To retake the MCAT: That is the ?

[tacrum43]

I applied this past year, and while I haven't been rejected from everywhere yet, I haven't gotten any interviews yet either . My GPA isn't very good 3.4, 3.3 sci and I know that is what's holding me back. If I don't get in this year, I'm going to do a post-bacc program.

My question is should I retake the MCAT as well? I got a 30 the first time (9,10,11) but I didn't really study. I did take the Kaplan class, but I didn't put much effort into it. I did study the books some, but I never took a diagnostic or practice MCAT. I know, what was I thinking? I'm sure I could do better if I studied and practiced more. Do you think improving 2-4 points would help me a lot or will it not make enough difference to justify sitting through that 8 hour torture again?

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[Law2Doc]

I applied this past year, and while I haven't been rejected from everywhere yet, I haven't gotten any interviews yet either . My GPA isn't very good 3.4, 3.3 sci and I know that is what's holding me back. If I don't get in this year, I'm going to do a post-bacc program.

My question is should I retake the MCAT as well? I got a 30 the first time (9,10,11) but I didn't really study. I did take the Kaplan class, but I didn't put much effort into it. I did study the books some, but I never took a diagnostic or practice MCAT. I know, what was I thinking? I'm sure I could do better if I studied and practiced more. Do you think improving 2-4 points would help me a lot or will it not make enough difference to justify sitting through that 8 hour torture again?

Your GPA was a bit on the low side, but a 30 MCAT should be competitive -- lots of people get interviews at med school with these numbers. Did you apply to a lot of schools or just a handful? I wonder if there is something else (a bad LOR, poorly written PS or few ECs) that is holding you back. You probably should get in touch with a Dean or two at schools where you were rejected, and see if they would give you some feedback as to what areas of your application need to be improved prior to your next year's application. I doubt taking the MCAT again will be necessary, but a few A's in a science postbac won't hurt.

 

[ntmed]

I applied this past year, and while I haven't been rejected from everywhere yet, I haven't gotten any interviews yet either . My GPA isn't very good 3.4, 3.3 sci and I know that is what's holding me back. If I don't get in this year, I'm going to do a post-bacc program.

My question is should I retake the MCAT as well? I got a 30 the first time (9,10,11) but I didn't really study. I did take the Kaplan class, but I didn't put much effort into it. I did study the books some, but I never took a diagnostic or practice MCAT. I know, what was I thinking? I'm sure I could do better if I studied and practiced more. Do you think improving 2-4 points would help me a lot or will it not make enough difference to justify sitting through that 8 hour torture again?

I would start looking at post-bacc programs or possibly a quick masters in biology now. This is so you're prepared, in case you need to reapply. A strong post-bacc or graduate GPA (4.0, or very close to this) should make you a competitive applicant. IMHO, this will be true even with a 30 MCAT, although a higher MCAT would help.

I agree with Law2Doc that you should get some feedback on your current application from your premed advisor, a trusted professor, or a couple schools that rejected you. Also, it is important that you apply to a large number of schools. The average student applies to 11 medical schools. Those with potential limitations on the application (like a low GPA) should apply to more, probably at least 18.

Back to your question ... A 30 is a decent score, and is the average score of medical school matriculants. You should be proud of it, even though you don't feel you prepared all that well. And you're right that a higher score would help offset your undergraduate GPA. But you'll need to study hard to improve your score. According to the AAMC, those with a 10 in each area are equally likely to have their score go up, go down, or remain the same when retaking the MCAT. So it's not just the 8 hours of torture that you have to consider, but the 40 hours/week of torture for 2 to 4 months that you'll likely need to study.

 

[tacrum43]

Your GPA was a bit on the low side, but a 30 MCAT should be competitive -- lots of people get interviews at med school with these numbers. Did you apply to a lot of schools or just a handful? I wonder if there is something else (a bad LOR, poorly written PS or few ECs) that is holding you back. You probably should get in touch with a Dean or two at schools where you were rejected, and see if they would give you some feedback as to what areas of your application need to be improved prior to your next year's application. I doubt taking the MCAT again will be necessary, but a few A's in a science postbac won't hurt.

