My School List + concerns about discrimination and safety at school locations

[thewonderer8]

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Hey everyone, I’m looking for some guidance on deciding my school list for the 2017-2018 medical school cycle.

My Stats
GPA: 3.89
sGPA: 3.96
MCAT: 502 (CP: 127, CARS: 124, Biochem: 125, PS: 126)

About me
- Graduated in May 2016. I am an Asian Florida resident who is 22 years old.
- Have been a full time postbac researcher at the NIH for a year. Will be for a second year. Suppose this counts as employment and research (40 hours a week).
- Have had about 125 hours of clinical volunteering during undergrad. I’m starting again at a different hospital soon and will have around 200-300 total during application season.
- Was an Orgo Teaching Assistant for three semesters. Probably around 100 hours.
- 100 hours of Community Service as well and hoping to engage in more opportunities as they arise.
- Have a letter from a DO but did not shadow them. We had a wonderful conversation but I was not able to observe them in practice. Trying to find an experience like that now but it’s been difficult.

My current School List
LECOM (Brandleton and PA Campuses)
NOVA COM
VCOM (SC, VA Campuses)
PCOM (GA, PA Campuses)
Touro (NY, CA, NV Campuses)
Western U/COMP (CA, OR Campuses)
Des Moines University
West Virginia
Rocky Vista COM (colorado)
CCOM/MVU (Chicago)

Is this a good list? As a Florida resident, I think my best chances are LECOM B and NOVA COM. I realize that my biggest weakness is my MCAT score but I’m not sure what schools to add. I’m very committed to being an Osteopathic physician but it only recently dawned on me that DO schools are located in rural areas. Excuse my ignorance but it has got me worried about how safe I would be as a 22 year old person with brown skin color. Is this something I should worry about or am I overreacting? Should I worry about issues of discrimination at areas in which DO schools are located? Does anyone has any experience with this? These kind of concerns are what have made me hesitant to add schools in Midwest and more Southern areas.

I hope this doesn’t come off a stupid naïve concern. The current political situation has definitely gotten me more aware of these kind of things.

Thank you.

 

[radian313]

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some guidance on deciding my school list for the 2017-2018 medical school cycle.

My Stats
GPA: 3.89
sGPA: 3.96
MCAT: 502 (CP: 127, CARS: 124, Biochem: 125, PS: 126)

About me
- Graduated in May 2016. I am an Asian Florida resident who is 22 years old.
- Have been a full time postbac researcher at the NIH for a year. Will be for a second year. Suppose this counts as employment and research (40 hours a week).
- Have had about 125 hours of clinical volunteering during undergrad. I’m starting again at a different hospital soon and will have around 200-300 total during application season.
- Was an Orgo Teaching Assistant for three semesters. Probably around 100 hours.
- 100 hours of Community Service as well and hoping to engage in more opportunities as they arise.
- Have a letter from a DO but did not shadow them. We had a wonderful conversation but I was not able to observe them in practice. Trying to find an experience like that now but it’s been difficult.

My current School List
LECOM (Brandleton and PA Campuses)
NOVA COM
VCOM (SC, VA Campuses)
PCOM (GA, PA Campuses)
Touro (NY, CA, NV Campuses)
Western U/COMP (CA, OR Campuses)
Des Moines University
West Virginia
Rocky Vista COM (colorado)
CCOM/MVU (Chicago)

Is this a good list? As a Florida resident, I think my best chances are LECOM B and NOVA COM. I realize that my biggest weakness is my MCAT score but I’m not sure what schools to add. I’m very committed to being an Osteopathic physician but it only recently dawned on me that DO schools are located in rural areas. Excuse my ignorance but it has got me worried about how safe I would be as a 22 year old person with brown skin color. Is this something I should worry about or am I overreacting? Should I worry about issues of discrimination at areas in which DO schools are located? Does anyone has any experience with this? These kind of concerns are what have made me hesitant to add schools in Midwest and more Southern areas.

