Narrowing down the right DO school

[Doctor Dapper]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey guys! I recently received my MCAT scores and put together my school list today. I'll be applying to 19 MD schools and 14 DO schools, but noticed how expensive the process gets once you factor in the secondary app costs.

I'm wondering what you think about me narrowing my list of DO schools down a bit. I have two or three schools that are top choices for DO and was interested on your thoughts about whether I should risk shortening my DO list based on my stats: cGPA 3.9 sGPA 3.9 MCAT 28, solid ECs, clinical experiences, non-trad, URM (latino), 100 hours of shadowing, good LORs.

I'm just afraid that if I narrow my list and don't get in this cycle, i'll be devastated and wondering whether I should have just spent the $4100 and kept 34 schools on the list. 😕

My top DO choice is PCOM, Nova, NYCOM, and Touoro-NYCOM. Top choices for MD are Univ. Maryland (my state school), GWU, Drexel, Univ. PA, NY Medical, and Rush.

Do you think my stats will be solid enough for my top DO school choices???

My DO School list is:

CUSOM
CCOM-MWU
LECOM-Seton Hill
LECOM-Bradenton
NY-COM
NSU - COM
PCOM
GA-PCOM
TOUROCOM-NY
UMDNJ-SOM
UNE-COM
VCOM
VCOM-SC
WV-SOM

Thanks!!!!

 

[Mosonik]

While there are never any givens in this process called applying for medical school I think, only knowing the basics of your app, you should be fine to narrow down your DO list. Just make sure you maintain some variability in which programs you keep and/or eliminate (i.e. don't only keep the MCAT heavy schools like NSU, NYCOM, CCOM, etc since you are about average for those classes MCAT scores).

If you haven't yet I recommend looking at the CIB for DO schools to help narrow your list. Along with their websites you should have enough info to know where may be a potential fit or stretch for your style.

Good luck

 

[Mr Kenobi]

Do you think my stats will be solid enough for my top DO school choices???

My DO School list is:

CUSOM
CCOM-MWU
LECOM-Seton Hill
LECOM-Bradenton
NY-COM
NSU - COM
PCOM
GA-PCOM
TOUROCOM-NY
UMDNJ-SOM
UNE-COM
VCOM
VCOM-SC
WV-SOM

Thanks!!!!

Yes.

 

[cliquesh]

I'd add DMU, KCUMB, NYCOM, and AZCOM, and get rid of WVSOM (too expensive OOS), CUSOM (new school), GA-PCOM, and VCOM-SC unless you selected those schools based on location.

 

[darklabel]

While there are never any givens in this process called applying for medical school I think, only knowing the basics of your app, you should be fine to narrow down your DO list. Just make sure you maintain some variability in which programs you keep and/or eliminate (i.e. don't only keep the MCAT heavy schools like NSU, NYCOM, CCOM, etc since you are about average for those classes MCAT scores).

If you haven't yet I recommend looking at the CIB for DO schools to help narrow your list. Along with their websites you should have enough info to know where may be a potential fit or stretch for your style.

Good luck

His MCAT is 28, which is fine for MCAT heavy DO schools and his GPA is a 3.9. DO schools, even MCAT heavy ones, means that their average is ~27-28 so he's fine.

Op, just limit your schools to the ones in blue. You should get interviews at all of them.

 

[NYEMMED]

You have good stats, and a good shot:
I would say this, Take little time, look over each schools match list and see which one will get you into a good program in the field you prefer (it is early to know also)

PCOM and NYCOM are both very strong DO schools in the NY/ NJ area. Both have good reputations. If you want to match in the NY/ NJ area (which is generally harder than other areas, not including cali etc..) I would recommend NYCOM (NYIT-COM- sigh... I hate this name) as a strong school with lots of residency connections in the area, and a very impressive match list.

 

[Goro]

Quit fussing; your numbers are fine.

Hey guys! I recently received my MCAT scores and put together my school list today. I'll be applying to 19 MD schools and 14 DO schools, but noticed how expensive the process gets once you factor in the secondary app costs.

I'm wondering what you think about me narrowing my list of DO schools down a bit. I have two or three schools that are top choices for DO and was interested on your thoughts about whether I should risk shortening my DO list based on my stats: cGPA 3.9 sGPA 3.9 MCAT 28, solid ECs, clinical experiences, non-trad, URM (latino), 100 hours of shadowing, good LORs.

I'm just afraid that if I narrow my list and don't get in this cycle, i'll be devastated and wondering whether I should have just spent the $4100 and kept 34 schools on the list. 😕

My top DO choice is PCOM, Nova, NYCOM, and Touoro-NYCOM. Top choices for MD are Univ. Maryland (my state school), GWU, Drexel, Univ. PA, NY Medical, and Rush.

