2013-2014 Underdawgs Thread ( Lets get it)

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Depending on how many DO schools you applied to. I don't think you'll get any love from MD schools, but assuming you applied to 20+ DO programs, I expect you get 5+ interviews, at least.
Click to expand...

Yea I'm wondering if I should even apply to MD schools. My only problem is my father will get mad at me for not working hard enough for MD but its like why spend thousands on MD at this point??
 
pre med 2014 said:
Someone seriously already got an interview??
Click to expand...

Yeah. LECOM interviews early (mid-late July), so their ii's have started trickling out.

pre med 2014 said:
Yea I'm wondering if I should even apply to MD schools. My only problem is my father will get mad at me for not working hard enough for MD but its like why spend thousands on MD at this point??
Click to expand...

Throw in 5-10 schools (spend at most like $1000), and make your dad happy. At very least you'll be able to say you tried. Apply almost exclusively to low tier (maybe mid-tier) MD schools (because if you're paying the money, you might as well go for your best chance) and your state schools if you have any.
 
hallowmann said:
Yeah. LECOM interviews early (mid-late July), so their ii's have started trickling out.



Throw in 5-10 schools (spend at most like $1000), and make your dad happy. At very least you'll be able to say you tried. Apply almost exclusively to low tier (maybe mid-tier) MD schools (because if you're paying the money, you might as well go for your best chance) and your state schools if you have any.
Click to expand...

Yea but after secondaries you're pushing $2000 for 10 schools, maybe $1500 if lucky

Do secondaries come after your aacomas status changes? My status is still 'submitted to aacomas for review' or something, those that mean none of the 28 schools even saw my primary yet?
 
pre med 2014 said:
Yea but after secondaries you're pushing $2000 for 10 schools, maybe $1500 if lucky
Click to expand...

Most MD secondaries are $100. Some are as low as $30 (not many mind you, but some). About 2/3 of my MD secondaries from last year were $30-$80, while the remaining 1/3 were $100-$125. I applied to more than 10 schools.

The primary is $160 for the first school and $34 for each additional one. For 5 schools you're looking at probably at most $160 + $136 + $500 = $796. For 10 schools, you are looking at probably at most $160 + $306 + $1000 = $1466. Extra fees will be $6 for interfolio LORs (one-time fee to send to AMCAS) and $5-$10 for transcripts (also one-time fee to send to AMCAS).

I think you could easily apply to like 7-8 schools for less than $1000, but obviously that depends on where you apply.


pre med 2014 said:
Do secondaries come after your aacomas status changes? My status is still 'submitted to aacomas for review' or something, those that mean none of the 28 schools even saw my primary yet?
Click to expand...

Yeah, no schools will see your apps until they are verified. Then they will be released to schools (may take 1 week from verification), then they will say under status "Released XX/XX/XX" with the date it was sent to that specific school.
 
Last edited:
hallowmann said:
Most MD secondaries are $100. Some are as low as $30 (not many mind you, but some). About 2/3 of my MD secondaries from last year were $30-$80, while the remaining 1/3 were $100-$125. I applied to more than 10 schools.

The primary is $160 for the first school and $34 for each additional one. For 5 schools you're looking at probably at most $160 + $136 + $500 = $796. For 10 schools, you are looking at probably at most $160 + $306 + $1000 = $1466. Extra fees will be $6 for interfolio LORs (one-time fee to send to AMCAS) and $5-$10 for transcripts (also one-time fee to send to AMCAS).

I think you could easily apply to like 7-8 schools for less than $1000, but obviously that depends on where you apply.




Yeah, no schools will see your apps until they are verified. Then they will be released to schools (may take 1 week from verification), then they will say under status "Released XX/XX/XX" with the date it was sent to that specific school.
Click to expand...

