~2008-2009~"What Are My Chances/Where Should I Apply/What Should I Do" Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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My advice is go to the secondar application thread and have all your secondaries finished ASAP. Then send them in the day after you get the secondary from the school. Time is of the essence.
 
I have some applications in to MD schools, however I am starting to worry that I didn't apply broadly enough. Is it too late to have a realistic chance at getting into any DO schools if I apply in the next couple of days? If you guys could suggest some schools that would be awesome!
 
If you're applying MD right now, then yes, it's really late. In terms of DO, it's not tooooo late to apply now. Suggestions of schools: are based on where you want to be located in, scores (gpa & MCAT), what field are you interested in, rural vs. urban area, costs, etc....
 
are you actually interested in osteopathic medicine/training? that makes a big difference! 🙄
 
My Md apps were submitted a looooong time ago so I'm not worried about that, I just don't want to spend all that money to apply DO if I have no chance. I have pretty good stats, 37P MCAT and 3.48 GPA, normal EC's, etc. Would it be a bad idea for me to apply now or should I just wait it out and apply next year if necessary?
 
natrod13 said:
My Md apps were submitted a looooong time ago so I'm not worried about that, I just don't want to spend all that money to apply DO if I have no chance. I have pretty good stats, 37P MCAT and 3.48 GPA, normal EC's, etc. Would it be a bad idea for me to apply now or should I just wait it out and apply next year if necessary?
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Apply. Your stats are good.
 
OK I think I'll go for it. Any suggestions on where to apply? I am a Utah resident (pretty much useless residency), I would prefer staying in the west but will go anywhere I get in, my husband would prefer a rural area (I figure all libraries look the same, right?), currently I am interested in orthopedics, but that will most likely change with more exposure to different specialties. I don't really know much about the different DO schools, I have a friend who interviewed at ATSU/KCOM so I know a lot about that, but I would like to have some other schools on there as well. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
 
natrod13 said:
My Md apps were submitted a looooong time ago so I'm not worried about that, I just don't want to spend all that money to apply DO if I have no chance. I have pretty good stats, 37P MCAT and 3.48 GPA, normal EC's, etc. Would it be a bad idea for me to apply now or should I just wait it out and apply next year if necessary?
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Holy Jesus you really took that MCAT for a ride! you've probably got a good shot if you apply and aren't worried about waiting for a while to hear any final decisions...and by a while I would speculate march, april, maybe even later. apply broadly; look into the schools on their websites and on the forums as well. try and find which ones would be a good fit, location is only one aspect of these schools. what are you looking for in a school..? how are your ec's, by the way?
 
natrod13: make sure you get some DO exposure/shadowing before your interviews atleast
 
rajaholick said:
natrod13: make sure you get some DO exposure/shadowing before your interviews atleast
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I definitely agree. In fact, some schools will require a LOR from a DO (most others will strongly recommend it). If you start shadowing now, then you'll have plenty of time before you receive secondaries to build a relationship with a DO and they can write you a letter.
 
Hey all! I was wondering if you guys could answer some questions of mine.

I have a pretty mediocre undergrad record from a while back (little more a 3.0). I'm planning on taking classes to retake the classes I did poorly at. Does the fact that I did poorly during my first run through in undergrad make me a lessor candidate even after I get my gpa up? How good a redeemer is a successful post-bacc gpa repair?

Also, (and I've kinda asked this before but I would love a solid clarification) should I retake my courses in what seems like the most reputable institution I can or will any accredited brick and mortar school suffice as long as I get good grades?

Should I take a full course load or would it look good if I remediated classes part-time while volunteering/doing research?

Thank you very much!
-Squiggy
 
Squiggy said:
Hey all! I was wondering if you guys could answer some questions of mine.

I have a pretty mediocre undergrad record from a while back (little more a 3.0). I'm planning on taking classes to retake the classes I did poorly at. Does the fact that I did poorly during my first run through in undergrad make me a lessor candidate even after I get my gpa up? How good a redeemer is a successful post-bacc gpa repair?

