2012-2013 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread

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Congrats!

I'm interviewing 9/17, so if anyone wants to check out Scranton with me, let me know!

My only MD invite so far 😛
 
I am interviewing on 9/28. Does anyone interviewing on the same day want to split a hotel room? Please send me a PM if you're interested.
 
Any current students on here that could give us any insight on the school? 🙂
 
gbc85 said:
Just checked my status and it says "interview pending". Does that mean I'm getting an interview for sure?
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I am having trouble checking status. I went to the page where I completed the secondary. I tried to put in my pin and email and I got an error message that they can't find an application. I did receive a completed email. Am I going to the wrong place? I do not see anything that says application status. Any information would be appreciated 🙂 Thank you
 
lovespink said:
I am having trouble checking status. I went to the page where I completed the secondary. I tried to put in my pin and email and I got an error message that they can't find an application. I did receive a completed email. Am I going to the wrong place? I do not see anything that says application status. Any information would be appreciated 🙂 Thank you
Click to expand...

Read the email carefully. You'll get it.

Sent from my LT28at using SDN Mobile
 
Did anyone receive the FAP waiver for this secondary? I want to submit but there isn't a space to select the fap waiver...
 
Hey all, I have not heard a peep from TCMC since submitting my secondary. Applied here last year, and thanks from help from a fellow message boarder was able to find out that I could use my login from the previous year to view my status. I have been complete for a couple of weeks now. I went to the admissions interview tab and there is a button to schedule a new appointment. When I press it is shows available interview dates. Is this here for everybody or have I somehow received an II and not been informed? Don't remember this being here until I actually got an email inviting me for an interview last year. Thanks for the help!
 
MDTiger said:
Hey all, I have not heard a peep from TCMC since submitting my secondary. Applied here last year, and thanks from help from a fellow message boarder was able to find out that I could use my login from the previous year to view my status. I have been complete for a couple of weeks now. I went to the admissions interview tab and there is a button to schedule a new appointment. When I press it is shows available interview dates. Is this here for everybody or have I somehow received an II and not been informed? Don’t remember this being here until I actually got an email inviting me for an interview last year. Thanks for the help!
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Just call the admissions office and find out. It'll take you all of two minutes.
 
Thanks. I plan to. I just wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience before calling admissions.
 
MDTiger said:
Thanks. I plan to. I just wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience before calling admissions.
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I also see a tab for scheduling a new appointment. However, I didn't receive any interview invite email. Last year, I interviewed and was waitlisted.
 
you have 2, 30 minute interviews. One with faculty and one with a student, They really just want to get to know you. very conversational! it was fun ! good luck!
 
Hi all,

I scheduled for an interview, and wanted to review my submitted application before attending it. However, I can only access information on my status and when my interview date is on the TCMC website. Thankfully, I saved my written prompts, but I would like to see how the adcoms will also see my application.

Thanks and good luck to everyone! 🙂
 
member2017 said:
Any current students on here that could give us any insight on the school? 🙂
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First year here. I'm beyond happy at TCMC. You get a great education, the teachers are wonderful, our class is very close with one another, and so far there's no competition (it's P/F).

uofp57 said:
^Are the interviews open file or closed file?
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They have your personal statement, secondary, and AMCAS activties. No grades or MCAT

The exit interviewer will have EVERYTHING. It's still laid back but that's were you'll have to answer any questions about poor grades, poor/multiple MCATs, etc.
 
dlouis said:
First year here. I'm beyond happy at TCMC. You get a great education, the teachers are wonderful, our class is very close with one another, and so far there's no competition (it's P/F).



They have your personal statement, secondary, and AMCAS activties. No grades or MCAT

The exit interviewer will have EVERYTHING. It's still laid back but that's were you'll have to answer any questions about poor grades, poor/multiple MCATs, etc.
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I prefer a tiered system just so I can gauge my understanding.

How's early clinical exposure?

Sent from my LT28at using SDN Mobile
 
AiyaTuc said:
I prefer a tiered system just so I can gauge my understanding.

How's early clinical exposure?

Sent from my LT28at using SDN Mobile
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By tiered do you mean honors/high pass/pass/fail or a/b/c/d/f? If so, we still know our percentage we scored on our quizzes/exams. It's just nice to know if we get a B or a C that it's not the end of the world.

