Help w/ school list + other questions

[kimnaun]

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First time poster, long time lurker!
Bio: MD re-applicant, first time DO applicant, Asian, CA resident, female
Undergrad: UC Berkeley
cGPA/sGPA: both 3.5 (steep upward trend)
Dean's Honors for last 3 semesters of undergrad
MCAT: 30
Research: 3 years with Honors Thesis
Volunteering (non-clinical): taught in Prison (6 months)
Volunteering (Clinical): hospital volunteering (6 months), 2 free clinics (6 months/1 year), medical mission to Mexico
Shadowing: 1 general surgeon (1 month) + 2 peds (1 week each), all MD
Gap year: lab tech at startup biomedical research lab (1 year)
Letters of Rec: 1 PI, 1 humanities, 3 science, 1 MD

1. I am having a very difficult time narrowing down my DO school list. I am looking to apply to around 20 DO schools + 20 low/mid tier MD schools. Are there any DO schools that are definitely not worth applying to in my case?
2. Will not having shadowed a DO/DO LOR hurt my chances? Can I submit my app with an MD LOR and update the schools with a DO LOR some time in August? (I am unable to shadow a DO at the moment and won't be able to until July but would like to get my app in early!)
3. I was accepted into Georgetown's SMP and am at a crossroads with what I should do... Do you think I have a shot at an MD by doing an SMP? (Called the director of admissions at one of the schools and was told my coursework could use more 'heavy' science - although I was a Bio major... so was told a postbacc or smp will help my chances next cycle..) Otherwise, I'd be just as happy with a DO🙂
4. I mention in my ps that I want to do general surgery, but I know DO is geared towards primary care- will mentioning general surgery in my PS hurt my DO chances?

Sorry for the lengthy post! Any advice will be greatly appreciated🙂
Thanks in advance!

 

[Irish Luck]

your stats aren't bad. I think you have a decent shot at some of the lower-mid tier MD schools. What happened last cycle that you're reapplying? Did you only apply DO last year or MD also?

 

[kimnaun]

I honestly have no idea- I didn't receive a single interview invite. I've added more clinical and the lab job during my gap year + the smp might give me a better shot this cycle but I'm not taking any chances this round🙂
I only applied MD last cycle and this cycle, I'm applying to both.

 

[spenguin]

First time poster, long time lurker!
Bio: MD re-applicant, first time DO applicant, Asian, CA resident, female
Undergrad: UC Berkeley
cGPA/sGPA: both 3.5 (steep upward trend)
Dean's Honors for last 3 semesters of undergrad
MCAT: 30
Research: 3 years with Honors Thesis
Volunteering (non-clinical): taught in Prison (6 months)
Volunteering (Clinical): hospital volunteering (6 months), 2 free clinics (6 months/1 year), medical mission to Mexico
Shadowing: 1 general surgeon (1 month) + 2 peds (1 week each), all MD
Gap year: lab tech at startup biomedical research lab (1 year)
Letters of Rec: 1 PI, 1 humanities, 3 science, 1 MD

1. I am having a very difficult time narrowing down my DO school list. I am looking to apply to around 20 DO schools + 20 low/mid tier MD schools. Are there any DO schools that are definitely not worth applying to in my case?
2. Will not having shadowed a DO/DO LOR hurt my chances? Can I submit my app with an MD LOR and update the schools with a DO LOR some time in August? (I am unable to shadow a DO at the moment and won't be able to until July but would like to get my app in early!)
3. I was accepted into Georgetown's SMP and am at a crossroads with what I should do... Do you think I have a shot at an MD by doing an SMP? (Called the director of admissions at one of the schools and was told my coursework could use more 'heavy' science - although I was a Bio major... so was told a postbacc or smp will help my chances next cycle..) Otherwise, I'd be just as happy with a DO🙂
4. I mention in my ps that I want to do general surgery, but I know DO is geared towards primary care- will mentioning general surgery in my PS hurt my DO chances?

Sorry for the lengthy post! Any advice will be greatly appreciated🙂
Thanks in advance!

I seriously believe that applying to 40 schools will drive you insane. You don't want to do half-a$$ed secondaries, if your secondaries suck = no interview. I would say 30 should be your max. If you prefer MD but don't mind DO, apply ~10 DO and ~20 MD

The benefit of shadowing a DO or having a DO LOR is it shows interest in osteopathic medicine. If you already applied once without applying DO, I would try to shadow a DO to show interest. Otherwise schools will think you see them as a backup.

