Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

[bdh2828]

sent all my acceptance ish today

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[Dr. Adamantium]

Honestly. Relax. they know your scores and stats. So don't worry about that. The interview is not a trick. they're not asking you complex ethical questions and judging you for every nuance in your response. They want to get to know YOU. Thats not something you rehearse, you just walk in and do you.

so. ya. Just do you. It'll be fine. Best wishes.

I just read through my personal statement, secondary and about the school. Honestly I don't know how else I can prepare for this. I don't mean to be rude, but are you saying you went in without preparing at all?

 

[Saf1]

For people that did the interview, what's the format? Is there MMI? Ethical questions? File Review?

 

[YorkH]

For people that did the interview, what's the format? Is there MMI? Ethical questions? File Review?

Thankfully, no MMI. It's a very laidback and conversational interview, and it is open-file.

 

[Rajayray2019]

I just read through my personal statement, secondary and about the school. Honestly I don't know how else I can prepare for this. I don't mean to be rude, but are you saying you went in without preparing at all?

In all honesty, I have never actively prepared for a Job or Medical School interview in any way other than glancing over my essay responses. There is the obvious factors of knowing a little about the area and/or field you're going into. But...most of the time when people think interview prep for medical school, they're freaking about EXACT questions. "What was your worst grade" "What would you do in this highly unlikely but ethically challenging medical scenario" "What do you feel about blah blah blah" If I prep...it feels fake. At the end of the day, that is the LAST thing I want to come off as. It's not an interrogation, it's a conversation. You shouldn't have to prep yourself for being yourself...you just do that naturally.

Everyone is different. But...that approach has served me very well in the corporate market, and is serving me very well this application cycle.

 

[Giovanotto]

Nevermind

 

[Rajayray2019]

Thankfully, no MMI. It's a very laidback and conversational interview, and it is open-file.

I kind of want to try an MMI just to see how it goes.

 

[Saf1]

I kind of want to try an MMI just to see how it goes.

Is it fun to do? Sure. Do you want it to determine your acceptance? I wouldn't.

You'll get more than enough of it in med school and during your CS board exam.

 

[Calutah]

For those who visited, how were the facilities? What did you think of the faculty? Did they seem open and excited to be there?

 

[kram4521]

For those who visited, how were the facilities? What did you think of the faculty? Did they seem open and excited to be there?

NMSU is nice, The BCOM building is still being built. The faculty is very excited about being there, and they plan on trying new ways of teaching, which sounded interesting to me. What stood out to me was how straightforward and honest the dean was. He was willing to talk about any of the volatile topics and was really friendly to chat with. With that being said, I got rejected post-interview, but it was awesome getting the decision same day, and they were really quick to offer feedback when I requested it; and it was very honest feedback, which was great instead of the "sorry, everyone else was more competitive" rhetoric. Overall, I think this school is going to do great. The private loans are only for the first two years and I believe the state of NM has some sort of loan program, according to a brochure I received.

 

[lyana]

NMSU is nice, The BCOM building is still being built. The faculty is very excited about being there, and they plan on trying new ways of teaching, which sounded interesting to me. What stood out to me was how straightforward and honest the dean was. He was willing to talk about any of the volatile topics and was really friendly to chat with. With that being said, I got rejected post-interview, but it was awesome getting the decision same day, and they were really quick to offer feedback when I requested it; and it was very honest feedback, which was great instead of the "sorry, everyone else was more competitive" rhetoric. Overall, I think this school is going to do great. The private loans are only for the first two years and I believe the state of NM has some sort of loan program, according to a brochure I received.

why were you rejected, if you don't mind sharing?

 

[DrPatriot]

I will be declining my interview here because I was just accepted to my dream school. Hope it goes to one of you!

 

[TexasMedic15]

I will be declining my interview here because I was just accepted to my dream school. Hope it goes to one of you!

Congrats on the achievement! That's really awesome!

 

[premed4097]

Anyone else interviewing on the 1st?

 

[SDA122]

I'm concerned about finances for this school. I'm not too familiar with how private loans work. I don't have anyone who could co-sign for me in the US (I am a citizen though). Is there a way of getting around the co-signing? I've had a credit card for a year, and I have great credit on that...but I don't know if that is enough for loan eligibility. Also, how much more do you think taking out private loans might cost me relative to federal? thanks for any help on this.

 

[mathnerd88]

I'm concerned about finances for this school. I'm not too familiar with how private loans work. I don't have anyone who could co-sign for me in the US (I am a citizen though). Is there a way of getting around the co-signing? I've had a credit card for a year, and I have great credit on that...but I don't know if that is enough for loan eligibility. Also, how much more do you think taking out private loans might cost me relative to federal? thanks for any help on this.

