Midwestern University Chicago (CCOM) Discussion Thread 2013 - 2014

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
geh926 said:
Sorry to be blunt, but your MCAT may be a little below what they're looking for... ;)

Way to kill it!
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! I hope it makes up for my ugrad GPA.
Members don't see this ad.
 
GScookie said:
Completed 7/9, but had an updated MCAT score come out on July 23rd. No interview invite yet..

2.8 ugrad (biomed engineering)
3.98 grad (medical sciences)
38 MCAT (12/13/13)
Click to expand...

That is an absolutely beastly score! Nice work!
 
People.

I'm currently a student at CCOM. Want advice? Here you go.

I want you to know, whoever is despairing, you are not alone. Be adamant about your applications. I had to go through a full masters program and take the MCAT twice to be competitive. I'm 27, some people applying are 21. It's different for different people.

One thing you'll realize is that we all sort of grow in our own ways. My undergrad GPA was <3.00. My MCAT was a 23 initially, then a 29 two months later. But that was several years ago. For the fun of it, because I had gone through a masters with a 3.89 GPA, I decided to take a practice online MCAT and see what my score would be. I got a 38.

The point is, we all grow at different rates. Do not compare yourself to anybody else. You're gonna go through a lot of crap if you're applying right now. People are going to tell you to check this website and freak out and memorize things to say for your interview and all that crap. Man, I didn't worry about that. All I did was study, work out, be with friends, sleep 8 hours a night, and smile.

Keep it simple. Know yourself, be proud of who you are. When you study, turn your damn phone off and study. When you're with friends, have a beer with them and live your life. Go to Vegas. Don't talk about applications. (What does talking about them do anyway??) Stop letting all the mindless activity get in the way of your goals and aspirations. Keep it simple, be genuine, SMILE in your interview, and just like me, you'll get accepted to 9 medical schools (4 MD, 5 DO), and CHOOSE where you want to go based on residency potential.

I've lived in Chicago for many years, and can tell you honestly that CCOM is fantastic. It's rigorous, no doubt. But the reputation is very high in the downtown Chicago hospitals. You'll get your first choice. We're all becoming cool doctors who score high on board scores who will be working as physicians in downtown Chicago, who will living it up and saving lives. Is it difficult? Beyond anything you've ever imagined. Is it do-able? Of course. Budget your time, set goals, listen to your mind and your body.

Bottom line is that everybody everywhere is freaking out and putting on these fronts and basically acting like robots or at least not themselves. Dude, be yourself. Life is so much easier. Know what you want, how you're gonna get it, and have a little discipline. And if you have time, go on dates. Meet single girls and guys. Get it out of your system.

These websites, that you willingly check, do nothing but intimidate you. You know what you have to do. So just do it. If you need a nice place to stay for your interview that's 5 minutes from campus, and you're laid back, PM me. It may be a while before I check this website, though. Anyway. It's a beautiful sunny morning. I'm gonna make more coffee, sit on my balcony, listen to good music, then get to work. What could be more beautiful than that?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Thanks for the down to earth tips. You sound like a really laid back individual :)
 
This is prob the best post I've ever read. Thanks for the input, made me love CCOM even more :)
 
BinaryStar said:
People.

I'm currently a student at CCOM. Want advice? Here you go.

I want you to know, whoever is despairing, you are not alone. Be adamant about your applications. I had to go through a full masters program and take the MCAT twice to be competitive. I'm 27, some people applying are 21. It's different for different people.

One thing you'll realize is that we all sort of grow in our own ways. My undergrad GPA was <3.00. My MCAT was a 23 initially, then a 29 two months later. But that was several years ago. For the fun of it, because I had gone through a masters with a 3.89 GPA, I decided to take a practice online MCAT and see what my score would be. I got a 38.

The point is, we all grow at different rates. Do not compare yourself to anybody else. You're gonna go through a lot of crap if you're applying right now. People are going to tell you to check this website and freak out and memorize things to say for your interview and all that crap. Man, I didn't worry about that. All I did was study, work out, be with friends, sleep 8 hours a night, and smile.

Keep it simple. Know yourself, be proud of who you are. When you study, turn your damn phone off and study. When you're with friends, have a beer with them and live your life. Go to Vegas. Don't talk about applications. (What does talking about them do anyway??) Stop letting all the mindless activity get in the way of your goals and aspirations. Keep it simple, be genuine, SMILE in your interview, and just like me, you'll get accepted to 9 medical schools (4 MD, 5 DO), and CHOOSE where you want to go based on residency potential.

