Philadelphia COM - Philadelphia (PCOM) Discussion Thread 2013 - 2014

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Anybody know if PCOM is P/F during the first two years?
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Judging by last year's thread, I think most of our interviews at this stage in the cycle will result in a "deferred decision" instead of an outright acceptance. Does anyone else know more about this?

I know that interviews this year are pushed well into April, so this may not be the case.
 
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DomoKunMD said:
Judging by last year's thread, I think most of our interviews at this stage in the cycle will result in a "deferred decision" instead of an outright acceptance. Does anyone else know more about this?

I know that interviews this year are pushed well into April, so this may not be the case.
Click to expand...

Haha, I was just looking at last year's thread yesterday and obsessively trying to translate last year's calendar to this year's. You and I are clearly neurotic soulmates. But no one with a February interview has posted about a deferred decision, this year, and the adcom were definitely deferring by the end of January last year. But--and maybe this is my imagination--last year's thread seemed to be more active around this time...

Anyone with Jan/Feb interviews--deferred decision?
 
broken tibula said:
Haha, I was just looking at last year's thread yesterday and obsessively trying to translate last year's calendar to this year's. You and I are clearly neurotic soulmates. But no one with a February interview has posted about a deferred decision, this year, and the adcom were definitely deferring by the end of January last year. But--and maybe this is my imagination--last year's thread seemed to be more active around this time...

Anyone with Jan/Feb interviews--deferred decision?
Click to expand...


That's my guess--that since everything got pushed back bc of the snow days, etc...we're not actually as "late" as we would otherwise be.

(I'm totally overthinking this)
 
When I interviewed last week they said we were not interviewing for a waitlist spot or anything. One of the professors also mentioned that the class is probably about half full.
 
broken tibula said:
Haha, I was just looking at last year's thread yesterday and obsessively trying to translate last year's calendar to this year's. You and I are clearly neurotic soulmates. But no one with a February interview has posted about a deferred decision, this year, and the adcom were definitely deferring by the end of January last year. But--and maybe this is my imagination--last year's thread seemed to be more active around this time...

Anyone with Jan/Feb interviews--deferred decision?
Click to expand...
I interviewed January 30th and haven't heard anything yet. They said the adcom is only meeting once a month at this point so it takes 4-5 weeks to hear back.
 
987234 said:
I interviewed January 30th and haven't heard anything yet. They said the adcom is only meeting once a month at this point so it takes 4-5 weeks to hear back.
Click to expand...

Oh, God.

Although, isn't April sort of the deadline for decisions? Save for the waitlist. So, those of us with March interviews shouldn't have to wait until the end of April to hear back, right?
 
broken tibula said:
Oh, God.

Although, isn't April sort of the deadline for decisions? Save for the waitlist. So, those of us with March interviews shouldn't have to wait until the end of April to hear back, right?
Click to expand...


I think the deadline is like May 15th
 
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I'm a 2nd year student at Ga-PCOM, PCOM Philly students correct me if I'm wrong, but i'm about 99% sure that neither schools grade by a Pass/Fail system. In Georgia, we only have one class that is pass/fail 2nd year. The PCOM institution tends to run by the same policies, that's why I HIGHLY doubt PCOM Philly is pass/fail, if Georgia isn't. What some of you might be referring to is 3rd and 4th year. 3rd and 4th year (rotations) have a pass/fail grading system. However you can also get a high pass or pass with honors 3rd and 4th year. Again, Philly students, correct me if I'm wrong.
 
ugh, i'm amazed no ones answered this accurately yet.

From the 2013-14 Course Catalog:
Page 48: http://web.pcom.edu/Academic_Programs/catalogs/13_14_catalog.pdf

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program grading structure is on a numeric scale
from 0-100 for the first two years with 70 being a passing grade. There are a few
courses in the first and second year that are Pass/Fail courses. In the clinical
years the grading structure is Honors Pass, High Pass, and Pass.
 
DomoKunMD said:
ugh, i'm amazed no ones answered this accurately yet.

From the 2013-14 Course Catalog:
Page 48: http://web.pcom.edu/Academic_Programs/catalogs/13_14_catalog.pdf

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program grading structure is on a numeric scale
from 0-100 for the first two years with 70 being a passing grade. There are a few
courses in the first and second year that are Pass/Fail courses. In the clinical
years the grading structure is Honors Pass, High Pass, and Pass.
Click to expand...

