Never shadowed a DO but I know some

[premedprincess26]

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I want to apply to DO school, but I have never shadowed a DO. I have talked to many of them through my various EC's but never officially shadowed. Is this ok, and can I still apply? Thanks!

 

[AzizImSorry]

Of course you can still apply... but why not shadow one of them anyway? I think it's a requisite for (a lot of) schools and it would be a good talking point at the least in your interviews/topic to write about in your PS about how osteopathic medicine is in practice and why you want to be a DO.

 

[DrMikeP]

It's something you can control that will boost your application so why not shadow and get a DO LOR? You can still apply to many, but some require a DO letter so look at the schools u are interested in.

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[premedprincess26]

It's something you can control that will boost your application so why not shadow and get a DO LOR? You can still apply to many, but some require a DO letter so look at the schools u are interested in.

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But I want to apply soon, so would i even have time to do it?

 

[Falcons22]

It's worth waiting another week or two to submit your application. You should really get a LOR from a DO, and shadow a DO to see if that is what you really want to do in life. How do you know you want to be a DO, if you never shadowed one or seen first hand what they do? Med schools will ask you in secondary questions and/or interviews your experiences shadowing a DO or what you know about osteopathic medicine, and if you have never shadowed one then they will really not take you seriously since you are just getting info from online and not first hand from a DO shadowing in practice. No matter what your GPA and MCAT is, you should for sure get a LOR. I know many DO schools require a DO letter. Even if they don't, you should give them one, or two.

 

[acapnial]

It's worth waiting another week or two to submit your application. You should really get a LOR from a DO, and shadow a DO to see if that is what you really want to do in life. How do you know you want to be a DO, if you never shadowed one or seen first hand what they do? Med schools will ask you in secondary questions and/or interviews your experiences shadowing a DO or what you know about osteopathic medicine, and if you have never shadowed one then they will really not take you seriously since you are just getting info from online and not first hand from a DO shadowing in practice. No matter what your GPA and MCAT is, you should for sure get a LOR. I know many DO schools require a DO letter. Even if they don't, you should give them one, or two.

That's amateur stuff. Good osteopathic applicants not only have at least 3-4 DO LOR's by application time, they keep shadowing DO's long after they get accepted.

 

[Falcons22]

That's amateur stuff. Good osteopathic applicants not only have at least 3-4 DO LOR's by application time, they keep shadowing DO's long after they get accepted.

So true. I have 3 DO LOR's and still sit in on a few surgeries with a DO anesthesiologist. If you are truly interested in being a DO you should be around them in practice, as much as you can. Not sure if you have a 3.8+gpa and over 85th percentile MCAT, then maybe 1 DO LOR will suffice, but you need to show the admissions committee you are truly interested in being a DO and what you have seen, felt, experienced.

 

[munchmeat]

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[DrMikeP]

But I want to apply soon, so would i even have time to do it?

Many schools that do want such by time of secondary or interview. Submit now and add it later. A month of shadowing and many DOs would give you a good letter. I had one do and one md lor and I'm in. Being able to discuss the exp as why you know DO during interviews is invaluable.

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[mathnerd88]

That's amateur stuff. Good osteopathic applicants not only have at least 3-4 DO LOR's by application time, they keep shadowing DO's long after they get accepted.

One is enough. No need to go overboard here.

Shadowing is just to see what DO's do. It doesn't add any extra benefit if you have 3-4 letters than just having one.

There's a difference between watching someone, than actually doing it. Volunteer work, at least to me, has a lot more value than more DO letters.

 

[acapnial]

One is enough. No need to go overboard here.

OK, I'll be serious now. I was using hyperbole to make fun of how serious people around here can be about getting DO letters.

The real answer is that some schools require a DO letter, but in the overarching process of getting into an osteopathic school, it's not necessary. Just pick schools wisely from the CIB (use schools that do not require or strongly recommend a DO letter). At many osteopathic schools schools, having a DO LOR instead of an MD one will not boost your application in the slightest.

It is definitely not necessary to figure out if you want to be a DO.

 

[DrMikeP]

OK, I'll be serious now. I was using hyperbole to make fun of how serious people around here can be about getting DO letters.

The real answer is that some schools require a DO letter, but in the overarching process of getting into an osteopathic school, it's not necessary. Just pick schools wisely from the CIB (use schools that do not require or strongly recommend a DO letter). At many osteopathic schools schools, having a DO LOR instead of an MD one will not boost your application in the slightest.

It is definitely not necessary to figure out if you want to be a DO.

I somewhat disagree about importance, I know a number of do schools that use semi objective rating scales and a DO letter gets you points, even when they don't require you to have such. I've also seen students pulled from wait list status post shadowing and getting a DO LOR.

It's sort of like physics is a very very small part of the MCAT now and makes almost no dent in the overall score, but you still study it just to boost your subtest score. Everything matters.



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[AlbinoHawk DO]

Go ahead and apply now. Then shadow a DO and get a letter. Send the letter and make sure in the letter it says you shadowed them. It's never good to wait on applications. Either way you'll be in the verification process.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

That's amateur stuff. Good osteopathic applicants not only have at least 3-4 DO LOR's by application time, they keep shadowing DO's long after they get accepted.

Plz. I've been actively practicing OMM since sophomore year

 

[acapnial]

I somewhat disagree about importance, I know a number of do schools that use semi objective rating scales and a DO letter gets you points, even when they don't require you to have such. I've also seen students pulled from wait list status post shadowing and getting a DO LOR.

It's sort of like physics is a very very small part of the MCAT now and makes almost no dent in the overall score, but you still study it just to boost your subtest score. Everything matters.



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I'll admit that I actively avoided schools that make a big deal about DO LOR's and have very limited knowledge of their inner-workings. Same thing for the new MCAT, actually, so your comparison stands strong in several ways.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

The DO wrote mine after shadowing him for like 4 hrs. A lot of the younger ones understand the process and will not put you through hell for a LOR.