I was planning on writing to a few Deans to ask what I need to improve. I will do that, but I was going to wait until those schools reject me. I think my ECs and personal statement were good (although it had a typo! I guess that's what I get for changing it at the last second). It might be a letter of recommendation, but I don't know. Could I ask the Dean if one of the letters says something bad? I haven't done any research, so that could be part of the problem too.

I applied to 24 schools (see my MDapplicants profile) so I don't think that applying to too few schools was my problem. Taking the MCAT in August probably hurt me the most of anything other than my GPA.

 

[Law2Doc]

I was planning on writing to a few Deans to ask what I need to improve. I will do that, but I was going to wait until those schools reject me. I think my ECs and personal statement were good (although it had a typo! I guess that's what I get for changing it at the last second). It might be a letter of recommendation, but I don't know. Could I ask the Dean if one of the letters says something bad? I haven't done any research, so that could be part of the problem too.

I applied to 24 schools (see my MDapplicants profile) so I don't think that applying to too few schools was my problem. Taking the MCAT in August probably hurt me the most of anything other than my GPA.

I agree to wait until the rejections come in, but I'm not sure the "writing a letter" approach is a good one -- the Deans who are willing to help you with suggestions to improve your app aren't going to do it in a letter (it will be via an off the record chat - perhaps arranged by a nice email request). And some (according to what I've read on this board) have been known to hint to people that maybe they want to get a better LOR. The limited health related ECs and lack of research, as well as the downward trending GPA could be part of the problem. The number of schools you applied to looks reasonable to me, so something in your app must be rubbing them the wrong way.

 

[tacrum43]

I agree to wait until the rejections come in, but I'm not sure the "writing a letter" approach is a good one -- the Deans who are willing to help you with suggestions to improve your app aren't going to do it in a letter (it will be via an off the record chat - perhaps arranged by a nice email request). And some (according to what I've read on this board) have been known to hint to people that maybe they want to get a better LOR. The limited health related ECs and lack of research, as well as the downward trending GPA could be part of the problem. The number of schools you applied to looks reasonable to me, so something in your app must be rubbing them the wrong way.

Are my health ECs limited? I thought that was the strongest part of my application:

ER observation (it was a significant experience)

3 summers (will be 4) as a health intern at a summer camp, a paid full-time position utilizing my EMT cert

Additional clinical shadowing of three other doctors (Radiologist, otolaryngologist and another ER doctor)

I thought that was pretty good. Plus, I used the ER experience in my personal statement. I got to do CPR on a patient. I thought it was very exciting too because they lived.

 

[Law2Doc]

Are my health ECs limited? I thought that was the strongest part of my application:

ER observation (it was a significant experience)

3 summers (will be 4) as a health intern at a summer camp, a paid full-time position utilizing my EMT cert

Additional clinical shadowing of three other doctors (Radiologist, otolaryngologist and another ER doctor)

I thought that was pretty good. Plus, I used the ER experience in my personal statement. I got to do CPR on a patient. I thought it was very exciting too because they lived.

Okay -- I didn't spend a lot of time on your MDApplicants page. That makes it more important to talk to someone who has reviewed your app and see why you aren't getting the interviews.

 

[tacrum43]

Okay -- I didn't spend a lot of time on your MDApplicants page. That makes it more important to talk to someone who has reviewed your app and see why you aren't getting the interviews.

So you don't think it's an August MCAT issue?

 

[Law2Doc]

So you don't think it's an August MCAT issue?

Well, the odds clearly decrease somewhat if you are a later applicant, but lots of people who take the MCAT in August still get interviews, even some who don't break 30. Though it's a possibility the timing hurt you, I still think rather than assuming your application is adequately perfect and that the timing was the culprit, it makes sense to pick the brain of someone who actually reviewed it. Good luck.

 

[ntmed]

So you don't think it's an August MCAT issue?

Law2Doc is right. You should have your premed advisor review your app, or get feedback from a school or two.

