2012-2013 Oakland University Application Thread

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1) What have you done to make your community a better place?

2) Optional: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that is not already represented in your application materials? Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials.

3) Optional: If you have taken courses beyond your bachelor's degree, what was your motivation for doing so? How has this coursework prepared you for your medical education?

Good luck to everyone applying!

I will be attending OUWB. I had a very hard time deciding whether to attend Wayne or OUWB, so I outlined my reasons for choosing OUWB instead. I hope this will help out future candidates with their decision. I gathered this information after talking to people, reading posts, researching, and visiting both schools.

1. It is nice to become part of the pioneering class to help shape the school. This will help you build strong relationships with the faculty and even the staff at Beaumont. I feel like this would be a tremendous learning experience for OUWB students, something that not every med student gets to experience.
2. They have a strong relationship with Beaumont, a stable and outstanding hospital. I find that this relationship is different from the relationship Wayne has with hospitals. I know Wayne had some issues with 'contract' disputes with the DMC. I do not suspect any issues like this will happen to OUWB because "Beaumont" is part of the medical school's name. Even the LCME found their relationship with Beaumont to be extremely strong.
3. I find Wayne a bit outdated. From their application process to their interviews, I just did not see anything that blew me away. OUWB is more cutting edge in my opinion. Even when I tried to apply for financial aid at Wayne, it said they don't participate in the "online" service. It just seems that Wayne is not evolving that much.
4. I don't think my future residency will be affected because residency is mostly based on board scores and LORs. There are just too many factors to consider than to worry about which medical school someone went to. OUWB's exam questions all come from previous USMLE questions directly from NBME. In addition, they are incorporating a Kaplan course for the entire class for the second year (and paying for it) to help us prepare for the USMLE. (Take a look at the data for yourself: http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty.pdf)
5. Their approach to teaching (integrative curriculum and TBL) seems like is going along with the trend among medical schools. I feel that team learning is extremely important. There are so many different specialties that no one doctor can do as much as a team. The medical field is very different than before. Take a look at this video: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/13/opinio...ors/index.html
6. The location is much nicer than Detroit IMO.
7. Although Beaumont Royal Oak is a community hospital, it is a very large hospital. They see more patients than any hospital in Michigan for a given year. Their emergency room also sees more patients than any single hospital in Michigan.
8. Although I know DMC will train me very well, I have no doubt that Beaumont will do the same because they have a high patient volume for us to experience.
9. Beaumont is ranked nationally in several specialties. However, Harper is ranked a bit higher than Beaumont, but they do not have the type of relationship with Wayne that Oakland has with Beaumont.
10. As for research, I am not concerned because Beaumont has a Research Center that is fully accredited. Although there is much more research in Detroit, Beaumont physicians and researchers do publish in top journals in several fields.
11. There will be a new medical student lounge within Beaumont Royal Oak just for OUWB students (separate from residents). In addition, Oakland is building a new anatomy lab and a new student lounge. All these will be brand new.
12. At OUWB, I feel like the experience would be superior because you actually get to go to the hospital once a week, you are required to attend most of your classes (you can still skip) which will help you stay on top of things and get to know your classmates, the class size is small helping with individualizing attention, and you will be in a very nice area.
13. Although this is not as important but worth to note. OUWB's inaugural class had some impressive stats. Their mean MCAT (32) was 1 point higher than Wayne's. This is the highest MCAT for an inaugural recent US medical school I have seen so far. I looked at stats for previous MD schools that opened up in the 2000s and they where all sub 30.
14. OUWB staff will listen to you. They also are very quick to getting back to you. I feel that they care a lot about their students and school. Moreover, the dean has already established some very unique programs for students from establishing ties to the Oakland County medical examiner’s office to working with high schools around the area for them to get a glimpse of the medical profession. I just did not get the same vibe at Wayne.
15. I don't think that just because Wayne is established, it will affect your choice of residency. The LCME does not just accredit any school. All US medical schools are good. They all go through the same rigorous accreditation process. Even established schools can go on probation. They can also lose contracts with hospitals as we have seen with Wayne. It does not guarantee anything. USMLE scores are far more important. Moreover, I feel that because OUWB students will be at Beaumont so often at their first year, they will establish relationships with many of the physicians (and program directors). This may help them when applying for residency. It seems that many Wayne graduates are looking to do their residency at Beaumont.
16. Also, from what I heard, OUWB will be establishing relationships with nursing homes in order to get students with more clinical experience. At Wayne, you have the free clinics in the area.
16. Lastly, because this is medical school we are talking about, it mostly comes down to where you think you will be happy. If this were law school, reputation and where you go will matter A LOT. However, when comparing two similar schools with quite similar stats, the deciding factor should be EXPERIENCE. I felt like OUWB will provide a superior experience. If we were comparing OUWB to Michigan, it would probably be a better idea to go to Michigan because there is a huge difference in the prestige here.

