Should I apply to more schools?

[scm70]

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Hey SDN,

I'm currently in the process of applying to medical school (like almost everyone else on this site) and I'm wondering if I should apply to more DO schools to be on the safe side. I'm currently applying to 16 MD schools and only 3 DO schools. I'm afraid I won't get in anywhere and I feel like I should apply more broadly to DO schools.

I have a 3.59 cGPA and 3.48 sGPA and a 30 MCAT (8V, 10P, 12B). I will be graduating with an MS in Molecular Virology with Thesis in August. I have ~300 hour of non-clinical volunteer experience and ~200 hours of clinical volunteer experience (I should gain about 100 more hours prior to matriculating). I have about 50 hours of shadowing experience (15 hours DO) and a ton of research experience (I've been pretty much full time for 3 years as graduate student and am continuing as a research assistant this year in the same lab). I've also had leadership positions in multiple clubs and organizations. I'm am an OH resident but grew up in CT.

I am currently only applying to PCOM-PA, OU-HCOM, and CCOM. Should I apply to more schools or do I have a shot of getting into one of these 3? I don't have the resources to apply to a ton more schools, but I want to give myself the best chance of getting in somewhere. Please let me know your thoughts 🙂

 

[Dr. Hopeful]

To be honest I think you're pretty safe to get accepted, but medical school is all a numbers game. Although I think you will receive an acceptance from one of these schools, I'd add a few more of the established midwest DO schools just as a safety net. I would apply to KCU, DMU, and probably LECOM too as a safety net.

 

[pericardium]

Your chances are great, and OU-HCOM sounds perfect for you, but I would throw in a few safety schools.

 

[ortnakas]

Agreed-- your application looks good for DO, but a few more schools is still a good idea (secondaries are cheap compared to a second application cycle). Your GPA might be a little low for the MD schools but is fine for most DO programs.

I'm at LECOM-SH and have a few classmates from Ohio. People on SDN seem to like Marian which isn't too far from you. Worth considering KCU and DMU as well. If you grew up in Connecticut and want to go back to the northeast, UNECOM seems to have a good reputation too.

 

[scm70]

Thanks for your input everyone. I've already added DMU to my list and will probably one or two more to be on the safe side.

 

[Gandyy]

You have the big 3 in front of your MCAT score and a decent GPA so yea I'd say you have a strong shot at DO. You should add KCU and DMU though. They are great schools from what I've heard and have a great reputation. Also many of the schools in the west are pretty good as well.

 

[AM508]

If you are into the whole rural thing, KCOM would be a good addition as an established mid-west school.

 

[scm70]

Thanks for all of the advice everyone! I'm probably going to add KCU-COM to the list as well.