25 on Mcat, go the D.O way??

[shuzee]

I retook the Mcat this april and scored a 25, last year i scored a 22. i guess i really dont have it in me to ace the thing!...i dont plan on retaking it again..but should i stop dreaming about an M.D and go the D.O way? I have a 3.4, a research publication, good clinical experience and significant leadership positions,,....i would love to see what people think? and yes...i just moved from Pakistan four years ago where i was already enrolled in a med school.

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[getunconcsious]

Hey there! I know of a few people in my entering class at a top-60 MD school with similar stats as yours. So, if you have outstanding credentials on the rest of the application it is possible to get in. If your Verbal Reasoning section is what killed you off (as is the case with many recent immigrant applicants) then you should explain that you recently moved to the USA and hopefully the adcom will forgive you. If I was you, I'd apply to a mix of MD and DO schools, just to be sure. Good luck!

 

[MoosePilot]

All it costs to apply is money and time. It can be an "and" and not an "or". In other words, apply to both.

Only you know how much your MD dream matters more than your Physician dream.

 

[shuzee]

yeah, i would be applying to MD as well as D.O then i guess. I dont think i want to retake the test, even though im a california resident. I dont think i stand a chance in my state. any ideas on any east coast MD/DO schools i can apply to?

 

[cjmahoso]

I got yo mail, but tell u what, all u need is persevere 4 there is nothing so inborn about craming. You'll always get there. All u need to do is look up and see what u're gunning 4, and also look up to see those who've done it b4 u. Are they all better than u? Never look back ok.

With MUCH LOVE ​

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Osteo schools are very wary about lower MCAT scores and decent GPAs. They have been through the trick of people wanting MD but thinkning that with low MCAT scores you can definately get into a DO school. A word of warning. Their BS meter is very sensitive to this and if you do not come across as genuinly interested in DO then you will not get in. Not even with a 45, 3.9, and ECs out the wazoo.

MY good friend is on the AdCom for one Osteo school and she tells me that she rejects many people who she sees right through. Osteo Schools are NOT easier than Allo schools.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Osteo schools are very wary about lower MCAT scores and decent GPAs. They have been through the trick of people wanting MD but thinkning that with low MCAT scores you can definately get into a DO school. A word of warning. Their BS meter is very sensitive to this and if you do not come across as genuinly interested in DO then you will not get in. Not even with a 45, 3.9, and ECs out the wazoo.

MY good friend is on the AdCom for one Osteo school and she tells me that she rejects many people who she sees right through. Osteo Schools are NOT easier than Allo schools.

I echo this sentiment. DO schools want people who believe in the philosphy of the DO. I know alot of people who were rejected over the past 2 years for DO and those schools were the only that they applied to! If you have a state DO program your chances might be a good pick. I would suggest you read up on the DO philosophy and see if it makes a good fit. Talk to the admissions counselor at a local DO school and see what they think of your app. Most of them LOVE to talk to people!

I'd apply to both because you never know where you might get in. DO's are just better at looking at the "whole" person than just your stats.

 

[nvshelat]

I retook the Mcat this april and scored a 25, last year i scored a 22. i guess i really dont have it in me to ace the thing!...i dont plan on retaking it again..but should i stop dreaming about an M.D and go the D.O way? I have a 3.4, a research publication, good clinical experience and significant leadership positions,,....i would love to see what people think? and yes...i just moved from Pakistan four years ago where i was already enrolled in a med school.

I think you have a shot at allopathic - just tell them you didn't do as well on the V section of the MCAT as you would have liked bc english is your second language. If you went to a competitive school, your GPA should be fine combined with your rsch pub. Just nail your interview - you may want to practice with someone who is at the school(s) youre applying to if you're fortunate enough to know any, or browse this website for FAQs.
If you go osteopathic, I think you should, like others have said, know what the heck it is b4 ur interview bc they'll tar and feather you if you don't know. I went to UMDNJ SOM's open house a few months ago, where they told us that if we don't know the diff bet osteo and allo then we might as well not even come to the interview. So if it is just a backup and not your passion (which I think is fine if your philosophy is 'i want to be a doctor don't care bout the initials'), atleast be able to fake (very well) that you're interested in osteopathic med.
Good Luck!
PS - I'm not sure how well the "I want to be a doctor, I don't care what route I take MD or DO" works with the adcoms. you should check with DO students on that.

