Throwaway school

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medschoolplease123

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Just curious - but what do you guys think is a good throwaway school for DO? I'm considering either liberty or lecom. Gpa 3.7ish (conservatively) mcat (intended retake should be 505 ish). IL resident. Not a urm. Asian (paki). Just curious as to what past applicants in my situation used...

Thanks.
 
How many schools are you applying to? I had very similar stats and applied to 18 and received 12 interview invites. I would only apply to schools you would want to go to and not just toss your app in to a school like LUCOM if you don't fit their mission.


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Do Ohio or Oklahoma. You could do Liberty but I wouldn't donate my money to them. They get to post that number for primaries received.

I wouldn't do lecom because the amount of flack they get its still a viable option to go and very cheap

Edit: autocorrect
 
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Off the top of my head DO schools with slightly lower stats are ACOM, Campbell, Lecom (they get a lot of apps tho), bcom, LUCOM (strong Christian school), Soma in AZ, LMU.


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medschoolplease123 said:
Just curious - but what do you guys think is a good throwaway school for DO? I'm considering either liberty or lecom. Gpa 3.7ish (conservatively) mcat (intended retake should be 505 ish). IL resident. Not a urm. Asian (paki). Just curious as to what past applicants in my situation used...

Thanks.
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I would do LECOM not lucom.
 
OSU, Ohio or Rowan. Who knows maybe they'll throw you a bone.
 
I understand LECOM isn't for everybody, and might not be on your short list, but I feel like I'm getting a quality education here-- I'd save it as a backup, not use it as a throwaway.

If you need a throwaway, pick somehow you're REALLY sure you don't want to go. ATSU-SOMA if you don't like their model, BUCOM if you don't like private loans, MSUCOM if you don't want to pay their out-of-state tuition, etc. (Those are EXAMPLES of reasons-- I don't know much about any of those three schools so don't jump on me defending them.)
 
I'm kinda new to the whole lucom. Why the hate?

AnatomyGrey12 said:
Pick one you would never go to, I would do MSUCOM because dat OOS tuition... LECOM is actually a viable option so don't use them. LUCOM doesn't deserve the satisfaction of even getting a primary
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I'll just pick the highest oos tuition. But then again do i need a throwaway school because I've heard @Goro posting somewhere that applying to DO even submitting your primary in mid july is "early." i might be mistaken on this. Only reason I'm considering throwaway is because I retake the mcat in june then dont get my scores till mid july. Anyone else go through something similar?
 
Lol. If i were to go with the throwaway route - it would have to be MSUCOM. There's no way I'm looking to pay 80ish K a year. Thats crazy. 50K (60K is pushing it) would be reasonable. (still a lot of money but better than 80K...)
 
Goro said:
Go look at my profile and search "LUCOM"
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Would you mind clarifying whether waiting until mid july is still considered "early" "on time" "late" etc. I know for MD its different and I know DO cycle is longer. But as an ad com obviously you know best...
 
For DO you can wait until Oct. Apply nice an early with a good app could mean a Sept interview though.
medschoolplease123 said:
Would you mind clarifying whether waiting until mid july is still considered "early" "on time" "late" etc. I know for MD its different and I know DO cycle is longer. But as an ad com obviously you know best...
Click to expand...
 
Just realized there was a difference between throwaway and a safety school haha.


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Goro said:
For DO you can wait until Oct. Apply nice an early with a good app could mean a Sept interview though.
Click to expand...

So would you suggest for people who are in similar situations as me just wait, get the retake score in july and submit everything in july?
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
Pick one you would never go to, I would do MSUCOM because dat OOS tuition... LECOM is actually a viable option so don't use them. LUCOM doesn't deserve the satisfaction of even getting a primary
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This!!

MSUCOM OOS tuition is outrageous. LECOM looks to have a great match list so I definitely wouldn't consider it a throwaway....then yes, continued quasi-unanimous disgust for LUCOM
 
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Not really getting the LECOM hate, and their entrance stats are literally the middle of the road average DO matriculant stats, so I wouldn't really call them "on the low side", but whatever.

medschoolplease123 said:
I'll just pick the highest oos tuition. But then again do i need a throwaway school because I've heard @Goro posting somewhere that applying to DO even submitting your primary in mid july is "early." i might be mistaken on this. Only reason I'm considering throwaway is because I retake the mcat in june then dont get my scores till mid july. Anyone else go through something similar?
Click to expand...

