Is anyone else feeling this?

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doc_24

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These past few weeks have been such a roller coaster and I'm starting to process. Little background I applied both DO and MD this past cycle not going to lie I applied DO with the ignorant mentality that "DO was my backup". It clearly now is the reason for any sanity I have. I have a competitive science and non-science GPA but mediocre to low MCAT so I applied quite broad. No I did not retake the MCAT...and honestly there's a much larger reason than the fear of not scoring better. I was at a very vulnerable place in my personal life when I took the MCAT and medicine is the only reason I was able to pick myself back up so I knew I had to apply this cycle.

Overall, I had the chance to interview at multiple DO schools ended up with 4 DO acceptances. I also interviewed at 3 MD's one being a T'5 (based on my MCAT score I would have never stood a chance but this is where my personal story and drive for medicine carried me through). I ended up getting rejected at 1 MD and waitlisted at 2 of the other schools including the T'5.

These past few weeks have been filled with so much anxiety as I waited on hearing from the MD schools and with the whole STEP 1 P/F news coming into light I slipped into a mindset that I NEED to secure an MD acceptance...I even began questioning whether I should start studying to retake my MCAT. Today was the day I got hit with the T'5 waitlist and after crying my eyes out thinking about waiting and possibly not getting accepted I honestly came to the realization that what am I even thinking...why am I discrediting the fact that I get to become a DOCTOR? I get to treat patients regardless of whether I get to specialize...I still get the chance to wake up every day and SERVE people what else could I possibly want from life??

Why are we losing sight of the bigger picture?? I walked out of each DO interview soo happy and wholesome never once did I feel like an imposter. I know as DOs we get looked at from an uneven lens that portrays us as the weaker applicants but I like to think my story proves else wise. I interviewed at all these places regardless...but maybe DO is where I truly belong. I don't know what these next few months have in store but I wanted to see if anyone else is feeling the same or if any other applicant went through this process?
 
What is your GPA and MCAT score?

Edit: I figure if you can apply to only 3 MD schools and get 2 interviews that ended up in WLs, your MCAT might not be as mediocre as you might think. In which case you probably would have had a better chance with a broader list of MD schools within your stat range.
 
DrStephenStrange said:
What is your GPA and MCAT score?

Edit: I figure if you can apply to only 3 MD schools and get 2 interviews that ended up in WLs, your MCAT might not be as mediocre as you might think. In which case you probably would have had a better chance with a broader list of MD schools within your stat range.
Click to expand...
My GPA is 4.0 and MCAT is 503. I applied to 19 MDs sorry I should've clarified a bit more the rejection I mentioned was also post interview so 3 total MD interviews.
 
doc_24 said:
My GPA is 4.0 and MCAT is 503. I applied to 19 MDs sorry I should've clarified a bit more the rejection I mentioned was also post interview so 3 total MD interviews.
Click to expand...
Alright, I see. What are the 4 DO schools that accepted you? Which one do you plan to attend? and what specialties are you interested in? Are you fine with primary care i.e. Internal medicine, Family medicine, pediatrics, Emergency medicine?

Edit: Being waitlisted at 2 MD schools might still end up in an acceptance especially with the new AAMC traffic guidelines. MD schools rely more on their waitlists nowadays and accept fewer students right of the bat because they have to be strategic on who they accept early on until the deadline where accepted students have to commit to enroll (April 30). So there's still some hope for MD.
 
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Being content with your career is one important aspect in life, but it is NOT necessarily the pathway to happiness, or a reprieve from life's daily miseries. Medical education is a long tumultuous journey where you can always look up with envy to your next goal, and often times people spend so much time trying to ensure their success (ie good STEP1). However with that mentality you might get caught up in the 'high' of your ambitions, striving so much for achievements that you don't take a moment to enjoy what's around you in the moment. In that moment you might realize that you're more than content than you think.

Take a breath and realize that there is still a good chance at getting off of an MD school wait list, but also consider where you see yourself in 10 years and if you are happy in that position. Maybe you see yourself in your own family practice, and that's when you realize that it doesn't matter DO or MD. With either path, you will get to alleviate suffering.

The one qualifier I have for you, is that if you are the type of person who places tremendous value on their own individual accomplishments, and likes to compare your success to that of others; you might find yourself unhappy as a result of the DO.
 
