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

[Ho0v-man]

63k is cost of attendance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[F#&$#^&&@theMCAT]

63k is cost of attendance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What the heck I thought it was in 40s or something .. Got it thanks!

 

[Ho0v-man]

Cost of attendance is including living expenses. Tuition is in the 40s


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SpongeBobDude]

Was waitlisted after II Does waitlist moves and/or is it ranked by stats or by first come first served basis?

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Was waitlisted after II Does waitlist moves and/or is it ranked by stats or by first come first served basis?

I think it is ranked, but I'd have to double check.

 

[radhopeful2021]

I think it is ranked, but I'd have to double check.

It is ranked by numerous factors (your numbers, interview scores, etc)

 

[metoo]

I signed up currently for the interview on January 15th. This is later than I would have hoped, but I would not have been able to make accommodations for the interview on Monday with finals starting next week in my Masters program. Compared to the other schools that I have interviewed/conversed with, I really have loved the level of concern from the admissions. I was notified of the school later in the cycle and of the BEAR program, but I was happy to hear back after less than a week that I had received an interview. Anything can happen while at the interview, but I am pleased either way!

Do you know if there is any leeway with the requirement that states, your tribe must be federally recognized in order to qualify as a BEAR applicant?

 

[blul1ght]

Hi everyone, I interview here on Tuesday and am kind of nervous when i saw you all talk about how everyone is getting waitlisted now xD but fingers crossed haha

 

[Teioh]

Hi everyone, I interview here on Tuesday and am kind of nervous when i saw you all talk about how everyone is getting waitlisted now xD but fingers crossed haha

You didn't get a decision yet?

 

[blul1ght]

You didn't get a decision yet?

I haven't interviewed yet haha, I interview on Febuary 2nd

 

[futuremd1017]

@blul1ght -Me too, I have an interview on Feb 2nd...Good luck! How is interview preparation going?

 

[chriskirkk]

Other schools that make you sign an agreement (PNWU for example) have much more interview feedback and sharing of relevant interview day info on SDN. I don't know if it's the <24 hour admissions decision that BCOM has, or because it's a new school. There should be much more info on SDN about the interview than there is now.

I'm not saying that people should break their agreement and go crazy posting the interview questions (they seem very individualized questions anyway), but it hasn't stopped many people judging by the amount and detail that you can gather for all the other schools.

Regardless, what I have gathered from this thread is that they don't throw major curveballs. I'm nothing short of thrilled to interview here in a few days.

Hi! Can you please clarify what you mean by "...<24 hour admissions decision that BCOM has...?"

Do they really give you a decision in that time frame post interview ?

 

[dushash]

Hi! Can you please clarify what you mean by "...<24 hour admissions decision that BCOM has...?"

Do they really give you a decision in that time frame post interview ?

Yes, they are usually very prompt. In my case I received email within 4 hours after interview.

 

[chriskirkk]

Yes, they are usually very prompt. In my case I received email within 4 hours after interview.

Thanks for the prompt reply ! What a great service that is for the students.

Anyone else of the opinion that the class is full ?

 

[blul1ght]

@blul1ght -Me too, I have an interview on Feb 2nd...Good luck! How is interview preparation going?

My interview preping is mostly me just getting there haha, i am coming down all the way from Ohio! But I will also look over my essays to remind myself of what I had talked about in case they reference any of it. The most important thing as with any interview is to just be yourself and speak naturally. Most times what happens is people get nervous and talk faster or in one breath and that gives a sense of insecurity and uncomfortableness to your interviewers. Be confident in every word you say, in a way, you want to make them believe that you will not just be a good student but that you will truly make a name of yourself and of their university once you enter the field. Hope that helps

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Thanks for the prompt reply ! What a great service that is for the students.

Anyone else of the opinion that the class is full ?

No, it is not full as I am aware that a few of the accepted members have recently withdrawn their acceptances to attend other institutes.