Do you think my stats will be solid enough for my top DO school choices???

My DO School list is:

CUSOM
CCOM-MWU
LECOM-Seton Hill
LECOM-Bradenton
NY-COM
NSU - COM
PCOM
GA-PCOM
TOUROCOM-NY
UMDNJ-SOM
UNE-COM
VCOM
VCOM-SC
WV-SOM

Thanks!!!!

 

[DolFAN]

Narrow down your DO school list. I'd apply to like 3-5.

I'd also narrow down your MD list, it's pretty long. Apply to ones that you fall within their range. Like if there average is 30-35 MCAT, dont apply.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Apply ASAP. You're in excellent standing for Nova.

 

[survivordo]

Your biggest problem isn't your list, it's that you haven't submitted your app. Rolling admissions my friend, get it out there!

Survivor DO

 

[Doctor Dapper]

Thanks for the info! Application is going out in the next day or two. Just got my MCAT scores from AAMC and had a delay on one of my transcripts. I'm hoping for a good cycle!

 

[curtis6556]

I'd add DMU, KCUMB, NYCOM, and AZCOM, and get rid of WVSOM (too expensive OOS), CUSOM (new school), GA-PCOM, and VCOM-SC unless you selected those schools based on location.

Why do you say take VCOM-SC off the list?

 

[cliquesh]

Why do you say take VCOM-SC off the list?

It's a new school. They accepted their first class in 2011. The OP stats are too good to end up there, so there's no reason for him/her to apply there, unless location is a factor. I have no knowledge of the quality of education at vcom-sc.

 

[Back 5]

Would OP really take any of those DO schools over any of his listed MD schools?

 

[DrEnderW]

While this is slightly biased, take a good hard look at Touro COM NY - I was very pleasantly surprised with the school and this years match list.

The school is becoming increasingly competitive now that a few classes have graduated and because of the desirable NYC location. They are and the up and up in the area.

GL

 

[DrEnderW]

Would OP really take any of those DO schools over any of his listed MD schools?

Well that depends on an MD acceptance, which he/she doesn't yet have... and if location trumps a specific school.

GWU and NYMC receive >12k applications - no matter what your stats are those programs are a gamble. Rush is another one everyone applies to. I had the avg accepted stats from all those schools and got no love, so it's very hard to quantify.

 

[Doctor Dapper]

I would be very happy to be able to decide between an MD and DO school- I guess that means I got in somewhere!

Honestly, while I lean towards MD, simply because of the many unknowns associated with residency programs, I'm not really set on either. I like qualities in both. If I had to decide between MD/DO, I'd have a preference for MD but the decision would weigh heavily on cost of tuition and distance from our family. My wife would really like to stay close to Maryland, but if the opportunity is good, we're willing to move wherever necessary.

While my GPA is fine, I feel like my MCAT makes every MD application a Hail Mary (especially because my state school will be unlikely to show me any love). I realize a 28 is probably good enough to become a doctor one day (providing the rest of my app is okay), so I'd rather not take that test again 🙂

 

[curtis6556]

It's a new school. They accepted their first class in 2011. The OP stats are too good to end up there, so there's no reason for him/her to apply there, unless location is a factor. I have no knowledge of the quality of education at vcom-sc.

oh, i thought you meant that the OP was not good enough to get into; needless to say i was a little confused lol thanks for the reply, as i have my eyes on vcom-sc since i live about 20 minutes away.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Would OP really take any of those DO schools over any of his listed MD schools?

I probably wouldn't. Highly dependent on what OP values, though.

 

[lalongo]

While this is slightly biased, take a good hard look at Touro COM NY - I was very pleasantly surprised with the school and this years match list.

The school is becoming increasingly competitive now that a few classes have graduated and because of the desirable NYC location. They are and the up and up in the area.

GL

Sorry for derailing the thread but where can I find this 2013 match list for Touro NY?

 

[cliquesh]

Sorry for derailing the thread but where can I find this 2013 match list for Touro NY?

I don't think it's been posted yet.

But here is a post from DocEspan, a recent grad of touro-ny, http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=983661&page=3


I figured I would try to resist the urge to post results until we had a more complete list.... but looks like the TouroNY list wont be out in full for a while. So here is a partial list from an e-mail with some additions (in parenthesis) from me on other confirmed matches in the NRMP that werent explicitly listed in the e-mail.

anything in parenthesis is my addition based on other confirmed (from the person directly) results.

"I know everyone eagerly awaits today’s NRMP results. As a bit of background, 83% of our students who went through the DO match were matched, well above the national average.

In the NRMP match, 68 current seniors entered rank order lists and there were 56 matches, which is also well above the historic national average .

