2007-2008 "what are my chances"/"what should I do"/"where to apply" Thread

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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vraj said:
Hey guyz,

I just got my mcat scores today, I have got 19M and the first time I took
I got 17P. I have already applied to schools for '08 cycle. I am so nervous. Here is my academic status as of now.
My GPA is 3.6
Bachelor of Health Science-Cum Laude
Deans list 2 years
Lots of ECs
Research in Biochemistry
Lots of volunteering
MD shadowing
Tutored cell biology, organic chemistryI&II.
And I have strong letter of Recommendations from my pre-med
committee.
What is your opinion, do you think I will get into any DO schools, i have applied to 13 schools? Thanks for you time...means lot.
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I would def retake the MCAT. With your credentials I would say that those scores do not reflect what you are capable of doing.
 
Find some way to analyze what your issues are. Maybe there are certain parts of the exam you can't handle as well. Get some books that might classify types of questions and figure out which ones you need to buff up on. Take it ASAP.

Study your butt off and get an above average score, the rest looks awesome.
 
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2.84 gpa
either 2.65 or 2.7 science gpa
MCAT- taking in september, currently in Kaplan course 2 nights a week

applying for a 1year SMP @ BU or TUFTS..still waiting to hear if I am in

Work full time as a CRA (clinical research associate) at the mass general cancer center. there is no patient interation involved, as I work mainly with protocols, patient files and lab data, data management, the IRB and other regulatory work. occasionally the oncologists ask us to help with their posters for presentations at ASCO etc..

I also work part time as a personal trainer (ACSM certified) and soon a nutrition consultant.

I'm enrolled in a pre-med volunteer program of 6 months, but I havent been able to make it to my first two shifts because of work related issues (either my part time job or full time job). This program includes a letter of reccomendation and shadowing a doc in the dept you are placed in at the end of the 6 months.
As of now it is really hard to fit in these 3-6 hours a week working 60 hours a week and having the Kaplan course and keeping up with that homework....how much would not volunteering hurt me? Or should I hold off volunteering until the MCATs are taken?

Could I shadow an MD at MGH and still be competitive for DO schools?

Is clinical research enough for clinical experience? Could my personal training experience count as "patient interaction?
Essentially, I meet a new client, perform a series of evaluations on them, from fitness assessments to body fat% and measurements, then I design a program based on their imbalances and individual needs.


i appreciate the feedback!
 
vraj said:
Hey guyz,

I just got my mcat scores today, I have got 19M and the first time I took
I got 17P. I have already applied to schools for '08 cycle. I am so nervous. Here is my academic status as of now.
My GPA is 3.6
Bachelor of Health Science-Cum Laude
Deans list 2 years
Lots of ECs
Research in Biochemistry
Lots of volunteering
MD shadowing
Tutored cell biology, organic chemistryI&II.
And I have strong letter of Recommendations from my pre-med
committee.
What is your opinion, do you think I will get into any DO schools, i have applied to 13 schools? Thanks for you time...means lot.
Click to expand...

Something is amiss here. How is it that you took the mcat twice and somehow tutored in cell bio, ochem1and2, and got research experience in biochem. With those, you should have been able to do somewhat well on your MCAT. in any case, as others have said, just retake the mcat.
 
Wow dude... what school did you go to? Podunk Community College?

Seriously, grades mean nothing if you bomb the standardized test. Crack open that review book or use a course... it will be $1500 well spent. Your GPA with a 25+ would get you into the best DO programs and possibly some MD programs.

You've done the work to get that GPA... finish strong. Retake.

Although it sounds wrong, the MCAT is the easiest portion of your application to improve. Study HARD for a few months.. Remember to take timed, FULL-LENGTH EXAMS at least once per week. Practice on the test itself is just as important as reviewing the sciences...

Good luck... you're well on your way.
 
As the others have said, you need to re-take the mcat. I would suggest not taking it again until you are consistently scoring well on it (25+). You simply cannot afford to do poorly on the exam for a third time. The rest of your application looks great, so just buckle down and make this your life until August. What have you been using for studying material? Have you tried Exam Krackers? Since you've done well in your coursework, it may very well be that you're not lacking so much in your fund of knowledge as much as you are lacking in your test taking skills. Have you taken a Kaplan course?
 