Alright thanks for the info, I was wondering why it was $160 for the first one. I will apply to 8 or 10, I can bear $1500 for a 20% chance at MD.
 
pre med 2014 said:
Alright thanks for the info, I was wondering why it was $160 for the first one. I will apply to 8 or 10, I can bear $1500 for a 20% chance at MD.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think the first one is really where they are making money, especially off of the people that only apply to a few schools.

AACOMAS charges $195 for the first school, and I think $35 for each additional school, if you submit to them all at once. If you decide to add more schools later, each time you add a group they charge $50 for the first school in the group and $35 for each additional one. For some reason that really annoys me. I can deal with them charging more than AMCAS and paying $6 for Interfolio for each school, but for some reason the idea of punishing people for not applying to all the schools they want at the same time really annoys me.
 
Could you add me to the list?
3.05cgpa / 3.43sgpa / 29 MCAT (8V,11P,10B)
 
Temperature101 said:
Do sGPA carry more weight than cGPA? Let say the GPAs were 3.43cGPA, 3.05sGPA and 29, will he be an underdog?
Click to expand...

I would say hes a high underdog with what he has now, just because of the low cGPA...but IMO he'd definitely be an underdog with lower sGPA
 
Temperature101 said:
Do sGPA carry more weight than cGPA? Let say the GPAs were 3.43cGPA, 3.05sGPA and 29, will he be an underdog?
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was wondering. Would a school ever think "...yea, but look at that cGPA." I wasn't looking to insult the underdog thread. I've read this thread ever since having to go back to school. I just saw some yahoos posting earlier about having 3.8s and 3.9s with 30-something's. Made me think I was an underdog.
 
touchpause13 said:
Yup, serenade is correct, this is me.
Applied BROADLY (12 schools) last year with a 25 (started with a 24) , 3.3 and above average ECs. Was WL at LMU but was not accepted anywhere (had 3 iis)
Click to expand...

And I still say it was because you didn't go to your WVSOM interview.

pre med 2014 said:
Someone seriously already got an interview??
Click to expand...

LECOM is always super early with interviews. Freaked me out too when I got here last year, but on the bright side it was motivation to get my app in asap.
 
serenade said:
What's your test average so far? Because it may be wise to just sit out this year if you're scoring less than 28.
Click to expand...

Concur. You would need at least a 26 for a shot at DO. Normally it is wise to be scoring about 2 points above your target score before a retake. I wish you the best of luck though. I was an underdog last year, so I know it can seem insurmountable at times. But with patience and hard work it can definitely be done!
 
FutureDO22 said:
Concur. You would need at least a 26 for a shot at DO. Normally it is wise to be scoring about 2 points above your target score before a retake. I wish you the best of luck though. I was an underdog last year, so I know it can seem insurmountable at times. But with patience and hard work it can definitely be done!
Click to expand...

A 3.3/3.0.26 is rejection city tbh. Plenty if people on here with stats similar to that needed scores in the high 20s low 30s to get in. He's going to need to do a decent amount of retaking.
 
jackzack87 said:
This is the underdog thread, may I remind you.
Click to expand...

And we're trying to make sure you have above a 2% chance of getting in. Just because this is an underdog thread doesn't mean we're going to sugar coat things.
 
VinceViegel said:
Not to sound like user3 but there was a person last cycle who applied late (November) with those numbers and got into LMU.
Click to expand...

What Serenade and others are also omitting is the LORs, life experiences/personal statement/volunteer resume. It's easy to paint with a wide brush.

Being the underdog thread, and knowing and having met the individual who started it and was admitted to DO school that entry, I think it would be wise to hold judgement or unwanted advice from anyone who is applying here. We are underdogs and this thread was created for those who are perhaps on the lower end of numbers.
 
jackzack87 said:
This is the underdog thread, may I remind you.
Click to expand...

