DO for Canadians: 2011-2012

[UBCvan]

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Hello

This is the discussion thread for all the fellow Canadians applying to DO schools in the 2011-2012 cycle. You can discuss anything regarding DO schools: applications, LORs, GPAs, schools, MCATs, tuitions, etc.

We started the "DO for Canadians" series last year, which was very helpful for all the Canadians applying to DO in the states including myself. You can find it here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=739482

You can find A LOT OF great information about DO schools in that thread. I think it's time to have "DO for Canadians" threads every year. This not only helps all of us get accepted to med school, but also promotes Osteopathic Medicine in Canada.

We have great contributors here so if you have any questions, just ASK!!!

I think it's a good start to introduce ourselves to get the thread going.🙂

 

[drctother]

Hello

This is the discussion thread for all the fellow Canadians applying to DO schools in the 2011-2012 cycle. You can discuss anything regarding DO schools: applications, LORs, GPAs, schools, MCATs, tuitions, etc.

We started the "DO for Canadians" series last year, which was very helpful for all the Canadians applying to DO in the states including myself. You can find it here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=739482

You can find A LOT OF great information about DO schools in that thread. I think it's time to have "DO for Canadians" threats every year. This not only helps all of us get accepted to med school, but also promotes Osteopathic Medicine in Canada.

We have great contributors here so if you have any questions, just ASK!!!

I think it's a good start to introduce ourselves to get the thread going. I start with myself.

I'm from Vancouver, and I applied to about 10 DO schools last year. I got 4 interviews at KCUMB, Western, TouroCOM-NY, AZCOM. I got rejected from KCUMB. I'm now waitlisted at the other 3. I'll be applying again next year if I don't make it to any of them this year.

I have a 3.8 GPA and a 26M MCAT, and tons of extracurricular activities. 🙂

Also GO CANUCKS GO!!!

Bump.

 

[Wyydo]

Hey just want to say hi. I hope this year goes just as well as the last for us Canadians, and good luck to all those applying!

If anyone is interested, I live in Vancouver and am finishing up some prereq courses. I haven't taken the MCAT yet!

 

[UBCvan]

Bump. There is a spelling mistake 😛 "threats"

😀 maybe that's why I'm waitlisted
FIXED IT!!

 

[spoudaios]

Cool! We have a fellow Canadians in here. I am just recently interested in getting into the DO program. I hope I can get some assistance on how to complete the application. I am a mature applicant at 32 y.o., a pharmacist, and got 2nd rejection from UBC. MCAT 30Q UBC GPA overall is 82%.

1>. I took my MCAT 5 times because of verbal. Do you think I can still any chance for DO school? My best MCAT is 11PS 7VR 12BS Q
Do I need to release all results?

2>. Do I need to mail transcripts from UBC to World Education Services or do I need to mail them straight to AACOMAS?

3>. I have A+ on my UBC transcript but there's no A+ on the AACOMAS scale. Does this mean it will be downgraded to an A ?

4>. As for each school that you apply to, each has their own specific things that we have to complete. Does this mean these need to be sent to AACOMAS?

I am still in the beginning of the entire process of application. I will definitely have more questions.

Thank you fellow Canadians!
Hello fellow BC residents!
Zig

 

[thumbz]

Hello folks, I was active-ish in last years thread and will do my best to lend a hand in this years thread.

I'm an Alberta resident, 3.5 GPA, 31T MCAT. I interviewed at NSU and AZCOM and was accepted at both. I am attending AZCOM, starting on Aug 2. If anyone needs help/wants advice PM me, even if the PM just says "Look at the DO Canadian thread" because I just click the new posts button and read through the first 2 pages when I come to the forums typically. So I try to be active but I just forget.

Uhm, one word of advice: submit those LORs early. I only got 2 interviews because even though I submitted my primary and secondaries before June 1, I didn't get my final LOR in until October. NSU offered me an interview prior to getting the LOR (likely due to my MCAT) and AZCOM offered me an interview the day after they got my LOR. If I had them in earlier I'm most certain I would have had more interviews.

Finally, for anyone who hasn't taken their MCAT yet: I'm thinking of writing "thumbz's quick and dirty guide to getting a T" guide. If the interest is there from my fellow Canadians I'll write out what I did. To give you an idea, I'm not the best writer in the world. Managed a B+ in university English, but since the MCAT writing sample is a simple algorithm it's easy to get a good score.

 

[thumbz]

3>. I have A+ on my UBC transcript but there's no A+ on the AACOMAS scale. Does this mean it will be downgraded to an A ?

4>. As for each school that you apply to, each has their own specific things that we have to complete. Does this mean these need to be sent to AACOMAS?

Thank you fellow Canadians!
Hello fellow BC residents!
Zig

I think I can help with these two.

For 3. --> What I've heard is that since not all American schools offer the A+ designation AACOMAS doesn't either. So, you just get an A instead of an A+, but both would be counted as 4.0's anyways and schools tend to look at your overall average, not letter grades, so that + sadly doesn't mean much.

Also, for your transcript question: as long as UBC uses the letter grade system you should be able to send your transcripts strait to AACOMAS. One of the UBC people can comment further on that for sure.

4. You send all the schools the same primary app from AACOMAS, then the schools will email you secondaries. This is where you do the school specific stuff, like essays and LOR's. For sending LOR's I recommend Interfolio, they were amazing for me and are decently priced.

Hope this helps

thumbz

 

[UBCvan]

Also, for your transcript question: as long as UBC uses the letter grade system you should be able to send your transcripts strait to AACOMAS. One of the UBC people can comment further on that for sure.

NO, s/he has to send it to WES, cuz UBC used percentages not letter grades. right????

 

[UBCvan]

...

Cool! We have a fellow Canadians in here. I am just recently interested in getting into the DO program. I hope I can get some assistance on how to complete the application. I am a mature applicant at 32 y.o., a pharmacist, and got 2nd rejection from UBC. MCAT 30Q UBC GPA overall is 82%.

1>. I took my MCAT 5 times because of verbal. Do you think I can still any chance for DO school? My best MCAT is 11PS 7VR 12BS Q
Do I need to release all results?

your stats are very good. I think you need to release all results. Some schools look at the higher scores, some look at the most recent one...

2>. Do I need to mail transcripts from UBC to World Education Services or do I need to mail them straight to AACOMAS?

you should send it to WES if UBC gives percentages.

3>. I have A+ on my UBC transcript but there's no A+ on the AACOMAS scale. Does this mean it will be downgraded to an A ?

all A+'s will become A's. everything else stays the same.

