Non-Canadian Applying to American Schools

[Suzukaze]

Hello! I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, but honestly this forum is the place with the highest amount of non-US applicants that I can find. I am a current applicant, and I just received an acceptance to one of my top choice DO school. Yet I don't have any interview invites from MD schools (some holds) at this point, so I am wondering should I start packing and searching for apartments or wait for a few more months. I feel like my GPA is my biggest enemy but I need to apply as-is so...

• cGPA: 3.23, sGPA: 3.10, graduate GPA: 3.60
• Non-US, Non-Canadian citizen, Asian
• MCAT: 516 (131/129/130/127)
• Undergrad: Biology, Grad: Physiology (all in the US; grad school is a "special master's program")
• Shadowing: ~200 hours across specialties
• Clinical:
  • 500+ hours hospital work as scribe and translator (part-time for three summers),
  • ~100 hours in my local hospice,
  • ~50 hours for local health screening events,
  • ~20 hours in another local hospital (just started and cut short because of lockdowns),
  • ~50 hours during one week mission trip to Panama a few years ago (worked on 10 hour working days, was not voluntourism)
• Research: Full time for second year in grad school before COVID, no publication
• Nonclinical:
  • Worked three college part-time jobs, one customer service rep, one resident advisor, one lab tech.
  • ~100 hours for helping out my local church, and
  • ~150 hours for volunteering during COVID
• Other:
  • Proficient in Japanese and Chinese
  • Unique hobby for 20 years
  • Club leadership for over a year coordinating inter-organization events and reorganizing the mess following lockdowns
• Letters: Two from undergrad (Humanities and Science), two from graduate school (Advisor and Science), two professional
• School list (all completed between late June and early August)
  • MD: Emory, Colorado, Case, Brown, Dartmouth, Utah, Georgetown, Tufts, Jefferson, MCW, Tulane, Connecticut, Illinois, VCU, Saint Louis, RWJMS, NJMS, Stony Brook, SUNY Upstate, Hawaii, Loma Linda, West Virginia, Howard, NYMC
  • DO: MSU, KCU-Joplin, UNE, CCOM, AZCOM, Western, Rowan, Touro NY, LMU-DCOM, LECOM, CUSOM, NSU, Marian, William Carey, Liberty
  • AU: Sydney (Border closed and automatically deferred to 2022)
  • Strikethrough means rejected

I find my MD list might be a bit too top heavy or public heavy... alas, that is all that I can apply to. I feel that it would be pure donation for me to apply to schools higher ranked like Pitts or UNC. I am extremely grateful for my acceptance at this point, but if possible, would certainly love to see if it is remotely possible to score a MD interview. I am also contemplating the deferred application to Sydney because of its academic prestige but the extremely high tuition (80k), cost of living and low possibility of matching into residency are worrisome. 

Thank all of you for reading through this. Merry Christmas and wish you all for success.

[Bambi]

I know nothing about US schools, but with the acceptance you have, I would not let it slip out of my grasp. If you have some time, wait a bit, but be prepared to pack your bags and move forward.

[shikimate]

Your GPA is your biggest enemy, but you were still able to secure acceptance into DO school, so that's a big accomplishment and congratulations. 

Maybe you could shed more light to your immigration status, if you are PR of Canada or US.

If I were you I'd take the KCU offer in a heartbeat. Don't waste time with Australia, it's expensive and will be a huge headache try to match back to USA. If you attend a US based school, you already have home field advantage.

DO is no different than MD in US, and even residencies are merging between the two. Once you graduate nobody will care if you are DO or MD. Of course unless you career goal is to match to Neurosurgery at Harvard or something.

The only downside is coming back to Canada will be challenging, but you haven't mentioned any reasons for doing so.

[bearded frog]

Take the DO and run. You aren't going to do any better without GPA repair. Your GPA is too low for MD and your SMP GPA is borderline. If your SMP GPA was >3.9 you might have been able to overcome your uGPA but you play the cards you're dealt. As as non-Canadian international student your options in the US are limited from the start and you're correct that the low end schools where your GPA might be viewed more favorably are not open to you.

If you want to work in Canada do a US residency and do the Canadian board exams during it. Unless you become a PR in the meantime (which you won't be able do while going to school in the US I think) you won't be eligible for a Canadian residency anyway.

[Suzukaze]

1 hour ago, shikimate said:

Your GPA is your biggest enemy, but you were still able to secure acceptance into DO school, so that's a big accomplishment and congratulations. 

Maybe you could shed more light to your immigration status, if you are PR of Canada or US.

If I were you I'd take the KCU offer in a heartbeat. Don't waste time with Australia, it's expensive and will be a huge headache try to match back to USA. If you attend a US based school, you already have home field advantage.

DO is no different than MD in US, and even residencies are merging between the two. Once you graduate nobody will care if you are DO or MD. Of course unless you career goal is to match to Neurosurgery at Harvard or something.

The only downside is coming back to Canada will be challenging, but you haven't mentioned any reasons for doing so.

 

28 minutes ago, bearded frog said:

Take the DO and run. You aren't going to do any better without GPA repair. Your GPA is too low for MD and your SMP GPA is borderline. If your SMP GPA was >3.9 you might have been able to overcome your uGPA but you play the cards you're dealt. As as non-Canadian international student your options in the US are limited from the start and you're correct that the low end schools where your GPA might be viewed more favorably are not open to you.

If you want to work in Canada do a US residency and do the Canadian board exams during it. Unless you become a PR in the meantime (which you won't be able do while going to school in the US I think) you won't be eligible for a Canadian residency anyway.

No, I'm not a PR in either of the countries. I do plan on finishing residency here in the US in a not so competitive specialty though, so it looks like DO >>>> Australia for me. Thanks to both of you!

[JohnGrisham]

4 hours ago, shikimate said:

Your GPA is your biggest enemy, but you were still able to secure acceptance into DO school, so that's a big accomplishment and congratulations. 

Maybe you could shed more light to your immigration status, if you are PR of Canada or US.

If I were you I'd take the KCU offer in a heartbeat. Don't waste time with Australia, it's expensive and will be a huge headache try to match back to USA. If you attend a US based school, you already have home field advantage.

DO is no different than MD in US, and even residencies are merging between the two. Once you graduate nobody will care if you are DO or MD. Of course unless you career goal is to match to Neurosurgery at Harvard or something.

The only downside is coming back to Canada will be challenging, but you haven't mentioned any reasons for doing so.

Agreed 100%

KCU is a great school - take it and get your life moving with medical school.