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Can you tell me which ones? When I checked their FAQs, it said DO recommendations are not required but recommended.
2013-2014 Underdawgs Thread ( Lets get it)
- Thread starter Drrrrrr. Celty
- Start date
Can you tell me which ones? When I checked their FAQs, it said DO recommendations are not required but recommended.
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LECOM for sure needs one.They will give you an interview without one but they will not accept you if you don't have one later on.
I am pretty sure VCOM also needs one.
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They give you one on interview date if you call before the interview explaining your situation and asking them to shadow one of their physicians. Typically you just have lunch and then they give you a letter.
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Thank you guys. I am still calling them in my areas to see if I can shadow. But worst case scenario, I will call them and tell them that if invited for an interview.
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Vcom will not process your file without a DO LOR. You will simply be incomplete until you send one in.
Lecom will let you get one after the interview.
Anywho... Please add some other schools. Cusom, MUCOM, Kcumb, Kcom, Soma, ACOM, Touro nv, oucom are schools to consider adding. Increase your list to 10 schools minimum not counting VCOM.
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I actually emailed VCOM Admissions today, and they said the application would be complete without a DO LOR. However, if I were to be accepted, I would have 30 days to submit my LOR.
And yeap, I will be adding 4 more schools within this week. Just doing some research on them now!
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Second interview invite today....first ACOM....now MUCOM.
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Congrats, I'm hoping for ii at both those. I have one for pnwu. How long did u wait to receive an ii from Marian? I've been complete and ready for review for 2 weeks now and acom for 4 weeks
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Complete at the end of august, placed on hold last month, and got the ii today! I don't have the best stats, but I guess they really do look at the whole package! ACOM was more of an immediate ii after completion.
Joining here:
Undergrad cgpa 3.3, sgpa 3.1 (after grade replacement), mcat 27 (8v, 10ps, 9bs)
I just finished chiro school with a 3.7 ( which I know doesn't count towards improving my gpa at all...bummer). Extracurriculars include 400+ hrs clinical and volunteer experience and shadowed 2 DO's.
I submitted my app on 8/24, but it isn't verified yet.
Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best for all of us!
edit* forgot to add that I applied VERY broadly and am a NY resident. I'll keep everyone updated about my progress!
Undergrad cgpa 3.3, sgpa 3.1 (after grade replacement), mcat 27 (8v, 10ps, 9bs)
I just finished chiro school with a 3.7 ( which I know doesn't count towards improving my gpa at all...bummer). Extracurriculars include 400+ hrs clinical and volunteer experience and shadowed 2 DO's.
I submitted my app on 8/24, but it isn't verified yet.
Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best for all of us!
edit* forgot to add that I applied VERY broadly and am a NY resident. I'll keep everyone updated about my progress!
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You might get some love. You are a slight underdog, I wouldn't say by much. Your only concern is the 3.1 sgpa
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Hey guys, I posted about myself a few days ago and I recently got a DO LOR so I'm planning on moving forward with submitting today. However, I am still having difficulties with my list. I was wondering if you guys had any advice one places I should look at
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Just apply wherever you want that has a 27 MCAT average or below for best chances. Perhaps a reach or two that has a 28/29 MCAT average such as CCOM, Western and Touro-CA.
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Retake that MCAT. Are you a URM?
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I think you may want to consider retaking the Mcat and getting a more reasonable score.
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I don't think you have a chance at all, much less at Chicago or DMU. Taking the MCAT 3 times in 3 months of 1 year? That in itself is irresponsible. The score jumping up and then down makes it worse. I don't know why you're listing the 27 on top if it is your 2nd score and not your 3rd. If I were an ADCOM, I'd have serious reservations about your ability to make decisions.
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Id say pretty much no chance.
Most schools have GPA cutoffs at 3.0 so thats a nonstarter right there AND your MCAT when up then down which is a big red flag. Pretty much all schools are looking at your most recent score so its the 25 that really counts.
Also DMU and CCOM are some of the most competitive schools out there so that was really not a good idea.
Not going to lie your post shows some serious lack of judgement that adcoms are going to pick up on
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It's DO....with grade replacement freely offered to us anything below a 3.0 is just not tolerable...especially with a mediocre mcat.
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So you are saying you have taken the MCAT a total of 5 times?
Why on earth did u think this would be a good idea?
Why on earth did u think this would be a good idea?
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I think taking the MCAT five times and not being closer to a 30 is a huge red flag. I, personally, took it three times... but I put a LOT of work into studying between (with 27 --> 29 --> 36 coming out of it). It shows you just may not have the background information (and the ability to learn the background information) that is required. Plus it shows you may not understand the MCAT itself. You should have seen the 26 in April and then at LEAST studied for a few months in order to retake sometime around August. Your April/May/June retakes look desperate, and imply that you were either banking on getting lucky or somehow thought that your low scores were a fluke.
