Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) Discussion Thread 2014 – 2015

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Got log in credentials about 4 weeks ago, but haven't heard anything since. Should I call?
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Just got the call from Dr. Reynolds, and am happily and humbly able to say I've been accepted to ACOM's Class of 2019.
 
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nontrad78 said:
Just got the call from Dr. Reynolds, and am happily and humbly able to say I've been accepted to ACOM's Class of 2019.
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Congratulations @nontrad78!! You've been such a positive source here and so inspirational. Happy for you and your family! :)
 
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Congrats guys! Looks like we might be classmates next year!
 
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AlienHandSyndrome said:
Yes and No. You either will not get a secondary or never get an interview.
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Sorry, I should clarify - after you complete a secondary, do they wait until the end of the interview season to reject applicants? Or do they reject applicants throughout the cycle?
 
interviewing on 10/24, in regards to the required proof of residency, does anyone know how strict they are on the matter? I left my birth certificate at my parents house would be a hassle to get it in 3 days
 
Queeeezy said:
interviewing on 10/24, in regards to the required proof of residency, does anyone know how strict they are on the matter? I left my birth certificate at my parents house would be a hassle to get it in 3 days
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I had a similar issue. You don't need the original, a photocopy is fine if you can get one.
 
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Queeeezy said:
interviewing on 10/24, in regards to the required proof of residency, does anyone know how strict they are on the matter? I left my birth certificate at my parents house would be a hassle to get it in 3 days
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I would try to get a copy of it. You do not need the original. See if your parents can scan it and email it to you. Usually they allow you to submit it later after the interview but that puts your file on hold so you will not get reviewed with the rest of you interview group. At least thats what they did last year. You can also substitute the certificate with a passport if you have one.
 
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Finally got my secondary in. It looks like last year a lot of people got their secondaries in around now so hopefully I will receive some love
 
chosenone23 said:
how do you know this?
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I responded to your PM, but I will post a shorter answer here. Linda Goodson has mentioned this numerous times in public and private.

Residency only improves your odds by getting your foot in the door (unless you are a poor interviewer). Once you're in the interview pool, it's an even playing field amongst interviewees and you will be evaluated based on merit.
 
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UCbanned said:
I responded to your PM, but I will post a shorter answer here. Linda Goodson has mentioned this numerous times in public and private.

Residency only improves your odds by getting your foot in the door (unless you are a poor interviewer). Once you're in the interview pool, it's an even playing field amongst interviewees and you will be evaluated based on merit.
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Wow. I need to figure out how to gain residency status in Alabama within the next month.
 
Should I be worried if I only got the acceptance email and no call?
 
WhereDaCoffeeAt said:
Wow. I need to figure out how to gain residency status in Alabama within the next month.
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I sense you're being facetious. If not, residency is determined at the time of your primary application. They offer some flexibility with regards to "Alabama residency." Let's just say that they consider residence on a regional basis as well
 
I just got an interview for next Friday. Anyone have words of wisdom for me?
 
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jbuc1081 said:
I just got an interview for next Friday. Anyone have words of wisdom for me?
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Know your primary application like the back of your hand. Be confident. Approach it like a first date; intimate enough to get to know each other, but always on your A-game. And finally, take a few moments to enjoy the experience and make a memory. A moment of silence in the car, a silent pause before you open the door to the building, a reflective moment after the day is done ... whatever helps you to best savor the moment.

Congrats on your II.
 
UCbanned said:
Know your primary application like the back of your hand. Be confident. Approach it like a first date; intimate enough to get to know each other, but always on your A-game. And finally, take a few moments to enjoy the experience and make a memory. A moment of silence in the car, a silent pause before you open the door to the building, a reflective moment after the day is done ... whatever helps you to best savor the moment.

Congrats on your II.
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Thank you for the poetic response! I'm a rather affluent conversationalist myself, so I appreciate responses that are more than "yeah boi! Lol wut?" that seems to permeate the internet.
 
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When I log in to my portal after I completed my secondary, it just says paperwork complete and the date, should it say something else?
 
UCbanned said:
I sense you're being facetious. If not, residency is determined at the time of your primary application. They offer some flexibility with regards to "Alabama residency." Let's just say that they consider residence on a regional basis as well
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Yes, I was very much joking around, hahaha.
 
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My primary got released to here recently. Is this school probably out of the question because of the late app?
 
PostModernMed said:
My primary got released to here recently. Is this school probably out of the question because of the late app?
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I guess it depends on what your stats are, as well as where you're from. I just registered for my interview yesterday and know that they have all of January and February open.
 
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PostModernMed said:
My primary got released to here recently. Is this school probably out of the question because of the late app?
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If you're a competitive applicant, no.
jbuc1081 said:
I guess it depends on what your stats are, as well as where you're from. I just registered for my interview yesterday and know that they have all of January and February open.
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Exactly what I was going to post.
 
jbuc1081 said:
I guess it depends on what your stats are, as well as where you're from. I just registered for my interview yesterday and know that they have all of January and February open.
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My stats are 3.9c, 3.9s, 27 MCAT and Texas resident.
 
PostModernMed said:
My stats are 3.9c, 3.9s, 27 MCAT and Texas resident.
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You should be great then, I have similar GPA's and a lower MCAT, so you should be fine. I had an extra letter of recommendation from a current student, which I'm sure helped me a lot, too.
 
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Can you submit extra letters of rec besides the 3 required?
 
Itsjustme3 said:
Can you submit extra letters of rec besides the 3 required?
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HandsomeRob said:
Yes, I sent 6 if I recall correctly. I seem to remember they request less than 7, but someone can clarify...
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When I asked Mr. Willis if there's a limit, he said, "There is nothing official but I would limit to 5 at the most. The Committee has limited time to read the references."
 
