hi guys, out of the 20 or 21 osteopathci schools: 1. which one is the best and why 2. which one is the easiest to get into and why 3. which one has the best social life and why? 4. " " setting (suburban, urban, rural, etc)? thanks! Rehana
Rehanna, Your question is so difficult to answer, because it means something different to every person. To me, PCOM is the best osteopathic medical school in the country? Why? Because it is the best fit for me. I think LECOM is probably one of the easier osteopathic schools to get into. NONE of them are easy. And I only say that because LECOM was the most eager to accept me, and their numbers posted to USNEWS for average acceptance are one of the most relaxed, along with West Virginia's D.O. school. The best social scene? For me it's PCOM. I love the Philadelphia, tri-state area. I like cheesesteaks. I like Amoroso rolls. I like the fact that the class is huge. 250 people gives me alot of opportunity to make alot of new friends. Now I guarantee you that everyone is going to have a different opinion and a different response. When you are ready to apply, if you are capable, go visit as many of the schools as possible and talk to current students. See which school "clicks" for you.
ok. what i meant by best was best academics wise. obviously the school that the person is currently going to is the best in the world. that is a no brainer. but what is the best school academically and the easiest i meant, lowest mcat/gpa, to clear that up.
I answered this question about 2weeks ago. Try this: http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40170 If you ask me, the best osteopathic school is PCOM. You can ask 20 different people and get 20 different answers. Find the school that fits you. Good luck.
Rehana, You might want to check out a US News and World Report magazine. They have an annual publication where they rank and describe the weaknesses/strengths of each school (both osteopathic and allopathic). Also, I believe the Princeton Review and/or Kaplan publish books that have similar details. Most of the school websites have information about their admission statistics as well so that'd also be a good place to start. Since MSUCOM is a part of a larger university, there are infinite opportunities to get involved and to become active in the community. They organize a lot of activities for their students and highly believe in striking a balance between socializing and academics. Also, for your 3rd and 4th years you are able to choose one out of twelve different base hospitals to do your rotations through. Check into each school that sparks your interest and go from there. And remember, there is nothing that can replace advice from a current student. Good luck! Julia ;-)
as the other people have said, the best school is the one that best fits you. but to answer your question. umdnj som and msucom get the most research money. generally, the public osteo schools (umdnj, muscom, tcom, osucom, etc) will be much harder to get into for out of state residents. for example, umdnj only accepts probably 5-10 out of staters every year. several osteo schools are ranked in usnews. i beleive wvsom, osucom, tcom are ranked. umdnj is ranked in the top 20 for geriatrics. the public osteo schools generally have higher mcat and gpa for their entering classes. to be competetive, imho, you need to have at least a 3.4 gpa and an mcat of at least 24. 27 is even better, as a lot of the school avg. are nearing or above 27. if you want to get in with the above scores, lots of extracurr activites are required. eg volunteering, etc. remember, medical school admissions is competitive. its your opportunity to shine. good luck
Nova is a great school. I have never been there, but I know several people who have and they have nothing but positive things to say about the school, the facilities, and especially the people. It also seems to me that the NOVA crowd are really tight knit and care about one another. I have a good friend who interviewed there, as well as several other DO and MD schools, and NOVA was at the top of his list for a very long time. He ended up getting accepted at the state school he was pulling for (always his first choice), but if it were not for that acceptance, NOVA would still be a top condsideration. I tell you this because I trust this person greatly and his opinion about things means alot...he is a very bright person and really weighs all of the options. FutureMD Thanks on the quote.
whats Nova? is it in a urban area? how is the city like? and the academics? ok, i have one more question. i am a cali resident, born and raised here all my life. i know that cali residents apply to more med schools than the national average or more than other people that are not cali resdients. so, which schools, both DO and MD are easy to get into for cali residents? or which do/md schools have a good chance of accepting out of state students, particularlly california? thanks, rehana
i have one more question. i was looking at do pre-reqs and its says 12 hours of for example biology. does that mean 12 UNITS? thanks
12 CREDITS...get with the terminology...no one likes how you California people talk. And, to answer you other question, no school is easy to get into, particularly for California residents. In fact, California has some of the most competitive medical schools in the country. I wouldn't limit yourself to one geographic location when you apply. I applied to schools as close as 10 miles and as far away as 1200 miles.
