Should I reapply or take DO acceptance? Please help! My pre-med advisor says they are confused.

[Kimmerfredette]

I am not sure what to do. I have applied twice (if i reapplied again this would be my third time applying). The first time I had one MD interview (I did not apply to any DO schools). I did not get accepted (most likely because of my 509 MCAT). So, I decided to reapply. This was my most recent application:

cGPA: 3.87
BCPM GPA: 3.73
MCAT: 509 (127,124,127,131) -> 515 (126,130,129,130)

Submitted primary on 6/5/22, processed on 6/28/22.


ECs:
Working as an EMT on an ambulance: 156 hours at the time of applying, continued working there up until now (I work PRN there now so a couple of shifts a month because I am full time at my other job, which will be listed in the “what has improved since last applying” section).

Worked as a custom art frame builder: 330 hours

Non-medical service: 330 (helping people get access to healthcare 25, helping out in a nursing home not as medical staff 48, fundraiser 16, hospital help desk 50, service on a Christian mission in South Korea 200)

Medical service: 370 (volunteer at a disability center 30, EMT for my university 340)

Research: About a year, did a poster presentation, no pubs (190 hours)

Shadowing: 35 international, 29 online, 86 in person (shadowed ED, ENT, and family practice in person)

Division I diver for my university: 3100 hours

Team captain for the men’s diving team my senior year.

Several leadership positions in my Christian mission in South Korea


MD School List (submitted secondary on):
Albany (9/14)
Albert Einstein (8/10)
Drexel (9/7)
Emory (8/22)
George Washington (8/22)
Georgetown (8/22)
Mount Sinai (8/16)
Temple University (8/22)
Mayo (Arizona) (8/22)
University of Vermont (9/7)
Thomas Jefferson University (8/16)
University of Utah (state school) (7/12)
Tufts (8/9)
Uniformed Services University (9/5) (Withdrew application)
University of Colorado (7/27)
University of Miami (8/13)
University of Pittsburgh (8/22)
University of Wisconsin (8/22)
Virginia Commonwealth University (7/27)
Wake Forest (7/27)

Was interviewed at Uniformed Services University and placed on a waitlist. Withdrew my application because, due to more research, I decided that the military lifestyle was not for me.

DO School List:
Touro Nevada (Interviewed)
Midwestern University in Arizona (Accepted)
Rocky Vista University Southern Utah (Accepted)


I have met consistently with my pre-med advisors and they tell me stuff like “we don’t know why you are not getting more interviews.” This makes me think that both my pre-med advisor and I are missing something. Please help! What is wrong with my application?!?!



I threw on the DO schools kind of as an afterthought. I know I shouldn’t have if I didn’t want to go there. Frankly I was going through some personal challenges, and just kind of threw them on (which is also why some of my secondaries were submitted a little later than I would have liked).

I am interested in competitive specialties (like ortho, ENT, general surgery, and other specialties).


What has improved since last applying:

I work full time as an Oral Maxillofacial surgical assistant, continue to work as an EMT on an ambulance, and I am a ski instructor.

TLDR: My primary application, school list (and when I submitted my secondaries) are listed above. My pre-med advisor doesn’t know why I didn’t get more interviews. So, I am wondering, what is wrong with my application? And because I am interested in competitive specialties should I reapply and try to go MD or just take the DO acceptance? I didn’t realize the strong negative feelings towards DOs could prevent matching into a competitive residency when I put them on my school list. This with STEP 1 P/F is making me very worried. I really want to reapply to MD schools (where my MCAT is at least in the 75th percentile for the majority of the schools). Does this seem like a good idea? Please help! I feel like I am always missing info!

Thank you!

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[SunBakedTrash]

If you want to be a doctor, i would take the DO acceptance. There is no guarantee and high likelihood you won’t be accepted at all next year during round 3. Each year is another year of lost income potential. Work hard and those specialties should be completely obtainable.

 

[Bluesandstuff]

1) Taking the mcat more than once in and of itself is points against you for some schools admissions formulas. Learned that the hard way…

2) Getting only one MD interview ever is pretty concerning that you’re unconsciously doing something that’s perceived as “bad”. Also, that list is ~20 programs but doesn’t seem to have that many MD schools that I remember being out of state friendly or particularly low tier/safety schools.

