Philadelphia COM - Georgia (GA-PCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

[Candii0305]

Was just curious as to know if anyone competed it was all.

I have not I will probably get it done within the next two weeks. Been kind of busy studying for exams and stuff :-/

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[Rammy]

I posted this a few pages back, but here's why:

Very rarely will I post negative things about a school, but I had a terrible interview experience here. First of all, the school interviews like 50 applicants in one day, which is way too many. Things are disorganized and it is hard to fit all of the interviewees into the rooms they show you during the tour. The interviews are 2 on 1. One of my interviewers, a PhD (asian guy, can't remember his name because they didn't give us the names of our interviewers in writing - also strange), was a total a**hole and disagreed with/contested everything I said. I'm sorry, but what is the purpose of being intentionally antagonistic toward an interviewee? It got to the point where I just started addressing the other interviewer in the room exclusively with my responses. There was no reason to be this way. I am an older non-trad applicant with tons of clinical and real world life experience, and I have never been treated this way in an interview, either for a med school or a job. The school felt like a giant warehouse and the student body did not seem extremely happy. No family/collaborative atmosphere at this school, as is present at other places I've interviewed. GA-PCOM left a bad taste in my mouth.

Yea I am not sure what really happened, but I believe I had the same interviewer. I did not have any of the same experiences that you did, but I hope you find a right school for yourself. And just like the others, it felt like all the students were very happy at the school and it seemed to be an encouraging atmosphere.

 

[docisthegoal]

Hi guys. I just got an II here yesterday and am trying to see if I should accept it. Will make my decision in an hour and a half so the admissions isn't left without a decision from me. I'm FL resident, accepted to LECOM and waiting to here from Nova. I understand PCOM is the top DO school, but I would like to see if there is anything superior about the school at this location that would make it better than Nova. Thanks in advance.

 

[C3H6O3]

Hi guys. I just got an II here yesterday and am trying to see if I should accept it. Will make my decision in an hour and a half so the admissions isn't left without a decision from me. I'm FL resident, accepted to LECOM and waiting to here from Nova. I understand PCOM is the top DO school, but I would like to see if there is anything superior about the school at this location that would make it better than Nova. Thanks in advance.

If you haven't received a decision from Nova yet, I would ask yourself if you would attend PCOM-GA over LECOM. If yes, then I would go to the interview. If accepted, then I would compare PCOM-GA to Nova. Best of luck to you!

 

[docisthegoal]

If you haven't received a decision from Nova yet, I would ask yourself if you would attend PCOM-GA over LECOM. If yes, then I would go to the interview. If accepted, then I would compare PCOM-GA to Nova. Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the tip!

 

[ilovemacaroons]

Currently, there are no rotation sites offer around the Philly area for PCOM-GA students but there are sites such as Scranton or Jamestown in PA that are available.

 

[docisthegoal]

Decided to decline the II for this Friday. I hope someone more set on this school gets it Best of luck to everyone!

 

[Rammy]

Currently, there are no rotation sites offer around the Philly area for PCOM-GA students but there are sites such as Scranton or Jamestown in PA that are available.

I was told there were 8 spots when I went to my interview...

 

[WaterIsGood]

I was told there were 8 spots when I went to my interview...

There are 8 spots in PA. None in Philly.

 

[fifthcupofcoffee]

does anyone know how late they send interview invites? is there a silent rejection or is it stated if you are no longer able to be considered? still waiting for ii complete 12/11


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[creid11]

They are still sending them out--I got mine today!
Does anyone know if they only interview on Fridays? They scheduled mine the same day I'm interviewing at LECOM so I need to reschedule..

 

[WaterIsGood]

Yeah they're all on Fridays

 

[CSant2525]

Interview tomorrow! Lets get it!

 

[PamSpammer]

Can anyone tell me if I have any hope here this late in the cycle? I was complete back in November but I'm OOS from colorado and have a 3.57cGPA and 3.3sGPA, 504 MCAT

 

[drmeow2016]

Can anyone tell me if I have any hope here this late in the cycle? I was complete back in November but I'm OOS from colorado and have a 3.57cGPA and 3.3sGPA, 504 MCAT

I think that you stand a chance! Your stats don't look too bad. PCOM is a private school so they have no in-state preference, if I'm correct.

 

[drmeow2016]

Accepted here on 01/19!! Secondary submitted 11/05. Interview invite 12/03. Interviewed on 01/08. Good luck everyone!

 

[appleball5]

Is there any students that can post what a typical class schedule is like for a week?

 

[ilovemacaroons]

This is the schedule that you would have for your first term in your first year.

 

[Rammy]

Any suggestions regarding housing?

 

[simbad8]

Currently, there are no rotation sites offer around the Philly area for PCOM-GA students but there are sites such as Scranton or Jamestown in PA that are available.

