Considering DO school

[inaccensa]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I was wondering what DO school is like? what is the minumum mcat. My science GPA is 3.8 and over 3.7. I'm graduating with masters in biochemistry this semester. I took the mcat 18 and 23 respectively. I'm planning on taking the mcat again in january, but if i do that,can I still apply for this cycle or is it too late?

What is AMA, OMM and all these acronyms? Is there a thread pertaining to this information? To be honest, I never considered DO school, but I bombed my MCAT and chances in Allopathic are nil. I think that by Jan i will be much better prepared, but I if I do well, I dont want to wait until the August 2013 to start med school. Already 25😱

I'm just so lost. After reading some of the threads, i realize that DO schools are not different from Allopathic schools, infact they teach you more non invasive techniques. But I guess, I was misinformed about DO schools. I was wondering, if i can pursue Endocrinology, OB-gyn with concentration in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

I apologize for this long post, but I'm really confused and my career is at a standstill..need some perspective.

 

[Mbeas]

I was wondering what DO school is like? what is the minumum mcat. My science GPA is 3.8 and over 3.7. I'm graduating with masters in biochemistry this semester. I took the mcat 18 and 23 respectively. I'm planning on taking the mcat again in january, but if i do that,can I still apply for this cycle or is it too late?

What is AMA, OMM and all these acronyms? Is there a thread pertaining to this information? To be honest, I never considered DO school, but I bombed my MCAT and chances in Allopathic are nil. I think that by Jan i will be much better prepared, but I if I do well, I dont want to wait until the August 2013 to start med school. Already 25😱

You can probably get into some of the "lower tier" (you will have to research what I mean by this. I don't want to list names to avoid confrontation) DO schools with a 23 MCAT (breakdown?) and a solid GPA. You can still apply this cycle and some schools will consider the January score. But, you need to submit your primary soon. It's starting to get late in the season as lots of people have already received interviews....

See the stickies to learn a bit more about osteopathic medicine. Also Wiki and osteopathic.org have some awesome information.

I'm just so lost. After reading some of the threads, i realize that DO schools are not different from Allopathic schools, infact they teach you more non invasive techniques. But I guess, I was misinformed about DO schools. I was wondering, if i can pursue Endocrinology, OB-gyn with concentration in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

Here is my n=1 http://www.sjfert.com/index.php/about/our_specialists/packin/

 

[SLC]

I'm just so lost. After reading some of the threads, i realize that DO schools are not different from Allopathic schools, infact they teach you more non invasive techniques. But I guess, I was misinformed about DO schools. I was wondering, if i can pursue Endocrinology, OB-gyn with concentration in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

I apologize for this long post, but I'm really confused and my career is at a standstill..need some perspective.

You can pursue any field of medicine you like with DO, there are DO's practicing in every field imaginable. DO's are fully licensed physicians equal (and in some cases superior in the mind of some) to MD's.

Yes you can pursue Endocrinology, there are many OB-Gyn DO's, etc. Your options are equal for pursuing a field of medicine whether you become an MD or DO.

There's a lot of misinformation out there, but the main thing to know is that DO=MD as far as licensing and specialty goes.

OMT means Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment/Therpy. Basically it's extra training that DO's take outside the regular Medicine Curriculum. DO school is identical to MD with the exception of OMT, MD's aren't trained in OMT (though some schools are beginning to offer it as an elective, and MD's can learn it as CME credit).

Some OMT seems pretty specious to me, but I can see applications for most of it so far (I'm a 1st year).

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I think you should swing by the Mcat subforum and follow some of the methods on how to study for the Mcat, in particular the 90 day method. I say this because even with a 3.7/23 your chances at getting into DO schools aren't too incredibly high.

There are some low tier schools which have lower mcat requirements, but they have strong regional biases. These schools are: VCOM - Blacksburg ( Favors : Appalachian's, i.e Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Carolina's, etc.) , VCOM - CC ( Favors similarly to the other VCOM except more so with the Carolina's), Pikesvile ( Favors : Kentuckians? and surrounding states. Uber Rural medicine favoring though, so probably not your cup of tea.), and WCU ( Favors Mississippians and surrounding states).
Other schools to consider : LECOM ( Worst case scenario is they will request you do their post-bacc), WVSOM, and LMU.

