How to Apply MD and DO

[The Bearded One]

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I have a quick question about handling both applications.

I know for MD schools, you have until sometime in May to declare which school you will attend if you have multiple acceptances. You can wait on all schools, no matter when you were offered the position until this time. Is it the same for DO schools? When they offer you a position, can you wait until May to look at all the options, and then make a decision?

Does this question make sense?

 

[swamprat]

I have a quick question about handling both applications.

I know for MD schools, you have until sometime in May to declare which school you will attend if you have multiple acceptances. You can wait on all schools, no matter when you were offered the position until this time. Is it the same for DO schools? When they offer you a position, can you wait until May to look at all the options, and then make a decision?

Does this question make sense?

I think that you have less time to decide and it can be within like 7-8 weeks after an acceptance. Idk where I got those #s from tho, just stands out to me for some reason. Either way I think its less time.

 

[Phlame217]

There are dates listed for a time period ie if you're accepted before november 11 you have until December 24th, that is to put a deposit sometimes non refundable

 

[211519]

I have a quick question about handling both applications.

I know for MD schools, you have until sometime in May to declare which school you will attend if you have multiple acceptances. You can wait on all schools, no matter when you were offered the position until this time. Is it the same for DO schools? When they offer you a position, can you wait until May to look at all the options, and then make a decision?

Does this question make sense?

The DO schools should all follow the same guidelines. If you are accepted in the early fall (through some date November), you'll have until December to make a decision and send a deposit. Once you get to spring, the turn around is a lot more intense...a matter of weeks. As summer approaches, the time you have to decide gets shorter.

Also, keep in mind that holding a seat at an MD school usually costs about $100. Holding a seat at a DO school will usually run you $1000-2000; that is often not refundable. There are exceptions, but I can't think of them off of the top of my head. That said, if you are in the spring, and you are serious about any of the DO schools, be sure you have an extra grand or more handy to send off.

 

[Bacchus]

One exception I can think of is PCOM. I was required to put down only a $250, non-refundable deposit by December 15th. Additionally, before April 15th I was required to submit another $2000 deposit.

These deposits aren't as harsh as they sound if you go to the school. My $2250 is put towards a tuition payment, so its $2250 less I have to borrow for the upcoming year.

 

[Bacchus]

Here is the deposit schedule for most, if not all DO schools. I don't think AACOMAS can actually enforce these recommendations, however.

• Those accepted prior to November 15 will have until December 14
• Those accepted between November 15 and January 14 will have 30 days
• Those accepted between January 15 and June 14 will have 14 days
• Those accepted after June 15 may be asked for an immediate deposit

You should also check out the college information booklet, which is now available free in this PDF: http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/cib2010/2010-CIB-complete.pdf

 

[0Complications]

One exception I can think of is PCOM. I was required to put down only a $250, non-refundable deposit by December 15th. Additionally, before April 15th I was required to submit another $2000 deposit.

These deposits aren't as harsh as they sound if you go to the school. My $2250 is put towards a tuition payment, so its $2250 less I have to borrow for the upcoming year.

Yeah, IF you go to that school.

That is insane. It's those types of practices that turn me off from applying DO. I am going to do it anyway, but I feel like their deposits are extremely overpriced. I'm sure part of the reason they do it is because they know people are also applying to MD schools and they don't want to play second fiddle, but what if you're considering multiple DO schools? Or holding out for one school you really want to see if you get in at, but the one you have an acceptance at is a close second. I don't know, it just seems very extreme to me.

 

[211519]

Yeah, IF you go to that school.

That is insane. It's those types of practices that turn me off from applying DO. I am going to do it anyway, but I feel like their deposits are extremely overpriced. I'm sure part of the reason they do it is because they know people are also applying to MD schools and they don't want to play second fiddle, but what if you're considering multiple DO schools? Or holding out for one school you really want to see if you get in at, but the one you have an acceptance at is a close second. I don't know, it just seems very extreme to me.

