Turn down DO school? Don't kill me

[Dr.Narcos]

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So, I know many will jump down my throat after reading this.

I was recently accepted into WVSOM (DO school).
I know it may seem stupid but in the back of my mind I am thinking of passing up my acceptance and taking a gap year to get into a better medical school. I can improve my mcat and cv for the next cycle.

I know I should jump on my acceptance but I just wanted to see everyones feedback. Is it worth it? Does it matter? I know financially it probably isn't the best idea but... Thats why im asking.


Thoughts?

 

[Lawpy]

So, I know many will jump down my throat after reading this.

I was recently accepted into WVSOM (DO school).
I know it may seem stupid but in the back of my mind I am thinking of passing up my acceptance and taking a gap year to get into a better medical school. I can improve my mcat and cv for the next cycle.

I know I should jump on my acceptance but I just wanted to see everyones feedback. Is it worth it? Does it matter? I know financially it probably isn't the best idea but... Thats why im asking.


Thoughts?

Why would you apply to DO schools if you don't intend on going there if that's your only acceptance?

@Goro is displeased

Alternative answer is to go ahead and let someone who really wants to be a DO get that acceptance.

 

[Robin-jay]

So, I know many will jump down my throat after reading this.

I was recently accepted into WVSOM (DO school).
I know it may seem stupid but in the back of my mind I am thinking of passing up my acceptance and taking a gap year to get into a better medical school. I can improve my mcat and cv for the next cycle.

I know I should jump on my acceptance but I just wanted to see everyones feedback. Is it worth it? Does it matter? I know financially it probably isn't the best idea but... Thats why im asking.


Thoughts?

Please take a gap year and give your acceptance to a student that really wishes to be a physician.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Do you want to be a doctor? If so, take the acceptance and run.

 

[Lucid_Dream]

I don't understand why people apply to schools that they don't plan on going to.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Why would you apply to DO schools if you don't intend on going there if that's your only acceptance?

@Goro is displeased

Alternative answer is to go ahead and let someone who really wants to be a DO get that acceptance.

I did but after interviewing on the campus and seeing Its in a pretty rural area. I just had cold feet

 

[Goro]

So, I know many will jump down my throat after reading this.

I was recently accepted into WVSOM (DO school).
I know it may seem stupid but in the back of my mind I am thinking of passing up my acceptance and taking a gap year to get into a better medical school. I can improve my mcat and cv for the next cycle.

I know I should jump on my acceptance but I just wanted to see everyones feedback. Is it worth it? Does it matter? I know financially it probably isn't the best idea but... Thats why im asking.


Thoughts?

I fully agree with your declining your acceptance.

It is obvious you don't want to be a doctor now so it is best that you give your seat to somebody who does.

Do keep in mind that you will be asked in future applications at some schools if you have been accepted to another Medical School?.

Imagine what their response is going to be to that.

 

[Tozanzibarbymotorcar]

Hang on now people! @Dr.Narcos did you not like the school when you toured it? How many interviews are you still waiting to hear back on? You have to do what feels right but know there are no guarantees.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I did but after interviewing on the campus and seeing Its in a pretty rural area. I just had cold feet

Nothing wrong with that. But would you rather suck it up in a rural area for four measly years (which will go by fast) or not be a physician?

If you have other schools you’re waiting on, put down the deposit and see if you get something better. If this is your only option, then you better take it if you want to be a doctor.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Hang on now people! @Dr.Narcos did you not like the school when you toured it? How many interviews are you still waiting to hear back on? You have to do what feels right but know there are no guarantees.

I interview at 3 places so far. I still have about 7 more to hear from.

 

[Tozanzibarbymotorcar]

Also what do you define as a better school?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I interview at 3 places so far. I still have about 7 more to hear from.

Then why are you even asking this now? It’s a moot point until it’s your only choice. Put down the deposit so you don’t lose it in case it ends up being your only acceptance, then pray you get in sonewhere you like better.

 

[Dr.Narcos]

Also what do you define as a better school?

I would say local instate MD schools. But Fl has really high standards.

 

[Tozanzibarbymotorcar]

I would say local instate MD schools. But Fl has really high standards.

WVSOM might not be a good fit for you but I’d still put down a deposit. See what else you get into this season.

 

[deleted103644]

I fully agree with your declining your acceptance.

It is obvious you don't want to be a doctor now so it is best that you give your seat to somebody who does.

Do keep in mind that you will be asked in future applications at some schools if you have been accepted to another Medical School?.

Imagine what their response is going to be to that.

Is that really a thing? Went on plenty of interviews, was never once asked this.

Is this something lower tier schools do to pressure people into attending?