I've lived in Chicago for many years, and can tell you honestly that CCOM is fantastic. It's rigorous, no doubt. But the reputation is very high in the downtown Chicago hospitals. You'll get your first choice. We're all becoming cool doctors who score high on board scores who will be working as physicians in downtown Chicago, who will living it up and saving lives. Is it difficult? Beyond anything you've ever imagined. Is it do-able? Of course. Budget your time, set goals, listen to your mind and your body.

Bottom line is that everybody everywhere is freaking out and putting on these fronts and basically acting like robots or at least not themselves. Dude, be yourself. Life is so much easier. Know what you want, how you're gonna get it, and have a little discipline. And if you have time, go on dates. Meet single girls and guys. Get it out of your system.

These websites, that you willingly check, do nothing but intimidate you. You know what you have to do. So just do it. If you need a nice place to stay for your interview that's 5 minutes from campus, and you're laid back, PM me. It may be a while before I check this website, though. Anyway. It's a beautiful sunny morning. I'm gonna make more coffee, sit on my balcony, listen to good music, then get to work. What could be more beautiful than that?
Click to expand...

Very nicely put! I'm a CCOM student as well and I agree 100%
 
chacha89 said:
This is prob the best post I've ever read. Thanks for the input, made me love CCOM even more :)
Click to expand...

+1. Hands down. Love the perspective
 
For sure a great grounded perspective on things. Being you is what got you the opportunity, being you should be the thing that gets you in. Thanks for working to calm everyone down.

ChiveON said:
Truth.
Click to expand...

and KCCO!
 
BrettJH said:
Very nicely put! I'm a CCOM student as well and I agree 100%
Click to expand...

Hi, do you have any advice on how I should approach the secondary question about why CCOM should accept you in this years class. I'm kinda struggling with it. Any tips will be helpful. Thank you.
 
bionerd89 said:
Hi, do you have any advice on how I should approach the secondary question about why CCOM should accept you in this years class. I'm kinda struggling with it. Any tips will be helpful. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Sure, I highlighted some aspects that I felt would be important. This can be a tricky question because you don't want to come off arrogant, but you need to be a little forceful. I've been a pharmacy tech for about a decade, so I said that I'm dedicated to the healthcare field, I understand the need for diversity in medicine, and that I have a drive to succeed, blah blah blah. Basically, try to sell yourself. Mention your best qualities and how they will make you a better student that will represent CCOM the way that they want to be represented
 
Just scheduled my interview today for 9-27. :) Was waiting to hear back from another school on an interview date (got an ii with no date) but it's been almost a week since CCOM emailed the ii so I finally went ahead and scheduled my interview.

Can't wait to see the campus!
 
Hey, I've heard some schools don't care if you use the same essays you wrote last year if you're a reapplicant. Is CCOM like that? I was planning on writing new essays anyways but thought I'd ask
 
Members don't see this ad :)
RockDoc28 said:
Hey, I've heard some schools don't care if you use the same essays you wrote last year if you're a reapplicant. Is CCOM like that? I was planning on writing new essays anyways but thought I'd ask
Click to expand...

Probably not worth the risk. I posted this earlier too, might as well change em a little.
 
so for those of you who are interviewing at ccom. where is the cheapest closest place to stay in a hotel
 
The essay limit is pretty short, so you should definitely use your idea about how CCOM specifically would be the right kind of fit for you and your goals and maybe another one or two points you feel important. You don't want to jam pack too much in there and risk it just being "another generic essay".
 
stila2458 said:
For those who have completed their apps, how did you approach "why CCOM?" I have several points in mind but I am worried they are too generic. For example, I was going to mention how CCOM is a well established school with good rotational sites, how it has high match rates, and how my goal as a physician matches well with their mission statement.

Is there anything anyone else mentioned? Should I talk about my own experience and how I think attending CCOM would further my professional goals?
Click to expand...

Your first paragraph pretty much captures everything I wrote for that prompt except I included how its clubs offered me a great opportunity to grow as a leader and as a person. Also, I was slightly more specific, I mentioned one of their rotational hospitals as being one of the better ones in the nation and I mentioned one of their student clubs I'm interested in joining.

Submitted 8/12, complete 8/13, interview invite 8/14. I am a bit baffled because after looking at the 2017 class averages, I am not exactly a stellar candidate. I'm more nervous than excited.
 
Last edited:
rken3 said:
Your first paragraph pretty much captures everything I wrote for that prompt except I included how its clubs offered me a great opportunity to grow as a leader and as a person. Also, I was slightly more specific, I mentioned one of their rotational hospitals as being one of the better ones in the nation and I mentioned one of their student clubs I'm interested in joining.

