Are DO schools really that friendly?

[ArkansasRanger]

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In short, I'm trying to finish up the prereqs by taking organic chem and physics via some distance learning approach. The state's lone MD school won't accept that, and originally I thought MD only, Arkansas only. I'm examining midlevel provider roles, but I really am not sure that I wanted to be limited in practice although I do think being a PA would be a pretty good job. We had FP DO residents around my area growing up, and the ER was staffed with a couple of them so I've been around them when I was a paramedic student and a working paramedic although I've never seen OMM.

My question: Do you think any osteopathic schools would or will accept online coursework as for prerequisites? I can't convince myself to quit my good job and go back to college to take those courses on any sort of gamble that involves applying and not getting accepted and then not having a job to go back to. I'm really not even sure about all the osteopathic programs around my area. I know OK and TX have some, but other than I'm clueless.

My other factors that may not be of any relevance to you include being "nontraditional" perhaps (I'm 27 y/o), a law enforcement officer (am also a supervisor), I've been a biology teacher, I've been a paramedic part-time when I was teaching, and I graduated college with a not so bad GPA of 3.45 or so. Unfortunately, I later took a summer and fall of business/accounting courses on a whim (didn't cost much) so needless to say I was never interested in them nor had any motivation of attending them so that dropped my GPA down to something above 3.0, but frankly I don't have a clue what it currently is. I'm also really interested, at this point in time, in undertaking a family practice residency. The ER has a lot of appeal for me, but in my eyes the FP is the true physician that I want to be if I can just ever find a way to get into medical school.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Well, I'm an idiot. In my haste to find out I overlooked the below thread asking the same question. It would really be obvious that I took online classes, despite transcript notations, if say my application suggested I was living in Arkansas and taking classes at say Oregon State Univeristy, lol.

Nonetheless, please feel free to answer my question with any insight on my life's circumstances...please. 🙂

 

[chocolaterie]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=621318

This thread might help. 🙂

 

[Krisss17]

Hi ArkansasRanger,

As for your first question of whether DO schools are really friendly, I would say yes when comparing them to MD schools. They are a little more forgiving by allowing applicants to replace poor grades with new improved grades. Also, I think percentage wise, there are more nontrads attending DO schools versus MD schools. I do think (and this is my opinion) that they want to be considered your school choice because they are a DO, not because you can't get into a MD and using DO as a last chance.

As for taking online classes, it is usually frowned upon, especially for the science prereqs. I think it is still a misconception that online courses are "easy" in regards to coursework, and until that changes taking these prereqs on campus is a safer bet.

Best of luck

 

[binko]

I don't know about in general, but OUCOM is known to "screen for mean" with both its students and faculty/staff. If they think you might be mean, they keep you out.

 

[Static Line]

Hi ArkansasRanger,

As for your first question of whether DO schools are really friendly, I would say yes when comparing them to MD schools. They are a little more forgiving by allowing applicants to replace poor grades with new improved grades. Also, I think percentage wise, there are more nontrads attending DO schools versus MD schools. I do think (and this is my opinion) that they want to be considered your school choice because they are a DO, not because you can't get into a MD and using DO as a last chance.

As for taking online classes, it is usually frowned upon, especially for the science prereqs. I think it is still a misconception that online courses are "easy" in regards to coursework, and until that changes taking these prereqs on campus is a safer bet.

Best of luck

It's also a misconception that DO schools are "friendly." It is medical school. For most it's hard. We lost many people from my class due to academics. When those people left our school campus for the final time nobody had a smile on their face. Get yourself prepared the best you can. No short cuts. So what if the overall avg MCAT is lower. The DO schools will find another strength in your app to make up for it. They will not give you slack on their curiculum. So make sure you are ready to meet the academic demands. I don't think online classes will do that.

 

[Krisss17]

It's also a misconception that DO schools are "friendly." It is medical school. For most it's hard. We lost many people from my class due to academics. When those people left our school campus for the final time nobody had a smile on their face. Get yourself prepared the best you can. No short cuts. So what if the overall avg MCAT is lower. The DO schools will find another strength in your app to make up for it. They will not give you slack on their curiculum. So make sure you are ready to meet the academic demands. I don't think online classes will do that.