4>. As for each school that you apply to, each has their own specific things that we have to complete. Does this mean these need to be sent to AACOMAS?

you make one application at AACOMAS (primary application) and send it to all schools. then if those schools like you, they will send you secondary applications for you to complete. Secondary apps are different for each school.

I am still in the beginning of the entire process of application. I will definitely have more questions.

Thank you fellow Canadians!
Hello fellow BC residents!
Zig

 

[00nn00]

Finally, for anyone who hasn't taken their MCAT yet: I'm thinking of writing "thumbz's quick and dirty guide to getting a T" guide. If the interest is there from my fellow Canadians I'll write out what I did. To give you an idea, I'm not the best writer in the world. Managed a B+ in university English, but since the MCAT writing sample is a simple algorithm it's easy to get a good score.

Please do so. I took MCAT last year and scored so badly on WS 😳

 

[spoudaios]

1>. What are considered to be primary application?

2>. I am in the midst of doing my application through AACOMAS online. There are sections about documents and letters. I thought letters are to be sent directly to the schools. Are letters part of primary or supplemental?

3>. Alright. I just checked my UBC transcript and it uses both percentages and letter grades. This means I don't have to send it to WES, correct?

4>. Mashmetoo on SDN Canadian forum wrote a list of DO schools that accept Canadians. Where can I find perhaps a summary of each school requirements? I just printed the AACOMAS guide and it only has the deadline for all schools without any specific requirements from each one.

 

[Razmatazz]

2>. I am in the midst of doing my application through AACOMAS online. There are sections about documents and letters. I thought letters are to be sent directly to the schools. Are letters part of primary or supplemental?

Use interfolio, saves a lot of time and hassle. Basically the reference writer privately uploads their letter to this online website. You can then send this document to various schools electronically with a few clicks. Comes in handy if you are applying to 10+ DO schools, you don't want the writer to send out 10 letters in the mail.

 

[thumbz]

It's 1:30 am and I'm not tired so I'll type this out. I've been meaning to since I got my T but never got around to it.

I forget where I read this (I believe it was an MCAT prep book), but basically it said each essay you write will be read through once by a marker for a duration of approximately 30 seconds. So, there's a simple formula to get a good grade. Or maybe it was 2 markers? Either way the 30 second part is the important bit

I googled "Position paper topics" and grabbed this one from a list that I found. No, this was not my MCAT topic; that would be naughty of me to share.

Topic 13. Should animals be used for research?

First thing you need to realize is you are writing a position paper. This means 5 paragraphs. Paragraph one is your introduction. Start with a broad statement such as "Since the beginning of scientific research animals have been used as subjects for experimental manipulation". Then, have 1 sentence for each body paragraph (3 sentences total). You paragraphs are going to be, 2 supporting your position (in my case why animal research is good - what has it accomplished? Think about things like Hepatitis research in primates and the like) and 1 refuting your position (I know this doesn't make sense but hear me out). The last sentence of the intro is your topic sentence, such as "It is in my opinion that through careful and considerate animal research standards the scientific benefits for mankind far outweigh the potential risks".

Format: Intro, support, support, refute, conclusion

In the paragraph refuting your position what you do is say something like "Criticism has been levied against animal research due to the inhumane treatment of the test subjects". Then you mention why this is valid but you end your paragraph with "Although this is an issue facing live animal research, it can be remedied by utilizing strict and repsonsible guidelines for the proper treatment of the animals under study". Now what you've done is addressed the criticism against your point of view and suggested a good solution.

Lastly, throw down a conclusion. Your first sentence is your topic sentence restated, then just summarize what you wrote above (one sentence for each statement) and end with an open ended sentence suggesting a bright future outlook. "Through the actions of responsible scientists animal research will continue to have tremendous benefits for the advancement of science".

Alright, so that is the essay you want to write. Now we are going to address the details.
1. DO NOT make spelling mistakes. This is a really easy way for a marker to dock you points. If you don't know how to spell a word, just use another. Ideally, just make sure you have a solid spelling foundation.
2. DO NOT use contractions. No don't, can't, won't, etc. These do no belong in professional papers.
3. Make sure you have a good vocab. You'll notice above I use a lot of unnecessary complex words where simpler ones would do such as utilize, tremendous, considerate, etc. This will add points - they want to see a broad vocab range. What you can do is after you write your paper go back through and add some buzz words. "Eliminating animal research would be a very bad mistake and would greatly reduce scientific advancement" becomes "Eliminating animal research would be an egregious error, greatly reducing scientific advancement." Or something along those lines. As long as it flows nicely, then your marker will be impressed.
4. Punctuation. DO NOT overuse commas. Avoid comma splices. Incorporate all lengths of sentences. Every now and again a 5 word sentence is a good thing. It lends a forceful tone to your paper. "Animal research is beneficial." Period. You don't need to include a reason in that sentence. Your paper gives the reasons. There you are making a forceful, direct statement.
5. The semi colon. This dude gets his own number. I have no doubt this separated me from the R/S group. From what I've seen, 98% of people have no idea how to use one. Premeds included. Learn how to use it, and incorporate it. "Animal research is an important tool in science. Through animal research we are able to glean new treatment options in humans for many infectious diseases" becomes "Animal research is important in humans; it allows us to glean...". Tell me that doesn't flow more smoothly. "Animal research is important for science because it allows scientists to determine the effectiveness of new treatments" becomes "Animal research is important for science; it allows scientists to determine..."
6. Back up your ideas with examples from the real world. For every topic you can think of something, even if you are fuzzy on the details (For my MCAT I had a topic I had NO idea about but I vaguely remember something from a conversation with my mom. So I used it. Realize your marker probably does not know and as long as it sounds probable they wont question it). I remember in one of my imin courses my prof talked about testing a new HepB treatment on monkeys. So I would say "Using primates, pharmaceutical companies are able to test new treatment options of Hep drugs without endangering the lives of humans. As a direct result of this research, countless lives are saved every year"

7. MOST IMPORTANT. If you listen to nothing else I say, listen to this. Make sure you edit your paper. Make sure you have 5 minutes at the end to edit. Seriously. You will find somewhere where you typed teh instead of the. Forgot a capital letter. Just simple little things.

For now I think that's it. If I think of more, I'll add it. As a disclaimer, this worked for me. I had a B+ in English and am not a strong writer. Yet I got a T writing on essay topics I had no idea about. So it is possible. I can't promise you this will work, but I gave the same advice to one of my friends and he managed to get an R (or so he says, I haven't personally verified this).

If you have any questions at all, please just ask me. I can totally understand not wanting to clutter this thread with them, so fire me a PM and I'll get back to you. If it's something I should have addressed, I'll add it to this post after for future readers.

