-application counseling at all of my state schools. I highly recommend that those of you who are getting ready to apply next year consider doing this. The advice that I received was absolutely golden, and I feel certain that I would not have been nearly as successful as an applicant without it.

OP, I've seen you posting on the FL thread, so I assume you are a fellow Floridian. In that case, I can tell you from experience that REL at USF in particular is an especially valuable resource. Robyn Sheppard at UF and Dr. Hinkley at U Miami were also kind enough to meet with me and offer me help. I don't know if any of them will meet with you now that you've already applied, but if the worst does happen this year, I highly recommend that you meet with one or all of them for advice on how to make yourself the best candidate you can be. Best of :luck: to you. 🙂
 
Well, I'm sure the allopathic schools also take plenty of non-trads too. But the the entire medical school application thing is a very strange and half of the time is based on factors that are beyond our control.

Take Philadelphia for example. They reject people with 28 and 29s and take people with 22s and 23s. I have to admit this is a very strange thing for a school to do, but each school looks for a certain type of person. I know two wonderful people who go there, and both were into the missionary work/Peace Corp stuff sort of stuff.

Just wait a little, I'd wager you'll get a few interviews from the allopathic schools too.
 
Med schools are unforgiving about past indiscretions. It may be that MD schools tend to have that attitude more than DO schools, hence nontrads may enjoy an easier time at DO schools. It also helps that DO schools, on average, require lower MCAT/GPA than MD schools, so given decent stats, DO schools will bite first. However, it's early in the game, hang in there!
 
runningmom said:
I certainly hope so.... just seeing this thread has me feeling demoralized....
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Yeah. I mean, what percentile is a 35? How many people score that high? We're not applying to be God here. I'm glad I'm applying to several DO schools. I am but low on the food chain 🙄
 
NonTradMed said:
Med schools are unforgiving about past indiscretions. It may be that MD schools tend to have that attitude more than DO schools, hence nontrads may enjoy an easier time at DO schools. It also helps that DO schools, on average, require lower MCAT/GPA than MD schools, so given decent stats, DO schools will bite first. However, it's early in the game, hang in there!
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It's not your post in particular, but from a lot of the above ones that made me bring this up. I think one of the main things holding me back is the age of my gpa and not my scores. I've got a 3.6 with a well rounded 30 for the MCAT. Nothing incredible, but competative at the schools I applied to. My idea of a reach school was an average of 3.75/31, put it that way. It's just that I question the logic of schools questioning my academic ability by the fact of my getting a 30 on the MCAT several years after my course work. Especially since I'm in a field that requires an incredible amount of academic ability. At least on a good note though I got my first MD invite today. So maybe others were right. Allopathics are going to take more time to respond due to me not being as nearly as competative relative to the DO schools.

But really, the point of my post was to vent. Like was pointed out. All I need is one... DO, MD. who cares, as long as I get in.
 
Filibuster said:
. At least on a good note though I got my first MD invite today. So maybe others were right. Allopathics are going to take more time to respond due to me not being as nearly as competative relative to the DO schools.

But really, the point of my post was to vent. Like was pointed out. All I need is one... DO, MD. who cares, as long as I get in.
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Congratualations on your invite!:luck: :luck: :luck: 🙂

Just give it a little bit of time. Its still September you know🙂
 
efex101 said:
I applied to only allopathic schools and received interviews at all of them except two, and received 11 acceptances....I am sorry to hear that you have not had any success yet *but* it is very very early for allopathic schools hang in there.
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njbmd said:
I received invitations for interview at six out of six schools that I applied to and eventually acceptance by all of them too. I applied to all allopathic schools (back in 1997) and was well over 40 years old when I applied. My application was competitive whether I had been traditional or non-traditional.
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Please bear in mind that both of these posters were URM females. And they failed to disclose that (does that surprise anyone?). FX is latino, and NJB is african american all the way. Don't be fooled folks. It's an extremely tough (and unfair) playing field out there for you white males.

Don't get discouraged though. Keep at it. And make sure you get full disclosure from those who are giving advice!

Good luck to us all.
 
I'm a Korean male. Have any idea how many non-URM Asian men apply to med school each year? 🙂

URM or not, I don't think efex or njb would've been as successful as they were if they sported poor numbers. I think that's the take-home message -- at some point (hopefully early), this game still involves objective comparisons. There has to be some way to wade through 37,000 applicants before going through them more slowly to fill interview slots. It's not fun, and it's not comforting to think that old grades would matter so much, but I don't see any way around it.
 
URM status or not, getting 30 interview invites, going on 13, getting 11 acceptances, 2 WL, and three full rides has more to do with how competitive you are and not the color of your skin or ethnic background. I posted this not to brag about myself because that is the last thing I want to do, but to give folks hope that IF you have good academic credentials and you apply broadly you will get in somewhere...
 
