How late is too late for applying to DO?

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LilJay

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Hey guys, im knew to the whole DO application process so i have a few quick questions...

I know that there are still a few weeks before most deadlines (most are in feb) and a few months away from other deadlines, but is it wise to give it a shot during this cycle?

If i don't have a LOR from a DO, is it ok if i get one from a regular MD?

I really appreciate all the advice!! :)

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I would almost say save your money.

At this point, you pretty much have to be the cream of the crop to apply this late and get anywhere. Plus you really do need a letter from a DO as opposed to MD.
 
ignore him, its not too late if you have good stats.. many schools will take an MD letter, but you need to check with the schools you specifically want to apply to.

If you got the money, whats the harm in trying?
 
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Get a DO letter. Only a handful of schools don't need one.
 
i know i'm just a "pre med" so the validity of what i am sayin gwill be automatically questioned....but ive asked a lot of admissions people "how late is too late" b/c they start accepting applications in june or something crazy like that. ive been told by many admsissions peope to have your app in by october at the latest. not that they won't look at your app if you apply now, but the chances of getting in have decreased so much that its worth it just to wait a year. obviously its different on a case to case basis, i'm just speaking the words of the admissions peopel that i have talked to. good luck either way
 
i know i'm just a "pre med" so the validity of what i am sayin gwill be automatically questioned....but ive asked a lot of admissions people "how late is too late" b/c they start accepting applications in june or something crazy like that. ive been told by many admsissions peope to have your app in by october at the latest. not that they won't look at your app if you apply now, but the chances of getting in have decreased so much that its worth it just to wait a year. obviously its different on a case to case basis, i'm just speaking the words of the admissions peopel that i have talked to. good luck either way

true story.
 
I would say save your money and get in on the application cycle when it opens next season. This will allow you time to shadow a DO and get the LOR that you almost certainly need.

I was recently interview and was accepted at RVUCOM. They have already filled 2/3 of their 2008 class. I can only imagine that slots are really tight at other schools too.
 
Ok, I guess I will wait and save myself the time and money...Thanks for the advice!
 
Ok, I guess I will wait and save myself the time and money...Thanks for the advice!

Did you apply to allo school LJ?
I don't want to discourage you. I applied late last year and got no love. You could always contact the admissions director at the schools that you are interested in attending. That way you know for sure.
Hang in there!:thumbup:
 
Did you apply to allo school LJ?
I don't want to discourage you. I applied late last year and got no love. You could always contact the admissions director at the schools that you are interested in attending. That way you know for sure.
Hang in there!:thumbup:

Hey paramed,

yes i did apply to allo schools too. Ive interviewed at one school, but got put on the high priority alternate list...which doesnt give me too much confidence or holiday cheer...lol

I really want to have a back up plan, and I really think I could fit into an osteo school just as well as an allo one. Maybe Ill do some more research to see which schools require a DO LOR and what my chances are this late in the game.
 
when does the rolling admissions process begin? in other words when is the earliest you can apply for entering 2009
 
I think the AACOMAS application comes online sometime in June usually. At that point, you can submit it.
 
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Hey paramed,

yes i did apply to allo schools too. Ive interviewed at one school, but got put on the high priority alternate list...which doesnt give me too much confidence or holiday cheer...lol

I really want to have a back up plan, and I really think I could fit into an osteo school just as well as an allo one. Maybe Ill do some more research to see which schools require a DO LOR and what my chances are this late in the game.

The problem is that many DO schools will see right through you in terms of DO being your backup plan. No DO school wants to be referred to as a backup plan. It's very likely that they will not look kindly on pre-allos that didn't get in and scrambled to apply DO late in the cycle because the allopathic route was not fruitful.

That being said, this does happen. I personally know a pre-allo who applied DO in Feb to one school and is an MS3 now. I personally applied MD and DO at the same time (early) and having done my research on both. I made the mistake of applying more MD than DO (just to improve my chances statistically) and guess what, I was asked on an interview to "prove" I want to be a DO since I applied more MD.