 

[inaccensa]

Ok I'm going to retake the MCAT in Jan and your suggestion is that if I score decent like 30,which i'm hoping for, I should get in. My main concern is that I want to start med school or DO school next year..cant watch the years of my life wasting away anymore..

My EC- I work as a clinical lab tech at an IVF clinic
- Being doing Research with my Graduate school professor.
- Volunteer work
- 3.8 Science, 3.7 overall -Undergrad
- 3.5 grad uptil now

Can I get in?

 

[inaccensa]

Additionally, what are the best DO schools around and do they cost the same? I'm sorry, but I have had my head into MCAT and allopathic school and I'm clueless about other schools. I was under the impression that DO school is looked down upon. To be honest, I know someone who did not have as many credentials as I do to get into med school, but got in..Not to compare, but its just not fair..i know life is not fair. A lot of people I knew in school went to the carribean for medical school. I decided against that since I really wanted to this the right way. I hope I'm not putting anyone down, but med school is just someone important and close to my heart. I have worked my butt off to achieve the GPA at the expense of social life & family, so its just too emotional at this point. Repeated failures is getting to me.🙁

 

[Mbeas]

Ok I'm going to retake the MCAT in Jan and your suggestion is that if I score decent like 30,which i'm hoping for, I should get in. My main concern is that I want to start med school or DO school next year..cant watch the years of my life wasting away anymore..

My EC- I work as a clinical lab tech at an IVF clinic
- Being doing Research with my Graduate school professor.
- Volunteer work
- 3.8 Science, 3.7 overall -Undergrad
- 3.5 grad uptil now

Can I get in?

If you score a 30, you should apply both MD/DO. If you score 26-27, then just apply DO.

Additionally, what are the best DO schools around and do they cost the same? 🙁

KCOM, TCOM, PCOM, NYCOM, DMU, CCOM are generally regarded as the better DO schools since they are old and established. MCAT average is 27-28.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Additionally, what are the best DO schools around and do they cost the same? I'm sorry, but I have had my head into MCAT and allopathic school and I'm clueless about other schools. I was under the impression that DO school is looked down upon. To be honest, I know someone who did not have as many credentials as I do to get into med school, but got in..Not to compare, but its just not fair..i know life is not fair. A lot of people I knew in school went to the carribean for medical school. I decided against that since I really wanted to this the right way. I hope I'm not putting anyone down, but med school is just someone important and close to my heart. I have worked my butt off to achieve the GPA at the expense of social life & family, so its just too emotional at this point. Repeated failures is getting to me.🙁

There is no real hierarchy or ranking with medical schools. However the more established DO schools tend to be more reputable and desired, though they are usually private and pricy. They also usually have stats which are comparable to low tier MD schools, with averages around 3.5/27-28.

 

[inaccensa]

If you score a 30, you should apply both MD/DO. If you score 26-27, then just apply DO.

yeah, but MD acceptance will be for 2013... what will I do until then? I'm 25 yr old already🙁

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

yeah, but MD acceptance will be for 2013... what will I do until then? I'm 25 yr old already🙁

It's really unlikely you'll get accepted anywhere with a Jan Mcat. And 25 is not old.... the average age of a first year medical student is 24, so you're hardly behind.

Ok I'm going to retake the MCAT in Jan and your suggestion is that if I score decent like 30,which i'm hoping for, I should get in. My main concern is that I want to start med school or DO school next year..cant watch the years of my life wasting away anymore..

My EC- I work as a clinical lab tech at an IVF clinic
- Being doing Research with my Graduate school professor.
- Volunteer work
- 3.8 Science, 3.7 overall -Undergrad
- 3.5 grad uptil now

Can I get in?

I recommend getting some DO shadowing, with a LOR, and getting more clinical volunteering.