Merged vraj's and mastmark's threads with this one ... just so you guys know. I don't think its going to flow as nice but please use this thread for all "what are my chances" type threads if you are looking for advice on GPA/MCAT.
 
... any advice for my previous post on this thread? :D
 
Hatman said:
... Mcat scores went from 22 to 20 to 25. (Crappy I know) My graduating GPA ended up being a 3.65 with a Science Gpa of around 3.55...DO I have any chance in getting into an Osteopathic school??
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Yes

Hatman said:
... Allopathic??
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No

Medical schol admission is a lot like playing poker, you have to know how the game is played to do well, but there is still an element of luck. When you have a lot of people in the game (40,000 applying for allopathic spots) your opponent is likely to have a better hand than you, even if yours is really good. DO is a much smaller playing field (9000 applicants) and your hand is greatly improved. You have an average hand. In some games (some schools) you'll have a lot better chance than others, but you'll never know which ones for sure simply because of that element of luck. Even if the odds are in your favor, you may not draw the right card. Still, you will never win if you don't ante up and apply. Go for it. :luck::luck:
 
Playmakur42 said:
Just got my MCAT scores back, so I'll throw myself on the fire. I'm applying strictly to Osteopathic schools. Any advice for things I should do or change in the next few months?

Feel free to be brutally honest. I won't cry.

http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=8043
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Looking at your profile I think you should be accepted somewhere. Your GPA is a little low but your MCAT score should make up for it. For CCOM, I'm not sure how they will view your GPA. But for many of the other schools you applyed to it shouldn't make a difference. Do well on interviews and I think you should be in. I hope you are accepted to the school of your choice. Good Luck!!!!:luck::luck::luck:
 
Hey guyz its me vraj,
I just want to know if i am a good candidate for ross medical school.
My stats are on other thread but just for convinience I am writing
it anyways :
MCAT 19M (PS-8,VR-4, BS-7)
GPA 3.6
Bachelor of Health Science-Cum laude
Research in Biochemistry
Lots of volunteers and good LORs
Tutored cell bio, and organic I and II.
Deans list (2 years)

Thank you so much guys for your time.
 
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vraj said:
Hey guyz its me vraj,
I just want to know if i am a good candidate for ross medical school.
My stats are on other thread but just for convinience I am writing
it anyways :
MCAT 19M (PS-8,VR-4, BS-7)
GPA 3.6
Bachelor of Health Science-Cum laude
Research in Biochemistry
Lots of volunteers and good LORs
Tutored cell bio, and organic I and II.
Deans list (2 years)

Thank you so much guys for your time.
Click to expand...


I would recommend taking the MCAT again before you make a decision like that. You might have had just a bad day when you took it, or maybe you weren't completely prepared. Take the MCAT again.
 
You're question would probably be better answered in the Carribbean forum.
 
if your check clears your a good candidate for ross
 
If what you say is true, your quite capable of scoring at least in the mid 20's. Take it again bud.
 
Hey guys,

I think I am going to just apply early and flag that I am retaking the beast. With my 23Q BS:9 VR:8 PS:6 WS: Q. Again I am a URM, and 5 year paramedic. Shadowed a DO with LOR. I probably wont even get a second look. My question is if I tell the schools I am waiting on new scores would they postpone giving me an interview? Let's say that I get some freak chance with what I have, will they schedule me, or automatically wait till at least september for the scores? If so won't that put me behind the 8 ball when I am trying to apply early? I plan on applying to 10 programs(DO only). My GPA is 3.2 I am not sure about the BCPM yet until it is calculated by AACOMAS, in fact I don't know any GPA other than what is on my transcript.
 
Boner said:
You're question would probably be better answered in the Carribbean forum.
Click to expand...