Submitted 8/12, complete 8/13, interview invite 8/14. I am a bit baffled because after looking at the 2017 class averages, I am not exactly a stellar candidate. I'm more nervous than excited.
Click to expand...

Congrats! :) Were you notified via telephone or email?
 
ii today. interviewing on 9/30. cGPA: 3.63 MCAT: 32 complete on 7/20
 
It seems that they prefer higher MCAT scores than GPA. Oh well. Good luck to everyone with interviews!
 
asanch said:
Not sure if that's true. I have a 34, no invite.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my MCAT is significantly better than my GPA and I haven't heard anything yet. Hopefully the hunch that they favor the MCAT over GPA is right and we get interviews soon...
 
hello everyone, I am currently set to interview on 9/23 and am planning on flying out that same night. I wanted to check and see if anyone has the same plan and wanted to split transportation to the airport. Send me a PM if interested.
 
pipedahui said:
hello everyone, I am currently set to interview on 9/23 and am planning on flying out that same night. I wanted to check and see if anyone has the same plan and wanted to split transportation to the airport. Send me a PM if interested.
Click to expand...

I am leaving that day as well and I am renting a car. If you want to chip in, I could take you to the airport.
 
I have a a few questions about the interview here.
1. Is the CCOM interview a traditional interview, MMI, or like a group discussion (like LECOM)?
2. If the interview has a traditional portion, will the interviewers be asking a greater proportion of ethical/scenario type questions or will there be a stronger focus on my application itself?
Thanks in advance.
 
quick question, does anyone know the ratio of # of interview invite/ # of acceptance? Thank you.
 
william28612573 said:
quick question, does anyone know the ratio of # of interview invite/ # of acceptance? Thank you.
Click to expand...

About 400 of the 600 people interviewed eventually get accepted. So like a 66-67% acceptance rate
 
SDN virgin here, I am humbled by the opportunity to say this is my first post besides the verification thread.

Is there a set time frame that they review applications, such as the first and third tuesday of the month except after j months or when sounded as A, as in neighbour and weigh, or is it a somewhat rolling basis?

Pumped for a potential interview, it would be a delight to be in the Land of Lincoln.
 
DrMeows said:
About 400 of the 600 people interviewed eventually get accepted. So like a 66-67% acceptance rate
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a pretty good acceptance rate! Do you know if that includes people who get off the wait-list eventually?
 
cyaneidae said:
Wow, that's a pretty good acceptance rate! Do you know if that includes people who get off the wait-list eventually?
Click to expand...

That should include everybody after they pull off the waitlist!
 
DrMeows said:
That should include everybody after they pull off the waitlist!
Click to expand...

Ah, that makes sense then. Still pretty good, though. Thanks for the info! :) Hope MUCOM is treating you well!
 
Congrats to everyone with ii's today! :) When's everyone interviewing? I think I set mine for 9-27.
 
cyaneidae said:
Congrats to everyone with ii's today! :) When's everyone interviewing? I think I set mine for 9-27.
Click to expand...

October 4th. Soooo excited to interview. Can any current students comment on downer's grove as a city? How often do you actually visit chicago?
 
rken3 said:
I have a a few questions about the interview here.
1. Is the CCOM interview a traditional interview, MMI, or like a group discussion (like LECOM)?
2. If the interview has a traditional portion, will the interviewers be asking a greater proportion of ethical/scenario type questions or will there be a stronger focus on my application itself?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

1. your interview will consist of you, one basic science faculty (or two if they do not have a doc), one clinical faculty and one student (usually). it is you and teh three of them

2. the interview is really laid back and relaxed and designed to be a conversation. the focus will be on your CV and your experiences as well as your knowledge of osteopathic medicine.
 
I apologize if this has been asked and answered before, but how long after the interview does CCOM notify you as to their decision (ie rejection, waitlist, acceptance)? I'm interviewing on 9/30. Thanks!
 
mtb1507 said:
I apologize if this has been asked and answered before, but how long after the interview does CCOM notify you as to their decision (ie rejection, waitlist, acceptance)? I'm interviewing on 9/30. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Usually within two weeks (at most). Some hear back within a week. It depends on when the next committee meeting is
 
asanch said:
October 4th. Soooo excited to interview. Can any current students comment on downer's grove as a city? How often do you actually visit chicago?
Click to expand...