I'm a little confused about the point of a throwaway. You doing it just to submit the app on time? If that's the case, you don't need a throwaway, you just need a school that you're planning to apply to that won't reject you with an MCAT score pending. Half the schools would wait for the score and the other half won't.

Its been too long since I applied to know which ones do that now, but back when I applied, I remember the Midwesterns, LECOM, ACOM, and WVSOM waiting on my MCAT or pending semester grades before deciding. The Westerns, ATSUs, and I want to say the Touros did not (rejected or offered interview right away). Now remember this was like 4 yrs ago, so look at recent posts to be sure.
 
Yeah, that will be fine. Y'know, most Admissions staff don't start their grunt work until after Labor day.


medschoolplease123 said:
So would you suggest for people who are in similar situations as me just wait, get the retake score in july and submit everything in july?
Click to expand...
 
hallowmann said:
I'm a little confused about the point of a throwaway. You doing it just to submit the app on time? If that's the case, you don't need a throwaway, you just need a school that you're planning to apply to that won't reject you with an MCAT score pending. Half the schools would wait for the score and the other half won't.
Click to expand...

This is a really good point. I applied to a school closer to my home at the time, assuming that they'd put me on hold pending my new MCAT score, and they rejected me outright instead. With that same original score I received one interview invite (to where I am now, which I'm actually happy about) and two pre-interview holds that turned into invites when my application was updated.
 
hallowmann said:
Not really getting the LECOM hate, and their entrance stats are literally the middle of the road average DO matriculant stats, so I wouldn't really call them "on the low side", but whatever.



I'm a little confused about the point of a throwaway. You doing it just to submit the app on time? If that's the case, you don't need a throwaway, you just need a school that you're planning to apply to that won't reject you with an MCAT score pending. Half the schools would wait for the score and the other half won't.

Its been too long since I applied to know which ones do that now, but back when I applied, I remember the Midwesterns, LECOM, ACOM, and WVSOM waiting on my MCAT or pending semester grades before deciding. The Westerns, ATSUs, and I want to say the Touros did not (rejected or offered interview right away). Now remember this was like 4 yrs ago, so look at recent posts to be sure.
Click to expand...

The throwaway school was just so i sent my app in early (similar to you know jow everyone in MD apps submit like asap). But since the DO cycle is longer i was curious if i needed to submit a throwaway school to get my app verified with my pre-existing mcat (which sucks) have my app note that i am retaking and just have my primary verified. That way when i get my retake mcat score i wont have to wait. Potential earlier review and earlier interview etc. But seems that @Goro said to just submit everything with my retake. I would be a fool not to follow his advice.
 
medschoolplease123 said:
The throwaway school was just so i sent my app in early (similar to you know jow everyone in MD apps submit like asap). But since the DO cycle is longer i was curious if i needed to submit a throwaway school to get my app verified with my pre-existing mcat (which sucks) have my app note that i am retaking and just have my primary verified. That way when i get my retake mcat score i wont have to wait. Potential earlier review and earlier interview etc. But seems that @Goro said to just submit everything with my retake. I would be a fool not to follow his advice.
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I wouldn't wait to submit and verify. Unless a lot has changed, verification takes weeks early in the cycle and 1-2 months later in the cycle. Also, I wouldn't call Oct early. Oct may not be late, but applying after Aug/Sept is definitely not early, and at some DO schools early is what differentiates getting an interview now vs. getting one when the class is mostly full.

If I were you, I'd still apply to one school to get your app verified, but I would not add a whole new school, I would just try to determine which one on your current list would wait for your new MCAT, would put you on hold until it came in, or wouldn't filter based on your current MCAT to begin with. That's my advice. Obviously do whatever you feel confident doing.
 
hallowmann said:
I wouldn't wait to submit and verify. Unless a lot has changed, verification takes weeks early in the cycle and 1-2 months later in the cycle. Also, I wouldn't call Oct early. Oct may not be late, but applying after Aug/Sept is definitely not early, and at some DO schools early is what differentiates getting an interview now vs. getting one when the class is mostly full.

