really CONFUSED and NEED your advice

[s2kray]

Ok so heres my situation... i'm a 21 year old senior graduating with a health science degree.. i have about a 3.4 cum GPA with a 2.9 BCPM no MCATs yet but plan on taking them this august. this gives me an extra year to improve my application..

what should i do? should i apply to a formal postbacc program and take upperdivision science credits? (if i go this way i want to bring it up to atleast a 3.2 so that means massive credits and high cost) or should i just retake some of the BCPM classes that i got a C in?

any advice would be helpful. are any of the DO schools really going to grill me for retaking classes? thanks all.

~ray

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MikeyLu2010]

if you are sure about DO..i would just retake the classes...its a lot faster..and more effective..I dont think they frown upon it..i could be wrong...

if you may want to do MD i'd go with the post bacc..

 

[s2kray]

DO or MD it really doesnt matter.. i volunteer at my local ER and you cant even tell if an attending is a DO or a MD.. i'm interested in getting a residency in general surgery, OB/GYN, or Emergency medicine. those specialties aren't so hardcore that a DO would have a hard time getting them.. correct me if i'm wrong

 

[91Bravo]

I'm interested in getting a residency in general surgery, OB/GYN, or Emergency medicine. those specialties aren't so hardcore that a DO would have a hard time getting them.. correct me if i'm wrong

Emergency medicine is rather competitive.

 

[DeLaughterDO]

DO or MD it really doesnt matter.. i volunteer at my local ER and you cant even tell if an attending is a DO or a MD.. i'm interested in getting a residency in general surgery, OB/GYN, or Emergency medicine. those specialties aren't so hardcore that a DO would have a hard time getting them.. correct me if i'm wrong

If you go to an osteopathic med school, you will have difficulty landing any allopathic surgery residency. allo EM is competitive, but definitely not impossible for an osteo student (depends on the program, but most are pretty open). I have no idea about OB/Gyn, so I won't comment.

There are also osteo residencies for any of those, which (in general) are less competitive than their allo counterparts. Of course, surgery is very competitive depending on the program.

Hope that didn't confuse you too much.

I'd study hard, retake the classes, and rock the MCAT, then apply.

jd

 

[Spankete87]

I had a 3.3 overall, 3.0 Science (one bad year and then upward trend) and a 30Q on my MCAT and got into 3 D.O. schools this year. I'd say rock the MCAT and retake a few classes that you did the worst in. A post-bacc is a good idea, but not necessarily necessary if you want to do a D.O program. If you're going to take the time off anyway, however, it's certainly not going to hurt you to have it.

And as far as allopathic ER residencies are concerned, I know someone in UNC's ER who said that they don't look at whether or not a person is a DO or MD....they're more concerned with their board scores and their rotations. Maybe there still is a difference in rotations or board scores, but that's just what he told me. *shrugs*

 

[CJDocS]

For some advice on choosing a specialty, and what it takes to get a specific residency spot check out, "The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty," by Brian Freeman,MD. It gives some pretty good descriptions about most of the specialties out there, avg. board scores,lifestyle, and the type of personality the avg. physician has within that specific specialty. Don't take anything for granted. Whether DO or MD, we all still need to work hard to get where we want.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Ok so heres my situation... i'm a 21 year old senior graduating with a health science degree.. i have about a 3.4 cum GPA with a 2.9 BCPM no MCATs yet but plan on taking them this august. this gives me an extra year to improve my application..

what should i do? should i apply to a formal postbacc program and take upperdivision science credits? (if i go this way i want to bring it up to atleast a 3.2 so that means massive credits and high cost) or should i just retake some of the BCPM classes that i got a C in?

any advice would be helpful. are any of the DO schools really going to grill me for retaking classes? thanks all.

~ray

You can get into med school with that GPA

also

Its BCP (not BCPM) --> no math in science GPA for DO schools

 

[s2kray]

oooh. just found out that the doctor in charge of the emergency medicine residency in stonybrook hospital is a DO!.. however, i've never actually seen a DO emergency medicine resident rotating in the stonybrook ER.. has anyone from SB seen one?

also i just went to a informational about applying to medical schools and the guy in charge didnt seem to be aware that Osteopathic schools take the most recent retake of a grade.. is that still the case? anyone wanna answer this one?

 

[HunterGatherer]

This is still the case. Check out the FAQ or call AACOMAS.

In 2005 NYCOM students matched in the following Stony Brook Residencies:
Neurology
Pediatrics
PM&R
Psychiatry (3)
Prelim-Surgery

The hospital seems a bit DO friendly so perhaps there are other DO residents in the EM program. There is a link to the Match list on page 8 of the NYCOM 2005 thread. I'm sure DOs from other schools matched to Stony Brook in 2005.

You might be able to apply for 2007 if you take the August 2007 MCAT and retake 1-2 sciences in the summer if that will make you more confident in the application process.

also i just went to a informational about applying to medical schools and the guy in charge didnt seem to be aware that Osteopathic schools take the most recent retake of a grade.. is that still the case? anyone wanna answer this one?