Chances of DO/MD? Advise to strengthen application?

[islandgene7]

Hello everyone,

I am a current graduate student pursuing my non-thesis masters degree in biological sciences at Eastern Illinois University. I recieved my B.S. in biological sciences at EIU as well (cGPA: 3.03; sGPA 3.34). I just finished my first semester in my masters program with a 4.0 taking Pathogenic Microbiology, Neurobiology, Advanced Molecular Cell Biology, Medicinal Plants, and a Graduate Seminar (required by program). My undergraduate GPA is fairly low, but does show a general upward trend from my freshman to senior year. I am also a URM (hispanic & polynesian). As far as my extracurricular activities go, I have done research through the biological sciences department for about 2 years now, with one of my projects getting ready to be submitted to hopefully be published. I have served as an undergraduate TA for Anatomy & Physiology. I was the scholarship chair and a member of the executive council of my fraternity, as well as the liaison of greek unity on the Interfraternity Council board. I volunteer as a recruiter for Donate Life, fundraise for Relay for Life, and help at an after school program called Teen Reach to help tutor and spend time with children and teens in the Charleston community.

My plan going forward is to take a gap year after my masters, study for and take my MCAT, do some traveling in Europe over the summer (before I'm tied down with school), and find a job in the fall in a lab at a medical school or a job in a hospital near me in Chicago. Taken together, is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application? I love the approach osteopathic medicine takes, so I will definitely applying DO, but I would like to apply to some allopathic schools as well. What are my chances at both? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

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[psu228]

Do you have any shadowing experience? Finding a job next fall after you apply is NOT a good idea if you don't. Especially for DO. You need to shadow a DO or two, in different specialties.

I would also recommend forgoing this Eurotrip to just start working in a hospital ASAP. Get your clinical hours up. IF you do these things and finish strong with your post bacc and handle the MCAT, you'll get in to a DO somewhere.

 

[islandgene7]

Do you have any shadowing experience? Finding a job next fall after you apply is NOT a good idea if you don't. Especially for DO. You need to shadow a DO or two, in different specialties.

I would also recommend forgoing this Eurotrip to just start working in a hospital ASAP. Get your clinical hours up. IF you do these things and finish strong with your post bacc and handle the MCAT, you'll get in to a DO somewhere.

Thank you for the advice! I am actually applying for medical scribe positions and will hopefully working as a scribe in the spring part time and full time in the summer to get clinical experience. The Europe trip is tentative, but really would like to see and experience the world while I am still young if possible. I was planning on working as a scribe, looking for research related jobs (for after Europe), submitting my AACOMAS application this summer, and taking a couple of weeks to go to Europe. Then, coming back and starting work while going through the application/interview process. Would this give me adequate clinical experience? I've talked to a couple of family friends who are physicians and they claim that a job in research would be valuable as well (Which is why I was thinking research related job). I have been studying hard for the MCAT, so I am confident I will do well. I am also in a non-thesis masters, not post bacc. Does that make a difference?

 

[psu228]

Thank you for the advice! I am actually applying for medical scribe positions and will hopefully working as a scribe in the spring part time and full time in the summer to get clinical experience. The Europe trip is tentative, but really would like to see and experience the world while I am still young if possible. I was planning on working as a scribe, looking for research related jobs (for after Europe), submitting my AACOMAS application this summer, and taking a couple of weeks to go to Europe. Then, coming back and starting work while going through the application/interview process. Would this give me adequate clinical experience? I've talked to a couple of family friends who are physicians and they claim that a job in research would be valuable as well (Which is why I was thinking research related job). I have been studying hard for the MCAT, so I am confident I will do well. I am also in a non-thesis masters, not post bacc. Does that make a difference?

Ideally man you want some research experience in your app, but the DO shadowing and clinical experience is most important. This is my first cycle in the spring so I'm not an expert. I currently have shadowed one DO surgeon for 50 hours and have 250 hours clinical experience as a part time PCA in a local hospital. The advice I've been given on here and from pre med advisors is that I need to shadow a second DO specialty for another 50+ hours to have a really strong app. So basically, if you think you can get 150+ clinical hours at least and some DO shadowing in while doing everything you got going on this semester then you'll be in good shape. Just know for DO that they are gonna ask you "Why osteopathic medicine?" and the best way to answer that is to gush about your shadowing experience.

I went to Europe last summer and it was awesome. Live your life but there will always be an opportunity to get there later on. Medical school isn't a death sentence from what my friends have told me. Just be aware that you're gonna need this clinical experience to have a good shot of getting in. In my opinion, if you get the DO LOR and shadowing with more clinical hours you'll be golden. Research experience is a bonus too.

 

[Goro]

Hard to tell without an MCAT score, but there are MD schools that reward reinvention, starting with your state schools.

Get off campus and out of your comfort zone for volunteering in service to others.

Hello everyone,

I am a current graduate student pursuing my non-thesis masters degree in biological sciences at Eastern Illinois University. I recieved my B.S. in biological sciences at EIU as well (cGPA: 3.03; sGPA 3.34). I just finished my first semester in my masters program with a 4.0 taking Pathogenic Microbiology, Neurobiology, Advanced Molecular Cell Biology, Medicinal Plants, and a Graduate Seminar (required by program). My undergraduate GPA is fairly low, but does show a general upward trend from my freshman to senior year. I am also a URM (hispanic & polynesian). As far as my extracurricular activities go, I have done research through the biological sciences department for about 2 years now, with one of my projects getting ready to be submitted to hopefully be published. I have served as an undergraduate TA for Anatomy & Physiology. I was the scholarship chair and a member of the executive council of my fraternity, as well as the liaison of greek unity on the Interfraternity Council board. I volunteer as a recruiter for Donate Life, fundraise for Relay for Life, and help at an after school program called Teen Reach to help tutor and spend time with children and teens in the Charleston community.

My plan going forward is to take a gap year after my masters, study for and take my MCAT, do some traveling in Europe over the summer (before I'm tied down with school), and find a job in the fall in a lab at a medical school or a job in a hospital near me in Chicago. Taken together, is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application? I love the approach osteopathic medicine takes, so I will definitely applying DO, but I would like to apply to some allopathic schools as well. What are my chances at both? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!