A.T. Still University Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) Discussion Thread 2014 - 2015

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UC-Irvine
UC Davis

Considering that until recently UCI and UCD didn't allow for DO away rotations, it makes makes me happy that more UC institutions are becoming more DO friendly, especially with SOMA students matching there now too:banana:

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Considering that until recently UCI and UCD didn't allow for DO away rotations, it makes makes me happy that more UC institutions are becoming more DO friendly, especially with SOMA students matching there now too:banana:

We've had students matching to the UC community affiliates for a little while now. But this year is the first time we've had university program matches to my knowledge.

We did have a guy that was the first DO to ever match EM at Harbor-UCLA 2 or 3 years ago. That's a top tier program despite the community affiliate status.
 
Considering that until recently UCI and UCD didn't allow for DO away rotations, it makes makes me happy that more UC institutions are becoming more DO friendly, especially with SOMA students matching there now too:banana:

We put someone at UCSF as well it appears!
 
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Thanks so much @SLC for posting some of the matches. Is there any way current students can let us know the full list?
 
Thanks so much @SLC for posting some of the matches. Is there any way current students can let us know the full list?

I have the list (It's a google doc that we've created as a class), but so far only about half the class has listed their matches. I can report that 100% of our class that is graduating this year has been matched to residency. We do have a few doing EC's that will delay graduation a year (OMM teaching fellowship etc) but everyone that's moving on has been placed into residency.

I do have the class breakdown by residency type:

Anesthesiology 4
Diagnostic Rad 3
EM 13
FM 40
FM-NMM 2
Gen Surg 6
IM 19
Neurology 1
PM and R 3
NMM-OMT 1
ObGyn 3
Path 1
Peds 9
Psych 4
TY/TRI/PY 3
 
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Also, it's customary for SOMA to send a copy of the match list to accepted students during the summer, so those of you who are going, you'll get a copy in the next few months.
 
Got the call from Dr. Hanyie!! I am over the moon!
 
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Which CHC will you be attending?
Visalia! I'm from the area, so I'm really glad I get to be close to my family!

BTW if anyone has questions about living in Visalia/the Central Valley just pm me!
 
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Visalia! I'm from the area, so I'm really glad I get to be close to my family!

BTW if anyone has questions about living in Visalia/the Central Valley just pm me!
Congrats! :)
 
current first year here. PM me if any of you accepted/deciding on choosing SOMA have any questions about what the school is like. I'd be happy to share. It honestly has been the best year of my life here and I think this school gives students the best balance in lifestyle and opportunities as a med student. Good luck to everyone else waiting to hear back!
 
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me too!! Did you get in for next year? I might pick Visalia as my top choice as well.
Hi Kaj, when did you interview? Also, if you don't mind sharing what your gpa/mcat are? I'm waiting to hear back still so just trying to gauge my chances. thanks.
 
Visalia! I'm from the area, so I'm really glad I get to be close to my family!

BTW if anyone has questions about living in Visalia/the Central Valley just pm me!
Got the call from Dr. Hanyie!! I am over the moon!
Hi krbourne, when did you interview? Also, if you don't mind sharing what your gpa/mcat are? I'm waiting to hear back still so just trying to gauge my chances. thanks.
 
Hi Kaj, when did you interview? Also, if you don't mind sharing what your gpa/mcat are? I'm waiting to hear back still so just trying to gauge my chances. thanks.

March 27th, received the call April 1st (Got kinda scared hoping it wasn't a April fool's joke lol) GPA: 3.50, MCAT: 28. My application was very geared towards their mission of serving the underserved however, so I feel that pushed me towards acceptance moreso than anything else.
 
March 27th, received the call April 1st (Got kinda scared hoping it wasn't a April fool's joke lol) GPA: 3.50, MCAT: 28. My application was very geared towards their mission of serving the underserved however, so I feel that pushed me towards acceptance moreso than anything else.
Did yo get accepted for next year?
 
Withdrew my interview hopefully one of you gets it
 
So I've been wondering how the waitlist movement works here...We were told that we would be contacted early may to rank our Comunity health centers preferences...assuming the waitlist is also ranked...does this list moves based on waitlist ranking or does it move based on which CHC has opean seats? for example would someone ranked lower on the waitlist get accepted before those ranking on the upper list if he/she had chosen one of the less popular CHC as his/her first choice and a seat becomes open there? Any current student or any one else has any insight into this waitlist process?
 