 

[SLC]

Additionally, what are the best DO schools around and do they cost the same? I'm sorry, but I have had my head into MCAT and allopathic school and I'm clueless about other schools. I was under the impression that DO school is looked down upon. To be honest, I know someone who did not have as many credentials as I do to get into med school, but got in..Not to compare, but its just not fair..i know life is not fair. A lot of people I knew in school went to the carribean for medical school. I decided against that since I really wanted to this the right way. I hope I'm not putting anyone down, but med school is just someone important and close to my heart. I have worked my butt off to achieve the GPA at the expense of social life & family, so its just too emotional at this point. Repeated failures is getting to me.🙁

DO school is only looked down on by people who aren't familiar, ignorant about it. It's a great option, and for some of us, even preferrable to Allopathic school. You will become an equally (and perhaps even better) qualified doctor at a DO school.

We have plenty of elite undergrad performers in our class. Your undergrad and grad-school grades, while impressive, won't make you a better or worse doctor. All they do is tell the admissions committee whether or not you can hack the bookwork. Clinical rotations are a whole other animal, and your EC's, work ethic, interpersonal skills, and overall demeanor will tell the ADCOM much more about your future as a doctor than your General Chemistry grade ever will.

This is hard for a lot of people to understand, but it's the truth.

 

[Mbeas]

yeah, but MD acceptance will be for 2013... what will I do until then? I'm 25 yr old already🙁

Well, you may be looking at 2013 either way. Unless you destroy the MCAT in January, you probably won't even be considered since it is so late in the cycle.

 

[inaccensa]

yeah after reading some threads, I realized that the only stigma is that it seems easier to get in. However, DO students do seem to have some additional training. My dad used to practice Reiki, an alternative healing art. I saw the benefits, so I thought learning noninvase techniques will be impressive. But again, I'm worried about getting matched. I want to specialize.

DO school is only looked down on by people who aren't familiar, ignorant about it. It's a great option, and for some of us, even preferrable to Allopathic school. You will become an equally (and perhaps even better) qualified doctor at a DO school.

We have plenty of elite undergrad performers in our class. Your undergrad and grad-school grades, while impressive, won't make you a better or worse doctor. All they do is tell the admissions committee whether or not you can hack the bookwork. Clinical rotations are a whole other animal, and your EC's, work ethic, interpersonal skills, and overall demeanor will tell the ADCOM much more about your future as a doctor than your General Chemistry grade ever will.

This is hard for a lot of people to understand, but it's the truth.

 

[inaccensa]

Well, you may be looking at 2013 either way. Unless you destroy the MCAT in January, you probably won't even be considered since it is so late in the cycle.

So acc to you, my best will be to give the mcat, complete the primary and wait and watch what happens

 

[inaccensa]

It's really unlikely you'll get accepted anywhere with a Jan Mcat. And 25 is not old.... the average age of a first year medical student is 24, so you're hardly behind.



I recommend getting some DO shadowing, with a LOR, and getting more clinical volunteering.

i thought the DO schools had a late deadline?

 

[Mbeas]

So acc to you, my best will be to give the mcat, complete the primary and wait and watch what happens

More or less...

Mostly, complete the primary now; as in NOW. If you want a shot at starting in 2012, you need to have your primary app in soon. The cycle runs a bit later than MD schools, but it is essentially the same. Also, as mentioned, you will need some DO shadowing and a physician letter or rec.

 

[SLC]

So acc to you, my best will be to give the mcat, complete the primary and wait and watch what happens

If you're serious about trying for DO, I'd apply TODAY (as in ASAP) with a note in your application that you're retaking in Jan. Schools will process you and hold on till they receive notice of your new score.

If you wait till January to apply, you won't be verified till Feb or March once your scores come in and are processed by AACOMAS. Then you probably won't get secondaries, and if you do, you'll either not get interviews because schools will be done interviewing, or you'll get some interviews for waitlists.

I applied in Sept. last year and was accepted in early March. I didn't have anywhere near the GPA you do. But my MCAT was 30.

