How many DO schools is it generally recommended to apply to given increasing competitiveness? (Co-applying with MD)

[RespectTheChemistry]

Hi -

Because DO schools do not have FAP (as I understood it), I want to figure out how much I need to save up for applications. My GPA and MCAT are fine for US MD schools. However, I have some concerns about my W's, C's, and one F that occurred about 5 years ago and think perhaps I should dual-apply with DO schools to be safe. This is especially true given the increased competitiveness of medical schools in general. I would have felt comfortable only applying MD if we were having this conversation in 2019.

Given that, how many DO schools do people usually apply to? Am I behind the times by assuming 10 is fine? Plus my 14 MD schools? I may go for more like 20 MD schools and pay for the overage.

Is this too many? I want to apply to enough but don't want the quality of my secondary essays to decline.

How much should I assume per secondary? I was assuming about $100 but current or recent applicants can correct me on that!

Thank you!

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[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ? What are your cGPA and sGPA and MCAT scores ?

 

[Goro]

Hi -

Because DO schools do not have FAP (as I understood it), I want to figure out how much I need to save up for applications. My GPA and MCAT are fine for US MD schools. However, I have some concerns about my W's, C's, and one F that occurred about 5 years ago and think perhaps I should dual-apply with DO schools to be safe. This is especially true given the increased competitiveness of medical schools in general. I would have felt comfortable only applying MD if we were having this conversation in 2019.

Given that, how many DO schools do people usually apply to? Am I behind the times by assuming 10 is fine? Plus my 14 MD schools? I may go for more like 20 MD schools and pay for the overage.

Is this too many? I want to apply to enough but don't want the quality of my secondary essays to decline.

How much should I assume per secondary? I was assuming about $100 but current or recent applicants can correct me on that!

Thank you!

Unanswerable without knowing your stats

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

Where is your state of residence ? What are your cGPA and sGPA and MCAT scores ?

Illinois. cGPA is 3.84. sGPA is 3.70. MCAT was actually really good: 521.

Stats are fine for MD, but I worry about the transcript not "looking nice". It has some C's in science classes (Calculus and Gen Chem I) and one ugly F. Plus all the full-semester W's. (Serious, now-resolved health problems). Confidential Consult said the 1.5 year gap between W's and application season was sufficient, but I am concerned that I am still on unequal ground compared to a person with the same stats without the messy transcript.

I thought that even though based on stats alone, applying MD only would be fine, that perhaps DO schools might be more forgiving of the transcript not looking perfect. The most recent C was a 1-credit lab in 2020. The F was 2018. The other two C's were 2016 and the same 2018 semester when the F happened. I am applying in 2023 and the most recent W's were 2021.

It seems possible I am overestimating how bad this looks. Am I?

 

[Sidus1011]

Illinois. cGPA is 3.84. sGPA is 3.70. MCAT was actually really good: 521.

Stats are fine for MD, but I worry about the transcript not "looking nice". It has some C's in science classes (Calculus and Gen Chem I) and one ugly F. Plus all the full-semester W's. (Serious, now-resolved health problems). Confidential Consult said the 1.5 year gap between W's and application season was sufficient, but I am concerned that I am still on unequal ground compared to a person with the same stats without the messy transcript.

I thought that even though based on stats alone, applying MD only would be fine, that perhaps DO schools might be more forgiving of the transcript not looking perfect. The most recent C was a 1-credit lab in 2020. The F was 2018. The other two C's were 2016 and the same 2018 semester when the F happened. I am applying in 2023 and the most recent W's were 2021.

It seems possible I am overestimating the increase in competitiveness of MD schools the past couple years and/or overestimating how bad this looks. Am I?

You will most likely get into MD. I'd spend the money on more low tier MD schools with low stats if you're looking for more safety. The DO cycle also lasts longer as well, so if you notice little interest from MD, you can add DO later.

 

[DOcSto]

cGPA is 3.84. sGPA is 3.70. MCAT was actually really good: 521.

Applying to DO might most likely be a donation.

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

You will most likely get into MD. I'd spend the money on more low tier MD schools with low stats if you're looking for more safety. The DO cycle also lasts longer as well, so if you notice little interest from MD, you can add DO later.

That sounds like a good plan. I think I will do this.

Thank you!

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

Applying to DO might most likely be a donation.

This was what I was hoping the answer would be, but my pre-med advising office had me worried after talking to them the other day with my transcript in front of the advisor's face. They had very strong negative feelings about the appearance of the transcript - particularly the F - despite my overall stats being good.

 

[Faha]

What are your ECs ? Do you have any physician shadowing hours or clinical volunteering/employment with patient contact ?

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

What are your ECs ? Do you have any physician shadowing hours or clinical volunteering/employment with patient contact ?

I'll just go ahead and fill out a WAMC to keep everything organized.

cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
3.84 cGPA and 3.70 sGPA

MCAT score(s) and breakdown
521

State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
Illinois

Ethnicity and/or race
White woman

Undergraduate institution or category
Big state school

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
9 years hospice volunteering
4 years child life volunteering
1 year CNA work

Research experience and productivity
1 summer clinical research internship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
1 semester Psychology research (not related to medicine)

Shadowing experience and specialties represented
60 hours of shadowing. It was a smattering of specialties, but the bulk of it hours-wise came from the ER and a pediatric subspecialty. I am really hoping to get primary care shadowing but may not be able to.

Non-clinical volunteering
- 5 years rape crisis volunteering staffing the 24-hour hotline and accompanying new survivors to the ER
- 2 years tutoring math at a juvenile detention facility for boys age 12-21. There is a program where they can finish high school online while incarcerated.
- 3 years volunteering with a domestic violence organization. I provided free childcare while moms went to free group therapy for most of this. I helped with the 24-hour helpline too.
- 1 year volunteering with a support group for people with a loved one in prison (low-hour because it was an hour-long support group: 20 hours)
- 1 year with three different programs run by my archdiocese: a diaper bank, food pantry and Meals on Wheels (about 100 hours adding them all together). Should I list them separately or together?

How low-hour is low enough hours not to get its own heading?

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
- I am considering Americorps for my application year, but am not sure. Do you think it would be better to do that or work full-time as a CNA?

Relevant honors or awards
- No. I am the least interesting woman in America. Dean's List, but nothing else.

Anything else?
- The W's discussed up-thread

Given that I have a year until I apply, do you have any suggestions for things I can do to improve EC-wise?

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

So far, my school list is as follows:

Northwestern
University of Illinois (eligible for in-state tuition)
Rush
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
MCW
CCOM for the geographical convenience. My SO really likes his job in the area.

I am going to buy a copy of MSAR and come up with a more complete school list. I will probably get around to that tomorrow. I have some things to finish this evening. It's time for me to get off SDN for the night.

Thank you for your help, everyone! I really appreciate it!

 

[Faha]

You have a strong application and do not need to add any more DO schools. I suggest adding these schools to your school list above:
U Chicago
Washington University (almost a guaranteed interview with your stats)
St. Louis
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Case Western
Cincinnati
Dartmouth
Boston University
Tufts
Brown
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
USF Morsani
Miami
Vanderbilt

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

You have a strong application and do not need to add any more DO schools. I suggest adding these schools to your school list above:
U Chicago
Washington University (almost a guaranteed interview with your stats)
St. Louis
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Case Western
Cincinnati
Dartmouth
Boston University
Tufts
Brown
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
USF Morsani
Miami
Vanderbilt

I really appreciate you taking the time to put this together for me. That was really generous of you.