silver eyes - nova is in fort lauderdale, florida in a pretty nice area (lots of rich people and nice homes) and it is about 15-20 minutes from the beach (i checked when i visited) but there is still some rural area not too far away. one requirement that nova has is to do one of your clinical rotations in a rural or underserved area. and in south florida, behind all the wealth, there is a lot of poverty and a lot of people who need healthcare but can't afford it. i guess it's like that in a lot of places (for example, philadelphia, where i live). i just think it's pretty cool that nova requires something like that. and even though a lot of people don't know what nova is and maybe they have some sort of idea that it's not a good school, i don't really care what they think. i know i'd be happy there, and i know i'm going to be a good doctor no matter where i go. but anyway, i'm just giving you some inside scoop on this amazing school. nova is my number 2 choice only because i'm from pennsylvania and i'm in love with pcom as my number one choice. i went to visit nova in march and the people were incredible and the campus was unbelievable.... can you imagine walking outside and seeing palm trees every day? anyway, there you go. hope it helped
I don't know about specific osteopathic schools and their ease of entrance. For allopathic schools, some relatively (to other med schools) non-competitive med schools are: Finch, George Washington, Albany and New York Medical College. All of them have high numbers of applicants, but those applicants themselves tend to have lower numbers.
YES. i want to know those types of schools for both allopathic and osteopathic. i sincerly dont want to be a DO, but i want to keep my options open u know. thanks
The best osteopathic medical school is KCOM! Seriously, find a good fit for you and do the best to become a compassionate and intelligent physician.
Ok, by saying something like that you are just asking to be attacked. If you dont want to be a D.O., please dont bother applying. People are are just applying because they THINK its easier to get into are people who should not become Osteopathic physicians.
Hi, Silver Eyes I am curious to know if you're a "material girl" in your life?? I don't think it's a good idea for you to pursue a life time journey of some thing that you do not like. I am sorry, but that is stupid...By the way, check your spelling too... I'd like to know what your response would be if the interviewers ask why you want to be an osteopathic physician? You'll probably turn yourself into being a liar and let your mind betray your heart, right...???
Molybdenum: Someone who "sincerely does not want to be a DO" is doing an injustice to those who appreciate osteopathic medicine. I think it is very inappropriate of you to advise someone to lie to admissions people about a false interest in, or worse, a sincere opposition to, a specific profession. Your dose of realism is sad and unethical. And I do believe you can be interested in DO schools as well as MD schools at the same time.
Silver Eyes- I feel sorry for you...it looks like you want to be a doctor badly, but how low are your scores exactly if you think that DO schools are easier to get into....and you want to know what the easiest DO school is? If your scores/gpa are that bad, maybe you should wait and apply when you are a little more comfortable with the school work...why would you set yourself up to fail in medical school when it costs a lot of money and takes lots of time? -SexyEgptnDr
I think silver eyes is in high school or just started college - she doesn't even have any GPA/MCAT scores yet! And silver eyes, if you don't want to be a DO, please don't. And Molybdenum, I'm trying to figure you out. First you come asking about DOs (in the "who loves osteopathy" thread), and it seems like you are interested in them, then you started saying things like all you need to do is "convince" them you want to be a DO when you interview, which sounds like you wouldn't want to - gasp! - be a DO, like they would be a last resort. I'm confused about what your stand on DOs is.
I agree with Cranialpressure, but I see what Molybdenum is saying. Although I know there are PreMed advisors that tell their students to "convince" a DO school to take them, I don't think that it works out best in the long run. It fills a position as a DO school for someone who wants it more and creates an osteopathic physician who doesn't really want to be a DO. It's unfortunate. Although there are PreMed advisors out there who do this, I don't think that we should be saying the same thing.
