New to the whole DO thing - Questions - Thanks!

[CaribbeanBlue]

Due to some obvious reasons that I probably cannot hide, I am focusing on applying to DO schools next june of 2013. I just have a few questions regarding these schools and their differences with what MD schools look for.

- My cGPA/sGPA are 3.6/3.75 and my (most recent) MCAT is a 31Q (14/6/11). Will DO schools look at my bad VR score more holistically as everyone says?
- I do not have a Rec letter from a DO doctor. To people that have gained acceptance or know someone who has, how essential is this? I am not completely sure how to go about finding a DO doctor to shadow/suck up to/retrieve a letter. I couldn't find many in my area (Southern California) from google alone and the MD's I know don't know any DO doctors.
- EXACTLY HOW strict are their requirements for admissions? As in the "nothing lower than a C" rule and the "Must have a course in anatomy" rule. I contacted an admissions director an he told me that the rogue C- on my transcript would not hurt my chances so are the DO schools just way more flexible? Would it be acceptable if I did not have a course in anatomy? I am aware that 2 quarters of physiology is not the same.
- I have only shadowing experience from an MD, 3 rec letters from professors, a year of research experience, plenty of leadership, and clinical experience from outside of the US. I have not BLATANTLY volunteered in a US hospital and my only US clinical exposure is with shadowing the MD. Do DO schools like to see MORE blatant volunteer work such as giving patients jello and changing the sheets?

Thank you for your input. I am totally new to DO schools and I would absolutely love to attend either Western University or Touro up in Northern Cal. I love California and would do anything to attend medical school here. Any advice OR criticism would be appreciated.

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[MedPR]

Due to some obvious reasons that I probably cannot hide, I am focusing on applying to DO schools next june of 2013. I just have a few questions regarding these schools and their differences with what MD schools look for.

- My cGPA/sGPA are 3.6/3.75 and my (most recent) MCAT is a 31Q (14/6/11). Will DO schools look at my bad VR score more holistically as everyone says?
- I do not have a Rec letter from a DO doctor. To people that have gained acceptance or know someone who has, how essential is this? I am not completely sure how to go about finding a DO doctor to shadow/suck up to/retrieve a letter. I couldn't find many in my area (Southern California) from google alone and the MD's I know don't know any DO doctors.
- EXACTLY HOW strict are their requirements for admissions? As in the "nothing lower than a C" rule and the "Must have a course in anatomy" rule. I contacted an admissions director an he told me that the rogue C- on my transcript would not hurt my chances so are the DO schools just way more flexible? Would it be acceptable if I did not have a course in anatomy? I am aware that 2 quarters of physiology is not the same.
- I have only shadowing experience from an MD, 3 rec letters from professors, a year of research experience, plenty of leadership, and clinical experience from outside of the US. I have not BLATANTLY volunteered in a US hospital and my only US clinical exposure is with shadowing the MD. Do DO schools like to see MORE blatant volunteer work such as giving patients jello and changing the sheets?

Thank you for your input. I am totally new to DO schools and I would absolutely love to attend either Western University or Touro up in Northern Cal. I love California and would do anything to attend medical school here. Any advice OR criticism would be appreciated.

Get a DO LOR. You have a ton of time. Some schools do have a no C- policy (prereq) but you need to do some research to compile a whole list.

Your 6 will probably be fine.

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[CaribbeanBlue]

Get a DO LOR. You have a ton of time. Some schools do have a no C- policy (prereq) but you need to do some research to compile a whole list.

Your 6 will probably be fine.

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I am aware you have already been accepted to MD, but if you got a DO LOR, do you mind if I ask how you obtained yours?

 

[pattr]

You don't necessarily need a DO letter (it depends on the school, see: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkQjgkrQwlmCdDdPRG15djh5NGJfRFhoVWdLdVJIaFE&hl=en#gid=0), but it does help to have shadowed a DO.