Also, (and I've kinda asked this before but I would love a solid clarification) should I retake my courses in what seems like the most reputable institution I can or will any accredited brick and mortar school suffice as long as I get good grades?

Should I take a full course load or would it look good if I remediated classes part-time while volunteering/doing research?

Thank you very much!
-Squiggy
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--For DO schools, they'll replace your grades with the most recent attempt, for GPA calculations. It won't really be a big deal that you retook classes. Just get A's--they usually care more about the GPA itself, rather than exactly how it was achieved.

--Just make sure your retake courses are worth >= the number of credits as the previous attempts. Otherwise they won't count as retakes. Take the courses wherever you want--Harvard or X City College.

--If the question is Full time school with no volunteering/ECs vs. Taking longer to finish school because it's part time, but with steady volunteering/ECs, you should go with the second option. Longevity and commitment look good for ECs, etc.--better than starting a bunch of projects for a short period of time, right before submitting your applications.
 
Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if you think it would be too late to submit a primary. I applied MD with the intention of doing DO next, but ran into financial and time problems and for awhile thought it would be better to not do the second set of apps. However, now that I have a little more money and time I am wanting to do the DO apps again, too. Is it way too late? I don't know if stats help - but you can look at my mdapps if it matters.
Thanks!!!
 
HaveHope said:
Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if you think it would be too late to submit a primary. I applied MD with the intention of doing DO next, but ran into financial and time problems and for awhile thought it would be better to not do the second set of apps. However, now that I have a little more money and time I am wanting to do the DO apps again, too. Is it way too late? I don't know if stats help - but you can look at my mdapps if it matters.
Thanks!!!
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Plenty of spots left. Your chances have diminished somewhat, but I think it's worth a shot. Waiting around a year after not even trying is much worse than potentially blowing a grand or two. I'd go for it, personally. 👍
 
HaveHope said:
Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if you think it would be too late to submit a primary. I applied MD with the intention of doing DO next, but ran into financial and time problems and for awhile thought it would be better to not do the second set of apps. However, now that I have a little more money and time I am wanting to do the DO apps again, too. Is it way too late? I don't know if stats help - but you can look at my mdapps if it matters.
Thanks!!!
Click to expand...

Definitely apply. You have good stats. And if you don't get in (unlikely), you can reapply next year. Being a reapplicant is not a negative, it shows perseverance.

Better said: if I was your father and you told me that you didn't apply this cycle because you thought you were late in the game, I'd punch you in the face.
 
I have heard of a few schools that if a quality applicant applies late in the game and by the time they interview, the class is full, they will offer a position in the next year's class. You would not have to wait to apply and would not have to apply twice so you don't waste money. I just depends on the quality of your application and your timing in the game.
 
00686 said:
I have heard of a few schools that if a quality applicant applies late in the game and by the time they interview, the class is full, they will offer a position in the next year's class. You would not have to wait to apply and would not have to apply twice so you don't waste money. I just depends on the quality of your application and your timing in the game.
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Yes, this is usually done for the top couple of people on the waitlist, which could be the students they use as stand-ins for the first day or two of class. If someone doesn't show up or doesn't pay the final tuition, the stand-in gets their spot. If everyone shows up, the stand-ins get a year off with a guaranteed spot in next year's class.
 
rajaholick said:
natrod13: make sure you get some DO exposure/shadowing before your interviews atleast
Click to expand...


Growing up my pediatrician was a DO so I got to spend a couple days shadowing him. Hopefully he can write me a letter pretty quickly!
 
Chocolate Bear said:
Yes, this is usually done for the top couple of people on the waitlist, which could be the students they use as stand-ins for the first day or two of class. If someone doesn't show up or doesn't pay the final tuition, the stand-in gets their spot. If everyone shows up, the stand-ins get a year off with a guaranteed spot in next year's class.
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Sweet. I'd actually almost prefer that than jumping straight back into school -- it would give me the opportunity to work full-time or travel!!
 
rennykim said:
Sweet. I'd actually almost prefer that than jumping straight back into school -- it would give me the opportunity to work full-time or travel!!
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I don't know if you know this already, but even if you are accepted to the class of 2013, some schools will allow you to defer admissions for a year (meaning you can say you want to join the class of 2014).
 
