Deposits vs. MD programs

[zbrittingham]

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I don't know if it's just the programs I'm applying to, but it seems like a lot of MD programs have deposits that are $100 and refundable, and most DO programs have deposits that are $1000-15000 and are not. Why is this?? Is there something key that I'm missing here?

 

[WalkingCorpse]

Yeah, they don't want you to commit then bolt for greener pastures if you get into an MD or "better" DO program.


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[FCMike11]

Basically. Also, a lot of their $ comes from tuition and I have to believe this extends to deposits.

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[zbrittingham]

Huh wow that's a bit annoying. The process for MD programs is so much easier, and I guess I was assuming DO would be similar. Guess I'll just have to be extra choosy with my DO's.
Are the deposit deadlines any longer or do you still only have a few weeks to decide?

 

[FCMike11]

Huh wow that's a bit annoying. The process for MD programs is so much easier, and I guess I was assuming DO would be similar. Guess I'll just have to be extra choosy with my DO's.
Are the deposit deadlines any longer or do you still only have a few weeks to decide?

School dependent. Many follow regular guidelines (deposit due by December). BCOM. LECOM (and others) require 30 days if I'm not mistaken.

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[sdhere1234]

Huh wow that's a bit annoying. The process for MD programs is so much easier, and I guess I was assuming DO would be similar. Guess I'll just have to be extra choosy with my DO's.
Are the deposit deadlines any longer or do you still only have a few weeks to decide?

Seeing as how DO's are all essentially backups to MD's it makes sense.

 

[zurc2014]

Seeing as how DO's are all essentially backups to MD's it makes sense.

This. I dropped a lot of DO schools due to this tho. The non refundable crap is bs. Im already broke hell.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Seeing as how DO's are all essentially backups to MD's it makes sense.

Nope it doesn't. It only costs a hundred dollars to secure your seat at an MD school, that nothing. If anything it prevents you from looking at other DO schools (since they also have hefty deposits).

They might as well have the same system as MD school where they just drop their acceptances after May 15. Then they will at least have the people who want to come to their school instead of being forced due to a fee. I see these fees more as money grabs than anything.

 

[sdhere1234]

Nope it doesn't. It only costs a hundred dollars to secure your seat at an MD school, that nothing. If anything it prevents you from looking at other DO schools (since they also have hefty deposits).

They might as well have the same system as MD school where they just drop their acceptances after May 15. Then they will at least have the people who want to come to their school instead of being forced due to a fee. I see these fees more as money grabs than anything.

How does it not make sense? Then everyone would apply DO, those with good stats that have no intention of going and get accepted would pay their $150 deposit, then at the end of the cycle, everyone would withdraw their acceptance leaving classes half-filled.

If you're serious about attending a DO school, then $2000 which goes towards your first year tuition is nothing...

 

[IslandStyle808]

How does it not make sense? Then everyone would apply DO, those with good stats that have no intention of going and get accepted would pay their $150 deposit, then at the end of the cycle, everyone would withdraw their acceptance leaving classes half-filled.

If you're serious about attending a DO school, then $2000 which goes towards your first year tuition is nothing...

Ironically enough, what you are say is happening anyway, especially with those who hold multiple acceptances to other DO schools and drop them. A lot of schools go through half of their waitlist (which could be around 150-200 people). They already have a system in place to deal with this.

The whole deposit thing is if you choose that school. If you go to multiple interviews and put multiple deposits you won't be able to go to nearly as many interviews. Your interview costs for an MD interview plus the deposit would still be 2-3 times a low versus taking a DO interview and acceptance.

I'll put it another way. Let's say you had a DO acceptance in hand. You have seven interviews lined up at 3 MD schools and 4 DO school (which you would rank above the current DO acceptance). However, you a strapped for cash and realize you could go to 3 MD schools and 1 DO school OR 3 DO school interviews (when you factor in the deposits). Which would you go to?

Most people who want to get into the best schools possible would choose the former option.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Ironically enough, what you are say is happening anyway, especially with those who hold multiple acceptances to other DO schools and drop them. A lot of schools go through half of their waitlist (which could be around 150-200 people). They already have a system in place to deal with this.

The whole deposit thing is if you choose that school. If you go to multiple interviews and put multiple deposits you won't be able to go to nearly as many interviews. Your interview costs for an MD interview plus the deposit would still be 2-3 times a low versus taking a DO interview and acceptance.

I'll put it another way. Let's say you had a DO acceptance in hand. You have seven interviews lined up at 3 MD schools and 4 DO school (which you would rank above the current DO acceptance). However, you a strapped for cash and realize you could go to 3 MD schools and 1 DO school OR 3 DO school interviews (when you factor in the deposits). Which would you go to?

Most people who want to get into the best schools possible would choose the former option.

You do the 3 MDs and 1 DO, since in this case the DO schools are backups anyway. You maximize your chance for MD knowing you already have a DO acceptance in hand just in case.

 

[zbrittingham]

You do the 3 MDs and 1 DO, since in this case the DO schools are backups anyway. You maximize your chance for MD knowing you already have a DO acceptance in hand just in case.

Regardless though, you still have to bite the bullet and make that huge DO deposit if you hear back from them before any MD programs. If you do get an MD acceptance, then you just lost $1.5k. If you didn't, the money goes towards tuition, but you have to accept your backup school. Lose/lose in my opinion.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Regardless though, you still have to bite the bullet and make that huge DO deposit if you hear back from them before any MD programs. If you do get an MD acceptance, then you just lost $1.5k. If you didn't, the money goes towards tuition, but you have to accept your backup school. Lose/lose in my opinion.

I don't look at it that way. If you get accepted to an MD school, then yes you lost $1.5k. But you're about to have over a hundred grand in debt, so is that buck and a half really that big a loss to ensure you at least go to some med school?

And if you don't get an MD acceptance or your other DO school, you're going to your backup school. Which is med school. Which means you get to be a doctor, so stop complaining and be happy you weren't one of the 60% that didn't get in anywhere.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Regardless though, you still have to bite the bullet and make that huge DO deposit if you hear back from them before any MD programs. If you do get an MD acceptance, then you just lost $1.5k. If you didn't, the money goes towards tuition, but you have to accept your backup school. Lose/lose in my opinion.

While what you say is true, remember that you will be bitting the bullet even if you are accepted to the other 3 DO schools (you will lose the money to your original acceptance to take the better DO school acceptance, if only choosing one of those three schools). While if you go to your MD interviews, you can go to more interviews and be more likely to have an MD acceptance at hand.