Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

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FutureD.O said:
Thanks for the quick response! I also don't have any research experience..
I am hoping for an II, I am going to pre-write the secondary and make sure to send it in the same day. Which region are you from? I am a ways out in the Midwest (Ohio).
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Yeah submit it ASAP it took me about 2 weeks after submitting secondary to get II!! Im from New York so I dont have ties from Alabama at all, so I think you will be good! Good Luck! Let me know how it turns out for u!
 
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spidey066 said:
I'm arriving Thursday morning so yeah I'd be down to explore town a bit and get food. What hotel you staying at?
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I'm staying at the one that a mile or so from the school. The one they gave info about on the pamphlet thing. Shoot me a PM.
 
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medialprefrontin said:
Not a con per se, but one thing that worries me is the lack of data on comlex & usmle performance from such a new school. They do reiterate that 3rd years are doing great and impressing in their rotations, but thats just a reservation I have, although the curriculum is built in such a way to maximize performance in those exams.
The pros greatly outweigh any cons. I am not from the region, it was a big change for me, but I have loved every minute of it so far. The students & faculty are extremely welcoming, approachable, and always willing to help. There's a great sense of camaraderie I have not seen elsewhere. Facilities are amazing, and I feel we are being given every tool and resource needed to succeed.
The practice comlex at the end of the semester seems like a pain in the ass now, bc its at the end of a very long week of exams for us, but I have heard from 2nd years currently studying for boards that it has helped them get a good sense of how the real exam is.
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They will eventually publish the results, however they are waiting for some students to take the test again. The initial results given by the Dean are that approximately 90% of the class passed. Apparently its the best test results at a first time DO school ever. A couple of students also scored in the high 600's which is rare.
 
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CoolCat53 said:
Thank you! I read through some of the earlier posts in the thread where students wrote their pros and cons about ACOM, I was wondering if you can give us yours, or just some information about the school that you think would benefit us students looking to attend ACOM. Also what is your take on taking a practice COMLEX at the end of each semester? Can you talk about that a little if you don't mind? Thank you :)
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Pros: The school and facilities really are amazing, the IT network is fantastic, you can access tons of literature online, they even have virtual copies of first aid and tons of other review resources. The staff and people are excessively friendly, the security guard literally greets 300+ people every morning with a hello. You get to do actual cadaver based dissections. Housing is really nice being so intimately close to the school which allows a nice community and learning environment. The school is very willing to change and adapt to better suit the students. I don't get the feeling that any of the senior staff are okay with mediocrity. The school will do everything in their power to ensure that you become a GOOD doctor, they will not let you pass by lazily, but if you are willing to work hard they will get you that title. Dr Alston and Dr Lyons are likely going to be two of the smartest people you will ever meet, they know literally everything you could ever ask about pathology and medical systems. Many of the MD and DO lecturers are superb teachers that have not only years of experience in practice but tons of passion for teaching the future generation of doctors. They have always been super approachable and friendly as well as humble and understanding regarding the difficulty of the medical school process. The Chair of the OPP department Dr Thompson is 1 of 3 people in the US that write questions for the comlex Osteopathic portions. I will argue until I am blue in the face that we have the best OPP faculty in the nation. Once again, they will literally do everything in their power to try and see you succeed. We have had at least 20 hours of lecture focused solely on how to effectively plan and study during medical school. You will have more patient learning experiences and interactions in your first semester than some students will have in their entire first 2 years.

Cons: Every new medical school has growing pains. They are still trying to figure out how to balance the attendance policy and manage the dress code. It seems in some instances that students can be treated like children... I'm older so I don't need administration to hold my hand through school, but some of the students here do and that can be a little frustrating for the rest of us. Some of the professors aren't really top notch lecturers, I think you have to expect this everywhere though. (However, I don't feel like I have ever been at a disadvantage learning the material, it has probably effected some of my understanding related to low yield resources though.) Academia doesn't always filter great teachers from great thinkers. Ultimately I believe the curriculum will become stronger given time, that is just a reality of the amount of material medical schools must cover.

I am a first year at ACOM so realize my opinions have been garnered over a grand total of 3 months of school.
 