But I think that most likely, your borderline GPA combined with and the fact that you applied late are most likely what caused your problems.

If you take the August MCAT, you won't get your scores until late October. And at best, you won't get your secondaries in until November. Most medical schools select the majority of the people they will interview by mid September, which put you at a big disadvantage. Most schools leave a few slots open for strong applicants who apply late. Also, most schools may call up other general applicants after this time, but only if they have interview slots available.

Because you applied late last year, you might want to reapply right now.

1. Retake the MCAT this April, but only if you feel you can do better.

2. Consider upgrading your letters of rec, or getting new ones. When you approach letter writers, don't ask them to write you a letter. Ask them if they would feel comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation on your behalf.

3. Apply on June 1st, the first day appications are accepted. Send AAMC your transcipts in April, so they have them by June 1st. (Check with AAMC about the procedure for sending in transcripts early.)

4. At the same time, start a post-bacc program or masters program right after you apply. This way, if you don't get in this time, you'll be ready next year with a strong post-bacc or graduate GPA.

 

[tacrum43]

Law2Doc is right. You should have your premed advisor review your app, or get feedback from a school or two.

But I think that most likely, your borderline GPA combined with and the fact that you applied late are most likely what caused your problems.

If you take the August MCAT, you won't get your scores until late October. And at best, you won't get your secondaries in until November. Most medical schools select the majority of the people they will interview by mid September, which put you at a big disadvantage. Most schools leave a few slots open for strong applicants who apply late. Also, most schools may call up other general applicants after this time, but only if they have interview slots available.

Because you applied late last year, you might want to reapply right now.

1. Retake the MCAT this April, but only if you feel you can do better.

2. Consider upgrading your letters of rec, or getting new ones. When you approach letter writers, don't ask them to write you a letter. Ask them if they would feel comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation on your behalf.

3. Apply on June 1st, the first day appications are accepted. Send AAMC your transcipts in April, so they have them by June 1st. (Check with AAMC about the procedure for sending in transcripts early.)

4. At the same time, start a post-bacc program or masters program right after you apply. This way, if you don't get in this time, you'll be ready next year with a strong post-bacc or graduate GPA.

Thanks for your reply. It sounds like a good plan.

I don't think I'll retake the MCAT this April because I haven't been studying and there's not enough time now. Maybe I'll take it again in August and send my new scores in as a sort of update.

I'll definitely look into my letter of rec. I'm pretty sure that two out of the four I have are very good because both of the authors told me they would only say positive things, and the other two I'm not sure about. One is from a professor I've had 5 times now, so he knows me well, but I always get Bs in his classes. Still, he keeps asking me about medical school, so unless he's being really evil he must have written something good. The fourth one is what I'm worried about because I asked for it at the last minute so that I could apply to OHSU, which requires 4 letters. Perhaps the professor (also my pre-med advisor) misunderstood and addressed it as if only OHSU would be receiving it! Also, I don't have a letter from any non-science profs because I haven't had any of them for more than one class. Do you think that is a big deal?

I'm planning on applying right away, but should I wait until I receive my final grades and my B.S. degree? We don't finish until June 10th.

I'm already applying to post-bacc programs. I still have a few schools left to hear from, but I figured what was another $300 in app fees at this point? I applied to Georgetown (I think I would go here if I go to a post-bacc), Boston and Loyola.

 

[ntmed]

I don't think I'll retake the MCAT this April because I haven't been studying and there's not enough time now. Maybe I'll take it again in August and send my new scores in as a sort of update.

Sure. Just make sure you send it as an update. Don't have the AAMC hold your application to wait for the August scores.

I'm pretty sure that two out of the four I have are very good because both of the authors told me they would only say positive things, and the other two I'm not sure about.

Maybe keep the two you're sure about, and get a third from someone else that reflects some of the things you've done since last year's application.

Also, I don't have a letter from any non-science profs because I haven't had any of them for more than one class. Do you think that is a big deal?

I don't think this matters. My letters were from science profs, my graduate advisor (also a science prof), and someone I did volunteer work for.