While his answer should be better answered in the Carribean forum, that forum very often resembles a trip to the Lounge. There's a whole lot of bickering and fighting amongst the posters on an everyday basis. Like the other posters here, I would recommend that you re-take the MCAT after some really serious study time before you ever consider the Carribean schools. While it may be true that many good doctors come from places like Ross, many, many more of them fail miserably. The dropout rate is incredibly high. While I'm hesitant to outright say that the thing they care most about is your credit rating, there is some validity to that statement. I know at least one Ross graduate personally who has done well for himself , but he faced an immense uphill battle at nearly every step. The bottom line, though, is that you have a pretty good chance of getting in there, but please use it as a last resort. Re-take the MCAT first.
 
mastamark said:
My question is if I tell the schools I am waiting on new scores would they postpone giving me an interview?
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Some schools may give you an interview anyway-- a lot of that is determined by what's in your primary application and secondary. Can you get an acceptance with your scores? Its possible if you are early enough. But, there's a good chance of getting an interview or two anyway if you are applying to the right places. Most of the people with a 23 MCAT that are in med school, though, have a good bit higher GPA.

Keep in mind that even though the number of seats in osteopathic school classes is rising each year, the overall statistics of each class are still rising as well. The applicant pool is getting better and better, and admissions staff can usually find another person who has ECs, LORs and PSs just as good as yours, but with better scores. One of my classmates just got kicked out of school for having subpar grades. He was one of the last people to get in off of the waitlist. The reason he had trouble getting in was because his MCAT and GPA were below average, but everything else was great. They took a chance on him, but it didn't work out. Do you think they will be as willing to take that same chance with this year's class?

Just follow your inclinations and re-take the MCAT. Let the adcoms know that you are serious about it and you may yet be a doctor. :luck::luck:
 
Hi guys,

Cumm GPA: 3.45
Science GPA: 3.4

MCAT: Bio 10, Phys 9, Verbal 6 ( I was getting 8s and 9s on Kaplan) Total: 25 O
I have a bunch of extracurricular (2 years in research lab, lots of volunteering, shadowing, playing piano since I was 10 yrs old)

What do you think my chances are and what schools should I be applying to?

Thanks a lot.
 
bonny5 said:
Hi guys,

Cumm GPA: 3.45
Science GPA: 3.4

MCAT: Bio 10, Phys 9, Verbal 6 ( I was getting 8s and 9s on Kaplan) Total: 25 O
I have a bunch of extracurricular (2 years in research lab, lots of volunteering, shadowing, playing piano since I was 10 yrs old)

What do you think my chances are and what schools should I be applying to?

Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

Hi, bonny5,

You are an average applicant. Apply as early as possible and broadly for the best chances. That 6 on the VR section might raise a red flag at some places. Be able to address it if asked.

I can't tell you which schools to apply to, however you appear to be competitive for most of the DO schools. You should do some research on individual schools and see if you'd attend there based on your own criteria. There are some statistics floating around here that you can use to aid in your decision. I was quite liberal in the application process, applying to around 10 osteopathic medical schools in a variety of different locations (I also applied to some allopathic medical schools).

I didn't notice any clinical experience listed, but that's something that is almost expected by medical schools. It'll certainly be of benefit to your application. Furthermore, most, if not all, DO schools require a letter of recommendation from a physician. Most prefer a letter from a DO, but will also accept a letter from an MD. A few require a letter from a DO. You may already know these things, but I thought I'd drop them down here, just in case.
 
Hi guys,
Anyone want to evaluate me? :)

I applied for DO school last year, got one interview but didn't get in. My science gpa is 2.989, overall gpa 3.34. My MCAT was awful (21P) but i'm re-taking it in august. My EC's include a volunteer medical trip to nicaragua, habitat for humanity, i did a pre-med internship in the ER through my school, volunteer at st. marys foodbank, volunteer in an after-school reading program for kids, i also did an internship where i went to bad parts of town to teach kids about microbiology and do experiements. I'm taking the MCAT again (hopefully in August) but i'm going to send in my accomas application Monday because I know it's important to apply early.

Any thoughts?
 
