Campbell University (CUSOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

[mathnerd88]

That focus on medical mission trips probably helps your case a ton dispelling the initial bias of you possibly using them as a backup. When schools ask for why us, they are usually asking for specifics that they think distinguish them from other schools. Superficial answers like teaching style and facility quality can be applied to other schools. Then, they want you to back it up with personal experience. Yes, they were right when they want to you to be yourself.

I only said I was interested in the medical mission trips. When you go on an interview, you always need to find something specific this school offers so they like you. This is no different than a job interview.

Others who were interviewed took a different approach and got accepted too. They probably said the same things others who were rejected here said. All the guys in my group were accepted and they were all OOS with no ties to NC.

I believe that's how I got an II at CCOM because I did a ton of research what the school offered that was specific only to that school. I wrote about it in my secondaries.

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[MarshMedic]

Haha I don't really consider a comlex driven curriculum or brand new facility to be "superficial", but yea I get the gist.

 

[hopefulDOgrl]

II! So excited!

 

[crazyboi1993]

im very interested in medical mission trips, i was a fundrasing leader for a trip to honduras this past summer, i helped raise a lot of money, and i went to honduras and we actually set up clinics in rural villages for 2 weeks, i loved the experience and i am going to ghana again this past may! the fact the cusom endorses it is amazing, i really love this school!

 

[mathnerd88]

Haha I don't really consider a comlex driven curriculum or brand new facility to be "superficial", but yea I get the gist.

What was your oops? Because that would make a huge difference. My interview at first did not go well at all.

Also, they prefer older applicants and not young ones. One of the interviewers alluded that 22-23 was far too young to be in medical school and aren't really mature. He told me 26-27 is perfect age.

 

[crazyboi1993]

What was your oops? Because that would make a huge difference. My interview at first did not go well at all.

Also, they prefer older applicants and not young ones. One of the interviewers alluded that 22-23 was far too young to be in medical school and aren't really mature. He told me 26-27 is perfect age.

Thats not fair, im 22 lol, yeah im mature, im very mature for my age, and have went through a lot of life experiences which caused me to grow up at a very young age! I dont think age should be a limiting factor.

 

[mathnerd88]

Thats not fair, im 22 lol, yeah im mature, im very mature for my age, and have went through a lot of life experiences which caused me to grow up at a very young age! I dont think age should be a limiting factor.

True. It is mature applicants that they're looking for. They told me they get so many applicants who seem immature.

I look like I'm 18, although I'm ten years older. One interviewer asked me questions about college thinking I just graduated even though it had been a while.

 

[skeletor06]

Just some info I thought I'd pass along:

We have people from age 20 to probably mid-late 40's in our class. Most are probably between 23-26; I'm in my early-mid 30's, and there are quite a few people 27+. A couple are older than I am, in fact. Also, there are quite a few who are 21-23. So there's a large range.

I'm not from NC or even the Southeast, and may / may not stay here. Many people in our class are from the West Coat, Utah, etc. The school has to know that many of us will end up leaving after we graduate, but you should at least consider staying. It's a very nice area!

You probably don't want to tell them you have no interest AT ALL in primary care, because that is the mission of the school. But they're not stupid, so don't lie, either. Keep an open mind. I said that I would love to do pediatrics, but would likely specialize into a fellowship after residency. They were obviously cool with that. Also, I didn't have the best stats, but did have a ton of clinical and research experience, so it's not all about the numbers.

tl;dnr : Don't lie, and don't look like you're just telling them what they want to hear. If you keep an open mind about your future plans in medicine and where you might be living, you should be fine. Any specific questions, let me know.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

True. It is mature applicants that they're looking for. They told me they get so many applicants who seem immature.

I look like I'm 18, although I'm ten years older. One interviewer asked me questions about college thinking I just graduated even though it had been a while.

Im in the same boat as you. I have a baby face and been told numerous times I looked 18. I went to a club out-of-states and had my ID. The bouncer REFUSED to let me in because he didn't believe I was 21.

The worst is when high school girls hit on me.......man Im always on the lookout for Chris Hansen.

