What is a competitive MCAT for D.O. schools?

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I haven't begun studying for the MCAT yet, but I was just wondering what a competitive MCAT would be for a school like Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Is a 34 a good enough score? What is a general rule of thumb when it comes to MCAT scores for D.O. schools?

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LoL a 34 is a competitive score for both osteopathic and allopathic. If you have below average grades and poor extracurriculars, then you'd have to make up for those with your MCAT. If you have great experiences and a decent GPA, a 28-30 MCAT is a good place to be. Rowan is a new school and I am sure you can look up their average MCAT scores, but I have a feeling it is between 26-29.
 
LoL a 34 is a competitive score for both osteopathic and allopathic. If you have below average grades and poor extracurriculars, then you'd have to make up for those with your MCAT. If you have great experiences and a decent GPA, a 28-30 MCAT is a good place to be. Rowan is a new school and I am sure you can look up their average MCAT scores, but I have a feeling it is between 26-29.
:confused: They've been taking students for 37 years....
 
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I haven't begun studying for the MCAT yet, but I was just wondering what a competitive MCAT would be for a school like Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Is a 34 a good enough score? What is a general rule of thumb when it comes to MCAT scores for D.O. schools?
If you aim for 30+ you will be in great shape. But at a minimum I feel like a 27 will put you in a good place to get into DO schools as long as your ECs and GPA are also solid
 
probably thinking of Cooper-Rowan - that's an MD
RowanSOM is the DO
Nope. Rowan is the new name. Been the state's DO school since getting established in 76'.
 
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Nope. Rowan is the new name. Been the state's DO school since getting established in 76'.

Oh yeah that's true, forgot about that. I didn't apply there because it's near a pretty dangerous area, like really dangerous - so I am not expert on that school specifically. I know it's kinda far from Camden, but I would still be afraid (Cooper Rowan is right in the middle of Camden). But I still think that my response for the MCAT scores is accurate.
 
Oh yeah that's true, forgot about that. I didn't apply there because it's near a pretty dangerous area, like really dangerous - so I am not expert on that school specifically. I know it's kinda far from Camden, but I would still be afraid (Cooper Rowan is right in the middle of Camden). But I still think that my response for the MCAT scores is accurate.

Stratford, NJ is dangerous?
 
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I haven't begun studying for the MCAT yet, but I was just wondering what a competitive MCAT would be for a school like Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Is a 34 a good enough score? What is a general rule of thumb when it comes to MCAT scores for D.O. schools?

"Good enough" is a minimum requirement at all medical schools. For the general consensus of DO it'd be a minimum 24 composite MCAT and 7-8 in each subsection.

Don't know what good enough will be with the new scoring system for MCAT 2015.

The best rule of thumb for the MCAT for DO and MD in general is 1) get a high score and 2) have that high score be as balanced as possible

Lastly, I want to stress that the MCAT score is but a single (albeit very important) factor to getting you into the door of DO schools. At the interview stage, it's no longer academics but your entire application. So have EVERYTHING in line by the time you apply.
 
Oh yeah that's true, forgot about that. I didn't apply there because it's near a pretty dangerous area, like really dangerous - so I am not expert on that school specifically. I know it's kinda far from Camden, but I would still be afraid (Cooper Rowan is right in the middle of Camden). But I still think that my response for the MCAT scores is accurate.

Are you kidding? Its no where close to Camden. If you don't think that area is safe then I don't think you actually could live anywhere in the USA.

ROWAN has a 28 MCAT average FYI.
 
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"Good enough" is a minimum requirement at all medical schools. For the general consensus of DO it'd be a minimum 24 composite MCAT and 7-8 in each subsection.

Don't know what good enough will be with the new scoring system for MCAT 2015.

The best rule of thumb for the MCAT for DO and MD in general is 1) get a high score and 2) have that high score be as balanced as possible

Lastly, I want to stress that the MCAT score is but a single (albeit very important) factor to getting you into the door of DO schools. At the interview stage, it's no longer academics but your entire application. So have EVERYTHING in line by the time you apply.

24 could fly at some schools not others. Competitveness of MCAT depends on the school. A range of 24-29 could be competitive depending on the school.
 
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Nope. Rowan is the new name. Been the state's DO school since getting established in 76'.
sorry - I phrased that poorly. I was thinking that acelpiusdo was thinking of Cooper in the 2nd post. I knew you meant RowanSOM.

Stratford is very safe and no where near Camden.
 
Camden is 15 mins away from RowanSOM...

