WAMC Schoo list help and advice

[Dr_to_be]

Well, I got my MCAT score this week and am trying to not jump off a building. Scheduled a retake but not sure if it'll be enough time to get a higher score. Might have to postpone. My grandma passed the day before my exam and I think it really affected me. I was emotionally and mentally checked out that day.

I need some advice on whether I should apply or retake the MCAT first. Just feel crushed.

Non-traditional, URM, 25 y/o female
501 (126 | 122 | 125 | 128)
cGPA: 3.52 sGPA: 3.45 (3.25 for AMCAS); The last 142 credits are 3.93 (I bombed freshman year only)
Two Bachelor's degrees and well over 200 credits in total.

Clinical Experience:
- Dental Assistant: 7,480 hours
- Surgical/Anesthesia Assistant: 2000 hours

Total: 9,480 hours

Volunteering Experience:
- High School mentor for underprivileged students: 400 hours
- Free pain clinic: 160 hours
- International mission trip: 40 hours

Total: 600 hours

Shadowing:
- Cardiology: 15 hours
- Family medicine: 20 hours
- Pain medicine: 16 hours
- Pediatrics: 20 hours

Total: 71 hours
Other:
Oral Surgery Study Club: 120 hours
Blogging: many hours not counted. I love to write.
House cleaning: also many hours not counted. I've helped my mom clean houses for work since I was a kid.


NO RESEARCH 🙁

I took Orgo I and II and Physics I through UNE online. With COVID and my work schedule, it was
really hard to find time to take those classes on campus. The closest University to me didn't offer those classes to
non-degree seeking students so I would have had to travel over 1.5 hours to take those courses at a community college.

Do I have a shot at a DO school with my MCAT? Should I retake or do an SMP? I got an A in all pre-requisite courses except for Chemistry I which was a B.

I just don't know where I stand at this point. I felt really confident going into this cycle (even though my stats are well below average) but now feel like I have no shot.

TIA!

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[Dr_to_be]

@Goro

 

[Goro]

Well, I got my MCAT score this week and am trying to not jump off a building. Scheduled a retake but not sure if it'll be enough time to get a higher score. Might have to postpone. My grandma passed the day before my exam and I think it really affected me. I was emotionally and mentally checked out that day.

I need some advice on whether I should apply or retake the MCAT first. Just feel crushed.

Non-traditional, URM, 25 y/o female
501 (126 | 122 | 125 | 128)
cGPA: 3.52 sGPA: 3.45 (3.25 for AMCAS); The last 142 credits are 3.93 (I bombed freshman year only)
Two Bachelor's degrees and well over 200 credits in total.

Clinical Experience:
- Dental Assistant: 7,480 hours
- Surgical/Anesthesia Assistant: 2000 hours

Total: 9,480 hours

Volunteering Experience:
- High School mentor for underprivileged students: 400 hours
- Free pain clinic: 160 hours
- International mission trip: 40 hours

Total: 600 hours

Shadowing:
- Cardiology: 15 hours
- Family medicine: 20 hours
- Pain medicine: 16 hours
- Pediatrics: 20 hours

Total: 71 hours
Other:
Oral Surgery Study Club: 120 hours
Blogging: many hours not counted. I love to write.
House cleaning: also many hours not counted. I've helped my mom clean houses for work since I was a kid.


NO RESEARCH 🙁

I took Orgo I and II and Physics I through UNE online. With COVID and my work schedule, it was
really hard to find time to take those classes on campus. The closest University to me didn't offer those classes to
non-degree seeking students so I would have had to travel over 1.5 hours to take those courses at a community college.

Do I have a shot at a DO school with my MCAT? Should I retake or do an SMP? I got an A in all pre-requisite courses except for Chemistry I which was a B.

I just don't know where I stand at this point. I felt really confident going into this cycle (even though my stats are well below average) but now feel like I have no shot.

TIA!

What ethnicity?

DO is very doable

 

[Dr_to_be]

What ethnicity?

DO is very doable

South American/Latino. Moved here when I was 7. First generation college graduate.

 

[Goro]

South American/Latino. Moved here when I was 7. First generation college graduate.

Not URM

I recommend any DO program, except the Touros, PCOM, AZCOM and CCOM, for whom your MCAT is too low. Include UNECOM if you’re from the NE, OSUCOM if you’re from the Plains states and PacNW if you’re from that region. I can't recommend LMU, ARCOM, RVU, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.

 

[chilly_md]

Moved to WAMC. Leave off the international trip as it is a form of voluntourism.

I suggest a broad DO list including whichever applicable regional schools that Goro mentioned above:

PCOM (Georgia and South Georgia)
LECOM (all campuses)
VCOM (all except Monroe)
WCU
ACOM
NYIT- AR
KCOM
DMU
Marian
KYCOM
WVSOM
UIWSOM
Campbell
KCU (both campuses)

 

[boomertexas]

Not URM

I recommend any DO program, except the Touros, PCOM, AZCOM and CCOM, for whom your MCAT is too low. Include UNECOM if you’re from the NE, OSUCOM if you’re from the Plains states and PacNW if you’re from that region. I can't recommend LMU, ARCOM, RVU, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.