There's 8ish spots in PA: 6 in Scranton/Wilkes-barre (which is pretty close to philly) then 2-3 in JOHNSTOWN, PA...not Jamestown, wherever that is. Even the school can't seem to get that right. But don't count on the Scranton and NJ spots being there every year because we were only given to opportunity to go there this year since the philly campus didn't fill them. On the other hand, Johnstown has been a spot for the past couple years.

 

[deleted407021]

II just now for 2/19. They don't give a terrible amount of time to prepare, do they?

 

[Syra]

II just now for 2/19. They don't give a terrible amount of time to prepare, do they?

Congrats! When were you complete?

 

[deleted407021]

Congrats! When were you complete?

Ages ago, like Nov 30

 

[GrumpyMS]

II just now for 2/19. They don't give a terrible amount of time to prepare, do they?

I remember that someone got their II on Wednesday for that Friday.

 

[CSant2525]

I remember that someone got their II on Wednesday for that Friday.

I did, I'm not even mad lol. I drove there so it wasn't an expensive surprise at least.


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[fifthcupofcoffee]

how long does it take post-interview for admissions to get back to us about whether an applicant is accepted or not?


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[GrumpyMS]

how long does it take post-interview for admissions to get back to us about whether an applicant is accepted or not?


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Two to three weeks. Their decision would be sent via mail.

 

[drmeow2016]

I found out that I got accepted in about a week. It just depends on how many people they interviewed. Good luck!

 

[JDWannabe]

Ages ago, like Nov 30

Dude, good luck. That is a very short time indeed.

 

[MarsDominus]

Got an II today as well for this Friday. I have a few questions.

1. What is the interview like? I heard its 2 on 1 closed files.
2. How many people are interviewed on a given day?
3. When is the next admissions committee meeting?
4. How are applicants/interviewees evaluated?
5. How many seats are still open?

 

[C3H6O3]

II just now for 2/19. They don't give a terrible amount of time to prepare, do they?

I was notified on a Wednesday around 11am for an interview on Friday morning. A little nerve-wracking but it is nice to get through the process quickly.

 

[deleted407021]

I was notified on a Wednesday around 11am for an interview on Friday morning. A little nerve-wracking but it is nice to get through the process quickly.

Were you contacted pretty quickly with the decision? About how many interviewed with you?

 

[C3H6O3]

Were you contacted pretty quickly with the decision? About how many interviewed with you?

I was accepted about 7-8 days later. My interview group consisted of about 20 people. I was in the first interview group back in September so I'm not sure if these parameters are still the same.

 

[deleted407021]

I was accepted about 7-8 days later. My interview group consisted of about 20 people. I was in the first interview group back in September so I'm not sure if these parameters are still the same.

It will likely be fewer people by now, is my thinking.

 

[CSant2525]

Nope. I interviewed recently with 21


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[drmeow2016]

Got an II today as well for this Friday. I have a few questions.

1. What is the interview like? I heard its 2 on 1 closed files.
2. How many people are interviewed on a given day?
3. When is the next admissions committee meeting?
4. How are applicants/interviewees evaluated?
5. How many seats are still open?

The interview was 2 on 1 and was closed file. The staff had everyone go to the library at the beginning of the interview day to answer some questions on the computer so that the interviewers can ask you about those questions. Some interviewers elect to use those questions and others do not. My interview was very conversational. Both of my interviewers were interested in my travels and we went off topic about traveling. We ended the interview with talking about restaurants in the Atlanta area. Basically, if you were selected for an interview that means they are certain you can handle medical school academically and they just want to check your social skills. In making a decision after your interview, I was told that they no longer look at your grades. I had about 45-50 people who were also being interviewed on my interview day and I interviewed early January. It was a bit hectic, but worked out in the end. I know that they tell you you'll receive a decision within 2-3 weeks, but I was notified of my acceptance about 10 days later. I do not know how many seats are currently opened unfortunately. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[drmeow2016]

Anyone having issues with Nucleus? I just received my login and I cannot find the new students tab..

 

[Candii0305]

The official FB page has been created and invites have been sent out to all accepted students. Congratulations to everyone accepted!!

 

[C3H6O3]

The official FB page has been created and invites have been sent out to all accepted students. Congratulations to everyone accepted!!

Hmmm....I didn't get an invite. Did they send it through the school email or Facebook?

 

[fifthcupofcoffee]

I'm matriculating here in a few days, just wanted to poke my head in and say good luck to all applicants. I interviewed 9/26/14 accepted sometime the next week and got letter 10/8/14. It definitely helps to apply early.