 

[Dr.Narcos]

WVSOM might not be a good fit for you but I’d still put down a deposit. See what else you get into this season.

Thanks. I plan on putting it down. I just wanted to see what everyone thought.

 

[gyngyn]

Is that really a thing? Went on plenty of interviews, was never once asked this.

Is this something lower tier schools do to pressure people into attending?

I've seen it in secondaries.

 

[Lucid_Dream]

I did but after interviewing on the campus and seeing Its in a pretty rural area. I just had cold feet

Who cares? You'll be a doctor. I would go to med school on the moon if I would be an MD afterward.

If being in a rural area is enough to make you risk your shot, and you're willing to turn it down, sounds like you don't want to be a doctor that bad. I would meditate on this, I'm sure doctor is one of the last careers you would want to choose hastily and feel "stuck" in.

 

[Doc_Ock]

if you want to practice anything other than primary care, take a gap year.

 

[ciestar]

Is that really a thing? Went on plenty of interviews, was never once asked this.

Is this something lower tier schools do to pressure people into attending?

AACOMAS would also know this.

 

[deleted103644]

AACOMAS would also know this.

Are they in the business of blacklisting students for no good reason?

 

[Doc_Ock]

AACOMAS would also know this.

so? would this automatically generate an email to the school they apply to telling them that he was previously accepted?

 

[ciestar]

so? would this automatically generate an email to the school they apply to telling them that he was previously accepted?

An email? Doubtful. But you’d likely see it while reviewing that person’s app (if theyre reapplying) and it is totally up to the person reviewing it to decide how they feel about it

This wouldnt effect AMCAS though

 

[gonnif]

Are they in the business of blacklisting students for no good reason?

The good reason is that if someone is going to thru the time and effort to apply via AACOMAS to multiple medical school, where motivation and commitment towards medicine matter greatly, turns down an acceptance would questiom both as well as judgement in applying to thay school in the first place.

I have said it before and I will say it again; by far, the worst mistake a premed can make is to turn down an acceptance

 

[Doc_Ock]

An email? Doubtful. But you’d likely see it while reviewing that person’s app (if theyre reapplying) and it is totally up to the person reviewing it to decide how they feel about.

This wouldnt effect AMCAS though

so I'll ask again, HOW would an adcom even find out?

 

[gonnif]

This wouldnt effect AMCAS though

at least not yet. Since the ACGME/AOA residency merger, there have been talks yet again to combine some educational components and application process across MD, DO and DPM. Since the same third party now manages, at least in part, all three school types application services, this may finally be a reality

 

[Incursio]

I doubt anyone other than an adcom would able to answer that question. The thing is that they DO know for sure when one has previously applied, and if for some reason you were to take the risk and lie and they ever find out, you might risk getting kicked out.

I will never understand why people apply to a school they do not do research thoroughly or just apply DO for safety nets, do people not care about where they will spend their next 4 years at?

Going back to OP's question, I think that if you are willing to take that risk and if you have legitimate reasons for turning down an acceptance (which tend to be pretty serious and understandable), then go ahead and take that year. Ask yourself, would you be ok with not being able to matriculate if you decline the acceptance?

On the other hand, you still have other schools you have yet to hear from, and I know the cycle is stressing, but don't jump the gun and wait till the end, who knows you might have an acceptance at another school.

 

[deleted103644]

An email? Doubtful. But you’d likely see it while reviewing that person’s app (if theyre reapplying) and it is totally up to the person reviewing it to decide how they feel about it

This wouldnt effect AMCAS though

Is this just an osteopath insecurity thing then?

 

[gonnif]

so I'll ask again, HOW would an adcom even find out?

Schools that ask on secondaries have you ever applied to any medical school.

 

[Lucid_Dream]

Is this just an osteopath insecurity thing then?

 

[Doc_Ock]

Schools that ask on secondaries have you ever applied to any medical school.

ok, how would they find out if we did other than the honor system?

 

[Goro]

Is this just an osteopath insecurity thing then?

There are MD schools that also ask if you've been accepted elsewhere, and there have been several threads posted very recently about people going on interviews and being asked "have you interviewed anywhere else?" Or "have you been accepted anywhere else?".

So do not try to make this in MD vs. DO thing.

 

[deleted103644]

There are MD schools that also ask if you've been accepted elsewhere, and there have been several threads posted very recently about people going on interviews and being asked "have you interviewed anywhere else?" Or "have you been accepted anywhere else?".

So do not try to make this in MD vs. DO thing.

This is an incredibly dumb metric to judge applicants on their applications.

If someone turned down a medical school acceptance, they probably have a damn good reason for it.

