2013 DO Responses

[Preintel]

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Hello,

I have been accepted to Caribbean MD schools and Touro COM in New York but a lot of the other DO programs I applied for never responded (eg: UMDNJ, NOVA, LECOM). It is very late in the application cycle am I supposed to assume I was not accepted and withdraw my applications? I have tried contacting the schools, some responded that my file was still in review and others just did not respond.

Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated!

Regards,
Preintel

 

[DrEnderW]

Pretty late in the cycle to hear back. Most likely if you haven't heard anything, it's a no go.

If you're looking for opinions on the DO option vs Carib, the conventional wisdom here and responses you'll get will tell you to take the DO school here in the US. Greater chance of residency/ future job options.

Also, NYC is awesome. You'll never regret doing a few years there.

 

[hallowmann]

Hello,

I have been accepted to Caribbean MD schools and Touro COM in New York but a lot of the other DO programs I applied for never responded (eg: UMDNJ, NOVA, LECOM). It is very late in the application cycle am I supposed to assume I was not accepted and withdraw my applications? I have tried contacting the schools, some responded that my file was still in review and others just did not respond.

Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated!

Regards,
Preintel

Highly doubt you'll hear anything from UMDNJ and Nova. LECOM is still interviewing into May, so you might hear something from them, but its so late that its unlikely. You don't have to withdraw from them, they'll just send you the automatic rejection at the end of the cycle after all interviews are done.

So you going to TouroCOM?

 

[gmcguitar4]

No brainer here. Go to Touro.

 

[hallowmann]

No brainer here. Go to Touro.

I was hinting to that, but I wanted to be a bit more subtle.

 

[pathologyDO]

pretty late in the cycle to hear back. Most likely if you haven't heard anything, it's a no go.

If you're looking for opinions on the do option vs carib, the conventional wisdom here and responses you'll get will tell you to take the do school here in the us. Greater chance of residency/ future job options.

Also, nyc is awesome. You'll never regret doing a few years there.

+1

 

[as1212559]

It is very late in the cycle. Do not expect a response and prepare for life in NYC.

 

[Temperature101]

No brainer here. Go to Touro.

I thought about carib but after talking to someone who went to carib , I would rather do PA before even thinking about taking a monumental decision like that.

Short story:
About a week ago, I met someone who went to the caribbean and having problem to find a residency in FM/IM. He told me that his stats were (3.3 c/sGPA and 24 MCAT), which he even admitted could have gotten him a DO acceptance in 2006 but he was against the DO degree because of international practice right (whatever that means). He said that going to the caribbean was probably the worst decision of his life. His problem is that he did not pass step 1 in his first attempt ( however, he passed step 2 and 3 in one attempt), which he think make it difficult for him to match even in FM/IM after applying for two years. The saddest part of that conversation was that he is about to start an accelerated nursing (BSN) program. That is scary. I don't know that much about the match system. But don't you think even if he did not pass step 1 in his first attempt as a DO, he would still be able to find a residency in FM/IM...

 

[MedSchoolMama]

Not passing Step 1 is a really bad thing no matter where you went.

I know people who are happy with their choice to go to a carribean medical school. One of my friends had a 2.67gpa and a 27 mcat another had a 3.2 gpa and a 19 mcat both got into "the big 2" carribean medical schools. They were happy with it. Others have had terrible experiences. I think its individual.

I personally would never go that route. I prefer the idea of DO. I dont mind moving within the states but out of the country is unreasonable.

I'd say take the DO acceptance unless for some reason you got into one of the "big 2" , just want an adventure and just have to have that MD behind your name.

 

[Temperature101]

Not passing Step 1 is a really bad thing no matter where you went.

I know people who are happy with their choice to go to a carribean medical school. One of my friends had a 2.67gpa and a 27 mcat another had a 3.2 gpa and a 19 mcat both got into "the big 2" carribean medical schools. They were happy with it. Others have had terrible experiences. I think its individual.

I personally would never go that route. I prefer the idea of DO. I dont mind moving within the states but out of the country is unreasonable.

I'd say take the DO acceptance unless for some reason you got into one of the "big 2" , just want an adventure and just have to have that MD behind your name.

If that person had gone DO and did not pass step 1 in his first attempt, would he have the same issue finding a residency in FM? I would like to know since I don't that much about the match system....

 

[user3]

If that person had gone DO and did not pass step 1 in his first attempt, would he have the same issue finding a residency in FM? I would like to know since I don't that much about the match system....

