Western University - Pomona (COMP) Discussion Thread 2014 - 2015

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Also, I am an international student from Canada, is anyone else in my situation and can help me with what information I can put for visa number, issue date and expiration? We do not get our visas until we are accepted..
Also, do we need to send them a copy of our passports?

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The research section, it asks "Have you participated in research". This may be a stupid question, but is it asking whether I was a participant of a research study, or working/volunteering as a research assistant?
 
The research section, it asks "Have you participated in research". This may be a stupid question, but is it asking whether I was a participant of a research study, or working/volunteering as a research assistant?
The latter.
 
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Is not having any teaching or research experience generally a dealbreaker?

Not at all, everyone has unique experiences. Our class is very diverse and they don't look for cookie cutter applicants.
 
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How long of a description is everyone putting for why the research or teaching experience was valuable to you? Short? A few sentences, paragraph?
 
How long of a description is everyone putting for why the research or teaching experience was valuable to you? Short? A few sentences, paragraph?
I did a short description.. 100 words for research...just a quick run down on some things i did/learned.
50 words for teaching, 3 sentences on why the experience was valuable
 
I submitted my secondary application to the Pomona campus a couple days ago and have not received a secondary invite from the Lebanon campus. However, on the secondary application portal, I have TWO application summaries. Does anyone know if this means that they are requesting another secondary for the Lebanon campus or perhaps are going to request one soon? I have not received an official email so it is kinda confusing. I emailed the admissions office this question as well.
 
Answered my own question. Just received the Lebanon secondary.
 
Well, darn. Both campuses sent me rejection letters pre secondary. I positive it was because of my mcat scores. They're low. It was nice of the schools not to let me waste the money. Good luck everyone.
 
Well, darn. Both campuses sent me rejection letters pre secondary. I positive it was because of my mcat scores. They're low. It was nice of the schools not to let me waste the money. Good luck everyone.
Best of luck. I agree on the wasting money part! I am sure a few of these I am applying to are as good as setting money on fire.
 
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Does anyone have any idea how to answer the first secondary essay question if I have NOT shadowed a D.O.? I shadowed a primary care physician for over a year, shadowed E.R. physicians and P.A.s and have 3 years of patient care exp working as an EMT...I'm scheduled to shadow a D.O. later this summer.

It's not like I lack shadowing exp, but their question is really specific. I'm guessing just to say how my shadowing thus far has led me to want to pursue osteopathic med and mention that I will be shadowing a D.O. soon. Any advice is appreciated. :)
 
Does anyone have any idea how to answer the first secondary essay question if I have NOT shadowed a D.O.? I shadowed a primary care physician for over a year, shadowed E.R. physicians and P.A.s and have 3 years of patient care exp working as an EMT...I'm scheduled to shadow a D.O. later this summer.

It's not like I lack shadowing exp, but their question is really specific. I'm guessing just to say how my shadowing thus far has led me to want to pursue osteopathic med and mention that I will be shadowing a D.O. soon. Any advice is appreciated. :)

I think you answered your own question...but also mention why you want to pursue osteopathic med, and don't give the "holistic approach blah blah blah" they will probably take it as a grain of salt. Specifically why do YOU think DO is the right path for you.
 
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Re-applicant here. I got rejected pre-secondary from Lebanon last night. My scores are well above the published minimum cut-offs, so I guess I wasn't a good fit for another reason.

Pomona is higher on my list due to family ties in SoCal, so now waiting for their secondary is incredibly nerve-wracking. Fingers crossed.

Good luck to everyone completing your secondaries... Hoping for lots of II luck for you all! :)
 
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Will be starting school here in 3 weeks. I volunteered at an ER in SD and on my last day I found out that one of the docs I work with regularly was a D.O. I basically could not tell her apart from the M.D.s without looking at her initials. In my essay and my interview I just talked about how I ended up shadowing a D.O. without actively trying to do so. I think westernu is a lot more forgiving for not having shadowed a D.O. or not being more knowledgable about the whole DO philosophy. This might have to do with a ton of md schools around it. That being said it is still a more numbers oriented school.

Does anyone have any idea how to answer the first secondary essay question if I have NOT shadowed a D.O.? I shadowed a primary care physician for over a year, shadowed E.R. physicians and P.A.s and have 3 years of patient care exp working as an EMT...I'm scheduled to shadow a D.O. later this summer.

It's not like I lack shadowing exp, but their question is really specific. I'm guessing just to say how my shadowing thus far has led me to want to pursue osteopathic med and mention that I will be shadowing a D.O. soon. Any advice is appreciated. :)
 
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anyone know if it is 1650 characters with or without spaces? Im guessing without:)
 
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Just submitted secondary... a little later than I wanted to, but I wanted to make sure it was super clean! Hoping to hear back with an II next month!
 
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Just submitted secondary... a little later than I wanted to, but I wanted to make sure it was super clean! Hoping to hear back with an II next month!
Did you get a reciept for you payment email. This is the only school that I haven't within 30 minutes of submission.
 
Did you get a reciept for you payment email. This is the only school that I haven't within 30 minutes of submission.
I did not, but if you log back in to the secondary website, your Fall 2015 application should be under the "Submitted Application" header now. Since you cannot submit w/o paying the fee, I would count this as your receipt. If you need it for write-off or FAP purposes, you might need to call the school.
 
I did not, but if you log back in to the secondary website, your Fall 2015 application should be under the "Submitted Application" header now. Since you cannot submit w/o paying the fee, I would count this as your receipt. If you need it for write-off or FAP purposes, you might need to call the school.
Great. Thanks. This secondary wasn't too bad, I still have AT Still and Ohio Heritage that i'm delaying bc I just cant handle them lol..
 