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Allosteopath said:
Being content with your career is one important aspect in life, but it is NOT necessarily the pathway to happiness, or a reprieve from life's daily miseries. Medical education is a long tumultuous journey where you can always look up with envy to your next goal, and often times people spend so much time trying to ensure their success (ie good STEP1). However with that mentality you might get caught up in the 'high' of your ambitions, striving so much for achievements that you don't take a moment to enjoy what's around you in the moment. In that moment you might realize that you're more than content than you think.

Take a breath and realize that there is still a good chance at getting off of an MD school wait list, but also consider where you see yourself in 10 years and if you are happy in that position. Maybe you see yourself in your own family practice, and that's when you realize that it doesn't matter DO or MD. With either path, you will get to alleviate suffering.

The one qualifier I have for you, is that if you are the type of person who places tremendous value on their own individual accomplishments, and likes to compare your success to that of others; you might find yourself unhappy as a result of the DO.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your reply and advice thank you!
 
doc_24 said:
My GPA is 4.0 and MCAT is 503. I applied to 19 MDs sorry I should've clarified a bit more the rejection I mentioned was also post interview so 3 total MD interviews.
Click to expand...

What was your FLs scoring range?
 
I remember a long time ago (20 years?), I contemplated the pros and cons of going to a DO school. The thought of closing the door of ever becoming an MD is so very scary. I was young and had years to spare, so I was seriously thinking about re-applying to MD schools (I was waitlisted at the time) rather than attending one of the 6 DO schools where I was accepted.

I finally decided to attend the state school with inexpensive tuition. I figure even if I get into MD after reapplying, it will probably be a private school anyway. The tuition saving is undeniable.

That uneasy feeling of missing out on being an MD fades slowly throughout medical school. 5 years after graduation I no longer have that longing of what life could have been as an MD. That is mainly because after working with other MDs after residency, I realized that there is really no difference in prestige and income. Your success is solely decided by what kind of person and doctor you are, not your degree.

I can honestly say that had I been an MD, I would not be doing as well as I am right now professionally and financially. I thank my lucky star every day that I decided to be a DO rather than MD, because my path will never have been possible as an MD.

MD vs DO is not ever a life-changing decision for anyone I know. It is the specialty you end up in. Granted you can argue there are more opportunities as an MD, but you cannot predict your future path. You will be where you meant to be because you are who you are. Only you will miss out or take advantage of opportunities in front of you; your degree won't do that for you.

Just look back at all the anguish and doubts you had when you are with your first boy/girlfriends. The things you think that are big deals seems so insignificant now. That is how I feel about the MD DO anxiety back then.

In the end, it may not matter because I think MD-DO degrees will merge in our lifetime. I would venture to say within 10 years. Who knows!
 
Solodyn said:
I remember a long time ago (20 years?), I contemplated the pros and cons of going to a DO school. The thought of closing the door of ever becoming an MD is so very scary. I was young and had years to spare, so I was seriously thinking about re-applying to MD schools (I was waitlisted at the time) rather than attending one of the 6 DO schools where I was accepted.

I finally decided to attend the state school with inexpensive tuition. I figure even if I get into MD after reapplying, it will probably be a private school anyway. The tuition saving is undeniable.

That uneasy feeling of missing out on being an MD fades slowly throughout medical school. 5 years after graduation I no longer have that longing of what life could have been as an MD. That is mainly because after working with other MDs after residency, I realized that there is really no difference in prestige and income. Your success is solely decided by what kind of person and doctor you are, not your degree.

I can honestly say that had I been an MD, I would not be doing as well as I am right now professionally and financially. I thank my lucky star every day that I decided to be a DO rather than MD, because my path will never have been possible as an MD.

MD vs DO is not ever a life-changing decision for anyone I know. It is the specialty you end up in. Granted you can argue there are more opportunities as an MD, but you cannot predict your future path. You will be where you meant to be because you are who you are. Only you will miss out or take advantage of opportunities in front of you; your degree won't do that for you.

Just look back at all the anguish and doubts you had when you are with your first boy/girlfriends. The things you think that are big deals seems so insignificant now. That is how I feel about the MD DO anxiety back then.

In the end, it may not matter because I think MD-DO degrees will merge in our lifetime. I would venture to say within 10 years. Who knows!
Click to expand...
Thank you so much I needed this more than anything. I feel like I am at the exact same spot as your younger self deciding between moving forward with DO or waiting it out and possibly reapplying for MD. I have no idea what the next few months have in store but I have decided to carry forth with choosing a DO school out of my current acceptances.

