2017-2018 Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)

BU Medical Sciences
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I'd Rather Be Reading said:
Congrats! Would you mind sharing your interview experience? Curious to see if the questions you were asked align with others who have shared their experience as well. Hoping for some consistent interviewers!
Click to expand...
It was a pretty relaxed day. Open file. Questions were pretty directed towards my experiences, research, and academics. I was really blown away by the school. Just be yourself and you will be fine! They honestly just want to get to know you and understand your drive behind medicine.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Aquarius9017 said:
Congrats on your acceptance!!

I had a quick question regarding the interview day. I have an interview scheduled for the 31st of this month and I'm currently in the process of buying my airplane ticket, and I found a really great deal on a ticket, but the return flight is at 4:25 pm. I'm not sure if I'll be cutting it too short. On the email I received from ICOM, it states that the interview day will conclude after we tour the campus, at about 3:15 pm. Did you guys indeed toured the campus? It is my understanding that the building is still under construction.
Click to expand...

we took a look at the outside, we were done by 1:30pm so I think you should be okay with the 4:25pm flight
 
mymeridianpress

The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine announced 18 students have been accepted into the program. All but one are from Idaho.
The first class for the school, which is under construction now in Meridian, will have 150 students. School officials said applications have exceeded expectations.
 
rembrandtMD said:
mymeridianpress

The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine announced 18 students have been accepted into the program. All but one are from Idaho.
The first class for the school, which is under construction now in Meridian, will have 150 students. School officials said applications have exceeded expectations.
Click to expand...
So is it 150 or will they still be allowed 162 to account for attrition
 
I have a hard time believing they will find ~140 applicants in-state that are competitive for medical school. Am I wrong?
 
PashaOdesit said:
the can accept 200-300+ if they want, but only 150-160 will matriculate.
Click to expand...
I understand that and that I was trying to figure out how many spots they have. In my opinion if they have 150 spots I’d imagine they accept ~175-190
 
giguerex35 said:
I understand that and that I was trying to figure out how many spots they have. In my opinion if they have 150 spots I’d imagine they accept ~175-190
Click to expand...

COCA only allows 8% over approved class size... So 162 is the highest they can go. Not sure ICOM’s thought process, but they gotta start giving acceptances out like candy. There are still plenty of established schools handing out IIs and even those schools give out acceptance offers nearly twice their class size because of traffic... The dean seems like a bright man so I imagine everything will work out ok.... Also a side note: these 18 accepted students from Idaho are “token” locals... Will they even be attending? Who knows but they’re getting their local kids first so they can fit their mission and move on. Coming from a small western state myself, I know this stuff sales well with the local base which is important.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
WhereMyLiberalsAt said:
COCA only allows 8% over approved class size... So 162 is the highest they can go. Not sure ICOM’s thought process, but they gotta start giving acceptances out like candy. There are still plenty of established schools handing out IIs and even those schools give out acceptance offers nearly twice their class size because of traffic... The dean seems like a bright man so I imagine everything will work out ok.... Also a side note: these 18 accepted students from Idaho are “token” locals... Will they even be attending? Who knows but they’re getting their local kids first so they can fit their mission and move on. Coming from a small western state myself, I know this stuff sales well with the local base which is important.
Click to expand...
Highest they can matriculate is 162 they can accept more which I said I thought would be around 175 ish
 
WhereMyLiberalsAt said:
Nah dude. 250 minimum.
Click to expand...
idk i think 250 is high considering they opened so late and most people already know where theyre going. not all, myself included a i have an II the week before this one to another school but they started in mid january and said theyll be ending in mid march so if they did accept 250 it would literally be every person interviewed and then some. and theyve already rejected a few people i believe as well from the first two groups
 
giguerex35 said:
idk i think 250 is high considering they opened so late and most people already know where theyre going. not all, myself included a i have an II the week before this one to another school but they started in mid january and said theyll be ending in mid march so if they did accept 250 it would literally be every person interviewed and then some. and theyve already rejected a few people i believe as well from the first two groups
Click to expand...

I hope you’re right. I’m just saying an unfilled spot (most likely through attrition from having to snag a risky applicant last minute) will drop the revenue of the school by 50k(also that’s 50k/yr)... If I was a dean that would not be a gamble I’d be comfortable with. Like I said ICOM has good leadership but I’d want to see as many applicants in person as possible.
 