After reading my post I realized that it is not correctly worded. It should go like this, " It is inappropriate to advise someone to lie to an admissions committee about an interest in osteopathic medicine, especially if they have no desire to become a DO". Anyway, I still believe that is an unethical thing to do, no matter how common. Furthermore, it pulls a seat away from a potential physician who would carry on and preserve the osteopathic philosophy with joy and pride.
silver eyes I have seen your posts from the beginning...the very beginning. Early on you asked so many questions, it was hard for people to keep up. You genuinely wanted help and people on these boards did all they could to help you. I thought it was great that someone so young had such initiative. I realize that you are one of the younger people here, probably the youngest posting on this thread so I will cut you some slack. There is absolutely no reason for posting such things, particularly the profanity. Medicine is a noble profession. It is a profession that does not fit everyone. We should be entering this field for the joy of helping others, not the financial rewards we may receive. Physicians are compensated well because of the enormous responsiblity they have, professionally as well as socially. Doctors are look upon as leaders in their community...people look up to doctors and expect them to be model citizens. I wish you the best in your future. I hope you succeed in all that you attempt. I do, however, hope you look into other careers before deciding on medicine as your path in life. There is no doubt in my mind that anyone wanting something badly enough can attain it...you can and will probably get into medical school someday. I only question your motive. Maybe I'm not being fair, and yes I don't know you. But from much of what I have seen I can make one conclusion...people, as patients, will not respond well to someone such as yourself. Take this as a hint. Getting into medical school isn't easy. Don't make enemies this early on. Cheers
Silver eyes: Try to display some type of maturity. Language like that, expressed in a public forum, is not becoming of a future physician.
Ya know, I've read some of your posts too, and I must say I'm perplexed. Your GPA is beyond pathetic, like 2.0 if I believe. You don't work very hard, or if you do, you don't have the brains to become a physician, as is evident by your piss poor grades and test scores. You brag about driving an M5, a $70,000 car that I'm sure your daddy was all too happy to drop in your lap. You express a desire to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, but you have no freaking clue what it takes to get there. You claim that you sincerely don't want to be a DO. Don't worry girl, all the DO schools are way above you. Try carribean schools, I hear they take just about anybody if they have money. Lord knows that's the only thing you have going for you. Just another one of daddy's girls trying to make it in the medical world. Sorry, I usually don't get this pissed off at ppl, but this girl is beyond naive and annoying. With her piss poor qualifications, she's in no position to judge anyone.
Why is everyone being so mean to Silver_Eyes? Leave her alone. She is obviously on this forum for support, not to be humiliated or called a brat, etc... And as for her applying to a DO school to just get into medical school, that is fine! My sister did the same---she only got into one DO school and no MD schools....Well, today, she is doing her residency and is extremly happy that she is a doctor! She did not want to go to a DO school, but that is all that accepted her. She could care less today and is extremly content with herself. She's just happy to be a doctor, and that is all Silver_eyes wants. So leave her alone and don't bring her "rich daddy" into the forum. You have no right to make such an assumption because you do not even know her. How dare you even bring her family into this one post?
I call em like I see em. To me, she's a spoiled, rich girl that wants to be an MD but is unwilling to put forth the effort to get there. It's so obvious with her "help, my gpa is 1.85, i haven't taken the mcat yet, can u plz tell me what carribean schools i can get into?" posts. They are annoying as hell, as is her attitude towards other medical professionals. Not a snowballs chance in hell this girl is getting into any allopathic medical school with her current grades. For her to look down upon DO's, when she's probably not even qualified to get into a DO school, is beyond laughable. If she would put in half as much time studying as she does obsessing about whether or not she'll get into medical school, she may have a shot. Otherwise, I seriously doubt it.
Beagle, thank you so much. She is the only one on this forum who actually knows me as a person. U have to right to acuse me and to critisize my GPA like duh. if u havent known, people do really bad in their first year of college. u guys have all been through it,u should know. i know many many people who have BARLEY A 1.0 GPA. and i dont have a 1.75 gpa. i have a 2.5! get your facts right and then speak. i am sorry for being mean, but i am angry at the fact that u guys just yell at me, from teh questions i ask, how i write and am HONEST about everything. i am not a type of person who keeps things in. as for my rich daddy, be9ng rich is not a crime. fyi, my dad has a herniated disk. he has had 2 microsurgeries to take 2 disks out of his vertebrae, about 5 years ago. DONT dare u bring my family into this. this is about me and only me. beagle, THANK you for sticking up for me.
Sure thing... I'll watch out for you as if you were my little sister because I know exactly what you're going through and I know how much the science professors suck at UOP! Next year will be better....
