Thanks for all those before me, and hopefully my contributions to this forum/website will be helpful for future students. Now that I matched, I feel as though I can contribute here.
About me: Wife + newborn, nontraditional DO student, 250/260 step 1/2, 640 level 1/2, PhD + 20 pubs, EM research x 2 years, active with AAEM/RSA. From the midwest, wanting to stay east of the Mississippi, preferably at a research driven EM program as I have an interest in academics. Aways at 3 of my top 5, mix of h/HP. 1 trauma/SICU rotation and a home EM rotation 3rd year, with solid 3rd year grades.
A quick what did I learn, even with excellent stats on paper, being a DO hurt. I didn't get many of the "OMG top 5 programs" but did have an excellent showing and I am happy with my turnout. EM is becoming more and more competitive and as a DO student you need to stand out to get the obligatory number of invites to all but guarantee a match. Out of 10 EM/IM invites, I received 10, and out of 40 EM invites I received about 20. Went on 18 total interviews with 4 EM/IM and 14 EM. I only attended the EM/IM invites when programs allowed me to interview on the same day. I turned down 6 EM/IM, about 5 EM rejections, the rest were either silent/waitlist or I declined the interview, and several of the 14 EM interviews were early on. I applied to most of the programs on day 1, and only pulled off 1 waitlist in January. That all said, I will write about the individual programs on their respective pages about my subjective pro/con and feelings.
1. Ohio State EM. Home, going to become a research mecca with their new cancer ED, great young faculty, supportive faculty, fun dinner, happy residents, great city and COL, plus its my wife's number one.
2. OSU EM/IM. I debated long and hard about 1 & 2. Due to my academic interest I went with EM first, but would be honored with either.
3. Indiana. Incredible and probably the most well rounded institution. ++++research, ++++amazing faculty, family driven, amazing facilities, great experiences, happy residents, happier faculty, good COL, livable city, fun dinner. Could've easily been my #1 if it wasn't for a wife and kid.
4. Metrohealth. Holy smokes, these residents are solid and the patients are sick. Some burnout and only a few residents showed at the interview dinner, but like the PD said, once you graduate here you can work anywhere. Ironically the PDs at my #1 and #2 trained here. The whole "you work hard here" is true, but in reality the residents seemed happy, collegial, and well trained. I would be honored to train here.
5. Johns Hopkins. Someone mentioned it earlier, this place is a gem. Academic powerhouse, fun city, great pathology. Blew me away with the interview day and dinner.
6. Maryland. Again, academic powerhouse, great research, invested faculty, great pathology, great rotations. Fun dinner, but they ran out of food. Trauma situation is amazingly unique and weird at the same time.
7/8. VCU EM/IM & EM . Hidden gem, and would be absolutely happy here. The facilities, faculty, and residents were terrific. I got veto'd by wife due to location and potential to get a job in her field.
9. Emory
10. UK
11-18 in no particular order, Wright State, St Vincent, Cook County, Hennepin, Allegheny, UT, NYC.
Turned down some programs in NYC, VA, Delaware, Akron, Toledo, NC. Rejected from 1 in VA, Denver, Cinci, UFL, Orlando.
What would I do over, as a DO student, I would apply to 60-70 EM programs even with my stats. I got rejections from some top programs but also some random rejections from programs that are DO friendly but mostly are in the south and have not taken students from my school. Also, after all my interviews, I feel that the important things I did in years 1-3 were strong Step 1 & 2 scores, good LORs, a few publications, being able to communicate, and not having any red flags (extracurricular stuff was icing but rarely came up).
)))))!!!!!!!! Thank you to everyone on this thread, this process with all its ups and downs and wtfs....would have not been as tolerable and enjoyable without you all to share it with...wish all of you "my fellow future colleagues" amazing success in the next phase of helping and caring for people...literally just popped open a bottle of patron and plan on drinking till Friday, at which point I'll prolly drink a little more 
