2014-2015 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread

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I was complete way back on August 19th. I held onto the application a little longer than I intended, as I received the secondary around July 22nd. I sent my fall grades to them just last week. I'm OOS with a 29 MCAT (10/8/11 P/V/B), 3.70 cGPA, and 3.60 sGPA.
Thank you. Best of luck with the rest of the cycle!
 
Hey Guys, current M1 here at TCMC. Really a great school. I wish all of you the best when applying.

All years of us have facebook pages which allow communication between the classes and we share notes, flashcards, events etc... I highly suggest starting one if you haven't already. Shoot me the link if you can and I will answer any questions you might have. Good luck in applying!
 
Hey Guys, current M1 here at TCMC. Really a great school. I wish all of you the best when applying.

All years of us have facebook pages which allow communication between the classes and we share notes, flashcards, events etc... I highly suggest starting one if you haven't already. Shoot me the link if you can and I will answer any questions you might have. Good luck in applying!
Hey there, here's the Facebook group link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/747383528648216/

(I'm on my phone so hopefully the link works)
 
So, did other admitted applicants get the email about the Curriculum Update? I was just curious if any current students knew what they were intending to do with the LIC?

"As a new and evolving medical college, we are committed to continually evaluating our innovative curriculum. To that end, I am writing to make you aware of our intentions to redesign our longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) and the third year curriculum. These changes are a result of a deliberate effort by the faculty to better accommodate our students and continue to enhance the clinical experience of our students with additional rotations and structure. We will provide you with more details when they are available later this month."
 
yep I got the email about LIC as well.
 
They said during interview day that our faculty interviewer read our application materials, but did not mention whether our student interviewer has.

Judging by the interview, it seemed like the student interviewer did not have access to our application.

Does this mean one interview evaluation is weighted more than the other. Thoughts?
 
They said during interview day that our faculty interviewer read our application materials, but did not mention whether our student interviewer has.

Judging by the interview, it seemed like the student interviewer did not have access to our application.

Does this mean one interview evaluation is weighted more than the other. Thoughts?

I would say they are weighed fairly equally. TCMC seems like its really big on how well you fit at the school. So I think they'd be the type of school to take a fellow students opinion into account.
 
Hello! Anyone interviewing tomorrow? I received an email saying to watch out for a possible cancellation due to this snowstorm. Anyone in the NEPA area who might have an idea of how bad it is? If it's not cancelled I'll be driving there this evening. They said they'd let us know by 6pm if the campus is closed tomorrow.
 
Hello! Anyone interviewing tomorrow? I received an email saying to watch out for a possible cancellation due to this snowstorm. Anyone in the NEPA area who might have an idea of how bad it is? If it's not cancelled I'll be driving there this evening. They said they'd let us know by 6pm if the campus is closed tomorrow.

The whole northeast is looking at blizzard like conditions. I think scranton is looking at a foot plus. (I live not to far away from there) But I know that for those who get canceled due to weather conditions they try to reschedule a whole day for them within a week of their original interview date.
 
The whole northeast is looking at blizzard like conditions. I think scranton is looking at a foot plus. (I live not to far away from there) But I know that for those who get canceled due to weather conditions they try to reschedule a whole day for them within a week of their original interview date.
Ack. They told us if we didn't get an email by 6, the interview is still on. I haven't heard from them so I'm in a bit of a pickle. I think I'll start driving there and monitor my email. Scranton says about an inch of snow on weather.com and I sure hope it remains that way!
 
Ack. They told us if we didn't get an email by 6, the interview is still on. I haven't heard from them so I'm in a bit of a pickle. I think I'll start driving there and monitor my email. Scranton says about an inch of snow on weather.com and I sure hope it remains that way!

Yeah they downgraded for us but the storm is supposed to graze us. So we may get slammed or we may not. Safe driving!
 
Ack. They told us if we didn't get an email by 6, the interview is still on. I haven't heard from them so I'm in a bit of a pickle. I think I'll start driving there and monitor my email. Scranton says about an inch of snow on weather.com and I sure hope it remains that way!

man that would suck for people coming from outta state..
 
They said during interview day that our faculty interviewer read our application materials, but did not mention whether our student interviewer has.

Judging by the interview, it seemed like the student interviewer did not have access to our application.

Does this mean one interview evaluation is weighted more than the other. Thoughts?