I also just confirmed this with a 3rd year student at PCOM in Philly. This is 100% correct.
 
Any acceptances from February interviews yet?
 
hasn't the committee been meeting on the last week of each month?
 
when i interviewed, they definitely said we'd hear back by the end of february. has anyone heard whether the ad com met this week?
 
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Hey guys, I am looking for some current students of PCOM to get their feedback on some things I read about PCOM from prior years that were a little concerning. I am most curious to see if these things that students had brought up about what they did not like about PCOM have been addressed and fixed for either current students or incoming students like us! Any and all feedback is great, thank you!

Below are "problems" with PCOM from past year students I found from PCOM SDN 2012-2013 (pg. 11)


1) Lack of board prep… whether it be from things not being covered in lecture, to lack of board style exam questions, and lack of time to study for boards.

2) OMM. OPP has been taught by the brothers Nicholai for seemingly thousands of years. They make blanket statements about how OPP taught at other schools is wrong with nothing to back it up. The department has some really bright professors who know how to teach practical OPP and understand its role. For me, the 'fun' of OMM/OPP was sucked out by those in charge and it doesn't have to be that way.

3) We run a systems curriculum which everybody pretty much universally loves. One of the big problems is that during your third term (we do trimesters) of second year, there are some really, really dumb classes where it seems like the only goal is to prevent us from studying for boards. We have many redundant lectures (i.e. we had 5 acid/base lectures). In some blocks, the course directors would all but give us the answers to their questions. Awesome, right? Not really. It's cool getting their questions right but, as a result, I don't know renal as well as I should.

4) We have some professors who are just goddamn outdated. One of our GI professors is a really great guy but he hasn't practiced GI in some time and the treatments he talks about are out of date. How do I know? I know because younger docs come in and blast those treatments.

5) I think the biggest flaw at PCOM is the lack of direction and organization during 3rd and 4th year with rotations and residency apps.
 
Ski.the.East said:
Hey guys, I am looking for some current students of PCOM to get their feedback on some things I read about PCOM from prior years that were a little concerning. I am most curious to see if these things that students had brought up about what they did not like about PCOM have been addressed and fixed for either current students or incoming students like us! Any and all feedback is great, thank you!

Below are "problems" with PCOM from past year students I found from PCOM SDN 2012-2013 (pg. 11)


1) Lack of board prep… whether it be from things not being covered in lecture, to lack of board style exam questions, and lack of time to study for boards.

2) OMM. OPP has been taught by the brothers Nicholai for seemingly thousands of years. They make blanket statements about how OPP taught at other schools is wrong with nothing to back it up. The department has some really bright professors who know how to teach practical OPP and understand its role. For me, the 'fun' of OMM/OPP was sucked out by those in charge and it doesn't have to be that way.

3) We run a systems curriculum which everybody pretty much universally loves. One of the big problems is that during your third term (we do trimesters) of second year, there are some really, really dumb classes where it seems like the only goal is to prevent us from studying for boards. We have many redundant lectures (i.e. we had 5 acid/base lectures). In some blocks, the course directors would all but give us the answers to their questions. Awesome, right? Not really. It's cool getting their questions right but, as a result, I don't know renal as well as I should.

4) We have some professors who are just goddamn outdated. One of our GI professors is a really great guy but he hasn't practiced GI in some time and the treatments he talks about are out of date. How do I know? I know because younger docs come in and blast those treatments.

5) I think the biggest flaw at PCOM is the lack of direction and organization during 3rd and 4th year with rotations and residency apps.
Click to expand...

Pcom is arguably the best DO school in the country. Take one look at their match list and reputation. That said, They're doing something right so everything listed doesn't seem like that big a deal
 
MrWonderful said:
Pcom is arguably the best DO school in the country. Take one look at their match list and reputation. That said, They're doing something right so everything listed doesn't seem like that big a deal
Click to expand...
I am not saying that it is not a good school and I am well aware of its reputation... I was just curious to hear from current 1st/2nd years to see if these things that other students (that actually attend PCOM) had brought up have been fixed or are in the works.
 
Ski.the.East said:
Hey guys, I am looking for some current students of PCOM to get their feedback on some things I read about PCOM from prior years that were a little concerning. I am most curious to see if these things that students had brought up about what they did not like about PCOM have been addressed and fixed for either current students or incoming students like us! Any and all feedback is great, thank you!

