MD & DO do i have a chance

[soccerfeet]

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- B.S. Bio, chem minor
- 3.5 GPA, 3.3 Science GPA
- Have not officially taken MCAT, but based on practice tests it looks like I'll get around a 27
- 1 year D1 soccer, 3 years D1 cross country and track
- 2 years weekly volunteering at children's hospital (peds oncology & NICU)
- 1 year full time employment in lab, translational science, primate center, abstract at national conference, publication in the process
- Traveled to 20 countries throughout Europe and Asia
- Shadowed podiatrist (10 different occasions), MD (GI Dr, ortho, 1 week (40hrs) at level 1 trauma center including ICU, interventional radiology, cath lab, ER, surgery), in the process of setting up DO shadowing

Do I have chances of getting into MD/DO? If so, which ones? Anything I should do to add to my resume?

 

[Uafl112]

you have ashot at DO. For Md, you're gonna have to raise your cgpa and sgpa to 3.6 and 3.5 respectively as well as get at least a 30 on your mcat

 

[zzxxzz]

With a 3.5 and a 27 you're looking at DO schools. You'll need a 31-32 at least for a decent chance at MD with your GPA. Anything below a 26 you'll have to retake (or podiatry school if you're still interested).

Wouldn't mention shadowing a podiatrist on applications.

 

[Goro]

100% agree

you have ashot at DO. For Md, you're gonna have to raise your cgpa and sgpa to 3.6 and 3.5 respectively as well as get at least a 30 on your mcat

 

[soccerfeet]

Thanks for the input, didn't think about leaving off podiatrist on app. The reason I have a ton of podiatry shadowing is my dad is a podiatrist so I grew up following him around work and the OR. What's the reasoning behind leaving off podiatry... will they just wonder why I am not going to DPM school?

 

[zzxxzz]

Thanks for the input, didn't think about leaving off podiatrist on app. The reason I have a ton of podiatry shadowing is my dad is a podiatrist so I grew up following him around work and the OR. What's the reasoning behind leaving off podiatry... will they just wonder why I am not going to DPM school?

Because podiatrists aren't MDs. The purpose of shadowing isn't to get an insider look into clinical work, it's to observe physicians working their craft.

And yes. Medical schools want people who want to be MDs, not just practice medicine. You'll have to explain why you want to be a physician instead of a podiatrist, and what changed your mind; this may be more difficult than you anticipate.

 

[soccerfeet]

thanks for your thoughts. I will definitely consider this when applying.

As far as podiatry goes... if you get a rear foot and ankle residency you are pretty much an orthopedic surgeon that focuses on the foot. Ya you have a DPM after your name and not an MD, but who cares. My dad does the exact same procedures that his MD ortho partner in his group does. I think it is very sad that some MDs continue to look on down on other doctors, such as DOs and DPMs. Thankfully DOs are getting to a more leveled playing field and I can only hope that DPMs are more respected in the future too. The reasoning for not applying to pod school anymore has to not wanting to pick a specialty so early and the possibility that I would want to focus on a different part of the body.

Also, podiatrists are physicians (and surgeons)... and aren't MDs supposed to be practicing medicine? I definitely am not going into it to become a medical administrator.