Considering English is your third language, I'm impressed with the verbal scores and good balance... but there's no excuse for the consistently low bio and phys. Additionally, the low master's GPA is also potentially another red flag.
However, you may have some good life experiences and a broad exposure to healthcare. Hopefully your LORs are awesome. But, if I were you, I might think about taking another year to re-take some of those undergrad classes that brought you down so low. With your 27 MCAT, if you can increase your cGPA and sGPA somewhere above (ideally, significantly above) a 3.0... you would have a much more probable chance.
It's never the end of the road! If you want it bad enough, there are ALWAYS ways to make it work. DO is all about that -- you just have to know and understand the ways to make yourself a more attractive applicant.
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Basically your application shows that you've made very little improvement academically through the years. I recommend retaking some courses and applying broadly to lower tier schools next year because as is you stand very little chance unless you're Black.
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Hey guys so Ive been complete now for about a week and I have gotten a lot of secondaries coming in. The problem is that I do not want to submit the secondaries without my DO LOR. He is currently not responding to any of my emails and phone calls. I called the office and apparently the guy is on vacation now and wont be back till Monday. I have been waiting for him for months now. I know I NEED a DO LOR from many schools but Im getting desperate because of time. I have a LOR from a Physican(MD) that I did research with but its not a DO obviously. Should I just submit the secondaries with the DO LOR or wait for it? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
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If you're confident that the MD letter is good, use it. Only a few schools actually require one from a DO as opposed to any physician.
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I want to give hope to the masses.....total underdog....just got my 3rd interview invite! ACOM, MUCOM, and now LMU-DCOM
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I think it's time for you to consider another career. Podiatry school would probably take you.
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Usually I dislike doing this, but Triage is right. It's time for you to be realistic and consider your prospects elsewhere. I highly recommend looking into Podiatry and actually moving your life forward, I mean it seems like you've literally held yourself back for nearly 5 years now and likely have at the very least another 2-3 ahead of you.
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that GPA line up is going to kill them more than the MCAT retakes. uGPA under 3.0 and low gGPA.
if they decide to continue pursuing medicine, do not retake the MCAT again. fix the uGPA with retakes. I see that they've already applied and they may as well see it through if they can afford it--but exploring pods is not a bad idea and their cycle starts as med cycles wind down.
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Should I just submit to the ones that don't require DO letters then? If I get the letter later in the month will I be able to just send it in or will it be too late? I feel like that DO is holding me back so much and I don't feel complete without it.
posting dont know if I am considered an underdog or not.
But I have 26 MCAT balanced 3.6 gpa 3.5 science gpa. Great Extra Currics and all should be verified in the next 2 weeks or so. submitted end of august early september.
Applied to all Arizona/Nevada/California/Florida/New York Schools and like 2 others where I had family like maine etc.
About 15 in all good amount or not?
But I have 26 MCAT balanced 3.6 gpa 3.5 science gpa. Great Extra Currics and all should be verified in the next 2 weeks or so. submitted end of august early september.
Applied to all Arizona/Nevada/California/Florida/New York Schools and like 2 others where I had family like maine etc.
About 15 in all good amount or not?
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...no comment. Do ppl seriously think a 3.6/3.5/26 Is an underdog smh
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Would you say having 3 interviews is entering the realm of definite acceptance?
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Gives you a great chance, not a definite. My former tutor was interviewed at about 9 MD places and only got into two schools.
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this is how Lizzy M works
(cGPA x 10) + MCAT
However I find it more effective if you average your cGPA and sGPA.
A 55-58 Lizzy M score is what I would consider an underdog.
A 59-62 is competitive.
IMO anything above a 63 Lizzy M is very competitive for most DO schools.
And if you are applying for MD, the general consensus is that a 66+ Lizzy M is competitive. A 70+ Lizzy M is very competitive. A 74+ Lizzy M is what all the top schools average (Harvard, Wash U, etc). Obviously if there is a huge deviation like someone has a 3.4 cGPA but a 40 MCAT and someone else has a 3.8 and a 36 MCAT. The more balanced a Lizzy M between the mcat and GPA the better. The following people I know have gotten into DO schools: 3.6/24(2005)- 60 Lizzy M, 2.9/35(2011)- 64 Lizzy M, for MDs i know of a 3.4/29 who got in - 63 Lizzy M
(2011), a 3.7/36- 73 Lizzy M(2009), and one currently applying this year with a 3.5/35
think of it this way
the average matriculant DO is 3.45/27 so the Lizzy M score is about a 61-62.
the average matriculant MD is 3.6/31 so the Lizzy M score is about a 67.
