What are my chances? Non-Traditional student

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Hi, I'm looking to get some feedback on what people think my chances are for DO school. I graduated with a bachelors degree in finance and management 5 years ago. I worked as an analyst for 3 years and also worked overseas in China for a year for a manufacturing company. Last year I decided to change my life around and my career. I am done taking most of the prerequisites and wanted to get an idea on where I stand. My undergrad GPA was a 3.0 coming out of school but since I've started school against last year my GPA has been around a 3.8.

cGPA: 3.3
sGPA: 3.8
MCAT: 30 <-- This is what I've been averaging on the practice exams
Shadowed two different DOs for about 30 hours total

A lot of questions here:
All of the prerequisites I've taken were at a community college for financial reasons - how much of a disadvantage am I at with all my prerequisites completed at a community college?

How much of a disadvantage am I at with a degree in finance and management? I feel as though most of the other applications probably have taken higher level science courses than me. That being said, do I take more higher level science before I apply - or am I okay with just the prereqs?

Also I was planning on volunteering at a hospital next month - how many hours of EC is usually adequate?

 

[Swartzlehman]

X

 

[DeFused]

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, I don't really have any leadership experience or research. Does it matter what kind of volunteer work I find?

If I wanted to check my prerequisites to make sure they're in line with what schools are looking for, would I talk to the specific schools I want to apply to or talk to AACOM since they actually receive the transcripts.

My organic chemistry is what I'm actually concerned about. I've taken chemistry for health sciences I and II (both had labs) which is a general class for organic chemistry and biochemistry. I believe these chemistry classes were intended for allied health and from what I've been reading in the forums science classes for allied health don't fulfill the requirements. I did email one of the DO schools that I'm interested in and asked if this would fulfill the organic chemistry requirement and they said it would. Even though they said it would I'm still worried that it won't for some reason.....

Also do school require that all prerequisites be finished at the time you submit your application? or just have to be finished prior to matriculation. I'm thinking about taking organic chemistry I and II just to be safe.

 

[HotandCold]

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, I don't really have any leadership experience or research. Does it matter what kind of volunteer work I find?

If I wanted to check my prerequisites to make sure they're in line with what schools are looking for, would I talk to the specific schools I want to apply to or talk to AACOM since they actually receive the transcripts.

My organic chemistry is what I'm actually concerned about. I've taken chemistry for health sciences I and II (both had labs) which is a general class for organic chemistry and biochemistry. I believe these chemistry classes were intended for allied health and from what I've been reading in the forums science classes for allied health don't fulfill the requirements. I did email one of the DO schools that I'm interested in and asked if this would fulfill the organic chemistry requirement and they said it would. Even though they said it would I'm still worried that it won't for some reason.....

Also do school require that all prerequisites be finished at the time you submit your application? or just have to be finished prior to matriculation. I'm thinking about taking organic chemistry I and II just to be safe.

You just need to be done before matriculation. Inquire a little more about the need to take Orgo's 1 and 2.

You can volunteer anywhere, but make sure you rack up a good number of hours. Be committed.

Research is great, but if you haven't done any, there's nothing you can really do about that. You're in good standing though, the MCAT is solid for DO and the cGPA will be overshadowed by your sGPA.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Chemistry for health sciences will probably not be accepted. At least at my school, it's intended for nursing, respiratory therapy, surgical technology, and other allied health professions. It is considered "chemistry for dummies," whether that's really the truth or not is not something I'm asserting, but the point is that it isn't O.Chem/Biochem equivalent and is often looked unfavorably.

Your major is not important at all. Your CC credits will probably not matter at Osteopathic programs. Research is often not important for DO schools (except OSUCOM, MSUCOM, and UMDNJ-SOM that have grants for research).

 

[DeFused]

Chemistry for health sciences will probably not be accepted. At least at my school, it's intended for nursing, respiratory therapy, surgical technology, and other allied health professions. It is considered "chemistry for dummies," whether that's really the truth or not is not something I'm asserting, but the point is that it isn't O.Chem/Biochem equivalent and is often looked unfavorably.

Your major is not important at all. Your CC credits will probably not matter at Osteopathic programs. Research is often not important for DO schools (except OSUCOM, MSUCOM, and UMDNJ-SOM that have grants for research).

That's what I thought as well so it was confusing when I emailed them about it and they said it'd be okay - The school btw was CCOM. In any case, just to be safe I'll take Org I and II.

I plan on applying for the 2013 class and I won't be able to start taking Org I and II until the fall. Does it look bad if I am taking Org I and II when I apply?

Also I plan on taking the MCAT in September-im working at the moment so I just want as much time to study for it. Is that too late to take it if I want to try applying for 2013?

 

[Swartzlehman]

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[DeFused]

You should be fine. The only requirement is that you finish the classes prior to matriculation. I have another non trad I'm taking classes with and she was accepted on the condition she finish her biochem and calc I, for which she will be done at the end of may and starting med school in the Fall.

Will you be applying in 2013 or for the class of 2013? Obviously applying in 2013 gives you plenty of time to continue your volunteering, shadowing, taking your orgo and your MCAT. If you are applying this year your chances will be quite a bit lower. Not zero, just considerably more difficult. September is the last MCAT date you can take. You will not get your scores back until October. Many schools have cutoffs for when they accept your materials by and you would be pushing right up against it. With this and incomplete prereqs, it may be too many incomplete pieces of your app too late in the cycle. It's not ideal to have the ADCOMs reviewing your material at the bottom of the stack, but hey it's not unheard of that late applicants get in.

If it was me I wouldn't apply until 2013. However, if you have the funds and the time (realistically) to submit an excellent application and you just can't wait....

Yea, I'm beginning to think that it would be extremely difficult to apply for the class of 2013. I understand that schools do a rolling admissions so it's always better to get your application in as soon as possible but what is the latest you think you can turn in an application and still have a decent chance?

Obviously, the last thing I want to do is rush the MCATs but I have already started preparing for it and if I had to I think I could take the MCATs a little earlier. I just don't really have an open schedule to study for the MCAT with work and 23 credit hours this semester- I can probably get 1-2 hours of studying a day. If I were to take the MCATs in August and have my application ready for September would that be considered late still?

 

[Goro]

I think you'll be fine. The only concern would be if those pre-reqs were spaced out over a long time; one course here, one course there...which doesn't tell us how you'll handle the crushing course load of medical school. Still, I think you'll get plenty of interviews.

Hi, I'm looking to get some feedback on what people think my chances are for DO school. I graduated with a bachelors degree in finance and management 5 years ago. I worked as an analyst for 3 years and also worked overseas in China for a year for a manufacturing company. Last year I decided to change my life around and my career. I am done taking most of the prerequisites and wanted to get an idea on where I stand. My undergrad GPA was a 3.0 coming out of school but since I've started school against last year my GPA has been around a 3.8.

cGPA: 3.3
sGPA: 3.8
MCAT: 30 <-- This is what I've been averaging on the practice exams
Shadowed two different DOs for about 30 hours total

A lot of questions here:
All of the prerequisites I've taken were at a community college for financial reasons - how much of a disadvantage am I at with all my prerequisites completed at a community college?

How much of a disadvantage am I at with a degree in finance and management? I feel as though most of the other applications probably have taken higher level science courses than me. That being said, do I take more higher level science before I apply - or am I okay with just the prereqs?

Also I was planning on volunteering at a hospital next month - how many hours of EC is usually adequate?

 

[Swartzlehman]

X