Spooner13 said:
I don't know if you know this already, but even if you are accepted to the class of 2013, some schools will allow you to defer admissions for a year (meaning you can say you want to join the class of 2014).
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Very true. However, you usually need a better excuse than "travel and work."
 
I understand that schools require lor's from 2 science profs and a DO/MD that youve shadowed but are there other lor's that they would like as well? like i have one from my employer but there not asking for that, what about non science prof's and are the letter requirments the same for md/do schools? im applying to both so just curious and i understand that its different for every school but just a general idea
 
kypreos said:
I understand that schools require lor's from 2 science profs and a DO/MD that youve shadowed but are there other lor's that they would like as well? like i have one from my employer but there not asking for that, what about non science prof's and are the letter requirments the same for md/do schools? im applying to both so just curious and i understand that its different for every school but just a general idea
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1. Some schools require a DO letter, while some just strongly recommend it. For the latter, you could substitute an MD letter. You don't have to shadow a doc to get a letter, but that's usually the best way.

2. Your employee letter is great to include, especially if the author knows you well.

3. A non-sci letter is required at some schools (at least NOVA, and there are probably others). Also, non-sci profs are often good writers and you may have been able to get to know them really well. Both of these are good things to have in your letters.

4. For the most part, the letter requirements are the same for both types of schools.

5. If you've done grad school, they may want a letter from someone in your grad program.

6. Some schools, like PCOMs, require a letter from a pre health committee. Others want one from a pre med advisor or committee. If you don't have one or both of these, 2 sci profs will usually suffice. PCOM will want a letter from the dean of your college, in order to substitute, though.

The above list should cover you at any given school. I can't think of any cases where it wouldn't, but I haven't looked at all DO and MD schools.
 
Hey everyone. I originally transfered from a community college with a 3.1 GPA to get into nursing school. then in the middle of nursing school I decided my true calling is Medical school so I decided to double major in nursing and biology. I hold 210 credits loaded with all types of science classes from every direction. I even took 3 diffrent earth science coarses to expand my knowledge of the earth and its role as an organism. I hold a BS in NURSING and a BS in BIOLOGY. My GPA is a 3.53 (only in the school which i recieved my degrees)

My one worry is my community college GPA consists of 40 credits and is a 3.1. I attended this school 3 years ago, but i feel like it might affect my overall GPA. How is this wieghted and do medical schools look at this or do they see the progressive maturity of the studnet rather then just grades.

I plan to take the MCATS in september and apply to medical school stright after that.

is there anyone out there who can give me some good advise!!!
 
ElapidaeEnigma said:
Hey everyone. I originally transfered from a community college with a 3.1 GPA to get into nursing school. then in the middle of nursing school I decided my true calling is Medical school so I decided to double major in nursing and biology. I hold 210 credits loaded with all types of science classes from every direction. I even took 3 diffrent earth science coarses to expand my knowledge of the earth and its role as an organism. I hold a BS in NURSING and a BS in BIOLOGY. My GPA is a 3.53 (only in the school which i recieved my degrees)

My one worry is my community college GPA consists of 40 credits and is a 3.1. I attended this school 3 years ago, but i feel like it might affect my overall GPA. How is this wieghted and do medical schools look at this or do they see the progressive maturity of the studnet rather then just grades.

I plan to take the MCATS in september and apply to medical school stright after that.

is there anyone out there who can give me some good advise!!!
Click to expand...

Yes, your community college credits will be calculated into your overall GPA. The good news is that your AACOMAS will break down your GPA for each year, so med schools will be able to see your progressive maturity. They will recognize that, after you left the community college, you turned a corner and got your act together. And while they will look at your overall gpa, they will also strongly consider your recent course work. You just want to be able to show that you have come a long way, and you can can handle the work load of med school. One thing you might consider doing is to include some this in your personal statement. Make a good story out of it and explain that, even though you started out slow in college, you now are dedicated and working hard to pursue a career in medicine (turn this negative into a positive). Give them a reason to believe in you. Oh yeah, and make sure that you start your aacomas and personal statement early. Get your application in as soon as you can and that will definitely help your chances.