 

[medapp88]

Hi all,

I will be starting DO program at Western University this fall. I will regularly check this thread too. If anyone has specific questions, you can always PM me.

1>. What are considered to be primary application?

Primary application = AACOMAS application

2>. I am in the midst of doing my application through AACOMAS online. There are sections about documents and letters. I thought letters are to be sent directly to the schools. Are letters part of primary or supplemental?

USe interfolio as mentioned by Razmatazz

3>. Alright. I just checked my UBC transcript and it uses both percentages and letter grades. This means I don't have to send it to WES, correct?

I think you should be fine unless some school changed their specific requirement this year.

4>. Mashmetoo on SDN Canadian forum wrote a list of DO schools that accept Canadians. Where can I find perhaps a summary of each school requirements? I just printed the AACOMAS guide and it only has the deadline for all schools without any specific requirements from each one.

Checkout college information book (CIB) on AACOM website. it has information about requirement of each school. Good luck!!

 

[spoudaios]

Do you guys apply to the school that ask for letters from DO only?

This is difficult due to the fact that there is only one DO in my city (Victoria, BC) and I've never worked with him before.

What kind of letter should this be? Is it just a letter to state that I did shadow him or a reference letter? If it were a reference letter, it would be awkward for the DO since we barely knew each other.

Thoughts?

 

[UBCvan]

Do you guys apply to the school that ask for letters from DO only?

This is difficult due to the fact that there is only one DO in my city (Victoria, BC) and I've never worked with him before.

What kind of letter should this be? Is it just a letter to state that I did shadow him or a reference letter? If it were a reference letter, it would be awkward for the DO since we barely knew each other.

Thoughts?

it should be a reference letter. since you barely know him, you should ask him for an opportunity to shadow him, so you can spend some time with him.

a lot of schools just need an MD letter. but it's best to get the DO letter.

 

[drctother]

Cool! We have a fellow Canadians in here. I am just recently interested in getting into the DO program. I hope I can get some assistance on how to complete the application. I am a mature applicant at 32 y.o., a pharmacist, and got 2nd rejection from UBC. MCAT 30Q UBC GPA overall is 82%.

1>. I took my MCAT 5 times because of verbal. Do you think I can still any chance for DO school? My best MCAT is 11PS 7VR 12BS Q
Do I need to release all results?

2>. Do I need to mail transcripts from UBC to World Education Services or do I need to mail them straight to AACOMAS?

3>. I have A+ on my UBC transcript but there's no A+ on the AACOMAS scale. Does this mean it will be downgraded to an A ?

4>. As for each school that you apply to, each has their own specific things that we have to complete. Does this mean these need to be sent to AACOMAS?

I am still in the beginning of the entire process of application. I will definitely have more questions.

Thank you fellow Canadians!
Hello fellow BC residents!
Zig

Hey, I went to UBC and I will be starting DO school in a few months.

1) Your verbal might be a bit low, but your overall is 30 which is decent

2) Yes, you need to get your UBC transcripts converted by WES. Since UBC doesnt use a 4.0 grading system, we need to get them converted for all schools.

3) AAMCOMAS will convert an A+ to an A (a 4.0)

4) So basically you fill out ONE primary app through AACOMAS. This will be all your volunteering, work experience, grades, MCAT. When you "submit" your AACOMAS app, you must select from a list the schools that you want your primary sent to. AFter this, schools that are interested in you will send you seconday apps which is usually a few essays and request you send them reference letters and a secondary app fee (ranges from $40-200). I recommend using Interfolio for reference letters

Hope that helps. Dont sweat about UBC, it is a hugely exaggerated school for medicine. Only UBC pre-meds have this notion that its the best school. The students that UBC med lets in could not be any less well rounded. The best words I heard were from a UBC med prof "BC is screwed in 10 years cuz our doctors wont be capable of talking to patients, for english or social reasons. I love teaching at UBC but the students are cookie cut, boring and fake"

 

[UBCvan]

Hope that helps. Dont sweat about UBC, it is a hugely exaggerated school for medicine. Only UBC pre-meds have this notion that its the best school. The students that UBC med lets in could not be any less well rounded. The best words I heard were from a UBC med prof "BC is screwed in 10 years cuz our doctors wont be capable of talking to patients, for english or social reasons. I love teaching at UBC but the students are cookie cut, boring and fake"

I should put this as my signature, that's how much I agree with this 👍

 

[bloodaxe]

I'm not Canadian but I am an international student studying in US. Can I join in? 🙂

 

[mashmetoo]

I'm not Canadian but I am an international student studying in US. Can I join in? 🙂

ahah, welcome, the more the merrier 🙂

 

[Muffles]

Canadian Transcripts and WES

I really think you should check with AACOMAS (try Aria Kemp). I thought I had to send my transcripts last year to a WES company and did so but then sent a couple of emails to ACCOMAS to verify. I think I pestered them a little too much because the final replay was a tad curt.

First email response:
We have a specific listing of evaluationservices that have been approved to be utilized for applicants. This listing isin the CIB as well as the application instructions. The service you have usedis not accepted by AACOMAS. However, after reviewing your application you donot need an evaluation because you attended a Canadian institution. As long asyour transcript is in English youare able to have them send us your official transcripts and we will process.

Second email response:
All you need to do is haveyour official transcripts sent to AACOMAS. As stated in the prior email,Canadian transcripts do not need to be evaluated as long as they are inEnglish. Thank you.

The last one is short and to the point! I had asked for clarification because my grades were on a GPA scale that were not a 4.0 scale. Wonderful I had chosen the one WES on the AACOMAS list that actually was not "official" - not sure if it is still there (AACRAO).

After that I cancelled the evaluation and just entered everything into AACOMAS and sent them my transcripts. I was accepted at 3 DO schools so it worked fine.

So after reading the various posts and seeing a bunch of different answers, just send AACOMAS an email with your specific situation and ask them if you need the whole WES thing.

My thoughts anyway because I wasted a chunk of change on that evaluation even though I cancelled it.

 

[drgioiadds]

Hello

This is the discussion thread for all the fellow Canadians applying to DO schools in the 2011-2012 cycle. You can discuss anything regarding DO schools: applications, LORs, GPAs, schools, MCATs, tuitions, etc.

We started the "DO for Canadians" series last year, which was very helpful for all the Canadians applying to DO in the states including myself. You can find it here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=739482

You can find A LOT OF great information about DO schools in that thread. I think it's time to have "DO for Canadians" threads every year. This not only helps all of us get accepted to med school, but also promotes Osteopathic Medicine in Canada.