 

[asdf123g]

no ty

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Hi...why dont you have a seat over there?

My reaction:

 

[Helu]

What is that interview feedback area?? Never heard/ read about it. Could anyone post the link please? Thank you

 

[asdf123g]

.

 

[jpmiz]

What is that interview feedback area?? Never heard/ read about it. Could anyone post the link please? Thank you

http://schools.studentdoctor.net/school/cusom?tab=0 Here's the link for anyone else who is looking for it!

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

The age thing was brought up in my interview as well, I'm 22 but generally people say I look much younger than that (in the teens). I think if you stay confident and composed your babyface won't hinder you too much.

 

[68PGunner]

I only said I was interested in the medical mission trips. When you go on an interview, you always need to find something specific this school offers so they like you. This is no different than a job interview.

Others who were interviewed took a different approach and got accepted too. They probably said the same things others who were rejected here said. All the guys in my group were accepted and they were all OOS with no ties to NC.

I believe that's how I got an II at CCOM because I did a ton of research what the school offered that was specific only to that school. I wrote about it in my secondaries.

CCOM and AZCOM give out IIs to every applicants with MCAT over a certain cutoff area. Your secondary essays were probably not the difference makers.

Saying stuff like be yourself for the interview really doesn't help people here. My personal opinion is for people to go into the event with a sales attitude. You need to convince the that you're an awesome person by matching qualities of yourself with qualities of the school. You need to back those claims with personal experiences. Then, you just need to refine your story telling of your personal experiences to hit them in the heart. Finally, an awesome attitude with lots of energy and smiles help a ton.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

That focus on medical mission trips probably helps your case a ton dispelling the initial bias of you possibly using them as a backup. When schools ask for why us, they are usually asking for specifics that they think distinguish them from other schools. Superficial answers like teaching style and facility quality can be applied to other schools. Then, they want you to back it up with personal experience. Yes, they were right when they want to you to be yourself.

1+ on this. When talking about why you want to go to CUSOM don't talk about their rotations ect. For MANY schools, they will have good rotations. Also, remember, they're not competing with any other DO schools in the area or anywhere remotely near the area except for VCOM. You look at schools like PCOM, Rowan, NYCOM, KCU/AT Still, NOVA, Western. They have other DO schools in the remote area that they compete with. Saying you like their rotations isn't school specific enough, especially for a school that's so mission oriented. Talking about how you want to impact the Lillington community I think is more profound and is what they are looking for (and as was stated earlier, drawing on personal experiences as to why you want to do that is also important).

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

Also, I never explicitly said I was interested in staying in NC. I said I can't predict where life will take me but from my interests, I do want to practice in a rural area similar to where I grew up in, whether thats in NC or somewhere else.

 

[CleverDrRelatedName]

Hey guys! I got an II from here last Friday (my first one, yay!) by but haven't gotten a phone call yet to schedule it. Is it too soon to email or call them about scheduling it? I'm out of state so I would really like to plan it enough in advance to get plane tickets etc. Thanks!

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Hey guys! I got an II from here last Friday (my first one, yay!) by but haven't gotten a phone call yet to schedule it. Is it too soon to email or call them about scheduling it? I'm out of state so I would really like to plan it enough in advance to get plane tickets etc. Thanks!

How long did it take to get the II since the day you submitted your secondary?

 

[CleverDrRelatedName]

How long did it take to get the II since the day you submitted your secondary?

Submitted the secondary on 8/24 and got the II on 9/11. I got the complete email I think a couple days before the II.

 

[68PGunner]

1+ on this. When talking about why you want to go to CUSOM don't talk about their rotations ect. For MANY schools, they will have good rotations. Also, remember, they're not competing with any other DO schools in the area or anywhere remotely near the area except for VCOM. You look at schools like PCOM, Rowan, NYCOM, KCU/AT Still, NOVA, Western. They have other DO schools in the remote area that they compete with. Saying you like their rotations isn't school specific enough, especially for a school that's so mission oriented. Talking about how you want to impact the Lillington community I think is more profound and is what they are looking for (and as was stated earlier, drawing on personal experiences as to why you want to do that is also important).