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Leopardspirit said:
Pros: The school and facilities really are amazing, the IT network is fantastic, you can access tons of literature online, they even have virtual copies of first aid and tons of other review resources. The staff and people are excessively friendly, the security guard literally greets 300+ people every morning with a hello. You get to do actual cadaver based dissections. Housing is really nice being so intimately close to the school which allows a nice community and learning environment. The school is very willing to change and adapt to better suit the students. I don't get the feeling that any of the senior staff are okay with mediocrity. The school will do everything in their power to ensure that you become a GOOD doctor, they will not let you pass by lazily, but if you are willing to work hard they will get you that title. Dr Alston and Dr Lyons are likely going to be two of the smartest people you will ever meet, they know literally everything you could ever ask about pathology and medical systems. Many of the MD and DO lecturers are superb teachers that have not only years of experience in practice but tons of passion for teaching the future generation of doctors. They have always been super approachable and friendly as well as humble and understanding regarding the difficulty of the medical school process. The Chair of the OPP department Dr Thompson is 1 of 3 people in the US that write questions for the comlex Osteopathic portions. I will argue until I am blue in the face that we have the best OPP faculty in the nation. Once again, they will literally do everything in their power to try and see you succeed. We have had at least 20 hours of lecture focused solely on how to effectively plan and study during medical school. You will have more patient learning experiences and interactions in your first semester than some students will have in their entire first 2 years.

Cons: Every new medical school has growing pains. They are still trying to figure out how to balance the attendance policy and manage the dress code. It seems in some instances that students can be treated like children... I'm older so I don't need administration to hold my hand through school, but some of the students here do and that can be a little frustrating for the rest of us. Some of the professors aren't really top notch lecturers, I think you have to expect this everywhere though. (However, I don't feel like I have ever been at a disadvantage learning the material, it has probably effected some of my understanding related to low yield resources though.) Academia doesn't always filter great teachers from great thinkers. Ultimately I believe the curriculum will become stronger given time, that is just a reality of the amount of material medical schools must cover.

I am a first year at ACOM so realize my opinions have been garnered over a grand total of 3 months of school.
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Thank you so much that was a really helpful reply! I really loved the school and the atmosphere when I visited. I totally got the feeling that the faculty want to see you succeed which is extremely important in my opinion. Thanks again!
 
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This question is for current students and is more about living in Dothan and transitioning from a different environment:

I went to a large, urban university and have lived in a major metropolitan city for the past few years. I've never owned a car because everything is within walking distance in the city, and our public transport will basically take us anywhere we want to go. A myriad of shops and fooderies are open until 2am, and there are so many different places to eat/go/see. Obviously Dothan will be a very different experience, and even though I spent my childhood in the suburbs (where things close at 10pm and you need a car to get everywhere), I was hoping to get a sense of what it's like to live in Dothan and especially how people handled the transition from a big city to a small suburban-rural town.

This is in no way derogatory to Dothan or any other small town--I'm excited to experience something new! Just looking for any insight from people who have made a similar move :) Thanks in advance!
 
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I love the location of this school. My father and I worked down in Dothan for quite a while when I was younger, so this brings back some memories for me. I love Alabama, as well! I would be thrilled to interview here. Keep up the good work, people!
 
Philotic said:
This question is for current students and is more about living in Dothan and transitioning from a different environment:

I went to a large, urban university and have lived in a major metropolitan city for the past few years. I've never owned a car because everything is within walking distance in the city, and our public transport will basically take us anywhere we want to go. A myriad of shops and fooderies are open until 2am, and there are so many different places to eat/go/see. Obviously Dothan will be a very different experience, and even though I spent my childhood in the suburbs (where things close at 10pm and you need a car to get everywhere), I was hoping to get a sense of what it's like to live in Dothan and especially how people handled the transition from a big city to a small suburban-rural town.

This is in no way derogatory to Dothan or any other small town--I'm excited to experience something new! Just looking for any insight from people who have made a similar move :) Thanks in advance!
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I grew up in the suburbs and I went to university in a bigger city, but not as big as NYC, Boston, or LA where they have a fabulous public transportation city. To me, the transition to Dothan was not that bad and it has your basic necessities. You will need a car to drive around though. I thought Dothan was fine, just a bit below the suburban feel and definitely not as rural as I had imagined. However, a lot of restaurants close at like 9 or 10pm, and there are not that many different places to go eat or see. Culturally, it's kind of bland here, but I'm always too busy studying (or tired) to do much anyways, which is good because Dothan is not a big distracting city. If you want to go to the beach, Panama City is 1.5 hours away and Destin is 2 hours. Atlanta is about 3.5 hours away if you have a free weekend for adventures.
 
