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

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They usually send out the first batch of interview invites July 15-July 20th. Not too far away :)
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Hey guys so I am writing the secondaries now and one of the questions is bugging me because I don't know how to properly approach it.
Any advice or guidance would be highly appreciated. Thanks

Here is the question.

In your future role as an osteopathic physician, how do you envision incorporating osteopathic philosophy and practice?
 
diiaa36 said:
Hey guys so I am writing the secondaries now and one of the questions is bugging me because I don't know how to properly approach it.
Any advice or guidance would be highly appreciated. Thanks

Here is the question.

In your future role as an osteopathic physician, how do you envision incorporating osteopathic philosophy and practice?
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look up the tenets of osteopathic med/ do some research

http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/about/leadership/Pages/tenets-of-osteopathic-medicine.aspx

Then explain how you're going to be putting these into practice. Anyway, that's what I did.


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So first off you need to know a lot about osteopathic philosophy. A lot of what makes osteopaths different is their different way of approaching and treating the patient. I think whats best is paint them a picture of what youre going to look like practicing osteopathic medicine. This is just my opinion though.
 
moonwake said:
So first off you need to know a lot about osteopathic philosophy. A lot of what makes osteopaths different is their different way of approaching and treating the patient. I think whats best is paint them a picture of what youre going to look like practicing osteopathic medicine. This is just my opinion though.
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alright thank you I kinda like that idea I will work from there thank you.
 
You dont have to admissions said. Mine was between 200-400. Is anyone applying to U of A as well? Their secondary is ugly.
 
SynapticDoctah said:
Are you guys actually writing 500 words for each essay?
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I'm a non-trad with lots of life experience, so my drafts are probably longer than most-- between 350 and 450 words each. I'm going to pare them down to 200-350 words before submitting them tomorrow.

There's no need to be verbose just to fill up space- 500 words is the max, not the suggested minimum. Just provide the most clear and succinct picture of who you are as a person and why you'd be an incredible fit for the program. If you can pull an Ernest Hemingway and do it in just 75 words, then great. If you're extra incredible and need 499 words to detail your awesomeness, then that's great too. As long as you refrain from repeating yourself, you'll be fine.

Good luck... Crossing my fingers for lots of July ii's for all of you early applicants! :)
 
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Can I ask you guys how serious grammatical and wording errors are in secondary essays? Re-reading my ATSU SOMA secondary I caught about 4-5 total minor errors in my essays. They were things like commas in the wrong place and an awkward sentence. I also felt I could have made my sentences a little more to the point.

I'm kicking myself for it now. I guess I got caught up in trying to get those essays back to the schools as soon as possible and sacrificed quality. On one hand, they really aren't glaring inconsistencies, but on the other this is a professional application. I sent in money for people to read something less than what I would like >_<
 
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Hey guys, quick question. For the section about Clinical Health Experiences, would it be okay to copy and paste descriptions used in the primary application, or would it be better to type up a whole new description altogether? Thanks for your help!
 
I would just reword it a little bit just so you don't look like you're too lazy to take time on their secondary.
 
How did you all approach the last question...the one about being an independent learner?? I have a feeling that is because the 2nd year requires a lot of independent studying since you're away from campus doing rotations..
 
fkt24 said:
How did you all approach the last question...the one about being an independent learner?? I have a feeling that is because the 2nd year requires a lot of independent studying since you're away from campus doing rotations..
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I talked about how I worked full time while taking classes full time, forcing me to study on my own at weird hours vs. utilizing study groups. I also talked about one class that we were forced to learn out of the book with minimal lecture assistance. I would just be honest and talk about your personal oppurtunites where you had to be independent.
 
Hello everyone, I would like to know if anyone here is using the Evaluation Form instead of Letter of Recommendation?
 
Hi guys,
I applied to this school and my aacomas application is still processing. My local CHC director is writing a letter of endorsement for me. I have 3.9 non science gpa, 3.6 science gpa, 600 hours of clinical experience and tons of other extra curricular activities. However, I have a low mcat score (23). Any chances?
 
