Additional DO School Suggestions?

[DecisionTime2017]

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Asian, CA-Resident, 3.4 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA, 508 MCAT. Solid extra curriculars and will be getting my MPH next year.

I applied to 8 schools earlier (AZCOM, ATSU-SOMA, BCOM, LMU-DCOM, MU-COM, NSUCOM, LECOM-PA, and Touro-CA) and am now beginning to feel that I maybe should have done more.

1. What are my chances at the 8 I applied to?
2. Should I go back and apply to more? (money isn't a big issue)
3. Which schools should I add? (Bearing in mind my stats and that I can't get a DO letter at this point + don't wanna apply anywhere with strong regional preferences given I'm from CA)

 

[Goro]

Asian, CA-Resident, 3.4 cGPA, 2.9 sGPA, 508 MCAT. Solid extra curriculars and will be getting my MPH next year.

I applied to 8 schools earlier (AZCOM, ATSU-SOMA, BCOM, LMU-DCOM, MU-COM, NSUCOM, LECOM-PA, and Touro-CA) and am now beginning to feel that I maybe should have done more.

1. What are my chances at the 8 I applied to?
2. Should I go back and apply to more? (money isn't a big issue)
3. Which schools should I add? (Bearing in mind my stats and that I can't get a DO letter at this point + don't wanna apply anywhere with strong regional preferences given I'm from CA)

Chances lethal with that sGPA for AZCOM, BCOM, and Touro-CA.

ADD: ARCOM, LMU, ACOM, KYCOM, NYITCOM-AR, UIW and RVU-UT. Don't bother with an MPH as a GPA or app booster. Do a DIY postbac or SMP.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Only apply to the newest and most rural schools because your sGPA is lethal at most places like Goro says. Honestly the best course of action to to not apply this cycle and do a DIY post-bac of 30 credits or so to get the sGPA up. Your MCAT is nice but won't make up for a sub 3.0 sGPA.

The MPH won't do much if anything for your med school app. They are generally seen as fluff

 

[DecisionTime2017]

Chances lethal with that sGPA for AZCOM, BCOM, and Touro-CA.

ADD: ARCOM, LMU, ACOM, KYCOM, NYITCOM-AR, UIW and RVU-UT. Don't bother with an MPH as a GPA or app booster. Do a DIY postbac or SMP.

Thank you for the insight. I really appreciate it. I will look into adding those.

Only apply to the newest and most rural schools because your sGPA is lethal at most places like Goro says. Honestly the best course of action to to not apply this cycle and do a DIY post-bac of 30 credits or so to get the sGPA up. Your MCAT is nice but won't make up for a sub 3.0 sGPA.

The MPH won't do much if anything for your med school app. They are generally seen as fluff

The MPH is not a meant to be a booster for the app. It's a career-related choice.

I think I will look to Goro's suggestion list and see what happens in the cycle this year. If nothing works out, I'll do some post-bac in the year following my MPH and apply a little down the line.

 

[DecisionTime2017]

@Goro I just checked AACOMAS and realized my science GPA is listed as 3.07, not 2.9 as I thought. Given that's nearly .2 of a difference and clears the 3.0 mark, do you think that changes anything?

Btw, I added ACOM, KYCOM, NYITCOM-AR, UIW, and RVU-UT from your suggestions and have now received secondaries from all but KYCOM (which to the best of my knowledge has yet to send out secondaries) so thank you for that!

 

[Goro]

@Goro I just checked AACOMAS and realized my science GPA is listed as 3.07, not 2.9 as I thought. Given that's nearly .2 of a difference and clears the 3.0 mark, do you think that changes anything?

Btw, I added ACOM, KYCOM, NYITCOM-AR, UIW, and RVU-UT from your suggestions and have now received secondaries from all but KYCOM (which to the best of my knowledge has yet to send out secondaries) so thank you for that!

Double check all the DO schools mentioned and make sure what their minimum GPA requirements.
EDIT: For example, PCOM wants a minimum of 3.4.

 

[Goro]

You can probably add some more schools now.

 

[IdealNFP]

@Goro I just checked AACOMAS and realized my science GPA is listed as 3.07, not 2.9 as I thought. Given that's nearly .2 of a difference and clears the 3.0 mark, do you think that changes anything?

Btw, I added ACOM, KYCOM, NYITCOM-AR, UIW, and RVU-UT from your suggestions and have now received secondaries from all but KYCOM (which to the best of my knowledge has yet to send out secondaries) so thank you for that!

Good luck this application cycle! I think you have a solid school list, but I would add a few more just in case. Does anyone know of schools besides PCOM or KCU that have a hard cut off for sGPA of 3.25?

 

[DecisionTime2017]

Good luck this application cycle! I think you have a solid school list, but I would add a few more just in case. Does anyone know of schools besides PCOM or KCU that have a hard cut off for sGPA of 3.25?

I can probably manage a few more additions if they are schools where I actually have a shot. (To recap, here are my updated stats: ~3.4 cGPA, ~3.1 sGPA, 508 MCAT)

The only two kinds of schools that I absolutely don't want to add are those which have a DO letter requirement (I have an MD letter) and those where region bias will nuke my chances (I'm from CA).

Any suggestions?

 

[Camaxtli]

Double check all the DO schools mentioned and make sure what their minimum GPA requirements. For example, PCOM wants a minimum of 3.25.