Downers Grove is great. The school is located very close to the highway (I-88), two malls, and hundreds of stores/restaurants. It's literally a 2 to 3 minute drive to one of the malls. I'm not a good gauge for how often I visit Chicago because I've lived near here my whole life, but it's not too difficult to take the train to do so
 
BrettJH said:
Downers Grove is great. The school is located very close to the highway (I-88), two malls, and hundreds of stores/restaurants. It's literally a 2 to 3 minute drive to one of the malls. I'm not a good gauge for how often I visit Chicago because I've lived near here my whole life, but it's not too difficult to take the train to do so
Click to expand...

How far is Chicago by train?
 
okokok said:
How far is Chicago by train?
Click to expand...

25-30 minutes. Not a bad train ride at all, and the train station is basically in the middle of Downers (with three tracks).

I'm from the area and know Downers Grove fairly well (not a student of CCOM though). It's a great town in a great location, is very safe, etc. If you're not driving at rush hour (~7am-10am, ~4-7pm), Chicago is only about 30 minutes away. If you're driving at rush hour, it can be a good 1.5-2hr drive.

Downers Grove is situated near a ton of useful expressways (355N/S, i88e/w, i290e/w, i294n/s, i55n/s--to name all the major ones within 10-20 mins drive), so it's very easy to get to Chicago, or even to Wisconsin, Indiana, or the southern end of Illinois. More or less, the town is surrounded on all sides by highways and malls. (And yes, we have nicknames for all our highways--if you listen to a traffic report you might get confused hearing "the Stevenson'" (55) "the Eisenhower," (290) "the edens," "the dan ryan," "the Kennedy" etc.)

Also, it borders a ton of other wealthy Chicago suburbs (Naperville, Oak Brook, etc.), so if you can't find what you want in Downers (for example, Naperville has a larger downtown area, though Downers' is also a nice size) you can easily go to a town next door.


I can't answer any questions about CCOM in the context of Downers Grove, but feel free to ask me any questions about the town itself (lived in the area all my life).
 
Last edited:
cyaneidae said:
25-30 minutes. Not a bad train ride at all, and the train station is basically in the middle of Downers (with three tracks).

I'm from the area and know Downers Grove fairly well (not a student of CCOM though). It's a great town in a great location, is very safe, etc. If you're not driving at rush hour (~7am-10am, ~4-7pm), Chicago is only about 30 minutes away. If you're driving at rush hour, it can be a good 1.5-2hr drive.

Downers Grove is situated near a ton of useful expressways (355N/S, i88e/w, i290e/w, i294n/s, i55n/s--to name all the major ones within 10-20 mins drive), so it's very easy to get to Chicago, or even to Wisconsin, Indiana, or the southern end of Illinois. More or less, the town is surrounded on all sides by highways and malls. (And yes, we have nicknames for all our highways--if you listen to a traffic report you might get confused hearing "the Stevenson'" (55) "the Eisenhower," (290) "the edens," "the dan ryan," "the Kennedy" etc.)

Also, it borders a ton of other wealthy Chicago suburbs (Naperville, Oak Brook, etc.), so if you can't find what you want in Downers (for example, Naperville has a larger downtown area, though Downers' is also a nice size) you can easily go to a town next door.


I can't answer any questions about CCOM in the context of Downers Grove, but feel free to ask me any questions about the town itself (lived in the area all my life).
Click to expand...

How long does it take to get to o hare airport from ccom during rush hour? I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to my plane after the interview.
 
Hey guys,

Does anyone know when MWU starts sending rejections? I received a file completion email from CCOM/AZCOM August 1st and still haven't heard anything from them and nothing has changed on my account online.

I knew this school was a bit of reach for me considering my stats (27 / 3.5c / 3.5sc) and I'm starting to come to terms with the most likely explanation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

PapaGuava
2022-2023 Midwestern University (Chicago, Illinois) CCOM
8 9 10 11 12
Replies
572
Views
97K
Hilove
H
PapaGuava
2021-2022 Midwestern University (Chicago, Illinois) CCOM
11 12 13 14 15
Replies
706
Views
163K
missthang
missthang
PapaGuava
2020-2021 Midwestern University (Chicago, Illinois) CCOM
18 19 20 21 22
Replies
1K
Views
200K
ITALOBROS
I
PapaGuava
2022-2023 Midwestern University (Glendale, Arizona) AZCOM
8 9 10 11 12
Replies
551
Views
87K
clutchkobe24
C
PapaGuava
  • Locked
2022-2023 Alphabetic Index of Osteopathic School-Specific Discussion Threads
Replies
0
Views
62K
PapaGuava
PapaGuava
Top