QofQuimica said:
\

One thing I did that made a huge difference in terms of helping me strengthen myself as a candidate was to get pre-application counseling at all of my state schools. I highly recommend that those of you who are getting ready to apply next year consider doing this.
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Hello, what exactly is "pre-application counseling"? Calling and asking what would improve your app/what the school is looking for? Thanks
 
MiesVanDerMom said:
Yeah. I mean, what percentile is a 35? How many people score that high? We're not applying to be God here. I'm glad I'm applying to several DO schools. I am but low on the food chain 🙄
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My 36 was 95th percentile. Since more than 5% of MCAT takers go to Medical School (I think,) I doubt we will see the average go that high. If it does, the AAMC needs to adjust their scale/curve, because we are just seeing MCAT score inflation.
 
jota_jota said:
My 36 was 95th percentile. Since more than 5% of MCAT takers go to Medical School (I think,) I doubt we will see the average go that high. If it does, the AAMC needs to adjust their scale/curve, because we are just seeing MCAT score inflation.
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I think it's getting more and more competitive each year, but seeing average matriculating MCATs 35+ is a product of inflation and going CBT. I'd hazard a guess that njbmd may be looking at a specific subset of applications - I know the interviewers here are trained by pairing a newbie with and old hand. She may be getting those applications that are slam-dunks, instead of risky propositions like I was.

In any case, I'm glad I got my one acceptance, and that's all it takes.

Now off to see the Hudson...
 
vooweevoo said:
Hello, what exactly is "pre-application counseling"? Calling and asking what would improve your app/what the school is looking for? Thanks
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Yes. I actually made appointments, drove over to each school, and met with the admissions people personally with CV, transcripts, and MCAT score report in hand. I asked them what they thought were the weak points in my app and what they suggested that I do to strengthen myself as a candidate. I think it's worth visiting the schools if you can, because it allows them to put a face to the name, and then you have this contact person during the next year while you're applying. But you could call them instead if you can't physically visit.

arrowsmith2 said:
Please bear in mind that both of these posters were URM females. And they failed to disclose that (does that surprise anyone?). FX is latino, and NJB is african american all the way. Don't be fooled folks. It's an extremely tough (and unfair) playing field out there for you white males.

Don't get discouraged though. Keep at it. And make sure you get full disclosure from those who are giving advice!
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While we're on the subject of full disclosure of race, I noticed that you failed to broadcast mine or that of any other non-URM poster. You know, it's really not very sound practice to only look for evidence that confirms your preconceived conclusions. So for the complete record, here you go: I'm 100% white. Now that we have established that we have heard from successful applicants of every race and ethnicity in this thread, maybe we can go back to discussing suggestions that are actually useful to people.

Filibuster said:
At least on a good note though I got my first MD invite today.
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Congrats, filibuster, and good luck. 🙂
 
Law2Doc said:
Albinoism -- that's a pretty underrepresented group...:laugh:
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😛 Good point. And you're absolutely right: I did overextend myself a bit....my hair and eyes are NOT white. Plus, even if I were an albino, my eyes would be pink. So I guess technically no one is 100% white, but I *am* 100% Caucasian. 😉
 
QofQuimica said:
While we're on the subject of full disclosure of race, I noticed that you failed to broadcast mine or that of any other non-URM poster. You know, it's really not very sound practice to only look for evidence that confirms your preconceived conclusions. So for the complete record, here you go: I'm 100% white. Now that we have established that we have heard from successful applicants of every race and ethnicity in this thread, maybe we can go back to discussing suggestions that are actually useful to people.
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And what was your MCAT score again? It wouldn't happen to be around, say, I dunno maybe 43?! Where might that put a 100% white girl? Around the top 0.023% of all applicants?

That's right, folks. It's reality check time. Why these people refuse to reveal the most important factor for them gaining admission as a nontrad remains a puzzle to me. Does it help those seeking relevant advice? Nope. Does that stop them from posting this nonsense? Not a chance.

So now, thanks to Q, we have 2 categories of nontrads *very* likely to gain admission:
i. female URMs; and
ii. white girls who crushed the MCAT.

If any of you nontrads looking for advice fall into either of these categories you are *very* likely to gain admission to a US allopathic med school. For the rest (99.92%) of you who fall outside these two outrageously narrow groups, you'll have to get your advice elsewhere. Because apparently, for some bizarre reason (maybe somewhat related to bragging rights on an anonymous internet forum?) you won't find the honesty you're looking for here.

Good luck, folks! I feel your pain.
 
QofQuimica said:
I was another MD-only applicant. I applied to 22 schools, received 19 invites, attended 17, was accepted to 12, and got full scholarships at six. Three of the other schools invited me to apply for scholarships as well.