So I've been wondering how the waitlist movement works here...We were told that we would be contacted early may to rank our Comunity health centers preferences...assuming the waitlist is also ranked...does this list moves based on waitlist ranking or does it move based on which CHC has opean seats? for example would someone ranked lower on the waitlist get accepted before those ranking on the upper list if he/she had chosen one of the less popular CHC as his/her first choice and a seat becomes open there? Any current student or any one else has any insight into this waitlist process?

I'm not sure how they determine it, but yeah, I was told if you rank the crappy places high on your list, you'll be more likely to get taken off the waitlist.
 
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So I've been wondering how the waitlist movement works here...We were told that we would be contacted early may to rank our Comunity health centers preferences...assuming the waitlist is also ranked...does this list moves based on waitlist ranking or does it move based on which CHC has opean seats? for example would someone ranked lower on the waitlist get accepted before those ranking on the upper list if he/she had chosen one of the less popular CHC as his/her first choice and a seat becomes open there? Any current student or any one else has any insight into this waitlist process?
No. If you ranked the seat AT ALL and you are ranked higher on the pending list, then that is when you get taken off. Someone else doesn't get priority just because they ranked their site higher. That is why you are told to only rank sites you are actually interested in going to, because if you rank all 10 you may be sent to the one on the bottom of your list when that seat opens. Hope that makes sense.
 
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No. If you ranked the seat AT ALL and you are ranked higher on the pending list, then that is when you get taken off. Someone else doesn't get priority just because they ranked their site higher. That is why you are told to only rank sites you are actually interested in going to, because if you rank all 10 you may be sent to the one on the bottom of your list when that seat opens. Hope that makes sense.
hmm, ookk, so you are saying that they will always ask the person who is high on the waitilist first if he/she would like to attend for example the CHC that he/she ranked 10th before they ask someone who is on the lower portion of the waitilist but ranked that same site as his/her first choice?
 
hmm, ookk, so you are saying that they will always ask the person who is high on the waitilist first if he/she would like to attend for example the CHC that he/she ranked 10th before they ask someone who is on the lower portion of the waitilist but ranked that same site as his/her first choice?
As long as they ranked the site that is open, yes.
 
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applied to atsu kcom but cant find a thread on it, does anyone know if theyre still interviewing? i applied late in the game (feb) 23 mcat 3.2sgpa 3.5 cgpa
 
Got an email stating that I'm on the alternate list. I take it I don't have much chance getting into the school.

From what people understand, does this seem pretty true?
 
Got an email stating that I'm on the alternate list. I take it I don't have much chance getting into the school.

From what people understand, does this seem pretty true?

Between the small class size, alternate list and the accepted pending open seat list, it doesn't look like it :/
 
That's kinda what i thought.

Still confused though, I have been working as EMT, phlebotomist, and medical scribe for past ten years in undeserved areas with volunteering as well.

Had two awesome letters from physicians, two awesome letters from professors and a decent MCAT.

And interviewed very well. Just not sure what else they wanted :confused:.
 
That's kinda what i thought.

Still confused though, I have been working as EMT, phlebotomist, and medical scribe for past ten years in undeserved areas with volunteering as well.

Had two awesome letters from physicians, two awesome letters from professors and a decent MCAT.

And interviewed very well. Just not sure what else they wanted :confused:.

I think that this year has been especially competitive. With the new mcat, it forced a lot of people to apply this year fearing the new 6-7 hour mcat. So people that usually have a very decent resume and stat can easily be overlooked, such as yourself.

I have some friends in similar situations as yourself. My biggest advice for you now are:
1- prepare to take the new mcat since some schools, MD and DO, have already stated that they will only be accepting the new MCAT score. Since the new mcat is on 4 sections with the new psych bio subject being untested and with no real statistic, schools will most likely be forced to go off of subject scores rather than an overall score. So as long as you don't get a 1 on the new subject I think you will be fine.
2- start writing your essays early and if you haven't done so incorporate some of the school's mission into your essays such as core values and principles. You might have already done so but I just wanted to make sure you and other people understand it since so many of my own friends have failed to do it with this most recent application cycle.
3- I made this one a separate bullet point because I believe it is important enough that it is able to carry it's own weight. Make sure you revamp your essays. I know it sounds stupid of me to mention it but I still see people submitting their same and unalternated essays from previous cycles.
4- hope for the best, prepare for the worst

In all honesty, I hope you get into a school and become a doctor one day. I think that anyone that has been an emt for 10 years and now wants to be a physician is doing so because of whole hearted commitments. Please feel free to pm me if you need help.
 