A lot more. Interest rate kicks in from the beginning vs. Federal which would defer you until after you graduate.

Most likely you'll need a cosigner if you don't have a long enough credit history. Have your family member cosign or someone you are close with.

 

[tdc]

@mathnerd88 I think it can actually be comparable. Interest kicks in for both at the beginning, since medical students are not eligible for subsidized federal loans. You defer payment for both until after graduating. My sister was able to get a private loan without a cosigner. When you're in pharmacy/medical/dental school, you are treated a lot differently than in undergrad or a different graduate program. She did not have a long credit history, but she did have a good score which helped (she just made sure to pay her credit card bills).

Please also see @Stephanopolous post on pg. 24, #1171 for more information about the financial situation.

 

[Stephanopolous]

A lot more. Interest rate kicks in from the beginning vs. Federal which would defer you until after you graduate.

Most likely you'll need a cosigner if you don't have a long enough credit history. Have your family member cosign or someone you are close with.

@SDA122

This is not true. I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, but I've done a lot of research on this because I also have to make this decision as I was accepted here and to another school. Here's the low down:

The government offers three types of loans, they go best to worst in that order.

Subsidized- many people have maxed this amount out, it's the best type of loan because the government pays the interest for you while you are in school. Once you're done, you start paying the interest and principle with your payments. The max is somewhere around 23K (edit: med students are not eligible for these loans).

Unsubsidized- Interest accrues while you are in school. You can make payments on the interest only, while in school, so that you don't end up capitalizing on your loan amount. What I mean is, if you don't pay the interest, the loan amount grows, and then you end up paying more because interest is a percentage of the total, get it? I believe the max here is around 60K but don't quote me on that.

Private- Rates depend heavily on your credit history and the lender. Having a co-signer definitely helps, especially if your credit is so-so. Look at the website for Burrell and they give you a shopping tool to compare lenders/rates, which also lets you look at the terms. The old adage that if you die the loan gets stuck with your family is no longer true for all lenders. There is NO IBR (income based repayment) available but some lenders DO ALLOW deferment for residency. During that time you could always just pay the interest, again, to prevent capitalization.

Sources:
http://www.myfedloan.org/help-center/faq/interest-faq.shtml
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized#how-much

Our military friends don't have this issue, hey they put their lives on the line so they should get free tuition. It's a path that I'm seriously considering because in my heart Burrell is where I want to be, but making a decision and not knowing what interest rate I'll end up with (until next year when I borrow) freaks me out.



It's a HUGE decision. Do the research on your own to get your facts. As helpful as this site can be, it equates with unhelpful or incorrect information. You don't want to base a decision that will affect the rest of your life on wrong info.

 

[Stephanopolous]

I will add an interesting piece to this, after we overcome the hurdle of medical school, clerkships, residency, etc, there are many programs available for loan repayment/refi/etc etc etc

https://www.sofi.com/refinance-student-loan/

Say for instance- my current employer is a leading physician staffing group. They are offering their physicians refi through a select lender which drops their percentage rate 1-2% from what it is now. All that's required is the doc sign up for a checking account through the lender.

Also- scholarships, any little bit can help and so looking into this would be a smart idea.

Keep in mind that the government CHARGES a loan "servicing" fee in order to "create" your loan. I would do the math on that and see how much it adds. The web sites I referenced tell you the fees, for the grad plus they're pretty high. So multiply your loan amount times that percentage and add that on for all the hard work they have to do lending you the money, lol. Many private loans I've looked at do not charge an origination fee (wells fargo).

I would refer you to a chart on one of those sites I referenced that compares and contrasts (a chart is a great tool for this) but I found that some of the info on there is outdated/incorrect.

 

[68PGunner]

Don't do HPSP if your sole reason is the financial cost of medical school.

 

[tdc]

It's worth noting that for those with some current loans from undergraduate/graduate school, you can easily hit the cap for federal loans so you might be taking out private loans anyways. I believe the cap is approx. 225k? Even if you have zero current loans, if your program's tuition and living expenses (take into consideration to the total cost of attendance) is over ~56k/yr, then you would be hitting that cap anyways and you might need to take out private loans. I don't know about you guys, but I applied to a lot of osteopathic program and very few are under that 56k/yr total cost of attendance. Please correct me if I'm wrong about this whole thing.