I think PCOM has a minimum 2/3 thing? (I might be thinking of kcumb though) . With GPA SGPA and MCAT. I'm not sure though because my GPA was above that and I am a student here. They also have this predictor thing that has 5 categories with 3 of them being GPA SGPA and MCAT and the other 2 being Preclinical GPA and struggling in a specific course and if 3/5 are low than this correlates to a very low board passage rate. So thats probably why those red flags are looked at for admission.

 

[Goro]

I think PCOM has a minimum 2/3 thing? With GPA SGPA and MCAT. I'm not sure though because my GPA was above that and I am a student here. They also have this predictor thing that has 5 categories with 3 of them being GPA SGPA and MCAT and the other 2 being Preclinical GPA and struggling in a specific course and if 3/5 are low than this correlates to a very low board passage rate. So thats probably why those red flags are looked at for admission.

Going to the school's website to see what they require is such a radical idea, I know:
Osteopathic Medicine Application Requirements

Prior to matriculation each applicant must meet the following admission's requirements:

• A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applications from students with at least three years of exceptional undergraduate work will be considered.
• Eight semester hours of Biology, including two semester hours of laboratory.
• Eight semester hours of Physics, including two semester hours of laboratory.
• Sixteen semester hours of Chemistry, including four semester hours of laboratory; at least four of the sixteen required semester hours must be organic chemistry (with lab) and at least three semester hours must be biochemistry.
• Six semester hours of English composition and literature.
• Official exam scores from the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Prospective students are urged to take the test as early as possible and no later than September of the year prior to matriculation. For those who are submitting an updated test score, a January test date will be accepted. The MCAT must be taken within three years of the desired date of matriculation. For 2018 enrollment, exams taken before August 2015 will not be accepted to complete an applicant record.

Also, more important is this:
http://www.pcom.edu/admissions/apply/forms/PreMedGuide-2016.pdf
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: BACHELOR’S DEGREE FROM A REGIONALLY ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
• G.P.A. average 3.5 overall
• G.P.A. average 3.4 science
UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS
8 semester hours each of: • General Biology with Lab • Physics with Lab 16 semester hours of: • Chemistry – At least 4 semester hours of laboratory; at least 4 of the 16 required semester hours must be organic chemistry (with lab) and at least 3 semester hours must be biochemistry. 3 semester hours each of: • English Composition • Literature
RECOMMENDED UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK • Anatomy • Histology • Genetics • Immunology • Physiology
MEDICAL COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TEST (MCAT) The Faculty Committee on Admissions recommends that a student have at least a 500 composite MCAT score with at least a 125 on each section to be competitive.

 

[Camaxtli]

Going to the school's website to see what they require is such a radical idea, I know:
Osteopathic Medicine Application Requirements

Prior to matriculation each applicant must meet the following admission's requirements:

• A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applications from students with at least three years of exceptional undergraduate work will be considered.
• Eight semester hours of Biology, including two semester hours of laboratory.
• Eight semester hours of Physics, including two semester hours of laboratory.
• Sixteen semester hours of Chemistry, including four semester hours of laboratory; at least four of the sixteen required semester hours must be organic chemistry (with lab) and at least three semester hours must be biochemistry.
• Six semester hours of English composition and literature.
• Official exam scores from the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Prospective students are urged to take the test as early as possible and no later than September of the year prior to matriculation. For those who are submitting an updated test score, a January test date will be accepted. The MCAT must be taken within three years of the desired date of matriculation. For 2018 enrollment, exams taken before August 2015 will not be accepted to complete an applicant record.

Also, more important is this:
http://www.pcom.edu/admissions/apply/forms/PreMedGuide-2016.pdf
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: BACHELOR’S DEGREE FROM A REGIONALLY ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
• G.P.A. average 3.5 overall
• G.P.A. average 3.4 science
UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS
8 semester hours each of: • General Biology with Lab • Physics with Lab 16 semester hours of: • Chemistry – At least 4 semester hours of laboratory; at least 4 of the 16 required semester hours must be organic chemistry (with lab) and at least 3 semester hours must be biochemistry. 3 semester hours each of: • English Composition • Literature
RECOMMENDED UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK • Anatomy • Histology • Genetics • Immunology • Physiology
MEDICAL COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TEST (MCAT) The Faculty Committee on Admissions recommends that a student have at least a 500 composite MCAT score with at least a 125 on each section to be competitive.

I might be thinking of kcumb.

I had spoken to some high ups at Pcom a little bit ago but there wasn't any hard cut off then but this information is a bit outdated.

The average is a 3.5 I don't think 3.25 is is a hard cut off unless you have info that I dont! PCOM usually isnt numbers focused in my experience and are more about the applicant.

However my GPA and MCAT where above those thresholds from undergrad so this info is just from what I've heard.

 

[DecisionTime2017]

Thanks for your help everyone. I just got my first interview at Burrell! Super excited.

 

[DecisionTime2017]

Got accepted to Burrell today!

I still have a lot of applications in still, but very happy to report that I got in somewhere. Hopefully this provides some encouragement for somebody!

Thanks for your help folks!

 

[dzhao]

Congratulations!

Got accepted to Burrell today!

I still have a lot of applications in still, but very happy to report that I got in somewhere. Hopefully this provides some encouragement for somebody!

Thanks for your help folks!