I am only applying to four schools...poor to very poor ECs

[nm825]

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3.66 cGPA, 3.43 sGPA
13/11/11 = 35 MCAT

graduated from a top 50ish school last may

I just started volunteering at my local Habitat for Humanity. I am hoping to get around 200 hours by next June when I apply.

I have an interview to volunteer at Yale ER.

I have completed EMT training. I take my written test soon and hope to start volunteering with that, if I can't find a paid job with that.

VP of my fraternity for a semester

VP and financial chair of my junior year dorm that housed over 700 people

I have ~16 hours of community service during school.

I have worked for my local police department for the past four summers as a "Town Ranger."

No outside the classroom research. I did take a class called "Theory and Practice of Clinical Research" and as part of that I spent about 120 hours in my university hospitals ER enrolling patients in a variety of clinical studies. I would scan the computers for eligible patients, gain their consent, and enroll the patient. Sometimes I would actively participate in data collection. For example, one of the studies was looking at the efficacy of using cell phone pictures to diagnose wounds and skin rashes. I would take the picture with my phone, then email them to the PI.

I have 16 hours of shadowing an ER tech, 12 hours of shadowing EMTs, and 8 hours of shadowing a podiatrist. I am currently sending out a bunch of letters to DOs in the area seeing if I can shadow one of them.


Another major problem is my LORs. I have an LOR from my economics professor (I wrote my thesis on healthcare spending and she was impressed by it, so this letter should be decent), a LOR from the chief of the police department I worked for, hopefully a DO letter, but I am lacking a science LOR. Honestly, I don't really know any of my science professors, and maybe one or two actually know my name. I'm an idiot for letting this happen, but it is what it is. I am going to email all of them (I am now back in CT after going to school in DC), explain the situation, and see if any of them will at least write my a generic letter just so I can get my school's committee letter.

If I cannot get one of these, I am going re-take Orgo II (I got a C in Orgo II) at a community college and get a letter that way; however, I won't get this letter until after my school's committee letter application is due, so I am going to only be able to apply to schools that only require one science LOR.

The four schools that fit this criteria are:

UNE-COM
AZCOM
CCOM
ATSU-SOMA

There's a few other schools that fit (Campbell, Liberty, WV, Kirksville), but I don't think I deal with being in such rural locations. It's just not my thing.

All things considered, how much am I playing with fire here by applying to only these four?

 

[Goro]

Strongly recommend that you broaden your search unless finances are a problem. I think you'll be fine for MD schools as well.

Just get in more patient contact experience so we know you like hanging around sick people.

3.66 cGPA, 3.43 sGPA
13/11/11 = 35 MCAT

graduated from a top 50ish school last may

I just started volunteering at my local Habitat for Humanity. I am hoping to get around 200 hours by next June when I apply.

I have an interview to volunteer at Yale ER.

I have completed EMT training. I take my written test soon and hope to start volunteering with that, if I can't find a paid job with that.

VP of my fraternity for a semester

VP and financial chair of my junior year dorm that housed over 700 people

I have ~16 hours of community service during school.

I have worked for my local police department for the past four summers as a "Town Ranger."

No outside the classroom research. I did take a class called "Theory and Practice of Clinical Research" and as part of that I spent about 120 hours in my university hospitals ER enrolling patients in a variety of clinical studies. I would scan the computers for eligible patients, gain their consent, and enroll the patient. Sometimes I would actively participate in data collection. For example, one of the studies was looking at the efficacy of using cell phone pictures to diagnose wounds and skin rashes. I would take the picture with my phone, then email them to the PI.

I have 16 hours of shadowing an ER tech, 12 hours of shadowing EMTs, and 8 hours of shadowing a podiatrist. I am currently sending out a bunch of letters to DOs in the area seeing if I can shadow one of them.


Another major problem is my LORs. I have an LOR from my economics professor (I wrote my thesis on healthcare spending and she was impressed by it, so this letter should be decent), a LOR from the chief of the police department I worked for, hopefully a DO letter, but I am lacking a science LOR. Honestly, I don't really know any of my science professors, and maybe one or two actually know my name. I'm an idiot for letting this happen, but it is what it is. I am going to email all of them (I am now back in CT after going to school in DC), explain the situation, and see if any of them will at least write my a generic letter just so I can get my school's committee letter.