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Great. Thanks. This secondary wasn't too bad, I still have AT Still and Ohio Heritage that i'm delaying bc I just cant handle them lol..
So far the ones I have received aren't too bad... UC Riverside scares me though. They want ~250 words for 8 different essay questions!
 
anyone using interfolio out there for letters? Which destination did you select there are so many different ones for Western U but no DO specific one. There is a Western University of Health Sciences Health Sciences (MS) destination though. I'm guessing its this one?
 
anyone using interfolio out there for letters? Which destination did you select there are so many different ones for Western U but no DO specific one. There is a Western University of Health Sciences Health Sciences (MS) destination though. I'm guessing its this one?
Gotta dig through but it's there. MS would be the wrong one and delay your application.
 
anyone using interfolio out there for letters? Which destination did you select there are so many different ones for Western U but no DO specific one. There is a Western University of Health Sciences Health Sciences (MS) destination though. I'm guessing its this one?
There is a COMP one. This is it " Western University of Health Sciences/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Pomona " Click the "show more button"
 
"Question 9:Can I submit my secondary application after the 10-day deadline?
Yes. However, it is highly recommended that you submit your application as early as possible. Submitting your application later may result in delayed processing. The committee will not review your file until all required documents have been received. Since we interview and offer acceptances on a rolling basis beginning in September, it is definitely to your advantage to submit your application and all supporting documents to us within the 10-day time frame."


I am waiting on my DO LOR..won't be in for 2 weeks, and I already received the secondary. How much delayed will I be? :(
 
"Question 9:Can I submit my secondary application after the 10-day deadline?
Yes. However, it is highly recommended that you submit your application as early as possible. Submitting your application later may result in delayed processing. The committee will not review your file until all required documents have been received. Since we interview and offer acceptances on a rolling basis beginning in September, it is definitely to your advantage to submit your application and all supporting documents to us within the 10-day time frame."


I am waiting on my DO LOR..won't be in for 2 weeks, and I already received the secondary. How much delayed will I be? :(

Maybe ask the school... if your application is already strong maybe you can submit and submit the LoR after or bring it to the interview if you get one?
 
"Question 9:Can I submit my secondary application after the 10-day deadline?
Yes. However, it is highly recommended that you submit your application as early as possible. Submitting your application later may result in delayed processing. The committee will not review your file until all required documents have been received. Since we interview and offer acceptances on a rolling basis beginning in September, it is definitely to your advantage to submit your application and all supporting documents to us within the 10-day time frame."


I am waiting on my DO LOR..won't be in for 2 weeks, and I already received the secondary. How much delayed will I be? :(

You won't really be that delayed, I waited and nothing happened to me personally. Send in you secondary questions completed then once you LOR is written have that sent.
 
Thanks @Inygma and @dr.sartorius - I will do that!

My DO is just a little slow with his LOR, was on vacation for a week and swamped with paperwork, which is understandable! I gave him until the end of July.
 
"Question 9:Can I submit my secondary application after the 10-day deadline?
Yes. However, it is highly recommended that you submit your application as early as possible. Submitting your application later may result in delayed processing. The committee will not review your file until all required documents have been received. Since we interview and offer acceptances on a rolling basis beginning in September, it is definitely to your advantage to submit your application and all supporting documents to us within the 10-day time frame."


I am waiting on my DO LOR..won't be in for 2 weeks, and I already received the secondary. How much delayed will I be? :(
Just submit it now and then the DO LOR.
 
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Just got an email that Western received my secondary (submitted yesterday). They still haven't processed my LoRs though, so I am not sure if they will review mine yet.
 
I still dont get it. I submitted a secondary for Pomona, Do i have to submit another one for lebanon to be considered for that campus?
 
I still dont get it. I submitted a secondary for Pomona, Do i have to submit another one for lebanon to be considered for that campus?
yes, they are doing separate appellations now. So you will need to pay for two secondaries. however, you only need to send LOR to the pomona campus, it will then share it with the lebanon campus.
 
For those applying to both campuses and are unaware that the prompts for the Lebanon campus changed greatly from last year and are different than the Pomona prompts, I posted the new prompts in the Lebanon thread and I would advise you to go take a look at them!
 
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For re-applicant (second time applying), can I just re-use my LOR's from last year?
 
For re-applicant (second time applying), can I just re-use my LOR's from last year?
Yes and no. You need one new science letter or an old one updated by the original letter writer. Every other letter is fine if it was used previously.
 
So one of my jobs is a scribe. Would it be acceptable to list doctors I work with at the ER as physicians I've shadowed?
 
:bang:I just remembered that I forgot to associate my AACOMAS ID with my LoRs...
 
:bang:I just remembered that I forgot to associate my AACOMAS ID with my LoRs...
If you used interfolio, cancel the delivery ASAP! Then do a new one with the ID attached. You get a refund if you cancel it before it's about to deliver.
 
So one of my jobs is a scribe. Would it be acceptable to list doctors I work with at the ER as physicians I've shadowed?

I only include physicians who I shadowed outside of work/volunteering under the "Physicians Shadowed" section. However, in the essay prompt regarding shadowing a DO, I mentioned that my experience shadowing DO's came from working with DO's as a scribe. I'm not sure what the 'right' way to do it is, but that is how I did it.
 
I only include physicians who I shadowed outside of work/volunteering under the "Physicians Shadowed" section. However, in the essay prompt regarding shadowing a DO, I mentioned that my experience shadowing DO's came from working with DO's as a scribe. I'm not sure what the 'right' way to do it is, but that is how I did it.

Okay, thanks for your reply!
 
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