One thing I did that made a huge difference in terms of helping me strengthen myself as a candidate was to get pre-application counseling at all of my state schools.
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Well folks, looks like Q might have outdone herself here. The "one thing" that made a "huge difference" was her "pre-application counseling?" Uh... yeah. I bet that was certainly the one thing that made a huge difference. Maybe, just maybe, in addition to that oh-so-valuable "pre-application counseling" was your 43 MCAT? Just guessing here, Q. Don't get your panties in a bunch now.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=3757878&postcount=4312
 
Give me a break. Why should it surprise anyone that a high MCAT score would make a big difference in admissions? Particularly when one's undergrad GPA is either non-existant or very low?

What advice would you give to a white non-trad applicant? "Forget it, you're white so you'd better get a sex change and crush the MCAT?" How about:

a) do your absolute best in any post-baccalaureate coursework you choose to take.
b) do your absolute best on the MCAT.
c) Submit your AMCAS and see how you stack up to the competition.

Keep this in mind: it's a COMPETITION. You are competing against 35,000 other very smart, accomplished people who want the same thing that you do, and only about 17,000 of them will get it this year. I'm sorry to say it, but not everyone will get in, and that means that some very impressive applicants will be left out in the cold. I know it might sound arrogant coming from a medical student, but that's the simple truth. I think the re-applicants know this very well.

I have a GPA that would make George Bush laugh, my MCAT score is high but not stratospheric, and I had no relevant or recent volunteering experience. I was very successful last year, and I'm not even close to an URM. And FWIW, the people in my class who would probably qualify as URMs are at an intellectual parity with everyone else. Don't assume that they were allowed to slide in with subpar abilities.
 
blee said:
Give me a break. Why should it surprise anyone that a high MCAT score would make a big difference in admissions?
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What on earth are you talking about? It surprises no one that a high MCAT score is a ticket to admission. That's the point I've just made. Q failed to disclose her astronomical score and attributed her success to "pre-admission counseling" or some such nonsense.

Likewise efex & njb didn't mention their ace in the hole.

Why does this confuse you?
 
For someone with only 33 posts who just joined what a month ago, you know an awful lot about posters here. Of course, since you were also plugging that lame studentdoctors.net site in your DO bash fest, I think it's pretty clear you're a troll.

I suggest anyone who's paying any attention to Mr. Arrowsmith's posts read his post history to see who you're dealing with.
 
exlawgrrl said:
For someone with only 33 posts who just joined what a month ago, you know an awful lot about posters here. Of course, since you were also plugging that lame studentdoctors.net site in your DO bash fest, I think it's pretty clear you're a troll.

I suggest anyone who's paying any attention to Mr. Arrowsmith's posts read his post history to see who you're dealing with.
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Well, if it makes you feel any better, I just received two "infractions" from the african american listed above. Apparently full disclosure of URM status & MCAT score is not as appropriate as age & "pre-admission counseling" status.
 
arrowsmith2 said:
What on earth are you talking about? It surprises no one that a high MCAT score is a ticket to admission. That's the point I've just made. Q failed to disclose her astronomical score and attributed her success to "pre-admission counseling" or some such nonsense.

Likewise efex & njb didn't mention their ace in the hole.

Why does this confuse you?
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Getting into med school is very competitive. If you want to examine ANY med school matriculant, you will see that everybody who got in had something going for them, an "ace in the hole". Usually folks have even more than one card going for them (like Q with her albinoism and PhD and high MCAT🙂 ). True not only for nontrads but also trads. I don't see why this is surprising to you or that it undermines the basic concepts of this thread -- that getting into allo med school is not impossible for nontrads IF THEY HAVE IMPRESSIVE STATS AND CREDENTIALS. Trads also have to have the goods. That's life in the fast lane.
 
LOL. I apologize for being led astray by the flamebait. I should've "pulled an arrowsmith" and done my research on his/her previous posts.

We're all entitled to our own opinions, I guess. My advice to anyone who might be reading this thread for advice is to remember this: when it comes to med school admissions, there are things about our applications that we absolutely can't change. There are also things that we can change. I won't tell you that you're guaranteed admission to med school; in fact, based on MCAT score distributions and stereotypical non-trad GPA "data," you will probably have a harder time getting in than the average college senior. Nevertheless, it can be done, and on SDN there are many examples of people of ALL backgrounds who did it.