Apply now!

And in response to your concerns over matching. Don't be concerned at all. There is a whole match that's only available to Osteopathic graduates, with just about every field imaginable. OB/GYN and Endocrinology are definitely available (though Endocrinology is a fellowship after Internal Medicine, rather than a standalone residency). Still, if you take the USMLE and score well, and you do well in your rotations etc. You'll likely have your pick of residencies either ACGME (MD) or AOA (DO).

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

i thought the DO schools had a late deadline?

Yah, well remember how like in college you turn in a paper on the deadline as opposed to the due date and you lose a lot of points? Well, that's basically the same for medical school applications, the later you are the worse off you are in the whole process.

 

[inaccensa]

Great thanks one and all for answering my q's.. so new to this. Will finish the primary today

If you're serious about trying for DO, I'd apply TODAY (as in ASAP) with a note in your application that you're retaking in Jan. Schools will process you and hold on till they receive notice of your new score.

If you wait till January to apply, you won't be verified till Feb or March once your scores come in and are processed by AACOMAS. Then you probably won't get secondaries, and if you do, you'll either not get interviews because schools will be done interviewing, or you'll get some interviews for waitlists.

I applied in Sept. last year and was accepted in early March. I didn't have anywhere near the GPA you do. But my MCAT was 30.

Apply now!

And in response to your concerns over matching. Don't be concerned at all. There is a whole match that's only available to Osteopathic graduates, with just about every field imaginable. OB/GYN and Endocrinology are definitely available (though Endocrinology is a fellowship after Internal Medicine, rather than a standalone residency). Still, if you take the USMLE and score well, and you do well in your rotations etc. You'll likely have your pick of residencies either ACGME (MD) or AOA (DO).

 

[inaccensa]

KCOM, TCOM, PCOM, NYCOM, DMU, CCOM are generally regarded as the better DO schools since they are old and established. MCAT average is 27-28. 👍

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

KCOM, TCOM, PCOM, NYCOM, DMU, CCOM are generally regarded as the better DO schools since they are old and established. MCAT average is 27-28. 👍

Your list is also missing KCUMB ( One of the original 5), UMDNJ, OSU, MSU, and Western...

 

[SLC]

KCOM, TCOM, PCOM, NYCOM, DMU, CCOM are generally regarded as the better DO schools since they are old and established. MCAT average is 27-28. 👍

I'd add UNECOM, OUCOM, MSUCOM to that list (but they're state schools so have regional bias, but with your GPA, if you can make good on the MCAT you'd have as good a shot as anyone).

I'd also add Western, AZCOM, and KCUMB to the list of great schools.

My school ATSU-SOMA is the sister school to KCOM. It's new, and very unique, but our first class did great in the match last yaar

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'd add UNECOM, OUCOM, MSUCOM to that list (but they're state schools so have regional bias, but with your GPA, if you can make good on the MCAT you'd have as good a shot as anyone).

I'd also add Western, AZCOM, and KCUMB to the list of great schools.

My school ATSU-SOMA is the sister school to KCOM. It's new, and very unique, but our first class did great in the match last yaar

OUCOM = You must practice in Ohio for 5 years after training. And UNECOM is not a state school...

 

[SLC]

OUCOM = You must practice in Ohio for 5 years after training.

Yes, but it's still a great school.

 

[inaccensa]

I'd add UNECOM, OUCOM, MSUCOM to that list (but they're state schools so have regional bias, but with your GPA, if you can make good on the MCAT you'd have as good a shot as anyone).

I'd also add Western, AZCOM, and KCUMB to the list of great schools.

My school ATSU-SOMA is the sister school to KCOM. It's new, and very unique, but our first class did great in the match last yaar

Great thanks! I dont have too much money to spare..so I hope I wont to apply to all these schools..😱

 

[inaccensa]

Regional Bias...Aye! why cant they make it anymore difficult for us😕

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Yes, but it's still a great school.

Meh, I've never heard many good things about it on Pre-Osteo...

I only know this about Ohio....

