Should I decline my only acceptance and reapply?

[ta4328]

I applied this year to both DO and MD schools. I ended up not getting any MD IIs and got an A for one DO school (out of state). I am WLs at other DO schools (which are in-state). I want to reapply again for MD schools, but don't want to get blacklisted from DO schools for rejecting the one A I have got. My stats are gpa 3.9, sGPA is 3.88, and MCAT 510. I also completed a master's in global health sciences. My master's gpa was 4.0. I am not sure what went wrong on my application to not even get a single II from a MD school. I don't know if it was my stats, ECs, writing, or school list. I am very grateful for the A as it was my only A in this cycle.

My main reason for declining this A is my health and realizing that my goals might not completely work out with DO. My health went downhill during the application process which was really unexpected and I think maybe taking one year off might be beneficial for me. I would also have to relocate for this DO school which might be hard considering my health right now. I also want to go into global health in the future which might be difficult with DO as DO's are not recognized in all countries outside of the US. I also want to do research and am interested in the academic medicine route which I heard can be difficult with DO.

I can provide more details about my school list and ECs if that would be helpful. I am thinking of reapplying but not sure if that's a good idea especially considering I would have to turn down this A. However, I do want to give the MD cycle another try and even reapply to DO schools for which I am on the waitlist on and the ones I got rejected from. I wouldn't reapply to the school I turned down. I am not sure where to go from here. Would DO schools look down at me for rejecting the A and reapplying? Could I defer? Would it look bad also when reapplying MD and is it even worth the risk to reapply?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[cranberrylimeade]

If you are okay with potentially having to reapply for multiple cycles and maybe not ever getting in, yes. You can search SDN for this but there are many stories of people who decline acceptances and never end up getting another, or it takes a significant amount of time.

DO has recent recognition in 80+ countries for global healthcare

 

[DrStephenStrange]

If you are okay with potentially having to reapply for multiple cycles and maybe not ever getting in, yes. You can search SDN for this but there are many stories of people who decline acceptances and never end up getting another, or it takes a significant amount of time.

DO has recent recognition in 80+ countries for global healthcare

Just to add to the above, even outside of the 80+ countries that recognize the DO degree, you can still practice medicine as long you are credentialed by an NGO (for example Doctors Without Borders).

If the issue is your health, you can always defer your acceptance for a year and matriculate next cycle. However, I would strongly advise against declining an acceptance as getting in a second time is not guaranteed.

You can definitely do academic medicine via the DO route. Plenty of people match into strong university programs from DO programs every year. You can do so too if you work for it.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

This is probably one of the instances where you probably should potentially hold off and have someone reevaluate your application as you on paper are a good applicant. Further if your health is currently not at its best and you can potentially take time to recover this is a good option.

I would evaluate your letters of recommendations and your personal statement. Further I highly recommend a course in interviewing skills. I would also consider reaching out and networking as best you can to see if you have an academic connection at an MD program or residency program.

Medicine is very much a world of connections and who you know makes a big difference.

I think you need to really look through your application because you not only got poor bites from MD programs. But it seems from DO programs too. There's something about your application that is off-putting.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

My two cents: you have an acceptance to medical school. Take it, and go to medical school.

I’m not sure what is going on with your application that things shook out the way they did, but regardless I have seen many situations where someone dropped an acceptance and never got another one.

Premeds often talk about “global health”, research etc as reasons for MD vs DO and in reality, both of these are frankly small niches that do not apply to the vast majority of doctors who currently practice in America. There are absolutely DOs who get jobs in academia, and do research, but there are also a LOT of doctors who experienced research in medical school/GME and never wanted to deal with it ever again. You may get through all this training and have no desire to do research whatsoever (this is not uncommon among doctors). Global health is an extremely small niche which, I dare say, should be almost irrelevant to this decision you face right now. (And if you really want to do it, you still can as a DO.)

 

[Goro]

The worst mistake an applicant can do is to turn down their only acceptance.

Beggars can't be choosy. Take the acceptance, and ask for a deferral.

And don't use the deferral to reapply. Most deferrals are given after you sign a contract stating that you will not use that year for reapplying

 

[postbaccgalore]

This doesn’t sound like it’s about your health- it sounds like if you had gotten an MD A you’d be running with it… so it’s the DO factor that you have to get over, imo.

I would take the DO A and ask for a deferral

 

[DarkBluMage]

You must not want to be a doctor to choose to turn down an acceptance lol. Take your acceptance and start med school.

 

[FlaringRaynauds]

You have a winning ticket in your hand. The reasons other than your health seem to be the most important ones to you. No one should apply to a school without asking themselves, "If this were my sole acceptance, would I still choose to enroll?" There are plenty of students that want to be a physician bad enough that will say yes to that question. The real question is, however, will you?

 

[deleted1170743]

I believe there is too much risk up in the air if you were to be a reapplicant. You should take the A and run with it as everyone else has said. It seems like you would not like to be a DO from what I've read. You applied DO, so you must've been okay with a possible acceptance.

EDIT:I do agree that it may be more difficult as a DO (as I am not a current student). I do believe that it is what you make of it. Take extra steps to make more connections, try your extra hardest to be the top of everything. You definitely have a good amount of control over the situation.

 

[DO2015CA]

If your plans are academic medicine then it is extremely achievable as a DO

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Yes, turn it down. Considering no MD school wanted you and almost every DO puts you on WL, this will surely end up well

This is why it's important to realize beforehand if you feel you're too good to go the DO route and that ends up being your only option. You wasted everyone's time applying, but at least that seat will go to someone that wants it

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

My health went downhill during the application process which was really unexpected and I think maybe taking one year off might be beneficial for me.

Reapplying doesn't sound like taking a year off. If anything you will stay stressed out about applying again and maybe regretting not taking your chance. No guarantees you will get an offer without a comprehensive analysis of which schools you applied to or your application. This is your first time so you had no WAMC profile or feedback before applying.

Granted, there's no guarantee your health gets better when you are in medical school. What is the diagnosis of your illness? As a pro forma step, have you asked for a deferral? (Chances are I don't think you would get it without a bona fide reason with documentation.)

Mission fit matters, and without your application, it is presumptuous to think your application was tailor-made for every medical school you applied to. You got one school to say yes to you, and that is all you need.

A moment of Taylor