Osteopathic vs allopathic

[Potinator]

Hello. I am a junior Bio Major planning to apply to medical school next year and taking most courses recommended for the MCAT such as bio, chem, sociology, biochem, Phys, psych...etc. I currently have a cumulative gpa of 3.57 and a science gpa of about 3.23 which I know is not very competitive. I wish I could do better in my courses as I do study vigorously but I seem to obtain a steady B grade in many of my science classes. I have not received anything lower than a B in my classes but did receive a B- as my lowest grade in Calculus. I have some A’s spread out but mostly in classes outside of the science field. After speaking with my advisor she said I would have a very difficult time getting into a medical school with this gpa which I know is true but is there any way I may still get into a osteopathic medical school if I am able to do well on my MCAT. Also is it a bad idea to take a year off to study for the MCAT after I graduate from undergrad to ensure a better grade. I currently am working as a medical scribe which I started to do about 4 months ago. I am planning to continue this if I decide to take a gap year. Do I have a chance to get into osteopathic schools? Should I take a gap year or consider a masters degree instead? Or should I consider a different occupational field in general such as pharmacy or optometry?

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[FalconSlice]

Hello. I am a junior Bio Major planning to apply to medical school next year and taking most courses recommended for the MCAT such as bio, chem, sociology, biochem, Phys, psych...etc. I currently have a cumulative gpa of 3.57 and a science gpa of about 3.23 which I know is not very competitive. I wish I could do better in my courses as I do study vigorously but I seem to obtain a steady B grade in many of my science classes. I have not received anything lower than a B in my classes but did receive a B- as my lowest grade in Calculus. I have some A’s spread out but mostly in classes outside of the science field. After speaking with my advisor she said I would have a very difficult time getting into a medical school with this gpa which I know is true but is there any way I may still get into a osteopathic medical school if I am able to do well on my MCAT. Also is it a bad idea to take a year off to study for the MCAT after I graduate from undergrad to ensure a better grade. I currently am working as a medical scribe which I started to do about 4 months ago. I am planning to continue this if I decide to take a gap year. Do I have a chance to get into osteopathic schools? Should I take a gap year or consider a masters degree instead? Or should I consider a different occupational field in general such as pharmacy or optometry?

Applying to medical school (thereby choosing to be a physician) isn't something you should decide willy-nilly (actually, you shouldn't make major life decisions willy-nilly anyway...).

From your post, you seem unsure of what career in which you are interested. This (generally) means you are not sure of 1.) what you want out of your future career and 2.) you are not informed of those specific career paths you have mentioned. No amount of advice that anyone can give here will tell you that. I suggest true introspection, reading, shadowing multiple different professions, and considering what "you want to be when you grow up." Yes, that might take time and will raise questions as to "what to do for money in the meantime?" But major life-decisions demand undivided time and attention.

 

[respectedmadman]

Hello. I am a junior Bio Major planning to apply to medical school next year and taking most courses recommended for the MCAT such as bio, chem, sociology, biochem, Phys, psych...etc. I currently have a cumulative gpa of 3.57 and a science gpa of about 3.23 which I know is not very competitive. I wish I could do better in my courses as I do study vigorously but I seem to obtain a steady B grade in many of my science classes. I have not received anything lower than a B in my classes but did receive a B- as my lowest grade in Calculus. I have some A’s spread out but mostly in classes outside of the science field. After speaking with my advisor she said I would have a very difficult time getting into a medical school with this gpa which I know is true but is there any way I may still get into a osteopathic medical school if I am able to do well on my MCAT. Also is it a bad idea to take a year off to study for the MCAT after I graduate from undergrad to ensure a better grade. I currently am working as a medical scribe which I started to do about 4 months ago. I am planning to continue this if I decide to take a gap year. Do I have a chance to get into osteopathic schools? Should I take a gap year or consider a masters degree instead? Or should I consider a different occupational field in general such as pharmacy or optometry?

If you’re applying purely to MD, don’t. From what I’ve seen, you definitely need higher GPA’s. I currently have similar GPA’s but a 509 MCAT and I’ve gotten 0 MD interviews, but 2 DO. So yes, if you have other experiences and such, DO might be worth it (depending on MCAT).