Wayne still is an excellent school, but I feel like OUWB is a better fit for me. I am by no means trying to make Wayne look bad, but am rather summing up my experience from talking to people and researching. I just do not see any reason to go to Wayne over OUWB. Goodluck!

Can you try that again when you have something a bit more substantial to add??

JK. Great post.

Originally Posted by twayz

I will be attending OUWB. I had a very hard time deciding whether to attend Wayne or OUWB, so I outlined my reasons for choosing OUWB instead. I hope this will help out future candidates with their decision. I gathered this information after talking to people, reading posts, researching, and visiting both schools.

1. It is nice to become part of the pioneering class to help shape the school. This will help you build strong relationships with the faculty and even the staff at Beaumont. I feel like this would be a tremendous learning experience for OUWB students, something that not every med student gets to experience.
2. They have a strong relationship with Beaumont, a stable and outstanding hospital. I find that this relationship is different from the relationship Wayne has with hospitals. I know Wayne had some issues with 'contract' disputes with the DMC. I do not suspect any issues like this will happen to OUWB because "Beaumont" is part of the medical school's name. Even the LCME found their relationship with Beaumont to be extremely strong.
3. I find Wayne a bit outdated. From their application process to their interviews, I just did not see anything that blew me away. OUWB is more cutting edge in my opinion. Even when I tried to apply for financial aid at Wayne, it said they don't participate in the "online" service. It just seems that Wayne is not evolving that much.
4. I don't think my future residency will be affected because residency is mostly based on board scores and LORs. There are just too many factors to consider than to worry about which medical school someone went to. OUWB's exam questions all come from previous USMLE questions directly from NBME. In addition, they are incorporating a Kaplan course for the entire class for the second year (and paying for it) to help us prepare for the USMLE. (Take a look at the data for yourself: http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty.pdf)
5. Their approach to teaching (integrative curriculum and TBL) seems like is going along with the trend among medical schools. I feel that team learning is extremely important. There are so many different specialties that no one doctor can do as much as a team. The medical field is very different than before. Take a look at this video: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/13/opinio...ors/index.html
6. The location is much nicer than Detroit IMO.
7. Although Beaumont Royal Oak is a community hospital, it is a very large hospital. They see more patients than any hospital in Michigan for a given year. Their emergency room also sees more patients than any single hospital in Michigan.
8. Although I know DMC will train me very well, I have no doubt that Beaumont will do the same because they have a high patient volume for us to experience.
9. Beaumont is ranked nationally in several specialties. However, Harper is ranked a bit higher than Beaumont, but they do not have the type of relationship with Wayne that Oakland has with Beaumont.
10. As for research, I am not concerned because Beaumont has a Research Center that is fully accredited. Although there is much more research in Detroit, Beaumont physicians and researchers do publish in top journals in several fields.
11. There will be a new medical student lounge within Beaumont Royal Oak just for OUWB students (separate from residents). In addition, Oakland is building a new anatomy lab and a new student lounge. All these will be brand new.
12. At OUWB, I feel like the experience would be superior because you actually get to go to the hospital once a week, you are required to attend most of your classes (you can still skip) which will help you stay on top of things and get to know your classmates, the class size is small helping with individualizing attention, and you will be in a very nice area.
13. Although this is not as important but worth to note. OUWB's inaugural class had some impressive stats. Their mean MCAT (32) was 1 point higher than Wayne's. This is the highest MCAT for an inaugural recent US medical school I have seen so far. I looked at stats for previous MD schools that opened up in the 2000s and they where all sub 30.
14. OUWB staff will listen to you. They also are very quick to getting back to you. I feel that they care a lot about their students and school. Moreover, the dean has already established some very unique programs for students from establishing ties to the Oakland County medical examiner’s office to working with high schools around the area for them to get a glimpse of the medical profession. I just did not get the same vibe at Wayne.
15. I don't think that just because Wayne is established, it will affect your choice of residency. The LCME does not just accredit any school. All US medical schools are good. They all go through the same rigorous accreditation process. Even established schools can go on probation. They can also lose contracts with hospitals as we have seen with Wayne. It does not guarantee anything. USMLE scores are far more important. Moreover, I feel that because OUWB students will be at Beaumont so often at their first year, they will establish relationships with many of the physicians (and program directors). This may help them when applying for residency. It seems that many Wayne graduates are looking to do their residency at Beaumont.
16. Also, from what I heard, OUWB will be establishing relationships with nursing homes in order to get students with more clinical experience. At Wayne, you have the free clinics in the area.
16. Lastly, because this is medical school we are talking about, it mostly comes down to where you think you will be happy. If this were law school, reputation and where you go will matter A LOT. However, when comparing two similar schools with quite similar stats, the deciding factor should be EXPERIENCE. I felt like OUWB will provide a superior experience. If we were comparing OUWB to Michigan, it would probably be a better idea to go to Michigan because there is a huge difference in the prestige here.

