William Carey Osteopathic School

Hey SDN,

I was on my way to Jackson, MS today and decided to stop at William Carey University Hattiesburg campus. I have had my eye on this med school for quite some time ( at least since it opened ) and asked for a tour. Since it was unscheduled, it was not very long at all but I did appreciate that the secretary of the Associate Dean took the time to give me one. Frankly, it probably would not have been any longer had it been scheduled; the Medical school is quite small, granted, I don't have anything to compare it to but it seemed small. Since class was in-session, I did not get to see all of the classrooms but I was able to see the clinical practice setting and study cubicles. The practice clinicals haven't even been touched due to the school only being in its 2nd year. All very nice and had a quality look to it but it also seemed quite mundane and bland. The campus is beautiful with an extremely laxed atmosphere and people seemed prepared to help one another but there is just this ALMOST boring atmosphere which unfortunetly seems to extend into the med school. According to my 'tour guide', there are 100 spots to be filled, I asked the number of applicants, expecting under 1K due to Mississippian preference, but I was WAY off...........2,000 people applied! I just really expected a lot less. Apparently they expect a 3.4 science gpa and a minimum 24 on the MCAT kinda blew my mind because I was under the impression that anything below a 26 was inadequate. Contrary to how this may be read, I am still content with this school and would love to be a med student here in a couple years. I just wanted to give you guys something to read and I figure some of you guys are interested in this school. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them or PM me.

Originally Posted by Roquejoshua92

Hey SDN,

I was on my way to Jackson, MS today and decided to stop at William Carey University Hattiesburg campus. I have had my eye on this med school for quite some time ( at least since it opened ) and asked for a tour. Since it was unscheduled, it was not very long at all but I did appreciate that the secretary of the Associate Dean took the time to give me one. Frankly, it probably would not have been any longer had it been scheduled; the Medical school is quite small, granted, I don't have anything to compare it to but it seemed small. Since class was in-session, I did not get to see all of the classrooms but I was able to see the clinical practice setting and study cubicles. The practice clinicals haven't even been touched due to the school only being in its 2nd year. All very nice and had a quality look to it but it also seemed quite mundane and bland. The campus is beautiful with an extremely laxed atmosphere and people seemed prepared to help one another but there is just this ALMOST boring atmosphere which unfortunetly seems to extend into the med school. According to my 'tour guide', there are 100 spots to be filled, I asked the number of applicants, expecting under 1K due to Mississippian preference, but I was WAY off...........2,000 people applied! I just really expected a lot less. Apparently they expect a 3.4 science gpa and a minimum 24 on the MCAT kinda blew my mind because I was under the impression that anything below a 26 was inadequate. Contrary to how this may be read, I am still content with this school and would love to be a med student here in a couple years. I just wanted to give you guys something to read and I figure some of you guys are interested in this school. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them or PM me.

How many new DO schools are opening? I haven't even heard of this one, criminey. I feel for the future students when they apply to residency.

I am not sure of any others opening. There are only two Medical Schools in Mississippi. University of Mississippi Medical center in Jackson which has been around for quite some time and now, since 2009, William Carey School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Originally Posted by sylvanthus

How many new DO schools are opening? I haven't even heard of this one, criminey. I feel for the future students when they apply to residency.

Add Marian U, Campbell U, and Alabama college of osteopathic medicine. 162 student classes, each, for fall 2013.

Originally Posted by sylvanthus

How many new DO schools are opening? I haven't even heard of this one, criminey. I feel for the future students when they apply to residency.

Glad to know that you have been in books and not on SDN that much. Please keep your feeling, as we do NOT need it!! We will be fine when it comes residency time

After almost completing my first year at WCU-COM, I must say that I am completely happy and satisfied with the education that I have received at this point. We have a faculty that averages over 25 years of experience teaching in medical schools, including Harvard. We have clinicians who shut down their practice to join the faculty, including an orthopedic surgeon. They bring a wealth of clinical knowledge to the school. WCU-COM knows their students and cares about their performance. After a rough start in the first semester, I had numerous professors stop me in the hall and tell me how proud they were of me for making it through to the second semester. They have reached every COCA standard for accreditation as soon as they were eligible.

Out of 2000 applicants for this cycle, they may have sent out 400 secondary applications and interviewed about 200 for a class of 100. (The secondary & interview numbers are probably high.) They interview only 6 people per day. In short, they take their time and are deliberate.

As far as size of the school, it was laid out differently than the other schools that I interviewed out but did not seem that much smaller, if at all.