 

[shuzee]

I think you have a shot at allopathic - just tell them you didn't do as well on the V section of the MCAT as you would have liked bc english is your second language. If you went to a competitive school, your GPA should be fine combined with your rsch pub. Just nail your interview - you may want to practice with someone who is at the school(s) youre applying to if you're fortunate enough to know any, or browse this website for FAQs.
If you go osteopathic, I think you should, like others have said, know what the heck it is b4 ur interview bc they'll tar and feather you if you don't know. I went to UMDNJ SOM's open house a few months ago, where they told us that if we don't know the diff bet osteo and allo then we might as well not even come to the interview. So if it is just a backup and not your passion (which I think is fine if your philosophy is 'i want to be a doctor don't care bout the initials'), atleast be able to fake (very well) that you're interested in osteopathic med.
Good Luck!
PS - I'm not sure how well the "I want to be a doctor, I don't care what route I take MD or DO" works with the adcoms. you should check with DO students on that.

actually, my score was 8verbal, 8 ps and 9 bs so i dont think the verbal excuse would work. but thanks for all the encouragement, im at UCLA getting a degree in Microbio, immuno and mol.genetics so i consider that pretty competitive...i will be starting my research on D.O schools soon. I respect D.Os and i dont see it any less than an M.D, but for some strange reason it seems to me that people in the U.S look down upon them.........it is very wierd!

 

[bob13]

You already have a negative view or perception of DO’s. You should go MD all the way!!!!! You’ll never be happy if you think or feel that you or others view your DO degree as less than that of an MD. It will be a sore spot your entire career. There are too many DO students that are insecure about not being a MD. The profession doesn’t need that!

Not to persuade you, but I work in healthcare (non-academic area). And NO ONE
(Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, PT, RT OT, RD) cares if some one is DO or MD. Character and clinical skills are what matters, not degree. The only people who care if you’re a DO or MD are academic institutions and really how many of us want to be faculty physicians!

Enjoy,

Bob13

 

[Rzarecta]

I got yo mail, but tell u what, all u need is persevere 4 there is nothing so inborn about craming. You'll always get there. All u need to do is look up and see what u're gunning 4, and also look up to see those who've done it b4 u. Are they all better than u? Never look back ok.

With MUCH LOVE ​

Wow, nice uplifting post, but change the font size and color.

 

[pakidoc]

shuzee
if i were you i would definitely apply to DOs as well as MDs. I had applied to a couple of DOs and got in at both places before i found out about my MD acceptances.

ill pm u some other stuff...

 

[Dies Irae]

Osteo schools are very wary about lower MCAT scores and decent GPAs. They have been through the trick of people wanting MD but thinkning that with low MCAT scores you can definately get into a DO school. A word of warning. Their BS meter is very sensitive to this and if you do not come across as genuinly interested in DO then you will not get in. Not even with a 45, 3.9, and ECs out the wazoo.

MY good friend is on the AdCom for one Osteo school and she tells me that she rejects many people who she sees right through. Osteo Schools are NOT easier than Allo schools.

fershizzle!

 

[shuzee]

shuzee
if i were you i would definitely apply to DOs as well as MDs. I had applied to a couple of DOs and got in at both places before i found out about my MD acceptances.

ill pm u some other stuff...

thanks pakidoc!!!! i will wait for your pm......and thanks for all your support and help...

 

[beanbean]

Congrats on moving your score up 3 points: especially since English is not your first language! I would apply to both DO and MD schools. SDN is a great resource for finding out more from DO students about what they like and dislike about individual schools.

 

[shuzee]

does a D.O school require a letter of ref from a D.O??? an MD will be writing mine....will that be an ok substitute???

 

[Kazema]

does a D.O school require a letter of ref from a D.O??? an MD will be writing mine....will that be an ok substitute???

Depends on the school. I think someone's posted a complete list of which schools require a DO letter and which accept an MD letter and which don't require any letter somewhere; you should be able to find it with a search.