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

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Dates disappear quickly! I will be interviewing December 4th! Super excited.
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OrdinaryDO said:
What are your travel plans? I am not sure if I should fly into Atlanta or drive 11 hours...not sure where to stay either.
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I only live about 5.5 hours away, so I will be driving down. I'm afraid I won't be helpful on where to stay, because I'll be staying with my best friend. She lives in Dothan. If you fly into Atlanta and rent a car, I have heard that is cheaper than a direct flight. Just be aware that Atlanta is an hour ahead of Dothan, so make sure you book a flight out accordingly. I have also heard that there is lodging really close to campus that's pretty cheap, and if you tell them you are with ACOM, you get a discount. I think it's a Best Western? Not sure. It was in some previous posts on this thread.
 
Holding out on buying a plane ticket for a couple of days. If anyone wants to drop a November 20th interview date, please shoot me a PM first. I'll snatch that bugger up.
 
SR: 10/30
SS: 10/30
But still not complete..
Just received the 3 emails for credentials.
How long until a decision is made?
 
OrdinaryDO said:
What are your travel plans? I am not sure if I should fly into Atlanta or drive 11 hours...not sure where to stay either.
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its been mentioned a few times but the thread is getting pretty long so ill throw them back up. 3 options for flying really.

#1 Atlanta. Definitely the cheapest, since this is the hub most other flights use to connect to Dothan.... but is a long drive for some at 4 hours. watch out for the return flight time because there is a 1 hr difference due to time zones between Atlanta and Dothan so you can cut it close if you try to fly out right after the interview.
#2 Panama City Beach in Florida. this is what I did, middle price option even with a rental car, but a shorter drive than Atlanta at only 1 hr 20 min. You can spend some time by the beach if you plan flight right.
#3 Dothan airport. convenient, but crazy expensive.

I think when I priced flights last year it was short notice (like 3 or 4 days out due to short notice for interview), but it was like 900 for Dothan, 500 for panama city, and 350 for Atlanta. of course buying in advance etc or peak days can change the price a bunch, and those were last years prices... I have heard other people use other Florida airports as well to get good prices.

Weigh your budget vs. stress and time. doesn't do you any good to save a hundred if your stressed or tired from a long drive, but if travel doesn't bother you saving money is nice of course.
 
Do you guys know where to check for your status online? I'm having trouble navigating the myacom.edu website
 
Hey guys, I have a quick question. I have 5 LORs from 1 MD, 1 DO, 1 Chem II professor, Calc I professor, and 1 Human physiology professor.

My question is do I meet the LOR requirements? I submitted my secondary the same day I got it but am now worrying about meeting the LOR requirements. Would Physiology count towards my science letter? There is no way I'd be able to get another letter this late in the game..
 
FutureD.O said:
Hey guys, I have a quick question. I have 5 LORs from 1 MD, 1 DO, 1 Chem II professor, Calc I professor, and 1 Human physiology professor.

My question is do I meet the LOR requirements? I submitted my secondary the same day I got it but am now worrying about meeting the LOR requirements. Would Physiology count towards my science letter? There is no way I'd be able to get another letter this late in the game..
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I used a letter from a physio teacher, but I called to confirm that it was OK before submitting. I'm sure you will be fine, but you could always call to ask/give them a heads up. Good Luck!
 
OrdinaryDO said:
What are your travel plans? I am not sure if I should fly into Atlanta or drive 11 hours...not sure where to stay either.
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I am most likely driving the 8 hours there since flights are so expensive. For hotels, the interview booklet lists some that are close to the school so I'm checking those out for the best deal.
 
Amino123 said:
I am most likely driving the 8 hours there since flights are so expensive. For hotels, the interview booklet lists some that are close to the school so I'm checking those out for the best deal.
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Before you book a hotel, make sure to check out AirBnB. When I interviewed at LMU-DCOM, I stayed at someone's place for $25 a night! It saved a ton of money if you are on a tight budget.
 
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Has anyone been rejected pre-interview yet? (Post paperwork complete status)?

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Anyone else interviewing this Friday?? I'm super nervous, but also excited! :)
 
Singing315 said:
Anyone else interviewing this Friday?? I'm super nervous, but also excited! :)
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I interviewed already but just some advice: don't be nervous at all, they're very laid back and just want to get to know you. Anyways it's an awesome school so be excited and try not to be too nervous! Being a little nervous is inevitable but you have nothing to worry about. Best of luck


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CoolCat53 said:
I interviewed already but just some advice: don't be nervous at all, they're very laid back and just want to get to know you. Anyways it's an awesome school so be excited and try not to be too nervous! Being a little nervous is inevitable but you have nothing to worry about. Best of luck


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It's my first ever med school interview so I think some nerves are coming from that. I'm going to stay positive and enjoy the process. Thanks for the advice!!! :)
 
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I'm interviewing on December 4th!
Edit: I am now on Nov 20th
 
Last edited:
Withdrew my interview for Nov. the 13th. It's up for grabs. Last one standing in a free-for-all fight-to-the-death match gets it.