I'm planning on applying right away, but should I wait until I receive my final grades and my B.S. degree? We don't finish until June 10th.

There's a major bottleneck in June at the AAMC. Each day you delay probably adds a week to your processing time. If your application is received on June 1st, you should be processed by the end of the week. If it's received on June 10th, you likely won't get your application processed until August. It'll actually be later, because if you report classes from this semester, the AAMC won't process your application until your updated transcript is received. Send your transcripts from this semester to the schools you apply to as an update. This will give you a reason to write them, and let them know that you are still interested in their program.

Your goal should be to have everything submitted the first day it is due: get transcripts in before June; apply on June 1st; get your secondaries in with a week, but preferably within a day or two; etc.

I applied to Georgetown (I think I would go here if I go to a post-bacc), Boston and Loyola.

Georgetown has a good reputation. However, it doesn't have a direct linkage to any medical schools, including its own. If you're in the DC area, consider Goucher College, in Baltimore. It has a direct linkage to several schools. This means if you perform at a certain level, you are guaranteed a spot in medical school, and can skip the application year (the glide year).

 

[tacrum43]

Georgetown has a good reputation. However, it doesn't have a direct linkage to any medical schools, including its own. If you're in the DC area, consider Goucher College, in Baltimore. It has a direct linkage to several schools. This means if you perform at a certain level, you are guaranteed a spot in medical school, and can skip the application year (the glide year).

I live in California, so it doesn't really matter where I go to me for post-bacc because I'm going to need to go out of state anyhow. I looked at Goucher, but it's a post-bacc for pre-medical students. I have already taken all of the pre-reqs for medical school so it wouldn't be useful to me. I think a program like Georgetown where I take actual medical school classes would be the most beneficial for me. Would Goucher even allow me to enroll in their program seeing as I have already completed all of those classes?

 

[dr1day]

Tulane also has a post-bacc where if you get onto a waitlist at any US med school, you can apply. You take the first year classes with the med students. Although it doesn't guarantee admission, it looks good because if you do well you can use it as proof that you can in fact handle the load.

 

[tacrum43]

Tulane also has a post-bacc where if you get onto a waitlist at any US med school, you can apply. You take the first year classes with the med students. Although it doesn't guarantee admission, it looks good because if you do well you can use it as proof that you can in fact handle the load.

I didn't know about that one. Of course, to be waitlisted, I'd need to get an interview first. However, I wouldn't want to live in Louisiana anyway (or any other southern state...too hot). Thanks for the info though.

 

[futuredoc10]

I applied this past year, and while I haven't been rejected from everywhere yet, I haven't gotten any interviews yet either . My GPA isn't very good 3.4, 3.3 sci and I know that is what's holding me back. If I don't get in this year, I'm going to do a post-bacc program.

My question is should I retake the MCAT as well? I got a 30 the first time (9,10,11) but I didn't really study. I did take the Kaplan class, but I didn't put much effort into it. I did study the books some, but I never took a diagnostic or practice MCAT. I know, what was I thinking? I'm sure I could do better if I studied and practiced more. Do you think improving 2-4 points would help me a lot or will it not make enough difference to justify sitting through that 8 hour torture again?

If I were you I would NOT endure the pain of taking that test again. Your score is very respectable and you cant guarantee that you will improve on it. Just try and bolster your application in other ways..good luck!

 

[MrTee]

I'll go against the grain here and suggest taking the mcat over again. If it were me, I would take the August mcat and get a 33+, do some post bacc work (not necessarily a megabuck formal program, just some upper div courses that you haven't taken yet), and apply again in June of 2006. Because you are a CA resident, you have below avg stats for the state schools, and even turning in your amcas on the first possible day wouldn't be a guarantee for these places. A higher mcat is needed if you want to apply with confidence of getting into a US MD school. Also, if you want the benefits of the postbacc work, you'll need to hold off on applying again anyway so you can get the grades to show the med schools you can pull awesome grades. In summary, I would bust ass this summer on mcat studying, then take some classes to boost your bcpm gpa, then with everything lined up, give June 2006 your best shot. All this time, you can do stuff to enhance your LORS, so that could help as well.

