DO : Aspiring pre-med student in need of advice

[DBM30]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi there everybody,

I've made extensive use of the search function and have found a lot of great information on my inquiries, but I thought it would be advantageous to ask for some personally-tailored advice from you guys.

I'm currently a sophomore neuroscience major at the University of Pittsburgh, and I'm 95% sure that I would like to pursue a career as a DO; their approach to medical treatment is more down my alley. This semester I found myself in a bit of a predicament. After getting approximately a 3.8 my freshmen year, I foolishly opted to shift my priorities in a negative direction and effectively bombed the first semester of my sophomore year. I am undoubtedly going to get either a D or an F in calculus, and probably wont get any better than a C in organic 1. I will most likely be getting an A-B in my physiology course, and all of the electives I took this semester should also be A's.

I am fully able to complete the coursework in these classes with an A, but due to bad study habits and social distractions my grades this semester don't reflect my abilities. I am currently set on retaking both my organic 1 and calculus classes over the next semester or two to take advantage of the AACOMAS grade forgiveness policy, and I wanted some advice on my decisions. I will probably be going to school for an extra semester or two, which is fine by me.

Additionally, I am worried about my ECs. I basically haven't started on them aside from the fact that I work as an EMT. Down the road, I should have several opportunities to participate in research through my school as well as volunteer for the community as a firefighter, but I'm not sure what else to do to boost my marketability. I'd obviously like to shadow a DO, and am working on doing so; how many hours should I try to net?

I know my situation isn't exactly horrible, but it's got me pretty stressed out. My apologies if I asked a lot of stupid questions, but like I said, I wanted some advice from people knowledgeable on the subject. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you 🙂

 

[help2]

Sounds to me like you're on the right track and have given yourself your own best advice. You know where you are lacking and you will take steps to make those changes.

I do think shadowing a DO will help, as it demonstrates and interest in the DO profession in particular. You really don't need a ton of hours at all- one of my friends who was accepted only did about 40 hours. I've done more just because I enjoyed it so much.
Try to volunteer as well. Research doesn't hurt, but I don't think you will be penalized if your app doesn't have much of it- DO schools emphasize research far less than MD.

 

[572776]

Retake those classes, keep your grades up, shadow DO, keep working as EMT, do some health care volunteer work, do some community service work, do research if u want, do good on mcat and ull be set

 

[Iliketoytles]

Retake those classes, keep your grades up, shadow DO, keep working as EMT, do some health care volunteer work, do some community service work, do research if u want, do good on mcat and ull be set

Pretty much this.

Retake the classes so you can take advantage of the grade replacement AACOMAS does. It's only a few classes so it's not going to throw up any red flags, which is good.

Shadow a DO... just be sure to do this and have your recommendation letter before you apply. People have gotten in with 30-40 shadowing hours... though, it may be better for YOU as a future doctor to do a little more for your own sake. Shadowing can be really fun and you can learn a lot if your physician is willing to take the time to teach you (mine was amazing!).

Your EMT work is great! It covers clinical experience and work experience in one (even if you're just a volunteer). Try to get some hospital volunteering work in as well, even if it's just a few hours. Adcoms want to see that you've been involved and have experienced with the hospital scene.

Get involved with a few community projects... or even better, make one! You'd be surprised how many community projects you can make to help young kids... it's a lot of fun. But if you just want the hours (no shame in that), get involved at a Food Bank, nursing home, etc for a few hours.

Research is just a cherry on top, so if you can get involved in research... it'll look good, but it's not a make-or-break thing. It is, however, a great experience for any science student... so if you have the opportunity, take it!

The only thing else you may be missing is leadership/teaching experience... both of which are debatable as to how important they are. If I were an adcom, I would think leadership is very important! But others may think otherwise. If you have time and are willing to get involved in leadership positions, do it.

 

[pchemichem]

I definitely echo what everyone else has said so far. For me, being involved in several research projects have made my interviews go pretty well. It gave both the interviewer and myself a bunch to talk about. But it sounds like you will undoubtedly also have a good amount of experiences as well! Also balance medical volunteering with non-medically related volunteering, as some schools want to see community involvement in that way as well. Good luck!

 

[oceanillusion42]

You can certainly recover from a bad semester, you're only a sophmore. Focus on getting back on track and excelling in your future classes. Additionally, as it gets closer, make sure you put the effort into prepping for the MCAT, as a good score here can make up for a slightly lower GPA . EMT experience is great, I was an EMT for 5 years prior to applying to schools... makes for a great conversation piece at interviews and is a great thing to bring up in personal statements. Good luck!

 

[srb245]

You should look into volunteering with operation safety net in Pittsburgh. It's an amazing organization and should offer you an incredible EC to talk about.

 

[DBM30]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, it cleared a lot up for me.

One question though, would it be better to shadow a primary care DO over a specialist DO, or does it not make that much of a difference? I only ask because in my opinion, I think it would be easier to experience the doctors implementations of the osteopathic philosophy in a primary care setting as opposed to lets say, a busy operating room setting.

 

[UpwardTrend]

Honestly, you probably won't experience the Osteopathic philosophy either way. Shadow more than one if possible though.

 

[TexasDocGibby]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, it cleared a lot up for me.

One question though, would it be better to shadow a primary care DO over a specialist DO, or does it not make that much of a difference? I only ask because in my opinion, I think it would be easier to experience the doctors implementations of the osteopathic philosophy in a primary care setting as opposed to lets say, a busy operating room setting.

As far as I know MMT is rarely utilized in practiced and the one time I did observe it was with a Physician that practiced otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery and he implemented techniques to relieve sinuses in a patient. I would try to get various shadowing experiences to gain a improved grasp on what you will be doing as a physician. Everyone else has given you great advice but I would also apply broad and early.

 

[Iliketoytles]

Honestly, you probably won't experience the Osteopathic philosophy either way. Shadow more than one if possible though.

👍

I shadowed an ophthalmologist DO. It's difficult to perform OMM in that specialty, lol.

Allow me to manipulate your EYESS!!!

 

[sylvanthus]

We actually learned some muscle energy techniques involving the eyes. I **** you not.

 

[Iliketoytles]

We actually learned some muscle energy techniques involving the eyes. I **** you not.

😱

 

[MRSAful Fate]

We actually learned some muscle energy techniques involving the eyes. I **** you not.

Sigh. That's going to be an interesting afternoon in OMM lab.

 

[Iliketoytles]

I'd rather eat carrots.

 

[CopToEM]

Seriously, don't even sweat this semester and certainly don't let your confidence take a hit because of it. I'm a firm believer, even though I never got into academic hot-water, that "living a little" is a good thing. I believe that in a lot of ways when you're faced with the potential that your future could be at risk it makes you appreciate it more.

There's absolutely no reason you should even be worried about this. It's imperative that you change things around and go into the coming semesters with the right mindset. If you're not prepared to make an A in the retakes then consider taking some other courses in the time being.

You are not the first - and certainly not the last - premed who will have to retake Calculus and Organic 1. I would venture to say it's nearly a 50-50 split, especially in regards to Organic.

Remember, becoming a physician is not about being the smartest kid in the room... it's about determination and hard work. Period.