If I cannot get one of these, I am going re-take Orgo II (I got a C in Orgo II) at a community college and get a letter that way; however, I won't get this letter until after my school's committee letter application is due, so I am going to only be able to apply to schools that only require one science LOR.

The four schools that fit this criteria are:

UNE-COM
AZCOM
CCOM
ATSU-SOMA

There's a few other schools that fit (Campbell, Liberty, WV, Kirksville), but I don't think I deal with being in such rural locations. It's just not my thing.

All things considered, how much am I playing with fire here by applying to only these four?

 

[SN12357]

3.66 cGPA, 3.43 sGPA
13/11/11 = 35 MCAT

graduated from a top 50ish school last may

I just started volunteering at my local Habitat for Humanity. I am hoping to get around 200 hours by next June when I apply.

I have an interview to volunteer at Yale ER.

I have completed EMT training. I take my written test soon and hope to start volunteering with that, if I can't find a paid job with that.

VP of my fraternity for a semester

VP and financial chair of my junior year dorm that housed over 700 people

I have ~16 hours of community service during school.

I have worked for my local police department for the past four summers as a "Town Ranger."

No outside the classroom research. I did take a class called "Theory and Practice of Clinical Research" and as part of that I spent about 120 hours in my university hospitals ER enrolling patients in a variety of clinical studies. I would scan the computers for eligible patients, gain their consent, and enroll the patient. Sometimes I would actively participate in data collection. For example, one of the studies was looking at the efficacy of using cell phone pictures to diagnose wounds and skin rashes. I would take the picture with my phone, then email them to the PI.

I have 16 hours of shadowing an ER tech, 12 hours of shadowing EMTs, and 8 hours of shadowing a podiatrist. I am currently sending out a bunch of letters to DOs in the area seeing if I can shadow one of them.


Another major problem is my LORs. I have an LOR from my economics professor (I wrote my thesis on healthcare spending and she was impressed by it, so this letter should be decent), a LOR from the chief of the police department I worked for, hopefully a DO letter, but I am lacking a science LOR. Honestly, I don't really know any of my science professors, and maybe one or two actually know my name. I'm an idiot for letting this happen, but it is what it is. I am going to email all of them (I am now back in CT after going to school in DC), explain the situation, and see if any of them will at least write my a generic letter just so I can get my school's committee letter.

If I cannot get one of these, I am going re-take Orgo II (I got a C in Orgo II) at a community college and get a letter that way; however, I won't get this letter until after my school's committee letter application is due, so I am going to only be able to apply to schools that only require one science LOR.

The four schools that fit this criteria are:

UNE-COM
AZCOM
CCOM
ATSU-SOMA

There's a few other schools that fit (Campbell, Liberty, WV, Kirksville), but I don't think I deal with being in such rural locations. It's just not my thing.

All things considered, how much am I playing with fire here by applying to only these four?

You're underselling yourself. Buck up. Applications aren't just some objective, robotic interpretation of your activities, you write about what you've done and get to sell it/put a spin on it; don't start by undermining yourself. Your ECs aren't nearly as weak as you seem to think, your GPA is ok, your MCAT is great, and there's lots of time between now and the next application cycle.

Many science profs are willing to write a generic letter that just says how you did in the class. That will let you check that particular box on the application.

Apply to more schools, MD and DO both, and try to have more confidence in yourself.

When you pick schools make sure to look at their out of state acceptance rate and don't bother applying to the ones who don't take a reasonable percentage of out of state applicants.

 

[user3]

There have been reports in pre osteo of people with high stats getting in to some schools with no EC's at all.

 

[thegypsyqueen]

Do you only want to apply DO? You could swing MD maybe.

 

[487806]

There have been reports in pre osteo of people with high stats getting in to some schools with no EC's at all.