Itsjustme3 said:
Can you submit extra letters of rec besides the 3 required?
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From what I have been told, five is about the max. I sent the typical three (two teachers and a DO) but a current student or professor can write one for you and it really helps.
 
I got the secondary invite on July 17th and submitted July 21st. However my letters of recommendation were not in order so those did not get submitted till Aug 24th. Turns out one of my older letters did not have the correct letterhead and the professor did not teach at my Uni anymore so that was a pain to sort out. October 16th is when I got the updated letters in and I have not heard back since. I did contact them and they said they have received everything.

If they decide to not invite you for an interview do they just stay quiet or actually tell you you've been denied? My stats are pretty low 3.2c/3.02s/28MCAT however I am taking four science classes right now and I have straight As (one is a retake which is gonna go from a C to an A it looks like) but that won't be on my transcript till the end of the year obviously, too late I'm thinking to make any difference.
 
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abuzar1 said:
I got the secondary invite on July 17th and submitted July 21st. However my letters of recommendation were not in order so those did not get submitted till Aug 24th. Turns out one of my older letters did not have the correct letterhead and the professor did not teach at my Uni anymore so that was a pain to sort out. October 16th is when I got the updated letters in and I have not heard back since. I did contact them and they said they have received everything.

If they decide to not invite you for an interview do they just stay quiet or actually tell you you've been denied? My stats are pretty low 3.2c/3.02s/28MCAT however I am taking four science classes right now and I have straight As (one is a retake which is gonna go from a C to an A it looks like) but that won't be on my transcript till the end of the year obviously, too late I'm thinking to make any difference.
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If they decide to not invite you for an interview, they usually stay quiet until after the winter and then tell you "You are not on our list to invite for an interview at this time." At least that is what happened to me during last year's cycle.
 
abuzar1 said:
I got the secondary invite on July 17th and submitted July 21st. However my letters of recommendation were not in order so those did not get submitted till Aug 24th. Turns out one of my older letters did not have the correct letterhead and the professor did not teach at my Uni anymore so that was a pain to sort out. October 16th is when I got the updated letters in and I have not heard back since. I did contact them and they said they have received everything.

If they decide to not invite you for an interview do they just stay quiet or actually tell you you've been denied? My stats are pretty low 3.2c/3.02s/28MCAT however I am taking four science classes right now and I have straight As (one is a retake which is gonna go from a C to an A it looks like) but that won't be on my transcript till the end of the year obviously, too late I'm thinking to make any difference.
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Okay, so as I best understand it, they'll just stay quiet until the end of the cycle and just send out a letter when all the spots are filled. From what I've been told by the admissions department, they break their interview offers down in groups, from best overall to the least competitive; as I'm sure most could guess. My GPA's and extracurriculars were good, if not above average, but my MCAT was below average so I was part of the "second tier". Admissions committees are all busy and know what they're doing, but sometimes it gets hard on us to wait!
 
abuzar1 said:
I got the secondary invite on July 17th and submitted July 21st. However my letters of recommendation were not in order so those did not get submitted till Aug 24th. Turns out one of my older letters did not have the correct letterhead and the professor did not teach at my Uni anymore so that was a pain to sort out. October 16th is when I got the updated letters in and I have not heard back since. I did contact them and they said they have received everything.

If they decide to not invite you for an interview do they just stay quiet or actually tell you you've been denied? My stats are pretty low 3.2c/3.02s/28MCAT however I am taking four science classes right now and I have straight As (one is a retake which is gonna go from a C to an A it looks like) but that won't be on my transcript till the end of the year obviously, too late I'm thinking to make any difference.
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Same thing happened to me and I haven't heard back either.
 
xiaomeimei6 said:
If they decide to not invite you for an interview, they usually stay quiet until after the winter and then tell you "You are not on our list to invite for an interview at this time." At least that is what happened to me during last year's cycle.
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what were your stats?
 
abuzar1 said:
Lol then I'll be waiting for the "least competitive, party of one" invite :D
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I talked to admissions yesterday and it sounded like they were about to start another review of the applications. My MCAT is a little lower than yours but I have a higher GPA, I am still waiting as well.
 
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Just cancelled my interview...so that should open up a spot on 11/14! Good luck to you all :)
 
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Hey guys I plan on having my primary sent off within the next two weeks. Stats are 3.39 cgpa, 3.11 sgpa, 8PS/7VR/6BS with a planned retake Dec 6th this year. I'm an in state applicant from a rural area and a high interest in primary care. Any idea on if I'll even be competitive?
 
Bryant12 said:
Hey guys I plan on having my primary sent off within the next two weeks. Stats are 3.39 cgpa, 3.11 sgpa, 8PS/7VR/6BS with a planned retake Dec 6th this year. I'm an in state applicant from a rural area and a high interest in primary care. Any idea on if I'll even be competitive?
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I recommend going to the ACOM Open House next week. They have a nice presentation and they give a good breakdown of the numbers.I would talk to the admissions folks afterwards.

From a numbers standpoint you are noncompetitive. From what I have read, heard, and seen, you would need to score 26-27, and the rest of your app needs to be solid. They are committed to in-state applicants, but they are also realistic re: the GPAs and MCAT scores that predict success on the COMLEX exams. Sorry to break it to you like that.

Good luck on your MCAT.
 
Dylan4081 said:
I talked to admissions yesterday and it sounded like they were about to start another review of the applications. My MCAT is a little lower than yours but I have a higher GPA, I am still waiting as well.
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Nice. I finished my secondary 1 month ago but my composite LOR was just uploaded on Tuesday. Hoping for a call (in state, extremely competitive app ... but I want to be a DO, not an MD).
 
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