D.O. Versus M.D. Grades are decent.

[619dr2b]

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Hello everyone. Happy 4th! I know some of the major differences between the two; however; I am interested in some sort of Surgery. Maybe Trauma or Pediatric. But how are the residency programs leading up to those fellowships? And this all goes back to a DO can get into decent residencies with a DO background?

Also, long-shot....... if I had over 6 years services with an honorable discharge would that tend to favor someone? Thanks everyone for your help.

My Stats:
B.S. Organismal Bology
sGPA: 3.85
cGPA: 3.08

I've been volunteering as the Treasurer for a local HIV/AIDS chapter.

What are some of your thoughts?

 

[dctodo]

the cgpa is low for MD. what is the mcat score?

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[Promethean]

Hello everyone. Happy 4th! I know some of the major differences between the two; however; I am interested in some sort of Surgery. Maybe Trauma or Pediatric. But how are the residency programs leading up to those fellowships? And this all goes back to a DO can get into decent residencies with a DO background?

Also, long-shot....... if I had over 6 years services with an honorable discharge would that tend to favor someone? Thanks everyone for your help.

My Stats:
B.S. Organismal Bology
sGPA: 3.85
cGPA: 3.08

I've been volunteering as the Treasurer for a local HIV/AIDS chapter.

What are some of your thoughts?

DO isn't just a back up for people who can't get into an MD school. Do you want to go to a DO school? I work with several ENT surgeons who are DOs. I also know an Opthomologist and and Anesthesiologist who are DOs. I'm just talking about attendings. I've met many more that were in residency and fellowships, including in pediatric surgery. If you are motivated and capable, you can do whatever you want, DO or MD.

Your cGPA is a little low, but your sGPA is good. With your background and a good MCAT, you will have a lot of possibilities either way. So, figure out what you want, and shoot for it. If you want MD, go for it. You may not get Harvard, but there are many fine schools that wouldn't rule you out for that cGPA.

I prefer DO, and SDN has given me a lot of crap for it. But, as I said, I've worked with a number of great doctors who hold that degree and I like what I've seen from them. I certainly haven't seen that they aren't able to get into good residencies/fellowships.

 

[deleted407021]

@Promethean He/she is probably going to get auto-screened at every allopathic school and most osteopathic schools, with that cGPA. @Goro can provide some more insight.

@619dr2b Without an MCAT, we can't really gauge your chances at any school. That 3.08 is really quite low for matriculants to DO schools (the mean GPA for 2013 entering class seems to be ~3.5, as given by the OMC Info Book), but not a death knell. Armed service is a plus, but what experiences do you have (shadowing, volunteering and clinical exposure) that lead you to wanting to be a physician?

 

[Promethean]

Depends on the MCAT. MDApps suggests that low GPAs are not an absolute screen out, with a MCAT in the mid 30s or higher. I know that isn't a trivial thing to accomplish, but it can be done.

There are MD schools where the bottom 10% GPA is 2.9-3.1. Check MSAR to see if there are any that would consider. Median is just that. There are as many below it as above.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Uh no, save for KCUMB his gpa is high enough to get him interviews. The question pertains primarily to whether or not he can score decently on the mcat.

 

[Goro]

Concur. Adcoms have a soft spot for veterans, but a good MCAT will be needed to offset the low cGPA for MD schools. For nearly all DO schools, (even mine) a decent MCAT and the high GPA will make the OP competitive.

Depends on the MCAT. MDApps suggests that low GPAs are not an absolute screen out, with a MCAT in the mid 30s or higher. I know that isn't a trivial thing to accomplish, but it can be done.

There are MD schools where the bottom 10% GPA is 2.9-3.1. Check MSAR to see if there are any that would consider. Median is just that. There are as many below it as above.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Hello everyone. Happy 4th! I know some of the major differences between the two; however; I am interested in some sort of Surgery. Maybe Trauma or Pediatric. But how are the residency programs leading up to those fellowships? And this all goes back to a DO can get into decent residencies with a DO background?

Also, long-shot....... if I had over 6 years services with an honorable discharge would that tend to favor someone? Thanks everyone for your help.

My Stats:
B.S. Organismal Bology
sGPA: 3.85
cGPA: 3.08

I've been volunteering as the Treasurer for a local HIV/AIDS chapter.

