Should I reapply or run with an acceptance ?

[allenyoung96]

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Before I get hate, the school I got accepted to was a new DO school.

My stats are a 3.85 GPA / 505 MCAT (could I possibly take this in September if I choose to reapply?) and average ECs to health care experience.

I was wondering if you were in my position, what would you do and why?

I am 25. I graduated school when I was 21 and unfortunately made a few bad decisions leading to a few gap years.

 

[clairish]

I heard that people are blacklisted from med schools if they refused acceptance from med school before.. unless you have really really good excuse. And I dont think new do school isnt good enough excuse.

 

[allenyoung96]

I heard that people are blacklisted from med schools if they refused acceptance from med school before.. unless you have really really good excuse. And I dont think new do school isnt good enough excuse.

Isn't or is?

 

[bikelady]

If this is your only acceptance this cycle, go with it. Ace all your classes, and then as your first year is ending look into transferring schools if you still want to be elsewhere.

 

[allenyoung96]

If this is your only acceptance this cycle, go with it. Ace all your classes, and then as your first year is ending look into transferring schools if you still want to be elsewhere.

Yes it was my only acceptance. My first cycle as well.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Transfers aren’t a common occurrence in med school as curriculum varies too much school by school. I would take the acceptance and run with it. A September MCAT is likely to be too late for this current cycle. Best case scenario you’re looking at starting med school at 27 instead of 25. That’s two years of an attending salary that you’ll be missing.

 

[Isoval]

Turning down a DO acceptance with your stats isn't just shooting yourself in the foot, it's cutting off the whole leg.

Occasionally, I do recommend that people do this. Those people are stellar applicants that either got unlucky this cycle or applied late, and their stats are high enough to where, even with the black mark of turning down an acceptance, will still receive some love because of how great of an applicant that they are.

Your application is not amazing and is a dime a dozen for DO schools. Don't turn down the acceptance; you will have a lot of trouble making lightning strike twice.

To clarify, I am not trying to be mean or disparaging. I am trying to put into perspective that your application is not special enough for DO schools to overlook you turning your nose up at one of them, even a new school.

 

[MadMax2018]

I would go with the acceptance.

 

[Darrow O'Lykos]

You said it yourself that you made a few bad decisions leading to gap years.

Don’t make another bad decision leading to a gap career.

 

[Goro]

Turning down your only acceptance is the worst mistake an applicant can do

 

[EducatedGuesser]

If this is your only acceptance this cycle, go with it. Ace all your classes, and then as your first year is ending look into transferring schools if you still want to be elsewhere.

If this is your only acceptance this cycle, go with it. Ace all your classes, and then as your first year is ending look into transferring schools if you still want to be elsewhere.

You can only transfer from the end of the second year into the third year of an AMCAS school. Even then, it is rare and typically only granted for a compelling reason. You have to be in good standing and able to provide a letter in support of the transfer from your Dean.

 

[allenyoung96]

You can only transfer from the end of the second year into the third year of an AMCAS school. Even then, it is rare and typically only granted for a compelling reason. You have to be in good standing and able to provide a letter in support of the transfer from your Dean.

Any input on the original question

 

[Goro]

Any input on the original question

You already got it. We can't tell you what you want to hear; only what you need to hear.

 

[allenyoung96]

You already got it. We can't tell you what you want to hear; only what you need to hear.

Right, thank you for the advice.

 

[Osteosaur]

All you have going for you is a 3.85 GPA.

Can you get your 505 to a 512 or whatever the average is? And why should they pick a 505/512 over someone who didn't need to retake?

Do you have any awesome ECs with those gap years? Right now you're subpar for MD which is why you choose DO. Just go be a doctor.

 

[CantFindMeNowAdcoms]

Before I get hate, the school I got accepted to was a new DO school.

My stats are a 3.85 GPA / 505 MCAT (could I possibly take this in September if I choose to reapply?) and average ECs to health care experience.

I was wondering if you were in my position, what would you do and why?

I am 25. I graduated school when I was 21 and unfortunately made a few bad decisions leading to a few gap years.

Take it and don’t look back. Enjoy becoming a physician!

 

[allenyoung96]

Take it and don’t look back. Enjoy becoming a physician!

Cool. I will. Thanks guys.

 

[allenyoung96]

Turning down a DO acceptance with your stats isn't just shooting yourself in the foot, it's cutting off the whole leg.

Occasionally, I do recommend that people do this. Those people are stellar applicants that either got unlucky this cycle or applied late, and their stats are high enough to where, even with the black mark of turning down an acceptance, will still receive some love because of how great of an applicant that they are.

Your application is not amazing and is a dime a dozen for DO schools. Don't turn down the acceptance; you will have a lot of trouble making lightning strike twice.

To clarify, I am not trying to be mean or disparaging. I am trying to put into perspective that your application is not special enough for DO schools to overlook you turning your nose up at one of them, even a new school.