I don't know if this was directed to me, but when I stated that DO schools were friendlier than MD schools, I was talking more about the application period and that they wouldn't just disregard you if you are a nontrad student. However, once getting into either a DO or MD medical school, I do totally agree that both will be harder than many of us who are not at that stage realize yet. Believe me, in no way am I expecting a cake walk when I get in to medical school, I just want to get in!

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I'm not so concerned about the school as I am getting in. I can't get in until I take the prereqs, and I can't quit work or adjust my hours to do that.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I'm not so concerned about the school as I am getting in. I can't get in until I take the prereqs, and I can't quit work or adjust my hours to do that.

 

[Static Line]

I don't know if this was directed to me, but when I stated that DO schools were friendlier than MD schools, I was talking more about the application period and that they wouldn't just disregard you if you are a nontrad student. However, once getting into either a DO or MD medical school, I do totally agree that both will be harder than many of us who are not at that stage realize yet. Believe me, in no way am I expecting a cake walk when I get in to medical school, I just want to get in!

Nope. No direction here. But I do see a number of people on pre-osteo threads seemingly wanting to always find an easy way out. usually because DO = easier in their minds. Your comment allowed me to extrapolate a little and hijack a little.

 

[tripleJ]

As long as you keep handing them tens of thousands of dollars they are pretty nice

 

[ArkansasRanger]

As long as you keep handing them tens of thousands of dollars they are pretty nice

Let me go check my wallet.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Nope. No direction here. But I do see a number of people on pre-osteo threads seemingly wanting to always find an easy way out. usually because DO = easier in their minds. Your comment allowed me to extrapolate a little and hijack a little.

I personally don't care what method is easier. I just want to be a physician, and I CANNOT without finding a way to take those silly prereqs while continuing to provide an income. I guess I'll just send out random emails to admissions at misc. colleges of medicine.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

I personally don't care what method is easier. I just want to be a physician, and I CANNOT without finding a way to take those silly prereqs while continuing to provide an income. I guess I'll just send out random emails to admissions at misc. colleges of medicine.

The only way you are going to find that answer is calling up all the schools that you want to apply to, because right now your just getting information from pre-med students who probably haven't apply or are applying with online science pre-reqs.

www.aacom.org is where you will find the list of schools and their contact numbers.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I've sent out numerous emails and several schools have replied stating that distance learning coursework is totally acceptable, a few others have asked questions about the courses in their reply but still regarded them as allowable, and one school advised against but acknowledged that the course was also acceptable.

 

[FlaMedic]

I was aways under the impression that you needed the accomanying lab w/ all of the pre-req sciences. How do you do a lab online? Im just curious because I've never taken anything online.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

I was aways under the impression that you needed the accomanying lab w/ all of the pre-req sciences. How do you do a lab online? Im just curious because I've never taken anything online.

I'm not sure how Arkansas's school works, but most schools who offer sciences w/lab have the lecture part online and then you can come on campus to do the lab. Other places like UNECOM offers online science courses where the lab portion is conducted at home. It all depends on the set up at your school. I've never personally taken any science classes online (only history or psych classes) but if I had to I know I would in a heartbeat.

 

[Rollo]

I've sent out numerous emails and several schools have replied stating that distance learning coursework is totally acceptable, a few others have asked questions about the courses in their reply but still regarded them as allowable, and one school advised against but acknowledged that the course was also acceptable.

Problem solved. 🙂

Go ahead and apply, my friend. Did you take the MCAT? Do you plan on applying this year or next?

Where do you want to go?