I would apply (on the DO side, don't have any knowledge about MDs)
Western-COMP (both)
Touro-CA
AZ-COM
AT. STILL
PCOM
VCOM [this is one of the few schools with multiple campuses that have the same secondary, only one fee, this is esp nice if you are applying to lots of places]
LECOM
DMU
KCU

I wouldn't apply: MSUCOM, OUHCOM, ROWAN, TCOM, OSUCOM (they have in state bias, whether is % accepted, tuition for oos or contracts to stay in state]

 

[Goro]

LUCOM.
1. I am having a very difficult time narrowing down my DO school list. I am looking to apply to around 20 DO schools + 20 low/mid tier MD schools. Are there any DO schools that are definitely not worth applying to in my case?


This can be lethal for some schools like LECOM. You need to do your homework to find out which schools require what. Shadowing a DO will always help. FYI, you are competitive for ANY DO school.

2. Will not having shadowed a DO/DO LOR hurt my chances? Can I submit my app with an MD LOR and update the schools with a DO LOR some time in August? (I am unable to shadow a DO at the moment and won't be able to until July but would like to get my app in early!)

Yes, especially if you're boning for the MD. But you can be a doctor in four years by going DO now as opposed to five to be an MD.

3. I was accepted into Georgetown's SMP and am at a crossroads with what I should do... Do you think I have a shot at an MD by doing an SMP? (Called the director of admissions at one of the schools and was told my coursework could use more 'heavy' science - although I was a Bio major... so was told a postbacc or smp will help my chances next cycle..) Otherwise, I'd be just as happy with a DO🙂

It's a pre-med urban legend that you HAVE to be Primary Care if you're a DO. Yes, my school likes training primary care docs, but plenty of my students end up specializing, including in to Surgery, and in decent programs too. Besides, you'll most likely change your mind about a speciality while in med school, multiple times.

4. I mention in my ps that I want to do general surgery, but I know DO is geared towards primary care- will mentioning general surgery in my PS hurt my DO chances?

 

[DoctorKrieger]

I love when people respond telling people not to apply to the state schools because of in-state bias. These MD-caliber applicants are the exact kind of people that get those OOS spots in the best DO programs.

OP: I would definitely apply to all the state DO schools if I were you, while keeping in mind MSU tuition is ridiculous and OU requires you to practice at least 5 yrs in Ohio after graduation. And yes, find a DO to shadow that will write you a good letter.

 

[samac]

1) Bahahaha, I love Goro's comment. LUCOM is just a special place and you don't need to go there. I think you're competitive for any DO school, you just have to look and see what you'd like.
2) Shadow a DO. Some schools require it, others highly prefer it. It will do nothing but help your application.
3) If you highly prefer MD then do the SMP, but if you don't care about the letters on your name forget it and apply DO. If the letters do matter though I wouldn't apply DO in the first place.
4) Meh, say whatever you want. Many people specialize coming from a DO school. Personally I didn't mention a specialty at all in mine.

Also, you didn't get a single interview invite? I think you need to revisit your essays and make sure they're strong.

 

[kimnaun]

Thank you for all the replies! I'll continue to edit my school list as well as my essays.
Will submitting the DO LOR as an update (around aug/sept) after my app submission hurt me?

 

[samac]

Thank you for all the replies! I'll continue to edit my school list as well as my essays.
Will submitting the DO LOR as an update (around aug/sept) after my app submission hurt me?

I don't think sending an update LOR would really help you or hurt you. If you couldn't get your app in till August that wouldn't really hurt you either. The app cycle is much longer for DO schools. Just be prepared with your secondaries the moment you get them.

 

[kimnaun]

Here's a rough list! Any schools I should add/erase? Thank you! 😀
1. CUSOM
2. DMU
3.LECOM (either or both, i'm not sure)
4.NSU
5.Pacific Northwest WU
6.PCOM-PA
7.PCOM-GA
8.Rocky Vista
9.Touro NY
10. Touro CA
11. Touro NV
12. UNECOM
13. VCOM (all)
14. Western U
15.WCU

 

[Nesmall2]

Here's a rough list! Any schools I should add/erase? Thank you! 😀
1. CUSOM
2. DMU
3.LECOM (either or both, i'm not sure)
4.NSU
5.Pacific Northwest WU
6.PCOM-PA
7.PCOM-GA
8.Rocky Vista
9.Touro NY
10. Touro CA
11. Touro NV
12. UNECOM
13. VCOM (all)
14. Western U
15.WCU

Look into LECOM curriculum. Good school but if you don't like PBL then don't some to both campuses.