 

[inaccensa]

Will be taking the mcat again in jan...but hoping to end up in school next fall

I think you should swing by the Mcat subforum and follow some of the methods on how to study for the Mcat, in particular the 90 day method. I say this because even with a 3.7/23 your chances at getting into DO schools aren't too incredibly high.

There are some low tier schools which have lower mcat requirements, but they have strong regional biases. These schools are: VCOM - Blacksburg ( Favors : Appalachian's, i.e Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Carolina's, etc.) , VCOM - CC ( Favors similarly to the other VCOM except more so with the Carolina's), Pikesvile ( Favors : Kentuckians? and surrounding states. Uber Rural medicine favoring though, so probably not your cup of tea.), and WCU ( Favors Mississippians and surrounding states).
Other schools to consider : LECOM ( Worst case scenario is they will request you do their post-bacc), WVSOM, and LMU.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Regional Bias...Aye! why cant they make it anymore difficult for us😕

Schools want to produce physicians with a high chance of actually practicing in their area and reducing the deficit.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Will be taking the mcat again in jan...but hoping to end up in school next fall

Well just to reiterate what I said... 90 day method on Mcat Subforum.... guide to getting a 30+ on the mcat... start now... 😉

 

[SLC]

Meh, I've never heard many good things about it on Pre-Osteo...

I only know this about Ohio....

Maybe you should conduct your research in more than one place then? It's an excellent school.

 

[inaccensa]

Schools want to produce physicians with a high chance of actually practicing in their area and reducing the deficit.

yeah make sense. Any ideas of how to structure the personal essay. My boss is a PhD at NYUMC. I can ask him to write a letter for me. Although, I have letters from undergrad for med school. I dont know whether they explicitly mention allopathy..i doubt it. Will that do? I can get one letter from him and one from my gradaute mentor.. However, the undergrad recommendations from my school professors should be available.. ineed to speak with the registrar there..will these letters suffice?

 

[inaccensa]

Well just to reiterate what I said... 90 day method on Mcat Subforum.... guide to getting a 30+ on the mcat... start now... 😉

yeah, my backfall was I didnt take enough practice mcat test...i should have built the endurance to do the whole thing. With the work schedule, it was difficult to practice for the 2 pm exam....But what i did is inexcusable..its my fault. i took the 9/2 mcat and the physics was easy and bio too, but the verbal was horrendous

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Maybe you should conduct your research in more than one place then? It's an excellent school.

Eh, to each their own.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Do you have an LOR from an osteopathic physician? About half the schools require that and if you don't havve it, don't waste your time applying there. And no offense, but with an 18 and 23 MCAT, you need to really learn the material. You need not worry about "the best" DO schools. You need to worry about getting in at all.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

yeah, my backfall was I didnt take enough practice mcat test...i should have built the endurance to do the whole thing. With the work schedule, it was difficult to practice for the 2 pm exam....But what i did is inexcusable..its my fault. i took the 9/2 mcat and the physics was easy and bio too, but the verbal was horrendous

what was your score breakdown? generally a 23 shows a lack of knowing the material.

EDIT (adding more): So looking at your past posts, you clearly think DO school is inferior and now that your MCAT sucks, you are considering. I would recommend retaking the MCAT in jan and applying MD next year. You don't have a good chance for this year and I don't think you will be happy as a DO as you will always be thinking it was "taking the easy route." And people are saying apply now and you might have a chance. The depends on your score breakdown. If you have 8, 8, 7 you have a better chance than a 12, 5, 6.

 

[inaccensa]

what was your score breakdown? Generally a 23 shows a lack of knowing the material.

10b, 9p, 4v,q

 

[inaccensa]

Do you have an LOR from an osteopathic physician? About half the schools require that and if you don't havve it, don't waste your time applying there. And no offense, but with an 18 and 23 MCAT, you need to really learn the material. You need not worry about "the best" DO schools. You need to worry about getting in at all.

I do not have an LOR from an osteopathic physician...Is that a must?

