Why the difference in length of DO/MD cycles?

[Ochem Love]

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Why is it that the DO application cycle starts earlier, acceptances begin to be issued earlier, but runs longer when compared to the MD cycle? As I've been incessantly checking application portals and school specific threads for the last 2+ months, this question has come to mind. I would think that if interviews and acceptances happen earlier, this would correlate with a shorter cycle; but this obviously is not the case.

Is it due to the (usually but not always) relatively larger class size at each school, so the available seats take longer to fill?

Perhaps the smaller applicant pool when compared with the MD applicant pool has something to do with it?

Are there more instances of multiple acceptances, and therefore more waitlist movement? Maybe (or not) from students getting both DO and MD acceptances, and choosing MD?

Is the reddit pre-med circus actually correct? Is admissions rigged, @Goro the Great is actually a 10 year old troll playing on his parents computer, and the Earth is flat?

 

[Goro]

Is it due to the (usually but not always) relatively larger class size at each school, so the available seats take longer to fill?
Yes,

Perhaps the smaller applicant pool when compared with the MD applicant pool has something to do with it?
I don't know about smaller. My school gets about 5000-6000 apps.

Are there more instances of multiple acceptances, and therefore more waitlist movement? Maybe (or not) from students getting both DO and MD acceptances, and choosing MD?
This seems correct for my school, but some years we have more waitlist movement than others. Also confounding things is that there are really three different pools of applicants to DO schools:
a) Those playing safe and going for MD and DO
b) those going DO only after a failed MD cycle
c) those going DO solely because they know they won't get into an MD school

Is the reddit pre-med circus actually correct? Is admissions rigged, @Goro the Great is actually a 10 year old troll playing on his parents computer, and the Earth is flat?
They finally figured us out? Pretty good for the cesspool of the Internet.
😉

 

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