3) Doing Ortho is super hard and ENT hard. There’s zero guarantees you get close to being able to do that any program. It happens, but is a huge uphill battle from low tier community programs and honestly the DOs I know that got ortho are basically the residents I’ve ever met and basically lapped the field. Gen surgery is doable as a DO assuming you do okay on boards and take both comlex and step which is also no gauntantee esp if you had to retake the mcat to be competitive. It all easier from a good well run MD school with an academic center. (Vs Cal Northstate is run exactly like most DO schools)

That all said, I say the offer in hand is worth way more than the potential esp since it isn’t like the people evaluating you are changing + fresh higher mcat scorers come out every class. The odds are against you doing way better in just one year. But you have to understand that Ortho and ENT are far reaches from anyone scraping to get into a Mid-Low tier med school

You have a tough decision. Best of luck! - a super tired OMS-4

 

[Kimmerfredette]

If you want to be a doctor, i would take the DO acceptance. There is no guarantee and high likelihood you won’t be accepted at all next year during round 3. Each year is another year of lost income potential. Work hard and those specialties should be completely obtainable.

Thank you!

 

[Kimmerfredette]

1) Taking the mcat more than once in and of itself is points against you for some schools admissions formulas. Learned that the hard way…

2) Getting only one MD interview ever is pretty concerning that you’re unconsciously doing something that’s perceived as “bad”. Also, that list is ~20 programs but doesn’t seem to have that many MD schools that I remember being out of state friendly or particularly low tier/safety schools.

3) Doing Ortho is super hard and ENT hard. There’s zero guarantees you get close to being able to do that any program. It happens, but is a huge uphill battle from low tier community programs and honestly the DOs I know that got ortho are basically the residents I’ve ever met and basically lapped the field. Gen surgery is doable as a DO assuming you do okay on boards and take both comlex and step which is also no gauntantee esp if you had to retake the mcat to be competitive. It all easier from a good well run MD school with an academic center. (Vs Cal Northstate is run exactly like most DO schools)

That all said, I say the offer in hand is worth way more than the potential esp since it isn’t like the people evaluating you are changing + fresh higher mcat scorers come out every class. The odds are against you doing way better in just one year. But you have to understand that Ortho and ENT are far reaches from anyone scraping to get into a Mid-Low tier med school

You have a tough decision. Best of luck! - a super tired OMS-4

Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate it! I wish I would have know that my med school lost wasn’t great. I checked it with a bunch of people, but I guess I should have checked even more. Also, thank you for your honesty regarding the specialties. I appreciate it!

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

You didn’t apply to enough MD schools (should have been closer to 60 with your stats). I would go DO and think about those specialties but also become comfortable with doing something less competitive

 

[Sidus1011]

I am not sure what to do. I have applied twice (if i reapplied again this would be my third time applying). The first time I had one MD interview (I did not apply to any DO schools). I did not get accepted (most likely because of my 509 MCAT). So, I decided to reapply. This was my most recent application:

cGPA: 3.87
BCPM GPA: 3.73
MCAT: 509 (127,124,127,131) -> 515 (126,130,129,130)

Submitted primary on 6/5/22, processed on 6/28/22.


ECs:
Working as an EMT on an ambulance: 156 hours at the time of applying, continued working there up until now (I work PRN there now so a couple of shifts a month because I am full time at my other job, which will be listed in the “what has improved since last applying” section).

Worked as a custom art frame builder: 330 hours

Non-medical service: 330 (helping people get access to healthcare 25, helping out in a nursing home not as medical staff 48, fundraiser 16, hospital help desk 50, service on a Christian mission in South Korea 200)

Medical service: 370 (volunteer at a disability center 30, EMT for my university 340)

Research: About a year, did a poster presentation, no pubs (190 hours)

Shadowing: 35 international, 29 online, 86 in person (shadowed ED, ENT, and family practice in person)

Division I diver for my university: 3100 hours

Team captain for the men’s diving team my senior year.

Several leadership positions in my Christian mission in South Korea


MD School List (submitted secondary on):
Albany (9/14)
Albert Einstein (8/10)
Drexel (9/7)
Emory (8/22)
George Washington (8/22)
Georgetown (8/22)
Mount Sinai (8/16)
Temple University (8/22)
Mayo (Arizona) (8/22)
University of Vermont (9/7)
Thomas Jefferson University (8/16)
University of Utah (state school) (7/12)
Tufts (8/9)
Uniformed Services University (9/5) (Withdrew application)
University of Colorado (7/27)
University of Miami (8/13)
University of Pittsburgh (8/22)
University of Wisconsin (8/22)
Virginia Commonwealth University (7/27)
Wake Forest (7/27)

Was interviewed at Uniformed Services University and placed on a waitlist. Withdrew my application because, due to more research, I decided that the military lifestyle was not for me.