Yah, I agree it is high (painfully)...and hard to do if you are paying yourself (which I did).

But like Bacchus said, it all goes toward tuition, so in the end you pay yourself. That's a chunk of debt all of us won't have when we graduate. Every little bit counts.

 

[Bacchus]

Yeah, IF you go to that school.

That is insane. It's those types of practices that turn me off from applying DO. I am going to do it anyway, but I feel like their deposits are extremely overpriced. I'm sure part of the reason they do it is because they know people are also applying to MD schools and they don't want to play second fiddle, but what if you're considering multiple DO schools? Or holding out for one school you really want to see if you get in at, but the one you have an acceptance at is a close second. I don't know, it just seems very extreme to me.

I know someone that dropped the $2000 deposit to go to another school. Sucks, but oh well. This is why you apply early.

 

[0Complications]

Yah, I agree it is high (painfully)...and hard to do if you are paying yourself (which I did).

But like Bacchus said, it all goes toward tuition, so in the end you pay yourself. That's a chunk of debt all of us won't have when we graduate. Every little bit counts.

I'm with you on paying for it on my own, but damn! That is craziness!

As far as applying it to your tuition, that's only if you decide to go there...

I know someone that dropped the $2000 deposit to go to another school. Sucks, but oh well. This is why you apply early.

This seems like a reason to apply LATE not early... I don't want a DO acceptance early, I would rather get it later in the year when I will have heard back from more schools.

I don't think there is any way to justify this kind of exorbitant fee. It's completely ridiculous and it's only intent is to illicit a fear based response by getting you to accept their offer and pay the FEE (not deposit, because a deposit is refundable...), because you're worried you might not get any other offers. Sure it might be your top choice school, but if you only applied to 5 DO school and had interviews at all of them that is only a 20% shot.

Sorry, this whole deposit/fee thing just irks me. I think it's very scam-like.

 

[MossPoh]

Depends on the school. Touro-CA wanted me to notify them within 2 weeks of getting the acceptance.


I applied both and I put down my deposit at one school but am going to another. (It was 2000 as well) It was pretty painful to think about 2k lost, but I'm not psychic and had no clue I'd get called off the waitlist. Also, I could justify it since my current school is almost 13k less a year.

 

[Bacchus]

I'm with you on paying for it on my own, but damn! That is craziness!

As far as applying it to your tuition, that's only if you decide to go there...





This seems like a reason to apply LATE not early... I don't want a DO acceptance early, I would rather get it later in the year when I will have heard back from more schools.

I don't think there is any way to justify this kind of exorbitant fee. It's completely ridiculous and it's only intent is to illicit a fear based response by getting you to accept their offer and pay the FEE (not deposit, because a deposit is refundable...), because you're worried you might not get any other offers. Sure it might be your top choice school, but if you only applied to 5 DO school and had interviews at all of them that is only a 20% shot.

Sorry, this whole deposit/fee thing just irks me. I think it's very scam-like.

I have to disagree about applying early. By applying early I had decisions from all the DO schools I applied to by 10/15. I had 2 months to make a decision. Plenty of time, in my opinion.

 

[0Complications]

I have to disagree about applying early. By applying early I had decisions from all the DO schools I applied to by 10/15. I had 2 months to make a decision. Plenty of time, in my opinion.

Hmmm, well if that's the case, I would agree as well. I was assuming the DO interviews would cycle like they do for MD programs. But if you can land all the interviews right off the bat, then that's not that bad (assuming the acceptances come in right away as well).

 

[MossPoh]

You always want to interview early. I'm sure they won't admit to it, but early on many schools seem to throw around acceptances like pieces of candy but then the second half of the year rolls around and everyone gets waitlisted.

 

[Bacchus]

You always want to interview early. I'm sure they won't admit to it, but early on many schools seem to throw around acceptances like pieces of candy but then the second half of the year rolls around and everyone gets waitlisted.

This trend seems to be true, atleast in my experiences. Almost everyone I interviewed with gained acceptances.

