DO or not?

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AndyB

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Only apply to a school you would matriculate to.

With a first round MCAT of 30, there must have been some glaring error in your app to not get a single interview. Have you contacted the schools you applied to in order to find out what the problem was? If you have fixed that problem, then you are good to go. If a DO school is in a place you like and has a program you would like, then by all means apply.

Good luck.

dsoz
 
I submitted by primary application in June but did not submit my secondaries until late August - mid September. The adviser at my post-bacc program believes that my applying late accounted for the lack of interviews.

I received feedback from a member of one admissions committee, who recommended I retake the MCAT to improve the scores of my science subsections. It certainly didn't help that I was in the bottom of the range for both MCAT and GPA for most schools I applied to. In other words, despite having a 30, I was naive and did not apply broadly enough.

With that said, yeah, I was surprised at no interviews too.
 
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I applied this past cycle (2012-2013) to about 30 MD schools. No interviews, no acceptances.

I applied with a 3.4 cGPA and 3.3 postbacc GPA and 30 MCAT. My MCAT breakdown was:

PS: 8
BS: 10
VR: 12

Seeing the writing on the wall in late 2012, I improved my application in the following ways:

1. Took an additional course and brought my postbacc GPA to 3.42
2. Improved my MCAT to a 35 with the breakdown:

PS: 10
BS: 12
VR: 13

3. Completed an 80-hour Wilderness First Responder course
4. Completed 50+ hours volunteering on an ICU
5. Volunteered in a human performance lab for 2 months
6. Started doing community service guiding a handcyclist in races.
7. Continued working part-time as a personal trainer.

I'll be applying broadly to 25+ schools, but I'm wondering if you guys think applying to some DO schools is necessary? I'm not dying to go the DO route, but I would go if the school/location was right. I'd appreciate any advice.

Apply to 5 DO schools you like and then apply broadly to MDs. To be honest with a 3.3,3.4,30MCAT first time around, you should have applied to at least a few DOs.
 
With those numbers and ECs you'll get accepted to many DO schools, including mine. Your cGPA is barely acceptable to MD schools, although there are some out there that like people who reinvent themselves. IF you apply to your state schools (if any) and only the low-tier programs (NYMC, Rosy Franklin, Drexel and their ilk), you might have a shot, but you're still on the borderline.

So, I ask you...a bird in the hand is worth....?

I applied this past cycle (2012-2013) to about 30 MD schools. No interviews, no acceptances.

I applied with a 3.4 cGPA and 3.3 postbacc GPA and 30 MCAT. My MCAT breakdown was:

PS: 8
BS: 10
VR: 12

Seeing the writing on the wall in late 2012, I improved my application in the following ways:

1. Took an additional course and brought my postbacc GPA to 3.42
2. Improved my MCAT to a 35 with the breakdown:

PS: 10
BS: 12
VR: 13

3. Completed an 80-hour Wilderness First Responder course
4. Completed 50+ hours volunteering on an ICU
5. Volunteered in a human performance lab for 2 months
6. Started doing community service guiding a handcyclist in races.
7. Continued working part-time as a personal trainer.

I'll be applying broadly to 25+ schools, but I'm wondering if you guys think applying to some DO schools is necessary? I'm not dying to go the DO route, but I would go if the school/location was right. I'd appreciate any advice.
 
I'd apply to at least few do schools and a bunch of low tier md schools and state schools like one user suggested. I imagine a bad ugrad gpa followed a failed attempt at redeeming yourself through a Postbacc was the red flag to the adcom. It's hard to think you will be able to succeed a rigorous med school curriculum when you've failed to get your gpa over a 3.5 in two attempts.
 
I think 'bad' undergrad GPA is a bit harsh, especially going to a top 5 school. Also, the last thing on my mind during undergrad was getting absolutely killer grades. The post bacc was not an attempt to redeem myself (funny that you worded it that way) but to complete all my requirements, none of which I did as an undergrad. Couple A's, couple B's = 3.4.

'Thanks' for your brief summary of my chances at succeeding though. Tough crowd.
 
I wasn't trying to be mean. I assumed. Usually premeds do postbaccs to help a bad ugrad gpa. At my undergrad we had to complete all requirements before graduating as part of our degree not Postbacc. I didn't say you wouldn't get in and I wasn't trying to be harsh. I just think it's wise you apply to both do and md schools.
 
Your MCAT is stellar! Apply to all your state schools and a few low-tier back up schools. Please don't apply to all the top medical schools because it might be a disappointment and I would hate for you to waste another year. Look at the MSAR, apply to schools that you have a decent chance. I would apply to schools that consider your MCAT score heavily.
Your GPA is a bit low compared to many accepted medical students. This is the reason why you should apply to some low-tier schools. Apply to some top DO programs or state DO programs. You will definitely get accepted to the DO programs. A few DO schools emphasize heavily on your GPA so choose the DO schools wisely too.
Please don't be reluctant to go to a DO school just because your peers think MD is better. Premeds don't know jack about hospitals and how DO's are the same as MD's. Just the names are different but they essentially do the same. If you visit a hospital you will realize no one calls a doctor by MD or DO. If you're wearing a white coat with a MD or DO on it, you will be called a doctor. Patients don't even know that they have a DO doctor unless they specifically check the last two letters after the name of the doctor.
 
The MCAT is great, but being a re-applicant means you shouldn't pass on Osteopathic schools as backup.
 
Your MCAT is stellar! Apply to all your state schools and a few low-tier back up schools. Please don't apply to all the top medical schools because it might be a disappointment and I would hate for you to waste another year. Look at the MSAR, apply to schools that you have a decent chance. I would apply to schools that consider your MCAT score heavily.
Your GPA is a bit low compared to many accepted medical students. This is the reason why you should apply to some low-tier schools. Apply to some top DO programs or state DO programs. You will definitely get accepted to the DO programs. A few DO schools emphasize heavily on your GPA so choose the DO schools wisely too.
Please don't be reluctant to go to a DO school just because your peers think MD is better. Premeds don't know jack about hospitals and how DO's are the same as MD's. Just the names are different but they essentially do the same. If you visit a hospital you will realize no one calls a doctor by MD or DO. If you're wearing a white coat with a MD or DO on it, you will be called a doctor. Patients don't even know that they have a DO doctor unless they specifically check the last two letters after the name of the doctor.

This is very true. Working with 40-50+ different emergency physicians who are MD's and DO's, there was no difference. Its the speciality that really matters, and the doctors themselves.
 
I submitted by primary application in June but did not submit my secondaries until late August - mid September. The adviser at my post-bacc program believes that my applying late accounted for the lack of interviews.

I received feedback from a member of one admissions committee, who recommended I retake the MCAT to improve the scores of my science subsections. It certainly didn't help that I was in the bottom of the range for both MCAT and GPA for most schools I applied to. In other words, despite having a 30, I was naive and did not apply broadly enough.

With that said, yeah, I was surprised at no interviews too.

30 schools is not broad enough?

Anyways, definitely apply to the DO schools that you will definitely go to. AACOMAs is practically the same application as AMCAs, so it will mostly be copy and paste. Heck, even just applying to 1 or 2 DO schools is worth it since I doubt you'll be willing to do it all a 3rd time just for the silly title of M.D. over D.O. behind your name.

But if it matters that much, then look into applying to good SMP programs such as Georgetown or Drexel, along with your MD apps.
 
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