How though? I had interviews to 4 MD schools, which accept around 30% of those interviewed (according to the AAMC data I read). In a statistically neutral playing field, I should have been accepted to one of those institutions. I appreciate the advice, and I know it's not your intention to be condescending; however, I don't really see why my application is 'so poor' and a 'dime in a dozen' for DO programs. My GPA was significantly higher and my MCAT average for the program I got accepted to.

I am going to this DO program but still your comment confused me.

 

[EducatedGuesser]

Any input on the original question

Since you applied to both MD and DO and received an offer from a DO school, I would hope you would be excited about beginning the study of medical at the DO school. I would only recommend this choice if you are willing to make a full and meaningful commitment to this education, as someone would likely be delighted with the seat. This choice has to work for you. This is four years of your life, so you don't want to spend it wishing you had made another choice. Choose wisely and then commit. And don't look back.

 

[Flareicus]

How though? I had interviews to 4 MD schools, which accept around 30% of those interviewed (according to the AAMC data I read). In a statistically neutral playing field, I should have been accepted to one of those institutions. I appreciate the advice, and I know it's not your intention to be condescending; however, I don't really see why my application is 'so poor' and a 'dime in a dozen' for DO programs. My GPA was significantly higher and my MCAT average for the program I got accepted to.

I am going to this DO program but still your comment confused me.

The mistake you're making there is the assumption that once you get the interview, you're on equal footing with everyone else. That is patently not true.

The common example that I like a lot is the staircase analogy. Essentially, everyone starts on different steps based on stats, ECs, ORM/URM status, location if it's a state or area dedicated school, etc. For the absolute stellar applicants, they're one step away from an acceptance in the interview. As long as they don't come off as a sociopath, they can have a terrible interview and still get in. For other applicants with holes in their application, they may be starting off on the bottom step. They can have a good or even great interview, but because of their starting position, they end up waitlisted or rejected.

A profile of 3.85/505 is a slightly above average GPA and a noticeably below average MCAT for MD schools. The fact that you had 4 interviews means that there were aspects of your application which caught the eyes of AdComs. However, the fact that none of them converted into an acceptance (assuming reasonable interviewing skills as you were able to net a DO acceptance) means that something in your app held you back from acceptance (most likely your MCAT, assuming standard ECs).

Your profile is perfectly in line with a typical DO matriculant, but it is also subpar for MD schools. Turning down a DO acceptance and more or less killing any chance you would have of getting another acceptance from DO schools to roll the dice in the MD system where you are significantly disadvantaged is a stupid gamble to take.

 

[allenyoung96]

The mistake you're making there is the assumption that once you get the interview, you're on equal footing with everyone else. That is patently not true.

The common example that I like a lot is the staircase analogy. Essentially, everyone starts on different steps based on stats, ECs, ORM/URM status, location if it's a state or area dedicated school, etc. For the absolute stellar applicants, they're one step away from an acceptance in the interview. As long as they don't come off as a sociopath, they can have a terrible interview and still get in. For other applicants with holes in their application, they may be starting off on the bottom step. They can have a good or even great interview, but because of their starting position, they end up waitlisted or rejected.

A profile of 3.85/505 is a slightly above average GPA and a noticeably below average MCAT for MD schools. The fact that you had 4 interviews means that there were aspects of your application which caught the eyes of AdComs. However, the fact that none of them converted into an acceptance (assuming reasonable interviewing skills as you were able to net a DO acceptance) means that something in your app held you back from acceptance (most likely your MCAT, assuming standard ECs).

Your profile is perfectly in line with a typical DO matriculant, but it is also subpar for MD schools. Turning down a DO acceptance and more or less killing any chance you would have of getting another acceptance from DO schools to roll the dice in the MD system where you are significantly disadvantaged is a stupid gamble to take.

Great explanation. Thanks!

 

[Isoval]

How though? I had interviews to 4 MD schools, which accept around 30% of those interviewed (according to the AAMC data I read). In a statistically neutral playing field, I should have been accepted to one of those institutions. I appreciate the advice, and I know it's not your intention to be condescending; however, I don't really see why my application is 'so poor' and a 'dime in a dozen' for DO programs. My GPA was significantly higher and my MCAT average for the program I got accepted to.

I am going to this DO program but still your comment confused me.

@Exocus also left some great insight above this post.

The reason I say your application is a “dime a dozen” is because your application - despite the fact that it has netted you interviews from DO and MD alike - is not so special that it will cause schools to overlook past mishaps. I am not trying to say your application is bad, but rather that the school in question probably has hundreds - if not thousands - of applications with superior stats (if not also superior ECs).

Your application is obviously strong - nobody can deny the interviews you have already been afforded. But being strong enough to get interviews and being strong enough to overlook what is usually a fatal flaw are two different levels of strong.