Should I apply to more schools?

[Drhigh]

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This is my second time applying. My first time I only applied to around 20 MD. This time around I am applying to around 40. Submitted secondaries in mid August. Only one II for Albany in February (which I interviewed last year in March)

I also added DO schools this cycle. I have just been completed for most of my schools now in mid Oct.

Stats:
3.5 cgpa, 3.7 SMP, 33 mcat.

DO schools I applied:
Une, CCom, Pcom, DMU, touro ny, Lecom, Nyit, nova

Didn't fill out secondaries for MSU, Rowan, OSU because I found out they mostly accept IS.

So I haven't heard from MD schools for 2 months now. I am getting a little worried. I am optimistic about My DO prospect, but I feel like I don't have much DO exposure and this might hinder my chances for DO schools. I would also state that I am probably a poor to average in interviews.

I know it is still early, but I don't want to reapply again since my MCAT expire this cycle and I don't want to take the new MCAT. I am thinking about adding more DO schools just in case but I don't want to if I don't need to. I was wondering if I wait until December or January and haven't heard from any DO, is it too late then to add more schools? Or should I just add them now to be safe?

Thank you

 

[IslandStyle808]

If you don't want to take the MCAT again, then the answer is obvious. Add more schools now!

Your stats are phenomenal for DO, so you should be taking any advantage you should get, applying as early as you can is one of those advantages. Just be patient after that, your time in the sun will come.

Good luck.

 

[wxman393]

Add on a couple of the newer schools as well: ACOM, VCOM-Auburn (inaugural class in 2015), CUSOM. When did you take your MCAT?

 

[baxt1412]

40 schools? wow

 

[PlaqueBuster]

No don't add any mroe schools. You have a lot in MD and you have a good number of DO schools. No reason to apply to more. Since you just finished my advice is take a deep breath and wait. I have a strong feeling you will hear back from DO schools because I got interviews with a lower MCAT and slightly higher cGPA sGPA. You are fine and you did everything you could as of now.

 

[Ipper91]

Most definitely add on more schools.. If you were able to afford applying to 40 MD schools, I am sure a couple more DO schools won't hurt?
I applied last year, got wait listed at my one and only MD school interview, then missed the cut off by about 5 people. I am without a doubt not taking that chance of being there again, no matter how good my chances at that same MD school may be.
Invest in yourself and increase your chances by applying broadly like everyone says. That DO school list seems mostly upper tier..I would definitely add some more on.

 

[yanks26dmb]

Most definitely add on more schools.. If you were able to afford applying to 40 MD schools, I am sure a couple more DO schools won't hurt?
I applied last year, got wait listed at my one and only MD school interview, then missed the cut off by about 5 people. I am without a doubt not taking that chance of being there again, no matter how good my chances at that same MD school may be.
Invest in yourself and increase your chances by applying broadly like everyone says. That DO school list seems mostly upper tier..I would definitely add some more on.

Do your chances go up to get in next year if you were on a wait list but missed the cut the year prior?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Why no KCUMB?

 

[Ipper91]

Do your chances go up to get in next year if you were on a wait list but missed the cut the year prior?

I like your question.. I am not sure if you mean it in a general sense or specifically, but in my case the chances go up. I am basing this off last 4 years of a school specific thread of people who were in my position of barely getting in the previous year, and it is in my state school. Even though I would love to stay in my state's school system, the one that's basically taught me for the last 17 years (k-undergrad), I am not counting on this because any school that wants to train me as a physician is a great school in my mind..
It sucked though because I was on a ranked waitlist where I was told an exact date of early june when my spot was given a position the previous year...and that year they moved less on the waitlist than 3 years before it lol. It was a combination of 15 people deferring and having guaranteed seats the year I was waitlisted (which takes away 15 seats automatically), them interviewing 70 more people than ever before (slightly lowers my chances again), and the school having an application issue where half their applicants' applications did not come through until they were done with half the interviews(again lowered my chances). Tough luck, but hey...all it has given me is more and more motivation.

If you mean it in a general sense then my answer would be it varies by school .. 🙂

To the OP...nothing is guaranteed, take the best risks with what you will ultimately be comfortable with..

 

[Drhigh]

Ok thanks for all the advice.

What schools should I apply to? I don't know much about DO, and only applied to the ones that my advisor told me. My advisor said that I had a good chance to get accepted and told me to apply to only 5 DO. But I added some additional ones because I wanted to be safe. However i added schools like MSU, OSU, and Rowan which I soon found out that they have very heavy iS bias, so I didn't complete their secondaries.

Also, are low tier DO schools safe to apply to? I know that any med school even low tiers will provide me with a great education and I won't have trouble matching for residencies. Is this the same for DO, or should I avoid low tiers? (For example, i have seen in this forum schools like liberty gets a bad rep)

 

[PlaqueBuster]

with your stats you will get into the DO schools you applied to so far...no need to waste money and apply to more. MSU, CCOM, and PCOM are solid choices for you

 

[Goro]

100% concur. Quit fussing and start applying!

If you don't want to take the MCAT again, then the answer is obvious. Add more schools now!

Your stats are phenomenal for DO, so you should be taking any advantage you should get, applying as early as you can is one of those advantages. Just be patient after that, your time in the sun will come.

Good luck.