We have great contributors here so if you have any questions, just ASK!!!

I think it's a good start to introduce ourselves to get the thread going. I start with myself.

I'm from Vancouver, and I applied to about 10 DO schools last year. I got 4 interviews at KCUMB, Western, TouroCOM-NY, AZCOM. I got rejected from KCUMB. I'm now waitlisted at the other 3. I'll be applying again next year if I don't make it to any of them this year.

I have a 3.8 GPA and a 26M MCAT, and tons of extracurricular activities. 🙂

Also GO CANUCKS GO!!!

I haven't been on here for a while, so this is late. I'm from Ontario. Went to UWO for undergrad (BSC and diploma in honours standing physiology) and Marquette University School of dentistry and graduated in 2002.

I applied pretty late this year, MCAT wasn't taken until January and scores released in March.

AACOMAS GPA 3.73, MCAT 25 M (7 p, 9v, 9b) Applied to 6 schools, 2 interviews and on two waitlists also.

 

[spoudaios]

Wow! Just got back from work. Lots of great info! Thanks guys!

To clarify:

1>. Okay, I will send UBC transcripts straight to AACOMAS. No need to send to WES. I checked my transcript and it has both percentages and letter grades. This should be fine I think?

2>. What about letter of reference for science? I have math instructor in college who taught me about 15 years ago. He still remembered me very well. Is math considered to be science?

3>. I don't think I have any non-science prof I know of. If math is part of non-science, then I would have to use my pharmacy prof to write one.

4>. Do you guys have any families living in the US (for those who got accepted)? I feel really weird with the potential of making a big move if I get accepted. Sell condo, sell cars, sell everything. ARGH!

 

[BDancerDoc]

Hi all,

Feel free to PM me as well, but I agree the previous thread "DO for Canadians" has a lot of good info. It's getting a little bit long, but use the search tool (underneath the page numbers). You'll find a lot of issues addressed and analyzed.

I went to Univ of Waterloo for Engineering. Graduated 4 yrs ago and have been working. 3.4 GPA, 30P MCAT and a lot of leadership & volunteering experiences. I applied really late last year, did most of my apps in Feb, and I think the biggest lesson I learned this year is to: APPLY EARLY. I had no idea how big of a difference this "rolling admissions" process is, as I am always the one running late. It won't make up for a bad score, but it'll give you more opportunities. After I submitted, I spoke to a school and they said they get their rush of completed apps (i.e. the secondaries) in Nov and since they don't interview in Dec, those people are selected for Jan/Feb. That means if you submit after Christmas, for some schools your file is going to be at the bottom of the pile. I was lucky, Midwestern was kind to me and I got into AZCOM and waitlisted at CCOM.

Good luck!!! 🙂

P.S. No WES submission for me, Waterloo converts to 4.0 scale on the back of the official transcript paper. Also, like Muffles quoted, AACOMAS indicates that if it's an English transcript from Canada, they'll accept it. And once AACOMAS accepts it, that's what the other schools look at (the primary app) and don't care about anything else. I called specific schools about certain small requirements (maybe English / writing) and at first they were hesitant, but when I mentioned that AACOMAS cleared it, they indicated I had nothing to worry about.

 

[BDancerDoc]

thumbz, where did you get your strategy from? That same MCAT prep book? I took Kaplan and they taught us something similar but more on composing arguments. I was told that the minor spelling wouldn't affect us and using too big words may seem too fake. So I tried to be modest... but I guess I should have gone all out!

I agree, the formula works well because they're looking for your "reasoning" skills (argue, defend, conclude) so no matter what topic, you should be able to get a decent score following a formula. I was told to use a lot of transition words; it helps transition through the arguments/paragraphs. (see, I'm learning to use the semi colon, but a lil' too late for the MCAT 😛)

I believe the essays are read by 1 human for 30 sec, and 1 computer. If their scores differ by more than 1 point, a second human reads it. (i think both kaplan and AAMC said that)

It's 1:30 am and I'm not tired so I'll type this out. I've been meaning to since I got my T but never got around to it.

I forget where I read this (I believe it was an MCAT prep book), but basically it said each essay you write will be read through once by a marker for a duration of approximately 30 seconds. So, there's a simple formula to get a good grade. Or maybe it was 2 markers? Either way the 30 second part is the important bit

I googled "Position paper topics" and grabbed this one from a list that I found. No, this was not my MCAT topic; that would be naughty of me to share.

Topic 13. Should animals be used for research?

First thing you need to realize is you are writing a position paper. This means 5 paragraphs. Paragraph one is your introduction. Start with a broad statement such as "Since the beginning of scientific research animals have been used as subjects for experimental manipulation". Then, have 1 sentence for each body paragraph (3 sentences total). You paragraphs are going to be, 2 supporting your position (in my case why animal research is good - what has it accomplished? Think about things like Hepatitis research in primates and the like) and 1 refuting your position (I know this doesn't make sense but hear me out). The last sentence of the intro is your topic sentence, such as "It is in my opinion that through careful and considerate animal research standards the scientific benefits for mankind far outweigh the potential risks".

Format: Intro, support, support, refute, conclusion

In the paragraph refuting your position what you do is say something like "Criticism has been levied against animal research due to the inhumane treatment of the test subjects". Then you mention why this is valid but you end your paragraph with "Although this is an issue facing live animal research, it can be remedied by utilizing strict and repsonsible guidelines for the proper treatment of the animals under study". Now what you've done is addressed the criticism against your point of view and suggested a good solution.

Lastly, throw down a conclusion. Your first sentence is your topic sentence restated, then just summarize what you wrote above (one sentence for each statement) and end with an open ended sentence suggesting a bright future outlook. "Through the actions of responsible scientists animal research will continue to have tremendous benefits for the advancement of science".