Green6936 said:
Hi guys,
Anyone want to evaluate me? :)

I applied for DO school last year, got one interview but didn't get in. My science gpa is 2.989, overall gpa 3.34. My MCAT was awful (21P) but i'm re-taking it in august. My EC's include a volunteer medical trip to nicaragua, habitat for humanity, i did a pre-med internship in the ER through my school, volunteer at st. marys foodbank, volunteer in an after-school reading program for kids, i also did an internship where i went to bad parts of town to teach kids about microbiology and do experiements. I'm taking the MCAT again (hopefully in August) but i'm going to send in my accomas application Monday because I know it's important to apply early.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Well, I think you have the potential to be a good applicant, but the problem looks like it might be with your numbers, which do not appear to be that competitive to me. What I mean is, your science GPA is pretty low and your MCAT is below average, but you also have a nice set of extracurricular experiences. It might make sense for you to take a year off to take some fulltime semesters of undergraduate science classes to improve your science GPA (hopefully to 3.0+) and to prove your academic ability. This will probably be very high yield for you. Also, you can take more time to improve your MCAT, to find out what your baseline issues are and to address them; you want to aim for the upper twenties there. Adding more EC's won't help you prove your academic ability and academic suitability for medical school; improving both your science GPA and your MCAT, however, will definitely speak to that.

However, if you are intent on applying this cycle, then you are right to apply early. Do what you can to improve your MCAT to the upper twenties or above, if possible. That's going to help. However, your low science GPA might hurt you. I know of at least one good applicant where it was an issue. Anyway, apply early and broadly. Pray. However, my advice is to not jump the gun and take a year off to improve the areas that are causing you problems, like your MCAT and your science GPA. Keep in mind that I am not an adcom member and make sure to consider my advice as only one source of advice on these matters.

You interviewed, but did not get accepted. Thus, it would make sense to get some advice on your interview skills. Do some mock interviews and get some direct feedback on how to improve.

Lastly, since you've applied previously, you have had some adcom members actually review your entire profile. It can be beneficial to ask for feedback from medical schools in which you applied, if it is allowed, on your application. For example, you might benefit from asking the school where you interviewed, but did not get accepted, specifically why you were rejected and in what area(s) you might improve that would make a substantial difference in your application, what they would like to see, etc.

Also see my response to your post in the Reapplicants forum.

Good luck! :luck:
 
Green6936 said:
Hi guys,
Anyone want to evaluate me? :)

I applied for DO school last year, got one interview but didn't get in. My science gpa is 2.989, overall gpa 3.34. My MCAT was awful (21P) but i'm re-taking it in august. My EC's include a volunteer medical trip to nicaragua, habitat for humanity, i did a pre-med internship in the ER through my school, volunteer at st. marys foodbank, volunteer in an after-school reading program for kids, i also did an internship where i went to bad parts of town to teach kids about microbiology and do experiements. I'm taking the MCAT again (hopefully in August) but i'm going to send in my accomas application Monday because I know it's important to apply early.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Green,

How many applications did you send out? Were you rejected mostly pre-secondary or post? Did you apply early in the cycle?
 
vraj said:
Hey guyz its me vraj,
I just want to know if i am a good candidate for ross medical school.
My stats are on other thread but just for convinience I am writing
it anyways :
MCAT 19M (PS-8,VR-4, BS-7)
GPA 3.6
Bachelor of Health Science-Cum laude
Research in Biochemistry
Lots of volunteers and good LORs
Tutored cell bio, and organic I and II.
Deans list (2 years)

Thank you so much guys for your time.
Click to expand...

Ross is a good school and it has produced excellent doctors but keep in mind it is a Caribbean medical school. One of the biggest problems Ross is facing is it does not have enough clinical sites for all of its incoming students. Attrition rate is close to fifty percent. Sometimes it makes me feel that they intentionally fail some students and take their money. If I were you, I would take the MCAT again in August. Physical science and Biological science are easiest to improve. To improve your verbal score, start reading online news papers and articles. When I took the MCAT first time, my verbal score was really low. Second time around, I used to read five news papers a day and read a humanity book. I started learning about ten new vocabulary words a day and I would go over them every day. The biggest mistake I was making when I was reading Verbal passages is I always ended sentence prematurely without paying attention to the grammar. Reading more helped me fix that problem. My verbal score was still low but it improved by four points. Go to Caribbean medical school if it is your last option. Your GPA is great and if you can improve your MCAT score by six to seven points, you will significantly improve your chances of getting into Osteopathic medical school. I wish you all the best and good luck.
 
I sent out 12 applications. I was late in the cycle and didn't even start receiving secondaries until November. I was rejected ALL post secondary applications. I did get an interview at one school but obviously didn't get accepted.
mastamark said:
Green,

How many applications did you send out? Were you rejected mostly pre-secondary or post? Did you apply early in the cycle?
Click to expand...
 