You can use this site to find a DO in your area with the specialty of your interest. There should be lots in Southern California: http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/find-a-do/Pages/default.aspx

 

[MedPR]

I am aware you have already been accepted to MD, but if you got a DO LOR, do you mind if I ask how you obtained yours?

Shadowing.

You don't necessarily need a DO letter (it depends on the school, see: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkQjgkrQwlmCdDdPRG15djh5NGJfRFhoVWdLdVJIaFE&hl=en#gid=0), but it does help to have shadowed a DO.

You can use this site to find a DO in your area with the specialty of your interest. There should be lots in Southern California: http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/find-a-do/Pages/default.aspx

He has a whole year. There's no reason not to supplement his app with a DO LOR.

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[TriagePreMed]

Due to some obvious reasons that I probably cannot hide, I am focusing on applying to DO schools next june of 2013. I just have a few questions regarding these schools and their differences with what MD schools look for.

- My cGPA/sGPA are 3.6/3.75 and my (most recent) MCAT is a 31Q (14/6/11). Will DO schools look at my bad VR score more holistically as everyone says?
- I do not have a Rec letter from a DO doctor. To people that have gained acceptance or know someone who has, how essential is this? I am not completely sure how to go about finding a DO doctor to shadow/suck up to/retrieve a letter. I couldn't find many in my area (Southern California) from google alone and the MD's I know don't know any DO doctors.
- EXACTLY HOW strict are their requirements for admissions? As in the "nothing lower than a C" rule and the "Must have a course in anatomy" rule. I contacted an admissions director an he told me that the rogue C- on my transcript would not hurt my chances so are the DO schools just way more flexible? Would it be acceptable if I did not have a course in anatomy? I am aware that 2 quarters of physiology is not the same.
- I have only shadowing experience from an MD, 3 rec letters from professors, a year of research experience, plenty of leadership, and clinical experience from outside of the US. I have not BLATANTLY volunteered in a US hospital and my only US clinical exposure is with shadowing the MD. Do DO schools like to see MORE blatant volunteer work such as giving patients jello and changing the sheets?

Thank you for your input. I am totally new to DO schools and I would absolutely love to attend either Western University or Touro up in Northern Cal. I love California and would do anything to attend medical school here. Any advice OR criticism would be appreciated.

Western only cares about a high GPA/MCAT, so you'll get in.

 

[CaribbeanBlue]

Shadowing.







He has a whole year. There's no reason not to supplement his app with a DO LOR.

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Do I really have a year though if I want to apply June 1st?

 

[CaribbeanBlue]

Western only cares about a high GPA/MCAT, so you'll get in.

Really?? Could you elaborate a bit on that? The school rejects tons of applicants each year though.

 

[pattr]

He has a whole year. There's no reason not to supplement his app with a DO LOR.

Not saying OP shouldn't try to obtain a letter (which is very possible in 6 months btw). Just saying a letter is not required in many cases. It may be more important to shadow a DO for the sake of interviewing and essay prompts that have to do with "Why DO?"

 

[MedPR]

Do I really have a year though if I want to apply June 1st?

You have more than enough time.

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[SilverCat]

Not all schools require a DO letter. I had an MD letter and got into CCOM with it. If you want to apply broadly, though, it might be a good idea to get it.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Really?? Could you elaborate a bit on that? The school rejects tons of applicants each year though.

They do reject many people, but considering their average is (nearly) the same as UC Davis, an MD school, you begin to see how much it weighs for them. I've heard of a few people with minimal EC getting in with a high GPA/MCAT. Feel free to browse MDapps and you'll get an idea of the grades and EC people they accept have.

 

[Test2Go]

They do reject many people, but considering their average is (nearly) the same as UC Davis, an MD school, you begin to see how much it weighs for them. I've heard of a few people with minimal EC getting in with a high GPA/MCAT. Feel free to browse MDapps and you'll get an idea of the grades and EC people they accept have.

