Pacific Northwest University (PNWU-COM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

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I interviewed this last Saturday as well. I have to agree with everyone stating that the experience was relaxing and fun. I feel like knowing your application, knowing why you have pursued this course and being yourself is the best advice I can give. I know that "being yourself" is advice given by everyone for everything and it is so ambiguous but I honestly can say this school looks for people who like people. If you get an interview that means that they already like you and during your time there you just solidify what you have told them.
I feel like my day went great. It started with a presentation about the school, curriculum and financial aid. Then we went on a tour of the school and had an OMM demonstration. I liked this part because we were able to interact with the students. Lunch was next and I took this opportunity to talk with the faculty members and become known but I think it is also important not to dominate a student or faculty member with conversation. Finally we had our group project and the interviews. I felt like three of the four interviews went extremely well. One of them tested my frustration, but overall I think I interviewed well. I am hoping for a phone call within the next day or so.
Good luck to everyone in the next few groups. I hope you all have the experience I did.
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Looks like calls on friday & monday
 
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I know! I was all stress out today waiting by my phone and then to get the email at five o'clock! My heart sank a little bit and now we have more waiting! I guess we were all just too great at the interview last weekend.
 
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IDmed_girl said:
I know! I was all stress out today waiting by my phone and then to get the email at five o'clock! My heart sank a little bit and now we have more waiting! I guess we were all just too great at the interview last weekend.
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I know what you mean. My heart dropped when I saw the email as well. This is going to be a long weekend.
 
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Just got the acceptance call :)
 
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To those who interviewed here, I just have a general question on how the MMI is conducted. Are the questions asked when you are already seated with an interviewer, or is it given to you prior to entering the room allowing time to formulate the answer? The latter seems to be what is being done according to my internet search, but is this the case here at PNWU? Thanks!
 
Is there any hope to get my April interview moved up? Should I email Hope?
 
My portal was updated to "waitlisted." Oh well :(
 
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Waitlisted as well. Do they let us know our position?
 
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Al Bularyo said:
To those who interviewed here, I just have a general question on how the MMI is conducted. Are the questions asked when you are already seated with an interviewer, or is it given to you prior to entering the room allowing time to formulate the answer? The latter seems to be what is being done according to my internet search, but is this the case here at PNWU? Thanks!
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It's given as a prompt outside the room, you get 2 mins to go over it.
 
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BostonK said:
Waitlisted as well. Do they let us know our position?
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Yep, they will rank them sometime in April. They won't let you know your exact position, but will say something to the effect of "...you ranked in the top 10..." so you will have some idea. It was my understanding that they worked their way pretty deep through the waitlist last year.
 
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Wait listed. I am going to try and stay in good spirits.
 
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I interviewed at PNWUCOM and all I got was a lousy baked potato
 
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They gave us grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch when I was there. I love baked potatoes so I wouldn't have minded!
 
What's the group project like? And how long is it?
 
Ceramium said:
What's the group project like? And how long is it?
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Ours was about 30 mins, and it's really basic. Literally a one-on-one discussion followed by a group discussion. I don't know how much they could have really gotten out of it honestly, everyone was on their best behavior.
 
bon22 said:
I think what he means is that he got a lousy baked potato for lunch... I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
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Catfish-Cupcake said:
They gave us grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch when I was there. I love baked potatoes so I wouldn't have minded!
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Better than onions and chili... which were actually pretty delicious, but seemed like a weird idea before going into a small room with interviewers.

Also, I had to laugh at our OMM demo when they invited us to push on our demo patient's back to see if we could feel the lack of "Spring." When I pushed on her, her back popped really loud and I jumped back because I thought I had really messed something up. Turns out I had just found the magic spot. I pointed out to them that I have a natural gift for popping people in a good way. It's probably why they accepted me. Just sayin'! lol (I'm totally joking btw... maybe)
 
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Ive been on the post-interview waitlist since November. Is now a good time to send my LOI or is it too soon/too early?
 
Buzzlightyear33 said:
Ive been on the post-interview waitlist since November. Is now a good time to send my LOI or is it too soon/too early?
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Do it now. I called and talked to admissions shortly after I was waitlisted. Because they constantly review the WL they said to turn in a LOI ASAP.
 
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Does anyone know if the waitlist moved at all after this interview? I have been waitlisted since November and am curious if it is moving after each interview. I also did not see alot of people posting acceptances from the January interview.
 
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drflores417 said:
Does anyone know if the waitlist moved at all after this interview? I have been waitlisted since November and am curious if it is moving after each interview. I also did not see alot of people posting acceptances from the January interview.
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Im not seeing a lot of movement either and as far as I know there are 3 more interview dates (Feb and March, April is WL only). PNWU wont officially rank their waitlist until May.
 