Wayne still is an excellent school, but I feel like OUWB is a better fit for me. I am by no means trying to make Wayne look bad, but am rather summing up my experience from talking to people and researching. I just do not see any reason to go to Wayne over OUWB. Goodluck!

Amazing post. These were the reasons I had chosen OUWB until I was accepted to my first choice Canadian MD school.

I will put this out there to anyone who wants to know, I will be lurking around as often as I can to answer your questions.

I will try my best to answer. Amanda will be around I'm sure

Good luck to everyone.

Don't mind me, just another applicant....

I'm always checking back just in case applicants have questions!

Originally Posted by amandaeleven

I'm always checking back just in case applicants have questions!

How have you found the atmosphere to be among your fellow classmates, Amanda?

Have you enjoyed living in Oakland?

I think you write a blog, no? Very informative stuff you've written, if so, thanks!!

How have you found the atmosphere to be among your fellow classmates, Amanda?

One of the greatest strengths of OUWB is the true sense of community among the students, faculty and staff. We're all essentially one big family . Of course our class tends to aggregate into little groups, but we all are still really supportive and friendly toward one another. Furthermore, the curriculum is set up to foster a collaborative environment and I'd say it worked well!

Have you enjoyed living in Oakland?

I'm originally from Oakland County so it's kind of like being back home. However, having lived in a couple of different places, I can understand why some applicants might be concerned about living in suburbia... in my opinion, I'd rather not live in a huge city and be distracted by all the awesome stuff I could be doing while I'm studying. But, yes, there are times when suburbia can seem stifling.

I think you write a blog, no? Very informative stuff you've written, if so, thanks!!

I do write a blog [see my signature]! I'm glad you find it informative and keep in mind that I'm always looking for new questions to dedicate entries to!

Good luck with your application cycle!

Originally Posted by amandaeleven

How have you found the atmosphere to be among your fellow classmates, Amanda?

One of the greatest strengths of OUWB is the true sense of community among the students, faculty and staff. We're all essentially one big family . Of course our class tends to aggregate into little groups, but we all are still really supportive and friendly toward one another. Furthermore, the curriculum is set up to foster a collaborative environment and I'd say it worked well!