According to what they said on my interview day, the student interviewer only has access to the three essays you wrote for the secondary application. My student interviewer even said she had no access to my personal statement or anything. (Which was ultimately a little awkward as a major life occurrence that took up a large portion of my personal statement was only hinted at in the secondary and it was a little ambiguous for her and required clarification).
 
I got rejected a while ago, but if anyone's curious this was my letter. Did everyone receive the same letter?

"Dear BurntFlower,

One of the most difficult responsibilities of my position, if not the most difficult, is informing applicants when they have not been granted an interview for admission to the medical college. Selecting applicants from a qualified pool can be a challenging task.

While receiving this letter is disappointing, we encourage you to pursue your goals in medicine. We invite you to look at our Masters of Biomedical Science (MBS) degree which is a one-year program that may strengthen your academic credentials for re-applying to medical school. We are willing to waive the application fee for candidates who would like to redirect their medical school application to our MBS program. The MBS application process will open in January for fall 2015 entry. Information about this program can be found on our website.

Although completion of the MBS program does not guarantee acceptance into the MD program, our MBS graduates have a high rate of acceptance into professional programs.

Aside from completing the online MBS application in its entirety no additional materials or fees will be required. The MBS admissions process is separate from the MD admissions process and your application will be reviewed by a separate admissions committee.

Sincerely,

Linda Berardi-Demo, EdD
Associate Dean
Admissions and Student Affairs"

Their rejection letter is indicative of how caring this school is. I am in the MBS program this year and the staff, faculty etc are the very best. Just had my interview and not sure if I am accepted but the school is great! Everyone in admissions are very caring with everyone, Wish other medical schools were the same! It was a good year for me. Intense studying but I think I will be very much ready for my first year in Medical school, wherever that may be. If anyone is interested in the MBS program, message me.
 
Their rejection letter is indicative of how caring this school is. I am in the MBS program this year and the staff, faculty etc are the very best. Just had my interview and not sure if I am accepted but the school is great! Everyone in admissions are very caring with everyone, Wish other medical schools were the same! It was a good year for me. Intense studying but I think I will be very much ready for my first year in Medical school, wherever that may be. If anyone is interested in the MBS program, message me.

Would you say the MBS program helped your odds with getting an interview? Do they accept a lot of their own students?
 
Their rejection letter is indicative of how caring this school is. I am in the MBS program this year and the staff, faculty etc are the very best. Just had my interview and not sure if I am accepted but the school is great! Everyone in admissions are very caring with everyone, Wish other medical schools were the same! It was a good year for me. Intense studying but I think I will be very much ready for my first year in Medical school, wherever that may be. If anyone is interested in the MBS program, message me.
Yes, I really wanted the chance to interview at TCMC, so I was disappointed to receive my rejection letter. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind answering. Did you apply to the MBS program directly after college or did you also get rejected from their MD program and then decided to apply to the MBS program?
 
Yes, I really wanted the chance to interview at TCMC, so I was disappointed to receive my rejection letter. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind answering. Did you apply to the MBS program directly after college or did you also get rejected from their MD program and then decided to apply to the MBS program?

Sending you personal message!
 
Would you say the MBS program helped your odds with getting an interview? Do they accept a lot of their own students?

Definite help with all of my interviews and acceptances. Not all get in. Not a sure thing. They tell you that upfront but it is a definite plus in the application process and you can bet that you will be well prepared for your first year of medical school, wherever you end up! Admissions staff...........the best. Profs...............very approachable and caring. I am sure that not everyone is pleased, but I was. I will graduate in May of this year and then off to Med School. I owe the school a lot in helping me get into medical school. Results................5 interviews so far ( two acceptances, one delayed decision and two waiting to hear within the next weeks.) Hoping for the Gold..........TCMC!
 
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Hey guys, I just got this email. Good news, bad news, or what? I was really excited at first but then I typed interview waitlist into google and people seemed to think it was a hold email.
"I am pleased to inform you that the Admissions Committee has selected you for theinterview waitlist at The Commonwealth Medical College. If a candidate withdraws their application, and a space becomes available, you will be notified. Please note that this may occur with very little notice. As a policy, we cannot share a candidate’s position on the waitlist."
 