 

[inaccensa]

Do you have an LOR from an osteopathic physician? About half the schools require that and if you don't havve it, don't waste your time applying there. And no offense, but with an 18 and 23 MCAT, you need to really learn the material. You need not worry about "the best" DO schools. You need to worry about getting in at all.

i didnt imply the "the best" as in the best as harvad for allo. I dont know much about DO schools and wiki says that there is a debate regarding some for-profit DO schools. Just wanted to know the wellestablished and reputed ones.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

the only for profit school is RVU, so if you worry, don't apply there. honestly, that score breakdown......you won't be successful at any DO school because of the 4 in verbal. It sucks because your science scores are much better. You HAVE to retake. I would say find someones verbal strategy and follow it to the letter and then get EK 101 passages and do every single one of them. If you can bump up your verbal to an 8 and keep your science scores, you would get in.

And the DO letter- about half of schools require it. There is a spreadsheet somewhere. If you don't have a DO letter, you would be wasting money applying to those schools. I have an MD letter only, I have 6 interviews so far, but I didn't apply to any of those schools.

 

[lxasylum]

Yea, I agree with FrkyBgStok. The thing is, you will be prescreened by the 4 verbal I think. Also, applying to DO, just like MD, takes time and carefully planning and commitment. You can't just jump into DO late in the game and expect to get something out of it. Schools will know if you are committed to the philosophy or not and will know if you are lying just by your app. It generally takes DO applicants a year of planning, expecially to get a DO letter. Really think if you want to do osteopathic medicine or not and don't just dive into a field because you are afraid you're getting old. The fact is, you are starting to sound like one of those people that are doing medicine all for the wrong reasons and they are just doing it to get in somewhere, thus choosing DO is your last resort.

 

[DocEspana]

KCOM, TCOM, PCOM, NYCOM, DMU, CCOM are generally regarded as the better DO schools since they are old and established. MCAT average is 27-28.

Your list is also missing KCUMB ( One of the original 5), UMDNJ, OSU, MSU, and Western...

I'd add UNECOM, OUCOM, MSUCOM to that list

I'd also add Western, AZCOM, and KCUMB to the list of great schools.

One more post and we're gonna have every school but RVU listed.

Lets be honest here. The best are, in no order, KCOM, TCOM, PCOM, NYCOM (If you're okay with getting a osteo-nut stigma), DMU, CCOM and MSUCOM.

I would NOT put KCUMB, UNECOM, OUCOM, UMDNJ, OSU, MSU, Western or AZCOM in the same category. They're not. And its just because you have to drop a line somewhere and there is a decent reputation jump between the above 7 and everyone else. All the schools in this paragraph are in one big lump (or two lumps if you wanna call cheaper state school their own thing) with every other school (nova, touros, prob LECOM-E/B, etc) except for the few that are recognized as being particularly easy to get into and/or willing to make exceptions for the locals.

Its just how the whole deal works. A few schools have major coast-to-coast swing. Most are putting out strong students, but are just not at the same level of recognition (and thats really all it is as every school in both groups have the same admission standards: 3.3-3.4avg and 27-28avg). And a few are brand spanking new or have noticably lower admission standards than the rest.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Osteo-nut stigma at NYCOM? Care to elaborate?

 

[DocEspana]

Osteo-nut stigma at NYCOM? Care to elaborate?

Three years ago their selling point on interviews was that they have the highest rate of omt residency of all the do schools for x years running and some crazy match rate, or so they claimed, in pmr.

heard that stereotype before i applied, that reinforced it. people from nycom i rotate with in queens joke with me about it. It's a stereotype out there. Prob only describes a minority of people though, as with all of these similar stereotypes.

 

[Helen Wheels]

I think that by Jan i will be much better prepared, but I if I do well, I dont want to wait until the August 2013 to start med school. Already 25😱

I'm just so lost. After reading some of the threads, i realize that DO schools are not different from Allopathic schools, infact they teach you more non invasive techniques. But I guess, I was misinformed about DO schools. I was wondering, if i can pursue Endocrinology, OB-gyn with concentration in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

inaccensa, You most certainly can do ob/gyn with a DO degree and, in fact, the DO schools traditionally produce a lot of ob/gyns.

