DO schools easier to be open with??

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Sara Bellum

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It is my understanding that if you have a learning disability and are applying to MD schools you should really not mention it at all. That this only raises a red flag and may if anything harm your application?

Is it the same way with the DO schools or are they more understanding?
 
More understanding in every way, shape and form.
 
Sara Bellum said:
It is my understanding that if you have a learning disability and are applying to MD schools you should really not mention it at all. That this only raises a red flag and may if anything harm your application?

Is it the same way with the DO schools or are they more understanding?

Why mention it either way, unless you need special assistance? It would be illegal for either type of school to discriminate against you.
 
One reason people mention disabilities is as an explanation for less than perfect stats.
 
yposhelley said:
One reason people mention disabilities is as an explanation for less than perfect stats.
Yes. I did poorly in undergrad but did quite well in grad school and I think it offers a better explination as to why rather than saying because I was unfocused and needed to learn better study strategies. Which is true but it would offer the explination as to why I needed to do those things.
Plus I took the MCAT with accomodations and this would explain that too.. rather than being the elephant in the middle of the room that no one is addressing. But if the DO schols are going to view this as a weakness then I'll just keep with the same plan I've had for the MD schools.
 
I don't think they will view it as a weakness unless your GPA is very low (ie-so low that it is inidicative of you not being able to succeed in med school)-but since your grad GPA is fine-it indicates that you learned how to work with your learning disability. They won't use it as an excuse to keep you out of medical school. I would feel comfortable talking about any LD I had with a DO admissions person (or in a DO school interview) and I would emphasize how I had dealt with it, and how determined I was to not let it stop me from realizing my dreams of becoming a doctor. Talk about your struggle and how you overcame, that is a good thing, something that will show your awesome character.

I don't know if I would mention it in an MD interview, to me it would depend on the person that was interviewing me. Sometimes they are generally interested in you, sometimes they are brusque. Something you have to keep in mind is that, although Medic170 is right and they can't discriminate, that doesn't mean that the interviewer is not going to think you won't be able to handle med school with your disability, and that might affect his judgement on whether to recommend you or not. Interviews are a very subjective process. You have to learn to guage the atmosphere and whether the person sitting in front of you will be impressed by your ordeal and how you handled it, or not (most people would be quite impressed if you play it right). Good luck
 
IT was my understanding that you had to mention if you had a disability on the AACOMAS and the allopathic equivalent. If you did this, then the school already knows.
 
You don't have to mention it on either application.
 
babyruth said:
IT was my understanding that you had to mention if you had a disability on the AACOMAS and the allopathic equivalent. If you did this, then the school already knows.


Only if you request special accomodations for your disability.
 
Even then you are not prompted to offer an explination. However the school will know that you recieved accomodations on the MCAT but not what accomodations or why.

The MCAT is one of the few standardized tests that still indicates that you took it with accomodations.. SAT, GRE ACT etc don't make any differatiation anymore..
 
Sara Bellum,

The best advice (although a little ambiguous) is to be yourself. Chances are that your interviewer, whether it be MD or DO is going to ask you what your story is. With me anyway, all of my interviews shared one common question: "What has brought you to this point in your life?" 🙄 If that story involves your disability, then out with it. Otherwise, I would go with the flow of the conversation. If it is important to you and you feel like the issue is a defining characteristic of you and your accomplishments (good or bad), then I would be open about it and tell them even if they don't ask directly. 👍
I think it is safe to say that they will never fault you for being honest. The last thing I would want... would be for them to feel like I didn't disclose everything about myself with or without being asked. You have made it this far, and especially if you have had extra obstacles to overcome, I think it can only serve to show that you have not only the ability but the drive and determination to make things happen.
Best of luck :luck:
Momo
 
Thanks 🙂 I know that being completely honest with the MD schools isn't necessarily a great idea depending on the school but I do hope that it is more so for the DO schools!
 
Just bumping because I'm wondering if any current DO students have any insight into this? I'm not sure if your an applicant or already a med student yposhelley.
 