Alright, so that is the essay you want to write. Now we are going to address the details.
1. DO NOT make spelling mistakes. This is a really easy way for a marker to dock you points. If you don't know how to spell a word, just use another. Ideally, just make sure you have a solid spelling foundation.
2. DO NOT use contractions. No don't, can't, won't, etc. These do no belong in professional papers.
3. Make sure you have a good vocab. You'll notice above I use a lot of unnecessary complex words where simpler ones would do such as utilize, tremendous, considerate, etc. This will add points - they want to see a broad vocab range. What you can do is after you write your paper go back through and add some buzz words. "Eliminating animal research would be a very bad mistake and would greatly reduce scientific advancement" becomes "Eliminating animal research would be an egregious error, greatly reducing scientific advancement." Or something along those lines. As long as it flows nicely, then your marker will be impressed.
4. Punctuation. DO NOT overuse commas. Avoid comma splices. Incorporate all lengths of sentences. Every now and again a 5 word sentence is a good thing. It lends a forceful tone to your paper. "Animal research is beneficial." Period. You don't need to include a reason in that sentence. Your paper gives the reasons. There you are making a forceful, direct statement.
5. The semi colon. This dude gets his own number. I have no doubt this separated me from the R/S group. From what I've seen, 98% of people have no idea how to use one. Premeds included. Learn how to use it, and incorporate it. "Animal research is an important tool in science. Through animal research we are able to glean new treatment options in humans for many infectious diseases" becomes "Animal research is important in humans; it allows us to glean...". Tell me that doesn't flow more smoothly. "Animal research is important for science because it allows scientists to determine the effectiveness of new treatments" becomes "Animal research is important for science; it allows scientists to determine..."
6. Back up your ideas with examples from the real world. For every topic you can think of something, even if you are fuzzy on the details (For my MCAT I had a topic I had NO idea about but I vaguely remember something from a conversation with my mom. So I used it. Realize your marker probably does not know and as long as it sounds probable they wont question it). I remember in one of my imin courses my prof talked about testing a new HepB treatment on monkeys. So I would say "Using primates, pharmaceutical companies are able to test new treatment options of Hep drugs without endangering the lives of humans. As a direct result of this research, countless lives are saved every year"

7. MOST IMPORTANT. If you listen to nothing else I say, listen to this. Make sure you edit your paper. Make sure you have 5 minutes at the end to edit. Seriously. You will find somewhere where you typed teh instead of the. Forgot a capital letter. Just simple little things.

For now I think that's it. If I think of more, I'll add it. As a disclaimer, this worked for me. I had a B+ in English and am not a strong writer. Yet I got a T writing on essay topics I had no idea about. So it is possible. I can't promise you this will work, but I gave the same advice to one of my friends and he managed to get an R (or so he says, I haven't personally verified this).

If you have any questions at all, please just ask me. I can totally understand not wanting to clutter this thread with them, so fire me a PM and I'll get back to you. If it's something I should have addressed, I'll add it to this post after for future readers.

 

[twinklystar]

Hello every1! 😀

I just checked the replies in the last thread - thanks for the awesome helpful replies and tips in the last thread!

since i'm never out of questions i had one more q for every1 here:

there's this new scheme at our uni of pass/fail courses. you get credit, you need above 50% to pass, and u just get the F/P on ur transcript.

and there's another one of "extra courses", for which the grades wud be included in transcript, but not included in overall gpa, but they're for no credit though, i think. I still have to get some info on this scheme.

now, i wanted to take orgo 2, but i dont want it to be included in my gpa. or well, i guess i'm just afraid a 70 or something in it will lower my gpa even more. i do intend to work crazy hard on it, so i guess an 80 is in sight, at the very least. but still.... now, i know it'd be best to actually contact the schools directly, to ask what each of them requires, but do you think just taking the "extra" course thing, or the "pass/fail" should matter to these schools?

I know they would want to know wht my grade was, not just pass. so I guess that rules out the pass/fail. How about the "extra" though? if it is in my transcript, means I took the course, so really it shouldn't matter to them if my university included it in my credits or not, and besides, I graduated, so really credits don't even matter for my record now. Do you think it's a wise idea to take a couple of "extra" courses, that don't really go towards your undergrad/overall gpa? would the schools look at this negatively?

 

[twinklystar]

hello every🙁

when and IF i get into med school, i'm gonna make it my career goal to get into admissions committee somehow over the years, and have some changes made!!! 😡specially in terms of rreference requirements 😡🙁 i'm like, on the verge of falling on every1's feet and begging for ref. 🙁 lol. 😳

nywayz, sorry, just had to get that out of my system.😳

 

[UBCvan]

hello every🙁

when and IF i get into med school, i'm gonna make it my career goal to get into admissions committee somehow over the years, and have some changes made!!! 😡specially in terms of rreference requirements 😡🙁 i'm like, on the verge of falling on every1's feet and begging for ref. 🙁 lol. 😳

nywayz, sorry, just had to get that out of my system.😳

no one's giving you any? not cool 👎

 

[thumbz]

I agree twink, the ref requirement is crap. I was denied an interview at DMU based on not having a second science prof letter. Here's their reasoning. I working a lab for 500+ hours with a full professor and she wrote me a reference letter. However, this didn't count as a science LOR as she did not personally teach me a class. However, the ref letter I got from my bio prof, in a class with 450 students, counted. Even though that prof never even saw my face prior to me going to her office. It's a broken system. But, I wanted AZCOM over DMU anyways =P

BDancer, I actually got all of that from myself. Before my MCAT I decided no book would teach me how to write so I didn't buy a WS review book or bother reading one. I decided that is how I would do it based on some SDN posts and see how it would turn out. I was shocked when I got my T. Again, no way to verify this, but I did not write a single practice essay either. On the AAMC exams I took, I read the topics, in my head decided what I would write, and said "That's good enough, I don't have time to type out 2 essays".

 

[twinklystar]

no one's giving you any? not cool 👎

well i did manage to get two science. just not what you'd call a "strong ref". but hey, better than nothing. i think, TRULY, my luck SUCKS this year in case of these apps: my first year chem prof in whose class i got one of my highest grades in, retired just last year! 🙁 another first year bio one, same thing!🙁 physics, in whose office hours i went liek EVERY OTHER WEEK, is not teaching anymore!same with another physics one. and these are like courses i got my highest grades in! 😱

i'm starting to really doubt my luck.

oh, and , i read some suggestions here, and approached those remaining profs with: i could come by your office, to discuss this in further detail, if you prefer. And then you could decide whether you could provide me with a letter.

and NONE of the ones who replied, even the ones who agreed, would say: yes, come, let's talk. apparantly, that doesn't work at uoft..? :S some just said no. and two said they could only provide couple of lines, stating i was in their class, etc. but hey, with my current situation, i'm happy even with that! lol.

m hopefully going to take a couple of summer courses, including an orgo. will make sure i secure some strong references by the end of summer! =)

 

[twinklystar]

I agree twink, the ref requirement is crap. I was denied an interview at DMU based on not having a second science prof letter. Here's their reasoning. I working a lab for 500+ hours with a full professor and she wrote me a reference letter. However, this didn't count as a science LOR as she did not personally teach me a class. However, the ref letter I got from my bio prof, in a class with 450 students, counted. Even though that prof never even saw my face prior to me going to her office. It's a broken system. But, I wanted AZCOM over DMU anyways =P