What are you talking about?

http://prospective.westernu.edu/osteopathic/competitive

 

[Temperature101]

Western only cares about a high GPA/MCAT, so you'll get in.

NOVA is like that as well...They mostly care about high mcat as long as you meet their 3.0 GPAs cutoff....All the stuffs are window dressings.

 

[IslandStyle808]

NOVA is like that as well...They mostly care about high mcat as long as you meet their 3.0 GPAs cutoff....All the stuffs are window dressings.

Wow now that is superficial.

 

[BabyDoc86]

You don't need a DO letter. I've been accepted to all 3 of the DO schools where I interviewed, without one; one of these schools even "requires" a DO letter.

The 6 might be a problem at some schools, but I highly doubt it. You should be fine.

 

[dsoz]

I have just about the same stats you have (look at my MDApps) and was accepted to both Western (NW campus) and Nova.

I did have a DO letter. Also, both schools asked why I was interested in pursuing the DO degree. You need to have a solid answer. If you come back with "uhhhhh... My stats were not good enough for MD, especially the 6 in VR, so I applied DO" will get a quick rejection.

Do something to know more about what makes a DO different. And have a clear idea about what a DO does. The best way to do this is to shadow a DO. Spend 5-6 days shadowing and ask the physician to write a letter for you. Ask questions and see how being a DO is applied in his or her practice.

Do a google search for "California osteopathic association" and you will get the OPSC. They have a "find a DO" you can use to locate one to cold call. Almost all the physicians that I shadowed were open to me asking questions and teaching me things.

I think your clinical work is fine. You don't need to do more clinical volunteering under a DO, but get some shadowing. Most importantly, be able to articulate WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A DO INSTEADOF AN MD?

dsoz

 

[Goro]

Your stats are great and we'll ignore that VR 6 for sure at my school

- My cGPA/sGPA are 3.6/3.75 and my (most recent) MCAT is a 31Q (14/6/11). Will DO schools look at my bad VR score more holistically as everyone says?-


It's a requirement for some, but not all schools. Are you anywhere near Western/COMP? If so, go visit them. otherwise, check in with the AOA. SoCal tends to be DO-richer than NorCal.


I do not have a Rec letter from a DO doctor. To people that have gained acceptance or know someone who has, how essential is this? I am not completely sure how to go about finding a DO doctor to shadow/suck up to/retrieve a letter. I couldn't find many in my area (Southern California) from google alone and the MD's I know don't know any DO doctors.


It's OK to have a C here and there. It's OK to have lots of them, as long as you're retaken the courses an gotten better grades. Nearly all of the DO schools require 1 year biology. I don't know of any school that requires anatomy (but it will help you with any medical school).

- EXACTLY HOW strict are their requirements for admissions? As in the "nothing lower than a C" rule and the "Must have a course in anatomy" rule.

Yes!
I contacted an admissions director an he told me that the rogue C- on my transcript would not hurt my chances so are the DO schools just way more flexible?

Yes!

Would it be acceptable if I did not have a course in anatomy?

YES! You have to prove to us that you want to spend the next 50 years of your life being around sick and injured people. Would you buy a new car without test-driving it? You need to show us your altruism and humanity, and following a doctor around is NOT the way to do that. We have rejected people who had no patient contact volunteer experience.

I have only shadowing experience from an MD, 3 rec letters from professors, a year of research experience, plenty of leadership, and clinical experience from outside of the US. I have not BLATANTLY volunteered in a US hospital and my only US clinical exposure is with shadowing the MD. Do DO schools like to see MORE blatant volunteer work such as giving patients jello and changing the sheets?

 

[coolingglasses]

With subscores like that, I'm sure most schools won't mind overlooking the 6 VR.