Why not ARCOM? I know someone about to start there in a few weeks so I applied. Should I take that off my radar? Also what are your thoughts of KC-COM

 

[boomertexas]

Moved to WAMC. Leave off the international trip as it is a form of voluntourism.

I suggest a broad DO list including whichever applicable regional schools that Goro mentioned above:

PCOM (Georgia and South Georgia)
LECOM (all campuses)
VCOM (all except Monroe)
WCU
ACOM
NYIT- AR
KCOM
DMU
Marian
KYCOM
WVSOM
UIWSOM
Campbell
KCU (both campuses)

Why is it seen as voluntourism? What if it's a sustainable public health trip and not a religious mission trip? Do all ADCOMS look poorly on this?

 

[chilly_md]

Why is it seen as voluntourism? What if it's a sustainable public health trip and not a religious mission trip? Do all ADCOMS look poorly on this?

It’s 40 hours for the OP’s case, so it doesn’t seem sustainable to me and it likely would add little to someone’s application anyway so it is better to leave it off to avoid any issues. Most applicants with an international trip do it for a week, maybe two at most. Having a sustainable one that deals with public health sounds better to me (and I believe you had a few hundred hours with yours).

I don’t advise on attending new DO schools when possible due to the issues with implementing curriculum and starting everything from scratch. Goro detailed the issues with ARCOM in the below link:

Take DO acceptance or reapply MD

NYIT’s Jonesboro AR campus, ACOM and WCU are in similar areas and are better options in my opinion compared to ARCOM.

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ?

 

[boomertexas]

It’s 40 hours for the OP’s case, so it doesn’t seem sustainable to me and it likely would add little to someone’s application anyway so it is better to leave it off to avoid any issues. Most applicants with an international trip do it for a week, maybe two at most. Having a sustainable one that deals with public health sounds better to me (and I believe you had a few hundred hours with yours).

I don’t advise on attending new DO schools when possible due to the issues with implementing curriculum and starting everything from scratch. Goro detailed the issues with ARCOM in the below link:

Take DO acceptance or reapply MD

NYIT’s Jonesboro AR campus, ACOM and WCU are in similar areas and are better options in my opinion compared to ARCOM.

Thank you for sending me this thread. I've wanted to be a DO for as long as I can remember and while it makes me a little sad to see COMs doing poorly, I need to know before I drop a couple hundred grand and derail my career.

As for the sustainability projects. Yes, I worked in global sustainability and holistic health projects throughout undergrad and beyond, and it's a big part of what made me keep working towards med school through some real barriers. I’m super passionate about holistic care and global medicine, especially in facets like environmental wellness, access to clean water, and proper community support systems, which I continued working with in my MPH. But I really really do not want to be seen as someone who just wants to do voluntourism for the resume builder and the instagram pictures, and I know that's a somewhat commonly held belief. It's pretty much front and center in my application right now, but should I focus on something else?

*sorry for hijacking your post OP, you're gonna do amazing things and I think you have a great resume so far*

 

[Goro]

Why not ARCOM? I know someone about to start there in a few weeks so I applied. Should I take that off my radar? Also what are your thoughts of KC-COM

KCU is a fine school

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you for sending me this thread. I've wanted to be a DO for as long as I can remember and while it makes me a little sad to see COMs doing poorly, I need to know before I drop a couple hundred grand and derail my career.

As for the sustainability projects. Yes, I worked in global sustainability and holistic health projects throughout undergrad and beyond, and it's a big part of what made me keep working towards med school through some real barriers. I’m super passionate about holistic care and global medicine, especially in facets like environmental wellness, access to clean water, and proper community support systems, which I continued working with in my MPH. But I really really do not want to be seen as someone who just wants to do voluntourism for the resume builder and the instagram pictures, and I know that's a somewhat commonly held belief. It's pretty much front and center in my application right now, but should I focus on something else?

*sorry for hijacking your post OP, you're gonna do amazing things and I think you have a great resume so far*

I think you’ll be fine as much of it is regarding big projects and not providing medical care for a few hours that students would not be qualified to give to people in the US.

KCU is a good school as Goro said. The Kansas COM that just opened up and essentially copied part of KCU’s webpage is one I would not suggest.

 

[Dr_to_be]

Where is your state of residence ?

Florida

 

[Dr_to_be]

Not URM

I recommend any DO program, except the Touros, PCOM, AZCOM and CCOM, for whom your MCAT is too low. Include UNECOM if you’re from the NE, OSUCOM if you’re from the Plains states and PacNW if you’re from that region. I can't recommend LMU, ARCOM, RVU, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.

Thank you! Crossed Touros and AZCOM off my list.

 

[Faha]

Florida

I suggest these DO schools:
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
ACOM
WCU-COM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
NYIT-AR
MU-COM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)
WVSOM
UP-KYCOM
You could also try some MD schools and I suggest these:
Florida State
Florida International
Florida Atlantic
Central Florida
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Drexel
Temple
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Vermont
Quinnipiac