 

[Stephanopolous]

It's worth noting that for those with some current loans from undergraduate/graduate school, you can easily hit the cap for federal loans so you might be taking out private loans anyways. I believe the cap is approx. 225k? Even if you have zero current loans, if your program's tuition and living expenses (take into consideration to the total cost of attendance) is over ~56k/yr, then you would be hitting that cap anyways and you might need to take out private loans. I don't know about you guys, but I applied to a lot of osteopathic program and the very few are under that 56k/yr cost of attendance. Please correct me if I'm wrong about this whole thing.

Great point and you're absolutely right.

 

[reenbean11]

Did anyone bring friends or family members to the interview? I am flying there with someone and was wondering if they are allowed to just chill at the school or something while I am being interviewed.

 

[Saf1]

They certainly could hang out around the NMSU campus. It's huge and there are lots of places to eat.

The building for BCOM itself is still under construction so they wouldn't be there, but then no one would.

 

[BlueSlurpee]

Did anyone bring friends or family members to the interview? I am flying there with someone and was wondering if they are allowed to just chill at the school or something while I am being interviewed.

Spend the day with your friends and family before the interview. Go explore the city with them to get your mind off of things, have them drive you to the interview. But DO NOT actually take them with you to the interview.

edit: Send them to lunch in the town.

 

[Pancakes N Bacon]

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[lyana]

Did anyone bring friends or family members to the interview? I am flying there with someone and was wondering if they are allowed to just chill at the school or something while I am being interviewed.

GO visit white sands and many trails around Las Cruces, but leave your relatives at the hotel during your interview.

 

[Stephanopolous]

Did anyone bring friends or family members to the interview? I am flying there with someone and was wondering if they are allowed to just chill at the school or something while I am being interviewed.

During my presentation they offered to let family or spouses come for the presentation portion only. I thought that was a very considerate gesture.

I will edit and say that I wouldn't have taken them up on it. I feel like this is just something you have to do on your own. Also, it could deter you from getting to know the other interviewees, your potential future classmates.

 

[bikewolf2]

Hey guys, I'm hoping someone can answer this question! I have an MD letter, and am awaiting my DO letter, will BCOM still process my app or only after receiving the DO letter? Thank you!!!

 

[RurouniKarly]

Our military friends don't have this issue, hey they put their lives on the line so they should get free tuition. It's a path that I'm seriously considering because in my heart Burrell is where I want to be, but making a decision and not knowing what interest rate I'll end up with (until next year when I borrow) freaks me out.

I was strongly considering going the military route until I talked to a doctor in my hospital who did it. His advise was that the program isn't worth it unless your primary motivation is that you want to work in the military. He said that because you are required to do your residency within the military if they have the program, you can end up getting placed in a specialty that wasn't your first choice. He told me that the military will give you one of their standard dream sheets where you rank your specialty preferences, and they will place you wherever they need you within that list. He himself was able to get the residency he wanted, but he had a friend who was also doing the program who REALLY wanted to do Emergency Medicine, but ranked Surgery as a second choice. He was placed in a surgical residency and had to spend a year in that residency before breaking his contract and moving to an EM residency elsewhere. However, he still owed his years of service to the military and there were other penalties. So, in short, I was strongly advised to avoid the military program if all I wanted was the tuition money and stipend.

 

[YorkH]

Hey guys, I'm hoping someone can answer this question! I have an MD letter, and am awaiting my DO letter, will BCOM still process my app or only after receiving the DO letter? Thank you!!!

Only after they receive the DO. They'll read the MD letter, but it won't waive the DO requirement.

 

[TexasMedic15]

Only after they receive the DO. They'll read the MD letter, but it won't waive the DO requirement.

I'm not sure if that's actually true. My DO letter isn't submitted yet. My osteopathic physician is still writing it. I've submitted my MD letter though already through AACOMAS and I received a II just over a week ago. I've read about this happening earlier to someone else in this thread. I can't remember what the stipulation was exactly, but you do need to have a DO letter for sure before you can matriculate. Hope this helps.

 

[toothstuff]

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[toothstuff]

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[toothstuff]

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[TexasMedic15]

When did you submit your primary application? And how long after did you get your secondaries?

I can't remember the dates exactly. I believe I submitted my secondary around the 12th and heard back about an interview on the 25th. Almost two weeks.

And I wouldn't worry about them running out of seats just yet. Obviously I can't speak for the school, but it is still very very early in the cycle. I am sure they'll still be interviewing through the Spring. While you're waiting to get verified and before you receive the secondary, focus as much time as possible on pre-writing; not just for this school but for every other school on your list as well. The quicker you submit your secondaries the better your chances are of getting a II. I submitted most of mine within two business days of receiving them, with the exception of BCOM since I was focused on my MCAT. Don't use this as an excuse to rush your essays though. Make sure they're very solid before you hit the submit button.