How are people approaching the "explain how your current activities will prepare you for the academic rigor of a medical school curriculum" essay? I've got a job lined up for the year that's medical/healthcare related but isn't necessarily going to "prepare" me for the academic rigor of medical school. (I think undergrad and a master's is enough preparation :p)
 
mike222222222222222 said:
Hi guys,
I applied to this school and my aacomas application is still processing. My local CHC director is writing a letter of endorsement for me. I have 3.9 non science gpa, 3.6 science gpa, 600 hours of clinical experience and tons of other extra curricular activities. However, I have a low mcat score (23). Any chances?
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I would say you have a chance.

As you know your MCAT is low, but I think you would be able to get a secondary. This school highly values the secondaries, although in recent classes they are putting more focus on grades/MCAT. With that said if you get a secondary (meaning you meet the cutoff for MCAT) and your 600 clinical hours involved plenty of experiences serving underserved communities that you can elaborate on you have potential for getting an interview. You just need to focus on your passion for serving the underserved, which should be easy if you have a CHC director writing a letter for you.
 
manotter said:
I would say you have a chance.

As you know your MCAT is low, but I think you would be able to get a secondary. This school highly values the secondaries, although in recent classes they are putting more focus on grades/MCAT. With that said if you get a secondary (meaning you meet the cutoff for MCAT) and your 600 clinical hours involved plenty of experiences serving underserved communities that you can elaborate on you have potential for getting an interview. You just need to focus on your passion for serving the underserved, which should be easy if you have a CHC director writing a letter for you.
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Thank you, would you happen to know the MCAT cutoff?
 
I am not sure how to approach "Explain any prolonged periods of non-academic activity during or after full-time enrollment in formal coursework." Is it asking to list ONE meaningful extracurricular activity during undergrad or during gap year and it's impact on your life?
 
mike222222222222222 said:
I am not sure how to approach "Explain any prolonged periods of non-academic activity during or after full-time enrollment in formal coursework." Is it asking to list ONE meaningful extracurricular activity during undergrad or during gap year and it's impact on your life?
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It's asking you to explain what you were doing during a time you weren't enrolled ex if you worked during a gap year mention you worked. It's not an essay per se but more of a question asking you to explain why you weren't in school
 
For the verifiable volunteer activities do we have to have a letter or just be able to get one if they ask?
 
mkim27 said:
Sorry to question this but does anyone have confirmation if this is the correct approach to answering the question? That's the general gist of what I thought that they were asking with this question but sometimes I overanalyze.

So the focus of this question is not to pick a specific meaningful activity but rather fill in the gaps for a time we weren't in school, correct?

Thanks in advance!
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Yup. I applied during my last year of undergrad - thus no gaps in education- so I left the whole question blank. If you took a gap year, or are a career-switcher, tell them the meaningful things you did during that time, so they know that you didn't just watch netflix all day on your couch.
 
shinytofu said:
Yup. I applied during my last year of undergrad - thus no gaps in education- so I left the whole question blank. If you took a gap year, or are a career-switcher, tell them the meaningful things you did during that time, so they know that you didn't just watch netflix all day on your couch.
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:whistle:
 
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Has anyone that deferred acceptance for this cycle heard anything? I know they said they would be contacting us in July. I've yet to hear a peep.
 
keels99 said:
It's asking you to explain what you were doing during a time you weren't enrolled ex if you worked during a gap year mention you worked. It's not an essay per se but more of a question asking you to explain why you weren't in school
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thank you for clearing it out!
 
I was wondering if someone can describe the life in Arizona during MS1. How is a typical weekday for MS1 student? How is a typical weekend? How far is the housing from campus? How often are exams? Is it mostly independent online studying or interactive class learning? Thank you
 
mike222222222222222 said:
I was wondering if someone can describe the life in Arizona during MS1. How is a typical weekday for MS1 student? How is a typical weekend? How far is the housing from campus? How often are exams? Is it mostly independent online studying or interactive class learning? Thank you
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The week typically starts at 8 am and can go to 5 pm Monday through Friday. One day of the week is split where half is OMM the second half is learning how to do physical exam skills. There are a couple of blocks that can take up to 4 hours that involve small groups (going over cases) and anatomy. The rest of the week contains various lectures that are optional to attend since they are video recorded and you can watch them at home. The courses are taught in block format that can last between 3-8 weeks, during this time there are a few exams. One course has exams every week, some only 2 for the whole block. So the learning is whatever works for you. People study in groups, attend classes, and individual study.