If I were you, I'd still apply to one school to get your app verified, but I would not add a whole new school, I would just try to determine which one on your current list would wait for your new MCAT, would put you on hold until it came in, or wouldn't filter based on your current MCAT to begin with. That's my advice. Obviously do whatever you feel confident doing.
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Yeah of course i was not going to wait until October. I was waiting till july and then submitting everything. If i did do the verification process with my first mcat score i would send it to msucom just because there's no way I'm paying 80k so i wouldnt care if i got rejected...
 
medschoolplease123 said:
Just curious - but what do you guys think is a good throwaway school for DO? I'm considering either liberty or lecom. Gpa 3.7ish (conservatively) mcat (intended retake should be 505 ish). IL resident. Not a urm. Asian (paki). Just curious as to what past applicants in my situation used...

Thanks.
Click to expand...


I have not heard this term ("throwaway school") before. It is insulting to DOs.
 
JoeUSA said:
I have not heard this term ("throwaway school") before. It is insulting to DOs.
Click to expand...
I used Harvard as my throwaway school for AMCAS and I'm starting at RowanSOM this summer...it goes both ways. I wouldn't say insulting to DOs. Maybe just certain schools...those that raise red flags in the applicants mind, or the schools with elitist mentalities.


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It's potentially beneficial to do a throw-away school just to get processed. I didn't do that and submitted to all my schools while waiting on my MCAT and one rejected me as soon as I applied for not meeting their MCAT cut-off. So I had to email and argue with a minimum wage student worker who thought I scored a "0" on my first MCAT, because I hadn't taken it at the time their computer system received my application. Another school had problems in that they didn't update their system properly. It worked out as my score came in during July and I was accepted, but it can cause a glitch with some schools.

So you could do a throw-away or look up each school and only apply to those first that specifically state they happily accept applications prior to mcat score coming in or will re-evaluate you on mcat retakes, assuming they aren't lying.

With a low initial MCAT score you risk even more as your application might get blindly processed and a student worker eliminate you based on you not meeting the cut-off, so if your second score comes in you might already be in the trash pile and it never get seen. Submitting in July is actually still early, as most apps come in during aug/sept.

Best of Luck!
 
DrMikeP said:
So I had to email and argue with a minimum wage student worker who thought I scored a "0" on my first MCAT
Click to expand...

Gotta love student workers 1. As if you would actually apply with an MCAT score of 0.... And 2. You could literally take the test blind and just click random answers and get better than a 0

I think the only way it's possible to get a 0 is if you just walk into the testing center, open the bad boy up and then just take a friggin nap and walk out when it's over lol
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
Gotta love student workers 1. As if you would actually apply with an MCAT score of 0.... And 2. You could literally take the test blind and just click random answers and get better than a 0

I think the only way it's possible to get a 0 is if you just walk into the testing center, open the bad boy up and then just take a friggin nap and walk out when it's over lol
Click to expand...

I know! I was like what? Really, what? How? wait, do you realize? It was a CA school and I didn't really want to go there anyway but my wife thought it might be nice to live there... lol

I guess from the student worker's perspective who cares as long as they pass enough through so it looks like they are doing something. Many of them are not on the med school track so have no clue at all. At 6000 applications it's not feasible to have highly skilled people process them all.

But then even my own university I'm a prof at screwed up my paperwork (they are notorious for screwing up all kinds of paperwork, if only people knew). They lost my mcat score after accepting and approving my application for review, so I can't throw stones at others. It does make me wonder if any of the places I didn't get invited for an interview at if it was because for some reason my application paperwork fell through the cracks and I never found out. But then all you need is one and I am happy with where I'll be going. 🙂
 
If you could redo the process would you do a throwaway school?

DrMikeP said:
I know! I was like what? Really, what? How? wait, do you realize? It was a CA school and I didn't really want to go there anyway but my wife thought it might be nice to live there... lol

I guess from the student worker's perspective who cares as long as they pass enough through so it looks like they are doing something. Many of them are not on the med school track so have no clue at all. At 6000 applications it's not feasible to have highly skilled people process them all.

