Always considered DO, should I broaden to MD as well?

[Monkitty]

Hello all

So I'm a DO kid-through-and-through (father a DO and born and raised in Kirksville, MO). DO is pretty much all I've considered all my life. However, I did better than I expected on the MCAT and am wondering if I should expand my list to include MD. I'm still heavily leaning towards DO, but hey, choices are good, you never know what will happen!

Basic stats:

Non-traditional (32 currently - 34 if 2016 matriculate)
Missouri resident

3.47 cGPA (undergrad)
~3.55 cGPA (post-bacc included)
4.00 sGPA (post-bacc)
35 MCAT (12, 11, 12)

My volunteer hour are probably pretty lax compared to most MD applicants (~400 spread out over the last decade). I've got ~150 hours shadowed with a DO, but no MD experience yet (might be able to log some in May). Been part of a lot of psychological research (undergrad and then as a job), no author listing, but acknowledged in a number of articles. The only other MAYBE noticeable thing is that I've spent the last 4 years in Japan teaching English.

As I've not really ever looked at MD schools, the only thing that is currently on my list is University of Missouri, not sure where to go from there. As a resident, and with my stats, I should be competitive for them (though I don't really want to go there). I honestly feel I probably have a better shot at the more competitive DO schools then I do at low/mid-tier MD schools. But again, options are always nice.

For reference here are the DO schools I'm looking at (in roughly order of desire):

UNT-TCOM
MSUCOM
LMU-DCOM
PCOM
KCOM
KCUMB

Again, my feeling is that I have a better shot at the upper end of my DO list than comparable MD schools, but it seems the advice is to apply broadly, and I don't necessarily want to limit myself to just DO.

Thanks for your consideration.

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[Goro]

There are a number of MD schools that reward reinvention.

I suggest
U MO (both)
Tulane
Drexel
Temple
U Miami
Duke
Vanderbilt
Case
BU
Albany
NYMC
All other low tier schools
All new schools, except Central MI

For DO schools, add CCOM, DMU, OK-COM, both Westerns, and all the Touros

Hello all

So I'm a DO kid-through-and-through (father a DO and born and raised in Kirksville, MO). DO is pretty much all I've considered all my life. However, I did better than I expected on the MCAT and am wondering if I should expand my list to include MD. I'm still heavily leaning towards DO, but hey, choices are good, you never know what will happen!

Basic stats:

Non-traditional (32 currently - 34 if 2016 matriculate)
Missouri resident

3.47 cGPA (undergrad)
~3.55 cGPA (post-bacc included)
4.00 sGPA (post-bacc)
35 MCAT (12, 11, 12)

My volunteer hour are probably pretty lax compared to most MD applicants (~400 spread out over the last decade). I've got ~150 hours shadowed with a DO, but no MD experience yet (might be able to log some in May). Been part of a lot of psychological research (undergrad and then as a job), no author listing, but acknowledged in a number of articles. The only other MAYBE noticeable thing is that I've spent the last 4 years in Japan teaching English.

As I've not really ever looked at MD schools, the only thing that is currently on my list is University of Missouri, not sure where to go from there. As a resident, and with my stats, I should be competitive for them (though I don't really want to go there). I honestly feel I probably have a better shot at the more competitive DO schools then I do at low/mid-tier MD schools. But again, options are always nice.

For reference here are the DO schools I'm looking at (in roughly order of desire):

UNT-TCOM
MSUCOM
LMU-DCOM
PCOM
KCOM
KCUMB

Again, my feeling is that I have a better shot at the upper end of my DO list than comparable MD schools, but it seems the advice is to apply broadly, and I don't necessarily want to limit myself to just DO.

Thanks for your consideration.

 

[chewy2008]

Congrats on the MCAT score! I think it is a wise decision to apply to MD schools as well. You'll be a doctor either way and you might have the fortunate position to hold multiple acceptances and evaluate which options are best for you academically, socially, and financially.
I've been shadowing a family medicine DO and he basically practices like an MD but does include some osteopathic manipulation. I feel the trend is that there will be less emphasis on OMM save for those who specialize in neuromusculoskeletal problems.
Also, we'll be having the MD/DO residency merge, so MD doctors may learn OMM skills to if they go into a DO residency.
Invest in the MSAR!

Hello all

So I'm a DO kid-through-and-through (father a DO and born and raised in Kirksville, MO). DO is pretty much all I've considered all my life. However, I did better than I expected on the MCAT and am wondering if I should expand my list to include MD. I'm still heavily leaning towards DO, but hey, choices are good, you never know what will happen!

Basic stats:

Non-traditional (32 currently - 34 if 2016 matriculate)
Missouri resident

3.47 cGPA (undergrad)
~3.55 cGPA (post-bacc included)
4.00 sGPA (post-bacc)
35 MCAT (12, 11, 12)

My volunteer hour are probably pretty lax compared to most MD applicants (~400 spread out over the last decade). I've got ~150 hours shadowed with a DO, but no MD experience yet (might be able to log some in May). Been part of a lot of psychological research (undergrad and then as a job), no author listing, but acknowledged in a number of articles. The only other MAYBE noticeable thing is that I've spent the last 4 years in Japan teaching English.

As I've not really ever looked at MD schools, the only thing that is currently on my list is University of Missouri, not sure where to go from there. As a resident, and with my stats, I should be competitive for them (though I don't really want to go there). I honestly feel I probably have a better shot at the more competitive DO schools then I do at low/mid-tier MD schools. But again, options are always nice.

For reference here are the DO schools I'm looking at (in roughly order of desire):

UNT-TCOM
MSUCOM
LMU-DCOM
PCOM
KCOM
KCUMB

Again, my feeling is that I have a better shot at the upper end of my DO list than comparable MD schools, but it seems the advice is to apply broadly, and I don't necessarily want to limit myself to just DO.

Thanks for your consideration.

 

[Monkitty]

Thanks for the replies guys.

@Goro does my list of DO schools seem... reachable (I realize MSUCOM and UNT are probably a bit of a reach, but perhaps doable...)?

 

[Goro]

You're fine for ANY DO school!

Thanks for the replies guys.

@Goro does my list of DO schools seem... reachable (I realize MSUCOM and UNT are probably a bit of a reach, but perhaps doable...)?