All,

Just received a phone call! Accepted (pending an open seat).

Since everyone asks, my timeline:
- 2014-12-01: primary submitted
- 2015-01-21: secondary received
- 2015-02-27: secondary submitted
- 2015-03-10: file completed
- 2015-03-16: interview invite received
- 2015-04-17: interviewed
- 2015-04-22: accepted

My statistics:
- Out-of-state (though I was previously stationed in Arizona)
- Non-traditional applicant (34 years-old): was pre-med at an Ivy League college and did horribly. Graduated and stuck with the pre-med path out of stubbornness, but subsequently dropped out of a SMP and thought I was done with medicine forever. Joined the Marine Corps, graduated from a non-Ivy League law school, and deployed to Afghanistan; experiences made me re-think medicine. Recently finished MS program at an Ivy League graduate school. Now working in emergency management.
- MCAT: 32 (2013), 35 (2006), 34-36 (2001, back when VR was scaled 13-15)
- Undergraduate (including postbacc) science GPA: 3.38; undergraduate (including postbacc) overall GPA: 3.38
- Graduate science GPA: 2.71 (thanks to dropping out of Georgetown SMP); graduate overall GPA: 2.78 (thanks to law school grades)
- Cumulative science GPA: 3.11; cumulative overall GPA: 3.11

Assessment:
- Clearly my GPA is low and I have comparably little experience with the medically underserved, but I think the high MCAT scores, unusual work history (Marine Corps, licensed attorney), and prestige factor (I mention Ivy League not to toot my horn, but to explain a mitigating factor) of my undergraduate/graduate education helped.

V/R,
4401

P.S. For reference, here is information I gleaned from everyone in this thread who posted acceptances:

Fri 2014-09-05 interviewed
Thu 2014-09-18 accepted

Fri 2014-09-19 interviewed
Tue 2014-09-30 accepted

Fri 2014-10-03 interviewed
Tue 2014-10-21 accepted

Fri 2014-12-05 interviewed
Wed 2014-12-10 accepted

Sat 2015-02-21 interviewed
Wed 2015-02-25 accepted

Fri 2015-03-27 interviewed
Sat 2015-04-01 accepted
 
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All,


Just received a phone call! Accepted.


Since everyone asks, my timeline:

- 2014-12-01: primary submitted

- 2015-01-21: secondary received

- 2015-02-27: secondary submitted

- 2015-03-10: file completed

- 2015-03-16: interview invite received

- 2015-04-17: interviewed

- 2015-04-22: accepted


My statistics:

- Out-of-state (though I was previously stationed in Yuma)

- Non-traditional applicant (34 years-old): was pre-med at Ivy League school and did horribly, subsequently dropped out of Georgetown SMP, thought I was done with medicine forever. Joined the Marine Corps, graduated from non-Ivy League law school, and deployed to Afghanistan; experiences made me re-think medicine. Recently finished MS program at Ivy League school. Now working in emergency management.

- MCAT: 32 (2013), 35 (2006), 34-36 (2001, back when VR was scaled 13-15)

- Undergraduate (including postbacc) science GPA: 3.38; undergraduate (including postbacc) non-science GPA: 3.38

- Graduate science GPA: 2.71 (thanks to dropping out of Georgetown SMP); graduate non-science GPA: 2.81 (thanks to law school grades)

- Overall science GPA: 3.11; overall non-science GPA: 3.11


Assessment:

- Clearly my GPA is low and I have comparably little experience with the medically underserved, but I think the high MCAT scores, unusual work history (Marine Corps but licensed attorney), and prestige factor (I mention Ivy League not to toot my horn, but to explain a mitigating factor) of my undergraduate/graduate education helped.


