Canadian Applicant - What are my chances at US DO schools?

[dtm5477]

Hello, first time Canadian applicant wondering what are my chances for American DO schools. Also, the school that I am hoping to go to the most is MSUCOM. Would there be anyone from MSUCOM that I could DM? Or any Canadian student currently in a DO school? It would be greatly appreciated.

I've never written one of these before, so forgive me if this is too detailed.

1) Two Degrees: Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Nursing

2) GPA: 

- Overall GPA: 3.86

- Science GPA: 3.95

- Non-Science GPA: 3.67

3) MCAT: 513 (129/125/130/129)

4) Work Experience/Extracirriculars/Volunteer

• 1.5 years of clinical placements

• 2 years research + 1 publication in a peer reviewed undergrad journal

• 9 months as a mental health support worker

• 1.5 years, founder and editor-in-chief of an undegraduate journal

• 8 months as "lead" student-clinical tutor for nursing students

• 1 year of multiple exec positions in student clubs.

• 8 months started a podcast for health sciences student

• 8 months teaching assistant.

• 1.5 year volunteering at a kids charity

• Planned 3 health care conferences/workshops for nursing and med students.

• Two awards for leadership and community service.

5) Weaknesses that im worried about for my application. What do you guys think of these?

• In my first undergrad degree, my 2nd and 3rd year were really bad. I failed a coure and didn't do full course loads. Was going through personal and family situations. My GPA increased considerably in all following years.

• My non-science GPA is a lot lower and my CARS score (125) really sucks.

• ZERO hours shadowing experiences.

• ZERO reference letters from MDs or DOs

• I have two dropped courses, not because I failed, but just withdrawn.

• I don't really have any long-term committments, I've only decided to try for med in the last year and a half, so I have nothing really longer than that.

Based on this, what do you think of my application? Thank you!

[zxcccxz]

You’d probably be one of the strongest candidates for US DO schools. Your GPA and MCAT are well above their competitive averages and your ECs seem to be good.

If it’s something you’d be interested in doing, it may be worthwhile to apply to Canadian MDs (depending on your wGPA and home province status) as well as US MD schools (they don’t have weighted GPAs but they look at upward trends in GPAs).

[dtm5477]

1 hour ago, zxcccxz said:

You’d probably be one of the strongest candidates for US DO schools. Your GPA and MCAT are well above their competitive averages and your ECs seem to be good.

If it’s something you’d be interested in doing, it may be worthwhile to apply to Canadian MDs (depending on your wGPA and home province status) as well as US MD schools (they don’t have weighted GPAs but they look at upward trends in GPAs).

That's good to hear. I applied to all the Ontario MD schools and unfortunately received all rejections. My OMSAS GPA is only 3.72, god bless the US conversion system lol. Also, I heard that Canadians are really unlikely to get into US MD schools and that DO schools are way more friendlier to Canadians. 

[Baljinderthecrow]

I was accepted to a mid tier US MD school this cycle with nearly identical stats as you, feel free to DM me. 

[Elijah989]

I think you have great stats for US DO schools and I think you should also consider MD! just make sure you have strong personal statements and secondaries as well and that you apply early