Have you enjoyed living in Oakland?

I'm originally from Oakland County so it's kind of like being back home. However, having lived in a couple of different places, I can understand why some applicants might be concerned about living in suburbia... in my opinion, I'd rather not live in a huge city and be distracted by all the awesome stuff I could be doing while I'm studying. But, yes, there are times when suburbia can seem stifling.

I think you write a blog, no? Very informative stuff you've written, if so, thanks!!

I do write a blog [see my signature]! I'm glad you find it informative and keep in mind that I'm always looking for new questions to dedicate entries to!

Good luck with your application cycle!

LOL, I read your first post on my phone, didn't see the signature!!

Just got the secondary invite. I thought they screened?

+1. No screen... Went out last year on 6/23 (5 days after submission began).

Can you quote the secondary questions here?

1. What have you done to make your community a better place?
2. Optional: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that is not already represented in your application materials? Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials.
3. Optional: If you have taken courses beyond your bachelor's degree, what was your motivation for doing so? How has this coursework prepared you for your medical education?

All essays have a 400-word limit. You have to fill out your prereq courses at the end

I got one too. I thought they screened too.... but I think they're all just out to make money.

Originally Posted by Pirates1992

1. What have you done to make your community a better place?
2. Optional: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that is not already represented in your application materials? Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials.
3. Optional: If you have taken courses beyond your bachelor's degree, what was your motivation for doing so? How has this coursework prepared you for your medical education?

All essays have a 400-word limit. You have to fill out your prereq courses at the end

Thank you.

For the "What have you done to make your community a better place" question, are you guys talking only about one experience, or will you talk about more than one?

I don't want it to sound like I am just restating my resume in paragraph form, but then I feel like if I only write about one activity (but more in-depth), it might not be enough. What should I do?

Originally Posted by virtuoso735

For the "What have you done to make your community a better place" question, are you guys talking only about one experience, or will you talk about more than one?

I don't want it to sound like I am just restating my resume in paragraph form, but then I feel like if I only write about one activity (but more in-depth), it might not be enough. What should I do?

I'm having trouble with this as well. I feel like I'm restating a lot of my Work/Activities section of my AMCAS, and I think that's a pretty lame secondary response. Anyone else having these issues?

Idk, I'm trying to use my international experience but I think it's a bit of a stretch to help the international community. What a dumb question. I kind of want to say "See primary application"

Originally Posted by ks fightinirish

idk, i'm trying to use my international experience but i think it's a bit of a stretch to help the international community. What a dumb question. i kind of want to say "see primary application"

+1 ...

Originally Posted by KS FightinIrish

Idk, I'm trying to use my international experience but I think it's a bit of a stretch to help the international community. What a dumb question. I kind of want to say "See primary application"

Our school has a pretty heavy emphasis on community outreach - this question gives you the opportunity to expand on your AMCAS activities. If you can't find a way to answer it, we might not be the best option for you.

Good luck!

Just submitted my secondary!

Good luck to everyone else.

Originally Posted by twayz

I will be attending OUWB. I had a very hard time deciding whether to attend Wayne or OUWB, so I outlined my reasons for choosing OUWB instead. I hope this will help out future candidates with their decision. I gathered this information after talking to people, reading posts, researching, and visiting both schools.