IS, sgpa 4.0 MCAT 29 masters gpa 3.9 with 1st authored publication.

tips for interviewing here:

-understand why you want to practice on GA residents. Indicate a link to rural or underserved areas anywhere in the US.
-understand that many rotation sites for this school are in underserved areas (this does not exclude urban rotation sites, just understand the school's goals)
-focus on primary care, and indicate your interest in a primary care field
-understand potential issues in medical training such as number of medical graduates : available residency spots and offer solutions
-understand challenges of working in rural and underserved areas
-indicate a commitment to serve others and be able to demonstrate this in your past
-indicate resiliency to continuing difficulty and be prepared to demonstrate in your past
-make sure you have a few stories about past challenges lined up, and demonstrate how you coped
-how do you deal with stress? (understand that medicine carries with it a huge burden in relationships, and has a high suicide rate; understand that the train you're getting on doesn't stop for a very long time)
-indicate willingness and commitment to lifelong learning (understand that physician training never really ends)
-what would you do if you discovered a student cheating (I threw a curve ball during my interview and stated I would not report the student). Be able to demonstrate critical thinking about ethical decision making.
-be sure to be able to show them how you will change medicine. The best way to serve medicine is by understanding its current needs and indicating a willingness to meet those needs.

Always show during interviews, never tell.

things to ask:

-how much time to you allocate to students so that they can study for boards
-what sort of help do you offer to students who have trouble in their courses
-what sort of help do you offer to students to find a place to live
-how successful are students with families at this school
-indicate a strong interest in the medical school location, and indicate openness and flexibility to relocate

This is not to discourage students who may have other interests (non-primary care/non rural/no interest in staying in GA), but it is to show you what many COMs like to see. Everything I have seen indicates that you can do anything you want after graduating here. Previous classes were highly successful in matching to competitive specialties.

Make sure to stay and ask the medical student assigned to you as many questions as possible. I stayed for an hour after the interviews as I had many questions, and a strong interest in the school.

So far I have been very impressed with how helpful previous years are for each new class, so of course ask questions if you have them.

Just wanted to bring this on down for all of us interviewing Friday


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[Candii0305]

Hmmm....I didn't get an invite. Did they send it through the school email or Facebook?

I was invited through my PCOM email as well as my old email that I first started corresponding to PCOM with.

 

[C3H6O3]

I was invited through my PCOM email as well as my old email that I first started corresponding to PCOM with.

Thanks. I ended up getting one.

 

[Tak16]

Just a quick question for anyone that has already interviewed here: What is the parking situation on interview day?

 

[perestroika]

Just a quick question for anyone that has already interviewed here: What is the parking situation on interview day?

It's not an issue at all; they have a huge parking lot. It's free and you don't need a visitor pass. Good luck!

 

[Tak16]

It's not an issue at all; they have a huge parking lot. It's free and you don't need a visitor pass. Good luck!

Thanks! I interview tomorrow!

 

[deleted407021]

I enjoyed the interview day! Good impressions and the school is in a great place, for me. Excited to hear back soon.

 

[mnm94]

Can any current students comment on the rotations at ga-pcom? Are most the of the rotations in GA itself?

 

[C3H6O3]

Can any current students comment on the rotations at ga-pcom? Are most the of the rotations in GA itself?

I'll answer the question about clinicals, first.

You're correct, prior to this year we had J track, 70 spots for students to rotate in different hospitals and clinics in around Atlanta metro. The rest were placed at anchor sites throughout GA, FL, and AL. This year they revamped the system, removing J track and anchor sites. Each student is now placed in regions; NE GA, Central GA, SE GA, which includes Jacksonville, SW GA, NW GA, and South Central GA. Additionally there are spots in Cahaba, AL., Atlantic City NJ, Scranton PA, and Johnstown, PA. This change has no effect on audition rotations during your 4th year. The changes are simply to improve the overall quality of rotations based on prior student feedback. There are some really solid hospitals PCOMGA students rotate at plus a few that were added this year.

As to the curriculum, you start with Anatomy, Anatomy lab and classes associated; physio, radiology, etc during first term. Second term is devoted to biochem, micro, and pharm. From 3rd term of 1st year to the end of second year, classes are systems based; Neuro, Cardio/Pulm/Renal, Endocrinology, etc etc. After first term, most of what you'd be learning is high yield board material.
Fwiw, faculty is tweaking the schedule for 2nd years in order to provide them more time to study boards. Basically, moving their schedule up so that all classes except for OMM and primary care skills end 6 weeks prior to June (or around June, not clear on the date) , which allows more time for dedicated boards study.

As to research, if you're interested, it's fairly easy to find opportunities in basic sciences research by just communicating with the faculty here. As to clinical research, several classmates were able to set that up on their own through alum networking or other means.

Teaching style: Lecture based. Classes are recorded through a program called tegrity. Labs and guest lecturers are mandatory attendance. We also have small group discussions and vignettes, but those are few and far in between.

Hope that helps.

 

[buranto-des]

Wait listed today via snail mail. Interviewed 2/5. :<

 

[deleted407021]

Wait listed today via snail mail. Interviewed 2/5. :<

Sorry to hear that. How did you think your interview went?