BDancer, I actually got all of that from myself. Before my MCAT I decided no book would teach me how to write so I didn't buy a WS review book or bother reading one. I decided that is how I would do it based on some SDN posts and see how it would turn out. I was shocked when I got my T. Again, no way to verify this, but I did not write a single practice essay either. On the AAMC exams I took, I read the topics, in my head decided what I would write, and said "That's good enough, I don't have time to type out 2 essays".

thumbz, what did your bio prof write in the letter, as in, just the usual "student in my class, got this grade" kinda couple of lines? or did u end up talking and getting to know her before getting her to write the letter? because my science profs wudnt even give me the office hours and, since i'm having them send the letter to interfolio, don't think they're gonna see my face in future either! gosh, my situation is pathetic. lol. it'll be truly a miracle if i end up with some acceptance. 😳

btw, about the MCAT essay, hey i did the same thing! 😀 i didn't write any practice essay either; just went in there, and wrote my first ever AAMC essay on the actual test. lol. that section turned out well for me though, unlike VR.😳

 

[thumbz]

thumbz, what did your bio prof write in the letter, as in, just the usual "student in my class, got this grade" kinda couple of lines? or did u end up talking and getting to know her before getting her to write the letter? because my science profs wudnt even give me the office hours and, since i'm having them send the letter to interfolio, don't think they're gonna see my face in future either! gosh, my situation is pathetic. lol. it'll be truly a miracle if i end up with some acceptance. 😳

btw, about the MCAT essay, hey i did the same thing! 😀 i didn't write any practice essay either; just went in there, and wrote my first ever AAMC essay on the actual test. lol. that section turned out well for me though, unlike VR.😳

Haha well good to hear the WS went well for you. As for my letter, I'm most certain it was a "This student was LIKELY in my class at some point. The APPEAR to have gotten an A. Assuming I have their name right. I do believe the student was a male, judging by their name, and had many masculine qualities I'm sure. It is my belief this student will make an average doctor one day, assuming they graduate medical school with good grades and have a pulse while treating patients. In closing, I hope this grant proposal, I mean reference letter, benefits Johnny Apple (wrong name in the letter here the prof forgot to change) in his or her admissions adventure to your professional and or graduate school".

Ugh, school made me cynical =P

 

[twinklystar]

Haha well good to hear the WS went well for you. As for my letter, I'm most certain it was a "This student was LIKELY in my class at some point. The APPEAR to have gotten an A. Assuming I have their name right. I do believe the student was a male, judging by their name, and had many masculine qualities I'm sure. It is my belief this student will make an average doctor one day, assuming they graduate medical school with good grades and have a pulse while treating patients. In closing, I hope this grant proposal, I mean reference letter, benefits Johnny Apple (wrong name in the letter here the prof forgot to change) in his or her admissions adventure to your professional and or graduate school".

Ugh, school made me cynical =P

😆🤣 ur post just made my day!! ROFL!

this classic letter shud result in automatic acceptance, i swear!

 

[Golaso]

Hi All

I was wondering if anyone can comment about my chances in getting into any of the DO's school that accept Canadians:

here is my case:

I started my Undergrad studies at Windsor University for about 2 years and ended up with 10/13 GPA then moved to Wayne State University and achieved a higher GPA of 3.71.

I just finished putting my grade in the aacomas website and this is what I got:

Windsor University: non science: 3.57
Science: 3.18
Cumulative: 3.34
Wayne State: non science: 3.85
Science: 3.60
Cumulative: 3.71
Total GPA: (from the two universities):
non Science: 3.78
Science:3.49
Cumulative:3.62

I know i messed up when I was at Windsor University basically their system didn't fit me and I guess I made the right choice in going Wayne (tuition is double compare to U of Windsor)

let me also mention that I finished two degrees and a minor (with 5 years) and done a lot of research experience, extracurricular activities and volunteering.

Regarding my MCAT score, I'm writing it for the first time this summer. what I will be doing Fall 2011 is I will be doing more volunteer work and maybe take 1 or 2 classes that will count toward my master degree.
if anyone has any suggestion to boost my chances feel free to post them.

So all I'm asking is, if anyone has any idea on where I'm standing and what should my MCAT score be.

(Note:I'm only interested in DO's schools)

Thanks

Golaso

 

[thumbz]

Golaso: your GPA is fine assuming you apply early (get those LOR's and secondaries in before August/Sept preferably). Your GPA is above avg for all DO schools, but being Canadians we are held to a higher standard. Get a 30+ on the MCAT and you're in if you apply early. Get a 27-30 and you should still get accepted somewhere. =)

 

[astr1x]

Canadian Transcripts and WES

I really think you should check with AACOMAS (try Aria Kemp). I thought I had to send my transcripts last year to a WES company and did so but then sent a couple of emails to ACCOMAS to verify. I think I pestered them a little too much because the final replay was a tad curt.

First email response:
We have a specific listing of evaluationservices that have been approved to be utilized for applicants. This listing isin the CIB as well as the application instructions. The service you have usedis not accepted by AACOMAS. However, after reviewing your application you donot need an evaluation because you attended a Canadian institution. As long asyour transcript is in English youare able to have them send us your official transcripts and we will process.

Second email response:
All you need to do is haveyour official transcripts sent to AACOMAS. As stated in the prior email,Canadian transcripts do not need to be evaluated as long as they are inEnglish. Thank you.

The last one is short and to the point! I had asked for clarification because my grades were on a GPA scale that were not a 4.0 scale. Wonderful I had chosen the one WES on the AACOMAS list that actually was not "official" - not sure if it is still there (AACRAO).

After that I cancelled the evaluation and just entered everything into AACOMAS and sent them my transcripts. I was accepted at 3 DO schools so it worked fine.

So after reading the various posts and seeing a bunch of different answers, just send AACOMAS an email with your specific situation and ask them if you need the whole WES thing.

My thoughts anyway because I wasted a chunk of change on that evaluation even though I cancelled it.

Hey Muffles, what school did u go to? I sent them an email last night and got:

Please consult page 11 of the application instructions for information about Canadian transcripts. The answers you seek will be found there. Have a great day.

Thank you.

The instructions say that Canadian transcripts need to have (for no evaluation required):
- grade conversion to 4.0
- credit conversion to semester
- in English

it seems like some people without grade conversion to 4.0 didn't need WES...
did anybody get an answer THIS YEAR from them similar to Muffles' in that it only needs to be English??

Would save so much time/money if we don't need them evaluated...

This transcript thing is a nightmare 😡😡

 

[twinklystar]

NSU-COM needs one LOR from liberal arts professor. Which courses could be classified under this?

