Just finished first week here, relatively chill only because I suspect they're going easy on us... Answering your questions periodically will give me warm and fuzzies between reviewing hundreds of Anki cards and drawing anatomical structures.
does any accepted student know if this school is big on research?
The school itself is mostly Pharm research, otherwise it will require a decent amount of initiative on behalf of the student who would realistically not have time to do meaningful research. As many have said before, worry about passing classes and maintaining your work-life balance before you look into research.
Does this school have a large in-state preference? I saw that they accepted a majority of their students from California! Not sure how great my chances are of getting in!
Probably 210/230 of my class is from California. MOST from LA, Bay area, Irvine, or SD. Got some NY, TX, and Oklabama stuff going on. However, based on the types of semi-curriculum lectures on work-life balance, coping mechanisms, and study skills, I am 90% sure that this instate bias is to mitigate nervous breakdowns/facilitate student stamina recovery. Family not only helps most students chill out, but also does laundry, takes your car in for service while you go to lecture, makes food, etc. CA students also have a "cultural fit" advantage. And it is highly likely that CA applicants just have higher stats and better experiences on paper. All of these small factors probably add up to the high CA resident numbers. BUT... fret not... we have a CANADIAN!
Hey!! For the question on "What is your specific interest in the osteopathic medicine program at COMP – Pomona Campus?", do you guys just pick one point about the school and talk about it? or did you talk about the school in general and how those factors interest you?
I may be a little bit over-analytical to the question because it is asking "what is your specific interest..." instead of "why COMP-Pomona" or "what are your specific interests in..." haha
You probably get a smiley face for talking about Preview Day, Health Career Ladder, or how you contacted their OMM department and shadowed one of their faculty as they taught 3rd year rotations *hint hint. Talking about location being nice might be good if you have a nearby support group. Talking about IPE might be good. Or the increasing social media presence of WesternU. Just pick something that you know you can talk about during interviews.
Hey how do you guys answer the "fit" question?
Use the mission statement and try not to repeat your PS as you make it obvious that you fit that mission statement or that it aligns with you. OR talk about any experience you have with WesternU and how they need some sky778 flavor to round out their diversity soup or whatever.
I haven't shadowed a DO, but I work for a primary care physician (MD). Do you guys think it would be better to talk about this experience (and how I want to seek other routes to treat pain) and why it makes me interested in osteopathic medicine?
This school is very very heavy on osteopathic culture and philosophy. You can easily use your shadowing to express how (hypothetically) you see that MOST patients come in because of some "untreatable" pain that is logically caused by poor biomechanics over years of habits (slouched sitting, etc.). Or that you noticed that a LOT of patients come in and feel like the appointment was a complete waste of time. Welp... with a DO, OMM can make patients feel good within minutes, and often demonstrate to patients that they can help themselves if they change their behavior or w/e.
Does anybody know what the essay part is about during the interview?
You can almost write about ANYTHING on these. Just follow the prompt and remember the best version of yourself that you want to convey and make sure your essay conforms to it.
I'm in-state. I received my "application complete" email yesterday. submitted my secondary 8/1. I can't verify this, but I've been told they give preference to in-state, especially if they want to stay in California to practice
That reason does not seem accurate. They have a LOT of lectures that go beyond basic science and clinical knowledge. A LOT of "typical" students think they waste your board prep time. Maybe they do, I don't know yet. But I know that since we probably have less true "free time" compared to some other schools, they probably prefer students who have more ways to deal with their "BS". Also... there is a LOT of value on "not being a typical med student nerd/dork". My class is full of people who are more physically active than I was when I was in the military. We have random artists, former lawyers, neuroscientists, alcohol enthusiasts and parents. But everyone gets along pretty easily. So I dunno... just my observations...