What are some of your thoughts?

What is the reason for the low cGPA? If your cGPA is a product of early grades or a really bad semester, I think MD would still be on the table with a good MCAT. The military experience will definitely work in your favor.

As for surgery, it isn't impossible as a DO. Some surgical specialties like Dermatology, ENT, Ophthalmology, Neurosurgery, will be significantly harder than having an MD. General surgery and Ortho, although still harder than MD, are very attainable for a DO (through AOA surgery residency). Fellowship won't be a problem.

 

[Promethean]

So my ENT and Optho DOs are outliers? Huh. Well, they are pretty phenomenal people.

 

[allantois]

Well my Derm is a DO but that's not the whole story as she had to go through Family residency first and then through a non-paid Derm residency. I can't possibly imagine how she managed it financially considering that DO school she graduated from is one of the most expensive ones out there.

 

[619dr2b]

My mistake. My cGPA is actually 3.18. I was very immature when is started school in 2004. So I decided to serve in the Navy. The last two years have been full-time and my GPA over just the last two years has been 3.85 as well. MCAT is 10/10/12-32. I am a Montana resident. I am mostly concerned about the cumulative GPA. My recent work shows a pretty decent incline. Thank you all for your input.

 

[VanEman]

Hard to tell without an MCAT score. Grades are low for any medical school, MD or DO.

 

[Mad Jack]

33+ MCAT and you can probably throw some low-tier MDs up there.

32- and I'd stick with broadly applying DO. Just my opinion, but with that cGPA I'd focus my efforts on the schools most likely to take me.

 

[Mad Jack]

My mistake. My cGPA is actually 3.18. I was very immature when is started school in 2004. So I decided to serve in the Navy. The last two years have been full-time and my GPA over just the last two years has been 3.85 as well. MCAT is 10/10/12-32. I am a Montana resident. I am mostly concerned about the cumulative GPA. My recent work shows a pretty decent incline. Thank you all for your input.

Oh you're right on the border... Apply to some low-tier MDs and the WWAMI programs, plus a mix of 10 or so DO schools and you should get in.

 

[allantois]

Pardon my geography but I had to google Montana and because there are no medical schools in the state your chances at an OS MD are slim and UW is a very competitive school. Apply DO and you will get in somewhere. I also always thought that there are medical schools just for those in the military!

 

[Mad Jack]

Pardon my geography but I had to google Montana and because there are no medical schools in the state your chances at an OS MD are slim and UW is a very competitive school. Apply DO and you will get in somewhere. I also always thought that there are medical schools just for those in the military!

Due to the WWAMI program, Montana is guaranteed 30 seats for residents. There are -very- few Montana students that apply to medical school each year (125 as of the last data I can find) so he's got a damn near 25% chance of getting one of those seats even if every single student applied to the WWAMI program and wanted to stay in Montana. Many would rather either go to a more prestigious school or get out of the state, so his chances are actually even better than 25% overall.

 

[Promethean]

32 is solid. If there are any schools, MD or DO, that you really want to go to, then try for them. There are absolutely some where your stats are acceptable, if not top of their pool, especially with an upward trend, veteran status, etc. Just, if you are talking about this cycle, you need to submit those applications with the quickness. A 32 and 3.18/3.85 is much more likely to get you interviews if the school gets your app by August at the latest than in October or later when they have fewer seats left.

Sure, most of your apps should go to schools that are more likely to accept you. But it might be worth the cost of one or two applications to schools that you think are out of your reach, but which you would really like to go to if they would admit you. As competitive as this process is, it isn't strictly a game of numbers. You can't be admitted to a place to which you didn't apply.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

My mistake. My cGPA is actually 3.18. I was very immature when is started school in 2004. So I decided to serve in the Navy. The last two years have been full-time and my GPA over just the last two years has been 3.85 as well. MCAT is 10/10/12-32. I am a Montana resident. I am mostly concerned about the cumulative GPA. My recent work shows a pretty decent incline. Thank you all for your input.

Apply to both MD and DO schools. I don't think you'll be automatically disqualified because of the cGPA.

 

[radkat101]

It's really hard to say without an mcat score. Also, FWIW, there have been some threads on here about pediatric surgery as a DO and the consensus seemed to be that it will be almost impossible. Trauma I'm not sure.