My interview preping is mostly me just getting there haha, i am coming down all the way from Ohio! But I will also look over my essays to remind myself of what I had talked about in case they reference any of it. The most important thing as with any interview is to just be yourself and speak naturally. Most times what happens is people get nervous and talk faster or in one breath and that gives a sense of insecurity and uncomfortableness to your interviewers. Be confident in every word you say, in a way, you want to make them believe that you will not just be a good student but that you will truly make a name of yourself and of their university once you enter the field. Hope that helps

You will be shocked to know that the staff who interview you are easily aware of the nervousness that is crawling within each individual interviewee, and they do a remarkable job relaxing you and making it seem like another walk in the park. Be personable, don't act like a robot, be honest if you don't know something, and just have fun and be thankful you are there. Don't worry about being accepted or wait-listed or anything of that sort. If you knew the idiotic thing I did before attending this interview, then you would have NEVER thought I stood a chance at being accepted, but I guess they are very forgiving because I was accepted that very day. If I can get in...then anyone who shows dedication and hard work can surely get in if they think you are on track with their mission. Take my word for it.

 

[OrthopodDreams]

Interview day was wonderful
Faculty is truly passionate, good luck to everyone who applies!

 

[Ceramium]

Match day in Texas today! Hopefully that will translate to some generous Waitlist movement...

 

[F#&$#^&&@theMCAT]

Match day in Texas today! Hopefully that will translate to some generous Waitlist movement...

It should. I don't think anyone in their right mind would choose bcom over their instate Texas school

 

[MDH17931]

Will sadly be giving up my seat here :/ By far my top choice as far as DO programs go. Beautiful location, awesome new building, great curriculum, etc... Will be going the MD route instead. Hopefully this gives another person an opportunity! Good luck to everyone else!

 

[James_Franko]

Has anyone recieved a rejection post interview? Just curious if they are waitlisting everyone they dont accept.

 

[F#&$#^&&@theMCAT]

Has anyone recieved a rejection post interview? Just curious if they are waitlisting everyone they dont accept.

people have been rejected. I know of 2 that have ... There's no way you can just wait list every interviewer. What's everyone else's thoughts ?

 

[chriskirkk]

Will in no way claim to be an admissions expert and will simply theorize like the rest of us.
With that qualification in mind I strongly believe that its reject or waitlist this late in the admissions cycle. With the Texas match yesterday and MD schools replying in the next month or two you guys will likely see waitlist movement. As a new program (If I were playing Sim city Med school) why take the chance of not filling a class ? A reject post interview, to me, may come from you not fitting their vision for the class, or simply saying something offensive/stupid.
Spoke to a friend who interviewed with a fairly small group today and they got waitlisted.

 

[Thelonious Chunk]

Some people were rejected after getting on the waitlist earlier in the cycle as well. I'm hoping we see some movement soon on the WL!

 

[hazzyB]

Rejected pre-interview. :/

 

[Ceramium]

Some people were rejected after getting on the waitlist earlier in the cycle as well. I'm hoping we see some movement soon on the WL!

I didn't know that you could be put on the Waitlist, and then just straight up rejected. Is that because they add more people to the list, and consequently bump people off the bottom of the list?

 

[chriskirkk]

I didn't know that you could be put on the Waitlist, and then just straight up rejected. Is that because they add more people to the list, and consequently bump people off the bottom of the list?

My friend said its a ranked list, but I would side with you on some sort of list bumping. That would mean that there are only a certain number of waitlist positions ?
Regarding wait list.. can anyone shed light on what waitlist means ? If you apply really early during the next cycle is your shot of getting in better?

Thanks

 

[jacquean]

My friend said its a ranked list, but I would side with you on some sort of list bumping. That would mean there are only certain number of wait list?
Regarding wait list.. can anyone shed light on what wait list means ? If you apply really early during the next cycle is your shot at getting in better?