 

[Golaso]

Hey Muffles, what school did u go to? I sent them an email last night and got:

Please consult page 11 of the application instructions for information about Canadian transcripts. The answers you seek will be found there. Have a great day.

Thank you.

The instructions say that Canadian transcripts need to have (for no evaluation required):
- grade conversion to 4.0
- credit conversion to semester
- in English

it seems like some people without grade conversion to 4.0 didn't need WES...
did anybody get an answer THIS YEAR from them similar to Muffles' in that it only needs to be English??

Would save so much time/money if we don't need them evaluated...

This transcript thing is a nightmare 😡😡

I asked them yesterday
"my overall GPA was out of 13. I don't know if the letter grades i recieved are equivalent to the US grading scale. If they're not how would I can make my grades equivalent to th US grading scale?"

Please consult plage 11 of the application instructions regarding Canadian transcripts. You may access it by clicking here.
Have a great day.

lol

 

[drgioiadds]

I asked them yesterday
"my overall GPA was out of 13. I don't know if the letter grades i recieved are equivalent to the US grading scale. If they're not how would I can make my grades equivalent to th US grading scale?"

Please consult plage 11 of the application instructions regarding Canadian transcripts. You may access it by clicking here.
Have a great day.

lol

Last year I received a similar comment, so I just paid WES so there would be no problems. I went to UWO for undergrad.

 

[Golaso]

NSU-COM needs one LOR from liberal arts professor. Which courses could be classified under this?

hi twinklystar,

I think that would be any non-science class you took in your UG studies

 

[Muffles]

That's weird. I had courses from all over the place. Really old ones from U of T when it had a 4.3 GPA scale, McMaster MBA courses on a 9 pt scale and York U on a 9 pt scale. I really think if your transcripts are in English and you have a letter and/or % grade on them, just enter it into AACOMAS and they will verify. I got a partial report (up until I cancelled) from the company that I asked to do my evaluation and everything remained the same.

Did you send a general email or one specifically to Aria Kemp? As I said, I kept pushing her on the non-4 pt scale issue and she got a bit short with me that it wans't an issue - only french transcripts were the issue for Canadians.

 

[thegame11]

NSU-COM needs one LOR from liberal arts professor. Which courses could be classified under this?

Non science courses. You can always email them to be sure.


(I used a biological anthropology professor for this. I told them "an anthropology professor" and they accepted it...)

 

[medapp88]

+1.

Even if you your university does not state letter grade on the actual transcript, there is usually a conversion chart to letter grade on the back of the transcript. As long as somewhere on trancript it says that 13 is A+ and 12 is A or along that line- you really don't need to spend money on evaluation.

That's weird. I had courses from all over the place. Really old ones from U of T when it had a 4.3 GPA scale, McMaster MBA courses on a 9 pt scale and York U on a 9 pt scale. I really think if your transcripts are in English and you have a letter and/or % grade on them, just enter it into AACOMAS and they will verify. I got a partial report (up until I cancelled) from the company that I asked to do my evaluation and everything remained the same.

Did you send a general email or one specifically to Aria Kemp? As I said, I kept pushing her on the non-4 pt scale issue and she got a bit short with me that it wans't an issue - only french transcripts were the issue for Canadians.

 

[drctother]

hey guys, I thought this would be useful if you are wondering about how to come back to Canada to practice OR do a residency program.....

1) College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
The CFPC is responsible for accrediting family medicine residencies in Canada, and certifying graduates of Canadian family medicine residency programs through an examination process. American-trained D.O.'s have completed family medicine residencies in Canada and achieved CFPC certification (CCFP). At the moment, graduates of American osteopathic medical schools are eligible to apply for family medicine residency programs in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. Graduates of ACGME accredited family medicine residency programs may also challenge the examinations of the CFPC.

2) Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)
The Royal College has the same role for all other specialists that the CFPC has for family physicians. In 2005 the Royal College granted recognition to the American osteopathic medical degree. At the moment, American trained D.O.'s are eligible to apply for specialty medical residency programs in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The Royal College does not have a role in accrediting non-Canadian residency programs. Whether a specialist applicant requires Royal College certification for practice or other foreign accreditation (eg ACGME or AOA) would be acceptable for registration is a provincial matter as well as the local hospital regulations

SPECIFIC PROVINCES:

British Columbia:
There are two pathways for D.O. registration in British Columbia. The first recognizes the COMLEX examinations and two years of AOA certified post-graduate training. The D.O. has a limited license, and is restricted to a practice of musculoskeletal medicine. This pathway is primarily intended for the D.O. that wishes to establish an OMT focused practice. The second pathway requires completion of the MCC, COMLEX, USMLE, FLEX, or NBME examinations and two years of a ACGME residency program. The D.O. will then receive an unrestricted license.

Alberta:
The D.O. candidate is required to complete the MCC, COMLEX, or USMLE examinations. AOA certified residencies are recognized.

Saskatchewan:
A board exists separate from the provincial College for the registration of D.O.'s, although it has not been active for many years. D.O.'s are registered by the board to practice "osteopathy", although that is not clearly defined.

Manitoba:
As of 2002, American-trained D.O.'s are eligible for registration in Manitoba.

Ontario:
Since 2003, the College of Physicians and Surgeons have recognized the American DO degree as equivalent to that of an American MD. Additionally, the COMLEX examinations are recognized if performed after 2004 when the PE component was introduced with part II. The same criteria apply to the USMLE. ACGME accredited residencies are recognized although AOA accredited residencies are not. Additionally, there is a "Practice Assessment" pathway for applicants with at least five years of clinical practice experience.


Hope this helps, sorry if I didnt include your province.

Source: http://www.osteopathic.ca/documents.htm "osteopathic practice in Canada"

Also, for those who dont know.

ACGME residency = US MD residency, DOs often do US ACGME residency programs
AOA = US DO residency, MD cannot do this type of residency

To get into American ACGME residency, you most likely need to write the USMLE
To get into American AOA residency, you must write the COMLEX

 

[mashmetoo]

Hey, that COA document is extremely out of date, so don't take everything it says to be accurate! The rules recently changed such that all USMDs and USDOs have to write the MCCQEs, (if you are a DO, you have to write the MCCEE as well), in order to practice in Canada with a full license. I know I know, this blows. So as a Canadian, you'd have to write the COMLEX, USMLEs and the MCCs (to be "complete"!!)

 

[spoudaios]

I think it would be nice to get one of us to write the pathway from a Canadian student to becoming a DO. Including what to do during each year of med school. For example, COMLEX I must be taken during Year 2 of med school.