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xiaomeimei6 said:
I grew up in the suburbs and I went to university in a bigger city, but not as big as NYC, Boston, or LA where they have a fabulous public transportation city. To me, the transition to Dothan was not that bad and it has your basic necessities. You will need a car to drive around though. I thought Dothan was fine, just a bit below the suburban feel and definitely not as rural as I had imagined. However, a lot of restaurants close at like 9 or 10pm, and there are not that many different places to go eat or see. Culturally, it's kind of bland here, but I'm always too busy studying (or tired) to do much anyways, which is good because Dothan is not a big distracting city. If you want to go to the beach, Panama City is 1.5 hours away and Destin is 2 hours. Atlanta is about 3.5 hours away if you have a free weekend for adventures.
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Thank you very much for the insight! I appreciate it :)
 
Gosh, I really want to go here. I wonder what's the earliest to hear about waitlist movement...
 
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NBLogical said:
Too late to apply here? LizzyM <65
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I applied in February last year and still got in so not to late at all to apply. of course the sooner you apply the better your odds are at most schools since they tend to get more selective as the seats fill up so I wouldn't wait to long. I only applied so late because I retook the MCAT in January before the deadline so waited for the results in Feb before applying.
 
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It's been over a week since aacomas released my app and I still not have gotten a secondary. Is this normal? Do you screen extensively?
 
Jg1984 said:
It's been over a week since aacomas released my app and I still not have gotten a secondary. Is this normal? Do you screen extensively?
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It took them about 2 weeks to send me a secondary. Plus they're getting a lot of applicants now so it might take longer. Good luck!
 
If anyone is flying into Dothan on 10/29 around 5:30 pm feel free to contact me and we can split a cab.
 
Anyone still on Paperwork Complete?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
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Hello everyone! I am interviewing here next Friday & had a question about the interviews/my chances.
cGPA 3.37 sGPA 3.24 MCAT 27, I've been wait listed at ATSU-SOMA, and LECOM-Seton Hill. When I called & asked for feedback ATSU told me they had mainly academic concerns.

I think their academic concerns are most probably related to one semester where I had to medically withdraw & overall I have 3 W's on my transcript?

SO Should I try and address this in my interview? Even if I'm not asked about it specifically? Thanks so much!
 
mavikedi said:
Hello everyone! I am interviewing here next Friday & had a question about the interviews/my chances.
cGPA 3.37 sGPA 3.24 MCAT 27, I've been wait listed at ATSU-SOMA, and LECOM-Seton Hill. When I called & asked for feedback ATSU told me they had mainly academic concerns.

I think their academic concerns are most probably related to one semester where I had to medically withdraw & overall I have 3 W's on my transcript?

SO Should I try and address this in my interview? Even if I'm not asked about it specifically? Thanks so much!
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I loved my interview at ACOM! They knew my file pretty well and asked about things like that so I would think that they will likewise bring it up in yours.
 
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mavikedi said:
Hello everyone! I am interviewing here next Friday & had a question about the interviews/my chances.
cGPA 3.37 sGPA 3.24 MCAT 27, I've been wait listed at ATSU-SOMA, and LECOM-Seton Hill. When I called & asked for feedback ATSU told me they had mainly academic concerns.

I think their academic concerns are most probably related to one semester where I had to medically withdraw & overall I have 3 W's on my transcript?

SO Should I try and address this in my interview? Even if I'm not asked about it specifically? Thanks so much!
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whaaaaaa? I think your stats are fine. GPA is a little low but not bad. If they don't ask about it, don't bring it up.
 
mavikedi said:
Hello everyone! I am interviewing here next Friday & had a question about the interviews/my chances.
cGPA 3.37 sGPA 3.24 MCAT 27, I've been wait listed at ATSU-SOMA, and LECOM-Seton Hill. When I called & asked for feedback ATSU told me they had mainly academic concerns.

I think their academic concerns are most probably related to one semester where I had to medically withdraw & overall I have 3 W's on my transcript?

SO Should I try and address this in my interview? Even if I'm not asked about it specifically? Thanks so much!
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I was in the same boat as you, 3 "Ws" because of some unforeseen circumstances. I brought it up as challenges and obstacles I had in college but never went too much into. They looked over my transcript and knew what I was talking about, and said they were glad I was honest. So just be honest and try to not make it seem like you're brushing it off. But I don't see a point in mentioning it in details.

My scores were similar to you and was accepted 2 month ago so good luck!

PS. relax, confidence is a big thing. I spoke with Dr. Hayes after his speech and got super pumped before my interview, he was just so damn enthusiastic.
 