1. It is nice to become part of the pioneering class to help shape the school. This will help you build strong relationships with the faculty and even the staff at Beaumont. I feel like this would be a tremendous learning experience for OUWB students, something that not every med student gets to experience.
2. They have a strong relationship with Beaumont, a stable and outstanding hospital. I find that this relationship is different from the relationship Wayne has with hospitals. I know Wayne had some issues with 'contract' disputes with the DMC. I do not suspect any issues like this will happen to OUWB because "Beaumont" is part of the medical school's name. Even the LCME found their relationship with Beaumont to be extremely strong.
3. I find Wayne a bit outdated. From their application process to their interviews, I just did not see anything that blew me away. OUWB is more cutting edge in my opinion. Even when I tried to apply for financial aid at Wayne, it said they don't participate in the "online" service. It just seems that Wayne is not evolving that much.
4. I don't think my future residency will be affected because residency is mostly based on board scores and LORs. There are just too many factors to consider than to worry about which medical school someone went to. OUWB's exam questions all come from previous USMLE questions directly from NBME. In addition, they are incorporating a Kaplan course for the entire class for the second year (and paying for it) to help us prepare for the USMLE. (Take a look at the data for yourself: http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty.pdf)
5. Their approach to teaching (integrative curriculum and TBL) seems like is going along with the trend among medical schools. I feel that team learning is extremely important. There are so many different specialties that no one doctor can do as much as a team. The medical field is very different than before. Take a look at this video: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/13/opinio...ors/index.html
6. The location is much nicer than Detroit IMO.
7. Although Beaumont Royal Oak is a community hospital, it is a very large hospital. They see more patients than any hospital in Michigan for a given year. Their emergency room also sees more patients than any single hospital in Michigan.
8. Although I know DMC will train me very well, I have no doubt that Beaumont will do the same because they have a high patient volume for us to experience.
9. Beaumont is ranked nationally in several specialties. However, Harper is ranked a bit higher than Beaumont, but they do not have the type of relationship with Wayne that Oakland has with Beaumont.
10. As for research, I am not concerned because Beaumont has a Research Center that is fully accredited. Although there is much more research in Detroit, Beaumont physicians and researchers do publish in top journals in several fields.
11. There will be a new medical student lounge within Beaumont Royal Oak just for OUWB students (separate from residents). In addition, Oakland is building a new anatomy lab and a new student lounge. All these will be brand new.
12. At OUWB, I feel like the experience would be superior because you actually get to go to the hospital once a week, you are required to attend most of your classes (you can still skip) which will help you stay on top of things and get to know your classmates, the class size is small helping with individualizing attention, and you will be in a very nice area.
13. Although this is not as important but worth to note. OUWB's inaugural class had some impressive stats. Their mean MCAT (32) was 1 point higher than Wayne's. This is the highest MCAT for an inaugural recent US medical school I have seen so far. I looked at stats for previous MD schools that opened up in the 2000s and they where all sub 30.
14. OUWB staff will listen to you. They also are very quick to getting back to you. I feel that they care a lot about their students and school. Moreover, the dean has already established some very unique programs for students from establishing ties to the Oakland County medical examiner’s office to working with high schools around the area for them to get a glimpse of the medical profession. I just did not get the same vibe at Wayne.
15. I don't think that just because Wayne is established, it will affect your choice of residency. The LCME does not just accredit any school. All US medical schools are good. They all go through the same rigorous accreditation process. Even established schools can go on probation. They can also lose contracts with hospitals as we have seen with Wayne. It does not guarantee anything. USMLE scores are far more important. Moreover, I feel that because OUWB students will be at Beaumont so often at their first year, they will establish relationships with many of the physicians (and program directors). This may help them when applying for residency. It seems that many Wayne graduates are looking to do their residency at Beaumont.
16. Also, from what I heard, OUWB will be establishing relationships with nursing homes in order to get students with more clinical experience. At Wayne, you have the free clinics in the area.
16. Lastly, because this is medical school we are talking about, it mostly comes down to where you think you will be happy. If this were law school, reputation and where you go will matter A LOT. However, when comparing two similar schools with quite similar stats, the deciding factor should be EXPERIENCE. I felt like OUWB will provide a superior experience. If we were comparing OUWB to Michigan, it would probably be a better idea to go to Michigan because there is a huge difference in the prestige here.

Wayne still is an excellent school, but I feel like OUWB is a better fit for me. I am by no means trying to make Wayne look bad, but am rather summing up my experience from talking to people and researching. I just do not see any reason to go to Wayne over OUWB. Goodluck!