I really appreciate your words and reassurance. Your words of "You will be where you are meant to be because you are who you are" honestly mean the world. This is the kind of inspiration that I truly needed thank you!
 
There is no guarantee even with a retaken MCAT you will get in anywhere. These acceptances might be your only shot.

Would you be unhappy without a prestigious specialization? More of a premedical issue.
 
Solodyn said:
I can honestly say that had I been an MD, I would not be doing as well as I am right now professionally and financially. I thank my lucky star every day that I decided to be a DO rather than MD, because my path will never have been possible as an MD.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on this, please?
 
doc_24 said:
I took my FLs all over 5 weeks so they varied quite a bit lowest was 490 highest was 512. Week before I got a 505 closest to actual.
Click to expand...
You are right where you should be, retaking will not help given the history of point drop (512 to 505 I assume).
 
Whysoez said:
You are right where you should be, retaking will not help given the history of point drop (512 to 505 I assume).
Click to expand...
Yeah definitely not planning on retaking at all. I am content with where I am at in the cycle and honestly feel quite lucky not sure what carried me through this cycle. But I'm definitely not going to risk it by reapplying.
 
Osteosaur said:
There is no guarantee even with a retaken MCAT you will get in anywhere. These acceptances might be your only shot.

Would you be unhappy without a prestigious specialization? More of a premedical issue.
Click to expand...

Bad advice. With 5 MD IIs with one being top 5, I would absolutely ANKIng the MCAT hard in order to secure my happiness.

ANKIng for the MCAT is nothing in comparison to ANKIng for Step 1 and Step 2.
 
slowthai said:
Can you elaborate on this, please?
Click to expand...
He is a DO dermatologist. Not to say it wasn't hard (I'm sure it was!) but there is a strong argument to be made that it was easier to match an ultra competitive specialty out of DO school before our generation got owned by the merger so he is probably referring to that.
 
doc_24 said:
These past few weeks have been such a roller coaster and I'm starting to process. Little background I applied both DO and MD this past cycle not going to lie I applied DO with the ignorant mentality that "DO was my backup". It clearly now is the reason for any sanity I have. I have a competitive science and non-science GPA but mediocre to low MCAT so I applied quite broad. No I did not retake the MCAT...and honestly there's a much larger reason than the fear of not scoring better. I was at a very vulnerable place in my personal life when I took the MCAT and medicine is the only reason I was able to pick myself back up so I knew I had to apply this cycle.

Overall, I had the chance to interview at multiple DO schools ended up with 4 DO acceptances. I also interviewed at 3 MD's one being a T'5 (based on my MCAT score I would have never stood a chance but this is where my personal story and drive for medicine carried me through). I ended up getting rejected at 1 MD and waitlisted at 2 of the other schools including the T'5.

These past few weeks have been filled with so much anxiety as I waited on hearing from the MD schools and with the whole STEP 1 P/F news coming into light I slipped into a mindset that I NEED to secure an MD acceptance...I even began questioning whether I should start studying to retake my MCAT. Today was the day I got hit with the T'5 waitlist and after crying my eyes out thinking about waiting and possibly not getting accepted I honestly came to the realization that what am I even thinking...why am I discrediting the fact that I get to become a DOCTOR? I get to treat patients regardless of whether I get to specialize...I still get the chance to wake up every day and SERVE people what else could I possibly want from life??

Why are we losing sight of the bigger picture?? I walked out of each DO interview soo happy and wholesome never once did I feel like an imposter. I know as DOs we get looked at from an uneven lens that portrays us as the weaker applicants but I like to think my story proves else wise. I interviewed at all these places regardless...but maybe DO is where I truly belong. I don't know what these next few months have in store but I wanted to see if anyone else is feeling the same or if any other applicant went through this process?
Click to expand...

In an almost identical situation, PM me if you need someplace to vent openly lol
 
doc_24 said:
These past few weeks have been such a roller coaster and I'm starting to process. Little background I applied both DO and MD this past cycle not going to lie I applied DO with the ignorant mentality that "DO was my backup". It clearly now is the reason for any sanity I have. I have a competitive science and non-science GPA but mediocre to low MCAT so I applied quite broad. No I did not retake the MCAT...and honestly there's a much larger reason than the fear of not scoring better. I was at a very vulnerable place in my personal life when I took the MCAT and medicine is the only reason I was able to pick myself back up so I knew I had to apply this cycle.