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huangqtang said:
I was in the same boat as you, 3 "Ws" because of some unforeseen circumstances. I brought it up as challenges and obstacles I had in college but never went too much into. They looked over my transcript and knew what I was talking about, and said they were glad I was honest. So just be honest and try to not make it seem like you're brushing it off. But I don't see a point in mentioning it in details.

My scores were similar to you and was accepted 2 month ago so good luck!

PS. relax, confidence is a big thing. I spoke with Dr. Hayes after his speech and got super pumped before my interview, he was just so damn enthusiastic.
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Thank you very much! I feel better now haha.

Do you think acknowledging it and maybe mentioning challenges with time management and then talk about how you've been working on time management skills would be a good way to approach it? Or is that going too much into it lol.

[Edit] I just got that book about med school interviews someone posted about in this thread so hopefully that will give me more tips to address it too XD
 
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mavikedi said:
Thank you very much! I feel better now haha.

Do you think acknowledging it and maybe mentioning challenges with time management and then talk about how you've been working on time management skills would be a good way to approach it? Or is that going too much into it lol.

[Edit] I just got that book about med school interviews someone posted about in this thread so hopefully that will give me more tips to address it too XD
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I think it's important to talk about what you walked away with. And be prepared to answer some ethical questions, I had to answer 5 during my interview, but it may be diff for you
 
Queeeezy said:
do you only get a log in if you get invited for an interview?
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I don't have an II but I have always had a log-in to check for my application status. And I can't login to check for my status at the moment. Sry for the confusion but I don't know why this is happening.
 
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So what's the deal with the pre-secondary screen? Does it signify a decent chance at an II or is it just cursory?
 
Navster said:
I don't have an II but I have always had a log-in to check for my application status. And I can't login to check for my status at the moment. Sry for the confusion but I don't know why this is happening.
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Email the school and let them know (politely of couse) that you have password issues. They will get you to the IT people who can reset it. Last year it happened to a bunch of us, what they told us was it was something about their system updating passwords every 90 days or so for prospective students. Not sure if that is what is happening to you but they are very fast and very nice about helping you with issues like that.
 
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Queeeezy said:
do you only get a log in if you get invited for an interview?
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No, I have not been offered an interview and can login. Your credential should have been mailed to you and you login via the URL in the secondary email.
 
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sizillyd said:
No, I have not been offered an interview and can login. Your credential should have been mailed to you and you login via the URL in the secondary email.
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I didn't receive any such information in my supplemental invite. Are you referring to the application and essay receipt email?
 
I've an upcoming interview on the 13th. But I have already been accepted to my #1 school.

However, I've already made plans to come down to Georgia and Alabama. Should I still go to the interview just for the experience? Or disregard it and just enjoy my mini vacation in Georgia?
 
The Best Psychiatrist said:
I've an upcoming interview on the 13th. But I have already been accepted to my #1 school.

However, I've already made plans to come down to Georgia and Alabama. Should I still go to the interview just for the experience? Or disregard it and just enjoy my mini vacation in Georgia?
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I've gotta ask if your #1 is actually a solid #1 or if you're just saying that for reasons unbeknownst to you. I can't think of any sane reason why someone would spend the time and money to attend an interview for "the experience".
 
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echo87 said:
I didn't receive any such information in my supplemental invite. Are you referring to the application and essay receipt email?
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I was in the same position as you. I received my login credentials about two weeks after I submitted my secondary. I would contact Robert Willis. He is our contact for issues like this. [email protected]
 
echo87 said:
I've gotta ask if your #1 is actually a solid #1 or if you're just saying that for reasons unbeknownst to you. I can't think of any sane reason why someone would spend the time and money to attend an interview for "the experience".
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#1 as in I've already paid my deposit and all that jazz.
I kinda like interviews. They're exciting haha. And I kinda wanna check out the campus. Plus, I've already made plans to be in the area.

I guess I am insane huh, lol. Although I did already confirm and make plans to interview with ACOM before I received my acceptance to my #1 school.
 
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The Best Psychiatrist said:
#1 as in I've already paid my deposit and all that jazz.
I kinda like interviews. They're exciting haha. And I kinda wanna check out the campus. Plus, I've already made plans to be in the area.

I guess I am insane huh, lol. Although I did already confirm and make plans to interview with ACOM before I received my acceptance to my #1 school.
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Hey it's your money. If you were still school shopping I could see the reason why you'd want to make the trip. Another angle to this is that you'd be taking up an interview slot that another hopeful could have ;)
 
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