WhereMyLiberalsAt said:
I hope you’re right. I’m just saying an unfilled spot (most likely through attrition from having to snag a risky applicant last minute) will drop the revenue of the school by 50k(also that’s 50k/yr)... If I was a dean that would not be a gamble I’d be comfortable with. Like I said ICOM has good leadership but I’d want to see as many applicants in person as possible.
Click to expand...
i agree that theyll interview 250 people i was saying that they will not accept 250. closer to 180 acceptances but many more II
 
Pre-II hold. 3.1 GPA, 508 MCAT. I guess I didn't fit the bill. Doubt they'd start touching the hold pile. Good luck to everyone.
 
giguerex35 said:
Sorry to hear. Are you from the area?
Click to expand...
Nope, OOS in California. My GPA's on the low side but I've got plenty of ECs and a decent MCAT. Not quite sure what they're looking for, other than a high preference for in-state
 
Radxical said:
Nope, OOS in California. My GPA's on the low side but I've got plenty of ECs and a decent MCAT. Not quite sure what they're looking for, other than a high preference for in-state
Click to expand...
No clue, but Im surprised you were on hold. Hopefully theyre finding people who will represent the inaugural class well and impress with those first board scores and match stats that they will have to eventually publicize
 
smurfeyD said:
No clue, but Im surprised you were on hold. Hopefully theyre finding people who will represent the inaugural class well and impress with those first board scores and match stats that they will have to eventually publicize
Click to expand...
Idk either but I have a low mcat but decent gpa and I got and II so I’m a bit confused with why some people got II and other didn’t
 
Radxical said:
Pre-II hold. 3.1 GPA, 508 MCAT. I guess I didn't fit the bill. Doubt they'd start touching the hold pile. Good luck to everyone.
Click to expand...
Wow! I’ve got lower gpa and lower mcat and have an II. But I applied on the very first day. Then, they may not have expected the awesome set of applications they were going to get and must’ve extended an II to me.

Now to probably interviewing and getting rejected 🙁
 
When I interviewed they said they were already looking at around 400 interviews with applications pooling in each day.
 
Yeah a local news article said theyve scheduled just over 500 interviews for the 150 spots.
 
smurfeyD said:
Yeah a local news article said theyve scheduled just over 500 interviews for the 150 spots.
Click to expand...

How is that possible unless they're either a. interviewing more than 24/week now or b. have interviews scheduled through August?
 
FEHLBN said:
How is that possible unless they're either a. interviewing more than 24/week now or b. have interviews scheduled through August?
Click to expand...
Interviewing 24 people a week starting the week they did they will have interviewed 500 people by the end of May. Thats completely possible
 
smurfeyD said:
Interviewing 24 people a week starting the week they did they will have interviewed 500 people by the end of May. Thats completely possible
Click to expand...

Oh ok. My bad. Just surprised they have interviews scheduled that far out. Didn't someone say they wanted to have the class filled by mid-March and then they'd interview for waitlist spots?
 
FEHLBN said:
Oh ok. My bad. Just surprised they have interviews scheduled that far out. Didn't someone say they wanted to have the class filled by mid-March and then they'd interview for waitlist spots?
Click to expand...
Thats what they said, but who knows. In fact, they may not maintain the 24 a week schedule theyve been doing.
 
smurfeyD said:
Thats what they said, but who knows. In fact, they may not maintain the 24 a week schedule theyve been doing.
Click to expand...

Interviews after mid or late March will probably be for waitlist spots, but they're still interviews that count towards the 500 quoted. Looks like the school is preparing for an unknown number of accepted applicants to decline their acceptance and go to other schools if they get off waitlists and such.
 
Last edited:
redking said:
500 interviews? That's 21 weeks if the school continues with 24 interviews per week. Meaning they will interview until the end of May. I have no doubt the school is getting the applicants they need to conduct that many interviews; they received 347 in just the first week. I'm guessing the post about ICOM conducting waitlist interviews after mid March is accurate and


Interviews after mid or late March will probably be for waitlist spots, but they're still interviews that count towards the 500 quoted. Looks like the school is preparing for an unknown number of accepted applicants to decline their acceptance and go to other schools if they get off waitlists and such.
Click to expand...
Yeah true, who knows. Most of the admin and admissions council are coming from Campbell and other med schools so they have experience doing this
 
500 that sounds like a lot. @smurfeyD did you say that if you get rejected post II they’ll ask if you want to be on the waitlist?
 
also i just want to clarify this. The school is looking to interview 500 for both class spots and WL. Most likely those who interview before mid March are interviewing for class spots while those after are probably for the WL. The number they’ll accept is also unknown
 
SergeantBuzzKill said:
Are they offering any scholarships for incentive to matriculate here?
Click to expand...

