Do DO schools yield protect?

[carboxylicpremed]

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My GPA is average for DO schools. I'm applying blind as my MCAT was delayed to next month, but all 5 of my AAMC FLs have been all consistent 520+ (minus one 519) as I've been studying for a while now so I feel safe enough to add my DO schools to get started on prewriting secondaries. For MD, I'm waiting for my score first.

I'm aware that test day, you never know what's gonna happen and people drop and fluctuate a lot, but even if I drop 10 points, it'll be a good bit above the average for all of my DO schools. I want to include DO because I'd like to avoid a 4th gap year and MD can be more of a crapshoot, but would it be a waste of money if my MCAT did end up as high as I'm scoring now? Or do DO schools not care very much?

 

[AlteredScale]

My GPA is average for DO schools. I'm applying blind as my MCAT was delayed to next month, but all 5 of my AAMC FLs have been all consistent 520+ (minus one 519) as I've been studying for a while now so I feel safe enough to add my DO schools to get started on prewriting secondaries. For MD, I'm waiting for my score first.

I'm aware that test day, you never know what's gonna happen and people drop and fluctuate a lot, but even if I drop 10 points, it'll be a good bit above the average for all of my DO schools. I want to include DO because I'd like to avoid a 4th gap year and MD can be more of a crapshoot, but would it be a waste of money if my MCAT did end up as high as I'm scoring now? Or do DO schools not care very much?

I am aware of some DO schools being a little wary about people who score high on the MCAT, especially if there's no real noticed effort on the application (lack of specific interest to pursuing DO school, lack of a DO letter or rec). But for the most part, I think most DO schools will still consider you. My school for example denied a colleague of mine who had a 35+ MCAT.

You'll never really know unless you apply. So do so but smartly.

 

[carboxylicpremed]

I am aware of some DO schools being a little wary about people who score high on the MCAT, especially if there's no real noticed effort on the application (lack of specific interest to pursuing DO school, lack of a DO letter or rec). But for the most part, I think most DO schools will still consider you. My school for example denied a colleague of mine who had a 35+ MCAT.

You'll never really know unless you apply. So do so but smartly.

Got it, thank you! I do have DO shadowing and very heavy primary care experience. But also have research pubs. I just can't risk going MD-only with my lower-end GPA.

 

[Kumorebi]

Got it, thank you! I do have DO shadowing and very heavy primary care experience. But also have research pubs. I just can't risk going MD-only with my lower-end GPA.

If the GPA is lower than a 3.4 they might see you as ripe pickings

 

[Goro]

My GPA is average for DO schools. I'm applying blind as my MCAT was delayed to next month, but all 5 of my AAMC FLs have been all consistent 520+ (minus one 519) as I've been studying for a while now so I feel safe enough to add my DO schools to get started on prewriting secondaries. For MD, I'm waiting for my score first.

I'm aware that test day, you never know what's gonna happen and people drop and fluctuate a lot, but even if I drop 10 points, it'll be a good bit above the average for all of my DO schools. I want to include DO because I'd like to avoid a 4th gap year and MD can be more of a crapshoot, but would it be a waste of money if my MCAT did end up as high as I'm scoring now? Or do DO schools not care very much?

I personally interviewed several people with MCAT scores of > 517 this year.

SDNers should not focus on single data points. It's your entire app that gets looked at.

 

[djiboutiman]

3.6/519 admitted DO here. I also did a ton of research. As long as you’ve shadowed a DO before and send in your secondaries within a reasonable time, you won’t get yield protected. You never know how the application cycle will shake out for you, so I’m glad your applying DO.

 

[calivianya]

515 MCAT, forget what my cumulative GPA was (three degrees at 3.27, then 3.86, and then 3.86 again). Completed my DO secondaries in November after some post-interview MD rejections. Put in 11 apps, got 8 interviews, went to 3 of them, and was accepted at all 3, so it was not my experience that they yield protect.

I had two DO letters, though - worked with two of them at my job and got letters from both. I definitely told my favorite doc’s alma mater that I was hopeful I’d get to go there since they trained him, and he’s the best physician I know. Wasn’t even a lie - the guy is the most brilliant and compassionate doctor I’ve ever worked with, and I’d be lucky to be half as good as him one day. I guess they liked that answer, because that’s where I am now.

 

[putmeincoach]

515 mcat here starting DO soon, a guy in my class scored a 100 percentile (dude's a beast). Don't worry about it and focus on getting the best score you can get. Good luck

 

[BuildingMyOwnLuck]

Yes, but only at a few places, which, coincidentally as I’ve found, were lower tier in general than the ones who didnt