--On a real note, good luck to all those who interview! This school seems promising, but I've already committed myself to another institution! PEACE.
 
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What's the general turnaround time here?
SR: 10/30 SS: 10/30
Checked the status/portal today and it says "Paperwork Complete / 11/5/2015". I'm assuming I'll get a complete email soon and hopefully be sent off for review soon.
Seems like its 3-5 weeks for an II after this?
 
Took me 3 weeks from receiving the complete email to get an II.
 
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Are there any current students on here who could talk about the rotation sites? When I interviewed here since I'm not from the area I had obviously never heard of any of those hospitals. Are they busy hospitals where you would see a lot of patients and be able to see a wide variety of patients & do a lot of procedures? Could any 3rd years talk about if they feel they have good teachers at their clinical sites? (sorry if this has been asked before)
 
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I've been complete since 10/8 and still haven't heard anything. Hopefully something this coming week
 
Interviewed here today! I was so impressed with the building, staff, and students. Staff is dedicated to the students and students seem very happy and satisfied with their education. I would be honored to receive an acceptance from here!
 
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annielover said:
Are there any current students on here who could talk about the rotation sites? When I interviewed here since I'm not from the area I had obviously never heard of any of those hospitals. Are they busy hospitals where you would see a lot of patients and be able to see a wide variety of patients & do a lot of procedures? Could any 3rd years talk about if they feel they have good teachers at their clinical sites? (sorry if this has been asked before)
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We had our clinical fair today actually. There are currently 22 core rotation sites from Florence, AL in the north to Tallahassee in the south. There are hospitals that have 600+ beds and some that have <20. You will have anything and everything you could want at one of the sites and if you don't find it they will do everything to make sure you get it. There are other classmates on here that can comment on sites more intelligently than I can because they have been doing their research but I do know that AMEC (the clinical agreements before ACOM was built) has been going for the last 10 years and has been successful. The commitment to our education is very exciting. I am from Alabama and thought I knew exactly where I wanted to go for my rotations but after today there are so many good options I don't even know any more.
 
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hiijakd said:
We had our clinical fair today actually. There are currently 22 core rotation sites from Florence, AL in the north to Tallahassee in the south. There are hospitals that have 600+ beds and some that have <20. You will have anything and everything you could want at one of the sites and if you don't find it they will do everything to make sure you get it. There are other classmates on here that can comment on sites more intelligently than I can because they have been doing their research but I do know that AMEC (the clinical agreements before ACOM was built) has been going for the last 10 years and has been successful. The commitment to our education is very exciting. I am from Alabama and thought I knew exactly where I wanted to go for my rotations but after today there are so many good options I don't even know any more.
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Thank you so much for the info! Yes I think it's very good that they had that AMEC program because their sites are well established
 
hiijakd said:
We had our clinical fair today actually. There are currently 22 core rotation sites from Florence, AL in the north to Tallahassee in the south. There are hospitals that have 600+ beds and some that have <20. You will have anything and everything you could want at one of the sites and if you don't find it they will do everything to make sure you get it. There are other classmates on here that can comment on sites more intelligently than I can because they have been doing their research but I do know that AMEC (the clinical agreements before ACOM was built) has been going for the last 10 years and has been successful. The commitment to our education is very exciting. I am from Alabama and thought I knew exactly where I wanted to go for my rotations but after today there are so many good options I don't even know any more.
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Do rotation sites have residencies?
 
Most likely giving up my II here. I wanted to check it out, but my money is going to be an issue and since I have an acceptance I'm not sure if I should go. Is there anyone on here that can provide me with their experience that made them feel like "wow, this is why ACOM is the best choice for me."? Honestly, I think Dothan is located in a superb spot compared to many other schools, but I'm not sure I like rain so much as to want to endure it numerous times a year. That's not the real issue though, I feel like ACOM doesn't have a whole lot to offer (please, prove me wrong, that is why I am here). I believe ACOM is located on a hospital campus, which would seem nice at first, but I don't know if I would want that. I'm not sure, but I don't think ACOM has any direct affiliation with a major University (maybe some connection with Troy?), but either way they aren't located on a university campus so I could imagine their research is limited. Alabama also has 2 other major universities as well as a medical school in Auburn and an allopathic medical school. Seems like a lot of competition for one state? Any input?
 
