Do osteopathic schools know if you were accepted but declined?

[patel2]

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let's say you theoretically have a rough app cycle (i.e. you applied late or had a bad mcat but since retook and scored much higher) and you get into a lower-tier DO school that you have no desire whatsoever to attend (we all know on here that DO school quality varies ALOT in regards to things like clinical rotations, administrations, match lists and reputation, and probably more than MD schools vary from one another).

Is it true if that student reapplies the following year and declines his current acceptance, he is generally blacklisted from the DO world? I remember someone on here who did this and was accepted on reapp, but the general wisdom on these boards seems to be that no school would take you in that situation

I guess my question is, how would they know? I don't remember AACOMAS asking anywhere if you had previosuly been accepted to a school, rather only if you had previously matriculated, so how would the schools know in the first place you got in somewhere unless you brought it up?

 

[fiznat]

I really don't think the other schools would have any way of knowing. Obviously don't reapply to the same school you turned down, but as far as the other schools I think you'll be perfectly fine. Even in the extremely rare circumstance that it comes up (it wont!), just say you had to put off your med school plans for a family/scheduling issue or something like that.

 

[sylvanthus]

What I want to know is, why is a person applying to a school they clearly don't even want to attend?

 

[DrElliotReid]

You will be fine to reapply, obviously just don't apply again to the school you were accepted to. People on SDN make a big deal about turning down an acceptance, which is understandable but you have to keep in mind that if they flame you for it, it's probably because you didn't give enough back story. I applied both MD and DO my first ever cycle and was only accepted to 1 school, which I knew AFTER interviewing I did not want to attend, so I withdrew that acceptance. I posted my story on another thread a while ago, and will be happy to re-post it here if anyone's interested or I can PM it to you.

 

[tman1820]

I applied last cycle and was accepted to NYCOM, which I absolutely loathed after the interview. So I turned them down, having had 2 more interviews left, which subsequently didn't result in any acceptance. I reapplied this cycle, landed a lot of interviews...and was accepted to a choice school...so it worked out. The only way the schools would know you were accepted anywhere is if you tell them, which I don't think they ask on AACOMAS. I think they ask if you matriculated, but not if you were accepted.

You'll be fine, and I thoroughly enjoyed my year off. Best decision of my life, although at times the whole "going through the cycle again" did get a little unnerving. In contrast to what many would say on here though, it isn't crazy to turn down an acceptance, it is crazy to go to a school you hate. 👍

 

[Donnie1310]

What I want to know is, why is a person applying to a school they clearly don't even want to attend?

Sometimes your perception and opinion of a school can change night and day when you actually attend the interview. That said, a person should pull their app immediately after the interview if that happens and not wait for an acceptance so I agree on that point...

 

[Colbare]

I have a question that I feel is relevant enough to this thread to not make a new one. I was accepted pending an open seat at ATSU. So say they don't have a seat for me this fall. I've decided to go ahead and fill out TMDSAS in the event I don't get that call. It asks if I've ever been accepted so I've said yes and then I was required to explain why I'm not attending. I simply explained I'd be waiting a year anyway and thought it'd be worthwhile to reapply in my home state. Will telling them make any difference to my chances?

 

[fiznat]

What does accepted pending an open seat mean? Waitlist? That isn't the same thing as an acceptance...

 

[JamesLMT]

What does accepted pending an open seat mean? Waitlist? That isn't the same thing as an acceptance...

It means if a spot opens up this year he's in, if not he is in next years class.

 

[Colbare]

Yeah I'm just anxious to start this year. I'm planning on a year off though since it now seems just as possible as starting this fall.