You can apply, but you better do your research and getting a DO letter written, sent and received takes longer than you may think.
 
i must say...im ****ting my pants now because i dont have a solid LOR from a DO.
all i can muster up would be LORs from DOs that I have only recently met--ie within the past two months =/
I also wanted to mention that I applied to 23 schools...have heard back from 21 in terms of them wanting me to fill out a secondary app.
I currently have a 3.82 science GPA and a 3.653 overall GPA (with more than 239 credits on my transcripts). I had a 22-R mcat score!
Ive been a lifeguard for a few years and did EMT and ER volunteering along with shadowing experiences. I just dont know a DO that personally right now--and i think that might be a nail in my coffin at this point.
anyways, I am currently writing all my secondary essays--and will turn all my things in in the beginning of january, once my science LORs are available.
somebody tell me i stand half a chance please!
 
i must say...im ****ting my pants now because i dont have a solid LOR from a DO.
all i can muster up would be LORs from DOs that I have only recently met--ie within the past two months =/
I also wanted to mention that I applied to 23 schools...have heard back from 21 in terms of them wanting me to fill out a secondary app.
I currently have a 3.82 science GPA and a 3.653 overall GPA (with more than 239 credits on my transcripts). I had a 22-R mcat score!
Ive been a lifeguard for a few years and did EMT and ER volunteering along with shadowing experiences. I just dont know a DO that personally right now--and i think that might be a nail in my coffin at this point.
anyways, I am currently writing all my secondary essays--and will turn all my things in in the beginning of january, once my science LORs are available.
somebody tell me i stand half a chance please!

I think you definitely stand a chance. Get everything in as soon as possible and just go with whichever DO will write you the strongest letter. They don't necessarily have to have known you a long time to write a good one. I was accepted at DCOM with a 22 MCAT and not nearly as good GPAs. I also have an interview coming up at AZCOM in February. You've already applied so just try not to stress. Write great secondary essays and get everything in as soon as you can. :luck:
 
Matt, you stand a chance. What jumps out to me is that your MCAT score is a tad low; it may be problematic at some places, but it may also be okay, too. Your GPA is excellent. I wouldn't worry too much about having a DO letter, however. There are some schools that require one, but the majority, if I remember correctly, only require a letter from a physician, and will accept a letter from an MD. In fact, I never had a letter from a DO, but one from an MD. The important thing, in my humble and unworthy opinion, is that the letter be a quality letter and that it recommends you highly, without reservation. Anyway, if you can get a good letter from a DO, then cool, otherwise, if you have a letter from an MD that speaks more strongly of you and you aren't applying to any schools that specifically require a DO letter, then I see no reason to not use the MD letter. I don't know. I'm not an adcom, so take what what I am saying with a grain of salt.

Good luck.
 
Some schools care more about the DO letter than others.

The good news is that you may still get an interview at some places without the DO letter. Your file just won't go up for review with the admissions committee until you are complete. That is, you could interview, but then they wouldn't even present your file for admission until you have all your **** in. So yeah, it is getting to be a little late in the game, but you've still got a shot.

If it doesn't happen for you this year, don't give up. I think you'd almost certainly get in if you applied early. Not that I really know what the hell I'm talking about, but you seem like a solid applicant. Everything about your file except for the MCAT score is great, and people from here have gotten in with worse MCATs.
 
The good news is that you may still get an interview at some places without the DO letter. Your file just won't go up for review with the admissions committee until you are complete. That is, you could interview, but then they wouldn't even present your file for admission until you have all your **** in. So yeah, it is getting to be a little late in the game, but you've still got a shot.

Very true. I think a lot of places will not even look at your application at all until you are complete.
 
I would say save your money and get in on the application cycle when it opens next season. This will allow you time to shadow a DO and get the LOR that you almost certainly need.

I was recently interview and was accepted at RVUCOM. They have already filled 2/3 of their 2008 class. I can only imagine that slots are really tight at other schools too.

Bull**** don't believe it. Half of thhose people will take spots at other places.

Apply and find out. AND GET THAT DO LETTER
 
why are allopathic pre-meds so scared of taking a year off? Take a year off, improve your app, apply allo again.