We start learning to take histories/interact with patients within the first few weeks of school. There are also "community weeks" three times a year where we get to take a break from school and work with a physician for a week. We have our first community week in 5 weeks I believe. I've never experienced it yet so I'm not sure exactly how it goes. Most 2nd years rave about it though
 
dlouis said:
By tiered do you mean honors/high pass/pass/fail or a/b/c/d/f? If so, we still know our percentage we scored on our quizzes/exams. It's just nice to know if we get a B or a C that it's not the end of the world.

We start learning to take histories/interact with patients within the first few weeks of school. There are also "community weeks" three times a year where we get to take a break from school and work with a physician for a week. We have our first community week in 5 weeks I believe. I've never experienced it yet so I'm not sure exactly how it goes. Most 2nd years rave about it though
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I do mean the tiered passing system. Another reason I ask is that I know that it can come into play for residencies. With the pass/fail, people don't really know how well you actually did unless there's a supplemental evaluation.

Thanks for the info!

Sent from my LT28at using SDN Mobile
 
When you guys previewed the secondary app, were all the essays formatted into skinny columns? Looks terrible but my hope is that they upload it on their end in a different format.. having said that... am I at a huge disadvantage for submitting now?
 
Anyone else interviewing October 29th? I will be there through the weekend! PM me if you want to meet up. I'm an OOS applicant, will be flying in on Saturday morning. I booked my room at the Radisson... things are getting really expensive really fast! I think this interview is costing me with flight and hotel (not including discretionary spending/food) $650. I will consider it an investment in my future 🙂
 
What quotes are you guys getting on hotels? Radisson beat Hilton by a few bucks for me, but still pricey at $95 + taxes
 
EnergyDrink said:
What quotes are you guys getting on hotels? Radisson beat Hilton by a few bucks for me, but still pricey at $95 + taxes
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Yeah, that's the quote that I got. I asked for the original price and the rep said it's $149.
 
Hey..

When I went to check my status online, and went to the "Admissions Interview" link under the "Admissions" tab, it said this:

No appointment to be scheduled for application year 2013.

Is that a rejection, or have they not made a decision yet? Anyone else have this message?
 
dlouis said:
First year here. I'm beyond happy at TCMC. You get a great education, the teachers are wonderful, our class is very close with one another, and so far there's no competition (it's P/F).
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I am glad to hear you are enjoying TCMC! Could you or any other students comment on the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships? I'm not sure if I completely understand how the model works and was hoping for some insight. Are you doing rotations in each of the 6 core fields at the same time?
 
chasingsummers said:
I am glad to hear you are enjoying TCMC! Could you or any other students comment on the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships? I'm not sure if I completely understand how the model works and was hoping for some insight. Are you doing rotations in each of the 6 core fields at the same time?
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Right, I'm curious as to how there would be enough time in the day, but it seems really interesting and sensible.
 
got an invite, does anyone have info on interview questions?

For nosey people my stats are 3.48 gpa, 22o mcat. I did my undergrad in prosthetics and orthotics. I have over 250 clinical hours obtained during my undergrad. I did my prosthetic residency from 2010 to 2011 (so i have a lot of experiences in the medical field). Waiting to do my orthotic residency. Lots of volunteering in underserved communities and leadership roles.

Excited about this opportunity!
 
Chapmanfam6 said:
got an invite, does anyone have info on interview questions?

For nosey people my stats are 3.48 gpa, 22o mcat. I did my undergrad in prosthetics and orthotics. I have over 250 clinical hours obtained during my undergrad. I did my prosthetic residency from 2010 to 2011 (so i have a lot of experiences in the medical field). Waiting to do my orthotic residency. Lots of volunteering in underserved communities and leadership roles.

Excited about this opportunity!
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22? No offense, but wow.

Sent from my LT28at using SDN Mobile
 
AiyaTuc said:
22? No offense, but wow.

Sent from my LT28at using SDN Mobile
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URM, so he's at a disadvantage when taking the MCAT.

Either way, there is obviously something in his application that they like. It's not really our job to criticize.

Edit: Also, sounds like he has awesome ECs
 
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did you all get an official 'complete email'? The first email I got said it would send a complete email, then I got one immediately after that said my completed secondary and fee had been received... was that the complete email? thanks for your help
 
AiyaTuc said:
22? No offense, but wow.

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Ha no worries my friend, just FYI most admissions offices really do not care about numbers per-say. Its how well you fit there mold and medical experiences you obtain. Believe it or not it is much more than numbers game.