Hey guys, I just got this email. Good news, bad news, or what? I was really excited at first but then I typed interview waitlist into google and people seemed to think it was a hold email.
"I am pleased to inform you that the Admissions Committee has selected you for theinterview waitlist at The Commonwealth Medical College. If a candidate withdraws their application, and a space becomes available, you will be notified. Please note that this may occur with very little notice. As a policy, we cannot share a candidate’s position on the waitlist."

When were you complete?
 
Hey guys, I just got this email. Good news, bad news, or what? I was really excited at first but then I typed interview waitlist into google and people seemed to think it was a hold email.
"I am pleased to inform you that the Admissions Committee has selected you for theinterview waitlist at The Commonwealth Medical College. If a candidate withdraws their application, and a space becomes available, you will be notified. Please note that this may occur with very little notice. As a policy, we cannot share a candidate’s position on the waitlist."

Not a rejection so it is a good thing. When did you interview? I interviewed this month and anxiously waiting to hear back. Good luck to you.
 
Not a rejection so it is a good thing. When did you interview? I interviewed this month and anxiously waiting to hear back. Good luck to you.
Thanks you too! This is actually pre-interview. Hopefully someone with an interview withdraws I guess... I was complete early August.
 
Definite help with all of my interviews and acceptances. Not all get in. Not a sure thing. They tell you that upfront but it is a definite plus in the application process and you can bet that you will be well prepared for your first year of medical school, wherever you end up! Admissions staff...........the best. Profs...............very approachable and caring. I am sure that not everyone is pleased, but I was. I will graduate in May of this year and then off to Med School. I owe the school a lot in helping me get into medical school. Results................5 interviews so far ( two acceptances, one delayed decision and two waiting to hear within the next weeks.)

Congrats! Quick question, seeing as youre in TCMC now do you know when the adcom committee meets? I know they supposedly more often toward the end of the cycle. Have they started meeting more than once a month yet?
 
Hello. I am interviewing next month and was trying to find an M1 schedule online but was unable to. Any M1s care to comment on this or PM me? Mainly I would like to know if classes are mandatory, hownare lectures and labs broken up, how long is the typical day... (8am-12pm or 8am-4pm) etc.
 
Congrats! Quick question, seeing as youre in TCMC now do you know when the adcom committee meets? I know they supposedly more often toward the end of the cycle. Have they started meeting more than once a month yet?

I wish I could help you. I have no idea. Interviewed in early January and hoping for the best. Do not know when the adcom committee meets. Have other acceptances but this is the one that I am nervous to hear back from!
 
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Anyone flying into Newark for next week's interview? I'm looking to ride-share.
 
Will be interviewing here Feb. 23. It makes me nervous how late in the cycle the interview is :scared:
 
I know this is a stretch, but are any of your flying in to the Wilkes-Barre airport on Sunday morning? Looking for someone to share a cab with to Scranton!
 
Did anyone get this email that begins with:

The Commonwealth Medical College has asked that you use the Application Station
- Student Edition to complete a background investigation through Certiphi
Screening, Inc. as part of your enrollment. To do so, please follow the
instructions below:

This is an email from [email protected]

Is this a real personal background check? Just want to double check.
 
Did anyone get this email that begins with:

The Commonwealth Medical College has asked that you use the Application Station
- Student Edition to complete a background investigation through Certiphi
Screening, Inc. as part of your enrollment. To do so, please follow the
instructions below:

This is an email from [email protected]

Is this a real personal background check? Just want to double check.
I actually emailed them about this since the email was strangely similar to the one sent by aamc. They told me that this was a different and necessary background check for matriculation. (I was sad to see the $150 fee. A bit crazy. )
 
soooo TCMC will be on a 2-hour delayed start tomorrow (2/2) due to weather. So does the interview day just start 2 hours later?
Edit: School's closed and interview cancelled. who else is in town and wants to hang out?
 
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Hello! My flight from STL to scranton got cancelled for tomorrow! Does anyone have any advice as to what I should do??? I am freaking out!!!
 
Hello! My flight from STL to scranton got cancelled for tomorrow! Does anyone have any advice as to what I should do??? I am freaking out!!!

If you're unable to get a different flight out there, email Kristen Greene [email protected] or contact
Jillian Golaszewski at [email protected]. They usually respond quickly and are very accommodating in terms of rescheduling your interview if you need to.
 
I reserved a car for tomorrow!! thanks for your help guys!!!
 
Is TCMC receptive to pre- interview LOI's? (I scrolled through like 7 pages of the thread and couldn't find an answer)
 
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