Green6936 said:
I sent out 12 applications. I was late in the cycle and didn't even start receiving secondaries until November. I was rejected ALL post secondary applications. I did get an interview at one school but obviously didn't get accepted.
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Hmm... I'm sure the lateness of your prior application didn't help at all, but it really sounds like, to me, that it was your low numbers that held you back. I reiterate my suggestion to take a year off to improve your science GPA and your MCAT score.
 
spicedmanna said:
Hooo boy. This is a tough call; it's not so clear what the next course of action should be. Your GPA is pretty awesome, but your MCAT is below average, but it might still be passable. Did you score in the range of your practice exams? Do you think you can improve your PS? It is one of the easier sections to improve, or at least it used to be. It sounds like it might be a knowledge issue, due to not having taken the prerequisites in a long time. If you get that up to an 8, without dropping, or even improving, your other sections, it would benefit your application. I personally wouldn't retake unless you have some evidence that supports that you can raise your score. Fill in the gaps in your knowledge (or wherever the issue might be) in PS and in the other sections, take lots of practice tests under real conditions, and if you see a consistant improvement, especially in PS, then you have evidence that supports retaking.

However, I think you should go ahead an apply, if you are planning on applying this cycle. The earlier the better. There is a chance. Apply broadly, to all the schools that you think you would attend, and do it EARLY. Write good essays and get good LORs. Give it a shot and see what happens. If you decide to retake, you can update your AACOMAS with your new score when you get it. Luckily, you can now take the MCAT many times a year. I can't say what will happen, but there is a chance if you are the early bird. The 6 in PS is a little worrisome. I don't know which schools screen or not, but if you apply broadly, you can make up for this possibility, hopefully.

I wish you the best. :luck:
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Thanks for the input...I did score lower on test day than practice tests...I was consistentely getting 9-10 on BS and VR and 7-8 on PS so this was disappointing. So in a sense I know I can improve, but also do not want to sit on my application until January. I am in the process of applying now and if needed will retake in January and hopefully still have a chance of applying to a few more schools at that time. Unfortunately these scores have created quite the predicament!
 
Quick question...When is it consider late in the application cycle??
 
Ok so here is my situation. Got a 3.45 GPA, 30 MCAT (taken in Aug 2005). I am barely below the averages for M.D. schools which made me look at D.O. schools, and now I think D.O. is a better match for me. For 2007 cycle I am still on the waitlist for UCI med school, but I believe there is slim to none hope.

I want to apply for the 2008 cycle. I started my primary application, but I am lacking the shadowing of a D.O. I have a list of um in my area and hopefully will find time to shadow one soon and hopefully get a letter eventually.

Here are my questions:

1.) Should I just get my application in now or should I wait until I have the shadowing under my belt. What is a good deadline to shoot for to still have my application considered early and not late. I applied far to late for M.D. schools and I do not want to make the same mistake.

2.) Anyone know how competitive my stats would match up to the two D.O. schools in California

3.) I am working a full time research job right now at a UC, should I start looking for a better job that would make my resume better for a D.O. applicant

4.) Is it bad that it looks like I am giving up on M.D. schools and settling for D.O. schools, any advice on how I can get around this, because this really is not my intention.
 
Gutierrez001 said:
Quick question...When is it consider late in the application cycle??
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Depends, I would say around being verified around October to December. Even September is pushing it, because some schools have earlier deadines. Also by submitting it now you save yourself the issue of it not being verified. Last year took me 14 weeks to be verified. That is because AMCAS lost my transcript of one school and didn't notify me until 6 weeks later. Get it out now, and you will have no problem.
 
Put it this way, your stats will get you into Western with no problem assuming you have some ec's. The other school in CA should be no problem as well. The only reason I didn't get into Western is because I applied late. They assured me I would get in there next year if I applied because of my application stats. I had a lower MCAT than you as well.

As far as M.D. school I am sure that you could get into a M.D. school somewhere. However that means you might have to move, and pay a little more to apply to more schools. If you would like to be a D.O. more than an M.D. then forget about the issue of settling. Do what you think you will like more.

