IMG or D.O.?

[nontradguy]

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And believe me, I would really like to go D.O. But, I have two acceptances to schools in the Caribbean for this January (SGU & AUC) and only one D.O. interview in November. Because of the timeline, I have to choose either/or.

Would I be insane to decline the Caribbean schools in order to bank on the one D.O. interview? I would LOVE to be a D.O., but, hmm....

 

[mmikey]

Honestly I would chose DO, this is because I am very biased against Carribean schools. However, if you could contact the schools you've been accepted to and ask for a later seat or deposit, you might be able to forestall making the 'either/or' decision.

 

[taylormade2006]

Is it possible to request Carib matriculation for the fall to give yourself some time? You don't even have to tell them why, just that you'd rather wait until the fall to start medical school.

 

[Dissected]

SGU can get you the end result you want, but a DO school can likely get you there with less of a headache. Personally, I would not want to go overseas to get my education (purely convenience-wise), but that is just a personal preference on my part. Plus SGU is going to be high $$ when you take into account the high tuition, the initial travel/moving costs, and the extreme amounts of moving that have to take place your 3rd and 4th years.

GL

 

[cbrons]

Not so fast. The average person judges physician prestige not by their degree, but by their specialty (no one evens knows what DOs are, just like they don't know what IMGs are). There's nothing holding a DO back from specializing. IMGs on the other hand? Well, I think we both know who wins that bebate.

Get comfortable with two words, dear: metformin and Midwest.

^^^

 

[st2205]

If you've got a 3.0 and a 21, then you might want to look at going ahead and taking SGU. If you've got a 3.4 and a 26, then you might want to wait. Other questions to consider are:

When did you apply?
How many schools did you apply to?

If you applied in June to 20 schools and you've got 1 interview in November, then you may want to jump on the SGU. If you applied last month to 5 schools, then perhaps wait.

As you can see there are many factors that completely change the dynamics and without knowing your exact circumstances people will be inclined to give you advice based on their own experiences (i.e. they'll assume your circumstances are similar to theirs regarding the above questions, among other things, and advise you accordingly).

What has led you up to this point and what are your goals generally in the long and short term?

 

[traitorman]

as someone said earlier, your options will be limited in terms of specializing.

 

[Skippygonenuts]

Put in ur SGU deposit when u have to and go to ur interview in November. If you get accepted to DO then withdraw from SGU. Yeah, it's a little pricey but still less expensive them goin to SGU.

 

[iamdo]

If you've got a 3.0 and a 21, then you might want to look at going ahead and taking SGU. If you've got a 3.4 and a 26, then you might want to wait. Other questions to consider are:

When did you apply?
How many schools did you apply to?

If you applied in June to 20 schools and you've got 1 interview in November, then you may want to jump on the SGU. If you applied last month to 5 schools, then perhaps wait.

As you can see there are many factors that completely change the dynamics and without knowing your exact circumstances people will be inclined to give you advice based on their own experiences (i.e. they'll assume your circumstances are similar to theirs regarding the above questions, among other things, and advise you accordingly).

where do you put t he mim MCAT score for a shot in any D.O. program?

 

[VCU07]

where do you put t he mim MCAT score for a shot in any D.O. program?

It really depends on everything else, including which schools you are applying to. Nevertheless, I say 24.

 

[tom10]

where do you put t he mim MCAT score for a shot in any D.O. program?

Assuming you have good ECAs and clinical experience...

Realistically this depends on your gpa. If you have a 3.7 you might get away with a 23. If you're around a 3.0 you'll probably need something like a 27+. Of course this is not set in stone, but I think this is a fair estimate.

 

[roadrunr]

details about your situation would be helpful, stats, and are you a first time applicant? which school granted you an interview? if you have a chance at a DO school go there. If you have to go carribean sgu is probobly your best bet. If this is your first time applying and you dont get in to an american school I would suggest reapplying next year before going carribean. unless your stats are very low.

 

[nontradguy]

Thank you for the responses.

I fall into the category of low MCAT and decent g.p.a. (sGPA 3.70, cGPA 3.30, MCAT - low 20s). Actually, I was shocked to receive a D.O. interview. In any case, this is my second-time around applying (12 osteopathic schools). I was AACOMAS verified on 07/08. Family medicine would be awesome. My long-term goals mainly ride on not being too far behind my girlfriend who has just matriculated into a U.S. medical school (a long-term goal because we're talking about the long-term relationship deal). Just about when I had given up on pursuing a 45 MCAT and began to accept the idea of becoming an IMG, I received the U.S. D.O. interview.