From what I read on their website a few weeks ago, scholarships from ICOM are only offered for residents of their 5 state target region. That may have changed since then, as I see they have new info up for other "outside" scholarship resources.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
“Interviewing for a WL” at a new school shouldn’t be on anyone’s mind... They will be interviewing like crazy and they will give out MORE than 250 acceptances for their 162 spots. The fact that they have to do this doesn’t speak of the quality of their school, just that it is a new school.
 
WhereMyLiberalsAt said:
“Interviewing for a WL” at a new school shouldn’t be on anyone’s mind... They will be interviewing like crazy and they will give out MORE than 250 acceptances for their 162 spots. The fact that they have to do this doesn’t speak of the quality of their school, just that it is a new school.
Click to expand...
They are going to be interviewing for waitlists eventually.... at this point you are either accepted or rejected. After they have filled their class they will begin interviews for waitlists.. you have no idea how many acceptances they will give out, seeing that its late in the cycle
 
smurfeyD said:
They are going to be interviewing for waitlists eventually.... at this point you are either accepted or rejected. After they have filled their class they will begin interviews for waitlists.. you have no idea how many acceptances they will give out, seeing that its late in the cycle
Click to expand...

No, I do have an idea.... Everyone on this thread thinks cycle timing is the variable that adjusts acceptance offers. The variable is where the school is on the food chain! Every school above them arguably has first pick. By chance they may sale their school to a solid applicant and “steal” that app from a higher school. The chances of that happening is rare! So to attempt to fill your class with good students they need to take more “shots” to overcome those odds. They should be interviewing kids with multiple acceptance offers and hard selling them on ICOM.
 
tulip60 said:
Heyo!

Interviewed 1/17, accepted 1/19 and I'm from california. Has anyone started a facebook group? I tried looking but didnt find anything, if not I'll start one 🙂

Good luck to everyone applying/interviewing soon.
Click to expand...

I'm also from CA, so I'm glad to hear OOS, especially our state, got accepted. This gives me hope >.<. My main concern during the interview is the "why Idaho/why should we choose you over applicants in our region of preference" question. Did they bring that up during your interview and, if so, would you mind sharing how you tackled the question.
 
pinklimediluted said:
I'm also from CA, so I'm glad to hear OOS, especially our state, got accepted. This gives me hope >.<. My main concern during the interview is the "why Idaho/why should we choose you over applicants in our region of preference" question. Did they bring that up during your interview and, if so, would you mind sharing how you tackled the question.
Click to expand...

Just say you love Sun Valley, Coeur d’ Alene, Sandpoint, and all their waterfalls!
 
Aquarius9017 said:
Is that really how you answered that question, lol?
Click to expand...

I haven’t interviewed, nor have I applied. If someone said they would practice in my state (Utah) because we have 5 dope ass national parks, I’d believe the person. Rural medicine = rural landscape... Better have some awesome scenery or I ain’t going.
 
WhereMyLiberalsAt said:
I haven’t interviewed, nor have I applied. If someone said they would practice in my state (Utah) because we have 5 dope ass national parks, I’d believe the person. Rural medicine = rural landscape... Better have some awesome scenery or I ain’t going.
Click to expand...
I thought you applied and had an interview? Are you waiting to apply til next cycle?

Utah is dooope. I could visit Zions every weekend
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

PapaGuava
2024-2025 Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)
3 4 5 6 7
Replies
304
Views
44K
baseballguy2001
B
PapaGuava
2023-2024 Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)
2 3
Replies
144
Views
33K
Busy11pk
B
M
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
Replies
4
Views
4K
shiftleader23
S
PapaGuava
2024-2025 Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM)
2 3 4 5
Replies
234
Views
46K
Kuyzco
Kuyzco
PapaGuava
2024-2025 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Montana)
2 3 4 5
Replies
219
Views
32K
OragamiBunni
OragamiBunni
Top