I know it's an underdog thread. Do you not want advice? With your GPA a 26 or above should be what you aim for if you want a legit shot. To be honest, even with a 26 you are still an underdog as serenade pointed out, but it would definitely be worth applying at that point. At the end of the day, this is mostly a numbers game even if there are statistical outliers from time to time.
 
jackzack87 said:
What Serenade and others are also omitting is the LORs, life experiences/personal statement/volunteer resume. It's easy to paint with a wide brush.

Being the underdog thread, and knowing and having met the individual who started it and was admitted to DO school that entry, I think it would be wise to hold judgement or unwanted advice from anyone who is applying here. We are underdogs and this thread was created for those who are perhaps on the lower end of numbers.
Click to expand...

No one is trying to judge you. This thread is normally utilized for support and advice from others that are in a similar situation or were in a similar situation. It can be a big help if you use it as I did last year to collaborate with others on where you stand, so that you can have a successful application cycle.
 
With a 26 mcat ud b in waitlist city imo. Shoot for a 28 or higher to be competitive.
 
No offence taken, but I'm not looking for advice. I'm submitting my numbers to be on the underdog thread. I'm going for the retake on the MCAT which I know is important. I'm confident I can land >25 and make my app much more competitive.
 
jackzack87 said:
No offence taken, but I'm not looking for advice. I'm submitting my numbers to be on the underdog thread. I'm going for the retake on the MCAT which I know is important. I'm confident I can land >25 and make my app much more competitive.
Click to expand...

I actually agree that if you have exceptional ECs and a 25 or above then you would be much more competitive. I wasn't trying to be offensive or anything either. I wish you the best of luck and keep us posted on your progress!
 
FutureDO22 said:
I actually agree that if you have exceptional ECs and a 25 or above then you would be much more competitive. I wasn't trying to be offensive or anything either. I wish you the best of luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Click to expand...

Thanks, and best of luck to you also. Absolutely no offense intended here. I'm looking for comradery on here and would appreciate being in the loop.
 
VinceViegel said:
Is 25 supposed to be the line that true DO competitiveness starts at?
Click to expand...

It really depends on the GPA, but generally yes. That is, competitive at the newer/less established schools. Following the Lizzy score seems to be accurate as well.
 
jackzack87 said:
What Serenade and others are also omitting is the LORs, life experiences/personal statement/volunteer resume. It's easy to paint with a wide brush.

Being the underdog thread, and knowing and having met the individual who started it and was admitted to DO school that entry, I think it would be wise to hold judgement or unwanted advice from anyone who is applying here. We are underdogs and this thread was created for those who are perhaps on the lower end of numbers.
Click to expand...

Kk, good luck.
 
serenade said:
What is competitiveness? I see that as being above average in which case it is 27+
Click to expand...

I think what they mean by competitive is having a legit shot at acceptance if applying broadly. In which case, 25+ is sufficient. If you are talking multiple acceptances and interviews then you are right when you say 27+.
 
FutureDO22 said:
I actually agree that if you have exceptional ECs and a 25 or above then you would be much more competitive. I wasn't trying to be offensive or anything either. I wish you the best of luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Click to expand...

I'll be frank, the importance of extracurriculars are overblown/hyped. No amount of volunteering will compensate for low stats. Life experiences if showing a focus on diversity or adversity likewise probably aren't going to be good enough to make up for low stats.
 
FutureDO22 said:
I think what they mean by competitive is having a legit shot at acceptance if applying broadly. In which case, 25+ is sufficient. If you are talking multiple acceptances and interviews then you are right when you say 27+.
Click to expand...

Thats called being within the standard deviation.
Competitive is being above the average for that school.
 
Is 3.65/3.54/25 underdog?? I applied to 7 schools....is that enough?

ok, so I keep doing this and I don't know why....but my GPAs should be reversed sGPA is 3.65 cGPA is 3.54.....this probably makes no difference, but just want to clarify for my own sake.
 
Last edited:
serenade said:
Thats called being within the standard deviation.
Click to expand...