Turning down my acceptance here today. Good luck to everyone still in the run.
 
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Hey guys, obviously many of you have interviewed and many have been accepted. I'm curious when you submitted your primary application to PNWU-COM. I'm planning on taking the MCAT on May 20th but am considering pushing it back into June or possibly July. From what I've read about D.O. schools in general, that wouldn't be too late for applying in this upcoming cycle. What are your guys' thoughts for specifically applying to PNWU-COM? This school is one of my top choices because I'm from a small, rural, and underserved town here in central Washington. Should I rush through my prep and hope for the best or take a little bit extra time and not worry so much about taking the MCAT in mid to late summer?

Thanks in advance!
 
Mo3 said:
Hey guys, obviously many of you have interviewed and many have been accepted. I'm curious when you submitted your primary application to PNWU-COM. I'm planning on taking the MCAT on May 20th but am considering pushing it back into June or possibly July. From what I've read about D.O. schools in general, that wouldn't be too late for applying in this upcoming cycle. What are your guys' thoughts for specifically applying to PNWU-COM? This school is one of my top choices because I'm from a small, rural, and underserved town here in central Washington. Should I rush through my prep and hope for the best or take a little bit extra time and not worry so much about taking the MCAT in mid to late summer?

Thanks in advance!
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I would advise simply to take the MCAT when you feel the most comfortable. I took mine in June and have received several acceptances because I took the time to study everything out and feel confident. If you do go the summer route, just make sure that you start working on the rest of your application beforehand so that when your MCAT scores are posted, all you need to do is submit the rest of your app.
 
I_am_the_pan said:
I would advise simply to take the MCAT when you feel the most comfortable. I took mine in June and have received several acceptances because I took the time to study everything out and feel confident. If you do go the summer route, just make sure that you start working on the rest of your application beforehand so that when your MCAT scores are posted, all you need to do is submit the rest of your app.
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I totally agree with this. I would always advise submitting as early as possible, but its not worth a damaging MCAT score that could set you back a year or more. Study, study, study. Take the MCAT when your ready, finish up your primary when your waiting for the scores and either submit or adjust your plan when you get that score.

Mo3 said:
Hey guys, obviously many of you have interviewed and many have been accepted. I'm curious when you submitted your primary application to PNWU-COM. I'm planning on taking the MCAT on May 20th but am considering pushing it back into June or possibly July. From what I've read about D.O. schools in general, that wouldn't be too late for applying in this upcoming cycle. What are your guys' thoughts for specifically applying to PNWU-COM? This school is one of my top choices because I'm from a small, rural, and underserved town here in central Washington. Should I rush through my prep and hope for the best or take a little bit extra time and not worry so much about taking the MCAT in mid to late summer?

Thanks in advance!
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I submitted my primary day one of AACOMAS opening and had my PNWU secondary completed days after I received it. Being from central WA, you're a great candidate so I think you have some leeway on when you submit. Let me know if you have any more questions!
 
Thanks guys! Congrats on everything!
 
Hey @Hrdrock, are there any study aids/books that you recommend us future 1st years investing in before starting at PNWU?
 
Do you guys remember from the interview, is the curriculum system based and will we have block examinations?
Thanks!
 
Catfish-Cupcake said:
Hey @Hrdrock, are there any study aids/books that you recommend us future 1st years investing in before starting at PNWU?
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I'd actually recommend holding off on buying anything school related. This year, they purchased all the necessary textbooks and some other items for us (stethoscope, iPad, etc.). I'm not certain that'll be the case for you guys, but unless you've heard otherwise, I'd hold off until orientation week. Since the annual version of FirstAid doesn't come out until December/January, you could buy that if you want--I used it a bit first semester.

lyana said:
Do you guys remember from the interview, is the curriculum system based and will we have block examinations?
Thanks!
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It's basic sciences for the first 12 weeks, then systems. We (c/o 2019) had a class called Scientific Foundations of Medicine for the first 12 weeks, which encompassed some molecular bio, genetics, biochem, immunology, etc. Then we dove into systems (starting with musculoskeletal). Systems here are a bit unique in that we have ~1 tests worth of "basic science" material at the beginning of each system (e.g. physiology of cardiovascular) prior to beginning the pathology/medicine portions of that system (because we only had 12 weeks of basic sciences instead of the traditional first year of basic sciences). You'll also have anatomy lab/lecture throughout the entire first year.
 
Steer clear away from this school if at all possible like if you have another acceptance. You all will be shocked how terrible most of the instructors at this school are. I was. There is a major problem at this school when you have to watch youtube videos to fill information that was made more confusing by the instructor. No one complains because no one wants to rock the boat or we're only here for another year. But painful tortuous couple years.
 