Originally Posted by MakesSense

Glad to know that you have been in books and not on SDN that much. Please keep your feeling, as we do NOT need it!! We will be fine when it comes residency time

Whatever helps you sleep at night. Obviously you are a bit clueless as to just how many medical schools have opened up recently and the stagnant growth of residency positions. But, whatever.

Originally Posted by sylvanthus

Whatever helps you sleep at night. Obviously you are a bit clueless as to just how many medical schools have opened up recently and the stagnant growth of residency positions. But, whatever.

No, I am aware of how many are opening up, as well as, the upcoming "residency crunch" and I do share your concerns about it. I am also aware of the proposed cuts in funding of GME. However, this stagnant growth should affect the IMG's first before any US trained physicians. At least in Mississippi, where WCU is located, the state has committed in increasing the number of allopathic and osteopathic residency positions. I am sure other states are doing likewise.

Originally Posted by sylvanthus

How many new DO schools are opening? I haven't even heard of this one, criminey. I feel for the future students when they apply to residency.

Yeah, you know I used to be in that boat as well. Then I saw the first RVUCOM match list. I remember all of the comments about how essentially it was the worst school ever and would bring about the end of the world. Yea, they were sure right weren't they...:

Originally Posted by JW08

Here's complete match list for RVU (ACGME, AOA, Military)

CLASS OF 2012 ALL MATCH RESULTS
Specialty by Number and Location
Specialty
Location
Anesthesiology 11
Cleveland Clinic, Oh
U Colorado, Denver, CO
BAMC
Loyola Univ Med Ctr, IL
South Pointe Hosp, OH
Hershey Med/Penn State, PA
BAMC
Hershey Med/Penn State, PA
U Kansas SOM - Kansas City, KS
WestUComp/Riverside County, CA
U Nebraska Affil Hosps, NE

Emergency Medicine 15
Columbia Hosp/St. Lucie, FL
Summa Health, OH
OUCOM/St John Med Ctr, OH
OSUCOM/Southwest Med Ctr, OK
Christus Spohn Mem Hosp, TX
U Nevada Affil Hosps, NV
St Lukes' Hosp-Allentown, PA
South Pointe Hosp, OH
Synergy Med Ed Alliance, MI
WSU/Detroit Med Ctr, MI
UNECOM/Kent Hosp, RI
U Kentucky Med Ctr, KY
U Iowa Hosps & Clinics, IA
NYCOM/Newark Beth Is/St Barnabas, NJ
WVSOM/Ohio Valley Med Ctr/WV

Family Medicine 28
LECOM/St Petersgurg Gen Hosp, FL
U Colorado, Fam Med/Swedish, CO
Camp Pendleton, CA
Clarkson Fam Med, NE
St Anthony North, CO
U of Wyoming, Casper, WY
Travis AF Base, CA
UNTHSCTCOM/Plaza Med-Ft. Worth, TX
U Oklahoma COM, OK
UNECOM/Eastern Maine, ME
UNECOM/Eastern Maine, ME
NSUCOM/North Broward Hosp, FL
MWU-CCOM/Advocate Bromenn Med, IL
OSUCOM/St Anthony Hosp, OK
OSUCOM/Southeastern OK, OK
U Kansas SOM-Wichita, KS
UMDNJSOM/AHS Overlook, NJ
WESTUCOMP/St Mary's Pueblo, CO
Camp Pendleton, CA
Ft. Bragg, NC
Firelands Reg Med Ctr, OH
PCOM/Pinnaclehealth Hosp, PA
Via Christi Reg Med Ctr, KS
UTMB-Texas
KCOM/U of WY, Casper, WY
OSUCOM/Med Ctr Southeastern, OK
OSUCOM/Med Ctr Southeastern, OK
TUCOM-CA/Valley Hosp Med Ctr, NV

FM/EM 1
Aria Health, PA

Internal Medicine 25
Parkview Med Ctr, CO
U Colorado, Denver, CO
Parkview Med Ctr, CO
MWU-AZCOM/Verde Valley, AZ
William Beaumont Med Ctr, TX
Parkview Med Ctr, CO
TUCOM-CA/Valley Hosp Med Ctr, NV
OK State Univ Med Ctr, OK
UNTHSCTCOM/Bay Area Corpus Chris, TX
NSUCOM/North Broward Hosp, FL
Parkview Med Ctr, CO
Parkview Med Ctr, CO
NSUCOM/Largo Med Ctr, FL
VCOM/Lewis Gale Hosp, VA
Exempla St. Joe Hosp, CO
Ingham Reg Med Ctr, MI
MSUCOM/St Joseph Mercy Oakland, CA
Parkview Med Ctr, CO
Parkview Med Ctr, CO
Banner Good Sam, AZ
UNTHSCTCOM/Plaza Med-Ft Worth, TX
UNTHSCTCOM/Plaza Med-Ft Worth, TX
UNTHSCTCOM/Bay Area Corpus Chris, TX
UNTHSCTCOM/Bay Area Corpus Chris, TX
USAF Med Ctr (Keesler) Biloxi, MS

