Office of Health Professions Advising

Allopathic programs (MD) and osteopathic programs (DO) share more characteristics than differences. They differ mainly in their respective philosophies. Most students are aware of what an MD is and does, but often have not heard of osteopathic medicine. The following information is from http://www.aacom.org/about/osteomed/Pages/default.aspx:

Osteopathic medicine is a distinctive form of medical practice in the United States. Osteopathic medicine provides all of the benefits of modern medicine including prescription drugs, surgery, and the use of technology to diagnose disease and evaluate injury. It also offers the added benefit of hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). Osteopathic Medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health education, injury prevention and disease prevention. Osteopathic physicians, also known as D.O.s, work in partnership with their patients. They consider the impact that lifestyle and community have on the health of each individual, and they work to erase barriers to good health. D.O.s are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine in all 50 states. They practice in all types of environments including the military, and in all types of specialties from family medicine to obstetrics, surgery, and aerospace medicine. Because of this whole-person approach to medicine, approximately 60 percent of all D.O.s choose to practice in the primary care disciplines of family practice, general internal medicine and pediatrics. Approximately 40 percent of all D.O.s go on to specialize in a wide range of practice areas. If the medical specialty exists, you will find D.O.s there.

While America's 52,000 D.O.s account for only 5 percent of the country's physicians, they handle approximately 10 percent of all primary care visits. D.O.s also have a strong history of serving rural and underserved areas, often providing their unique brand of compassionate, patient-centered care to some of the most economically disadvantaged members of society. We are also rapidly growing! About one in five medical students in the US is attending an osteopathic medical school.

For both MD and DO students, the first two years consist of basic science coursework that is exactly the same except the DO students also study OMM. Osteopathic programs will accept slightly lower grades/test scores as they are interested in other features of their applicants. This is a good option for you if you fully embrace their philosophy.

Should I take the MCAT/DAT for practice?

Practice tests are available online. You should practice with these. It is better to only take the actual test when you feel prepared. Programs will see all your attempts so it is best to only take the test when you have studied for it.

Should I take an MCAT/DAT test prep course?

This is entirely up to you. Generally you can prepare on your own with a commercial review book and the online practice tests and save yourself a lot of money. However, this works best for students who have the motivation and control to make themselves study for an hour or two every day without fail in preparation for the MCAT/DAT. If you would have trouble forcing yourself to do this, a test preparation course might be helpful as it keeps you on task with homework assignments and practice exams built in. At about $1800 you should also consider the cost factor. Applying to medical school will cost from $1000-$2000 so you need to decide if a test preparation course is in your budget. Kaplan (the only one in West Lafayette) and other commercial test prep providers do have some scholarships and offer loans for their courses. Whether you take a test prep class or not, remember that preparing for you aptitude can take 15 hours a week so it is like having another class in your schedule. Plan accordingly.

What are primary and secondary/supplementary applications?

Your primary application to medical school (both MD & DO) will be completed online. The application services AMCAS for MD, AACOMAS for DO, and TMDSAS for schools in Texas will include biographic information, lists of your activities and awards, list of all the schools you have attended and all the college level courses you have taken, a personal statement about why you want to be a doctor, and a list of the schools to which you will apply. The applications "go live" in mid-May for AMCAS and early-May for AACOMAS. Generally you have about a month to work on the application before you can submit it. Your credit card will be charged once you hit the submit button. It is important to apply early, but it is equally important that your application be error-free. You need to edit very carefully.

As part of your primary application, you will print a transcript request form for each school at which you have taken college level courses and turn that form in to the appropriate registrar's offices to have copies of your transcripts mailed to the application service directly. If you open a file in the Health Professions Office, we will handle your letters through an online system called VirtualEvals (described below) or through AADSAS.

Medical School: After you complete your primary application online and it is sent out to your chosen medical schools, the medical schools take over the application process. They will then contact you directly (often by e-mail, —so use your Purdue e-mail address or another one that sounds professional –– do not have them emailing you at sexybunny@randommail.com).

Some schools send out secondaries to all applicants –– it is easy money for them. Others are more selective about who is given a secondary. This information is available in the MSAR (Medicial School Admissions Requirement book) for MD programs. You need to follow their directions carefully and return your secondary materials on time. Most secondaries will also require more money to be sent directly to the medical school to continue the review of your application.

Dental School: Dental schools have differing policies on supplemental applications. Some ask you to send additionals materials at the same time you submit your online application. Others want you to send further materials only when they request them. Still others combine a bit of both approaches. More information can be found at https://aadsas.adea.org. From there click on Participating Dental Schools. Most supplemental applications ask for more money, essays, and sometimes transcripts.

Should I retake the MCAT/DAT?

If you are below national average in any section, you might want to consider retaking the test. (Generally 8's on the MCAT and 17 on the DAT). But there are many variables. You need to think about some of the following:

Other aptitude tests are trickier to interpret and not viewed in the somewhat standard way that the MCAT and DAT are seen. Your best bet to help you decide on this is to talk to the Health Professions Advisor and/or contact admissions offices in the programs you are interested in.

What are postbaccalaureate programs?

Postbaccalaureate Programs (most often referred to as post-bacs) are essentially graduate-level bridge programs for students who need to work on their academic credentials before attending medical, dental school, or other health professions program. Some students choose these programs before applying to a professional program. Others decide to apply after not being accepted to a professional program. Several types exist: academic record-enhancement programs, underrepresented* student programs, and programs for people changing careers (offering undergraduate prerequisite courses). These programs also differ in the types of degrees awarded. Some grant certificates, others offer a traditional master's degree (generally two years, require a thesis, academic focus on "hard" science), and some are special master's programs (1-2 years, no thesis, and focused on either applied or medical science).

For more information on postbaccalaureate programs, visit the AAMC's Web site.

*How is underrepresented defined?

Some post-bac programs are intended for underrepresented students. These programs define this differently, but they often base it on the student coming from a medically underserved community. Being medically underserved is often based on socioeconomic level and/or ethnicity. Medical and dental schools also use the concept of a disadvantaged status which they define as being from a medically underserved population and/or being on state and/or federal assistance.

What about international medical schools?

International or offshore medical schools include those in the Caribbean and Mexico and a few in Europe. Students who are not admitted to U.S. programs sometimes don't want to wait to apply again or have already applied several times and sometimes consider these programs. Some are better than others. One study of physicians brought up on disciplinary charges found that more of them had attended offshore schools, so you do want to be careful here. Some of the things to consider:

Where do I get more information about medical/dental schools?

The MSAR (the Medical School Admission Requirements) is a book published annually by the American Association of Medical Colleges. Besides a great deal of general information, the MSAR includes details about each medical school including the number of instate/out of state students they admit, the median GPA and MCAT scores, and the required prerequisite courses. You can purchase a copy of the MSAR through the AAMC or through outside vendors such as Amazon (just type in MSAR).

Dental school information is in the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools published annually by the ADEA.

Can I go to a U.S. medical school as a non-U.S. citizen?

It is very difficult. Only a small number of international students are granted access to U.S. medical schools. You should research the process very carefully before applying. Many medical schools that say they take international students, for example, mean that they will consider students from Canada and only Canada. Others want 2-4 years of tuition up front. That is a hefty sum to be able to set aside.

Dental schools are often more open to international students and simply consider you as an out-of-state student if it is a state school. Still, when you look at acceptance numbers in the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools, few international are listed.

What is the difference between Allopathic & Osteopathic medicine?