 

[Chisel]

Ever looked into Osteopathic Medicine? Learn all of the same info plus have the opportunity to have an added modality in diagnosis and treatment with OMT.

The stats are a bit lower in general and they tend to look at the apllicant as a whole as opposed to just analyzing your numbers.

Just a thought as I am always trying to recruit people to take a look at PCOM.

Chisel
MS III PCOM

 

[Scarletbegonias]

I applied this past year, and while I haven't been rejected from everywhere yet, I haven't gotten any interviews yet either . My GPA isn't very good 3.4, 3.3 sci and I know that is what's holding me back. If I don't get in this year, I'm going to do a post-bacc program.

My question is should I retake the MCAT as well? I got a 30 the first time (9,10,11) but I didn't really study. I did take the Kaplan class, but I didn't put much effort into it. I did study the books some, but I never took a diagnostic or practice MCAT. I know, what was I thinking? I'm sure I could do better if I studied and practiced more. Do you think improving 2-4 points would help me a lot or will it not make enough difference to justify sitting through that 8 hour torture again?

Hi,
I looked at your mdapplicants page and noticed that most of the schools you applied to seem pretty competitive (that is, they like high stats to consider you for an interview). I think that if you reapplied even with the gpa and mcat the same to a more broad selection of schools (that is, state schools and private schools) you would probably receive more interviews. I think that my undergrad's med school (University of Oklahoma) would probably interview you, although they do give preference to out of state schools. I know there are probably several other schools (most would be state, so you have to be careful to see if you would have a shot being a non-resident) that would give you interviews. They just probably wouldn't be ivy league schools. If you are determined to attend an ivy league, take the other posters' advice and raise your gpa and/or mcat score. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[tacrum43]

Hi,
I looked at your mdapplicants page and noticed that most of the schools you applied to seem pretty competitive (that is, they like high stats to consider you for an interview). I think that if you reapplied even with the gpa and mcat the same to a more broad selection of schools (that is, state schools and private schools) you would probably receive more interviews. I think that my undergrad's med school (University of Oklahoma) would probably interview you, although they do give preference to out of state schools. I know there are probably several other schools (most would be state, so you have to be careful to see if you would have a shot being a non-resident) that would give you interviews. They just probably wouldn't be ivy league schools. If you are determined to attend an ivy league, take the other posters' advice and raise your gpa and/or mcat score. I wish you the best of luck.

Oh, believe me I never expect to get into an Ivy league for med school. I did apply to several, but only because I thought one might see something that they liked. I did apply to all my state schools, but as people know with California, you pretty much need Ivy league numbers anyway (UCSF you do). I applied to Drexel, Rosalind Franklin, SLU and Jefferson too, so I didn't apply to only top tier schools. The MSAR says U of OK only interviewed 32/539 out of state people and only 7 attended in 2003. Doesn't seem like a good bet based on the numbers. Plus, no offense to you or Oklahoma, but I can't imagine living there.

 

[tacrum43]

Ever looked into Osteopathic Medicine? Learn all of the same info plus have the opportunity to have an added modality in diagnosis and treatment with OMT.

The stats are a bit lower in general and they tend to look at the apllicant as a whole as opposed to just analyzing your numbers.

Just a thought as I am always trying to recruit people to take a look at PCOM.

Chisel
MS III PCOM

Well, maybe I would consider Osteopathic, but only if I can't get into an M.D. program in the U.S. after applying several times. I guess I'm being kind of a numbers *****, well letters ***** in this case, but I don't think I would feel like a real doctor without an M.D. I know O.D.s get the same license and can be very successful, but I want the M.D. Sorry.