Thanks

to me waitlist means that you're their alternative (they like you enough to NOT deny, but not enough to accept right away either) and they'll pick from this list if any acceptances withdraw. Yes, if you apply early during the cycle your shot is significantly better (as no seats have been filled at all and its rolling admissions). Hope that helps!

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Will in no way claim to be an admissions expert and will simply theorize like the rest of us.
With that qualification in mind I strongly believe that its reject or waitlist this late in the admissions cycle. With the Texas match yesterday and MD schools replying in the next month or two you guys will likely see waitlist movement. As a new program (If I were playing Sim city Med school) why take the chance of not filling a class ? A reject post interview, to me, may come from you not fitting their vision for the class, or simply saying something offensive/stupid.
Spoke to a friend who interviewed with a fairly small group today and they got waitlisted.

BCOM will definitely fill their class. They have anywhere from 10-20 deferred acceptances and ~300 on the wait list. As of right now they have a full class (162) and deposits are all paid.

 

[F#&$#^&&@theMCAT]

BCOM will definitely fill their class. They have anywhere from 10-20 deferred acceptances and ~300 on the wait list. As of right now they have a full class (162) and deposits are all paid.

I think there are less on the wait list someone posted earlier that on their recent interview they said it was less than 250

 

[Userneedmoreinfo]

BCOM will definitely fill their class. They have anywhere from 10-20 deferred acceptances and ~300 on the wait list. As of right now they have a full class (162) and deposits are all paid.

I think more than 50% of the 162 Original seats will be gone so about 80 or more ppl will be taken if they waitlist. But their class should and will be filled it's a US medical school

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I think there are less on the wait list someone posted earlier that on their recent interview they said it was less than 250

This is an arbitrary number as it is, the number is so high it it doesn't really matter. The most recent release via e-mail said they have around 300. But, it doesn't matter, it is still enough.

I think more than 50% of the 162 Original seats will be gone so about 80 or more ppl will be taken if they waitlist. But their class should and will be filled it's a US medical school

I like your optimism, but that hasn't been the case since about October. The school is really trying to free up the space being held by people holding multiple acceptances, but to be honest a lot of people are choosing BCOM over many other well-established schools, including me. It is a weird phenomenon, but BCOM is turning heads for a lot of accepted applicants. I HIGHLY doubt a 50% turnover, especially this late in the cycle.

 

[futuremd1017]

Accepted!!!!! So excited to see what's in store for the inaugural class and looking forward to working with BCOM. Does anyone know how I can get access to the FB page for accepted students?

 

[Userneedmoreinfo]

This is an arbitrary number as it is, the number is so high it it doesn't really matter. The most recent release via e-mail said they have around 300. But, it doesn't matter, it is still enough.



I like your optimism, but that hasn't been the case since about October. The school is really trying to free up the space being held by people holding multiple acceptances, but to be honest a lot of people are choosing BCOM over many other well-established schools, including me. It is a weird phenomenon, but BCOM is turning heads for a lot of accepted applicants. I HIGHLY doubt a 50% turnover, especially this late in the cycle.

We will see come May. I think you are definitely in the minority. Even if 20(max) of your peers did the same.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

We will see come May. I think you are definitely in the minority. Even if 20(max) of your peers did the same.

It doesn't matter what you or I think, we will never know unless all 162 students openly say how they chose BCOM. I can tell you with certainty that those of us who have kept in contact on Facebook and through reading these forums, it has become pretty common for people to select BCOM over many of the other DO schools. I will say that it has nothing to do with us thinking BCOM will be the "best" or anywhere there that level as far as reputation or what have you, but the feel of the school is so overwhelming that it has convinced me to turn down some VERY good DO schools. Now, I know I am not the only one who thinks this way, but I do think it is a little funny you think I am in the minority, for what reason, because it is a new school? Read the feasibility plan, attend the interview, talk with your potential classmates and then you can call me crazy.

