Regret only applying DO

[GC1000]

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Here's my situation. I have been accepted into five DO schools and I'm thankful. DO vs MD isn't what this debate is about, they are both equivalent. My only issue is the tuition difference. The school I will likely attend will cost me over 190,000 in just tuition, not including fees and living expenses. I did not apply to MD schools because I didn't anticipate receiving a 30 MCAT retake score (took in september).

My stats:
30 MCAT
100+ shadowing hours
Great LORs
3.5 cGPA
3.9 sGPA with grade replacement
No research/publications

My major reason for not applying to MD schools was because my sGPA is around 3.3 without grade replacement and including math (I took a lot of math classes which really brings me down).

My savings at an MD school could have been 50,000+ over four years (assuming I got accepted). Is it too late for applying this cycle? Do you think I would have had a reasonable shot getting into an MD with this sGPA?

BTW: nontradition student

 

[BABSstudent]

Here's my situation. I have been accepted into five DO schools and I'm thankful. DO vs MD isn't what this debate is about, they are both equivalent. My only issue is the tuition difference. The school I will likely attend will cost me over 190,000 in just tuition, not including fees and living expenses. I did not apply to MD schools because I didn't anticipate receiving a 30 MCAT retake score (took in september).

My stats:
30 MCAT
100+ shadowing hours
Great LORs
3.5 cGPA
3.9 sGPA with grade replacement
No research/publications

My major reason for not applying to MD schools was because my sGPA is around 3.3 without grade replacement and including math (I took a lot of math classes which really brings me down).

My savings at an MD school could have been 50,000+ over four years (assuming I got accepted). Is it too late for applying this cycle? Do you think I would have had a reasonable shot getting into an MD with this sGPA?

BTW: nontradition student

Most schools' deadlines have passed and if one hasn't, you are extremely late.

Heres a comprehensive list of every school you could apply to and their deadline date.

Schools with a December 15 Deadline
Saint Louis University School of Medicine



Schools with a December 16 Deadline
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University

Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Howard University College of Medicine (Regular M.D.)

Indiana University School of Medicine

Meharry Medical College School of Medicine

New York Medical College

Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine

Temple University School of Medicine

The Commonwealth Medical College

Tulane University School of Medicine (Regular M.D.)

Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine

Wayne State University School of Medicine (Regular M.D.)




Schools with a December 31 Deadline
University of Illinois College of Medicine (M.D.-Ph.D.)




Just be happy you got in somewhere. I would matriculate DO and be a doctor. Cheers.

Source:
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/deadlines/63142/amcas_deadlines.html

 

[circulus vitios]

Bird in the hand is something something.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Bird in the hand is something something.

Even if you had a 3.8/35 next year it's not exactly a sure thing that you would get into your state MD school and not a private school that would cost the same. That being said if your main issue is money then a year of not waiting has already essentially fixed that.

 

[CarlosDanger]

worth two in the bush

 

[swamprat]

Your stats are prob too low for MD, d/w DO will get you where you wanna go. We all have debt, not atll MD schools are cheap.

 

[GC1000]

Even if you had a 3.8/35 next year it's not exactly a sure thing that you would get into your state MD school and not a private school that would cost the same. That being said if your main issue is money then a year of not waiting has already essentially fixed that.

worth two in the bush is correct

It seems like many MD schools have in-state and out-of-state tuition rates. My state only has one MD state school and most other schools I have researched seem to be in the 55,000+ range for out-of-state tuition.

 

[TeddyBoomBoom]

Here's my situation. I have been accepted into five DO schools and I'm thankful. DO vs MD isn't what this debate is about, they are both equivalent. My only issue is the tuition difference. The school I will likely attend will cost me over 190,000 in just tuition, not including fees and living expenses. I did not apply to MD schools because I didn't anticipate receiving a 30 MCAT retake score (took in september).

My stats:
30 MCAT
100+ shadowing hours
Great LORs
3.5 cGPA
3.9 sGPA with grade replacement
No research/publications

My major reason for not applying to MD schools was because my sGPA is around 3.3 without grade replacement and including math (I took a lot of math classes which really brings me down).

