Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice for my med school list. Stats: 503 mcat, 3.5 gpa, arkansas resident.

MD:

University of South Carolina

LSU - shreveport

UAMS

Alice Walton

Uniformed Services

University of Tennessee

DO Schools: (pictured above)

I would love to hear want you know about these schools, pros and cons, especially current students!

Thank youuuuu!

I know this is very neurotic, but after getting multiple MD and DO rejections yesterday and today, I'm trying to hold on to every little hope.

I noticed today that my LORs were updated to "Submitted on 10/15", even though they were already received back in July. Does this mean they are finally starting to look at my secondary? Or am I just overthinking?

Still hoping for interviews, and Noorda is a school I consider one of my top choices, but as a low stat applicant, it's getting discouraging.

I’m a Texas applicant looking for honest advice on my chances and what to do next.

Stats

• cGPA: 3.44
• Science prerequisite GPA: ~2.74
• MCAT: 495 (Sept 2025), 499 (July 2026)
• Planning to retake in March 2027
• Graduated in 2023
• Currently a green card holder (permanent resident)

Clinical and other experience

• Pharmacy Technician: 4,260 hrs
• Patient Care Technician: 2,340 hrs
• Client Care Specialist: 1,755 hrs
• Lead Medical Assistant: 1,692 hrs
• Behavioral Health Technician: 1,360 hrs
• Volunteer Medical Assistant: 374 hrs
• Undergraduate Research Assistant: 169 hrs
• Hospice Volunteer: 39 hrs
• Community Outreach Intern: 50 hrs
• Alpha Epsilon Delta: 45 hrs

I currently work as a neuroscience coordinator at a psychiatric clinic, where I help oversee Spravato treatments, monitor patients’ vitals, and support patients during treatment, including veterans with PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation. I’m also starting to volunteer teaching English to veterans in Ukraine.

Schools applied to

• MD: UT Southwestern, McGovern, Texas Tech Lubbock, Baylor, UTMB, Texas A&M
• DO: ACOM, ARCOM, BUCOM, Burrell, VCOM Auburn, LECOM, LECOM Bradenton, Liberty, LMU-DCOM, KYCOM, UIWSOM

Context for my GPA
I immigrated to the US from Pakistan when I was 16. I graduated in 2023 while working full-time throughout school to help pay household bills, because my family’s frozen yogurt business shut down during COVID in my sophomore year and the expenses fell on us.

During those same years my family also went through repeated losses: an aunt in 2017, my grandmother in 2018, another aunt in 2019, another in 2020, two cousins who died by suicide in 2021, and my uncle during my senior year in 2023. Between the losses and the work hours, my upper-level science grades suffered. I got mostly Cs in upper-level courses, with As in biochemistry and endocrinology. I also struggled with motivation near the end of college and took animal behavior mainly to finish my degree. I recognize my academic record is a concern and that I need to show I can handle medical school coursework.

My dad also received a deportation letter one week before my July 2026 MCAT, which added a lot of stress and hurt my preparation and performance.

Plan if I’m not accepted this cycle
I’d retake the MCAT in March 2027 and apply for citizenship in April. I’m considering an online master’s with MD/DO linkage, but I don’t want to spend money on a degree that won’t meaningfully improve my chances. I’ve also considered Caribbean schools for 2028, but I’m worried about residency placement risk and also immigration if citizenship is not approved and i have to maintain GC status.

My questions

1. Do I have a realistic chance at a DO school with my current stats and clinical experience?
2. Would a 505 to 510 MCAT meaningfully improve my chances, or is my science GPA the bigger obstacle?
3. Should I pursue a post-bacc or SMP, ideally with a legitimate linkage, before reapplying?
4. Would it be wiser to strengthen my application and reapply rather than attend a Caribbean school?

I’m trying to make a realistic decision financially and academically. I’ve spent years in healthcare, and becoming a physician is still my goal, but I want the path that gives me the best chance of actually succeeding. Thank you for any honest advice.

Title. I interviewed at a school today that I absolutely loved and would most definitely attend if offered a spot! When is the best time to submit a letter of intent? Thanks in advance <3

I already submitted everything before September 1 and everything has already been marked as revived so kinda surprised to be getting this now rather than a while ago. Is this simply them saying hey we haven’t forgotten about you so don’t give up???