Overall, I had the chance to interview at multiple DO schools ended up with 4 DO acceptances. I also interviewed at 3 MD's one being a T'5 (based on my MCAT score I would have never stood a chance but this is where my personal story and drive for medicine carried me through). I ended up getting rejected at 1 MD and waitlisted at 2 of the other schools including the T'5.

These past few weeks have been filled with so much anxiety as I waited on hearing from the MD schools and with the whole STEP 1 P/F news coming into light I slipped into a mindset that I NEED to secure an MD acceptance...I even began questioning whether I should start studying to retake my MCAT. Today was the day I got hit with the T'5 waitlist and after crying my eyes out thinking about waiting and possibly not getting accepted I honestly came to the realization that what am I even thinking...why am I discrediting the fact that I get to become a DOCTOR? I get to treat patients regardless of whether I get to specialize...I still get the chance to wake up every day and SERVE people what else could I possibly want from life??

Why are we losing sight of the bigger picture?? I walked out of each DO interview soo happy and wholesome never once did I feel like an imposter. I know as DOs we get looked at from an uneven lens that portrays us as the weaker applicants but I like to think my story proves else wise. I interviewed at all these places regardless...but maybe DO is where I truly belong. I don't know what these next few months have in store but I wanted to see if anyone else is feeling the same or if any other applicant went through this process?

This is exceedingly easy to say as a premed, talk to me in about 7-8 years when you have busted your butt that entire time. Eventually youll realize that it is a job like any other and its extremely important to have a chance to get into the field you would enjoy, so that you have a job you can tolerate and that is reimbursed fairly. It is definitely not all about serving people.
Click to expand...
 
DO will limit your options for uber competitive specialties if youre not a stellar candidate otherwise. You can still match most fields as a DO, just not usually at great places and usually not without extra effort put in. There are students who match derm etc every year from top schools who decided last minute and took a spot from a DO or lower ranked student who had been doing research for years. Its the way it is.
If you would be happy doing anything in medicine, as it seems you would be, go DO and be happy. If you want to be a great doctor, work your ass off in med school and residency and beyond.
 
doc_24 said:
These past few weeks have been such a roller coaster and I'm starting to process. Little background I applied both DO and MD this past cycle not going to lie I applied DO with the ignorant mentality that "DO was my backup". It clearly now is the reason for any sanity I have. I have a competitive science and non-science GPA but mediocre to low MCAT so I applied quite broad. No I did not retake the MCAT...and honestly there's a much larger reason than the fear of not scoring better. I was at a very vulnerable place in my personal life when I took the MCAT and medicine is the only reason I was able to pick myself back up so I knew I had to apply this cycle.

Overall, I had the chance to interview at multiple DO schools ended up with 4 DO acceptances. I also interviewed at 3 MD's one being a T'5 (based on my MCAT score I would have never stood a chance but this is where my personal story and drive for medicine carried me through). I ended up getting rejected at 1 MD and waitlisted at 2 of the other schools including the T'5.

These past few weeks have been filled with so much anxiety as I waited on hearing from the MD schools and with the whole STEP 1 P/F news coming into light I slipped into a mindset that I NEED to secure an MD acceptance...I even began questioning whether I should start studying to retake my MCAT. Today was the day I got hit with the T'5 waitlist and after crying my eyes out thinking about waiting and possibly not getting accepted I honestly came to the realization that what am I even thinking...why am I discrediting the fact that I get to become a DOCTOR? I get to treat patients regardless of whether I get to specialize...I still get the chance to wake up every day and SERVE people what else could I possibly want from life??

Why are we losing sight of the bigger picture?? I walked out of each DO interview soo happy and wholesome never once did I feel like an imposter. I know as DOs we get looked at from an uneven lens that portrays us as the weaker applicants but I like to think my story proves else wise. I interviewed at all these places regardless...but maybe DO is where I truly belong. I don't know what these next few months have in store but I wanted to see if anyone else is feeling the same or if any other applicant went through this process?
Click to expand...
From my perspective, I'm an RN that has applied both MD/DO and only accepted DO. I have been in awe of what the physicians that I work with do and that's why I decided to go back to medical school. It wasn't until I was almost to the application process that I realized 1/2 of the docs I work with are DO's. When the **** has hit the fan they have always been there and come through, never noticed a difference between the MD's or DO's. None of the staff or patients you work with are going to ask are you DO or MD, it literally never comes up and I would think I'm living proof of that. The patients want to know how you can help them that day with their pain/suffering/prognosis and the nurses expect that you are competent and know how to enter the orders written in a way that they like and don't put outlandish things that they will call at 0200 to clarify. 😉
 