I am sure they would at least be able to find an AOA FM or IM program.

hopefully the carib schools will die off soon...without DO schools becoming the next "Caribbean" in the future.

 

[Didierdrogba]

Hello,

I have been accepted to Caribbean MD schools and Touro COM in New York but a lot of the other DO programs I applied for never responded (eg: UMDNJ, NOVA, LECOM). It is very late in the application cycle am I supposed to assume I was not accepted and withdraw my applications? I have tried contacting the schools, some responded that my file was still in review and others just did not respond.

Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated!

Regards,
Preintel

other people are right, it is pretty unlikely at this point that anything will happen, but don't withdraw your application, perhaps there is still a slight chance

 

[Didierdrogba]

If that person had gone DO and did not pass step 1 in his first attempt, would he have the same issue finding a residency in FM? I would like to know since I don't that much about the match system....

No. DO's can easily find residency spots even after failing step 1 once.
On the other hand, from what I read, caribs have a hard time finding any spot even passing all three exams in 1 try. Their match rate is horrendous. Bottom line: if you want a job, go DO

 

[Preintel]

Thank you everyone for the support, I have mailed out the deposit check for Touro COM and will most likely go there at this point unless something drastically changes (hopefully not). I hope to become an integral part of the medical community and will be spending more time in the StudentDoctor medical forums.

With Thanks,
Preintel

 

[cliquesh]

If that person had gone DO and did not pass step 1 in his first attempt, would he have the same issue finding a residency in FM? I would like to know since I don't that much about the match system....

I have classmates who failed comlex level 1 and they matched internal medicine, family medicine, and pyschiatry without much difficulty.

 

[DrEnderW]

Thank you everyone for the support, I have mailed out the deposit check for Touro COM and will most likely go there at this point unless something drastically changes (hopefully not). I hope to become an integral part of the medical community and will be spending more time in the StudentDoctor medical forums.

With Thanks,
Preintel

Congrats!

 

[Temperature101]

I have classmates who failed comlex level 1 and they matched internal medicine, family medicine, and pyschiatry without much difficulty.

Therefore that guy's problem was mainly the Caribbean stigma--not because he failed step 1...Thanks for sharing.

 

[gmcguitar4]

Thank you everyone for the support, I have mailed out the deposit check for Touro COM and will most likely go there at this point unless something drastically changes (hopefully not). I hope to become an integral part of the medical community and will be spending more time in the StudentDoctor medical forums.

With Thanks,
Preintel

phew ...another one saved.

 

[wooki]

Hello,

I have been accepted to Caribbean MD schools and Touro COM in New York but a lot of the other DO programs I applied for never responded (eg: UMDNJ, NOVA, LECOM). It is very late in the application cycle am I supposed to assume I was not accepted and withdraw my applications? I have tried contacting the schools, some responded that my file was still in review and others just did not respond.

Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated!

Regards,
Preintel

giving a different perspective here, have you tried calling the schools? so after my interview season ended in feb. i thought i was done. there were only 3 schools i never heard from, NOVA being one of them. then late feb, i receive an e-mail from NOVA saying "this your 10 day reminder e-mail to schedule your interview." i didn't even receive the interview offer... only the 10 day reminder e-mail.

so it doesn't hurt to call if you are still curious.

 

[hallowmann]

Therefore that guy's problem was mainly the Caribbean stigma--not because he failed step 1...Thanks for sharing.

Really its both. To begin with as a Carib graduate he had something against him. Add to it that he failed Step 1, and its kind of like confirming the stigma. As a foreign grad, you really can't fail Step 1. Your options are limited to begin with, so it will create a lot of issues for you.

The nice thing about DOs is that even if you fail level 1, you can still match at least into a less competitive AOA residency. While it won't be all sugar and lollipops (depending on where you end up), you'll at least be working as a physician. At most the best Carib school might be able to boast a 70%-75% match rate, but compare that to the >90% DO, and its obvious. Now if you combine all Carib schools, that drops down to 50%-55%.

 

[DolFAN]

Thank you everyone for the support, I have mailed out the deposit check for Touro COM and will most likely go there at this point unless something drastically changes (hopefully not). I hope to become an integral part of the medical community and will be spending more time in the StudentDoctor medical forums.

With Thanks,
Preintel

👍 Good job deciding Touro, you made the right choice.

Protip : Spend less time on SDN.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Considering Tuoro versus WVSOM, any insight?

 

[DolFAN]

Considering Tuoro versus WVSOM, any insight?

The cheaper one