Hope that helps a little. Maybe someone else can chime in if I left anything out.

Good luck!
 
Chocolate Bear said:
1. Some schools require a DO letter, while some just strongly recommend it. For the latter, you could substitute an MD letter. You don't have to shadow a doc to get a letter, but that's usually the best way.

2. Your employee letter is great to include, especially if the author knows you well.

3. A non-sci letter is required at some schools (at least NOVA, and there are probably others). Also, non-sci profs are often good writers and you may have been able to get to know them really well. Both of these are good things to have in your letters.

4. For the most part, the letter requirements are the same for both types of schools.

5. If you've done grad school, they may want a letter from someone in your grad program.

6. Some schools, like PCOMs, require a letter from a pre health committee. Others want one from a pre med advisor or committee. If you don't have one or both of these, 2 sci profs will usually suffice. PCOM will want a letter from the dean of your college, in order to substitute, though.

The above list should cover you at any given school. I can't think of any cases where it wouldn't, but I haven't looked at all DO and MD schools.
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thanks a lot. i ihave a pre med committee but i never really built 2 many relationships with people on the committee.my pre med advisor led me to the wrong direction way 2 many times so i kept going with what certain schools wanted instead of what he thought i should take. So, ill probobly be getting 2 lor's from science profs. thanks again man
 
I am really discouraged with the Adcoms application, I am trying to calculate my GPA, and my grades for my first 2 years of university are killing my average,for my last 3.5 years my overal GPA is a 3.65, My GPA for my first 2 years is a 2.76, my overall is: Non Science-3.46, Science is a 3.30 (with repeated grades-I bombed organo the first time I took it). Im planning to apply for next years cycle, My EC's include Rehab volunteer for the Handicapped (local agency) and Im also a Emergency Medical Technician. I am a US citizen but Ive attened Canadian Schools all of my life, I will write my MCAT in 2009, what do you think my chances are for next year?
 
danielallen2008 said:
I am really discouraged with the Adcoms application, I am trying to calculate my GPA, and my grades for my first 2 years of university are killing my average,for my last 3.5 years my overal GPA is a 3.65, My GPA for my first 2 years is a 2.76, my overall is: Non Science-3.46, Science is a 3.30 (with repeated grades-I bombed organo the first time I took it). Im planning to apply for next years cycle, My EC's include Rehab volunteer for the Handicapped (local agency) and Im also a Emergency Medical Technician. I am a US citizen but Ive attened Canadian Schools all of my life, I will write my MCAT in 2009, what do you think my chances are for next year?
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I don't know how you calculated your GPA, but for the osteopathic schools, they replace the grades of repeated classes rather than including both grades.

Obviously your MCAT score is very important. I'd say anything >25 should give you a pretty good shot. Of course, the higher the better.
 
.............do they replace it online or do they wait for your transcripts and make the adjustment?
 
I was also reading that alot of schools dont accept international students, just US citizens or permanent residents, I am a US citizen but Ive attend canadian universities, am I eligible for those schools that dont accept international schools??????
 
danielallen2008 said:
I was also reading that alot of schools dont accept international students, just US citizens or permanent residents, I am a US citizen but Ive attend canadian universities, am I eligible for those schools that dont accept international schools??????
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Its all about citizenship so you're fine there. You will need to do some work to make sure that your units transfer correctly though, i know some ppl have had problems with that in the past. They are on a different hour scale in canada. the aacomas should automatically replace the grade if im not mistaken but i dont have any experience with that. do as well as you can on the MCAT, EPIC is probably right in estimating that a 25/26 will keep you at least competitive..but you need a little bit of compensation for you gpa.
 
