Suggested Schools For Strong Scores / Weak Activities

[Johannen]

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Hello, all!

My scores and grades are relatively strong, but my activities are conversely somewhat weak.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which AACOM schools I should consider applying to with this situation?

Thanks.

~Johannen

 

[spicedmanna]

Hello, all!

My scores and grades are relatively strong, but my activities are conversely somewhat weak.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which AACOM schools I should consider applying to with this situation?

Thanks.

~Johannen

I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific than that for anybody to make any meaningful recommendations and assessments. At a minimum, we'll benefit from knowing your statistics (GPA, MCAT), what activities you do have, and what you are looking for in a school. Regardless of whether you provide your profile here, you can check this link for information about the different schools and other statistical goodies that you can compare yourself against to make an informed choice in choosing schools.

Anyway, all schools look at more than just your numbers; extracurricular activities, work experiences, and other activities make up an important aspect of your application. In particular, clinical experiences, community service/volunteer activities, leadership experiences, and shadowing experiences tend to be emphasized. It has been suggested that osteopathic schools take a holistic approach to evaluating applicants, so while good numbers are definitely essential to a good application, so are the other attributes of your profile.

 

[Johannen]

I'd post my profile, but the last time I did that, I had problems convincing other posters of my willingness to enter osteopathic medicine.

Suffice it to say that I am interested in the practice, manipulation and all.

Anyway..

3.73 gpa, about 3.8 math and science
37R (13B, 12P, 12V)

Considerably more shadowing than last year's application and another year's worth of activities well help for sure, but it's still weak.

I have some research but I'm unpublished.

Finally, besides shadowing, I don't really have any clinical experience.

I do feel that I know a DO well enough for a LOR, though.

I know and appreciate the holistic process, but I'm admittedly looking for a few schools that I can add that might value scores a bit more to further my chances.

Thanks.

Edit: I'd prefer to stay in the midwest; I'm already applying to Midwestern schools. What I'm asking for is some advice choosing a few schools with the above idea in mind that could possibly be outside of the Midwest. Thanks.

 

[HarveyCushing]

Hello, all!

My scores and grades are relatively strong, but my activities are conversely somewhat weak.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which AACOM schools I should consider applying to with this situation?

Thanks.

~Johannen

If you have the chance this summer, I would recommend shadowing some physicians (if you haven't done so yet) and maybe do some community service/volunteer. You can always update your application later and will then have something to talk about if you get interviews. To not have extra-curricular activities/clinical experience would do yourself a diservice.

 

[VALSALVA]

I'd post my profile, but the last time I did that, I had problems convincing other posters of my willingness to enter osteopathic medicine.

Suffice it to say that I am interested in the practice, manipulation and all.

Anyway..

3.73 gpa, about 3.8 math and science
37R (13B, 12P, 12V)

Considerably more shadowing than last year's application and another year's worth of activities well help for sure, but it's still weak.

I have some research but I'm unpublished.

Finally, besides shadowing, I don't really have any clinical experience.

I do feel that I know a DO well enough for a LOR, though.

I know and appreciate the holistic process, but I'm admittedly looking for a few schools that I can add that might value scores a bit more to further my chances.

Thanks.

Edit: I'd prefer to stay in the midwest; I'm already applying to Midwestern schools. What I'm asking for is some advice choosing a few schools with the above idea in mind that could possibly be outside of the Midwest. Thanks.

You won't have a problem, my friend. Good luck.

 

[spicedmanna]

Investigate Western/COMP. They tend to have high averages for their matriculants. They invite folks for high-priority interviews pre-secondary. They still asked about clinical experiences and other activities during the interview, however. I don't know too many schools that don't.

Other schools that value numbers a bit more, outside of the Midwest... I am not sure. Maybe UMDNJ-SOM. The added value of attending this school is that it's easy to get instate residency and thus instate tuition rates (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

There are a couple of schools that might accept you without an interview based on your GPA and MCAT score. I think maybe WVSOM is one schools that tends to do that. They are very into rural healthcare though and are a bit expensive. You may not be into that. I can't remember the other school that does that.

NYCOM and PCOM are great schools outside of the Midwest, but I don't know if they "value numbers a bit more." You should try them anyway.

 

[MaximusD]

Hello, all!

My scores and grades are relatively strong, but my activities are conversely somewhat weak.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which AACOM schools I should consider applying to with this situation?

Thanks.

~Johannen

Advice:

Start clinical activities now so that you can include them. Volunteer with the red cross (they always need it) and volunteer at the hospital. Something is better than nothing.

Basically, the priorities are as follows:

1. GPA (check! >3.7)
2. MCAT (check! 37 (top 95th percentile)
3. Letters of Recommendation (get the DO to write one, for sure)
4. Personal Statement/Secondary Essays
5. Everything else with preference to clinical background

not to gloat, but I got into WVSOM, PCOM, and CCOM with a 3.25 and a 32 MCAT, so you should have no problem. I only had about 70 hrs of volunteer time, 2 shadowing experiences, some peer mentoring, student gov't, and some other community involvement... not anything gargantuan.

 

[Faze2]

Your graades and MCAT scores are excellent, and you do have some experience so that is good. However, I do know of many people with similar scores that did not get accepted because of "lack of sufficient clinical experience." Both MD and DO schools. I think if you apply broadly you will get multiple acceptances, but some may not be at your top choices. If you waited a year and really got some good things under your belt, volunteering, shadowing, research, hospital job, you could get into some very good schools, but it is up to you whether you want to wait another year.

I know that DO schools look at the "whole person" when deciding on acceptances. Your scores are obviously good enough for any DO school, but in my opinion you will be asked about the lack of experience, and it may come back to haunt you, even at DO schools, (But probably not)