Today's interviews went well. There were six of us from different parts of the country. Three men, three women, three from Alabama, one from Missouri, one from Texas, and one from California. I actually knew one of them from Auburn (if you're reading this, you rock ... and I really hope to see you in the fall). It was a diverse group of what seemed like really great down-to-Earth candidates. As I surveyed the room, I thought, "It must be so difficult to choose between candidates." I don't envy those who have to split such hairs.
This was already my #1 school going in due to location, logistics, and the congruence between VCOM's mission(s) and my own. However, the staff and presentation really impressed me, and VCOM-Auburn would be in my top 3 even if I lived on either coast. Why? First of all, Auburn rocks, and this little village on the plains is one of the best-kept secrets in the south east. This is the kind of place to set your roots, raise a family, and so on. The people are awesome, the cost of living is low, and big city amenities are a one hour scenic drive away (the difference between a 1-hour LA commute and a 1-hour Alabama commute is probably worth about 20 torr systolic). As for the school itself, this will not be a fledgling branch campus. This will be a bold, state-of-the-art school, integrated with the Auburn community, backed by a proven curriculum that historically yields insanely great COMLEX and residency match stats. In my opinion Auburn will be the premier VCOM campus within a very short time. Heck, I'll go as far as to say it will be one of the premier osteopathic schools in the nation in very short order. Further, the community buy-in is REAL, and the inaugural class has a huge opportunity to found community outreach programs. I am not repeating VCOM-Auburn talking points; I am relating what I've heard from Auburn students, professors, my neighbors, local medical professionals, EAMC hospital staff, people on the streets, etc.
The presentation and follow-up discussions put to rest any questions I had about clinical rotations and so on. I was also really surprised--and impressed by--VCOM's commitment to research. Not just research in general, but the impetus to perform OSTEOPATHIC research! Some have questioned in other SDN threads how well integrated VCOM-Auburn will be with Auburn re: research. The answer: very well. I'm involved with research at Auburn University and also have contacts at the research park. I've heard the same thing from them as I have heard/seen from VCOM-Auburn: the partnership is real and growing. If research is important to you, then VCOM-Auburn should be toward the top of your list.
So ... as for my interviews ... I basically parrot the comments listed elsewhere. Don't bother preparing for the standard interview questions. Just know your application and be ready to speak to it. I spent an entire day during finals week sitting in a rigid chair in my suit, explaining to the mirror why I want to be a doctor, why an osteopath, why Auburn, why VCOM, etc. The only real benefits were further indoctrinating myself, and getting used to sitting in a suit all day. You already answered those standard questions in your PS, primary, and (gosh, hopefully) secondary. What they really want to do is fill in the blanks, better understand your past, and figure out if you're a good fit for their school. They even tell you this during the intro session.
I had Dr. Wit and Dr. Coffey as interviewers, and Dr. Hill talked to me briefly during lunch. Each had their own style of questioning and wanted to know different things. I struggled a bit with Dr. Hill's questions because I had a hard time hearing him over the background noise (it was lunch, not his fault). Yeah, I more or less bombed that one. The other two interviews went more smoothly. My highlight of the day? I walked away with an overwhelming feeling that the staff really cares about the school, its mission, the students and ... passing the torch to the next generation of osteopaths. Re-read that last part. Yes, passing the torch; I hope to be a bearer of such.
I hope that my perspective above and the stuff I have written elsewhere are of benefit. Now that my process is over, I won't spam this thread so much on a forward basis. Please PM me if you have any questions. I will post an update next week when I get my admission decision. Hoping for the best!
Good luck to you all!