I chose to go to a m.d. school because I got accepted there and not to a d.o. school. Plus I don't want to wait another year. However I like the approach of D.O.'s better. So it my plan to go back and take extra training from a school like western in OMM, OMT etc. You could think about that maybe.
 
You won't need the DO letter until secondaries. I don't know if there is a timeframe for submitting those after you receive them (maybe someone else does), but you could have the hold up there for your DO letter, and submit the primary now. Hopefully you have it by then anyways. I spent a week at the clinic where the DO writing my letter practices, and probably less than a full a day with him. He's happy to write the letter, most people are happy to help qualified people get into school. You don't really need to spend the months shadowing that some suggest.

To my understanding, secondary essays tend to ask about why DO. This would be your chance to explain that you are not settling. Many people without stats as good as yours get into DO schools because they are settling, and as you're not doing that, even a half compelling essay should work.
 
[/QUOTE]
jyland said:
Ok so here is my situation. Got a 3.45 GPA, 30 MCAT (taken in Aug 2005). I am barely below the averages for M.D. schools which made me look at D.O. schools, and now I think D.O. is a better match for me. For 2007 cycle I am still on the waitlist for UCI med school, but I believe there is slim to none hope.

I want to apply for the 2008 cycle. I started my primary application, but I am lacking the shadowing of a D.O. I have a list of um in my area and hopefully will find time to shadow one soon and hopefully get a letter eventually.
Click to expand...



1.) Should I just get my application in now or should I wait until I have the shadowing under my belt. What is a good deadline to shoot for to still have my application considered early and not late. I applied far to late for M.D. schools and I do not want to make the same mistake.
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Get it in now. The earlier a school sees it, the earlier they will send you a secondary.




2.) Anyone know how competitive my stats would match up to the two D.O. schools in California
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Tuoro-CA: 3.0gpa and 23 MCAT is average.
Western: 3.4-3.5gpa and 27 MCAT is average.
Looks like you are competitive for both.

3.) I am working a full time research job right now at a UC, should I start looking for a better job that would make my resume better for a D.O. applicant
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What kind of research? I would think that would look pretty good on your resume.


4.) Is it bad that it looks like I am giving up on M.D. schools and settling for D.O. schools, any advice on how I can get around this, because this really is not my intention
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The majority of DO applicants applied MD first. There is a little transition period where you feel like you are settling, but spend some time reading up on osteopathic medicine and reading what some of the older members of SDN have to say. It shouldn't take you long before you find yourself quite proud to be accepted to an osteopathic school. You will find you didn't settle for osteopathic school, you are going to be a physician, you didn't settle for anything.
 
Ok folks...I guess I throw my hat in to the ring. I'm a nontrad with graduate degrees in exercise physiology and physical therapy. I have five years clinical experience as a PT and am board certified in orthopedics. I have numerous EC's but I'm hitting the high points. I have published articles in fitness magazines and have presented at the Baylor Sports Medicine Update. My stats are as follows:

Overall GPA: 3.45 (Undegrad 3.3, Grad 3.6)
Science GPA: 3.3
MCAT: 27 T

I am currently applying to all the Texas schools. Looks like I'm borderline for most allopathic and osteopathic schools, although I have seen folks with similar stats get into either. I am trying to decide whether to keep trying to pump up my MCAT or work on improving grades. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.
 
jmed6182 said:
I volunteered in a hospital for two years (~250 hours), and start a D.O. preceptorship next monday...the postbacc at UNT is really tough science classes...medical biochem....molec. cell bio...gross anatomy...epidemiology and a few others...
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With your MCAT, and rock your UNT stuff, you should be a shoo-in for TCOM, right? I would have done that given the chance
 
Give it to me straight:

MCAT 32 - 9VR 13PS 10BS
GPA 3.40, BCPM GPA 3.37 from Northwestern (not sure if that matters)
Non Clinical Volunteering, M.D. Shadowing, Clinical Research, Employment throughout college, various other ECs
Illinois Resident

I think I am limited due to 1.) GPA and 2.) Lack of Clinical Volunteering

I'm applying to my state MD schools and a lot of Osteopathic Schools in the midwest w/ CCOM being my top choice. Do I have a solid chance?
 
tigerprawn said:
Give it to me straight:

MCAT 32 - 9VR 13PS 10BS
GPA 3.40, BCPM GPA 3.37 from Northwestern (not sure if that matters)
Non Clinical Volunteering, M.D. Shadowing, Clinical Research, Employment throughout college, various other ECs
Illinois Resident

I think I am limited due to 1.) GPA and 2.) Lack of Clinical Volunteering

I'm applying to my state MD schools and a lot of Osteopathic Schools in the midwest w/ CCOM being my top choice. Do I have a solid chance?
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I think you have a chance at state MD schools. In terms of DO school you should be able to get into any school you want. As long as you interview well you are in.
 