My suggestion to you is to retake the MCAT in January and just wait and apply when the app opens up for the new cycle in May/June 2012. Here's why: with rolling admissions by February when you get the score there won't be that many interview spots left. In fact, you might end up interviewing for a waitlist spot which is pretty depressing. Why not apply right at the start of the app season and give yourself the best possible chance?

Also, many (though not all) DO schools require a DO letter. Get a letter so you aren't limited in where you can apply. I am guessing you don't have that letter and that can take some time to get. I'd suggest that you start working on finding a DO to shadow and get a LOR and you can get a better idea what a DO does from the experience, too.

BTW, calm down about being 25, another year won't make any difference, you are still young. I started OMS-1 six weeks ago and I am 40! 🙂

 

[DocEspana]

How did you come to that conclusion? Based on academics, research, and opportunities, I'd say the best schools are UMDNJ-SOM, MSUCOM, and TCOM.

More national reputation. UMDNJ (the whole damn system except for RWJ) is sort of looked down upon outside of the mid-atlantic region because of all the trouble the system keeps getting in and the problems it causes for its affiliate hospitals.

does that actually effect students? unclear, but if you're gonna pick out a few "top" schools out of a group of 25 (30?) where 20 have identical admission standards, and students who all go to similar residencies at similar rates; you go by national reputation. UMDNJSOM is in with the rest of the pack in that sense. Only a few have that sort of national recognition sheen. again, how that actually effects students..... minimally if at all, but you need something esoteric, so i went with a bit of subjective "Ive always been pretty immersed in the medical world, who have I always heard nurses and physicians bring up out of the blue/unusually positively in my experience". It seemed to be all the ones youd expect to see just by realistically looking at a mix of who is the longest established and who is the most connected by affiliate university. Its still all subjective, just suggesting my subjectivity may be more richly rooted than simply browsing SDN.

 

[inaccensa]

i really appreciate all your input. I'm thinking about all this in a much better prespective. I'm beginning to realize a lot of mistakes that I made. My goal is to become a physician. It has been dream and I'm not going to give up on it.

 

[deleted245139]

'best school' is a worthless discussion. find a program that fits you. find an educational system in which you will succeed. The thing about medical schools (as opposed to say, law school), is that there really isn't a dedicated 'tier' system. Getting into a school is the bottleneck/difficulty. With VERY few exceptions, our degree (MD/DO) is not handed out lightly. Each school prepares you to be a physician... it's up to the student to become an 'exceptional physician'. People need to cool it with the best/worst schools thing because it's never really productive. I've meet students from almost all of them and I've seen good ones and bad ones from each.

Just sayin... medical education is a much more narrow band of quality. 'Top' tier isn't light years ahead of 'low' tier.

 

[inaccensa]

BTW, calm down about being 25, another year won't make any difference, you are still young. I started OMS-1 six weeks ago and I am 40! 🙂


Commendable, I must say. My dream has been since childhood to go to med school, so my failures are disheartening.

 

[inaccensa]

Yeah, a lot of people have been saying the same thing. I do understand that it is your bedside manners and your dedication towards your patients. I just thought you learn more perhaps when you go to better school. My connotation was not best school, as I stated earlier. Just established schools. I read the wiki site about some DO schools, which prompted that question

'best school' is a worthless discussion. find a program that fits you. find an educational system in which you will succeed. The thing about medical schools (as opposed to say, law school), is that there really isn't a dedicated 'tier' system. Getting into a school is the bottleneck/difficulty. With VERY few exceptions, our degree (MD/DO) is not handed out lightly. Each school prepares you to be a physician... it's up to the student to become an 'exceptional physician'. People need to cool it with the best/worst schools thing because it's never really productive. I've meet students from almost all of them and I've seen good ones and bad ones from each.

Just sayin... medical education is a much more narrow band of quality. 'Top' tier isn't light years ahead of 'low' tier.