WAMC, DO. 3.98/516 MCAT, maybe crappy activities. HELP

[jackherbold]

1. sGPA = 3.97, cGPA = 3.98, Master’s GPA (MS psychology) thus far = 4.0
2. 516 MCAT. 129 chem/phys, 129 CARS, 126 bio, 132 psych
3. State of residence is California
4. Ethnicity and/or race = white
5. My undergrad is University of California, Irvine (BA psychology). As well as two community colleges
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer) Year long part time mental health worker. (500hrs)
7. Research experience and productivity = no research experience, productivity wise, I am a course assistant for a graduate course at my master’s institution (240hrs)
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented = shadowed 120 hours or so with two hem/onc docs
9. Non-clinical volunteering = nearly three years now working in special needs ministry (500hrs), few months of corporate volunteering with a local company (20hrs)
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc) = I marched drum corps (too many hrs) (NFL or NBA for marching band), I now powerlift recreationally (irrelevant hrs)
11. Relevant honors or awards = (inducted into psi chi and psi beta, honors societies for psychology students. Various music awards).
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important = I applied last year to solely MD medical schools on the terrible advice of a particular medical youtube channel. I received very helpful information here last year regarding my shortcomings, and I’ve spent time working on things. Now what I need to know is where I am still lacking. I’ve included potential school lists below from prior advice. Really what I am looking for is a gauge on my chances for admission to a DO school if I were to apply in may 2025. I will have finished a masters and potentially had whatever recommended experiences you guys suggest. My optimal school would be Western University in Pomona because it is very close, I know people there, and I trust them. Let me know your thoughts. (please do not comment that I’m stupid for continually studying psychology. I’m aware, but I like it).

MD schools (Suggested by another user)
Loma Linda
TCU
Creighton
St. Louis
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Belmont
NOVA MD
Wake forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Hackensack
Hofstra
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont

DO schools
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA
TUNCOM
AZCOM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
DMU-COM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
CUSOM
PCOM

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[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Your app is really strong for DO. Surprised you didn't get more interest MD. Did you get interviews?

I'd focus on accruing more clinical and volunteer or research hours. Ideally both but realistically pick one and grind out some good experience. Stuff like Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchen, etc if you choose volunteering. You could consider picking up a CNA gig or similar to diversify your clinical since your app already screams psych.

 

[jackherbold]

Your app is really strong for DO. Surprised you didn't get more interest MD. Did you get interviews?

I'd focus on accruing more clinical and volunteer or research hours. Ideally both but realistically pick one and grind out some good experience. Stuff like Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchen, etc if you choose volunteering. You could consider picking up a CNA gig or similar to diversify your clinical since your app already screams psych.

No interviews. I was informed my writing was off base, my school choice was bad, and my activities were lacking. Thanks for the suggestions!! Much appreciated.

 

[Goro]

If you're not a Seventh-Day adventist, Loma Linda will be a donation. From D I think you're aiming too low with your stats.

What exactly did you do in this ministry for special needs?

You're fine for any do school, including mine

 

[jackherbold]

If you're not a Seventh-Day adventist, Loma Linda will be a donation. From D I think you're aiming too low with your stats.

What exactly did you do in this ministry for special needs?

You're fine for any do school, including mine

So that's why Loma linda rejected me last time 🤣 I thought it was more of a suggestion, Oops.

I am a special needs leader basically during Sunday school. One on one care for autism, down syndrome, etc. I'm not providing any therapy or anything, I'm just part of my church's program to integrate those kids into the class environment, for church and school. So during the services I take personal care of one child and make sure they have an adult just for them to rely on. (The idea is they otherwise wouldn't be able to function in class, so they need somebody there for them) It's good for the other kids too because they learn to accept them as friends.

And that's great to know! Thanks! What's your DO school? And I appreciate the thought about aiming too low, are there other DO schools I should consider?

 

[Goro]

So that's why Loma Linda rejected me last time 🤣 I thought it was more of a suggestion, Oops.

I am a special needs leader basically during Sunday school. One on one care for autism, down syndrome, etc. I'm not providing any therapy or anything, I'm just part of my church's program to integrate those kids into the class environment, for church and school. So during the services I take personal care of one child and make sure they have an adult just for them to rely on. (The idea is they otherwise wouldn't be able to function in class, so they need somebody there for them) It's good for the other kids too because they learn to accept them as friends.

And that's great to know! Thanks! What's your DO school? And I appreciate the thought about aiming too low, are there other DO schools I should consider?

Well, the ministry doesn't do much for me as an Adcom member (somewhere west of the Missouri River). You're supposed to help out in your house of worship.

Go and serve people who don't look like you. Service need not be "unique"; it can be anything that helps people unable to help themselves and that is outside of a patient-care setting. If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.

 

[jackherbold]

Well, the ministry doesn't do much for me as an Adcom member (somewhere west of the Missouri River). You're supposed to help out in your house of worship.

Go and serve people who don't look like you. Service need not be "unique"; it can be anything that helps people unable to help themselves and that is outside of a patient-care setting. If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.

Understood. That is why I picked up the corporate volunteering, but you're definitely right. I should look into more service opportunities outside of my circle.

I would really like to know what you think about me aiming too low. Are you saying I should not be applying to DO? Or just different schools?

 

[Goro]

Understood. That is why I picked up the corporate volunteering, but you're definitely right. I should look into more service opportunities outside of my circle.

I would really like to know what you think about me aiming too low. Are you saying I should not be applying to DO? Or just different schools?

I think that if you take a gap year to flesh our your ECs, then there's no need for DO schools.

What on earth is corporate volunteering?

 

[jackherbold]

I think that if you take a gap year to flesh our your ECs, then there's no need for DO schools.

What on earth is corporate volunteering?

Haha I just mean volunteering with a company who does charity.

I've been thinking the DO philosophy just makes more sense for me. Is there some reason I should want to be an MD? Will my opportunities be that different?

 

[Goro]

Haha I just mean volunteering with a company who does charity.

I've been thinking the DO philosophy just makes more sense for me. Is there some reason I should want to be an MD? Will my opportunities be that different?

If you like the DO philosophy, then go for it. Having an MD means that more doors are open for you in terms of specialties, you don't have to take COMLEX, not take OMM/OMT classes.

 

[jackherbold]

If you like the DO philosophy, then go for it. Having an MD means that more doors are open for you in terms of specialties, you don't have to take COMLEX, not take OMM/OMT classes.

Understood. So assuming I want to do psychiatry, should that go OK if were to attend a DO school? Apart from the extra exams and classes?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Look at MD vs DO match rates. I forget the name of it but the governing bodies release a report every year.

Psych is getting more competitive but still within reach for DO.

 

[Goro]

Understood. So assuming I want to do psychiatry, should that go OK if were to attend a DO school? Apart from the extra exams and classes?

Yeah that would be fine.