 

[tacrum43]

I'll go against the grain here and suggest taking the mcat over again. If it were me, I would take the August mcat and get a 33+, do some post bacc work (not necessarily a megabuck formal program, just some upper div courses that you haven't taken yet), and apply again in June of 2006. Because you are a CA resident, you have below avg stats for the state schools, and even turning in your amcas on the first possible day wouldn't be a guarantee for these places. A higher mcat is needed if you want to apply with confidence of getting into a US MD school. Also, if you want the benefits of the postbacc work, you'll need to hold off on applying again anyway so you can get the grades to show the med schools you can pull awesome grades. In summary, I would bust ass this summer on mcat studying, then take some classes to boost your bcpm gpa, then with everything lined up, give June 2006 your best shot. All this time, you can do stuff to enhance your LORS, so that could help as well.

Thanks for offering your desenting opinion. I think I will take the August MCAT if an interview/acceptance doesn't come through for me at the last minute (we're not quite there yet). But I think I will use it as a sort of update for my application. I'm sure that with a little practice I could bring up my verbal a point or two and maybe a point each on the science sections. I'm still going to apply this June, again unless I get accepted somewhere, and do a post-bacc in the meantime.

To me, it seems worth the money to go to a formal program (So far I'm liking Georgetown) because you get to take real medical school classes, and I've had my fill of upper division undergrad science classes. I've taken Hematology, Biochem, Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Serology, Genetics and others (not to mention Organic chem ) plus, next quarter I will be taking Virology and Cell bio. I need a change of pace or I'm going to lose my motivation. Georgetown does encourage you to apply while you're in their program, but early, so that you're done with most of the secondaries before classes start.

If I still don't get in for 2006, then I can apply a third time for 2007. Sure, it's not free, but it's not that much compared to the cost of four years of school.

That was probably more than anybody wanted to know, but it helped me to lay out my plan.

 

[Scarletbegonias]

Well, I wasn't necessarily suggesting OU, but schools like it. I don't know much about Drexel and Rosalind Franklind and how they do their admissions. I do know that different schools hold gpa and mcat scores as quite important to their applicant screening process, others don't, or consider other factors as well. I don't see anything wrong with expecting to get into an ivy league school either. I would look at how each school does their admissions individually and forget about arbitrary labels such as "top tier," "lower tier," etc.

 

[Frogmed]

I applied this past year, and while I haven't been rejected from everywhere yet, I haven't gotten any interviews yet either . My GPA isn't very good 3.4, 3.3 sci and I know that is what's holding me back. If I don't get in this year, I'm going to do a post-bacc program.

My question is should I retake the MCAT as well? I got a 30 the first time (9,10,11) but I didn't really study. I did take the Kaplan class, but I didn't put much effort into it. I did study the books some, but I never took a diagnostic or practice MCAT. I know, what was I thinking? I'm sure I could do better if I studied and practiced more. Do you think improving 2-4 points would help me a lot or will it not make enough difference to justify sitting through that 8 hour torture again?

tacrum43, your MCAT is good. I'm with you, I wouldn't set through that test for a few points. Maybe you should be more selective on where you apply. When I chose med-schools, I looked at their avg gpa, MCAT scores, and % of out of staters. If I didn't have a 60% chance of getting accepted, I didn't apply. There are many good schools out there that would love to have you. I see many students get caught up in the name of the school. If you are doing this for the right reason, you will shine regardless of the school name. You WILL get the residency you want and have the future you want. Go for it. Best wishes.

 

[tacrum43]

tacrum43, your MCAT is good. I'm with you, I wouldn't set through that test for a few points. Maybe you should be more selective on where you apply. When I chose med-schools, I looked at their avg gpa, MCAT scores, and % of out of staters. If I didn't have a 60% chance of getting accepted, I didn't apply. There are many good schools out there that would love to have you. I see many students get caught up in the name of the school. If you are doing this for the right reason, you will shine regardless of the school name. You WILL get the residency you want and have the future you want. Go for it. Best wishes.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

 

[Chisel]

Well, maybe I would consider Osteopathic, but only if I can't get into an M.D. program in the U.S. after applying several times. I guess I'm being kind of a numbers *****, well letters ***** in this case, but I don't think I would feel like a real doctor without an M.D. I know O.D.s get the same license and can be very successful, but I want the M.D. Sorry.

Are you kidding me? Your sarcastic tone is completely evident.