A partial list of the NRMP matches by hospital is listed;

Einstein/Montefiore - Pediatrics, PM&R
Einstein/Jacobi - Emergency Medicine
NYU School of Medicine - PM&R (2)
SUNY HSC Brooklyn (Downstate) - Psychiatry, Radiology
Lenox Hill Hospital - OBGYN, Medicine
Columbia Presbyterian - PM&R
St Luke’s Roosevelt - Surgery (categorical)
Cleveland Clinic - Medicine
Johns Hopkins - Psychiatry
U Connecticut School of Medicine - Medicine, Anesthesiology
Staten Island University Hospital - Psychiatry, Surgery (categorical)
University of Massachusetts Medical School - Internal Medicine
StonyBrook Teaching Hospital - PM&R, Family Medicine, Pediatrics
NYMC/Westchester Medical Center - Pediatrics (2), Medicine
University of Washington - Anesthesia
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson - Neurology, Family Medicine, Pediatrics
Maimonides - Anesthesia, Medicine
(SUNY Buffalo - EM)
(Weill Cornell - PM&R)
(UC Irvine - IM)
(Midwestern University - OBGYN)
(North Shore LIJ - Psychiatry)
(U of Washington, Seattle - Anesthesiology)
(Jamaica Hospital - FM)

Other Hospitals include Riverside, U of Florida (anesthesia), St Barnabas (Emergency medicine, Radiology), Morristown, Stamford, LSU, Flushing (PM&R), NUMC (psychiatry, FM), U of Rochester (Radiology), Lincoln Medical Center, U of Colorado (Anesthesiology), Cooper University, St Chris Children’s Hospital (peds), Oregon Health and Sciences, and Temple

 

[DrEnderW]

As an incoming M1 I've only seen it and don't want to be the one to share it. Hopefully a current student will post it soon.

 

[Doctor Dapper]

Thanks for your help! Narrowed to 7 DO schools and 23 MD schools.

DO Schools
CCOM-MWU
NYIT-COM
NSU - COM
PCOM
TOUROCOM-NY
UMDNJ-SOM
VCOM

 

[Temperature101]

I would be very happy to be able to decide between an MD and DO school- I guess that means I got in somewhere!

Honestly, while I lean towards MD, simply because of the many unknowns associated with residency programs, I'm not really set on either. I like qualities in both. If I had to decide between MD/DO, I'd have a preference for MD but the decision would weigh heavily on cost of tuition and distance from our family. My wife would really like to stay close to Maryland, but if the opportunity is good, we're willing to move wherever necessary.

While my GPA is fine, I feel like my MCAT makes every MD application a Hail Mary (especially because my state school will be unlikely to show me any love). I realize a 28 is probably good enough to become a doctor one day (providing the rest of my app is okay), so I'd rather not take that test again 🙂

Lol...

 

[235009]

Thanks for your help! Narrowed to 7 DO schools and 23 MD schools.

DO Schools
CCOM-MWU
NYIT-COM
NSU - COM
PCOM
TOUROCOM-NY
UMDNJ-SOM
VCOM

I'm a bit concerned about your MD school list. Is UPenn still on your list? You're a strong applicant for DO schools but your MCAT makes you a below average MD applicant therefore any app to a top 20 school is a complete waste of time and money. If you want to include reaches you can have schools like NYU and Einstein but top tier schools aren't going to look at a 28 MCAT unless you're a URM.

 

[Doctor Dapper]

I'm a bit concerned about your MD school list. Is UPenn still on your list? You're a strong applicant for DO schools but your MCAT makes you a below average MD applicant therefore any app to a top 20 school is a complete waste of time and money. If you want to include reaches you can have schools like NYU and Einstein but top tier schools aren't going to look at a 28 MCAT unless you're a URM.

I am a URM but I wasn't choosing schools based on that- I went through the MSAR and found schols with a 10th percentile MCAT of 27 or 28 and a median of 31 or less. Then I weeded many schools out by looking at the IS/OOS acceptance rate. My info came from the MSAR. Think I should I keep it on the list as a URM (hispanic) or remove it?

 

[lalongo]

Thanks cliquesh and DrEnderW!

 

[thepoopologist]

3.9/28/URM should get you into an MD school.

Would OP really take any of those DO schools over any of his listed MD schools?

Of course he'll go to the one with the bloated tuition, that goes without saying.

 

[235009]

I am a URM but I wasn't choosing schools based on that- I went through the MCAT and found schols with a 10th percentile MCAT of 27 or 28 and a median of 31 or less. Than I weeded many schools out by looking at the IS/OOS acceptance rate. My info came from the MSAR. Think I should I keep it on the list as a URM (hispanic) or remove it?

Oh that changes everything. Yea keep it. It's a reach but not impossible like it would've been if you weren't a URM.