Is it a bad idea to take a gap year? It’s a bad idea to think that taking a gap year is a bad idea. With the average age of medical school matriculants increasing and statistical averages going up, it would make a lot of sense to put the time in and get a solid MCAT.

These are just my two cents based on my own experience, but the cycle is long and wild.

On a side note: have you shadowed a DO?


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[Potinator]

Applying to medical school (thereby choosing to be a physician) isn't something you should decide willy-nilly (actually, you shouldn't make major life decisions willy-nilly anyway...).

From your post, you seem unsure of what career in which you are interested. This (generally) means you are not sure of 1.) what you want out of your future career and 2.) you are not informed of those specific career paths you have mentioned. No amount of advice that anyone can give here will tell you that. I suggest true introspection, reading, shadowing multiple different professions, and considering what "you want to be when you grow up." Yes, that might take time and will raise questions as to "what to do for money in the meantime?" But major life-decisions demand undivided time and attention.

Thank you for your response. At first I was certain medical school was the choice for me as I wanted to be a family physician but with all the doubts I had and my advisor telling me to reconsider I felt pressured to look elsewhere. I don’t want to rush into anything and agree with what you said but I don’t want to continue trying for medical school with my current gpa to end up nowhere. I am currently scribing as I mentioned before and I feel very happy to be in such an environment as I enjoy learning how to care for patients so I’m not sure what I should do to pursue this career or if I should find another since this may not be possible. My advisor is really not too helpful and does not seem to care much to help me with this. Thanks again.

 

[Potinator]

If you’re applying purely to MD, don’t. From what I’ve seen, you definitely need higher GPA’s. I currently have similar GPA’s but a 509 MCAT and I’ve gotten 0 MD interviews, but 2 DO. So yes, if you have other experiences and such, DO might be worth it (depending on MCAT).

Is it a bad idea to take a gap year? It’s a bad idea to think that taking a gap year is a bad idea. With the average age of medical school matriculants increasing and statistical averages going up, it would make a lot of sense to put the time in and get a solid MCAT.

These are just my two cents based on my own experience, but the cycle is long and wild.

On a side note: have you shadowed a DO?


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I have not shadowed anywhere but as I stated before I am currently scribing for 2 different doctors. one is a rheumatologist and another a family practitioner. I tried to find shadowing opportunities but I was unable to since each time I applied I was told they were looking for someone with more experience. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Ultimax]

It is hard to predict if you have not taken the MCAT yet. Your GPA puts you at a disadvantage for both so you need to bolster your application with a stella MCAT score and solid ECs. Osteopathic schools should be your priority, allopathic schools are out of reach unless you have other activities to compensate for low GPA ( military, URM, research experience, life experience, high MCAT). As the wise Goro said, every pre-med student is rejected until receive the acceptance letter. Study hard for the MCAT, as the MCAT does have moderate correlation with how well you perform on USMLE Step 1, which is arguably the most important test for medical student.
Some new osteopathic schools have lower than average admission requirements, so do your research.

 

[Goro]

Hello. I am a junior Bio Major planning to apply to medical school next year and taking most courses recommended for the MCAT such as bio, chem, sociology, biochem, Phys, psych...etc. I currently have a cumulative gpa of 3.57 and a science gpa of about 3.23 which I know is not very competitive. I wish I could do better in my courses as I do study vigorously but I seem to obtain a steady B grade in many of my science classes. I have not received anything lower than a B in my classes but did receive a B- as my lowest grade in Calculus. I have some A’s spread out but mostly in classes outside of the science field. After speaking with my advisor she said I would have a very difficult time getting into a medical school with this gpa which I know is true but is there any way I may still get into a osteopathic medical school if I am able to do well on my MCAT. Also is it a bad idea to take a year off to study for the MCAT after I graduate from undergrad to ensure a better grade. I currently am working as a medical scribe which I started to do about 4 months ago. I am planning to continue this if I decide to take a gap year. Do I have a chance to get into osteopathic schools? Should I take a gap year or consider a masters degree instead? Or should I consider a different occupational field in general such as pharmacy or optometry?

Stats are lethal for MD but OK for DO