Warning​

I know this goes against my normally helpful posts. But it is the tone by which this person takes that gets me agitated. Prepare for the tirade.


I never wish bad things on anyone and I am not about to start. So, my advice - go into business so you'll never have the chance to take care of anyone in my family.

It is people like you who turn out to be bad physicians. Not only are you a "letter *****" but you will be a money *****. If and when you become a Dr it will be the patients you take care of that will suffer because you see dollar signs on their foreheads.

So, as my post continues, my feelings are - an eye for an eye, and a sarcastic post begets another sarcastic post.

Also, I am not going to defend Osteopathetic medicine. We've all heard it before and know that it is not even worth the time.

Anyway, we all know that we don't take real medical school classes. We spend all day learning about the voo-doo they call OMT. Hell, I don't even know what OMT stands for. How much good could it do? Why even teach a modality that has no basis in evidence based medicine?

By the way, does anyone know if I could just hide my degree from PCOM and put the letters MD on my coat? Everyone knows that all "OD's" are just wanna-be MD's. Would that be legal? Ah, what the hell, patients won't ever know the difference.

In closing, I want tacrum43 to read this post a couple of times. "Why?" you may ask. My answer - because I know that when you typed your post that you were hoping to get this response. And you were succesful. So I hope that you can feel good about your success - Build upon it!!!

So, as you continue on your long quest to become a Dr, I wish you good luck. And I am being sincere. Good luck. I just hope that you think before you type your next sarcastic post.

Tirade over. Whew! That took a lot out of me. I need to rest my tiny brain.

Chisel
PCOM "OD" 2006

PS - This goes totally against every post I have ever written. Please don't take this as what you can expect out of me in future posts.

PPS - I am sorry for the cranky response. For some reason this post struck a nerve with me today. We're all educated here. When someone gives advice - even if you don't like the response - don't give a sarcastic, dumba$$ response like tacrum43 and my subsequent post did.

 

[tacrum43]

Are you kidding me? Your sarcastic tone is completely evident.

Warning​

I know this goes against my normally helpful posts. But it is the tone by which this person takes that gets me agitated. Prepare for the tirade.


I never wish bad things on anyone and I am not about to start. So, my advice - go into business so you'll never have the chance to take care of anyone in my family.

It is people like you who turn out to be bad physicians. Not only are you a "letter *****" but you will be a money *****. If and when you become a Dr it will be the patients you take care of that will suffer because you see dollar signs on their foreheads.

So, as my post continues, my feelings are - an eye for an eye, and a sarcastic post begets another sarcastic post.

Also, I am not going to defend Osteopathetic medicine. We've all heard it before and know that it is not even worth the time.

Anyway, we all know that we don't take real medical school classes. We spend all day learning about the voo-doo they call OMT. Hell, I don't even know what OMT stands for. How much good could it do? Why even teach a modality that has no basis in evidence based medicine?

By the way, does anyone know if I could just hide my degree from PCOM and put the letters MD on my coat? Everyone knows that all "OD's" are just wanna-be MD's. Would that be legal? Ah, what the hell, patients won't ever know the difference.

In closing, I want tacrum43 to read this post a couple of times. "Why?" you may ask. My answer - because I know that when you typed your post that you were hoping to get this response. And you were succesful. So I hope that you can feel good about your success - Build upon it!!!

So, as you continue on your long quest to become a Dr, I wish you good luck. And I am being sincere. Good luck. I just hope that you think before you type your next sarcastic post.

Tirade over. Whew! That took a lot out of me. I need to rest my tiny brain.

Chisel
PCOM "OD" 2006

PS - This goes totally against every post I have ever written. Please don't take this as what you can expect out of me in future posts.

PPS - I am sorry for the cranky response. For some reason this post struck a nerve with me today. We're all educated here. When someone gives advice - even if you don't like the response - don't give a sarcastic, dumba$$ response like tacrum43 and my subsequent post did.

Wow, that was harsh. You sure judged me right quick. However, "this person" wasn't being sarcastic, and I wasn't trying to make you mad either because I'm not a troll.