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Heard the same from a friend of mine. Steered away since then.
HeadtoDOC said:
You all will be shocked how terrible some of the instructors at this school are. I was. There is a major problem at this school when you have to watch youtube videos to fill information that was made more confusing by the instructor. No one complains because no one wants to rock the boat or we're only here for another year. But painful tortuous couple years.
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I read a thread that a surgery rotation preceptor was a NP have they fixed that
 
HeadtoDOC said:
Steer clear away from this school if at all possible like if you have another acceptance. You all will be shocked how terrible most of the instructors at this school are. I was. There is a major problem at this school when you have to watch youtube videos to fill information that was made more confusing by the instructor. No one complains because no one wants to rock the boat or we're only here for another year. But painful tortuous couple years.
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I can understand your frustration, but I'll admit that I don't agree with your accusations. A generalization can't be made that the school is terrible because you had a bad experience. The onus is on you to command your own education just as much as it is on the professors. While I do agree that there are a few professors who are less than ideal, there are a number of them that are fantastic, and the rest are at the very least acceptable.

I'd urge prospective students to adopt the mindset of "you get out what you put in". If you work hard, you will do just fine. If you are expecting everything to be spoon fed to you, you'll likely have a negative experience. I'm sure this applies to any graduate institution across the nation and is not unique to PNWU. I'm saying this so that prospective students don't think everyone has a negative experience here.
 
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Steer clear away from this school. I had three other acceptances when I was applying in 2014 and everyday I wish I had gone to another school. I wish someone had warned me about this school when I was applying couple years ago.

You will be disappointed when you wonder I have gone through so much only to be met with low quality everything. When another student is asking you to 'adopt the mindset of "you get out what you put in"' you can already sense to not expect anything from this school and you are on your own.

I once was studying with 4 other classmates and I mentioned whether it was me "do you guys understand what this professor is saying, because I'm only picking up like 20%." and it was funny because everyone unanimously agreed that they were all confused and one female student went as far as to say, I kid you not in her own words, "There are so many bad professors here. I'm afraid even to tell my mom." This almost made me teary eyed because I felt sorry for her and all of us.
 
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HeadtoDOC said:
Steer clear away from this school if at all possible like if you have another acceptance. You all will be shocked how terrible most of the instructors at this school are. I was. There is a major problem at this school when you have to watch youtube videos to fill information that was made more confusing by the instructor. No one complains because no one wants to rock the boat or we're only here for another year. But painful tortuous couple years.
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Someone got rejected..
 
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There are good and bad instructors at every school. One of my best friends is a second year at UW, arguably on of the best medical schools in the nation, and tells me that plenty of his professors do a poor job of presenting material.

It's fine to struggle with classes and topics, but throwing all the blame on the professors is not right. People forget that these are doctorate level degrees that we are pursuing! These programs are not supposed to be easy and we are expected to teach ourselves a large portion of the material. The idea is to prepare us to be competent, free-thinking practitioners. By the time we're done we may not always know the difference between our ass and a hole in the ground, but we will have the tools and experience necessary to figure it out.
 
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Catfish-Cupcake said:
There are good and bad instructors at every school. One of my best friends is a second year at UW, arguably on of the best medical schools in the nation, and tells me that plenty of his professors do a poor job of presenting material.

It's fine to struggle with classes and topics, but throwing all the blame on the professors is not right. People forget that these are doctorate level degrees that we are pursuing! These programs are not supposed to be easy and we are expected to teach ourselves a large portion of the material. The idea is to prepare us to be competent, free-thinking practitioners. By the time we're done we may not always know the difference between our ass and a hole in the ground, but we will have the tools and experience necessary to figure it out.
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"Dr., they updated those hypertension guidelines years ago..."

"But nobody told me... You mean I actually have to seek out information on my own?!"
 
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HeadtoDOC said:
Steer clear away from this school. I had three other acceptances when I was applying in 2014 and everyday I wish I had gone to another school. I wish someone had warned me about this school when I was applying couple years ago.

You will be disappointed when you wonder I have gone through so much only to be met with low quality everything. When another student is asking you to 'adopt the mindset of "you get out what you put in"' you can already sense to not expect anything from this school and you are on your own.

I once was studying with 4 other classmates and I mentioned whether it was me "do you guys understand what this professor is saying, because I'm only picking up like 20%." and it was funny because everyone unanimously agreed that they were all confused and one female student went as far as to say, I kid you not in her own words, "There are so many bad professors here. I'm afraid even to tell my mom." This almost made me teary eyed because I felt sorry for her and all of us.
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Good thing you did not go to LECOM with the PBL format....my goodness, in that case there would be nobody to blame.
 
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