I'm glad you chose OUWB... I bet we are fb friends!
Just repeating what the others said. I will be attending OUWB and if you have any questions you are always welcome to PM me. I will also be stalking this thread

First interview invite!! Super excited! 31Q, 3.89 cGPA, 3.85 sGPA

Originally Posted by Nino013

First interview invite!! Super excited! 31Q, 3.89 cGPA, 3.85 sGPA

No kidding! Awesome; congrats!

Originally Posted by Nino013

First interview invite!! Super excited! 31Q, 3.89 cGPA, 3.85 sGPA

Congrats!

Originally Posted by Nino013

First interview invite!! Super excited! 31Q, 3.89 cGPA, 3.85 sGPA

When were you complete, btw? Thanks!

I was complete July 2nd.

Just submitted secondary app. Good luck everyone!

interview invite here as well. complete july 2nd.

Interview! Also completed July 2nd, good luck to all!

Secondary submitted yesterday!

Will actually be driving 10 hours to Royal Oak tomorrow, so I may stop by and check out the school. Maybe I can wander around and convince them to interview me without even seeing my app

Originally Posted by TheWeeIceMan

Secondary submitted yesterday!

Will actually be driving 10 hours to Royal Oak tomorrow, so I may stop by and check out the school. Maybe I can wander around and convince them to interview me without even seeing my app

just walk into the admissions office with a suit on and sit there quietly. When they ask you why you're there just tell them that you have an interview. They'll get confused and interview you. It's a genius plan, what could possibly go wrong??

congrats to those receiving invites! did you get an email, or did you have to check your status page?

email

interview invite earlier in the week.
OOS

Originally Posted by Blais

interview invite earlier in the week.
OOS

Nice. When were ya complete?

Originally Posted by LPpostbacc

Nice. When were ya complete?

July 2nd (give or take a day), IIRC.

Originally Posted by Blais

July 2nd (give or take a day), IIRC.

Did you get a complete email?

After submitting the secondary, did anyone's status change from "Submitted" to "Complete" or "Under Review"?

Originally Posted by medphys

After submitting the secondary, did anyone's status change from "Submitted" to "Complete" or "Under Review"?

Yeah mine says application complete.

Interview Positions Filled: 5 looks like half of the invitees are on these forums if their count has been updated
Im sure most have seen the count ha but here's the link http://www.oakland.edu/medicine/admissions/interviews

I just wanna get other people's opinion on this question on secondaries: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that is not already represented in your application materials? Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials.

Is there something specific adcomms wanna hear for these?

Originally Posted by TcDroid4med

Interview Positions Filled: 5 looks like half of the invitees are on these forums if their count has been updated
Im sure most have seen the count ha but here's the link http://www.oakland.edu/medicine/admissions/interviews

That's actually really cool that they show that. I wish more schools would do that.

Originally Posted by madibainvictus

I just wanna get other people's opinion on this question on secondaries: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that is not already represented in your application materials? Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials.

Is there something specific adcomms wanna hear for these?

My friend and I didn't even fill that out and we both have interviews here ... so I don't think it's a necessary prompt by any means.

I am wondering if I should add this school. Are they oos friendly and are they very competitive? Are they receptive to updates?

First interview invite!

Stats (I know I'd want to know everything too)

IS, 33Q (12 on PS and BS, 9 on VR ), 3.71 cum GPA, complete July 3rd.

Good luck to everyone else!

Congrats! Really hoping for this one!

Originally Posted by AlexUniv

First interview invite!

Stats (I know I'd want to know everything too)

IS, 33Q (12 on PS and BS, 9 on VR ), 3.71 cum GPA, complete July 3rd.

Good luck to everyone else!

Notified through email or status?

Originally Posted by typicalindian

Notified through email or status?

Dang, knew I forgot something. I was notified through email.

Originally Posted by TcDroid4med

Interview Positions Filled: 5 looks like half of the invitees are on these forums if their count has been updated
Im sure most have seen the count ha but here's the link http://www.oakland.edu/medicine/admissions/interviews

Only ~23 invites as of 7/23...I'm surprised how few they have offered thus far!