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Looking for some advice... I’m a 28 year old non-trad student. I have a 500mcat and a 3.5-3.6 cGPA/sGPA. I have solid EC’s and a 2 year job working in health care with direct patient contact. I had planned on applying to both MD and DO schools this cycle, but I didn’t take my mcat until May. I was testing higher on practice exams but ended up taking the mcat with a full blown flu (i know i know not a smart move). So when I finally got my scores, primaries were just opening up and I decided that investing a ton of money into MD applications was going to be a poor return on money given my sub-par mcat score. Therefore I applied to mostly DO schools. I planned on retaking my mcat and having to reapply but low and behold I actually got an acceptance to a DO school!
So here’s my predicament. I have a guaranteed acceptance. I also REALLY have my eyes set on a surgical residency (gen surg to be specific). Lately (since my acceptance), I've become a bit more aware of the challenges associated with DOs obtaining surgical specialities. So here’s my question: do I take this DO acceptance and run with it, or do I forgo the acceptance and apply next cycle (with a new mcat score)? Is it such a disadvantage for obtaining surgical residencies as a DO that it would be worth forgoing a DO acceptance? I do genuinely like the school and feel it would be a good fit for me.
My gut is telling me to take the acceptance and run. My concerns about reapplying are twofold. 1) there’s no guarantee I would do significantly better on my mcat and 2) there’s no guarantee that even if I did I would get an MD acceptance. Seems like a huge risk to forgo an acceptance with how difficult it is to get in nowadays (both MD and DO). Nevertheless, I was looking for some outside advice on the matter! Thanks!
So here’s my predicament. I have a guaranteed acceptance. I also REALLY have my eyes set on a surgical residency (gen surg to be specific). Lately (since my acceptance), I've become a bit more aware of the challenges associated with DOs obtaining surgical specialities. So here’s my question: do I take this DO acceptance and run with it, or do I forgo the acceptance and apply next cycle (with a new mcat score)? Is it such a disadvantage for obtaining surgical residencies as a DO that it would be worth forgoing a DO acceptance? I do genuinely like the school and feel it would be a good fit for me.
My gut is telling me to take the acceptance and run. My concerns about reapplying are twofold. 1) there’s no guarantee I would do significantly better on my mcat and 2) there’s no guarantee that even if I did I would get an MD acceptance. Seems like a huge risk to forgo an acceptance with how difficult it is to get in nowadays (both MD and DO). Nevertheless, I was looking for some outside advice on the matter! Thanks!