Below are "problems" with PCOM from past year students I found from PCOM SDN 2012-2013 (pg. 11)


1) Lack of board prep… whether it be from things not being covered in lecture, to lack of board style exam questions, and lack of time to study for boards.

2) OMM. OPP has been taught by the brothers Nicholai for seemingly thousands of years. They make blanket statements about how OPP taught at other schools is wrong with nothing to back it up. The department has some really bright professors who know how to teach practical OPP and understand its role. For me, the 'fun' of OMM/OPP was sucked out by those in charge and it doesn't have to be that way.

3) We run a systems curriculum which everybody pretty much universally loves. One of the big problems is that during your third term (we do trimesters) of second year, there are some really, really dumb classes where it seems like the only goal is to prevent us from studying for boards. We have many redundant lectures (i.e. we had 5 acid/base lectures). In some blocks, the course directors would all but give us the answers to their questions. Awesome, right? Not really. It's cool getting their questions right but, as a result, I don't know renal as well as I should.

4) We have some professors who are just goddamn outdated. One of our GI professors is a really great guy but he hasn't practiced GI in some time and the treatments he talks about are out of date. How do I know? I know because younger docs come in and blast those treatments.

5) I think the biggest flaw at PCOM is the lack of direction and organization during 3rd and 4th year with rotations and residency apps.
Click to expand...


I don't know 100% but I believe I did hear on the interview day that they changed their curriculum. I want to say they now give you more time off to study for boards ( I can't be 100% certain, maybe a current PCOM student can comment)
 
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TopTomato said:
I don't know 100% but I believe I did hear on the interview day that they changed their curriculum. I want to say they now give you more time off to study for boards ( I can't be 100% certain, maybe a current PCOM student can comment)
Click to expand...
If you look at the catalog you have 21 credits the first 2 terms of your second year. The third term in the spring drops back to 12 credits, so you have time to prepare for boards taken at the end of the second year.
 
gz4956 said:
If you look at the catalog you have 21 credits the first 2 terms of your second year. The third term in the spring drops back to 12 credits, so you have time to prepare for boards taken at the end of the second year.
Click to expand...

Yeah but in previous years I heard they only gave like 2 weeks to study for boards. Now I hear they give like 6 weeks. I'm just wondering if what I heard was correct

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
DomoKunMD said:
did they say how long they'll be interviewing & how much of the class is filled?
Click to expand...

At the breakfast a student asked and the guy who took us to breakfast said that the class is about past the halfway point at this time. Im forgetting who he was but I don't know if his words are credible though because he is longer part of the admissions committee. I think he was like the VP or something. I did hear from sdn that they're interviewing until mid april or something.
 
chocolateislife said:
At the breakfast a student asked and the guy who took us to breakfast said that the class is about past the halfway point at this time. Im forgetting who he was but I don't know if his words are credible though because he is longer part of the admissions committee. I think he was like the VP or something. I did hear from sdn that they're interviewing until mid april or something.
Click to expand...


That's awesome thank you! It seems likely that he's right, considering that they will be interviewing until the end of April
 
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Has anybody from January 30th interviews heard anything?
 
I've been completed since December and still haven't heard back, I think that's a bad sign right?
 
Makaar said:
Has anybody from January 30th interviews heard anything?
Click to expand...
They said the adcom was meeting in mid Feb. and that we should hear in 4-6 weeks from the interview date on Jan. 30.
Maybe the east coast snowstorms have caused a backup?
 
Marina91 said:
I've been completed since December and still haven't heard back, I think that's a bad sign right?
Click to expand...

not necessarily most people including myself didnt hear for at least 3 months after complete status . I heard late jan and i applied mid october
 
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Seems like the committee must have met this past Tuesday then
 
Currently having a small heart attack as I realize we now have to wait until Monday for the post, barring the winter storm does not delay it further. Anyone else?
 
1358 said:
Currently having a small heart attack as I realize we now have to wait until Monday for the post, barring the winter storm does not delay it further. Anyone else?
Click to expand...
Yep - definitely nerve wracking!
 
chocolateislife said:
not necessarily most people including myself didnt hear for at least 3 months after complete status . I heard late jan and i applied mid october
Click to expand...

Thanks, it's just tough realizing that most schools are finishing up their interviews and that time is almost up
 
Interviewed January 30th.
Received deferral 3/1
Deferred until April

Anyone know the chances after deferral or how the process works?

Good luck to those still waiting!
 
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