(cGPA x 10) + MCAT
However I find it more effective if you average your cGPA and sGPA.
A 55-58 Lizzy M score is what I would consider an underdog.
A 59-62 is competitive.
IMO anything above a 63 Lizzy M is very competitive for most DO schools.
And if you are applying for MD, the general consensus is that a 66+ Lizzy M is competitive. A 70+ Lizzy M is very competitive. A 74+ Lizzy M is what all the top schools average (Harvard, Wash U, etc). Obviously if there is a huge deviation like someone has a 3.4 cGPA but a 40 MCAT and someone else has a 3.8 and a 36 MCAT. The more balanced a Lizzy M between the mcat and GPA the better. The following people I know have gotten into DO schools: 3.6/24(2005)- 60 Lizzy M, 2.9/35(2011)- 64 Lizzy M, for MDs i know of a 3.4/29 who got in - 63 Lizzy M
(2011), a 3.7/36- 73 Lizzy M(2009), and one currently applying this year with a 3.5/35
think of it this way
the average matriculant DO is 3.45/27 so the Lizzy M score is about a 61-62.
the average matriculant MD is 3.6/31 so the Lizzy M score is about a 67.
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565692
guys I just got a secondary from Charles Drew, thats a good thing right???
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I think the LizzyM score is pretty bogus as it leaves out the science GPA because it assumes most students have a comparable or slightly lower sGPA. The truth is that in DO admissions we have a different ballgame with students that have higher sGPA due to being second career students or people that have done many retakes.
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If you don't interview like an idiot, yes.
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Since I'm a numbers kind of person, let me do the calculations for you.
If we assume that schools accept, on average, half of what they interview (some more some less), then your chances of being rejected post interview at any given school is 50%. If you attend 3 interviews, your chances of being rejected from all three schools is 50%^3, which equals to 12.5%. In other words, your chances of being accepted at any of the three schools you interview at is 87.5%. Still not 100% but close.
In reality however, some people get accepted to all three schools while others get rejected/WL'ed at all three. It depends on your interview skills as well as your file.
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I too am rockin' a 24: 6, 8, 10
3.7 cGPA
3.9 sGPA
1000+EMT hours,
250+ hrs EMT service in Haiti on mission trip
2000+hrs science tutoring experience (paid in undergrad)
A few leadership roles in undergrad
Strong public speaking expeience, including undergrad commencment speech.
I was on the fense..to apply or wait..for months. Finally Idecided to "man up" and take this monster again. currently on track to take the Jan exam. I see 1-3 pts as probable. Thoughts?
3.7 cGPA
3.9 sGPA
1000+EMT hours,
250+ hrs EMT service in Haiti on mission trip
2000+hrs science tutoring experience (paid in undergrad)
A few leadership roles in undergrad
Strong public speaking expeience, including undergrad commencment speech.
I was on the fense..to apply or wait..for months. Finally Idecided to "man up" and take this monster again. currently on track to take the Jan exam. I see 1-3 pts as probable. Thoughts?
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I would have taken a shot and applied...I essentially have the same stats and have 3 ii's.
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I think there was a modification that accounted for sGPA that I used on last year's UD thread
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You can send to everyone you want to, just some schools might not look at your materials until that letter comes in.
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Just wondering if there are any other UD's out therre anxiously waiting for ii's. I've only gotten one thus far and Im complete at 10 schools...Im getting nervous, but is it still relatively early? I know both PCOM's just started sending out ii's like 1-2 weeks ago and same with NYCOM and TouroNY
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I've talked to a med school adcom at a specific MD school. He said the cGPA is weighted pretty heavily and a low science GPA can be negated by a great MCAT score and a decent explanation on why you attained a low science gpa (less than 3.3) in the case of MDs. He said usually a low science GPA will be questioned in an interview and be prepared to have a decent explanation for it. He said his science GPA had a downward trend when he was a college student (went from a 3.8 first two years to a low 3 the last two years. He had some family problems to attend to).
At his school, the Lizzy M with total gpa and MCAT is a 68.6. He has stated that the school is pretty MCAT heavy. They like students who score close to the mid 30s. Most schools in my state range from 67-69 for MDs and about a 64 for DOs.
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Tough call, for sure. Congrats on the interviews! Where were the niterviews from, if you don't mind me asking?
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decided I'd go all in and just arrive at my DO's family practice office before he got there and just sit and wait for him in front of the front door. He told me he'd submit the letter today by lunch time. Woot woot persistence pays off
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4th interview invite as an underdog!
ACOM, MUCOM, LMU-DCOM, and now LUCOM.
ACOM, MUCOM, LMU-DCOM, and now LUCOM.