 

[211519]

This trend seems to be true, atleast in my experiences. Almost everyone I interviewed with gained acceptances.

I agree as well. Early is always better.

 

[buccsmf1]

this was something i was wondering about.

So suppose I get accepted to a DO/MD school in november and wait-listed by a few medical schools. I can put down a deposit for my seat at the DO/MD school and i've got until May to find out from anywhere i was waitlisted?

 

[RySerr21]

this was something i was wondering about.

So suppose I get accepted to a DO/MD school in november and wait-listed by a few medical schools. I can put down a deposit for my seat at the DO/MD school and i've got until May to find out from anywhere i was waitlisted?

You can find out about waitlists as late as the day or two before orientation/first day of classes. If you are holding mutliple acceptances, you have until May 15th to decide. By that day you need be holding only one acceptance. If you are waitlisted by a school that you'd rather attend and they pull you off in August, you can drop the acceptance you were holding and attend the school that just accepted you.

edit: the may 15th thing is for MD schools and does not apply for DO schools. As said earlier, DO schools have their own deadlines and dates and you could technically hold multiple acceptances if you were willing to pay multiple deposits. This isnt really a problem for MD schools because their either is no deposit cost (none of mine cost me any money to hold the acceptnace) or it is 100 dollars or less. People are willing to pay that for multiple schools in order to hold on to the acceptance and wiat for financial aid. Oh, thats another thing ****ty about hteh early deadlines for DO schools. Its not so much that you have to pay a 1000 dollar deposit, but i didnt like having to make a decision on a school before i saw my financial aid package. Thats such a HUGE part of the decision process for a lot of students that they should really think about finding a way for students who apply early to know what kind of aid they will be getting. If I see a school that is going to give me a hefty amount of money, suddenly that 1000 dollar deposit isnt a problem anymore.

This seems like a reason to apply LATE not early... I don't want a DO acceptance early, I would rather get it later in the year when I will have heard back from more schools.
.

The fear of losing that 2000 dollars is not enough to justify applying late.

 

[MossPoh]

this was something i was wondering about.

So suppose I get accepted to a DO/MD school in november and wait-listed by a few medical schools. I can put down a deposit for my seat at the DO/MD school and i've got until May to find out from anywhere i was waitlisted?

Along with what Ryser was saying here. I was accepted late september/early october by 2 schools. Out of those schools, I had until December 15th or something to pay my first deposit. I was waitlisted at my top choice at the time. I paid the deposit to the school I liked most out of the two I was already accepted to. I then waited. I then paid the second deposit. (Total of 2000 dollars). I found out I was off the waitlist 5 days before orientation from my top choice. I emailed the school I was going to go to and told them I was dropping their acceptance and was aware I would lose my deposit. It was as easy as that. I found out May 21 from my current school.

 

[The Bearded One]

So really, you are free to do what you want as long as you pay deposits? Say, I get accepted in November at a DO school, pay my deposit and tell them I am going there. Then in May of the next year I am taken off a waiting list at some other school I can accept that offer, cancel the one I had been holding and go to the other school?

The cost of waiting to hear from your favorite school seems to be high...

 

[RySerr21]

So really, you are free to do what you want as long as you pay deposits? Say, I get accepted in November at a DO school, pay my deposit and tell them I am going there. Then in May of the next year I am taken off a waiting list at some other school I can accept that offer, cancel the one I had been holding and go to the other school?

The cost of waiting to hear from your favorite school seems to be high...

The answer to your scenario is yes. And yes, the cost of waiting is high, so get accepted right off the bat and make it easy on yourself. 😉

 

[MossPoh]

Agreed, the weight off your shoulders knowing you have SOMEWHERE to go is very nice. If I were rejected everywhere except for the place I'm going now where I was removed from the waitlist, I probably would've gone crazy. I had all but given up hope to even get in. I had 24 hours to get them the piece of paper saying I accepted their off.