 

[mj1988]

@SDA122

This is not true. I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, but I've done a lot of research on this because I also have to make this decision as I was accepted here and to another school.

Our military friends don't have this issue, hey they put their lives on the line so they should get free tuition. It's a path that I'm seriously considering because in my heart Burrell is where I want to be, but making a decision and not knowing what interest rate I'll end up with (until next year when I borrow) freaks me out.

It's a HUGE decision. Do the research on your own to get your facts. As helpful as this site can be, it equates with unhelpful or incorrect information. You don't want to base a decision that will affect the rest of your life on wrong info.

I was strongly considering going the military route until I talked to a doctor in my hospital who did it. His advise was that the program isn't worth it unless your primary motivation is that you want to work in the military. He said that because you are required to do your residency within the military if they have the program, you can end up getting placed in a specialty that wasn't your first choice. He told me that the military will give you one of their standard dream sheets where you rank your specialty preferences, and they will place you wherever they need you within that list. He himself was able to get the residency he wanted, but he had a friend who was also doing the program who REALLY wanted to do Emergency Medicine, but ranked Surgery as a second choice. He was placed in a surgical residency and had to spend a year in that residency before breaking his contract and moving to an EM residency elsewhere. However, he still owed his years of service to the military and there were other penalties. So, in short, I was strongly advised to avoid the military program if all I wanted was the tuition money and stipend.

As someone who has purposely gone to presentations for HPSP to see if I could be convinced into being recruited in the past and still not ever entirely sold on the subject, I would agree with not doing HPSP unless you really want a military life. Also, if you are on the fence but want your pick of residencies over ones assigned to you as open slots in the military finish school first and await residency for FAP that way you can have your pick of civilian residencies and then pay back for every year of residency you borrow for - in 4 years your plans may change or you may be in an entirely different place in what you want for yourself (family, primary care vs. hard to get specialty, etc. and you'll also be much more aware of what types of loan payback programs are available to you as a medical graduate). so unless you really are worried about the short term costs or are gung ho military with tradeoffs of limited residency slots/not going for competitive residencies, I would wait on the HPSP and consider FAP. see military medicine forums for more info on both to get best views on this route for yourself. fyi i haven't completely ruled out HPSP for myself either but there are options - female EM hopeful perspective

 

[FloresMD]

For those that already sent in their deposit, how long did it take BCOM to notify you that they had received your payment?

 

[Giovanotto]

Did you hear from them after your interview?

yup

 

[Giovanotto]

Anyone run into any problems paying via Credit Card? (for the deposit)

 

[drsmpc]

For those that already sent in their deposit, how long did it take BCOM to notify you that they had received your payment?

Took about a week and a half for me.

 

[Rajayray2019]

Ya they had some problems here and there, but they're super easy to work with.

Anyone run into any problems paying via Credit Card? (for the deposit)

 

[68PGunner]

As someone who has purposely gone to presentations for HPSP to see if I could be convinced into being recruited in the past and still not ever entirely sold on the subject, I would agree with not doing HPSP unless you really want a military life. Also, if you are on the fence but want your pick of residencies over ones assigned to you as open slots in the military finish school first and await residency for FAP that way you can have your pick of civilian residencies and then pay back for every year of residency you borrow for - in 4 years your plans may change or you may be in an entirely different place in what you want for yourself (family, primary care vs. hard to get specialty, etc. and you'll also be much more aware of what types of loan payback programs are available to you as a medical graduate). so unless you really are worried about the short term costs or are gung ho military with tradeoffs of limited residency slots/not going for competitive residencies, I would wait on the HPSP and consider FAP. see military medicine forums for more info on both to get best views on this route for yourself. fyi i haven't completely ruled out HPSP for myself either but there are options - female EM hopeful perspective

Your pick of residency is actually not one of the major cons out there. Assuming that your grades and boards are competitive, you will get one of your top 3 desired residencies.

The major con is the 50/50 chance that you might be assigned to a real military unit instead of a hospital or a clinic. In such scenario, you will spend 20-30% of your time doing clinical work and 70-80% being a military officer with similar responsibilities to those front line officers. 95% of med students are not ready for such lives.

 

[mj1988]

Your pick of residency is actually not one of the major cons out there. Assuming that your grades and boards are competitive, you will get one of your top 3 desired residencies.