Here is a nice little map listing all the DO schools in US:
http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/cib2010/2010cib-p2-3.pdf

You've got the life experiences and perceived discipline (as a law enforcement officer) that medical schools look for in their applicants. Your GPA isn't too bad. Shadow a DO for 30 hours or so this summer, and take the MCAT and do well in it (27+). You'll be a shoe-in for lot of DO schools.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I'm not sure how Arkansas's school works, but most schools who offer sciences w/lab have the lecture part online and then you can come on campus to do the lab. Other places like UNECOM offers online science courses where the lab portion is conducted at home. It all depends on the set up at your school. I've never personally taken any science classes online (only history or psych classes) but if I had to I know I would in a heartbeat.

I'm sure none of the universities in Arkansas are going to offer organic chemistry or physics online, lol. That's funny.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Problem solved. 🙂

Go ahead and apply, my friend. Did you take the MCAT? Do you plan on applying this year or next?

Where do you want to go?

Here is a nice little map listing all the DO schools in US:
http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/cib2010/2010cib-p2-3.pdf

You've got the life experiences and perceived discipline (as a law enforcement officer) that medical schools look for in their applicants. Your GPA isn't too bad. Shadow a DO for 30 hours or so this summer, and take the MCAT and do well in it (27+). You'll be a shoe-in for lot of DO schools.

No, I haven't taken the MCAT or those online courses yet. I wasn't going to until I got a go ahead from a few medical schools. I've got everything else I need from my previous B.S. I'll most certainly be applying as soon as I can figure out how general chemistry works again (lol) and after taking the remaining physical science prereqs. Then of course I'll have to smack around the MCAT. 😉 Thanks for the thoughtful words.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I was aways under the impression that you needed the accomanying lab w/ all of the pre-req sciences. How do you do a lab online? Im just curious because I've never taken anything online.

I've taken one grad course online. It wasn't that bad really. I kind of liked it. As far as the lab part goes I think you just purchase some kind of kit and "experiment" at home along with perhaps some virtual labs.

 

[PhillyBoyInTN]

I can't quit work or adjust my hours to do that.

I feel your pain here.... and I have 3 kids and a wife in an RN program 🙂

 

[MossPoh]

Yet there are many people that manage it with full time work. I had an 8 a.m. lab with a woman that worked the night shift and then I had an 8 p.m. class with a guy that worked 60 hours a week. I really don't think it is a wise idea. I know UNECOM offers a biochem class that counts for their requirement but any lab based stuff meh. Sorry, but I'd be pi55ed if I knew I didn't have to spend 7 hours a week standing in a lab, plus the time to print of NMRs and the lecture once a week along with lab notebooks and crap. It just doesn't seem like they'd ever consider a computer program as replacement to going in and staining your jeans with heavy metals. and flammable products.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Yet there are many people that manage it with full time work. I had an 8 a.m. lab with a woman that worked the night shift and then I had an 8 p.m. class with a guy that worked 60 hours a week. I really don't think it is a wise idea. I know UNECOM offers a biochem class that counts for their requirement but any lab based stuff meh. Sorry, but I'd be pi55ed if I knew I didn't have to spend 7 hours a week standing in a lab, plus the time to print of NMRs and the lecture once a week along with lab notebooks and crap. It just doesn't seem like they'd ever consider a computer program as replacement to going in and staining your jeans with heavy metals. and flammable products.

I really don't care about the labs or the classes. I'm only taking them as a requirement. Why else would one want to take organic chemistry? I'm not interested in it.

I'm also sure that many people manage a schedule as could I PROVIDED there were facilites available to me that actually offer those classes. I'd have to move or quit to accomplish going back to get you, and I'm not doing either.

 

[Octagonecology]

I really don't care about the labs or the classes. I'm only taking them as a requirement. Why else would one want to take organic chemistry? I'm not interested in it.

I'm also sure that many people manage a schedule as could I PROVIDED there were facilites available to me that actually offer those classes. I'd have to move or quit to accomplish going back to get you, and I'm not doing either.

Uh, not to be negative here but you may want to re-evaluate your career choice if you are not interested in organic chemistry. A lot of what you will learn in med school i.e. Biochem, Pharmacology, and Molecular and Cell Biology are basically extensions of Organic. This will be a big part of what you do as a doctor.