My savings at an MD school could have been 50,000+ over four years (assuming I got accepted). Is it too late for applying this cycle? Do you think I would have had a reasonable shot getting into an MD with this sGPA?

BTW: nontradition student

wayyyyyyy too late to apply to MD schools now.

 

[GC1000]

Your stats are prob too low for MD, d/w DO will get you where you wanna go. We all have debt, not atll MD schools are cheap.

Is that because my sGPA is too low? All those damn math classes really keep that GPA so low.

 

[CarlosDanger]

What is the median MCAT and GPA for your state school?

 

[swamprat]

Is that because my sGPA is too low? All those damn math classes really keep that GPA so low.

Combo of your GPA being low when you dont have the grade replacement and unfortunately a 30 MCAT is not "great" anymore. Its below average for like every MD school. Sucks I know the test is so arbitrary but it is what it is.. Go to DO school man you will be a doctor and have no regrets. If you decline your offers you could end up with no MD acceptances and blacklisted from DO schools
edit: also a 3.5 cum is great but for MD school is also very low.

 

[GC1000]

What is the median MCAT and GPA for your state school?

cGPA = 3.8
sGPA = 3.7
MCAT 30

 

[circulus vitios]

If you take 1 year off to reapply you're forfeiting one year of a $200k/year or greater attending income to save $50k, let's call it $75k after interest accrual.

 

[GC1000]

We all have debt, not atll MD schools are cheap.

Yes, I have just searched a bunch of schools and realized the really low tuition rates seem to be more of an exception than the normal. I would have to pay out-of-state the first year and then my savings would be less. My perception of MD schools being around 25-30k was not accurate. I definitely would never give up a seat for the chance of MD acceptance. It seems like the difference in price is likely to be minor.

 

[lysine9740]

The end game is the same; and that extra whatever more you will have in debt, will be dealt with pretty quickly with your eventual high salary. Good luck with whatever your choice is! 🙂

 

[CarlosDanger]

.

 

[papi89]

Agree with most of the posts above, I would take what you have and look at it as an investment in 30+ years of high income...

 

[GC1000]

Thanks for all the insight. I'm thankful I have been accepted into many schools (and offered interviews at every school I applied) and was able to be selective in picking the closest osteopathic medical to my family. Six months ago I would have been happy getting in anywhere in the US.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Military health professions scholarship or national health service corps or state primary care scholarship could make that tuition disappear.

 

[nabilesmail]

Your stats are 3.3/30 for MD, you would likely not get in with those stats. It would be too late to apply this cycle,and to applynext cycle would forfeit pretty much ever going D.O.again which would probably mean you wouldn't become a doctor because once again your stats are too low for M.D.

 

[TwinsFan]

If you take 1 year off to reapply you're forfeiting one year of a $200k/year or greater attending income to save $50k, let's call it $75k after interest accrual.

I agree that I would take the acceptance and run. But...

50k will be something like 75k once interest accrues but the 200k salary will be more like 120-140k take home depending on the state (which is what will be used to pay on the 75k of student loans) and given the amount of time taken to repay the loan the total paid will likely be over 75k. Translation: take the acceptance, but the monetary advantage of starting one year sooner is usually overstated.

Also with healthcare up in the air, the increase of mid-levels taking on work that used to be doctors only, the desire for medicaid expansion (pays poorly), an increase in competition as US med students will exceed residency spots in a few years, a lot of older docs who have been slow to retire, several fields that have a glut of newly board certified docs compared to the demand (path, rads, ct surgery come to mind), and the huge outcry to reduce healthcare expenditures it is very possible that 200k is no guarantee.

 

[kkosp2451]

Definitely go with DO!

 

[GC1000]

Definitely go with DO!

I am 🙂

 

[CyberMaxx]

Maybe this will make you feel better: an MD I was recently accepted to is $65k/year (tuition only) with no chance of me being able to establish residency.

I see that two people have liked this post CarlosDanger. I do not like it! I am not happy that you will have to pay $65k/year and won't be able to establish residency 😛

 

[CarlosDanger]

I see that two people have liked this post CarlosDanger. I do not like it! I am not happy that you will have to pay $65k/year and won't be able to establish residency 😛

Haha, thanks! It's ok, I will probably not choose them because of the cost, but I am lucky enough to have other options.