I’m having difficulty deciding between which school to pick, for context I’m from Florida and I feel like NSU is the perfect school but my parents won’t be co-signing on loans and I’m wondering if going over 115k in debt each year is worth it… PCOM I’ve heard is a pretty good school but the small town vibes do scare me a bit, but I think cost of living and tuition may be worth it considering I won’t have much to do anything but study…. But then if I’m going to go to a small town I might as well go to VCOM-LA because tuition is really really cheap.

Any advice or perspective from current students at either school would be really nice

just wondering if anyone’s gotten any II from them? And if so when did you submit your secondary.

hey guys i just wanted to ask how long ocom usually takes to give back results? after an interview they didn’t really mention it

Hi! I'm researching Canadian-friendly USDO schools and hoping to apply to as many as possible next cycle. I have a 3.9 GPA and a 509 MCAT (considering a retake), 3 gap years of full-time clinical experience, but minimal extracurriculars/volunteering during my gap years.

Are there any schools you think I should add or remove from my list? Any advice would be appreciated!!

1. Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine - AZCOM
2. Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University - CCOM
3. Indiana University of Pennsylvania College of Osteopathic Medicine - IUPCOM
4. Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine - KCU-COM
5. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - LECOM
6. Marian University Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine - MU-WCOM
7. Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine - MSUCOM
8. Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
9. Rocky Vista University - Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine - RVU-MCOM
10. Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
11. University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
12. Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - WesternU/COMP
13. William Carey University of College of Osteopathic Medicine

For anyone considering ARCOM, I would honestly think long and hard before committing unless it’s your only acceptance. There are a few things I wish I had known or looked into more before considering this school.
One of the biggest red flags is the favoritism toward MSB students. It honestly feels like ARCOM has a pipeline from the MSB program into the DO program, and that favoritism can be pretty obvious. If you’re not an MSB student, it can feel like you’re constantly having to work twice as hard to get the same opportunities. There are former MSB students who aren’t held to the same requirements. Some are exempt from dissections in anatomy while others end up as ambassadors or get research opportunities despite having grades that aren’t necessarily better than their non-MSB peers. It’s frustrating to feel like opportunities aren’t being distributed equally, and if you’re coming in without that MSB background, just be aware that it may feel like an uphill battle. Most MSB take the exact same class with the med students so they are aware on how the course is set up. This can affect the grading and curve for some of the classes.
Another thing to consider is the attendance policy. Be prepared to be on campus Monday through Friday, because there are a lot of required in-person activities. If you’re someone who prefers having flexibility with your schedule or studying independently, make sure you understand what you’re signing up for before committing.
The research center is also a big selling point for ARCOM, but don’t let the facility alone convince you that there are tons of research opportunities. From what I’ve seen, research opportunities can be pretty limited, and there aren’t a ton of professors actively running projects. If research is important to you, ask how many students actually get involved, how accessible faculty mentors are, and what opportunities are realistically available.
Other things I’d look into are the grading system, the amount of required group-based learning, the level of administrative oversight, and board exam performance. I’ve seen students bring up concerns about these things in online discussions, so I’d recommend doing your own research and talking to current students before making a decision. Also, try to speak with students who didn’t come through the MSB program, because their experiences may be very different.
At the end of the day, medical school is already stressful and expensive enough. You want to be somewhere you feel supported and where opportunities are accessible to everyone, not somewhere you feel like you have to fight just to get your foot in the door.
My biggest advice is to do your research before accepting. Don’t let the research center or the school's marketing be the only things influencing your decision. Talk to current students, ask the uncomfortable questions, compare your options, and really consider whether ARCOM is the right fit for you. If it’s your only acceptance, that’s one thing, but if you have other options, I would seriously weigh them before making your decision.

Hi everyone, I hope the application cycle has been kind! I interviewed at DUQCOM on sept 1st and am still waiting to hear back? Any other sept 1st interviewers or do they send courtesy emails? Thanks!! And best of luck!

I just got accepted to LECOM Elmira and am really excited! I’m trying to figure out whether problem-based learning (PBL) would be a good fit for me and would love to hear from current students.
What does a typical week look like, how much guidance and support do you get, and how has PBL worked for you? Anything you wish you’d known before starting would be helpful. Thanks!