"It is people like you who turn out to be bad physicians. Not only are you a 'letter *****' but you will be a money *****. If and when you become a Dr it will be the patients you take care of that will suffer because you see dollar signs on their foreheads."

That hurt

Geez, just 'cause I want an M.D. and not an O.D. doesn't make me a bad person. I'm a nice person! I donate to charities, volunteer at an elementary school and work at a summer camp for disabled children (for four years now). You know, I don't wish bad things on people either. I would want to help anybody that I could as a doctor, so before you go all self-righteous and declare "an eye for an eye" and basically tell me not to come near you, your child, Grandma and dog, you might want to be a little more careful in condemning someone based on a first impression. Especially when you can't even tell their tone of voice or body language.

Where did the money issue come from? I never even mentioned it. Plus I thought that O.D.s made the same as M.D.s. I'm not planning on going into spine surgery or anything, and in any case, I wouldn't make my decision for a specialty based only on how much it pays. I am not a "money *****" and I only mentioned the letter ***** thing because I thought it was kind of funny. I'm a Christian and living for money goes against my religion, so I wouldn't ever do that.

If you need further proof that I am not a money *****, check out my discussion with Mothra about taxes and socialistic medicine:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=182032&page=3

In conclusion, sorry if my post rubbed you the wrong way. I guess in reading it again now it does kind of sound sarcastic and like I was implying that I am above Osteopathic schools. I didn't mean for it to sound that way. However, even if I had meant for it to be like that, it still wasn't as personal or mean as your attack on me.

 

[aphasia]

Geez, just 'cause I want an M.D. and not an O.D. doesn't make me a bad person.

It helps if you use the right letters. The degree happens to be D.O.
O.D. is for optometrists, I believe.

 

[tacrum43]

It helps if you use the right letters. The degree happens to be D.O.
O.D. is for optometrists, I believe.

Can't I do anything right? I know the degree is Doctor of Osteopathy = D.O.

I take it you're on Chisel's side though, huh?

 

[aphasia]

Can't I do anything right? I know the degree is Doctor of Osteopathy = D.O.

I take it you're on Chisel's side though, huh?

Nah,I'm not on anyone's side.
I think that you should go for what you want to do, ultimately.
That's what will make you happy. If you go DO and don't believe in the philosophy or the OMM or what have you, you'll probably be unhappy.
So, best of luck to ya

 

[MrTee]

At the risk of upsetting chisel, I know what you're talking about Tacrum. I could have applied and probably gotten into an osteopathic school a couple years ago with my old stats, but I decided to go for what felt right for me, and that was to go for an allopathic school. I didn't know anything about the DO philosophy etc, so I didn't feel it was the avenue I wanted to pursue. This fall, I'll be starting at an allopathic school (not sure where yet!), and I have no regrets taking an extra couple years to follow the path I've dreamt about since high school. It was probably the way you worded what you did up there that struck a nerve w/chisel, I'm sure you weren't purposely trying to make anyone feel inferior.

 

[tacrum43]

At the risk of upsetting chisel, I know what you're talking about Tacrum. I could have applied and probably gotten into an osteopathic school a couple years ago with my old stats, but I decided to go for what felt right for me, and that was to go for an allopathic school. I didn't know anything about the DO philosophy etc, so I didn't feel it was the avenue I wanted to pursue. This fall, I'll be starting at an allopathic school (not sure where yet!), and I have no regrets taking an extra couple years to follow the path I've dreamt about since high school. It was probably the way you worded what you did up there that struck a nerve w/chisel, I'm sure you weren't purposely trying to make anyone feel inferior.

I wasn't trying to insult any D.O.s (see there, I got it right, finally ) In fact, it's likely that I will be working with some D.O.s some day if I go into EM. One of the times I was at the ER while shadowing, one of the physicians on duty was a D.O., but he was busy so I didn't really get a chance to ask him about it. I know that a D.O. degree could get me there, but it's been a personal goal of mine to get the M.D. for some time now. I'm glad that you could see through my poor choice of words to understand my point MrTee; congrats on your acceptances by the way!