Hello, I was hoping to hear other peoples feedback on what I should do. I took the mcat and scored a 496. I had been going through a lot of personal things in my life. I had only applied to a few schools and ultimately got rejected from all but one which is understandable. I had been planning a mcat retake on Jan 10 and possibly getting a late acceptance somewhere else. Im doing better on my practice FLs (502,504). I got accepted to MSOM (the new DO school in Maryland). I know it is pre-accredited and was wondering if going there would be a good idea? Or wait and see how the rest of the cycle goes? Also my sgpa is 3.3 and ECs around 1000 hours mixed b/w clincal, non-clincal, shadowing, but no research. Thanks
Need some guidance
- Thread starter lochand
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Tough call. I usually advice avoiding new schools unless it's your only option. I say this because faculty and curriculum aren't up to speed yet, meaning they have a learning curve too. National board scores are important for matching your residency of choice and if some basic science PhD is teaching their research and not board material, then you are at a disadvantage with regard to your board prep. They also have not set up clinical rotations in hospitals and offices for 3rd and 4th yr students yet, so they could be weak. This is the advantage established schools. It's not all gloom and doom, people from new schools do match, often at a slightly lower rate, say 85% vs 97% established. Should you do an MCAT retake and not get in, stick with the acceptance. Declining an acceptance is not a great look if you become a re applicant. In closing, congrats on your acceptance!! Good luck and best wishes!
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Read
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That said, if it is your only option, it's hard to turn it down if you want to become a physician.
Understanding Accreditation: What Students Need to Know - SDN
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That said, if it is your only option, it's hard to turn it down if you want to become a physician.
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Go in with eyes open to your acceptance. I normally advise people to avoid new schools, but it is your only acceptance.
Something you need to make sure of is that you are over the "I had a lot going on" Medical students need good coping and compartmentalization skills.
And also making good choices. Good luck!
Something you need to make sure of is that you are over the "I had a lot going on" Medical students need good coping and compartmentalization skills.
And also making good choices. Good luck!
If you already have an acceptance, you need to make sure to put down the deposit before the deadline. You need to secure the seat first. Then you can always wait it out for the rest of the cycle. If you have another (or more) acceptance, you will lose your deposit at MSOM, but it's just a gamble we all have to take