I actually am taking my year off right now, and doing a master's in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology...Im actually doing pretty well, but from what i hear, schools don't really get a chance to look at your current grades so much as the ones you received before you started applying, so Im not sure how much my grades from my master's program are going to help me...hopefully they can sway the adcom's to admit me if im on the fence anywhere
 
I actually am taking my year off right now, and doing a master's in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology...Im actually doing pretty well, but from what i hear, schools don't really get a chance to look at your current grades so much as the ones you received before you started applying, so Im not sure how much my grades from my master's program are going to help me...hopefully they can sway the adcom's to admit me if im on the fence anywhere



which is kind of why I suggested staying out a cycle and doing it again next year....but to answer your orgininal question, yes you can still apply, but you are pretty darn late now. Not to say you can't get in, but...
 
whether or not you need a DO letter depends on where you apply and what else you have for LORs and ECs.

I didn't have a DO letter, but I had over 10 years experience as a paramedic, a LOR from my supervisor and my EMS hospital liaison/control. I didn't have a single problem from any DO school I applied to based on not having a DO LOR.

So as for a DO LOR, I recommend contacting each school individually and asking them about your situation.

As for too late -- well, as they say "it ain't over 'till the fat lady sings". Technically, as long as the last date hasn't passed, it isn't too late. However, most schools are on rolling admission and you may be heading for waitlist at a few places.

Only you can say if you want to roll the dice. However, I agree that most DO schools HATE being considered "the backup plan". Be well prepared for questions regarding your application.
 
why are allopathic pre-meds so scared of taking a year off? Take a year off, improve your app, apply allo again.

If you take a year off, your college loans go into repayment and you are one year older when you are done with your training.

If that's not a problem for you, then fine.

However, I want to be in my 20's when I'm done with my training.
 
At an interview at one school, the admission director mentioned point blank that starting Feb they get many applicants with really great stats -- basically the ones who were not successful at allopathic schools. As a result, they were trying to save more spots this year for them b/c of the increase in # or applicants in general -- hence why they were being more selective in who they admitted earlier on. Who knows if this really did happen or not. This whole process if so unpredictable.


The problem is that many DO schools will see right through you in terms of DO being your backup plan. No DO school wants to be referred to as a backup plan. It's very likely that they will not look kindly on pre-allos that didn't get in and scrambled to apply DO late in the cycle because the allopathic route was not fruitful.

That being said, this does happen. I personally know a pre-allo who applied DO in Feb to one school and is an MS3 now. I personally applied MD and DO at the same time (early) and having done my research on both. I made the mistake of applying more MD than DO (just to improve my chances statistically) and guess what, I was asked on an interview to "prove" I want to be a DO since I applied more MD.

You can apply, but you better do your research and getting a DO letter written, sent and received takes longer than you may think.
 
I think you definitely stand a chance. Get everything in as soon as possible and just go with whichever DO will write you the strongest letter. They don't necessarily have to have known you a long time to write a good one. I was accepted at DCOM with a 22 MCAT and not nearly as good GPAs. I also have an interview coming up at AZCOM in February. You've already applied so just try not to stress. Write great secondary essays and get everything in as soon as you can. :luck:


Didn't know you had gotten an interview out there. Congrats, and good luck. Was this a recent development?
 
So the problem here is whats the turn around time and so forth...Say you hand in your primary by tomorrow...You can expect a 3 week turn around on the primary verification...add in another 2-3 days to mail out your primary...this means you are looking at a submission of your primary in late january...at this point you probably have missed a few cut offs...Then...you get the secondaries...about 3 days is the earliest I have heard of....so lets say you get your secondary done within 4 days...that would leave you at the end of january/beginning of feburary. Depending on the ad com...you may get reviewed anywhere between 2 weeks to 3 months after your submission. So we are looking at a review around Mid Feburary at the earliest..and then if you interview probably it would probably be no earlier than march. Considering how many people have already interviewed/accepted at this point you can see why the odds are stacked againts you...interviewing in March no longer means that you are good enough and the interview is make or break...interviewing in march means you are good enough...BUT along with your interview AND your stats are you better than the other 50 people competing for 10 spots?

My reason for saying all this is not to discourage you but to look at what you are facing...realize the reality of the situation and take it for what it is...If you have the funds necessary and you understand your chances than I say by all means go for it...who knows you may get in..its very possible...but...just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into and finally MAKE SURE you are prompt on all your paperwork...you cant slack at this point.
 
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