+1 on the Lillington community thing. You can do this in several ways. You can pick out specific qualities of Lillington and other small communities around the area and match it up with your personal lifestyle or qualities. If you do this well, you can legitimately prove your case that you sincerely like small rural communities in NC. They really want to gauge your openness toward rural medicine. In most cases, med students hate rural medicine bc of the kind of lifestyle in these communities.

Then, you need to prove that your interest in Campbell is sincere and not bs. You can impress them by picking up unique things just for the school and link them to your personal experience proving that you have done extensive research on the school and CUSOM is a legitimate possibility for you.

For those DO interviews, the why us and why do are game changers in my opinion. 80% of your interview results will be based on how you answer these two answers. Other questions are just cake.

 

[68PGunner]

Finally, nobody is telling people to lie. Obviously, if you got an II, they saw something in your ECs and essays that they like. However, don't assume that your interviewers know everything about you.

Most of the times, your interviewers will automatically assume that you're bsing when you give them nice canned words. You just need to show them with your experience in life. They will make the judgment call on your qualities by your stories. That's why the best interview always seems conversational.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Submitted the secondary on 8/24 and got the II on 9/11. I got the complete email I think a couple days before the II.

Stats?

 

[Sisu00]

PM me if you are interviewing on the 21st and want to grab dinner the night before!

 

[LloydChristmas90]

Can you attain HPSP scholarships at CUSOM? The Air Force website says it works for an accredited institution but CUSOM is only provisionally accredited. Will it still work? Does anybody have more info about that at CUSOM?

 

[Helu]

Can you attain HPSP scholarships at CUSOM? The Air Force website says it works for an accredited institution but CUSOM is only provisionally accredited. Will it still work? Does anybody have more info about that at CUSOM?

I would try the financial aid office..

 

[MSORBUST]

Can you attain HPSP scholarships at CUSOM? The Air Force website says it works for an accredited institution but CUSOM is only provisionally accredited. Will it still work? Does anybody have more info about that at CUSOM?

I interviewed there today and the financial aid presenter stated it as an option so I assume you can. I also talked to a student who said there are many hpsp students doing so.

 

[TheFuture_22]

Can you attain HPSP scholarships at CUSOM? The Air Force website says it works for an accredited institution but CUSOM is only provisionally accredited. Will it still work? Does anybody have more info about that at CUSOM?

Yes, a ton of my classmates are HPSP including Air Force.

 

[LloydChristmas90]

Thanks for the replies. Everybody on this thread seems super chill and down to earth. I look forward to having you guys as classmates.

 

[DaniCali4nia]

Interviewed here yesterday! The general consensus has been very positive so I am not adding anything new but the school was SO impressive! Everyone was warm and friendly and the 3 interviews FLEW by! I am very excited to hear back from this school and I really can see myself here! Best of luck to the rest those interviewing

 

[Howlin_Radio]

I have several things that could be considered "red flags". The only thing I don't understand is that they did the whole "in depth review" with the committee thing and then offered me a secondary, so I don't really understand why they would do that just to reject me afterward...
I got a REALLY low score on the chem/physics section of my MCAT (like 121 low), and I had a DUI 10 years ago. However, they knew all that stuff before my secondary, so I'm not really sure what was in my secondary that made them reject me.

Late response but I highly doubt your 10-year old DUI played any influence unless it was a felony (in which case you may not be able to practice as a physician). Also don't really see how you got a 505 but the equivalent of a 4 on the physical science section...Just retake the exam. Not trying to be rude, but a 4 is very fixable especially for one of the most "study-able" sections on the MCAT. I do hope you get in somewhere though, because you must have done very well on the other sections of the MCAT.

 

[DreamBig01]

How long did it take for everyone's interviews to be scheduled?

 

[MSORBUST]

How long did it take for everyone's interviews to be scheduled?

From the email it took around two days for me.

 

[Elleiram]

Interviewed here yesterday! The general consensus has been very positive so I am not adding anything new but the school was SO impressive! Everyone was warm and friendly and the 3 interviews FLEW by! I am very excited to hear back from this school and I really can see myself here! Best of luck to the rest those interviewing

Around what time did you get out? I'm eyeing a 3:30 out of Raleigh that same day. And we also hear back in about a week for a decision, correct?