That isn't surprising considering the below average stats of matriculants at DO schools.

OP, I strongly recommend you to apply to MD schools, but be sure to have a solid clinical background (volunteering, EMT, shadowing), along with nonclinical/community service work. You already got those two down so try to be dedicated, apply broadly to low/mid-tier (mostly low) MD schools and you should be fine.

Only add DO if you're interested in OMM. You'd need a DO letter as well. For me, it's unnecessary for you and I feel you're underestimating yourself.

 

[nm825]

That isn't surprising considering the below average stats of matriculants at DO schools.

OP, I strongly recommend you to apply to MD schools, but be sure to have a solid clinical background (volunteering, EMT, shadowing), along with nonclinical/community service work. You already got those two down so try to be dedicated, apply broadly to low/mid-tier (mostly low) MD schools and you should be fine.

Only add DO if you're interested in OMM. You'd need a DO letter as well. For me, it's unnecessary for you and I feel you're underestimating yourself.

Honestly, I'm somewhat interested in it, but it's not really a huge drawing point for me.

The reason I'm pretty much only looking at DO schools is is that I really only want to go through this process once. I mean I'm 22 already, and by the time I matriculate, I'll be turning 24 the next month. I have a BS in economics with only a minor in chemistry, so my options for science-related jobs are minimal; I've gotten a few interviews for some lab tech type jobs, but a lot of those are only looking for science majors, and the ones that don't don't pay very well. I can definitely make it two years doing something like that, especially knowing that in the second year I'd know for a fact I'd be starting med school in a few months, but it's not something I really want to be doing beyond two years.

Also, I'm not dead-set on a specialty and not really considering the ultra-competitive specialities like derm., neurosurgery, ortho. surgeru, or whatever. If I don't do FM, I think I'd be looking at something like emergency medicine or general surgery or anesthesiology, and from what I've researched, that you can still get those type of MD residencies even with a D.O..

 

[hawkeye3211]

Yea, I'm also planning on doing emergency medicine. I have been shadowing a DO physician and it's great!

 

[Maeby Funke]

I think you'll have a great shot with those stats, but I would definitely focus primarily on getting more clinical experience. How else will you confirm that this is the right path for you?

 

[487806]

Honestly, I'm somewhat interested in it, but it's not really a huge drawing point for me.

The reason I'm pretty much only looking at DO schools is is that I really only want to go through this process once. I mean I'm 22 already, and by the time I matriculate, I'll be turning 24 the next month. I have a BS in economics with only a minor in chemistry, so my options for science-related jobs are minimal; I've gotten a few interviews for some lab tech type jobs, but a lot of those are only looking for science majors, and the ones that don't don't pay very well. I can definitely make it two years doing something like that, especially knowing that in the second year I'd know for a fact I'd be starting med school in a few months, but it's not something I really want to be doing beyond two years.

Also, I'm not dead-set on a specialty and not really considering the ultra-competitive specialities like derm., neurosurgery, ortho. surgeru, or whatever. If I don't do FM, I think I'd be looking at something like emergency medicine or general surgery or anesthesiology, and from what I've researched, that you can still get those type of MD residencies even with a D.O..

That wasn't what I was saying. Agreed that DO=MD from med school on, but what I was saying is you need to be comfortable with osteopathic philosophy in DO schools.

In your case, i'd suggest applying to both DO and MD schools.

 

[nm825]

Well, I was planning on applying to my state school (UConn) and my undergrad (GWU) regardless. Do you think I could get away with applying to five or so of the most most respected DOs (like DMU, CCOM. etc) and apply to fifteen or so MDs including UConn and GW and get away with no having to apply again?

 

[Temperature101]

Well, I was planning on applying to my state school (UConn) and my undergrad (GWU) regardless. Do you think I could get away with applying to five or so of the most most respected DOs (like DMU, CCOM. etc) and apply to fifteen or so MDs including UConn and GW and get away with no having to apply again?

You can get away with 5 DO as long as your have some ECs, but you should apply to 5 MD as well. Unless you are gung ho about OMM, you should focus on MD schools IMO.