I'm just concerned that you might not have a full understanding about what exactly is involved witn an undertaking like this...if you aren't interested in the course material it will be difficult and un-pleasant for you. As will studying for the MCAT.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Uh, not to be negative here but you may want to re-evaluate your career choice if you are not interested in organic chemistry. A lot of what you will learn in med school i.e. Biochem, Pharmacology, and Molecular and Cell Biology are basically extensions of Organic. This will be a big part of what you do as a doctor.

I'm just concerned that you might not have a full understanding about what exactly is involved witn an undertaking like this...if you aren't interested in the course material it will be difficult and un-pleasant for you. As will studying for the MCAT.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with this. I am almost done with my first year of medical school, I was great in o-chem in undergrad, and I couldn't do an organic chemistry problem right now if my life depended on it.

The correlation between o-chem and anything you might need to know for med school is very loose. A background in it is all you really need. You won't be asked to draw out mechanisms or **** like that, because it is irrelevant to what you are trying to learn.

There is no real application of organic chemistry from here on out. Honestly, you could probably get hit over the head and forget every single thing you learned in o-chem, and still be fine for med school.

 

[slim78]

I'm going to have to second TT on this one. I think there are two purposes for making premeds take o-chem.

1. Familiarize yourself with the basics (what is a ketone, what kinds trends exist, etc...)

2. Weed out students who are incapable of putting in the amount of study time that is necessary to do well in o-chem because these same students may have trouble with the amount of studying they need to do in medical school.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Uh, not to be negative here but you may want to re-evaluate your career choice if you are not interested in organic chemistry. A lot of what you will learn in med school i.e. Biochem, Pharmacology, and Molecular and Cell Biology are basically extensions of Organic. This will be a big part of what you do as a doctor.

I'm just concerned that you might not have a full understanding about what exactly is involved witn an undertaking like this...if you aren't interested in the course material it will be difficult and un-pleasant for you. As will studying for the MCAT.

Oh, come now. Were you ever just jumping up and down about the opportunity to take organic chemistry? I haven't been, and yes I'm aware of it's applications. However, I can't say I'm looking forward to taking the raw course. Thanks for the concern. 👍

 

[Octagonecology]

Oh, come now. Were you ever just jumping up and down about the opportunity to take organic chemistry? I haven't been, and yes I'm aware of it's applications. However, I can't say I'm looking forward to taking the raw course. Thanks for the concern. 👍

Well, those guys def. have a point. I was just thinking if you really didn't/don't like organic that you might not like the other science courses either.

Either way, go for it...

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Well, those guys def. have a point. I was just thinking if you really didn't/don't like organic that you might not like the other science courses either.

Either way, go for it...

At some point I've already had the other ones, lol.

Well, I didn't like my advanced level criminology course either that I took as an elective, but I ended up making an A and becoming a cop which was great fun so... I don't know. You tell me.

Oh, and no, I was not a criminal justice major.

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

I've sent out numerous emails and several schools have replied stating that distance learning coursework is totally acceptable, a few others have asked questions about the courses in their reply but still regarded them as allowable, and one school advised against but acknowledged that the course was also acceptable.

Well I think you are amazing.

You: asked a legitamte question.
You: researched the answer yourself.
You: brought back the information.

You are obviously too intelligent for the internet. You might do fine in med school. If you can take some live classes, do so. But you have to put food on the table. Obviously, Lab reqs will have to be live.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Well I think you are amazing.

You: asked a legitamte question.
You: researched the answer yourself.
You: brought back the information.

You are obviously too intelligent for the internet. You might do fine in med school. If you can take some live classes, do so. But you have to put food on the table. Obviously, Lab reqs will have to be live.

I really like to follow a thread when I happen to start one. I am still wondering how I should take your reply. lol < for real 😉

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

I really like to follow a thread when I happen to start one. I am still wondering how I should take your reply. lol < for real 😉

False dichotomy!

It was serious. It was funny. It was seriously funny!

I actually was complimenting you. Instead of relying on strangers, you went for good info. Smart thing to do!

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Honestly, you probably don't even have to be all that into those science courses either. Its just different.