 

[Userneedmoreinfo]

It doesn't matter what you or I think, we will never know unless all 162 students openly say how they chose BCOM. I can tell you with certainty that those of us who have kept in contact on Facebook and through reading these forums, it has become pretty common for people to select BCOM over many of the other DO schools. I will say that it has nothing to do with us thinking BCOM will be the "best" or anywhere there that level as far as reputation or what have you, but the feel of the school is so overwhelming that it has convinced me to turn down some VERY good DO schools. Now, I know I am not the only one who thinks this way, but I do think it is a little funny you think I am in the minority, for what reason, because it is a new school? Read the feasibility plan, attend the interview, talk with your potential classmates and then you can call me crazy.

I'm not calling you crazy, you maybe a risk taker, but quite frankly the correct thing to do is financially (private loans), and academically speaking is to go to the established program. Everyone can talk the talk but not many can walk the walk. Ultimately the decision is yours and I know you will be a successful Doctor either way.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I'm not calling you crazy, you maybe a risk taker, but quite frankly the correct thing to do is financially (private loans), and academically speaking is to go to the established program. Everyone can talk the talk but not many can walk the walk. Ultimately the decision is yours and I know you will be a successful Doctor either way.

Everyone on SDN likes to talk the talk, but no one likes to do the research. Without spilling all of the details for the hundredth time, I can tell you that the private loans we are qualified for are in some ways better than the federal loans for a few reasons. Secondly, the school being new and not established doesn't mean it will be bad for education, it just means there has been no track record for past students and I am okay with that. The faculty at BCOM are nothing less than impressive and nearly half of them came from reputable programs such as Drexel, Yale, Temple, RVU, KCOM, just to name a few. Although not exactly the same, the curriculum is being modeled after RVU, which has one of the highest board score averages in the nation. I feel comfortable and to be frank about it I don't feel like it is much of a risk unless you are scared of paving the way for future students. I don't mean to sound rude, I know you are fairly new to the forums, but this information has been spilled time and time again. The repetition of this stuff gets tiring.

 

[mathnerd88]

I'm not calling you crazy, you maybe a risk taker, but quite frankly the correct thing to do is financially (private loans), and academically speaking is to go to the established program. Everyone can talk the talk but not many can walk the walk. Ultimately the decision is yours and I know you will be a successful Doctor either way.

It honestly depends on which "established" school you're talking about. If you're talking about the top-tier most established schools (MSUCOM, PCOM, CCOM, DMU, Nova, KCU, NYIT, etc.) or well-reputable state schools, then yes. For everything else, it may just come down to personal preference. I would be extremely surprised to find someone with multiple acceptances to BCOM and the "top-tier DO schools" who would choose BCOM over a school like PCOM unless you have to be close to family in NM or something.

I could see someone choosing BCOM over MSUCOM or CCOM because of financial reasons, but it would still be a hard decision. All the other very established schools with similar tuition rates would be kind of a no-brainer.

 

[Dustbowl12]

I had chosen BCOM over established programs before going my local DO for sake of location. They just really have it together for a new school (rotations, residency, research, faculty, state university)

 

[FutureDO08]

It honestly depends on which "established" school you're talking about. If you're talking about the top-tier most established schools (MSUCOM, PCOM, CCOM, DMU, Nova, KCU, NYIT, etc.) or well-reputable state schools, then yes. For everything else, it may just come down to personal preference. I would be extremely surprised to find someone with multiple acceptances to BCOM and the "top-tier DO schools" who would choose BCOM over a school like PCOM unless you have to be close to family in NM or something.

I could see someone choosing BCOM over MSUCOM or CCOM because of financial reasons, but it would still be a hard decision. All the other very established schools with similar tuition rates would be kind of a no-brainer.