DO School List:
Touro Nevada (Interviewed)
Midwestern University in Arizona (Accepted)
Rocky Vista University Southern Utah (Accepted)


I have met consistently with my pre-med advisors and they tell me stuff like “we don’t know why you are not getting more interviews.” This makes me think that both my pre-med advisor and I are missing something. Please help! What is wrong with my application?!?!



I threw on the DO schools kind of as an afterthought. I know I shouldn’t have if I didn’t want to go there. Frankly I was going through some personal challenges, and just kind of threw them on (which is also why some of my secondaries were submitted a little later than I would have liked).

I am interested in competitive specialties (like ortho, ENT, general surgery, and other specialties).


What has improved since last applying:

I work full time as an Oral Maxillofacial surgical assistant, continue to work as an EMT on an ambulance, and I am a ski instructor.

TLDR: My primary application, school list (and when I submitted my secondaries) are listed above. My pre-med advisor doesn’t know why I didn’t get more interviews. So, I am wondering, what is wrong with my application? And because I am interested in competitive specialties should I reapply and try to go MD or just take the DO acceptance? I didn’t realize the strong negative feelings towards DOs could prevent matching into a competitive residency when I put them on my school list. This with STEP 1 P/F is making me very worried. I really want to reapply to MD schools (where my MCAT is at least in the 75th percentile for the majority of the schools). Does this seem like a good idea? Please help! I feel like I am always missing info!

Thank you!

Your worries are warranted, but quite frankly, you do have a great risk of missing out on your future of being a physician if you drop the acceptance. You list off competitive specialties with widely different practices, but how do you even know if you'd enjoy them? Furthermore, just from the way you type out "what is wrong with my application?" and "I feel like I am always missing info", it seems like you are missing the big picture. You will be a physician. I'm unsure why you think your application was supposed to afford you anything more than that.

Personally, I would take the for sure route to a 300k+ salary. While we often like to wax and wane poeticism of our passions and the impact we will have on the world, medicine is ultimately a job. There are a number of really great fields accessible from both MD and DO schools. If you do end up in an MD school on a third reapp it still doesn't guarantee you will end up in that competitive field you are doe eyed for. If you don't get in on your reapp, quite frankly you have made a very poor financial decision and will be left grasping at straws as no employer gives a damn about a failed pre med with no real applicable life experience.

TL;DR: Drop your acceptance, someone else will appreciate the opportunity it affords for their future.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I have met consistently with my pre-med advisors and they tell me stuff like “we don’t know why you are not getting more interviews.” This makes me think that both my pre-med advisor and I are missing something. Please help! What is wrong with my application?!?!

Because you got accepted, I won't do any analysis to feed into any buyers remorse. It's worse that your advisors don't seem more enthusiastic for you. Take the offer.

Your advisors need to do their post-cycle analysis, but it includes you starting medical school.

At least one school was able to see your potential and take a shot to see if they can make you a doctor. Take that ticket and excel.

 

[wysdoc]

None of us are confused, and I can see from your posts that you now have 2 DO acceptances.
Enroll at the more established one and start learning medicine!

 

[ObscureGoat2196]

As an AZCOM (Midwestern, Glendale) OMS-3 soon to OMS-4 I can tell you that the education you are going to gain is going to be the same no matter where you go. I am sure that is not what your are hoping to hear as you think it is going to put you at a disadvantage when it comes to residency application.

Let me put your worries at ease. I bullet pointed my thoughts and I hope they help as someone who was in your exact position but I reapplied 5 times wanting an MD acceptance. I am wanting to match neurosurgery, some thoughts:

-it is a very hard residency to match
-some programs are going to overlook you as a DO, that is a fact and I have spoken to GME coordinators directly who have confirmed this for those who may not agree with me
-BUT, there are 147 residency programs for my specialty of interest, 4 of which were previously AOA (DO only) and have a prejudice in an equal and opposite direction, meaning they favor DOs
-As an Arizona School we have Mayo, UofA Phoenix/Tucson, and now Creighton pumping out MD students who we often have rotations with
-For some reason (I am being facetious) a large majority of preceptors (the attending who you "work for" during your 3rd and 4th year rotations) reaffirm that the Midwestern students are the most well rounded and hard working students they get
-I don't say this to disparage my fellow MD students, but realize the effort you put in is the only directly correlated factor to your success
-accept the DO offer and become a doctor and stop overthinking it

much love and good luck in your future career.