Chill... Only time will determine one's future, so lets leave her future in her fate and not in our expert predicitons .
Well, now ain't you da sh!t. 2.5 GPA???Woohoo!!!! Harvard, here she comes!!!!!!!!! I can't believe you're proud of that GPA from a no name school. FYI: average gpa for matriculants is 3.6. Average MCAT is 30. Seeing as how your numbers are prolly gonna be around half these when you apply, I'd suggest not getting your hopes too high. You can continue to live in your fantasy world. I choose to live in reality.
This is your moderator.... I'd like to remind everyone that this is a pre-professional forum to discuss issues related to osteopathic medical education. Please try to keep the discussion on a professional level. You've been warned!
Ive been wondering where u were. please take a look at what papa smurf posted to me: "Well, now ain't you da sh!t. 2.5 GPA???Woohoo!!!! Harvard, here she comes!!!!!!!!! I can't believe you're proud of that GPA from a no name school. FYI: average gpa for matriculants is 3.6. Average MCAT is 30. Seeing as how your numbers are prolly gonna be around half these when you apply, I'd suggest not getting your hopes too high. You can continue to live in your fantasy world. I choose to live in reality." i apologize for my rude behavior, but i am here like everyone else to get support and information. how am i supposed to do that when a simple question i asked leads to someone putting me down, ciritizing my GPA, telling NOT to be a DO, and then puts my father into this?! please leave my family, especially my fathe rout of this. how am i supposed to get advice, from epople like that? i have to defend me and my family. that is why i acted the way i acted, but no more and please read papa smurfs and others posts, they are horrendeous! Thnak you
Silver_Eyes, Don't worry too much about your situation. You can still get into medical school. I was in a similar position a couple years ago. However with a lot of hard work and dedication, I improved my GPA and scored well on the MCAT's to get into one of my top choice medical schools . So if you truly want to become a physician be persistant and don't listen to anyone who thinks you are going to fail. Look, I have to go now because my orientation begins tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM (too early), but if you want I can leave you an e-mail or personal message telling you more specifically how I improved chances of getting into medical school (it'll take too long for me to say now). - SC
I am glad to find a forum for pre-osteopathic folks, and dismayed by the attitude displayed by some about becoming D.O.'s -- My first choice schools are my D.O. schools. The allopathic schools I'll apply to will only be the backups that are located near where I live. I will have to move to go to school at D.O. school, but I have 3 allopathic schools in my city, and a couple others in nearby suburban towns... So why would I move? because I believe that a holistic approach to medicine is a big part of why I'm going to the trouble to go to medical school... And who I think I want to be. In my attempts to meet and develop connections with D.O.s, I encountered a couple who seemed almost ashamed that they were D.O.s -- and eager to assure me that they didn't do any manipulation... In my opinion they aren't a credit to medicine at all... either approach... since I think that the person who is really comitted to being a doctor, is not really the sort who would be so petty.. I think that the medical education was wasted on them... But I guess they're part of the reason we have the medical system we're stuck with... Medicine doesn't suck, but the health care industrial complex sure does... sign me proudly: want to be a D.O. - a DOer... And working damn hard to get there... (post bac. pre-med.... yes, Virginia, some of us think it's worth going back to school AFTER the undergrad degree to get the prereqs to go to D.O. school.
just wanna say something. If you have a low undergrad GPA, don't give up. I graduated with less than 2.5 from undergrad, then straighten my life, took 2 years of graduate studies, took the MCAT 3 times and now starting my second year at a D.O. school. So don't listen to "you're not good enough for MD/DO school, better start looking at carribean schools (which by the way still make you.......... a doctor) crap". If you know you wanna be a doctor and you know you're willing to go through whatever it takes, then you're half way there. The other half is what you put into it. - best of luck to all trying to get in (been there, know how you feel, just don't give up)
thank you dimsum. i dont know why soo many people get all worked up when u tell them the truth? then they atack you by saying, if ur attitude is like that then i dont know how u can possibily become a do or md. KISS IT! thanks again!!!
If we're going to be deleting posts, why not delete everything that has nothing to do with opinions about the "Best Osteopathic School"? Pages 3 and 4 are wastes of time, otherwise killing a thread that could be useful to a lot of people.