 

[Howlin_Radio]

What's the deal with the medical missions track? Having trouble locating this information.

 

[DaniCali4nia]

Around what time did you get out? I'm eyeing a 3:30 out of Raleigh that same day. And we also hear back in about a week for a decision, correct?

We got out at 1:30 and I think Raleigh is an hour away? So you might make it or you might be cutting it close if you got out much later. And yes you should hear by the end of the week you interview!! Good luck to you !

 

[Elleiram]

We got out at 1:30 and I think Raleigh is an hour away? So you might make it or you might be cutting it close if you got out much later. And yes you should hear by the end of the week you interview!! Good luck to you !

Thank you. And good luck to you as well!

 

[crazyboi1993]

I recevied an interview email last thursday and still never heard back

 

[startjg]

ugh u guys have higher mcat scores than me and got rejected, that makes me feel that im gonna get rejected. this is like my dream school ugh, 26 mcat (8-8-10), and 3,72sgpa and 3.82cpa! but im so nervous lol

I have the same mcat as you and lower gpas and I got an interview. I think they are more about fit then anything head up!

 

[sparos]

.

 

[MSORBUST]

ACCEPTED just got the call from interviewing Monday.

 

[DaniCali4nia]

ACCEPTED!!! Interviewed Monday! I'm balling my eyes out

 

[premed_mommy]

Late response but I highly doubt your 10-year old DUI played any influence unless it was a felony (in which case you may not be able to practice as a physician). Also don't really see how you got a 505 but the equivalent of a 4 on the physical science section...Just retake the exam. Not trying to be rude, but a 4 is very fixable especially for one of the most "study-able" sections on the MCAT. I do hope you get in somewhere though, because you must have done very well on the other sections of the MCAT.

I did do extremely well on the other sections. I got a perfect score on CARS, which is why I didn't retake the exam. I have two other interviews scheduled at top choice schools, so I am going to wait and see how those pan out before putting myself through the stress and anxiety of retaking. I have always been quite terrrible at chemistry, so I knew that would be my worst section, but in my practice tests I did significantly better than a 121. Hopefully it won't matter and I will be accepted somewhere!! (The DUI was not a felony. The only reason I was concerned about it is because I did not disclose it in my primary app and thought that might be looked at as dishonest).

 

[Dustbowl12]

if we aren't called wednesday is it safe to assume we have been rejected?

 

[premed_mommy]

Late response but I highly doubt your 10-year old DUI played any influence unless it was a felony (in which case you may not be able to practice as a physician). Also don't really see how you got a 505 but the equivalent of a 4 on the physical science section...Just retake the exam. Not trying to be rude, but a 4 is very fixable especially for one of the most "study-able" sections on the MCAT. I do hope you get in somewhere though, because you must have done very well on the other sections of the MCAT.

I did do extremely well on the other sections. I got a perfect score on CARS, which is why I didn't retake the exam. I have two other interviews scheduled at top choice schools, so I am going to wait and see how those pan out before putting myself through the stress and anxiety of retaking. I have always been quite terrrible at chemistry, so I knew that would be my worst section, but in my practice tests I did significantly better than a 121. Hopefully it won't matter and I will be accepted somewhere!! (The DUI was not a felony. The only reason I was concerned about it is because I did not disclose it in my primary app and thought that might be looked at as dishonest).

 

[MSORBUST]

if we aren't called wednesday is it safe to assume we have been rejected?

Not necessarily I was shocked to get called today because they called on Thursdays for others accepted. Keep the faith.

 

[Dustbowl12]

Not necessarily I was shocked to get called today because they called on Thursdays for others accepted. Keep the faith.

I hope so!!!!!!!

 

[futuredoc331]

Was all excited about an email from Campbell today, but it turned out to be a question and not an interview invite. Was told they will meet again Friday, in case anyone else is wondering.

 

[Sisu00]

Accepted today interviewed Monday