Great post. Logical and I can stand behind that. Nova was the only other option aside from a state school that is also top tier DO for me. After that, BCOM trumped all other programs for me

 

[Ho0v-man]

Great post. Logical and I can stand behind that. Nova was the only other option aside from a state school that is also top tier DO for me. After that, BCOM trumped all other programs for me

When I got the BCOM acceptance, I immediately canceled 3 interviews I had pending from "mid-tier" DO schools. I don't think I'll end up matriculating here after all, but it's pretty obvious this place has its you know what together.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FutureDO08]

When I got the BCOM acceptance, I immediately canceled 3 interviews I had pending from "mid-tier" DO schools. I don't think I'll end up matriculating here after all, but it's pretty obvious this place has its you know what together.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same here, cancelled 3 interviews lol.

 

[futureDO7]

I was accepted to BCOM as well as other schools including AZCOM, PCOM, MUCOM and NSUCOM. It is always better to go established when it comes to schools rather than ones that are brand new since there are too many unknowns with these new schools. They WILL make their school sound good as they are a business at the end of the day. BCOM shows promise, but does NOT have even ONE graduating class to show for it yet. It can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set. EVERY school will say how theirs is great. Unless you have students that actually point out NEGATIVES, we DON'T KNOW of any. What do you think BCOM's negatives are? There is way too much red tape for a new school.

No federal loans for BCOM for the first two years is another huge negative. You may end up risking almost $200k doing so over a school with a well established backing system.

At the end of the day, no matter how much convincing you can give, there will ALWAYS be a sense of uncertainty with BCOM. That's something that me personally, (and understandably, many others) don't want to go through. New school/curriculum not tested/no graduates/no match list/not even a first class yet/ no students in rotations yet. Hence, I suggest your best bet is to try at other, more established schools.

 

[DYiddo]

@OrdinaryDO ... What do you think about those with deferred acceptances? Any chance for a bit more movement for those individuals?

 

[F#&$#^&&@theMCAT]

I was accepted to BCOM as well as other schools including AZCOM, PCOM, MUCOM and NSUCOM. It is always better to go established when it comes to schools rather than ones that are brand new since there are too many unknowns with these new schools. They WILL make their school sound good as they are a business at the end of the day. BCOM shows promise, but does NOT have even ONE graduating class to show for it yet. It can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set. EVERY school will say how theirs is great. Unless you have students that actually point out NEGATIVES, I can't discount that. Every school has a negative. What do you think BCOM's negatives are? There is way too much red tape for a new school.

No federal loans for BCOM for the first two years is another huge negative. You may end up risking almost $200k doing so over a school with a well established backing system.

At the end of the day, no matter how much convincing you can give, there will ALWAYS be a sense of uncertainty with BCOM. That's something that me personally, (and understandably, many others) don't want to go through. New school/curriculum not tested/no graduates/no match list/not even a first class yet/ no students in rotations yet. Until the first class can point out BCOM's negatives, we won't know of any. Hence, I suggest your best bet is to try at other, more established schools.

My exact thoughts

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I was accepted to BCOM as well as other schools including AZCOM, PCOM, MUCOM and NSUCOM. It is always better to go established when it comes to schools rather than ones that are brand new since there are too many unknowns with these new schools. They WILL make their school sound good as they are a business at the end of the day. BCOM shows promise, but does NOT have even ONE graduating class to show for it yet. It can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set. EVERY school will say how theirs is great. Unless you have students that actually point out NEGATIVES, we DON'T KNOW of any. What do you think BCOM's negatives are? There is way too much red tape for a new school.

No federal loans for BCOM for the first two years is another huge negative. You may end up risking almost $200k doing so over a school with a well established backing system.

At the end of the day, no matter how much convincing you can give, there will ALWAYS be a sense of uncertainty with BCOM. That's something that me personally, (and understandably, many others) don't want to go through. New school/curriculum not tested/no graduates/no match list/not even a first class yet/ no students in rotations yet. Hence, I suggest your best bet is to try at other, more established schools.