Please I'd like some more opinions on this.. Thanks.
 
Listen, only tell them if you have overcome you're disabillity. You never know who is sitting on your interview panel and how they will react to it. If you are manageing it fine and dont need special accmidation for your school tests it should'nt be a problem. Don't tell them that you had special accomidation for MCAT, that might make it seem like your still not over it.

This is just my opinion, just keep in mind that opinions are worth what you pay for them.
 
Sara Bellum said:
Just bumping because I'm wondering if any current DO students have any insight into this? I'm not sure if your an applicant or already a med student yposhelley.

I've been accepted into four medical schools (3 DO, 1 MD), but I don't start school until fall 2005.

If you want opinions from students who are attending osteopathic medical schools right now, try posting this in the osteopathic forum.
I think most of them will say the same thing that DocGeorge and I have said...if you have overcome your disability then talking about it can demonstrate your strength and determination to the adcom. If you are worried about it, just don't mention it.

My brother has ADD and will be applying to DO schools next year. He will be mentioning it as something he learned how to deal with by taking advantage of tutors, and by taking the appropriate medication-and he is pointing out that even though it made things harder for him in school, through sheer hard work and determination he has managed to do quite well.

Well, good luck to you.
 
yposhelley said:
If you want opinions from students who are attending osteopathic medical schools right now, try posting this in the osteopathic forum.


Actually, please don't cross post this as it is a TOS violation 😉
 
Sara Bellum said:
Please I'd like some more opinions on this.. Thanks.

wait a sec... what are your stats anyway? MCAT Score? Are you average?

If you have a graduate degree and did well on it than you should be fine.

How bad is your undergrad. My undergrad was not good... but it has nothing to do with disability. I was just lazy and going after girls. But if you have focused and done better since than you should use that.

Don't worry about keeping it a secret.. if they ask.. you tell them... if they don't/ don't mention it. The end.
 
DrMom said:
Actually, please don't cross post this as it is a TOS violation 😉

Oh, sorry.
 
I won't cross post.. don't worry.


Honestly life would have been alot more fun if my undergrad GPA was low cause I was partying and having fun.

I did take medications for a while but right now medications aren't an option for me, and it's causing a few problems that I'm working on.

I do suspect that I will ask to be able to take tests in a quiet environment but I dont' think I'll ask for any other accomodations.
 
Did you apply yet... which schools? You MCAT and Graduate GPA are great.

We all face problems. Some people don't get help with it... other people do. I will also ask for quite accomidations for testing.. I can't stand noise. Even someone breathing heavy next to me on a test would drive me nuts. On the MCAT, one of the monitors was wearing shoes which made noise when walked... I told him to nock it off and stop disturbing me, that surely lowered my PS mark.

Now, I would recommend that you look towards the future. Your past is what makes you a better person. A more understanding Physician and better health care provider. We are all still working on problems. If someone sais they don't have any issues than they must have issues. See as many doctors as need be... and try to control these problems as best you can (medication or no medication). At the end it makes for a better person all together.
 
Sara Bellum said:
I won't cross post.. don't worry.


Honestly life would have been alot more fun if my undergrad GPA was low cause I was partying and having fun.

I did take medications for a while but right now medications aren't an option for me, and it's causing a few problems that I'm working on.

I do suspect that I will ask to be able to take tests in a quiet environment but I dont' think I'll ask for any other accomodations.


If asked to explain your undergrad GPA, tell them about your learning disability and THEN point out how your grad GPA shows that you have adapted to overcome it. Don't harp on the subject and don't make it look like you have a disadvange in med school.
 
Sara Bellum said:
I do suspect that I will ask to be able to take tests in a quiet environment but I dont' think I'll ask for any other accomodations.

I would not mention it. Maybe, mention in your PS that you had a period where "medical problems" took a toll on you, but even if you say this, do it in only one or two sentences and do not draw attention to it. You MCAT and grad gpa are good, and there is a good chance you can get in with that undergrad gpa considering your grad gpa and MCAT, and long as you have excellent LOR's and EC's.
 
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