I hope this doesn’t come off a stupid naïve concern. The current political situation has definitely gotten me more aware of these kind of things.

Thank you.

Chill man. Im not exactly caucasian and I go to WVSOM, and the people and school administration couldn't be nicer. Very happy with my choice.

 

[SlugMD]

In general, medical schools have great administrative support systems. If you do go to a rural school in say North Carolina, West Virginia, etc...you would have people there that care about your well being. If you experienced any sort of discrimination or mental health distress, there are resources to help your reach resolutions to the problems that come your way.

You have a very well rounded application and coupled with a broad school list (20+) should get you at least one acceptance.

 

[235009]

Retake the mcat and apply to US MD schools


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[deleted831695]

Excuse my ignorance but it has got me worried about how safe I would be as a 22 year old person with brown skin color. Is this something I should worry about or am I overreacting? Should I worry about issues of discrimination at areas in which DO schools are located?

Where do you think you'll be comfortable? I'm from a suburban/metro area with a sizeable number of brown people, so I felt a bit out of my element when I was in Kirksville for int. I reckon there's probably a slightly greater chance you'll experience some form of discrimination/racism from locals at a rural area versus anywhere else, but I think you'll be fine especially with the school looking out for you.

 

[austintr]

Retake the mcat and apply to US MD schools
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Start with this. Retake the MCAT and apply MD. That GPA is too pristine to look exclusively at DO schools, unless you're super into OMM/the DO philosophy, etc. (Which most people aren't)

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Which community do you represent? Are you URM?

 

[DoctorCrush]

Which community do you represent? Are you URM?

which Asian community are considered URM?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

None. I agree with MT, retake the MCAT and apply MD. As to your initial question no you have nothing to worry about.

 

[235009]

None.

That's not true. Native pacific islanders.

 

[123456ers]

I'm sure the faculty of each med school, regardless of its geographic location, is going to be open and accepting of you. I'm not a minority so i cant relate to your fear, but I genuinely believe that you will be fine living anywhere in the country.

If I were you though I'd just retake the MCAT and see if you can move up a couple spots. Your CARS section was low; I know some people on here hate critical reading and all that but its an area you could improve in working on your own fairly easily, for example. I would retake the MCAT in june and apply to some DO, your state MD, and depending how you do a couple MD schools too.

Good luck

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

That's not true. Native pacific islanders.

True, I've just never heard a Pacific Islander refer to themselves as Asian before so I just assumed OP wasn't an islander.

 

[Goro]

True! In addition, URM designations can be school specific, as some schools also consider Hmong to be URM. LGBT is getting shoehorned in there as well.

That's not true. Native pacific islanders.

 

[thewonderer8]

Chill man. Im not exactly caucasian and I go to WVSOM, and the people and school administration couldn't be nicer. Very happy with my choice.

Where do you think you'll be comfortable? I'm from a suburban/metro area with a sizeable number of brown people, so I felt a bit out of my element when I was in Kirksville for int. I reckon there's probably a slightly greater chance you'll experience some form of discrimination/racism from locals at a rural area versus anywhere else, but I think you'll be fine especially with the school looking out for you.

In general, medical schools have great
administrative support systems. If you do go to a rural school in say North Carolina, West Virginia, etc...you would have people there that care about your well being. If you experienced any sort of discrimination or mental health distress, there are resources to help your reach resolutions to the problems that come your way.

You have a very well rounded application and coupled with a broad school list (20+) should get you at least one acceptance.

Thank you guys for stressing the support of school administrations. That definitely puts me more at ease. I’ve lived in urban/suburban areas my whole life so a shift to a rural lifestyle will be new to me. I am not a pacific islander so I do not think I classify as a URM.