doc_24 said:
These past few weeks have been such a roller coaster and I'm starting to process. Little background I applied both DO and MD this past cycle not going to lie I applied DO with the ignorant mentality that "DO was my backup". It clearly now is the reason for any sanity I have. I have a competitive science and non-science GPA but mediocre to low MCAT so I applied quite broad. No I did not retake the MCAT...and honestly there's a much larger reason than the fear of not scoring better. I was at a very vulnerable place in my personal life when I took the MCAT and medicine is the only reason I was able to pick myself back up so I knew I had to apply this cycle.

Overall, I had the chance to interview at multiple DO schools ended up with 4 DO acceptances. I also interviewed at 3 MD's one being a T'5 (based on my MCAT score I would have never stood a chance but this is where my personal story and drive for medicine carried me through). I ended up getting rejected at 1 MD and waitlisted at 2 of the other schools including the T'5.

These past few weeks have been filled with so much anxiety as I waited on hearing from the MD schools and with the whole STEP 1 P/F news coming into light I slipped into a mindset that I NEED to secure an MD acceptance...I even began questioning whether I should start studying to retake my MCAT. Today was the day I got hit with the T'5 waitlist and after crying my eyes out thinking about waiting and possibly not getting accepted I honestly came to the realization that what am I even thinking...why am I discrediting the fact that I get to become a DOCTOR? I get to treat patients regardless of whether I get to specialize...I still get the chance to wake up every day and SERVE people what else could I possibly want from life??

Why are we losing sight of the bigger picture?? I walked out of each DO interview soo happy and wholesome never once did I feel like an imposter. I know as DOs we get looked at from an uneven lens that portrays us as the weaker applicants but I like to think my story proves else wise. I interviewed at all these places regardless...but maybe DO is where I truly belong. I don't know what these next few months have in store but I wanted to see if anyone else is feeling the same or if any other applicant went through this process?
Click to expand...

I was talking to my one friend who's applying, and what was interesting is that I can honestly make a better personal statement for why DO over why medicine. It was such a weirdly wholesome realization that some other people I was with commented on. I wish the DO profession was respected by pd's a bit more, but I have found that many many people in my clinic absolutely love the DO's they have worked with, and a significant number said that they would actually prefer the DO physicians. Granted their preference won't get you into specialties, but that goes to show the connections people are making.
 
As a 4th year DO student about to match in 6 days (God willin'), all I have to say is this...

The DO route was a path with more roadblocks to get over compared to the MD side. MDs will always have the upper hand in terms of residency. It is what it is.

I, along with many of my classmates, took 5 high stakes exams vs having to do only 3 like MDs do before applying to residency.

Many of our rotation sites have been dropping their contracts with our school and our class size is expanding and whatever we got is a lot of one on one preceptorships that has to do with a lot of shadowing.

OMM is a TIMESINK AT TIMES. Emphasis on "AT TIMES". It can be a huge pain in the ass when you are trying to prep for boards or doing rotations and you have to take time out of your schedule to get OMM procedures signed off stating you did them in a clinical setting, or presented a poster on the topic, or TA'ed a 5 hour class with your OMM professor. However, I have learned useful things that I do use with family and friends time to time. But still... I would be happier if our OMM was condensed more than it already is.

However, I knew what I signed up for. I'm grateful for my program because it allowed me to be either near or at home with my parents pretty much every weekend of basic sciences and am actually now living at home rent-free all of 4th year due to freedom of scheduling and hope to do the same for residency.

I personally wouldn't change a thing.

Find out what's important to you and chase those things. Life is too short to stress about what-ifs.
 
Fishwithadeagle said:
I was talking to my one friend who's applying, and what was interesting is that I can honestly make a better personal statement for why DO over why medicine. It was such a weirdly wholesome realization that some other people I was with commented on. I wish the DO profession was respected by pd's a bit more, but I have found that many many people in my clinic absolutely love the DO's they have worked with, and a significant number said that they would actually prefer the DO physicians. Granted their preference won't get you into specialties, but that goes to show the connections people are making.
Click to expand...
They like the people not the degree. Give these people an MD and they would still be likeable. That's called being a likeable person...
 
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