Weekends are off, so the typical weekend depends on whatever you want to do.

The housing varies, there is no assigned housing. The closest apartment complex (Colonial Grand) is within site of the school, but some people choose to live farther away, or rent a house, so that depends on your needs.
 
Hey all, I am looking at all the CHC for choices and am a little worried about the choices for my family, like the Oregon site which requires extensive travel. I have a family that cannot move around the western US all the time. What is everyones thoughts about the CHC and the program in general. I have a little bit of trepidation about how we are all separated from the main campus. For those of yo current students do you think that it has improved or challenged your education? I am just a little on the fence right now and need a shove to finish up all those essays.
 
jsmith522 said:
Hey all, I am looking at all the CHC for choices and am a little worried about the choices for my family, like the Oregon site which requires extensive travel. I have a family that cannot move around the western US all the time. What is everyones thoughts about the CHC and the program in general. I have a little bit of trepidation about how we are all separated from the main campus. For those of yo current students do you think that it has improved or challenged your education? I am just a little on the fence right now and need a shove to finish up all those essays.
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Some sites require more travel than others. The Oregon site by definition serves multiple states so the potential for travel is larger. Other sites have more limited travel (New York, Ohio, Tucson, Washington). Many of these sites require just the student to move for 4 week intervals, so your family would just stay at the area were most of your rotation sites are. Of course if you chose a CHC outside of Phoenix you will have at least one move after first year.

I do not know the impact it has on my education (I have only attended one medical school). It has its challenges that requires the students to be fairly self sufficient. There is definitely a disconnect with communication with the main campus and the individual CHCs. As for the rotations, I do not believe that they are any worse or better currently than most other D.O. schools. However many CHC's are opening up family residency programs with the idea that more stable and local rotation opportunities will be available in the near future. So near perhaps as for the incoming group of students, so that is a plus.
 
After learning more about the CHC setup for years 2-4, I'm really excited about the prospect of attending SOMA. Except for the moving, and then moving one year later, and then possibly one more time for residency. In my admittedly small knowledge of medical schools, I haven't really seen a school better equipped to set me up to work with indigent populations.
 
For the first secondary question: " Explain any prolonged periods of non-academic activity during or after full-time enrollment in formal coursework" did you explain what you did during each summer in college and then after college?
 
greenflash5 said:
For the first secondary question: " Explain any prolonged periods of non-academic activity during or after full-time enrollment in formal coursework" did you explain what you did during each summer in college and then after college?
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I don't think it's necessary to explain what you did during each summer. I explained what I did between undergrad and grad school, and what I've been doing in the year since grad school. If you're unsure, I'd call them- the admissions staff is very nice and informative!
 
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nontrad78 said:
After learning more about the CHC setup for years 2-4, I'm really excited about the prospect of attending SOMA. Except for the moving, and then moving one year later, and then possibly one more time for residency. In my admittedly small knowledge of medical schools, I haven't really seen a school better equipped to set me up to work with indigent populations.
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Same! That's partially why I chose Flagstaff as my CHC site.
 
keels99 said:
Same! That's partially why I chose Flagstaff as my CHC site.
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If I'm admitted, I'm looking at DC, Brooklyn, and Tucson. I could also be plenty happy with suburban Seattle. I'm interested in working with urban, underserved populations, so there seems to be a good amount of potential for exposure early on there. Are you OMS-1?
 
nontrad78 said:
If I'm admitted, I'm looking at DC, Brooklyn, and Tucson. I could also be plenty happy with suburban Seattle. I'm interested in working with urban, underserved populations, so there seems to be a good amount of potential for exposure early on there. Are you OMS-1?
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No I don't start until next year
 
keels99 said:
No I don't start until next year
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Ok, I thought I had seen that you were accepted there, just weren't sure when. Congratulations. Any particular reason you chose Flagstaff?
 
nontrad78 said:
Ok, I thought I had seen that you were accepted there, just weren't sure when. Congratulations. Any particular reason you chose Flagstaff?
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Yea I interviewed last cycle and deferred my acceptance to this year. I chose flagstaff for many reasons. I don't like big cities that much, and the location is wonderful. I'm big into hiking and skinning. I also chose flagstaff because I will have the option to do some of my rotations on the reservations. After my research I thought it was the best fit
 
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