IM/EM 1
St John Providence Health Sys, MI

Neurology 1
Madigan Army Med Ctr, WA

OB/GYN 6
Tripler AF Base/Grant Med, HI
St John Providence Health Sys, MI
Botsford Hosp, MI
Brooke Army Med Ctr, TX
Metro Health Hosp, MI
Madigan Army Med Ctr, WA

Ortho Surgery 2
St. Louis, MO
OUCOM/Doctor's Hosp, OH

Oto Facial & Plastic Surg 1
OK State U Med Ctr, OK

Pathology 1
LSU, LA

Pediatrics 11
OUCOM/Doctors Hosp, OH
NSUCOM/N Broward Hosp, FL
OK State U Med Ctr, OK
U Conn Health Ctr, CT
Columbia Hosp/Palms West, FL
Childrens Mercy Hosp, MO
U Wisconsin Hosp & Clin, WI
U Conn Health Ctr, CT
Loyola Univ Med Ctr, IL
U Arizona Affil Hosps, AZ
UTMB Galveston, TX

Psychiatry 4
U IL Methodist Med Ctr, IL
Baylor Col Med, TX
Univ of HI
Columbia Hosp/University, FL

Radiology 2
OUCOM/Grandview Hosp, OH
Drexel Univ Hahnemann Hosp, PA

Surgery 4
Madigan Army Med Ctr, WA
Pontiac Osteo Hosp, MI
St Louis Univ SOM, MO
Naval Hosp (San Diego) CA

Traditional 12
St Joseph-Mercy, Pontiac, MI
LECOM/Wellington Med Ctr, FL
WESTUCOMP/Riverside Cty Reg, CA
Eisenhower Army Med Ctr, GA
Millcreek Comm Hosp, PA
Naval Hosp (Portsmouth) VA
KYCOM/Our Lady of Bellefonte, KY
Good Sam Reg Med Ctr, Corvalis, OR
Madigan Army Med Ctr, WA
UNECOM/Berkshire Med Ctr, MA
Chino Valley Med Ctr, CA
OUCOM/Affinity Med Ctr, OH

Looks like things worked out for them.

Originally Posted by MakesSense

Glad to know that you have been in books and not on SDN that much. Please keep your feeling, as we do NOT need it!! We will be fine when it comes residency time

Yes, WCUCOM's first class really will be fine when it comes to residency. For the last 4 years all we heard was how terrible RVUCOM would do at match. SO much for that argument.

Originally Posted by sylvanthus

Whatever helps you sleep at night. Obviously you are a bit clueless as to just how many medical schools have opened up recently and the stagnant growth of residency positions. But, whatever.

Drink the kool-aid much? It affects ppl sure. EVENTUALLY. But you have to remember, this will affect IMG's and FMG's wayyyyyyy sooner than it will DO's, and WE HAVE OUR OWN RESIDENCIES. Ppl forget that fact or seem to ignore it, thinking they will only be happy if they do ACGME Optho. Well, let me tell you, Pretty sure you could be content with Osteo optho as well. Last time I checked, they both allow you to get a job as an ophthalmologist and the money is taken by the bank the same way.

I will be applying to this school for sure next June 1st. Sorry for the long post, sometimes when I see ignorance I just have a hard time letting it go. If you don't know any better, it's probably not so good to let that idea of yours out of your head.

Unfortunately I believe residency spots are regulated and funded but the feds, not the states...