OrdinaryDO said:
Most likely giving up my II here. I wanted to check it out, but my money is going to be an issue and since I have an acceptance I'm not sure if I should go. Is there anyone on here that can provide me with their experience that made them feel like "wow, this is why ACOM is the best choice for me."? Honestly, I think Dothan is located in a superb spot compared to many other schools, but I'm not sure I like rain so much as to want to endure it numerous times a year. That's not the real issue though, I feel like ACOM doesn't have a whole lot to offer (please, prove me wrong, that is why I am here). I believe ACOM is located on a hospital campus, which would seem nice at first, but I don't know if I would want that. I'm not sure, but I don't think ACOM has any direct affiliation with a major University (maybe some connection with Troy?), but either way they aren't located on a university campus so I could imagine their research is limited. Alabama also has 2 other major universities as well as a medical school in Auburn and an allopathic medical school. Seems like a lot of competition for one state? Any input?
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What's your other choice(s)?
 
OrdinaryDO said:
Most likely giving up my II here. I wanted to check it out, but my money is going to be an issue and since I have an acceptance I'm not sure if I should go. Is there anyone on here that can provide me with their experience that made them feel like "wow, this is why ACOM is the best choice for me."? Honestly, I think Dothan is located in a superb spot compared to many other schools, but I'm not sure I like rain so much as to want to endure it numerous times a year. That's not the real issue though, I feel like ACOM doesn't have a whole lot to offer (please, prove me wrong, that is why I am here). I believe ACOM is located on a hospital campus, which would seem nice at first, but I don't know if I would want that. I'm not sure, but I don't think ACOM has any direct affiliation with a major University (maybe some connection with Troy?), but either way they aren't located on a university campus so I could imagine their research is limited. Alabama also has 2 other major universities as well as a medical school in Auburn and an allopathic medical school. Seems like a lot of competition for one state? Any input?
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I think ACOM out of all the places i interviewed (CUSOM, LECOM-SH, LECOM-Bradenton, NYIT), had the most to offer. I really saw that the faculty cared the most, their rotation sites are well established, a lot of board prep, they pay for your COMLEX exam, free laptop, and a very supportive staff. The facilities are top notch too, the cadaver lab, and the sim as well. I was very impressed, and was very happy to get an acceptance. I dont know if I will go their but it is definitely one of my top choices!!
 
crazyboi1993 said:
I think ACOM out of all the places i interviewed (CUSOM, LECOM-SH, LECOM-Bradenton, NYIT), had the most to offer. I really saw that the faculty cared the most, their rotation sites are well established, a lot of board prep, they pay for your COMLEX exam, free laptop, and a very supportive staff. The facilities are top notch too, the cadaver lab, and the sim as well. I was very impressed, and was very happy to get an acceptance. I dont know if I will go their but it is definitely one of my top choices!!
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Yeah, not to negate the fact that the faculty are nice, but I feel like the majority of medical school faculty are going to be nice no supportive with the exception of the outliers. The laptop thing is neat, but a lot of schools do that as well. Did you feel like their curriculum was better than other places? As far as their rotation sites, what makes them good?
 
OrdinaryDO said:
Yeah, not to negate the fact that the faculty are nice, but I feel like the majority of medical school faculty are going to be nice no supportive with the exception of the outliers. The laptop thing is neat, but a lot of schools do that as well. Did you feel like their curriculum was better than other places? As far as their rotation sites, what makes them good?
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I interviewed at LECOM-Seton Hill, and the faculty really seemed like they didn't care. ACOM was the complete opposite of that experience.

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I only care whether ACOM's rotation sites are with teaching hospitals that have residencies... Where can I get this info?
 
OrdinaryDO said:
Yeah, not to negate the fact that the faculty are nice, but I feel like the majority of medical school faculty are going to be nice no supportive with the exception of the outliers. The laptop thing is neat, but a lot of schools do that as well. Did you feel like their curriculum was better than other places? As far as their rotation sites, what makes them good?
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I interviewed here and was extremely impressed with their curriculum. They have early clinical exposure (first semester) where you interact with trained patient actors, you do almost all of the dissections yourself in anatomy lab, and they include interprofessional education (nurses, EMT, hospice). They allow a lot of flexibility in the 4th year to tailor your rotations to fit your needs and interests. They allow you to select 9 electives/selective rotations having only emergency medicine as mandatory. As far as the SIMS lab is concerned, I have seen other schools have a bigger lab (VCOM, WVSOM). ACOM has 80% mandatory attendance (not sure if this is ONLY lectures) and incorporate not only lectures (which are video and audio recorded for later review) but include small group activities as well. If you are someone who likes to have both types of learning options available to you, this curriculum will fit you well. Also, Dr. Hayes is EXTREMELY passionate about the utilization of OMM and the importance of every student really taking the time to invest in the craft. If any of these things that I listed are of high importance to you and something you are personally looking for in a school, I HIGHLY recommend doing your very best during the interview because you will want to be a part of the ACOM family. (Sorry for the book response! lol)
 
