New to DO and need your help.

[FattySlug]

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Hi I was told to apply broadly MD and a few DO schools to maximize my chances so please help me:

1) Please recommend me which DO schools I should consider. My stat is 3.66 for both cGPA and sGPA, MCAT 33M. I prefer to stay in CA but any big cities near the coast is fine.

2) The process of applying is pretty much the same for MD and DO except DO use a different centralized system right?

3) As DO we have to take both USMLE and COMPLEX? Is that a disadvantage?

Thanks.

 

[TriagePreMed]

You are good any DO school you apply (numbers-wise). You could take both COMLEX and USMLE, but you are only required COMLEX.

 

[Longshanks]

Some ACGME residencies will accept COMLEX scores, though if you are applying ACGME it would be in your best interest to take the USMLE so they can accurately assess you compared to your MD graduate peers. You need to take COMLEX as per your graduation requirements.

The process is essentially the same, AMCAS for MD and AACOMAS for DO. The AACOMAS personal statement is slightly shorter by a few hundred characters. Also DO deposits can be extremely expensive and are non-refundable, unlike MD deposits to hold an acceptance.

You will be very competitive for DO with those numbers. Those are also competitive numbers for MD if you apply broadly, early, and wisely. A good friend of mine had a slighter better GPA but the same MCAT and she had 10 MD interviews, almost all of them turning into acceptances. (edit: not saying that to deter you from applying DO. I always recommend people should apply both unless they have a strong preference for one or the other. I applied to both with a significantly lower GPA, but stronger MCAT. I interviewed at several MD and DO schools, respectively. So take that what you will.) With your numbers, what a successful application to either DO or MD will come down to is your personal statement, strong interesting ECs, and good LORs. Those will separate you from the massive amount of applicants with those numbers as those are generally the median accepted for most schools.

Good luck!

 

[VeeTeeHokies]

Hi I was told to apply broadly MD and a few DO schools to maximize my chances so please help me:

1) Please recommend me which DO schools I should consider. My stat is 3.66 for both cGPA and sGPA, MCAT 33M. I prefer to stay in CA but any big cities near the coast is fine.

2) The process of applying is pretty much the same for MD and DO except DO use a different centralized system right?

3) As DO we have to take both USMLE and COMPLEX? Is that a disadvantage?

Thanks.

One caveat to consider is that many, but not all, DO schools will require a LOR from a DO. You are competitive for any DO school with your stats, but you will be instantly rejected without DO exposure and the letter to prove it from many. I would suggest either trying to find a DO to do some quick shadowing with between now and mid-summer to get a letter in by the time your AACOMAS is processed, or doing a search to find the schools that do not require a DO letter and apply only to them.

 

[FattySlug]

One caveat to consider is that many, but not all, DO schools will require a LOR from a DO. You are competitive for any DO school with your stats, but you will be instantly rejected without DO exposure and the letter to prove it from many. I would suggest either trying to find a DO to do some quick shadowing with between now and mid-summer to get a letter in by the time your AACOMAS is processed, or doing a search to find the schools that do not require a DO letter and apply only to them.

Thanks for the tip. That was very helpful. I don't have DO letter of rec. However, people keep saying that there is virtually no difference between MD and DO then how can I even spot a DO from MD? I find it funny that I actually have to ask the physician if he is DO before doing any shadowing.

 

[Longshanks]

Thanks for the tip. That was very helpful. I don't have DO letter of rec. However, people keep saying that there is virtually no difference between MD and DO then how can I even spot a DO from MD? I find it funny that I actually have to ask the physician if he is DO before doing any shadowing.

Go through an insurance listing, it will say if they are MD or DO. Contact them. Or check the AOA's website. There is some sort of shadowing/mentorship program.

Some DO schools require a "physician LOR", which can be MD or DO. Others, such as LECOM, require a DO letter.

 

[VeeTeeHokies]

Thanks for the tip. That was very helpful. I don't have DO letter of rec. However, people keep saying that there is virtually no difference between MD and DO then how can I even spot a DO from MD? I find it funny that I actually have to ask the physician if he is DO before doing any shadowing.

Glad I could help. You can try this for starters: http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/find-a-do/Pages/default.aspx

Or you can just try to find a physician in a certain specialty (I would suggest trying primary care if you're looking for a DO, plus it will be more helpful with admissions) and make sure they have DO after their name when you google them.

 

[FattySlug]

Actually I do have an MD letter. It's from my volunteer work where I give presentations at middle schools about skin cancer awareness. Would that work or it has to be from a shadowing or clinical exp?

 

[VeeTeeHokies]

Actually I do have an MD letter. It's from my volunteer work where I give presentations at middle schools about skin cancer awareness. Would that work or it has to be from a shadowing or clinical exp?

You may want to call and ask a couple of schools. I think most of the time they want their recommendation based on their observations of you in a clinical setting. At least that seems to be the norm for most physician LORs.

 

[TriagePreMed]

One caveat to consider is that many, but not all, DO schools will require a LOR from a DO. You are competitive for any DO school with your stats, but you will be instantly rejected without DO exposure and the letter to prove it from many. I would suggest either trying to find a DO to do some quick shadowing with between now and mid-summer to get a letter in by the time your AACOMAS is processed, or doing a search to find the schools that do not require a DO letter and apply only to them.

Instantly rejected? That's very few schools. The great majority either don't require a letter or accept an MD letter in lieu.