Reapplying while...

[avocado1]

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Hi, loong time lurker. I have been reading about how deferrals are looked at when a student is trying to apply with one. Here is my situation.

-I was deferred at a DO school last cycle with a place to start in 2011. READ: the school deferred me b/c the class was full. So it wasn't my call - not my choice.
-I retook the MCAT with a much higher score and overhauled my app with much better ECs than before
-I talked to a doc who was on an adcom and he said to reapply just to AMCAS schools during this cycle to see where I can end up while holding onto the DO spot
-The school has no contractual obligation barring me from applying to other schools. Just a deposit had to be paid (Losing it is not a big deal).
-If I can get into an MD school, great. If I don't this time around, I'll just go to the DO school.
-I've already rec'd invites from the top schools in my state.


How will I be looked at in my position? I don't want speculation from people that haven't applied or are just applying right now. I want solid facts. Thanks.

 

[VCU07]

Who cares how people look at you. Do what you think is in your best interest...just be able to answer why you are choosing to give up that acceptance if it even comes up during your interviews.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Who cares what others think. If you want to be a doctor you go where you are accepted - end of story. Most people don't have the option to be picky. There is NO DIFFERENCE in scope of practice whether you are DO or MD - its all in your own head. I have NEVER had a patient asks me what my degree is or what my credentials are. I am a DOCTOR - end of story.

 

[Warped Apostle]

I would just be absolutely sure that by reapplying you would not give up your spot at the DO school. By this I mean have this information in writing, so they can't revoke their stance.

 

[dragonfly99]

Obviously do not apply to any DO schools since the school you got into might find out.

I've nothing against DO schools, but as a 10+ year veteran of med school/residency/fellowship training, I have to say you should do what is in YOUR best interest. You owe this DO school nothing, as you are not their student yet, you paid them the deposit that was owed, and they deferred YOU (as you pointed out). You were ready and willing to go there, but they made you wait. If you now in the mean time get a better offer, that is too bad for them. I think it is a different situation than one where you lied and presented yourself as wanting the spot when you did not - you did and you were ready to go there, but they made YOU wait.

I'll bet if you apply through AMCAS the DO school won't find out. If they do, perhaps they would take away your acceptance but I am not sure.

If you get interviews at other/MD schools, just have a good reason for wanting to go there (i.e. not just "I didn't want to go to this DO school, so...."). You should probably not lie about the acceptance that you already have. If you are directly asked, I would just admit that you have an acceptance at this DO school...the MD schools probably will not be that interested and might not even ask,or need to know, that it was a deferred acceptance from last year. They may just assume you already got accepted there in recent weeks or months. If they specifically ask, I would just say that you got "accepted" at the DO school last year, but they deferred you because their class was full, but you like THEIR school (i.e. the one where you are now interviewing) and think it fits you better for reasons a, b and c. Make sure they know that the school MADE you defer, that you didn't decide to defer in order to apply to other different schools,which might make you look flaky. If I were doing the interviewing, I would look differently on this type of applicant versus someone who had a DO spot last year and just gave it up/threw it away to just reapply MD only - in that situation you wonder if the person did not know his/her own mind or only applied DO in a totally mercenary type of way or is just a credentials *****.

I am normally not anti-DO at all, but right now there are some more residency options available to MD's (US trained ones) and honestly some of the DO schools, the newer ones at least, may have some kinks to be ironed out and may not have great clinical/hospital training sites that are well organized. Also (at least in the past) a lot of them charge high tuition, versus perhaps getting a better deal at a state U allo program. I don't think it is unreasonable to try for MD, particularly if you have a good shot at your state schools and can avoid some student loan debt. It would be different if you were hot on attending this particular DO school, but it doesn't sound like you are.

It seems odd to me that the school would have accepted more students than they could actually accommodate in their class...they should have mechanisms to avoid that. This seems a little unscrupulous or disorganized. This makes me worry about that particular school...not necessarily because it's a DO school, but just in general. My only worry is that if they find out what you are doing they might jerk your acceptance...however, I would not worry a lot about what MD schools will think of you as an applicant in this situation.

I'm curious if someone who has been in your situation will have input...

Part of this depends on how strong an applicant you think you are to get into another school. If you are a long shot type candidate with marginal MCAT and GPA for allo schools, then you might think about whether it is worth the risk (small risk, I think) of being "found out".