And no, I don’t think an unwillingness to spend 4 years in rural West Virginia should be disqualifying for becoming a physician. Maybe the OP should not have applied to that school, but we don’t always know what we are or are not willing to tolerate until we learn more.

This should not be something used to judge applicants. I’m far enough removed from the process that I don’t know if adcoms are really this unfair in their selection process, but they shouldn’t be.

Medical school is not simply about how much you are willing to sacrifice to become a doctor, you should try to find a school where you are a good fit too.

The power is almost completely on the school’s side, but asking this question is ridiculous.

And yeah I do think osteopathic schools have a chip on their shoulder about people turning them down for MD schools.

 

[Goro]

This is an incredibly dumb metric to judge applicants on their applications.

If someone turned down a medical school acceptance, they probably have a damn good reason for it.

And no, I don’t think an unwillingness to spend 4 years in rural West Virginia should be disqualifying for becoming a physician. Maybe the OP should not have applied to that school, but we don’t always know what we are or are not willing to tolerate until we learn more.

This should not be something used to judge applicants. I’m far enough removed from the process that I don’t know if adcoms are really this unfair in their selection process, but they shouldn’t be.

Medical school is not simply about how much you are willing to sacrifice to become a doctor, you should try to find a school where you are a good fit too.

The power is almost completely on the school’s side, but asking this question is ridiculous.

And yeah I do think osteopathic schools have a chip on their shoulder about people turning them down for MD schools.

I can see that you learned nothing from getting Bansmacked.

Yes, people turn down accepts for good reason, but look at the OP's. The mindset of "I can do better and go MD" automatically brings to mind the questions that Gonnif raised. Our eyebrows also get raised not when people have MD AND DO accepts, but when they have DO accepts but not a single nibble from MD schools. That's when the spectre of magic thinking pops up.

And it may make you feel better in thinking that this is a DO school-specific thing, but MD schools ask the same questions as well.

 

[Robin-jay]

And yeah I do think osteopathic schools have a chip on their shoulder about people turning them down for MD schools.

Do mid-tier MD schools have a chip on their shoulder when people turn them down for a T10 MD school?

 

[deleted103644]

I can see that you learned nothing from getting Bansmacked.

Yes, people turn down accepts for good reason, but look at the OP's. The mindset of "I can do better and go MD" automatically brings to mind the questions that Gonnif raised. Our eyebrows also get raised not when people have MD AND DO accepts, but when they have DO accepts but not a single nibble from MD schools. That's when the spectre of magic thinking pops up.

And it may make you feel better in thinking that this is a DO school-specific thing, but MD schools ask the same questions as well.

😆

My ban had nothing to do with my thoughts on the magic jazz hands of osteopathy.

Wrong place, wrong time, wrong version of a music video posted.

 

[deleted103644]

Do mid-tier MD schools have a chip on their shoulder when people turn them down for a T10 MD school?

Probably a bit.

But seems less severe.

 

[Goro]

😆

My ban had nothing to do with my thoughts on the magic jazz hands of osteopathy.

Wrong place, wrong time, wrong version of a music video posted.

Applying Ignore function. You'll feel some slight pressure between the eyes.

 

[Planes2Doc]

so I'll ask again, HOW would an adcom even find out?

It's a very small world. I used to work in the airlines, and people knew one another from other airlines by name. When I applied to residencies, program directors knew one another even in different parts of the country.

To the OP, by saying "don't kill me" implies knowing that not putting down the deposit as insurance for your future is an awful idea.

 

[Robin-jay]

Probably a bit.

But seems less severe.

How so? Seems like the same punishment to me.

 

[deleted103644]

How so? Seems like the same punishment to me.

Oh, I mean I don’t think they get quite as upset about it.

Maybe some individual rivalries could get heated, but there’s much more residual bitterness about MDs not taking DOs seriously.

(See @Goro ignoring me above.)

 

[deleted103644]

Applying Ignore function. You'll feel some slight pressure between the eyes.

Is that craniosacral therapy?

Why Cranial Therapy Is Silly

 

[Robin-jay]

Oh, I mean I don’t think they get quite as upset about it.

Maybe some individual rivalries could get heated, but there’s much more residual bitterness about MDs not taking DOs seriously.

(See @Goro ignoring me above.)

What MDs wouldn't take DOs seriously? Don't they take the same courses?

 

[deleted103644]

What MDs wouldn't take DOs seriously? Don't they take the same courses?

The osteopathic component. Dubious Aspects of Osteopathy

There’s also the issue that osteopathic schools have less stringent accreditation requirements than MD schools, and historically they have taken lower caliber applicants than MD schools.