On another matter, what's your guys' thoughts on reference letter: I know an MD for 6 years and I will be a shadowing a DO in Victoria, BC whom I barely knew. Our first meeting would likely be the only one and I have to request if he would be willing to write me one.

Lastly, I am not too familiar at all with the US geography. I am an immigrant in Canada and it seems that if I ever get accepted to DO schools, then I would have to yet move again. I did my basic research of some of the schools I am planning to apply to and I'd like some comments.

1>. Western U --> like this one, warmer climate, expensive
2>. Kirskville (ATSU) --> any difference between Missouri and Arizona campus? Arizona seems to be super warm due to deserts. How warm is Arizona?
3>. ACOM at Midwestern U --> expensive, warmer climate
4>. CCOM at Midwestern U --> expensive, cold climate (probably not applying). Do they get a lot of snow in Chicago?
5>. NSU or NOVA --> can't apply. I don't think I have any liberal arts professor that knew me that can write a letter. My undergrad education was about 15 years ago.
6>. PCOM --> seems like lots of snow. Does Pennsylvania get lots of snow?
7>. Touro --> will only apply to California. I like the quieter, suburban setting for school.
8>. Unecom --> seems like tons of snow and expensive.
9>. VCOM --> a bit cheaper than others. How is the weather in Virginia? They need lots of letters though.
10>. LECOM --> only the Lake Erie
11>. Michigan State --> how cold is Michigan? snow?

 

[thegame11]

I think it would be nice to get one of us to write the pathway from a Canadian student to becoming a DO. Including what to do during each year of med school. For example, COMLEX I must be taken during Year 2 of med school.

On another matter, what's your guys' thoughts on reference letter: I know an MD for 6 years and I will be a shadowing a DO in Victoria, BC whom I barely knew. Our first meeting would likely be the only one and I have to request if he would be willing to write me one.

I think the MD letter would be better than the DO since you have know the doctor for a while. Get letters from both and selectively send the DO letter to schools that only accept the DO letter.

Lastly, I am not too familiar at all with the US geography. I am an immigrant in Canada and it seems that if I ever get accepted to DO schools, then I would have to yet move again. I did my basic research of some of the schools I am planning to apply to and I'd like some comments.

1>. Western U --> like this one, warmer climate, expensive very diverse state, like major metropolitan Canadian cities
2>. Kirskville (ATSU) --> any difference between Missouri and Arizona campus? Arizona seems to be super warm due to deserts. How warm is Arizona? KCOM is in a small city
3>. ACOM at Midwestern U --> expensive, warmer climate
4>. CCOM at Midwestern U --> expensive, cold climate (probably not applying). Do they get a lot of snow in Chicago?
5>. NSU or NOVA --> can't apply. I don't think I have any liberal arts professor that knew me that can write a letter. My undergrad education was about 15 years ago. They do accept Canadians. Liberal Arts= Non-science. Try to find one if possible
6>. PCOM --> seems like lots of snow. Does Pennsylvania get lots of snow? They strongly favour applicants from Pennsylvania
7>. Touro --> will only apply to California. I like the quieter, suburban setting for school.
8>. Unecom --> seems like tons of snow and expensive.
9>. VCOM --> a bit cheaper than others. How is the weather in Virginia? They need lots of letters though. Do they even accept Canadians?
10>. LECOM --> only the Lake Erie Lake Erie is not very friendly to Canadians. They just want your money.
11>. Michigan State --> how cold is Michigan? snow?

Very expensive... Tution ~ $50,000

You may also want to consider Touro-NY, DMU

Also, I wouldn't worry about the weather for now. Once you have acceptances/interviews in hand than you can pick and choose

 

[mashmetoo]

I think it would be nice to get one of us to write the pathway from a Canadian student to becoming a DO. Including what to do during each year of med school. For example, COMLEX I must be taken during Year 2 of med school.

On another matter, what's your guys' thoughts on reference letter: I know an MD for 6 years and I will be a shadowing a DO in Victoria, BC whom I barely knew. Our first meeting would likely be the only one and I have to request if he would be willing to write me one.

Lastly, I am not too familiar at all with the US geography. I am an immigrant in Canada and it seems that if I ever get accepted to DO schools, then I would have to yet move again. I did my basic research of some of the schools I am planning to apply to and I'd like some comments.

1>. Western U --> like this one, warmer climate, expensive
2>. Kirskville (ATSU) --> any difference between Missouri and Arizona campus? Arizona seems to be super warm due to deserts. How warm is Arizona?
3>. ACOM at Midwestern U --> expensive, warmer climate
4>. CCOM at Midwestern U --> expensive, cold climate (probably not applying). Do they get a lot of snow in Chicago?
5>. NSU or NOVA --> can't apply. I don't think I have any liberal arts professor that knew me that can write a letter. My undergrad education was about 15 years ago.
6>. PCOM --> seems like lots of snow. Does Pennsylvania get lots of snow?
7>. Touro --> will only apply to California. I like the quieter, suburban setting for school.
8>. Unecom --> seems like tons of snow and expensive.
9>. VCOM --> a bit cheaper than others. How is the weather in Virginia? They need lots of letters though.
10>. LECOM --> only the Lake Erie
11>. Michigan State --> how cold is Michigan? snow?

I'd avoid PCOM, LECOM entirely. Not very Canadian friendly, they just take your application money and then make you wait 5-6 months, then say no. With KCOM, I don't think it's that International/Canadian friendly either.

 

[Kliffmeister]

Hey guys, I thought i'd introduce myself here.
I'm from Toronto and applying early this year. I was rejected last yr at MD schools and was too depressed to even want to apply to DO school.
My mcat is 10PS 10BS 6VR and Q. I am planning to rewrite mcat in Aug due to my low VR score. My gpa is 3.34 with a downward trend 🙁 I a near 4.0 student in the beginning but life kinda slapped me in the face during my last year.
However, I am applying early so I will be using my old mcat scores...do you think schools will consider me for early admission but still reconsider me after my improved mcat scores?
I'm also having hard time finding a DO physician to shadow.
Any response and help will be appreciated.
Thx!

 

[drgioiadds]

I'd avoid PCOM, LECOM entirely. Not very Canadian friendly, they just take your application money and then make you wait 5-6 months, then say no. With KCOM, I don't think it's that International/Canadian friendly either.

I don't understand LECOM - they rushed to give me a secondary and my app has been under review ever since! It still shows under review, even though I'm sure the app cycle is complete.

I liked the ISP 3 year PCP - because I already have a DDS and this would expedite the process into a primary care residency.

However, I really liked Touro NY and AZCOM and will go to either of them if I get in of the waitlist. If not, I'm working and reapplying.