- Joined
- Aug 20, 2016
- Messages
- 171
- Reaction score
- 386
I attended a recent interview, and I’d like to give my thoughts. Hopefully this helps others in choosing the right school for them!
Atmosphere: Welcoming, relaxed, down-to-earth, easy conversation, honest about the good and the bad of the program (students were more helpful in describing the cons of ACOM). The school itself has good vibes.
Atmosphere: 9/10
Students: All the students I interacted with genuinely were enjoying their experience. I had the chance to stay with an MS2 in an AirBNB, and we had an extended, honest conversation about the school. His comments were mostly positive, and he felt like he was receiving a great education and was being well-prepared for boards and residency. I tried my best to have conversations with students away from faculty as well, and they all reflected the same positive attitude about the school and the education they were receiving. Students seem to be very collaborative and I did not get any sense of “gunner”-like attitude. That being said, I was informed that you are given you class rank at the end of every semester, and grades are %-based (you must get a 70+ to pass). Take that as you will.
Students : 9/10
Facilities: The campus itself is just a big rural area, nothing fancy. However, the ACOM building itself (it’s a big L-shaped building) is beautiful. Everything looks and is practically brand new. The research center is completed and is on the 3rd floor full of equipment and looks great. The lecture halls, OMT lab, and clinical areas are top notch. They have a really cool cafeteria/student lounge with great prices and decent food and beverages (as well as like 15 different types of energy drinks. It’s hilarious.) We didn’t get to see the SIM lab, which was very disappointing since they boast about its success. That is the only medical facility that is separate from the main building (right across the campus, easy walk). There are like 20ish study rooms and generally plenty of place to study on campus. There are also campus-associated apartments within short walking distance literally on campus that I toured and are pretty nice. The library is not really a “library”. It is a very, very small room with one physical copy of every textbook they use (which everyone uses in digital format). There are like 10ish study desks/cubes and a few librarians to help with any issues. I don’t think I would really go there much. Like I mentioned though, there are plenty of study areas throughout campus, so don’t worry about that.
Facilities: 8/10
Location: This is my first time in Alabama, but I have spent time in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, etc. Dothan is VERY rural. It’s basically a big circle with stuff spread out amongst it. The more “lively” part of town is towards the northwest from what I gathered, but ACOM is on the east side of the circle. It’s about 20 minutes from west to east Dothan. Students told me people live throughout based on their preferences. It’s an easy commute either way. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, etc. This is definitely not a city, or even suburban really. However, the people I did interact with at stores and the gym (Maxx Fitness is pretty great for any fellow serious lifters btw. First day is free if you are out of state!) were incredibly friendly and welcoming. I mentioned I was here for ACOM to some, and they were very receptive and excited.
Location: 6/10
Interview: My interviewers were very fair, welcoming, and professional. I was asked the basic, expected questions. “Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to be a doctor? Why osteopathic medicine specifically?” I got a few question specific to my application. I got a very basic ethical question that took no previous preparation. The conversation was very relaxed for the most part, and it was back-and-forth as opposed to ask and stare. They brought a group of 8 interviewers away, and brought the rest of us to the OMT lab for a mini-tour and demonstration of OMT which was really, really interesting. They then called us one-by-one as the interviewers were ready for the next student. When each student’s respective interview was done, he/she would be escorted back to the OMT lab until everyone was done. The staff and students in the lab did their best to relax us and we had great conversation.
Interview: 9/10
Overall: The school left me with very positive feelings. Yes, it is a new school, but it is very promising. There weren’t just unbacked claims like, “Oh yeah we are going to be a great school. Just trust us!” They actually were honest and showed their improvement in their COMLEX scores. I believe it was 87% the past couple years → 94/95 this last year which is exciting and promising. The clinical rotation sites are excellent-sounding. I could absolutely see myself attending ACOM, and I feel like it would provide me with a solid medical education.
Overall: 8/10 - Solid new DO program with bright future
Atmosphere: Welcoming, relaxed, down-to-earth, easy conversation, honest about the good and the bad of the program (students were more helpful in describing the cons of ACOM). The school itself has good vibes.
Atmosphere: 9/10
Students: All the students I interacted with genuinely were enjoying their experience. I had the chance to stay with an MS2 in an AirBNB, and we had an extended, honest conversation about the school. His comments were mostly positive, and he felt like he was receiving a great education and was being well-prepared for boards and residency. I tried my best to have conversations with students away from faculty as well, and they all reflected the same positive attitude about the school and the education they were receiving. Students seem to be very collaborative and I did not get any sense of “gunner”-like attitude. That being said, I was informed that you are given you class rank at the end of every semester, and grades are %-based (you must get a 70+ to pass). Take that as you will.
Students : 9/10
Facilities: The campus itself is just a big rural area, nothing fancy. However, the ACOM building itself (it’s a big L-shaped building) is beautiful. Everything looks and is practically brand new. The research center is completed and is on the 3rd floor full of equipment and looks great. The lecture halls, OMT lab, and clinical areas are top notch. They have a really cool cafeteria/student lounge with great prices and decent food and beverages (as well as like 15 different types of energy drinks. It’s hilarious.) We didn’t get to see the SIM lab, which was very disappointing since they boast about its success. That is the only medical facility that is separate from the main building (right across the campus, easy walk). There are like 20ish study rooms and generally plenty of place to study on campus. There are also campus-associated apartments within short walking distance literally on campus that I toured and are pretty nice. The library is not really a “library”. It is a very, very small room with one physical copy of every textbook they use (which everyone uses in digital format). There are like 10ish study desks/cubes and a few librarians to help with any issues. I don’t think I would really go there much. Like I mentioned though, there are plenty of study areas throughout campus, so don’t worry about that.
Facilities: 8/10
Location: This is my first time in Alabama, but I have spent time in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, etc. Dothan is VERY rural. It’s basically a big circle with stuff spread out amongst it. The more “lively” part of town is towards the northwest from what I gathered, but ACOM is on the east side of the circle. It’s about 20 minutes from west to east Dothan. Students told me people live throughout based on their preferences. It’s an easy commute either way. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, etc. This is definitely not a city, or even suburban really. However, the people I did interact with at stores and the gym (Maxx Fitness is pretty great for any fellow serious lifters btw. First day is free if you are out of state!) were incredibly friendly and welcoming. I mentioned I was here for ACOM to some, and they were very receptive and excited.
Location: 6/10
Interview: My interviewers were very fair, welcoming, and professional. I was asked the basic, expected questions. “Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to be a doctor? Why osteopathic medicine specifically?” I got a few question specific to my application. I got a very basic ethical question that took no previous preparation. The conversation was very relaxed for the most part, and it was back-and-forth as opposed to ask and stare. They brought a group of 8 interviewers away, and brought the rest of us to the OMT lab for a mini-tour and demonstration of OMT which was really, really interesting. They then called us one-by-one as the interviewers were ready for the next student. When each student’s respective interview was done, he/she would be escorted back to the OMT lab until everyone was done. The staff and students in the lab did their best to relax us and we had great conversation.
Interview: 9/10
Overall: The school left me with very positive feelings. Yes, it is a new school, but it is very promising. There weren’t just unbacked claims like, “Oh yeah we are going to be a great school. Just trust us!” They actually were honest and showed their improvement in their COMLEX scores. I believe it was 87% the past couple years → 94/95 this last year which is exciting and promising. The clinical rotation sites are excellent-sounding. I could absolutely see myself attending ACOM, and I feel like it would provide me with a solid medical education.
Overall: 8/10 - Solid new DO program with bright future