It's a tough call. I could for sure be in medical school in 3 months, possibly in a U.S. school in a year, or I could be slaving away at the MCAT again very soon.

But truth be told, the D.O. interview invite was enough of a recharge to put a skip in my step. I believe that I'm going to have to withdraw from the Caribbean.


3MCAT + energy + time + money -->

 

[TriagePreMed]

I would not withdraw from the Caribbean based on a D.O. interview. Too big of a gamble.

 

[Dissected]

Best of luck. If you are still open to SGU, certainly don't withdraw your spot until you interview and hear back from the D.O. school. I think someone else also mentioned - you might lose a little bit on the deposit this way, but the $$ you would save in the long run would more than likely dwarf the deposit fee.

 

[st2205]

Thank you for the responses.

I fall into the category of low MCAT and decent g.p.a. (sGPA 3.70, cGPA 3.30, MCAT - low 20s). Actually, I was shocked to receive a D.O. interview. In any case, this is my second-time around applying (12 osteopathic schools). I was AACOMAS verified on 07/08. Family medicine would be awesome. My long-term goals mainly ride on not being too far behind my girlfriend who has just matriculated into a U.S. medical school (a long-term goal because we're talking about the long-term relationship deal). Just about when I had given up on pursuing a 45 MCAT and began to accept the idea of becoming an IMG, I received the U.S. D.O. interview.

It's a tough call. I could for sure be in medical school in 3 months, possibly in a U.S. school in a year, or I could be slaving away at the MCAT again very soon.

But truth be told, the D.O. interview invite was enough of a recharge to put a skip in my step. I believe that I'm going to have to withdraw from the Caribbean.


3MCAT + energy + time + money -->

I'm curious to know where you applied (not that I'm asking you to list). If you have a decent application otherwise, with decent letters and a decent personal statement, then I'd expect you to get a few more interviews. If by low 20s you mean 22 or lower, it may be pushing it, but above that should be ok to get a couple of interviews. If your 11 schools were comprised of places like OSUCOM, OUCOM, DMU, PCOM, UMDNJ, CCOM, NSU, etc. then I could see how that could be a bit more risky. If you were to apply to some of the newer, less established, and perhaps less desirable places then I think you'd get a few interviews if you strung together a few of those.

My own unqualified opinion on Carribean schools is that if you can make it through a US MD or DO curriculum, then you will certainly be able to make it through a Carribean curriculum. In this sense, I would ignore the scare of "low graduation rates". However, the reason they have low graduation rates is because they admit people who wouldn't make it through a US curriculum, and apparently a Carribean curriculum as well. The problem is risking finding out the easy way (not being accepted in the US) rather than the hard way (failing out of a Carribean school). Of course, I don't know the answer to this. If you're going to sit out on SGU, then I'd send your application to more DO schools (at least another 10).

 

[angryazn88]

I'm curious to know where you applied (not that I'm asking you to list). If you have a decent application otherwise, with decent letters and a decent personal statement, then I'd expect you to get a few more interviews. If by low 20s you mean 22 or lower, it may be pushing it, but above that should be ok to get a couple of interviews. If your 11 schools were comprised of places like OSUCOM, OUCOM, DMU, PCOM, UMDNJ, CCOM, NSU, etc. then I could see how that could be a bit more risky. If you were to apply to some of the newer, less established, and perhaps less desirable places then I think you'd get a few interviews if you strung together a few of those.

My own unqualified opinion on Carribean schools is that if you can make it through a US MD or DO curriculum, then you will certainly be able to make it through a Carribean curriculum. In this sense, I would ignore the scare of "low graduation rates". However, the reason they have low graduation rates is because they admit people who wouldn't make it through a US curriculum, and apparently a Carribean curriculum as well. The problem is risking finding out the easy way (not being accepted in the US) rather than the hard way (failing out of a Carribean school). Of course, I don't know the answer to this. If you're going to sit out on SGU, then I'd send your application to more DO schools (at least another 10).

I don't know if sending in 10 more apps will help. I'm worried enough about getting in and I have a 3.8sGPA and a 28M. It seems like more and more seats are being taken up. I haven't received any interviews because I finished my secondaries earlier this week. With the OP, he still has to fill out a bunch of secondaries which is really tiring. Plus 10 more apps is at least 500 dollars extra if your applying to the schools with lower fees.