 

[user3]

Your stats are great and we'll ignore that VR 6 for sure at my school

- My cGPA/sGPA are 3.6/3.75 and my (most recent) MCAT is a 31Q (14/6/11). Will DO schools look at my bad VR score more holistically as everyone says?-


It's a requirement for some, but not all schools. Are you anywhere near Western/COMP? If so, go visit them. otherwise, check in with the AOA. SoCal tends to be DO-richer than NorCal.


I do not have a Rec letter from a DO doctor. To people that have gained acceptance or know someone who has, how essential is this? I am not completely sure how to go about finding a DO doctor to shadow/suck up to/retrieve a letter. I couldn't find many in my area (Southern California) from google alone and the MD's I know don't know any DO doctors.


It's OK to have a C here and there. It's OK to have lots of them, as long as you're retaken the courses an gotten better grades. Nearly all of the DO schools require 1 year biology. I don't know of any school that requires anatomy (but it will help you with any medical school).

- EXACTLY HOW strict are their requirements for admissions? As in the "nothing lower than a C" rule and the "Must have a course in anatomy" rule.

Yes!
I contacted an admissions director an he told me that the rogue C- on my transcript would not hurt my chances so are the DO schools just way more flexible?

Yes!

Would it be acceptable if I did not have a course in anatomy?

YES! You have to prove to us that you want to spend the next 50 years of your life being around sick and injured people. Would you buy a new car without test-driving it? You need to show us your altruism and humanity, and following a doctor around is NOT the way to do that. We have rejected people who had no patient contact volunteer experience.

I have only shadowing experience from an MD, 3 rec letters from professors, a year of research experience, plenty of leadership, and clinical experience from outside of the US. I have not BLATANTLY volunteered in a US hospital and my only US clinical exposure is with shadowing the MD. Do DO schools like to see MORE blatant volunteer work such as giving patients jello and changing the sheets?

Just keep in mind OP, Goro is speaking for 1 school. Not all DO schools will be this picky, especially with your numbers, so I wouldn't fret about it too much.

 

[Temperature101]

Wow now that is superficial.

That might be superficial in the eyes of some, but I knid of agree with them...Lets face it, most of the other stuffs are not quantifiable.

 

[CaribbeanBlue]

I want to say thank you for the replies first of all.

I didn't want to start a whole new thread about this next issue, but it has to do with a recommendation letter.

I am getting a non science letter from a past TA in a drama course in which I received one of the highest grades, but he says it will be like the professor's because he will obtain the same degree as the professor has this coming june. The degree that drama department faculty have are MFA's, not PhDs. The professor of this particular course did not even show their face in the class. This particular TA is also a director in the drama department.

I would like to obtain this letter because the relationship I have with this TA (soon to be MFA) is pretty close and I am actually a particularly good actor. The alternative would be to email an old economics professor from 3 years ago to beg for a traditional letter of rec.

I know people have done exactly what I have done but have gotten the letter Co-signed with this particular drama professor and have been accepted into medical schools. Would I still need to Co-sign the letter with the professor even if their degrees will be the same this june?

If I really need to get this co-signed? How exactly does that work? do I have the interfolio request sent to the TA or the professor because I already sent the request to the TA? Should he just sign the professor's name at the bottom of the letter under his as long as we get permission from the professor?

 

[113]

They do reject many people, but considering their average is (nearly) the same as UC Davis, an MD school, you begin to see how much it weighs for them. I've heard of a few people with minimal EC getting in with a high GPA/MCAT. Feel free to browse MDapps and you'll get an idea of the grades and EC people they accept have.

lol no

UC Davis median 3.69/3.66/32 MCAT ~88 percentile
Western COMP 3.54/3.50/28 MCAT ~68 percentile

 

[MedPR]

lol no

UC Davis median 3.69/3.66/32 MCAT ~88 percentile
Western COMP 3.54/3.50/28 MCAT ~68 percentile

Not to mention the fairly large gap between 28 and 32. Much larger than you'd expect for 4 points. I know because I retook a 28 and got a similar score to a 32.

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