Retake the mcat and apply to US MD schools


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

Start with this. Retake the MCAT and apply MD. That GPA is too pristine to look exclusively at DO schools, unless you're super into OMM/the DO philosophy, etc. (Which most people aren't)

None. I agree with MT, retake the MCAT and apply MD. As to your initial question no you have nothing to worry about.

I'm sure the faculty of each med school, regardless of its geographic location, is going to be open and accepting of you. I'm not a minority so i cant relate to your fear, but I genuinely believe that you will be fine living anywhere in the country.

If I were you though I'd just retake the MCAT and see if you can move up a couple spots. Your CARS section was low; I know some people on here hate critical reading and all that but its an area you could improve in working on your own fairly easily, for example. I would retake the MCAT in june and apply to some DO, your state MD, and depending how you do a couple MD schools too.

Good luck

Thank you for the advice guys but I didn’t really want this to turn into a “MD vs. DO” thread. I guess these are inevitable here as comparisons will always be made but I’m very focused on applying DO only. After speaking to many DO’s and researching the practice, I’ve come to appreciate it. I think retaking the MCAT, either way, would help me a ton but for very personal reasons, I don’t think a retake is feasible for me at this time. That’s why I’m asking about what school lists tailor to how I am now as an applicant. If you think that I’m taking a high risk as a DO applicant without an MCAT retake, please let me know. Just keep responses DO related please.

 

[Gourd]

If you have no plans to retake MCAT and are exclusively applying to DO, you should be fine. Maybe add some newer schools as backup. I had a friend who applied early in the cycle with a considerably lower gpa and 500 MCAT and he got 4 interview invites. Apply early and you should be fine.


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[235009]

Thank you for the advice guys but I didn’t really want this to turn into a “MD vs. DO” thread. I guess these are inevitable here as comparisons will always be made but I’m very focused on applying DO only. After speaking to many DO’s and researching the practice, I’ve come to appreciate it. I think retaking the MCAT, either way, would help me a ton but for very personal reasons, I don’t think a retake is feasible for me at this time. That’s why I’m asking about what school lists tailor to how I am now as an applicant. If you think that I’m taking a high risk as a DO applicant without an MCAT retake, please let me know. Just keep responses DO related please.

Your MCAT is fine for DO.
I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't point out that you are making a mistake not retaking the MCAT and applying US MD. DO significantly limits your residency opportunities.

 

[trickydick]

I'm a person with brown skin color that has lived in a rural area pretty much my entire life and have never been in any danger because of this. There have been some unpleasant encounters but I doubt you will be completely immune from those in a city or near the coasts. However, by living, working and being a contributing member in a rural community I have found that it is not that difficult to change a lot of people's perspective on "brown people." So if you do end up in a rural area keep an open mind and don't live in fear. If you treat people well they will treat you well.

Also, I'm not arguing against the retake the MCAT crowd, don't know a lot about that. But there are MD schools with training sites in pretty rural areas and I don't think you should shy away from them.

 

[deleted831695]

If you are that passionate about DO, go for it. You'll be a physician, and I'm sure you'll be one of those students that wows people in the osteopathic Match List thread.

 

[austintr]

Thank you guys for stressing the support of school administrations. That definitely puts me more at ease. I’ve lived in urban/suburban areas my whole life so a shift to a rural lifestyle will be new to me. I am not a pacific islander so I do not think I classify as a URM.








Thank you for the advice guys but I didn’t really want this to turn into a “MD vs. DO” thread. I guess these are inevitable here as comparisons will always be made but I’m very focused on applying DO only. After speaking to many DO’s and researching the practice, I’ve come to appreciate it. I think retaking the MCAT, either way, would help me a ton but for very personal reasons, I don’t think a retake is feasible for me at this time. That’s why I’m asking about what school lists tailor to how I am now as an applicant. If you think that I’m taking a high risk as a DO applicant without an MCAT retake, please let me know. Just keep responses DO related

I don't see anything "high risk" in what you've mentioned above, so go for it. This isn't nearly as close to a DO vs. MD thread as you may think it is, so I wouldn't worry about that. I didn't read anything in your original post that indicated you had some sort of affinity for the DO philosophy outside of getting a letter from a DO (without shadowing), so that's my mistake. The default on SDN is to assume DO is the plan for those that do not think they can/should apply MD, unless they specifically state or otherwise indicate they prefer the DO philosophy, OMM, etc. Best of luck to you in your application cycle.

