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

[cryhavoc]

^ There is an update button I hit after getting my LOR's turned in. Does that send my letters to them or do I need to call and tell them?

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[adev900]

i submitted and paid, but I didnt get a recepit confirming anything? is this normal

 

[PTP91]

First year student here (yeah, today was literally my first day of classes). Obviously, I know very little about what the education will be like here, as we have had a total of 6 days on campus, including last week's orientation week; however, I can say that my initial impression of PCOM being a very welcoming and "team-oriented" medical school is still proving to be completely true.

If you have any questions about the school, from the perspective of someone who is learning more about it everyday, or if you want to know my story of getting here, feel free to just ask.

 

[Henry101]

Do ya'll think it is to late to send a primary app to this school?
I JUST got the fee waiver and submitted my AACOMAS App yesterday.

 

[cma116]

Do ya'll think it is to late to send a primary app to this school?
I JUST got the fee waiver and submitted my AACOMAS App yesterday.

Of course not! It's not even September yet!! People send apps in wayyyyy later than this. This is still early!

 

[Henry101]

Of course not! It's not even September yet!! People send apps in wayyyyy later than this. This is still early!

Cool. Everyone says how PCOM is like the UCSF of DO schools and I didn't know if it was too late.
Thanks for your help. I appreciate it.

 

[asdf123g]

im starting to lose faith here...

 

[futurexray]

^ There is an update button I hit after getting my LOR's turned in. Does that send my letters to them or do I need to call and tell them?

You need to email them, don't call, they hate when you call. Then they have to go back in which, if it is like everything else, will take 15 business days.

 

[silvermecca]

Of course not! It's not even September yet!! People send apps in wayyyyy later than this. This is still early!

This is very early. I did it very early also. Try to get everything in order in the next month for all the schools you are interested in. Secondaries, lor etc. It should be good. You have time and I found PCOM was one of the later ones to start interviewing. Perhaps others in my class might disagree with me but I got my interview in the winter! Once you have everything done, try to relax and wait and wait for interview invites. Hope that those interview invites happen in the fall, beginning of winter. Best time. Mine happened mid winter and I still got in but had interviews and acceptances in the FAll. This is EARLY but most were at the starting gate ready to begin. A good thing to remember...........if you get an interview, they are definitely interested in you!

 

[silvermecca]

im starting to lose faith here...

The race just began. Geez, go get a drink of wine and slap yourself! lol No need to lose faith yet!!!!! Lose faith in July of 2016!!!!! The race just began and many tortoises will get in. I was one of them!

 

[asdf123g]

The race just began. Geez, go get a drink of wine and slap yourself! lol No need to lose faith yet!!!!! Lose faith in July of 2016!!!!! The race just began and many tortoises will get in. I was one of them!

most schools have already sent out II's! It would suck to get an acceptance from another school, paying the deposit, and then getting in here.

 

[MarshMedic]

most schools have already sent out II's! It would suck to get an acceptance from another school, paying the deposit, and then getting in here.

Suck...dream come true....same thing right

 

[silvermecca]

most schools have already sent out II's! It would suck to get an acceptance from another school, paying the deposit, and then getting in here.

It happened to me...........................I looked at the outcome that the first school was an insurance contract! Do I regret losing the money.........absolutely not! They were the first school that believed in me! I will be forever grateful to them. Best 1500 I lost. I had it as a backup and it was a school I would have been happy at! It was ALL good!

 

[PTP91]

Getting an acceptance early also happened to me, but I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the director of PCOM Admissions directly and mention the upcoming deposit deadline. She was very understanding, and, lucky for me, I was offered an interview and an acceptance before the deposit deadline. If you really want to go to PCOM (I know that it was the only school that I wanted to go to), then it does not hurt to send a letter of intent and explain your situation.

 

[ShammyP]

Did anyone get II yet?! also on my application status it says "pre-soma" in the description for one of my letters.. I have no clue what pre-soma is! can someone help?

 

[silvermecca]

Getting an acceptance early also happened to me, but I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the director of PCOM Admissions directly and mention the upcoming deposit deadline. She was very understanding, and, lucky for me, I was offered an interview and an acceptance before the deposit deadline. If you really want to go to PCOM (I know that it was the only school that I wanted to go to), then it does not hurt to send a letter of intent and explain your situation.