Originally Posted by Roquejoshua92

Hey SDN,

I was on my way to Jackson, MS today and decided to stop at William Carey University Hattiesburg campus. I have had my eye on this med school for quite some time ( at least since it opened ) and asked for a tour. Since it was unscheduled, it was not very long at all but I did appreciate that the secretary of the Associate Dean took the time to give me one. Frankly, it probably would not have been any longer had it been scheduled; the Medical school is quite small, granted, I don't have anything to compare it to but it seemed small. Since class was in-session, I did not get to see all of the classrooms but I was able to see the clinical practice setting and study cubicles. The practice clinicals haven't even been touched due to the school only being in its 2nd year. All very nice and had a quality look to it but it also seemed quite mundane and bland. The campus is beautiful with an extremely laxed atmosphere and people seemed prepared to help one another but there is just this ALMOST boring atmosphere which unfortunetly seems to extend into the med school. According to my 'tour guide', there are 100 spots to be filled, I asked the number of applicants, expecting under 1K due to Mississippian preference, but I was WAY off...........2,000 people applied! I just really expected a lot less. Apparently they expect a 3.4 science gpa and a minimum 24 on the MCAT kinda blew my mind because I was under the impression that anything below a 26 was inadequate. Contrary to how this may be read, I am still content with this school and would love to be a med student here in a couple years. I just wanted to give you guys something to read and I figure some of you guys are interested in this school. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them or PM me.

Just because it's a minimum doesn't mean it's adequate.

Originally Posted by Whiskeypunch

Just because it's a minimum doesn't mean it's adequate.

Fair enough

Makesense, thank u for trying to keep this thread on track. I will PM you this evening when I'm not restricted to my phone :-)

Originally Posted by se20001984

hey if they can accept an rural student native to the area with a 24 mcat

Iam all for it!

a 24-30 mcat means nothing...to me...

It wasn't nice to him. He got a 24... I don't know why he would say what he has unless he did get that. Nobody aims for that, that's for sure. Also, who would equate a 24 with their score if they got the upper end of his range, a 30? I sure wouldn't diminish my 30 that way.. big difference between 40th~ percentile and 85th~ percentile

I am very interested in William Carey... and by very I mean its pretty much the only school I am considering. My question is, do you think it would be crazy of me to commute from Mobile, AL to WCU everyday? Its only 1.5 hours but that ends up being 3 hours total. I am only considering commuting because we recently bought a house in Mobile and my wife has a great job here. If I were to commute I would hope the lectures are recorded so I can at least listen to them again as I drive. I am just curious if you all think I am crazy for wanting to commute.

Also, do you think I have a competitive chance with a GPA 3.6 and a MCAT of 30? I only recently (last year) decided I wanted to go into medicine instead of Emergency Management so I just don't know if I need to boost my GPA.

Any help would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by DOctorBound

I am very interested in William Carey... and by very I mean its pretty much the only school I am considering. My question is, do you think it would be crazy of me to commute from Mobile, AL to WCU everyday? Its only 1.5 hours but that ends up being 3 hours total. I am only considering commuting because we recently bought a house in Mobile and my wife has a great job here. If I were to commute I would hope the lectures are recorded so I can at least listen to them again as I drive. I am just curious if you all think I am crazy for wanting to commute.

Also, do you think I have a competitive chance with a GPA 3.6 and a MCAT of 30? I only recently (last year) decided I wanted to go into medicine instead of Emergency Management so I just don't know if I need to boost my GPA.

Any help would be appreciated.

Several of my classmates are from Mobile and they all moved to Hattiesburg. With all the time you will be spending at school, then you do NOT want to deal with a daily 3 hour commute. The lectures are audiorecorded, not videorecorded. Hope this helps.

There are several of my classmates, myself included, that came to med school solo. One, who live in New Orleans, go home at least every other weekend. If you have any questions, then you can pm me.

Originally Posted by DOctorBound

I am very interested in William Carey... and by very I mean its pretty much the only school I am considering. My question is, do you think it would be crazy of me to commute from Mobile, AL to WCU everyday? Its only 1.5 hours but that ends up being 3 hours total. I am only considering commuting because we recently bought a house in Mobile and my wife has a great job here. If I were to commute I would hope the lectures are recorded so I can at least listen to them again as I drive. I am just curious if you all think I am crazy for wanting to commute.

Also, do you think I have a competitive chance with a GPA 3.6 and a MCAT of 30? I only recently (last year) decided I wanted to go into medicine instead of Emergency Management so I just don't know if I need to boost my GPA.

Any help would be appreciated.

I am not familiar with whether or not lectures are recorded at this school, however, even if it does I still think the commute would be tough. The school I am going to attend does have lectures recorded. No matter what though, there will always be time where you will have to physically be at a school -- whether it is for anatomy lab, OMM, required classes or functions, or even just going to spend time in the anatomy lab for some extra studying. I would plan on making the commute at least 3 times a week during the first year especially.

i used to think that docespana was a very knowledgable medical student, but now that he has ties with Lord Petyr Baelish....I'm not sure if I can trust the weasel

3.4 minimum science GPA? Guess I won't get into any osteopathic school then.

Originally Posted by virtuoso735

3.4 minimum science GPA? Guess I won't get into any osteopathic school then.

mine is lower, I got in