 

[ortnakas]

My "brown" and LGBT friends at LECOM-SH and LECOM-E have reported having some awkward experiences in western Pennsylvania but never said anything about feeling unsafe as a result of minority status.

 

[fourandtwo]

True! In addition, URM designations can be school specific, as some schools also consider Hmong to be URM. LGBT is getting shoehorned in there as well.

I am Asian and also a lesbian and have thought about this topic as well. I was going to be adventurous and "not care what others think" but in light of the political situation in the past months I'm a bit concerned of my mental well being even if it's just little looks I might get from time to time. Can you shine a bit more light on this please?


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[Goro]

U Chicago and JHU are two schools that I know of that treat LGBT as URM.

I do advise LGBT applicants to avoid schools in rural areas, as while the schools might be welcoming, the locale might not.

I am Asian and also a lesbian and have thought about this topic as well. I was going to be adventurous and "not care what others think" but in light of the political situation in the past months I'm a bit concerned of my mental well being even if it's just little looks I might get from time to time. Can you shine a bit more light on this please?


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[fourandtwo]

U Chicago and JHU are two schools that I know of that treat LGBT as URM.

I do advise LGBT applicants to avoid schools in rural areas, as while the schools might be welcoming, the locale might not.

Thank you for that advice, it means a lot to me!


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[DoctorCrush]

U Chicago and JHU are two schools that I know of that treat LGBT as URM.

I do advise LGBT applicants to avoid schools in rural areas, as while the schools might be welcoming, the locale might not.

Goro, do you know of any other than Liberty that one may run into troubles with?

 

[Goro]

I worry about KYCOM, Loma Linda, ACOM, the VCOMs, MCG, Mercer, Quillen, and other schools in the south.

Goro, do you know of any other than Liberty that one may run into troubles with?

 

[pseud0]

It depends if you want to go to school right now, or wait. If you don't mind waiting it out another year you could try the MCAT again, as suggested. If you want/need to get started, apply DO now.

Actually, you might be able to squeeze in an MCAT quickly and be able to apply to MD schools now but I'm not sure exactly.

 

[WGSgrad]

OP concerns are legitimate. I currently live Wisconsin and while I haven't experience violence, I have certainly been discriminated against; denied service. While I am not going to lump all schools in the North or South together as it is possible to experience discrimination wherever you go, I would also be weary of very rural schools. But there are certainly DO school on less rural areas and with your GPA, those should certainly be an option for you.

As an aside, as someone who grew up in upstate NY and then Georgia, I have to say that with respect to the shades of racism, I prefer the South to the North. I'd rather a person look me in the eye with open disgust than behind my back with polite disdain.


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[trickydick]

OP concerns are legitimate. I currently live Wisconsin and while I haven't experience violence, I have certainly been discriminated against; denied service. While I am not going to lump all schools in the North or South together as it is possible to experience discrimination wherever you go, I would also be weary of very rural schools. But there are certainly DO school on less rural areas and with your GPA, those should certainly be an option for you.

As an aside, as someone who grew up in upstate NY and then Georgia, I have to say that with respect to the shades of racism, I prefer the South to the North. I'd rather a person look me in the eye with open disgust than behind my back with polite disdain.


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I am from upstate NY too. OP was worried about safety which I don't think will be an issue. But denial of service and reduced/missed career opportunities due to discrimination will probably be something he/she will have to deal with. On the other hand, OP is much more likely to face housing discrimination in large cities (although I only see that being an issue at touro harlem).