Got to more interview invites, try not to hate ha
 
DRJHU10 said:
Yeah, that's the quote that I got. I asked for the original price and the rep said it's $149.
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I interviewed here a couple of weeks back..I believe i paid 89 at the Radisson. make sure you bring them proof of your interview and they wont charge you the 149. The hotel is about a mile from the school, def walkable but they also provide free shuttle. i was picked up and dropped off at airport AND even driven to my interview for free. HIGHLY recommend staying there!
 
dlouis said:
First year here. I'm beyond happy at TCMC. You get a great education, the teachers are wonderful, our class is very close with one another, and so far there's no competition (it's P/F).



Good to hear you are happy there! I.really like this school! It seems like you do most of your rotations in an ambulatory setting? Could you comment on this?
Click to expand...
 
member2017 said:
I interviewed here a couple of weeks back..I believe i paid 89 at the Radisson. make sure you bring them proof of your interview and they wont charge you the 149. The hotel is about a mile from the school, def walkable but they also provide free shuttle. i was picked up and dropped off at airport AND even driven to my interview for free. HIGHLY recommend staying there!
Click to expand...


what kinds of questions are asked at the interview
 
it was very conversational. didnt really get asked any specific questions. They really just want to get top know you. very laid back
 
member2017 said:
I interviewed here a couple of weeks back..I believe i paid 89 at the Radisson. make sure you bring them proof of your interview and they wont charge you the 149. The hotel is about a mile from the school, def walkable but they also provide free shuttle. i was picked up and dropped off at airport AND even driven to my interview for free. HIGHLY recommend staying there!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I actually booked my room at the Radisson, so I'm looking forward to having the free shuttle service.
 
According to AAMC, 3604 OOS applied and only 25 OOS matriculated last year. But does anyone know how many OOS applicants received interview invites? Or has anyone this cycle received an II as an OOS applicant?

I'm trying to decide if it's worth the $100 fee to try my luck with my average stats.
NJ resident (OOS), 3.5 cGPA, 30 MCAT
 
Doctor Hu said:
According to AAMC, 3604 OOS applied and only 25 OOS matriculated last year. But does anyone know how many OOS applicants received interview invites? Or has anyone this cycle received an II as an OOS applicant?

I'm trying to decide if it's worth the $100 fee to try my luck with my average stats.
NJ resident (OOS), 3.5 cGPA, 30 MCAT
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I don't know the numbers, but TCMC is very biased towards in-state applicants, especially towards people from that particular region. The rationale is that they are trying to "solve" the doctor shortage in that area of Pennsylvania.
 
Really nice school. I came in considering TCMC as one of my mid-choice schools, but I really like it. I'd be thrilled to get an acceptance. Seems like they're making efforts to grow, and their curriculum looks awesome.

Administration seems like they're responsive to the students suggestions, and it seems like they really cater to students. Very laid back, and it seems like the students are really happy to be there. Interview was casual. Seems like they are just trying to get to know you and are definitely not out to grill you.

Scranton was a nice city, but it seemed like everything was closed Sunday evening.
 
EnergyDrink said:
Really nice school. I came in considering TCMC as one of my mid-choice schools, but I really like it. I'd be thrilled to get an acceptance. Seems like they're making efforts to grow, and their curriculum looks awesome.

Administration seems like they're responsive to the students suggestions, and it seems like they really cater to students. Very laid back, and it seems like the students are really happy to be there. Interview was casual. Seems like they are just trying to get to know you and are definitely not out to grill you.

Scranton was a nice city, but it seemed like everything was closed Sunday evening.
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Scranton is boring, because it's the middle of nowhere. Certainly one of the downsides.

Sent from my LT28at using SDN Mobile
 
II this afternoon. Scheduled for Nov. 12th. Hopefully the weather gods cooperate😉

I was waitlisted last year and decided to wait to submit my application until July just in case.
 
AiyaTuc said:
I don't know the numbers, but TCMC is very biased towards in-state applicants, especially towards people from that particular region. The rationale is that they are trying to "solve" the doctor shortage in that area of Pennsylvania.
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i'm from the east coast, and there are plenty of other east coasters here in our class (not from PA). There are also quite a few students from cali in the first year class.
 
coughsyrup said:
i'm from the east coast, and there are plenty of other east coasters here in our class (not from PA). There are also quite a few students from cali in the first year class.
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Thanks for the reply! This is the last of 18 secondaries for me, so I guess I'll just submit it. What's another $100 at this point. :] Hopefully I get some love.
 
Interview Invite just now via e-mail, my first one. Looks like interview spots are full until December.
 
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