I have had quite a few people PM me, asking me about my success with this years application. So I decided that I would describe to everyone what I did, and outline some good characteristics that all DO applications should have. Hopefully what I have written isn't to obvious.
Grades/MCAT: This will honestly get you the furthest. But I think that not having some aspect of these other characteristics I have described makes a person a weak candidate. My grades were below average, and my MCAT was slightly above average. I think that as long as your GPA is above a 3.0, you can make up for it with a higher MCAT (high 20's low 30's). In contrast, a high GPA coupled with a low MCAT doesn't have the same effect. If your GPA is below a 3.0, make sure you do everything in your power to get your GPA up. DO schools allow for grade replacement, which I think is a great opportunity to make up for past mistakes and should be capitalized on by all those not meeting GPA requirements. If you have a high GPA and low MCAT, work on bringing up that MCAT! You got high grades for a reason--you are either smart or a hard worker--either of these characteristics (most likely a little of both) should help you bring up your MCAT.
Letters of Recommendation: I made sure to choose letter writers that would write unique things about me. I was able to do this by getting to know profs early on with office hours, or working with them personally with projects I created. I went to a large state school, so this was very difficult to pull off. My recommendation is start of early in your college career to get to know professors. Honestly, if you are frequent in their office hours, they would have to be asses to not write you a letter of rec. But make sure to know the temperament of who your writer is. Do they seem genuinely nice? Do they seem kinda lazy, and etc.? Also, asking for letters early is sooooo important! For me, it took 6 months for some of m profs to get me my letters. This also goes for DO's/MD's you want to ask letters for--ask them early!!
Shadowing: I shadowed two DO's. Had them both write me letters of recommendation. I had no MD letters even though I I had the opportunity to get some. I really wanted schools to see my commitment to DO.
Personal Statement: I went through 20 drafts. I had at least 5-6 people help me edit it. Including a college professor that was a family friend, and my EMT boss, who currently is in DO school. This is probably the most over-looked part of people's applications. This really shows ADCOMs who you are more than any other part of your application. Here, they can really see what your writing capabilities are, and how well you are able to describe yourself in such a short space. DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS! It took me nearly two months , working on it everyday to compose what I wrote, which I really do think was the finest thing I had ever written. When you are ready to turn in your application, you have to ask yourself if your PS is one of the best things that you have written. If it isn't you have work to do, or you are selling yourself short.
Research: This was the weakest part of my application. I did a little research that wasn't very flashy. But when I wrote about it I made it sound really impressive. I injected rats with saline/ a drug as part of a diabetic research study--but I didn't have too many responsibilities as far as the research went.
Clinical Experience: (Demonstrate that you are passionate about Medicine, and knowledgeable) Over here, volunteering at hospitals helps, but doesn't really set you apart. Volunteering alone also may demonstrate interest in the field, but not necessarily knowledge about what you are getting yourself into. I personally worked for a year as an EMT. I think this showed ADCOMs both my commitment to medicine, and proved to them that I knew what I was getting myself into. Actually working with patients as a health care provider gives you a really different perspective as to what it is like to work with a patient--much more than volunteering can, and ADCOMs I believe take notice of this.
Community Service Background: (Doing some sort of community service, not necessarily medical.) For me, this could also fall under the category of uniqueness, but I made educational drug videos about recreational drugs and posted them online. I also coached and did other things. The important thing is being able to say that you have served communities one way or another.
Uniqueness: (Something that makes you stand out.) This one is really hard, because what is really unique anyways? For me, I described in detail how I had medical problems of my own when I was young in my personal statement. My medical problems weren't that interesting, but I know for a fact the story I told in my PS was!
Well-Roundedness: (Basically proof that you have a life other than doing medical school related things.) I described my love for sports, particularly Basketball, and things that I had done---coaching, playing in leagues, playing to alleviate stress, etc.
Working on everything that I have outlined, I would find it very hard to believe if a few DO schools don't look your guys way. Hope this advice helped!