But then even my own university I'm a prof at screwed up my paperwork (they are notorious for screwing up all kinds of paperwork, if only people knew). They lost my mcat score after accepting and approving my application for review, so I can't throw stones at others. It does make me wonder if any of the places I didn't get invited for an interview at if it was because for some reason my application paperwork fell through the cracks and I never found out. But then all you need is one and I am happy with where I'll be going. 🙂
Click to expand...
 
There is no such thing as a "throwaway school". Any self-respecting school will reject your app if they feel you are treating their program as a plan B. The only thing you would be throwing away is your money.
 
Yes there is. It is a school you put on your app so that you can be verified. You have 0 intention of ever going there, the point is that they will reject you.... Why are people having such a hard time understanding this?

Oh and all DO schools know they are plan B for 95% of applicants...


jojo58 said:
There is no such thing as a "throwaway school". Any self-respecting school will reject your app if they feel you are treating their program as a plan B. The only thing you would be throwing away is your money.
Click to expand...
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
Yes there is. It is a school you put on your app so that you can be verified. You have 0 intention of ever going there, the point is that they will reject you.... Why are people having such a hard time understanding this?

Oh and all DO schools know they are plan B for 95% of applicants...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not sure why people don't understand the concept of a "throwaway school." It actually is a smart thing to do for the application process. You are just trying to get your application verified early so you don't have to wait longer when you actually submit to the schools you want to go to.

Getting into medical school requires knowing how to play the "game" correctly. Even if you have bad stats, knowing how to tackle the admissions process smartly and effectively will really put you at an advantage and ahead of other applicants who aren't as savvy.

This type of skill also helps you in dealing with all the crappy "red bureaucratic tape" as a physician.
 
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UNT is another good one. I got into a good MD school and was accepted to every other DO school I applied to, but UNT never said anything to me other than a rejection without an interview.
 
jojo58 said:
There is no such thing as a "throwaway school". Any self-respecting school will reject your app if they feel you are treating their program as a plan B. The only thing you would be throwing away is your money.
Click to expand...

"Throwaways" usually imply a school you wouldn't end up going to anyway (for a multitude of reasons) or a school you wouldn't get into anyway. When I applied I didn't do a throwaway for AACOMAS, but I think I picked Johns Hopkins or Harvard or something like to get my application going for AMCAS. I'm pretty sure they happily took my $25 and ignored my application without a second thought.
 
Lmao. For aacomas def. Msucom is your oos, unless your filthy rich and decide you have the luxury of paying 80k a year.
 
Just pick a school that you would not go to even if you were accepted even with a big scholarship. Is there a region of the country that you totally hate and would never be happy in?
 
All the hate towards lmu. But i mean if that's my only acceptance I'll have to take it...
 
What is a throwaway school and what is a safety school?


"It may not be your fault, but it's your problem."
 
medschoolplease123 said:
All the hate towards lmu. But i mean if that's my only acceptance I'll have to take it...
Click to expand...

Yeah it gets a lot of hate on here, mostly for rotations, but my cousin went there and he had a good experience and matched well. I think their MD ortho match this year just shows that you can get places from any school. I know people get their jimmies tussled by this but honestly a DO school is a DO school. The motivated, hard working students will still match well and succeed. The school honestly doesn't matter all that much. Personal drive and motivation will impact your success far more than your school. It's not like going to a "high tier" DO school over BCOM is like going to Harvard over Drexel.

Oh and before someone brings up that Michigan list, when they start matching students from those schools regularly in IM or surgical specialties and no other schools I'll start to believe it.
 
TheMelloMan said:
What is a throwaway school and what is a safety school?


"It may not be your fault, but it's your problem."
Click to expand...

Throwaway school = school you're not actually interested in but apply to to get your application going in AMCAS/AACOMAS while waiting for an MCAT or similar potentially game-changing update

Safety school = school you're sure you'll get in to (tip: this doesn't REALLY exist)
 
When you apply to schools that have multiple campuses - do you have to pay to send your mcat and other requirements to each campus? For example vcom, would i need to send my scores to each campus..
 
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