And I said in my post above "I know it's kinda far from Camden, but I would still be afraid (Cooper Rowan is right in the middle of Camden)"

There is a bus that literally goes from Camden to Stratford. Anyway, my original post on the subject didn't state that it was next door, it just said it was too close for my comfort.

15 mins away from one of the most dangerous cities in the united states is pretty dang close.
 
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Camden is 15 mins away from RowanSOM...

And I said in my post above "I know it's kinda far from Camden, but I would still be afraid (Cooper Rowan is right in the middle of Camden)"

There is a bus that literally goes from Camden to Stratford. Anyway, my original post on the subject didn't state that it was next door, it just said it was too close for my comfort.

15 mins away from one of the most dangerous cities in the united states is pretty dang close.

Its 20 minutes away. PCOM is just as far away. You actually have nothing to worry about.
 
I haven't begun studying for the MCAT yet, but I was just wondering what a competitive MCAT would be for a school like Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Is a 34 a good enough score? What is a general rule of thumb when it comes to MCAT scores for D.O. schools?
From what I've gathered, the consensus is that 25-30 is the common range of scores applicants of DO schools have. Anything 29/30 is "competitive" so to speak.
 
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Most DO schools average around 26-28 as the median MCAT of accepted students. There are a few schools that are closer to 30, there also some schools who do not openly publish that information for whatever reason.

34 is more than enough for a DO school, and if your GPA is good, I would say you would also be viable for MD school.

If your GPA is 3.7 or better overall and in science I would say do not sell yourself short and apply to DO schools, try the MD schools first.

I initially tried out for MD schools and only got one interview and then was wait listed and finally rejected. I applied to 12 DO schools and got interviews at 10 schools but I only attended 5 of them.

I decided to apply DO because they tend to consider applicants who come from non traditional backgrounds and those who have been out of school for a while. At my undergraduate college my premed advisor showed some statistics and for Allopathic schools it was very difficult for those who have been out of school for five years or more to get accepted.

The curriculum at DO schools are different than at MD schools, you have OMM, you also have an emphasis on primary care and community medicine. Most DO schools are geared to produce physicians for under-served communities. Still if you are pro-active you can always do research at a nearby Allopathic institution during your summer break or whenever you get an opportunity.

Most good Allopathic schools are geared towards medical research, and usually have their own teaching hospitals. Some of the more prestigious schools own large networks of hospitals and medical centers. So the clinical opportunities are greater.
 
Depends on where you are applying but competitive imo would be 28 or above
 
A 24 is weakly competitive at ~5-10 schools. It's lethal at a good number more.

I'd say 27 is nicely competitive. I always urge applicants to aim for "high 20s".

24 could fly at some schools not others. Competitveness of MCAT depends on the school. A range of 24-29 could be competitive depending on the school.
 
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A 24 is weakly competitive at ~5-10 schools. It's lethal at a good number more.

I'd say 27 is nicely competitive. I always urge applicants to aim for "high 20s".

Ahh that's true.

I started at 24 since its lucoms average and some are at 25 so 24 could be competitive there. And I was also kinda agreeing with you as I was countering a post that said 24 is the min and I was saying that it depends.

But it really depends on the school though right? What's competitive for one school might not be competitive for another.
 
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24-26 would be rejects at, say, CCOM or Touro-NY. A 24 would be an autoreject at my own school.


Ahh that's true.

I started at 24 since its lucoms average and some are at 25 so 24 could be competitive there.

But it really depends on the school though right? What's competitive for one school might not be competitive for another.
 
Ahh that's true.

I started at 24 since its lucoms average and some are at 25 so 24 could be competitive there. And I was also kinda agreeing you as I was countering a post that said 24 is the min and I was saying that it depends.

But it really depends on the school though right? What's competitive for one school might not be competitive for another.


Agreed, the MCAT range of accepted DO students is quite large compared to MD.

But as the kind Goro has stated you always want the cushion of a competitive score.
 
24-26 would be rejects at, say, CCOM or Touro-NY. A 24 would be an autoreject at my own school.

I was saying the same thing!!! :)
Agreed, the MCAT range of accepted DO students is quite large compared to MD.

But as the kind Goro has stated you always want the cushion of a competitive score.

MD has a huge range. 20-37 would be theirs if you consider Puerto Rico and top tier MDs.
 
This definitely depends upon the so-called "tiers". Harvard and its ilk have a much narrower MCAT range than does, say, Pit and NYU, and as compared to, U FL, U Rochester, and Rosy Franklin.


MD has a huge range. 20-37 would be theirs if you consider Puerto Rico and top tier MDs.[/QUOTE]
 
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