 

[Robin-jay]

The osteopathic component. Dubious Aspects of Osteopathy

There’s also the issue that osteopathic schools have less stringent accreditation requirements than MD schools, and historically they have taken lower caliber applicants than MD schools.

I've had experiences with MD (Caribbean included), DO, and DPM professionals.

Any of these students that go through 4 years of medical school and do well on the boards and engage in equally difficult residencies deserve the same respect as any other physician.

What matters more, where you got accepted or how you actually do in a medical school environment and afterwards?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

This is an incredibly dumb metric to judge applicants on their applications.

If someone turned down a medical school acceptance, they probably have a damn good reason for it.

And no, I don’t think an unwillingness to spend 4 years in rural West Virginia should be disqualifying for becoming a physician. Maybe the OP should not have applied to that school, but we don’t always know what we are or are not willing to tolerate until we learn more.

This should not be something used to judge applicants. I’m far enough removed from the process that I don’t know if adcoms are really this unfair in their selection process, but they shouldn’t be.

Medical school is not simply about how much you are willing to sacrifice to become a doctor, you should try to find a school where you are a good fit too.

The power is almost completely on the school’s side, but asking this question is ridiculous.

And yeah I do think osteopathic schools have a chip on their shoulder about people turning them down for MD schools.

Turning down a med school acceptance when it is your only one because you don't want to live in a rural area for a few years is poor judgment. I do think osteopathic schools have chips on their shoulders given that the often make you come up with some deeper BS reason for picking a DO school that has to be different from "you're a medical school and I want to be a doctor." However, when you have no other options, turning down a bird in hand because you think some how you'll magically do better the next cycle is not a sign of good judgment. MHO, of course.

 

[deleted103644]

Turning down a med school acceptance when it is your only one because you don't want to live in a rural area for a few years is poor judgment. I do think osteopathic schools have chips on their shoulders given that the often make you come up with some deeper BS reason for picking a DO school that has to be different from "you're a medical school and I want to be a doctor." However, when you have no other options, turning down a bird in hand because you think some how you'll magically do better the next cycle is not a sign of good judgment. MHO, of course.

Completely depends on your reason for not getting a spot. Some people apply to too few programs or apply late. Etc etc.

 

[deleted103644]

.

 

[precisiongraphic]

Turning down a med school acceptance when it is your only one because you don't want to live in a rural area for a few years is poor judgment. I do think osteopathic schools have chips on their shoulders given that the often make you come up with some deeper BS reason for picking a DO school that has to be different from "you're a medical school and I want to be a doctor." However, when you have no other options, turning down a bird in hand because you think some how you'll magically do better the next cycle is not a sign of good judgment. MHO, of course.

I normally think turning down a DO acceptance is bad but some people would do really poorly in an area that has a long winter or is very rural or is in an area of the country that they don't mesh well with or too far from family. Some people might get so depressed that it would keep them from completing their medical degree. And they may not know that until they get to the school to interview so saying not to apply isn't always realistic. I know many many people who went away for undergrad and couldn't stand the location. I'm sure med school is the same way.

It would be better not to apply in the first place or to withdraw after the interview before an acceptance is received.

In OPs case, I'd suggest putting in the deposit, waiting to see what happens and perhaps take a trip to the school for a personal second look in April if they have no other acceptances.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I normally think turning down a DO acceptance is bad but some people would do really poorly in an area that has a long winter or is very rural or is in an area of the country that they don't mesh well with or too far from family. Some people might get so depressed that it would keep them from completing their medical degree. And they may not know that until they get to the school to interview so saying not to apply isn't always realistic. I know many many people who went away for undergrad and couldn't stand the location. I'm sure med school is the same way.

It would be better not to apply in the first place or to withdraw after the interview before an acceptance is received.

In OPs case, I'd suggest putting in the deposit, waiting to see what happens and perhaps take a trip to the school for a personal second look in April if they have no other acceptances.

Yeah I get it. But you suck it up. There are plenty of resources to make sure your mental health is good. I’ve done time in ****hole places where I was working insane hours and spending tons of time away from my immediate family and living 10 hours from the rest of them. It blows. But you take care of yourself and get through it.

Some people aren’t up for that sort of thing though, and there’s no judgment from me there. But then don’t apply. It’s pretty easy to see how rural an area is before you apply to the school and waste your time and money. And like you said, if you don’t realize quite how rural it is, you withdraw after the interview.

Tl;dr, I agree with you, but at this point if it’s his only choice, suck it up and make sure you take care of yourself physically and mentally while you’re there. Visit home frequently or have them come to you.