Very Respectfully,

4401


I would trust you as my physician.. in four years ;)
 
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For those on the alternate list and interested.....

Just contacted them And they told me there are ~150 on the alternate list and they plan to go into the list this cycle.


Hard to imagine they would go past more than 20 students though.
 
All,

Just received a phone call! Accepted (pending an open seat).

Since everyone asks, my timeline:
- 2014-12-01: primary submitted
- 2015-01-21: secondary received
- 2015-02-27: secondary submitted
- 2015-03-10: file completed
- 2015-03-16: interview invite received
- 2015-04-17: interviewed
- 2015-04-22: accepted

My statistics:
- Out-of-state (though I was previously stationed in Arizona)
- Non-traditional applicant (34 years-old): was pre-med at an Ivy League college and did horribly. Graduated and stuck with the pre-med path out of stubbornness, but subsequently dropped out of the Georgetown SMP and thought I was done with medicine forever. Joined the Marine Corps, graduated from a non-Ivy League law school, and deployed to Afghanistan; experiences made me re-think medicine. Recently finished MS program at an Ivy League graduate school. Now working in emergency management.
- MCAT: 32 (2013), 35 (2006), 34-36 (2001, back when VR was scaled 13-15)
- Undergraduate (including postbacc) science GPA: 3.38; undergraduate (including postbacc) non-science GPA: 3.38
- Graduate science GPA: 2.71 (thanks to dropping out of Georgetown SMP); graduate non-science GPA: 2.81 (thanks to law school grades)
- Overall science GPA: 3.11; overall non-science GPA: 3.11

Assessment:
- Clearly my GPA is low and I have comparably little experience with the medically underserved, but I think the high MCAT scores, unusual work history (Marine Corps, licensed attorney), and prestige factor (I mention Ivy League not to toot my horn, but to explain a mitigating factor) of my undergraduate/graduate education helped.

Very Respectfully,
4401

Interesting. How they accept people at this school makes no sense, but congrats either way.


For those on the alternate list and interested.....

Just contacted them And they told me there are ~150 on the alternate list and they plan to go into the list this cycle.


Hard to imagine they would go past more than 20 students though.

Wow. It was 60 in February. I was ranked in top 15. Wonder where I am now.
 
I think that this year has been especially competitive. With the new mcat, it forced a lot of people to apply this year fearing the new 6-7 hour mcat. So people that usually have a very decent resume and stat can easily be overlooked, such as yourself.

I have some friends in similar situations as yourself. My biggest advice for you now are:
1- prepare to take the new mcat since some schools, MD and DO, have already stated that they will only be accepting the new MCAT score. Since the new mcat is on 4 sections with the new psych bio subject being untested and with no real statistic, schools will most likely be forced to go off of subject scores rather than an overall score. So as long as you don't get a 1 on the new subject I think you will be fine.
2- start writing your essays early and if you haven't done so incorporate some of the school's mission into your essays such as core values and principles. You might have already done so but I just wanted to make sure you and other people understand it since so many of my own friends have failed to do it with this most recent application cycle.
3- I made this one a separate bullet point because I believe it is important enough that it is able to carry it's own weight. Make sure you revamp your essays. I know it sounds stupid of me to mention it but I still see people submitting their same and unalternated essays from previous cycles.
4- hope for the best, prepare for the worst

In all honesty, I hope you get into a school and become a doctor one day. I think that anyone that has been an emt for 10 years and now wants to be a physician is doing so because of whole hearted commitments. Please feel free to pm me if you need help.

1. I was unaware schools would only take the new MCAT next year, did you find this on the school websites.

2. One of the issues I had was applying very late (around november) and have learned from this mistake.

3. A few friends who are in pharmacy and medical told me to revamp very little. How would you gauge how much needs to be changed? Keep the overall theme I suppose?

4. It's hard not to be discouraged now but I don't have much time to be down on myself with applications starting again very soon.

Thank you for investing time into your response. I am just flabbergasted because my interviewers seemed to have loved me and my MMIS went very well.
 
Wow. It was 60 in February. I was ranked in top 15. Wonder where I am now.[/QUOTE]

I don't know if they would tell you exactly where You stand on the list. They just told me I was in the first half.
 