Accept who you are, take control of your future, and give it your best shot.
 
arrowsmith2 said:
Well, if it makes you feel any better, I just received two "infractions" from the african american listed above. Apparently full disclosure of URM status & MCAT score is not as appropriate as age & "pre-admission counseling" status.
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I'm a very non-traditional, white male who applied and was accepted to more than one allopathic school without an undergraduate GPA (only grad GPA) and with a mediocre MCAT score, so it can be done if you otherwise have a strong application package. Like QofQuimica, I also visited one or two schools before applying to find out what I should do to strengthen my application. Not once did I think anybody else 'had is easier'. Know assuredly that such a bitter outlook will be your undoing. You should focus less on race and more on personal character development. The medical school interview levels the paying field and, as an interviewer now, I probe deeply to expose folks with deplorable attitudes - as do all the other interviewers. Good luck.
 
arrowsmith2 said:
Well, if it makes you feel any better, I just received two "infractions" from the african american listed above. Apparently full disclosure of URM status & MCAT score is not as appropriate as age & "pre-admission counseling" status.
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If this is true as written (re: infractions) I think that njbmd is being too facist in moderating. While I don't agree with arrowsmith's argument, he's just calling a spade a spade. Hell, one of the Medical Schools that I am applying to (UTMB) explicitly lists race and ethnicity as factors considered for admissions in their OFFICIAL statement on the matter. Whether those factors are explicitly listed or not, the fact of the matter is that they ARE considered in admissions, though I agree with most of the other posters that they are not nearly as important as arrowsmith is making them out to be.

Giving someone an "infraction" for bringing that up is just ridiculous, IMHO.
 
Please note that nobody gets an infraction, warning, post hold, or ban based on the opinions they state, even if they are very unpopular or unpleasant.

The infractions were given for specific TOS violations not for any particular opinions stated.
 
i think one reason non-trads have a harder time with admissions is that we've had longer to screw up and make mistakes. honestly. i mean, give anyone a length of rope and... I'm hoping maybe DO schools are more understanding of past mistakes than MD schools. If not, I'm going to be a fashion model instead 👍

As I'm sure someone will point out: non-trads have also had longer to distinguish oursleves in a postiive way. I was just raising this point because med school admissions is one the least forgiving processes in the world for past mistakes.

I'm not complaining, I'm just saying.
 
MiesVanDerMom said:
i think one reason non-trads have a harder time with admissions is that we've had longer to screw up and make mistakes. honestly. i mean, give anyone a length of rope and... I'm hoping maybe DO schools are more understanding of past mistakes than MD schools. If not, I'm going to be a fashion model instead 👍

As I'm sure someone will point out: non-trads have also had longer to distinguish oursleves in a postiive way. I was just raising this point because med school admissions is one the least forgiving processes in the world for past mistakes.

I'm not complaining, I'm just saying.
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So far non-trad status has felt like a huge advantage for me, especially in interviews but also in secondary essay-writing. Think about all those "tell me about a time in your life when you..." questions -- I don't know how undergrads answer them all.

I figure if I don't get in, it's most likely to be because my undergrad GPA stinks -- not because its stinkiness was established a non-traditional seven years ago. :luck: The only possible non-trad factor would be that I can no longer remember & talk about the research I did as an undergrad, and I haven't done any since.
 
DrMom said:
Please note that nobody gets an infraction, warning, post hold, or ban based on the opinions they state, even if they are very unpopular or unpleasant.

The infractions were given for specific TOS violations not for any particular opinions stated.
Click to expand...

While you may abide by that policy, I doubt all moderators do.
 
DrMom said:
Please note that nobody gets an infraction, warning, post hold, or ban based on the opinions they state, even if they are very unpopular or unpleasant.

The infractions were given for specific TOS violations not for any particular opinions stated.
Click to expand...

What's a TOS violation?

To the OP. I really see that the DO schools apply their "whole person" approach to their applicants. So, if on the whole, someone is a great overall applicant, but they had a bad first undergrad year, they don't use that as a reason to rule you out. If on the whole, someone is a great overall applicant, but their MCAT score isn't in the top 95%, they don't use that as a reason to rule you out.
I see that MD schools WILL look at the applicant and see that they are great overall, BUT that MCAT score isn't so hot - and rule you out. They will look at the applicant and see that they are great overall, BUT their first year as an undergrad was bad - so they rule you out.
And they won't say it, but most MD schools do age discriminate to some degree - certainly more so than DO schools. Oh, they will ALL say, "We have someone who is 52 years old!", or "We have several students over 30!" But it is more in the same sense of the 'token minorities' that companies hired years ago. I hope that doesn't offend anyone - I just mean it in the sense that they do discriminate to some degree, and hide behind the few exceptions as claims that they don't.
 
PastJast said:
While you may abide by that policy, I doubt all moderators do.
Click to expand...

Actually, mods review cases together so to help us be consistent as a group. This particular situation is just as I presented it.

Orthodoc40 said:
What's a TOS violation?
Click to expand...

The TOS is the Terms of Service of SDN...in short: the rules of the forums. The long version can be found here, but there's a briefer version that covers the main issues quite well.
 
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