You were very lucky! Good for you! She saved you a major loss of money and you had it in writing. I had one school tell me at one of my interviews that I was exactly what they were looking for and that I would truly be accepted. Three weeks later, waitlisted! Strange things happen all the time during this process. As I went through it, I learned a lot. I really only had two main schools I was interested in but applied very broadly because "you just do not know". It is a crap shoot!

 

[silvermecca]

Did anyone get II yet?! also on my application status it says "pre-soma" in the description for one of my letters.. I have no clue what pre-soma is! can someone help?

NEVER saw that in my dealings. I would call them asap and ask what that means.

 

[cma116]

Did anyone get II yet?! also on my application status it says "pre-soma" in the description for one of my letters.. I have no clue what pre-soma is! can someone help?

mine says the same thing, and I only noticed it there a few days ago... definitely wasn't always there. No idea what it means though!

 

[bshap000]

mine says the same thing, and I only noticed it there a few days ago... definitely wasn't always there. No idea what it means though!

Mine has it too, did you by any chance indicate on the app that you're a member of Pre-SOMA? I can't remember if it was this secondary that asked or if it was a different one.

 

[cma116]

Mine has it too, did you by any chance indicate on the app that you're a member of Pre-SOMA? I can't remember if it was this secondary that asked or if it was a different one.

hmmm... I vaguely remember something like that...must have been this secondary. Weird thing to show up on there though!

 

[silvermecca]

hmmm... I vaguely remember something like that...must have been this secondary. Weird thing to show up on there though!

I now remember that this was asked on some apps that I applied to. I was not pre SOMA. I would think that would be most advantageous being a member when applying to an Osteopathic school. Now it makes sense!

 

[serenitynow11]

Hey guys just stopping by, going to submit my secondary next thursday (payday im broke). Would like to have submitted this earlier but yeah. .. $$$$$. I guess this is still early tho...

 

[Ozilcr7]

Hey,
Does anyone know how lenient they are for the 3 individual letters?
I have 2 science letters, and additional letters from my clinical and volunteer experiences, but it is almost impossible to get a letter from a non faculty member..
Has anyone in the past been offered a waiver of somesort?

Thanks

 

[megmaden]

Received an email today saying my supplemental app was received, submitted it on 8/7

 

[futurexray]

Hey,
Does anyone know how lenient they are for the 3 individual letters?
I have 2 science letters, and additional letters from my clinical and volunteer experiences, but it is almost impossible to get a letter from a non faculty member..
Has anyone in the past been offered a waiver of somesort?

Thanks

Not lenient at all

 

[asdf123g]

Hey,
Does anyone know how lenient they are for the 3 individual letters?
I have 2 science letters, and additional letters from my clinical and volunteer experiences, but it is almost impossible to get a letter from a non faculty member..
Has anyone in the past been offered a waiver of somesort?

Thanks

with the # of applicants they get i dont imagine theyd be lenient when they can just accept one of the other thousand upon thousand of applicants who meets the requirements.

 

[serenitynow11]

Hey any other re-applicants to PCOM? Improved my application in all regards, though I did try to update them throughout the cycle last year.

Are you guys using the same secondary essay as last cycle? Unfortunately, after re-reading what I wrote last year I really liked it. I have nothing against writing essays and am not sure if re-use indicates laziness. Thanks!

 

[Easonred57]

Hey any other re-applicants to PCOM? Improved my application in all regards, though I did try to update them throughout the cycle last year.

Are you guys using the same secondary essay as last cycle? Unfortunately, after re-reading what I wrote last year I really liked it. I have nothing against writing essays and am not sure if re-use indicates laziness. Thanks!

I have heard from a couple of threads that you should really consider writing new essays. Many schools will keep your application from the previous cycle for comparison, and if they see you didn't put in the effort of writing new essays, they may not think you are worth the effort of reconsidering.

 

[Clockwork Biology]

you should really consider writing new essays.

Agreed. They want to see what you have learned and how you have grown in your year off. A new secondary essay is exactly how to show you are not the same individual that applied last time.

 

[serenitynow11]

Ok great thanks guys

 

[MD/DO_2016]

Did anybody get their pre-health advisor committee letter marked so far?

 

[MD/DO_2016]

Do they need a DO letter?

 

[grey_wind]

Did anybody get their pre-health advisor committee letter marked so far?

mine is

Do they need a DO letter?

I don't believe they do, but I'm sure it's recommended

 

[asdf123g]

Do they need a DO letter?

no but i talked to a student there and he said evveryone he knows had one though

 

[MD/DO_2016]

Thank you everyone!