@Michanderso, I was a firefighter/paramedic on a Native American community for 7 years with a LOR from Dr. Raymond Pavlick (SOMA's Asst Dean for Pre-Clinical education) and thought I would be a shoe-in. Not the case. I received an II after 5 months of silence from submitting my secondary. Thankfully I live a few miles from the school and moved my 4/17 interview date to February and subsequently was accepted. Not trying to rub it in, just pointing out there is nothing guaranteed in this process. Keep at it and you'll find the place that's right for you. But it sounds like you're high on the alt list, so it can't be too bad? You must have other offers?
 
@Michanderso, I was a firefighter/paramedic on a Native American community for 7 years with a LOR from Dr. Raymond Pavlick (SOMA's Asst Dean for Pre-Clinical education) and thought I would be a shoe-in. Not the case. I received an II after 5 months of silence from submitting my secondary. Thankfully I live a few miles from the school and moved my 4/17 interview date to February and subsequently was accepted. Not trying to rub it in, just pointing out there is nothing guaranteed in this process. Keep at it and you'll find the place that's right for you. But it sounds like you're high on the alt list, so it can't be too bad? You must have other offers?

Nope. I applied late November. To two schools. I didn't want to go anywhere but ATSU-SOMA.

Not smart of me to put all my eggs in one basket but it's really the only one that fit me perfectly.

You live and you learn.
 
Sorry to change topic a bit... Any az residents have any recommendations for health insurance options? Any pointers are appreciated
 
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All,

This query is mostly for keels99 (and for others who have been accepted, pending an open seat), but just wanted to make absolutely sure:

However, if a seat doesn't open up you are accepted for the next school year. That is the whole point. The school wants you, but may not have a seat for you this cycle. Kirksville does the same thing.

I don't think everyone that was deferred decided to matriculate, though.

No. You are told you are accepted pending an open seat. It is NOT the same thing as being waitlisted. If anyone has questions about this just message me as I deferred from last cycle.

If:
- An applicant is accepted pending an open seat for Fall 2015
- Then decides not to wait for an open seat, but just defers acceptance until Fall 2016

That applicant who deferred acceptance is subsequently NOT obligated to attend ATSU-SOMA in Fall 2016? In fact, that applicant may even choose to apply to other medical schools for the Fall 2016 cycle? (Provided, of course, that they're meeting all the appropriate deposit deadlines and withdraw their acceptances in a timely manner for the Fall 2016 cycle.)

In other words, the applicant who is accepted pending an open seat for Fall 2015 who subsequently defers to the Fall 2016 cycle is pretty much like any other accepted applicant in the Fall 2016 cycle. No obligations, restrictions, or anything like that. They just got accepted suuuuuuper early.

V/R,
4401
 
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1. I was unaware schools would only take the new MCAT next year, did you find this on the school websites.

2. One of the issues I had was applying very late (around november) and have learned from this mistake.

3. A few friends who are in pharmacy and medical told me to revamp very little. How would you gauge how much needs to be changed? Keep the overall theme I suppose?

4. It's hard not to be discouraged now but I don't have much time to be down on myself with applications starting again very soon.

Thank you for investing time into your response. I am just flabbergasted because my interviewers seemed to have loved me and my MMIS went very well.

1- For this information I would check directly with the school as each school is different. I do correctly remember, while I was doing research on different schools, that at least 2 of the school's I was looking at did mention that they will require the new MCAT format. If you ask me which ones? I cannot remember.

2- Yea I agree, apply early.

3- I spoke with some of the ADCOMS of several schools and I remember in particular one adcom telling me that "each time you apply for a new cycle, there should be some significant improvement in your life, even if it is only 1 year". So with that in mind, I would say revamp your essays because you don't want to be waitlisted or rejected again, I'm talking in general about all schools. Even both ATSU had essays that asked what you did your year off.

4- keep up the hard work.
 
Guess I'm late but I've been working, I was accepted (pending an open seat) Wednesday morning, interviewed 4/17. I do not have much experience with undeserved communities, but I do work in the ED so I see a lot of people who don't have anywhere else to go. My GPA was 4.0 cumulative and my MCAT in 2014 was 38.

I could not be happier about my acceptance at this school. Great mission and I think they make amazing doctors.
 
Thank you for the help!
 
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Thank you for the help!
 
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