DO school recommendation

[xstetsonx]

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I have a few DO school in mind but would love some advice. Here's a run down of my resume.

NC Asian citizen, ESL, fluent in 2 other languages
cGPA: 3.53 sGPA: 3.1 B.A. Chem from UNC
MCAT: 9/6/9, 9/7/8 (last one taken in 12/2014)
4+ years of research (2 undergrad and 2 as lab assistance)
1 publication and several pending
150+ volunteering hours and 50+ shadowing hours
Getting certify as an EMT in May, hopefully I can get a job in hospital

Been out of college for 2 years. Don't know if that count me as a non-traditional student. Here's the school I have in mind.

(CUSOM)
(MUCOM)
(OUCOM)
(KCUMB)
(UP-KYCOM)
(VCOM)
(WVCOM)
(LUCOM)
(RVUCOM)
LECOM
PNWU-COM
DMU-COM
LMU-COM

Aiming high for these two.
(MSUCOM)
(PCOM-GA)

Please let me know what you think on any other school or improvement I can do on my resume. Applying 2015-2016.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

Yes you are non-traditional. Your sGPA is low and may screen you out of KCUMB. Hopefully you have a DO letter of recommendation because that may screen you out of schools also. You seem to have a broad list of schools so lets hope you get interviews

 

[xBODOMx]

In my interviewing experience, DO schools barely care about research at all and that's your strong point. Your MCAT is sort of weak and you'll probably get screened out of RVU/DMU/KCUMB. You need to get some more clinical exposure ASAP. Going EMT route to become a ED Tech or PCT is very competitive. Try to find a scribe position.

 

[xstetsonx]

@PlaqueBuster I have a MD letter
@xBODOMx I am volunteering at a hospice. Does that count? Once I am certified, I can do more clinical things in the free clinic I am volunteering with. At the mean time, I will also look for a scribe position. Thanks.

I have 9s in my science part of the mcat, but I am a slow reader. Do you think they will overlook my low verbal score?

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Are you aware of the OOS tuition cost at MSUCOM? It's around 80k/yr (exactly double IS). Realistically your numbers are not quite competitive for MSUCOM, but your research experience is valuable as we're trying to get more students involved (and some of the adcom members are proponents of research). Feel free to leave it as a reach if you're okay with the potential tuition.

I think you'll do well at a number of schools on your list, but, if you have free time over the summer semester, I might re-take a few science classes to boost up your sGPA and assure adcom members that you're currently capable of doing well in science classes.

 

[xstetsonx]

@johnamo If I do retake some of my science, is it better to take it in a university or does it matter? Community college is much cheaper.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

@johnamo If I do retake some of my science, is it better to take it in a university or does it matter? Community college is much cheaper.

Community college is just fine for re-takes. DO schools and adcoms tend to discriminate a bit less when it comes to where a class was taken.

Just keep in mind that, for grade replacement, the credits have to be greater than or equal to the previous time you took it.

 

[xstetsonx]

Do you think I have a chance at WUCOMP?

 

[Roxas]

I have a few DO school in mind but would love some advice. Here's a run down of my resume.

NC Asian citizen, ESL, fluent in 2 other languages
cGPA: 3.53 sGPA: 3.1 B.A. Chem from UNC
MCAT: 9/6/9, 9/7/8 (last one taken in 12/2014)
4+ years of research (2 undergrad and 2 as lab assistance)
1 publication and several pending
150+ volunteering hours and 50+ shadowing hours
Getting certify as an EMT in May, hopefully I can get a job in hospital

Been out of college for 2 years. Don't know if that count me as a non-traditional student. Here's the school I have in mind.

(CUSOM)
(MUCOM)
(OUCOM)
(KCUMB)
(UP-KYCOM)
(VCOM)
(WVCOM)
(LUCOM)
(RVUCOM)
LECOM
PNWU-COM
DMU-COM
LMU-COM

Aiming high for these two.
(MSUCOM)
(PCOM-GA)

Please let me know what you think on any other school or improvement I can do on my resume. Applying 2015-2016.

Because of your MCAT, the bolded are the only schools you stand a decent chance at. If you're fine with any of those then pull the trigger and apply (still risky), but I personally would buckle down and throw everything I had at a retake with the new MCAT. Just my .02

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Because of your MCAT, the bolded are the only schools you stand a decent chance at. If you're fine with any of those then pull the trigger and apply (still risky), but I personally would buckle down and throw everything I had at a retake with the new MCAT. Just my .02

Agree that the 24/25 MCAT (coupled with the 3.1 sGPA) is an issue... though probably not entirely an application-killer since the MCAT is somewhat balanced and your PS/BS are decent.

OP, if you think you can improve multiple points on a third re-take, definitely take @O Grady's advice and prioritize that over more coursework. If you don't think you can get to a 27+, then I would do a few retakes. Either way, you may have some luck with the newer schools as it is.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Because of your MCAT, the bolded are the only schools you stand a decent chance at. If you're fine with any of those then pull the trigger and apply (still risky), but I personally would buckle down and throw everything I had at a retake with the new MCAT. Just my .02

Agree with your list except I still think he is viable at CUCOM, and the newer campus of LECOM (Seton Hill). He should also add the two new schools Burnell (New Mexico), and University of Incarnate Word? (the one in San Antonio).

 

[Goro]

I suggest:

(CUSOM)
(MUCOM)
(UP-KYCOM)
(VCOM)
(WVCOM)
LECOM
PNWU-COM
LMU-COM
(PCOM-GA)
ACOM
Wm Carey
The other two VCOMs

 

[sameharu1991]

Apply earliest as you can - pref the 1st day you can even submit. I hope you have some DO shadowing under your belt or something that screams "I know why I want to go DO" even if you don't have a DO LOR. MCAT & sgpa are a bit of a concern... I say maybe consider retaking MCAT (although it probably won't be easy with the new one).

I don't know how the schools that are listed are with instate biases (other than LECOM & OUHCOM) because that seemed to be real.

 

[j4pac]

What have you been doing for the past two years...and when did you arrive to the conclusion that you wanted to do medicine?

 

[xstetsonx]

I am shadowing 2 MDs. No luck on any DO I have contacted. Will this be a huge problem??? I don't have a lot of doctor connection. It has been difficult for me to find a doctor to shadow. For the past two years I have been doing cancer research. Since I am a NC resident, will I have better luck with CUCOM? I heard they have in-state bias.