 

[formerphoenix]

Just got a complete email. I submitted on 8/16

EDIT: it was the "we received your supplemental application" email but now everything in my portal has been received! Yay!

 

[futurexray]

Remember everyone if letters are added after they have the application you need to let them know. They aren't mind readers and will not go back into your application unless they are told to do so.

Also I heard on campus that there are two big events in September. The President is being inaugurated into PCOM and the pope is visiting Philadelphia. This will delay interviews so be patient people.

 

[MD/DO_2016]

What is the best way to contact the office of admissions? Some people said to e-mail them and said that it was a preferred method, but others called? What is their number? The 866 number on their website?

 

[MD/DO_2016]

Oh my, just called them, they must really hate their applicants! Cold water treatment

 

[grey_wind]

Oh my, just called them, they must really hate their applicants! Cold water treatment

Haha what happened?

 

[imagine1392]

I just got the same. Why answer the phone if you're barely going to answer my questions before you cut me off and hang up -_-

So since they won't clarify, there is no complete email right? You're complete when there are dates next to the required items in your portal?

 

[Dr. Death]

I have a conspiracy theory with PCOM. I think that they make the application process hard and annoying in order to weed out some of their 10,000 applicants. They don't help you whatsoever and if all of your application materials work out right, they review your app. If they lose your letters or don't register your MCAT you are just SOL.

 

[imagine1392]

Sounds about right

 

[asdf123g]

I have a conspiracy theory with PCOM. I think that they make the application process hard and annoying in order to weed out some of their 10,000 applicants. They don't help you whatsoever and if all of your application materials work out right, they review your app. If they lose your letters or don't register your MCAT you are just SOL.

or they have 10000 apps and thats a lot to sort thru. What makes it worse is when 1000 people call them a day. doesnt make their job easy and slows them down. At the end of the day, they dont have to 'be nice' or informative since they are one of the best schools and someone else would gladly take your spot. Its a frustrating job they have so bear with them.

 

[PSiloveU2013]

I just got the same. Why answer the phone if you're barely going to answer my questions before you cut me off and hang up -_-

So since they won't clarify, there is no complete email right? You're complete when there are dates next to the required items in your portal?

Yes

 

[futurexray]

or they have 10000 apps and thats a lot to sort thru. What makes it worse is when 1000 people call them a day. doesnt make their job easy and slows them down. At the end of the day, they dont have to 'be nice' or informative since they are one of the best schools and someone else would gladly take your spot. Its a frustrating job they have so bear with them.

Also they have no control over your MCATs getting into your file, it is AACOMAS and this new thing that they are using is a challenge to all of us, including the COMs. My friend used to tell me the questions that were asked everyday regarding letters, PCOM has it noted on the website and emails what they want and people still want to know if they can make an exception. That does not happen at PCOM. They don't have to make exceptions. People want status updates and last year they said in their email they don't provide status updates. My friend said they would get at least 50 emails or calls a week asking for a status update. Read what is required and let them do their job. There are four people in that office that handle over 15,000 applications for all the program. They do a great job. Be considerate and patience is a virtue.

 

[User193092]

If one of your recommenders sent in a letter via PCOM email BEFORE you submitted your primary they may have to resend it. In case anyone was wondering where a letter might be like I was. Hoping that they haven't reviewed applications yet!

 

[I_am_the_pan]

So a few weeks back I contacted PCOM to ask why my secondary was still incomplete. They told me to wait, and that they were busy. I emailed again yesterday because it was still incomplete (Secondary submitted 08/05) and I got an email today stating that they lost my secondary, and to submit another. Luckily I save all of my applications, but I hope this doesn't put me 3 weeks behind. I asked them to rush my application because of this error, but haven't received a reply yet.
Has anyone else had a similar problem?

 

[cjfarrell21]

So a few weeks back I contacted PCOM to ask why my secondary was still incomplete. They told me to wait, and that they were busy. I emailed again yesterday because it was still incomplete (Secondary submitted 08/05) and I got an email today stating that they lost my secondary, and to submit another. Luckily I save all of my applications, but I hope this doesn't put me 3 weeks behind. I asked them to rush my application because of this error, but haven't received a reply yet.
Has anyone else had a similar problem?

I have not had the same problem... but I'm more perplexed with how you lose an electronic secondary linked to your name

 

[asdf123g]

im really confused..how do we know if we are complete or not? I have dates in all of my columns. Status and notes are all empty though...