True, competitive is probably not a good term for just having a decent shot. But I think it is true that 25+ will give you a decent shot and 27+ will give you options and open doors.
 
serenade said:
I'll be frank, the importance of extracurriculars are overblown/hyped. No amount of volunteering will compensate for low stats. Life experiences if showing a focus on diversity or adversity likewise probably aren't going to be good enough to make up for low stats.
Click to expand...

I agree that ECs are overblown on here. However, they can help for someone that is right on the fence between wait list and acceptance.
 
serenade said:
Depends on the schools. I would say you're fine, but avoid CCOM or AZCOM.
Click to expand...

Ok..didn't apply to those two. DMU is my 1st choice (I live in Des Moines already with family and friends here)...applied to LECOM, kcumb, KCOM, RVU, and UNE...
 
FutureDO22 said:
I agree that ECs are overblown on here. However, they can help for someone that is right on the fence between wait list and acceptance.
Click to expand...

Yup, it's what can bridge the gap between interview and acceptance. But generally to get an interview you need decent stats so the school feels they won't have at risk student when the boards come around.
 
AACOMAS
cGPA 3.37
sGPA 3.4

TMDSAS
cGPA 3.2
sGPA 3.16

MCAT 26 (7V 9P 10B)

over 1000 clinical hours
shadowing two doctors: 1 MD/PhD 1 DO
3 publications & 10 abstracts
developed a genome software used to detect cancer patient mutations

I applied to:
A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, MO
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University, Admissions Office, IL
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, IA
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, MO
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Erie/Seton Hill, PA
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, FL
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, PA
Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (formerly UMDNJ SOM), NJ

Texas Schools:
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
University of Texas Houston Medical School
University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio-San Antonio Clinical Ed Campus
University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio-South Texas Clinical Ed Campus
Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine at Lubbock
University of North Texas Health Science Center- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM)
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L Foster School of Medicine at El Paso
 
Eremba said:
Ok..didn't apply to those two. DMU is my 1st choice (I live in Des Moines already with family and friends here)...applied to LECOM, kcumb, KCOM, RVU, and UNE...
Click to expand...

Maybe add in LMU and Touro?
 
bhandal said:
cGPA 3.37
sGPA 3.4
MCAT 26 (7V 9P 10B)

over 1000 clinical hours
shadowing two doctors: 1 MD/PhD 1 DO
3 publications & 10 abstracts
developed a genome software used to detect cancer patient mutations

I applied to:
A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, MO
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University, Admissions Office, IL
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, IA
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, MO
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Erie/Seton Hill, PA
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, FL
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, PA
Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (formerly UMDNJ SOM), NJ

Texas Schools:
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
University of Texas Houston Medical School
University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio-San Antonio Clinical Ed Campus
University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio-South Texas Clinical Ed Campus
Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine at Lubbock
University of North Texas Health Science Center- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM)
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L Foster School of Medicine at El Paso
Click to expand...

A little below average. But not too bad off. I'll add you to the list.
 
Eremba said:
Ok..didn't apply to those two. DMU is my 1st choice (I live in Des Moines already with family and friends here)...applied to LECOM, kcumb, KCOM, RVU, and UNE...
Click to expand...

Consider adding Marion in Indianapolis to help round out your list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

chilly_md
*The Official Osteopathic Underdawgs Thread 2025-26*
Replies
0
Views
1K
chilly_md
chilly_md
M
  • Locked
DO bias? is it real or is it more nuanced?
Replies
1
Views
1K
wysdoc
wysdoc
I
AACOMAS-how does fee assistance work and is it too late to get it
Replies
2
Views
2K
infinitestars
I
PapaGuava
*The Official Osteopathic Underdawgs Thread 2022-23*
Replies
37
Views
10K
Numnums046
N
chilly_md
  • Sticky
*~*~Official AACOMAS Questions Thread 2025-2026~*~*
Replies
13
Views
3K
Maidenless??
M
Top