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staffcat said:
Do rotation sites have residencies?
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I would email Linda Goodson. She can either answer it directly or steer you towards the correct information. She knows a lot about the history of the school, including those rotation sites. I would start with her as a resource.
 
SOOyC52H1Sof said:
I interviewed at LECOM-Seton Hill, and the faculty really seemed like they didn't care. ACOM was the complete opposite of that experience.

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Like I said, there are exceptions to having not so friendly faculty. Thanks for all of the input, everyone, but I just don't see the benefit of this school over the one I have been accepted at, therefore I am probably giving up my interview slot. It sounds like a fantastic school, but nothing sticks out to me that would make me want to invest hard earned money when I already have an acceptance from a school I have grown to love. I really wish I had the extra money, though, because this is a university that I really wanted to check out first hand and see what it was all about in person. I may just push my interview back a month or two until after my finals are over and then go interview and see if I change my mind.
 
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OrdinaryDO said:
Like I said, there are exceptions to having not so friendly faculty. Thanks for all of the input, everyone, but I just don't see the benefit of this school over the one I have been accepted at, therefore I am probably giving up my interview slot. It sounds like a fantastic school, but nothing sticks out to me that would make me want to invest hard earned money when I already have an acceptance from a school I have grown to love. I really wish I had the extra money, though, because this is a university that I really wanted to check out first hand and see what it was all about in person. I may just push my interview back a month or two until after my finals are over and then go interview and see if I change my mind.
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I agree with your decision. If you've already been accepted to a school that you like, I don't think wasting your money to interview elsewhere is worth while. Every school is gonna have its pros and cons and at the end of the day, it's really up to you to make the most out of it wherever you end up going. You're gonna be a doctor and that's what matters at the end, so congrats on that!! :)

This might be too late but to answer some of your questions, ACOM is not on a hospital campus, we are just affiliated with the hospital. We are at our own campus and area about a mile down from the hospital. We are not affiliated with any large universities but doesn't mean we won't have research opportunities. A lot of our students did research with other physicians in town and they are in the process of building a brand new research facility at ACOM, with the opening date around August 2016. So that will allow more research to be done.

As for competition for rotation sites, ACOM has set up currently 22 different sites all around Alabama and some in Florida that are mostly specifically for ACOM students. There was a clerkship fair yesterday for the 2nd year class and many of these rotation sites came to ACOM to talk about each of their hospitals and what they had to offer. From my understanding, a lot of these rotation sites are only accepting ACOM students and none from the other schools in Alabama, so not much competition in my opinion.
 
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OrdinaryDO said:
Like I said, there are exceptions to having not so friendly faculty. Thanks for all of the input, everyone, but I just don't see the benefit of this school over the one I have been accepted at, therefore I am probably giving up my interview slot. It sounds like a fantastic school, but nothing sticks out to me that would make me want to invest hard earned money when I already have an acceptance from a school I have grown to love. I really wish I had the extra money, though, because this is a university that I really wanted to check out first hand and see what it was all about in person. I may just push my interview back a month or two until after my finals are over and then go interview and see if I change my mind.
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Don't think you'll change your mind. You seem pretty set so I'd rather save that money for school or go on a small trip or something.
See: cognitive dissonance
 
staffcat said:
Do rotation sites have residencies?
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Yes, many of them do. Our clerkship fair was on Friday and I was blown away by the quality of every site! There is everything from rural medicine in small towns to teaching hospitals in Birmingham, Mobile, and Montgomery. Realize that you can also travel to other sites very easily for your selective/elective rotations in 3rd and 4th year, ACOM is very accommodating with creating the educational experience tailored to each students medical goals. In 4th year you have plenty of electives scheduled for audition rotations also. As for exact residencies, below is the website where you can look up any residency and then you can match it to the areas around AL, as ACOM has pretty much the whole state covered with available sites, or will help you visit a place you are interested in. Good luck!

https://services.aamc.org/eras/erasstats/par/index.cfm
 
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Anyone know how to check your status after submitting the secondary?
 
I wasn't emailed any credentials, only secondary and secondary received emails..
 
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