The major con is the 50/50 chance that you might be assigned to a real military unit instead of a hospital or a clinic. In such scenario, you will spend 20-30% of your time doing clinical work and 70-80% being a military officer with similar responsibilities to those front line officers. 95% of med students are not ready for such lives.

i think thats why i had the caveat of military life bc you will be an officer first and a doctor 2nd...even if philosophically you feel you are a physician 1st. id even go further and split more time for administrative paperwork so...yeah military officer>>clinical care > administrative/documentation duties (something civilian docs already hate, but i work in mgmt so yeah already seen all that). but i see the real con as specialty choice, deployment, GMO tours (which some actual like, just not sure if im one of the lovers/haters ) and limitations on locations/lots of moving - things that may be of more importance to me somewhere down the line. if i sign on i already know its military medicine with emphasis on the military aspect. and sure most important thing is amount of clinical work i'll be doing but i already expect to be at the very least splitting my time between officer and doctor and i dont expect the government to do me any favors soi can easily see 60/40 or greater military/clinic. think the point was more that there are other options. dont go military unless you really want to be military

 

[68PGunner]

i think thats why i had the caveat of military life bc you will be an officer first and a doctor 2nd...even if philosophically you feel you are a physician 1st. id even go further and split more time for administrative paperwork so...yeah military officer>>clinical care > administrative/documentation duties (something civilian docs already hate, but i work in mgmt so yeah already seen all that). but i see the real con as specialty choice, deployment, GMO tours (which some actual like, just not sure if im one of the lovers/haters ) and limitations on locations/lots of moving - things that may be of more importance to me somewhere down the line. if i sign on i already know its military medicine with emphasis on the military aspect. and sure most important thing is amount of clinical work i'll be doing but i already expect to be at the very least splitting my time between officer and doctor and i dont expect the government to do me any favors soi can easily see 60/40 or greater military/clinic. think the point was more that there are other options. dont go military unless you really want to be military

Actually the admin portion is the least on your concern. It's more like going to the field 4-6 months in a year that's the biggest issue. Deployment is actually easier than the field. In a deployment, you would just chill in an air conditioned room for 9-12 months doing your work. In the field, you will be like an enlisted soldier setting up tents all day long. After one field exercise, you will never look at a toilet in the same way again.

 

[68PGunner]

i think thats why i had the caveat of military life bc you will be an officer first and a doctor 2nd...even if philosophically you feel you are a physician 1st. id even go further and split more time for administrative paperwork so...yeah military officer>>clinical care > administrative/documentation duties (something civilian docs already hate, but i work in mgmt so yeah already seen all that). but i see the real con as specialty choice, deployment, GMO tours (which some actual like, just not sure if im one of the lovers/haters ) and limitations on locations/lots of moving - things that may be of more importance to me somewhere down the line. if i sign on i already know its military medicine with emphasis on the military aspect. and sure most important thing is amount of clinical work i'll be doing but i already expect to be at the very least splitting my time between officer and doctor and i dont expect the government to do me any favors soi can easily see 60/40 or greater military/clinic. think the point was more that there are other options. dont go military unless you really want to be military

Nobody is ready for military medicine. I have been doing this stuff for over 2 years and I am still not ready for the field.

 

[Jobikenobi]

Could people who have interviewed already help me out. The last flight out on my interview day is at 6:20pm. Do you guys think I can make that flight? Does the interview go all the way until three. Will I be able to duck out early, etc? Thanks in advance.

 

[mj1988]

email/call to ensure they received your deposit if you havent heard back within a week.

Actually the admin portion is the least on your concern. It's more like going to the field 4-6 months in a year that's the biggest issue. Deployment is actually easier than the field. In a deployment, you would just chill in an air conditioned room for 9-12 months doing your work. In the field, you will be like an enlisted soldier setting up tents all day long. After one field exercise, you will never look at a toilet in the same way again.

sorry. not arguing..i just lumped field in with military expectations. never said living in the field was glamorous. nor is being deployed but i guess in your opinion you at least have real facilities and by that i mean toilets and physical equipment/rooms on a deployment vs. just dirt and a shovel and a tent and whatever fits in your pack ...i did always hate pitching tents and the lack of outhouses for camping..pass the firewood and marshmallows...er i mean MREs

 

[igor_raptor]

I just submitted my secondary and realized that although I did poorly in a class I was discussing in the bad grades section, I retook it. I cannot believe I forgot to mention that... Hopefully this doesn't matter.

 

[AKNP]

Could people who have interviewed already help me out. The last flight out on my interview day is at 6:20pm. Do you guys think I can make that flight? Does the interview go all the way until three. Will I be able to duck out early, etc? Thanks in advance.

When I interviewed we were done before 1! If you're flying out of El Paso, I think you will have plenty of time.