Keep your head up buddy. I was in the exact same situation you were in. Just study really hard to get at the very least a 27 on your MCAT and you will be fine. ADCOMS will look highly upon your upward trend. It's better to start low and finish high than stay at 3.2 consistently throughout 4 years (at least in my opinion hahah). If you received anything less than a B in your science courses, definitely retake since it is replaced. As long as you do well your second time around, you will be fine. Just study hardcore for the MCAT because it is doable. Even though my first two years were 2.76, I did okay on the MCAT and was invited to interview at 7 different schools. Your involvement in EMT will also help you (it did for me!). Best wishes and continue to finish strong! you will be okay.
 
Thankyou so much for the support
I just figured out the repeat grading system, I entered my repeat grades and my overall GPA is 3.45, Sci is a 3.42 and nonsci s a 3.56, I have another question, do letters of rec need to be from a DO, or can they be from a MD?
 
No they don't. Most schools will accept either an MD or DO letter. Many will say that they prefer the DO letter, but what ultimately matters is that you have a letter writer who knows you well and can give you an excellent recommendation. I didn't get a DO letter and I was fine. The only school I was even considering that required a DO letter was Rocky Vista (or Pacific Northwest...I never can keep those two straight). Bottom line: you don't need a DO letter to apply to most DO schools.

Having said that, schools want to see that you truly are interested in becoming a DO. This is usually exhibited through taking the time to shadow a DO. If you start shadowing a DO now and build up a good relationship with him/her, it will probably lead to a good letter. Something you might want to consider.
 
danielallen2008 said:
Thankyou so much for the support
I just figured out the repeat grading system, I entered my repeat grades and my overall GPA is 3.45, Sci is a 3.42 and nonsci s a 3.56, I have another question, do letters of rec need to be from a DO, or can they be from a MD?
Click to expand...

Hokie06 said:
most schools require DO!
Click to expand...

No they don't!! Some do, but SB25 explained things pretty well. I did fine with just an MD letter, just make sure it is a strong one. DO familiarity doesn't have to correspond with your letter of rec, but it commonly does - hence the DO letter being "preferred" at a lot of schools.
 
SB25 said:
No they don't. Most schools will accept either an MD or DO letter. Many will say that they prefer the DO letter, but what ultimately matters is that you have a letter writer who knows you well and can give you an excellent recommendation. I didn't get a DO letter and I was fine. The only school I was even considering that required a DO letter was Rocky Vista (or Pacific Northwest...I never can keep those two straight). Bottom line: you don't need a DO letter to apply to most DO schools.

Having said that, schools want to see that you truly are interested in becoming a DO. This is usually exhibited through taking the time to shadow a DO. If you start shadowing a DO now and build up a good relationship with him/her, it will probably lead to a good letter. Something you might want to consider.
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👍

Here's a list of the schools and whether or not you need a DO letter for each. The info is from the 2009 CIB.
 
I feel like im about to have a heartattack!!!:scared:😕 I just found out I got a D in biochemistry and Anatomy!!!!🙁😱 I was taking 18 credit hours (all upper level science courses) and I ruined my chances of getting into any D.O. medschool!!!!! what should I do? I have a 2.879 (after this quarter of hell it will come down to a 2.747) and I got a 33 on the MCAT. Im this close to shooting myself. I did mediocre in the other two classes with a B in calc and a C in physics three (I had gotten Bs for the first two, though the lab I got straight As all through out). Ive heard that ochem is a pre-req. for biochem, I did well in ochem....I had gotten a C for the first one but got Bs for the second and third and got As in the labs. Have I killed my chances completely?:scared: I intend on going to OU D.O. med school.
 
Well you're in trouble if you intended to apply in the current session (entering fall 2009), but for the AACOMAS application if you retake classes it will replace the lower grade with the retaken one. You could go back and retake the classes you did poorly in and bring those grades up.
 
oh No, I didnt intend on applying for the 09 cycle...I was hoping for 2010...do you think if I retake the classes and come out with flying colors i would still have a chance?
 
planetvenus87 said:
oh No, I didnt intend on applying for the 09 cycle...I was hoping for 2010...do you think if I retake the classes and come out with flying colors i would still have a chance?
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Yup. Also realize that your performance in these classes will carry over into medical school. If you do well now, the basic sciences will be more a problem of volume of material. If you don't master the stuff you're doing now, the first year will be more a problem of volume and difficulty. Keep your motivation and determination in check.