MaximusD said:
GPA is low, and that 2.9 GPA may hurt you. Retaking would be an excellent choice... have you already graduated?

MCAT is good. In what state do you live? You should consider applying to more than those three schools.
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Yes, I just graduated. A lot of post-bac programs seem hard to get into though, at least the ones that favor disadvantaged students.

I live in CA.

Thanks!
 
Also, is research experience just not as important to DO than it is to MD?

Or do I have to make sure that my clinical experience makes up for it?
 
spicedmanna said:
Hi, bonny5,

You are an average applicant. Apply as early as possible and broadly for the best chances. That 6 on the VR section might raise a red flag at some places. Be able to address it if asked.

I can't tell you which schools to apply to, however you appear to be competitive for most of the DO schools. You should do some research on individual schools and see if you'd attend there based on your own criteria. There are some statistics floating around here that you can use to aid in your decision. I was quite liberal in the application process, applying to around 10 osteopathic medical schools in a variety of different locations (I also applied to some allopathic medical schools).

I didn't notice any clinical experience listed, but that's something that is almost expected by medical schools. It'll certainly be of benefit to your application. Furthermore, most, if not all, DO schools require a letter of recommendation from a physician. Most prefer a letter from a DO, but will also accept a letter from an MD. A few require a letter from a DO. You may already know these things, but I thought I'd drop them down here, just in case.
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Hi, thanks for your advice. I have been shadowing a DO for about 3 months now and he already submitted my letter. So I should have no problem there. In terms of clinical experience, I have been volunteering at the free clinic for 6 months and I am still doing that. In addition I shadowed a doctor at the Oncology Clinic. I also worked in a Physical Therapy department during summer of my sophmore year and I did 2 years of research in a lab. I hope that will be enough to talk about during my interview, what do you think?
 
bonny5 said:
Hi, thanks for your advice. I have been shadowing a DO for about 3 months now and he already submitted my letter. So I should have no problem there. In terms of clinical experience, I have been volunteering at the free clinic for 6 months and I am still doing that. In addition I shadowed a doctor at the Oncology Clinic. I also worked in a Physical Therapy department during summer of my sophmore year and I did 2 years of research in a lab. I hope that will be enough to talk about during my interview, what do you think?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that sounds sufficient to me, as long as they were experiences that you can talk well about. Keep on moving forward with your bad self. Good luck. :)
 
tifsahoy said:
Also, is research experience just not as important to DO than it is to MD?

Or do I have to make sure that my clinical experience makes up for it?
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Reseach experience isn't vitally important unless you are applying to a DO/PhD program. However, it can be of benefit, if it is something that interests you and you excel in it, just as any EC would. If you don't care for research, then you needn't make yourself do it. You would be better off doing something that you enjoy instead.

Clinical experience seems to be vital across the board. It isn't required per se, but it is essential to a solid application. I wouldn't apply without it.
 
Hello everyone, I appreciate any opinions you can offer. Any specific schools to forget about or to definitely include in the application sweep?

MCAT: 31R (BS: 11, PS: 10, V:10)
Cum GPA: 2.95
Science: 3.38
B.A. in Philosophy
These undergrad GPA's from a very strong/elite institution (for what it's worth).

3 semesters of post-bac work with a 4.0 (including all upper level science electives such as biochem, physiology, neurosci, histology, immuno, etc.)

Plenty of shadowing
Excellent LOR's
3.5 years as a paid & volunteer paramedic in rural areas

Again I greatly appreciate all opinions.
 
MCAT is good. But be careful about the 2.95 cum gpa. Call the schools of your interest and make sure you wont waste money applying there if they have strict cutoffs of 3.0. :luck:
 
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