 

[Gloves]

call me crazy, but I'd want to stick with the DO interview(s). I just really don't like the idea of going to the carribean, as nice as the weather is. If for some reason you didn't get in you could reapply with more stuff in your app (or retake mcat and do better)

but then again 100% certainty is really awesome. It's a tough one.

Do you have other DO schools to hear from?

 

[st2205]

I don't know if sending in 10 more apps will help. I'm worried enough about getting in and I have a 3.8sGPA and a 28M. It seems like more and more seats are being taken up. I haven't received any interviews because I finished my secondaries earlier this week. With the OP, he still has to fill out a bunch of secondaries which is really tiring. Plus 10 more apps is at least 500 dollars extra if your applying to the schools with lower fees.

If he sent in 11 applications to more competitive schools or to state schools with in-state preference, adding 10 schools that are less competitive certainly would help, but that's making said assumption. If he already applied to newer schools and traditionally less competitive schools, then you're right that it wouldn't help exceptionally. Filling out secondaries certainly is tiring and dropping $500 is never easy, but contrast that to sitting out another year, having to complete AACOMAS for the second time, get verified, fill out more secondaries next year, and kiss goodbye at least one year of a $180,000. Sounds a lot worse than some tiring secondaries and $500. But again, that's assuming he doesn't take the SGU spot. If he takes the SGU spot then this is irrelevant.

 

[NurWollen]

I would guess that most people who can get into a top Caribbean school, like the OP, can probably get into a DO school, if not in the same year, then given a year of further application-beefing. It then becomes a question, if the OP doesn't get into to the DO school, of whether or not it is worth waiting a year. I don't think that answer will be the same for everyone. Kind of a personal decision I guess.

Not to derail, but this seems as good a thread as any to ask...
I go undergrad in the Mountain West. DO's are fairly well known here. Several schools recruit heavily here, and as a result my undergrad sends a lot of students to DO programs every year. However, a few summers ago I was working in California, where I grew up, and ran into a high school acquaintance who was graduating from UC Santa Barbara. He had just taken the MCAT and was in the process of applying to med schools. He told me that if he didn't get in he was going to look into the Caribbean. I asked him about DO and he said something along the lines of, "I dunno, I don't know enough about it." Basically he was uninterested in going DO.

So, my question: are there any regional differences in how popular/well known osteopathic programs are? Not that it matters, I am all about going DO, but it's just kind of interesting to see how osteopathic programs a perceived by those who "don't know enough about it."

 

[JaggerPlate]

I would guess that most people who can get into a top Caribbean school, like the OP, can probably get into a DO school, if not in the same year, then given a year of further application-beefing. It then becomes a question, if the OP doesn't get into to the DO school, of whether or not it is worth waiting a year. I don't think that answer will be the same for everyone. Kind of a personal decision I guess.

Not to derail, but this seems as good a thread as any to ask...
I go undergrad in the Mountain West. DO's are fairly well known here. Several schools recruit heavily here, and as a result my undergrad sends a lot of students to DO programs every year. However, a few summers ago I was working in California, where I grew up, and ran into a high school acquaintance who was graduating from UC Santa Barbara. He had just taken the MCAT and was in the process of applying to med schools. He told me that if he didn't get in he was going to look into the Caribbean. I asked him about DO and he said something along the lines of, "I dunno, I don't know enough about it." Basically he was uninterested in going DO.

So, my question: are there any regional differences in how popular/well known osteopathic programs are? Not that it matters, I am all about going DO, but it's just kind of interesting to see how osteopathic programs a perceived by those who "don't know enough about it."

Regional preference is huge. I'm in the 'home' of Osteopathic medicine right now, and DO is obviously huge back here. However, I was born, raised, and did u-grad in CA and always felt like DOs were well represented and understood in S-Cal. That's interesting your friend didn't know as much. I mean, don't get me wrong ... the average joe in CA probably isn't going to know the details of osteopathic medicine, but it surprises me that a pre-med going to a UC didn't know a good deal about it.

 

[Dissected]

So, my question: are there any regional differences in how popular/well known osteopathic programs are? Not that it matters, I am all about going DO, but it's just kind of interesting to see how osteopathic programs a perceived by those who "don't know enough about it."

Its largely unknown/underrepresented in the Pacific Northwest. There's plenty of osteopathic medical students that are from that part of the country, but as far as the general public or even health care professionals go, there is a huge lack of knowledge. I even saw a few doctors back there who didn't really even know what a DO was because they had never worked with one. This will change in the next few decades due to new schools opening up out there (which has been much needed for a while), but its pretty shocking how few DO's there are.