Good luck.
 
Thank you so much for replying and for raising my hopes...I thought I was doomed..it was just too much I took on I think and the lack of sleep and not eating really got to me. Im retaking the anatomy course this upcoming quarter and the biochem hopefully either in spring this year or fall of next year. thanks again 🙂
 
planetvenus87 said:
oh No, I didnt intend on applying for the 09 cycle...I was hoping for 2010...do you think if I retake the classes and come out with flying colors i would still have a chance?
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I think if you retook those classes and just got a B you'd still be fine with your 33 MCAT. I'm totally jealous of your score.
 
I will be graduating with a B.S. in Biology this semester and I have taken all the pre-medical pre-reqs. My problem is my very low undergrad GPA of 2.5 and MCAT score of 22 O. I am thinking of three options at this point to help me get into medical school.
1) Retake all of my pre requisites to boost my GPA and retake MCAT.
2) Retake all of my pre requisites at another institution (perhaps a community college). But ONLY send my retaken pre-req grades and not my grades from undergrad degree (to schools that do not require a bachelors degree). And retake MCAT
3) Apply for a masters program (perhaps in in Public Health) and retake MCAT.

Please note I am open to applying to D.O. programs as well as M.D. (and M.D. programs at the Caribbean schools as well).

I appreciate your input thanks!
 
robotchicken said:
I will be graduating with a B.S. in Biology this semester and I have taken all the pre-medical pre-reqs. My problem is my very low undergrad GPA of 2.5 and MCAT score of 22 O. I am thinking of three options at this point to help me get into medical school.
1) Retake all of my pre requisites to boost my GPA and retake MCAT.
2) Retake all of my pre requisites at another institution (perhaps a community college). But ONLY send my retaken pre-req grades and not my grades from undergrad degree (to schools that do not require a bachelors degree). And retake MCAT
3) Apply for a masters program (perhaps in in Public Health) and retake MCAT.

Please note I am open to applying to D.O. programs as well as M.D. (and M.D. programs at the Caribbean schools as well).

I appreciate your input thanks!
Click to expand...

A few things to consider:

1. DO schools calculate your GPA based only on the most recent grade in a course. Thus, if you retake your pre-reqs, you get all new grades, rather than the average of both attempts. If you pull A's, you could rewrite history, essentially.

2. You would not be able to successfully pull of your second option, above. You must report all grades on your AACOMAS application, regardless of any degree requirements at a given school.

3. You essentially have to have a bachelor's degree, so your second option wouldn't work, even if you could get away with not reporting all your grades. Which, again, you cannot.

4. An MPH degree will not improve your low undergrad GPA. Your focus should be on boosting your undergrad GPA, not creating a new grad GPA. This will not help you.

5. The only master's you might consider is called an SMP, or special master's program. You would take medical courses at a med school. If you did well, you'd have a great shot at admissions. However, your low MCAT all but excludes you from one of these expensive, somewhat risky programs. They're risky because doing poorly is like inserting nails into your application coffin.


Retake pre reqs and study your butt off for the MCAT. You need all A's, and you shouldn't take the MCAT again until you're consistently scoring a little above your target range.

Best of luck!

Moving to What are My Chances?
 
Would a LOR from a psych professor count towards a science LOR requirement? Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question, but I'm a psych major and most of the teachers I have really gotten to know are in my major. Thanks
 
OrangeRoost said:
Would a LOR from a psych professor count towards a science LOR requirement? Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question, but I'm a psych major and most of the teachers I have really gotten to know are in my major. Thanks
Click to expand...

No. That would count as a non-sci letter. You need someone from bio/chem/physics/etc. Sorry.
 
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