Glad to see you joined us today, literally, but it seems you have A LOT of reading to do since 99% of your post has already been addressed and explained in excruciating detail. The loans are absolutely no problem if you have time I would suggest scrolling back a few pages and checking out the reason for that. Going to a new school is obviously no for everybody, and especially not for the pessimistic and doubtful people. Since you mentioned a few specifics about the unknown issues with BCOM I will gladly reiterate the things that have been mentioned many times before. The curriculum is NOT untested - The very same doctor who created the curriculum at RVU is now at BCOM setting up the exact curriculum and as far as I am concerned it doesn't take a genius to read out of a book and go to lectures. It has been said many times before that the first 2 years of medical school can be compared across all medical schools since it is literally a bunch of basic and advanced science topics and such. Everyone knows that BCOM doesn't have a single graduating class, but that brings part of the excitement..you know what else BCOM doesn't have? COMPETITION for residency slots. Some states have 3-4 or more medical schools competing for residency positions, BCOM has residency slots already established in THREE different states and multi-international sites as well. You mention that "BCOM can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set," but it only takes a little research to find out that these sites are already established, were done so very quickly, and there is no reason to believe that after all of this time they will start lying now.

People like yourself keep this futile circle going about the "unknowns" from this school. You would be ignorant not to do your research on a school before applying, much less ATTENDING this school.

Lastly, I will end with saying this..BCOM is a new building with a new name, but nothing about the staff is new in the sense that many of them have helped start up other DO/MD schools, every academic professor has taught at another medical school or graduate school, the vast majority of the educational staff are actively engaged in research, the school is backed by a billion dollar family who wants nothing more than to make the school succeed (it is a reflection on their name, after all), and the students currently set on attending here are absolutely phenomenal. No one is forcing you to choose this school or even trying to convince others to come to BCOM, heck, WE HAVE A FULL CLASS, but it gets old and annoying to hear the same argument over and over after it has been explained time after time. *que search function*

Thanks!

 

[OrdinaryDO]

@OrdinaryDO ... What do you think about those with deferred acceptances? Any chance for a bit more movement for those individuals?

Yes, as you know I don't have that information, I would bet the deferred list will clear by the time this cycle ends...that is, given it's not a huge list.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I was accepted to BCOM as well as other schools including AZCOM, PCOM, MUCOM and NSUCOM. It is always better to go established when it comes to schools rather than ones that are brand new since there are too many unknowns with these new schools. They WILL make their school sound good as they are a business at the end of the day. BCOM shows promise, but does NOT have even ONE graduating class to show for it yet. It can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set. EVERY school will say how theirs is great. Unless you have students that actually point out NEGATIVES, we DON'T KNOW of any. What do you think BCOM's negatives are? There is way too much red tape for a new school.

No federal loans for BCOM for the first two years is another huge negative. You may end up risking almost $200k doing so over a school with a well established backing system.

At the end of the day, no matter how much convincing you can give, there will ALWAYS be a sense of uncertainty with BCOM. That's something that me personally, (and understandably, many others) don't want to go through. New school/curriculum not tested/no graduates/no match list/not even a first class yet/ no students in rotations yet. Hence, I suggest your best bet is to try at other, more established schools.

How is this different for any new school? Its a point reiterated hundreds of times...

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I bet there will be a lot of movement. I would bet there would be much more already if they'd offer more than 100 bucks back on the deposit

Edit: if they offered me 500 or something I'd be more motivated to drop my spot

If you aren't going to attend here and you aren't going to drop your spot, then you are crazy. They are offering $100 more than any other school would for their deposit refund and to a working man that is a lot of money. I don't think the list will move much right now, because of how late the application season is and by now people should already have numerous acceptances if they are great applicants so they would most likely not have put down a deposit.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I have until May to drop it to get the refund. It's really no rush. I just recently got an acceptance to my home state. Fortunately that school doesn't have a deposit. I'm a working man, but I'm going to enjoy my acceptance for a while. It took me years to get it

Well, your actions speak for itself.