2017-2018 Western U of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Pomona

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how long after paying deposit do you get assigned the edu email?
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Does anyone know what the interview day schedule is like for the Pomona campus? Around what time do the actual interviews and MMIs happen?
 
Have all interview dates passed? If yes, anyone know if there's been any waitlist movement yet?
 
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marmoora said:
Have all interview dates passed? If yes, anyone know if there's been any waitlist movement yet?
Click to expand...
I know someone got call from the waiting list in June last year while packing to move out of California. They gave him 3 days decision to pay deposit. He unpacked and paid the deposit. So, be prepared if you really like Western U. You may have to change plan at the very last moment.
 
JW4Gdud said:
I know someone got call from the waiting list in June last year while packing to move out of California. They gave him 3 days decision to pay deposit. He unpacked and paid the deposit. So, be prepared if you really like Western U. You may have to change plan at the very last moment.
Click to expand...

That’s what I’ve been hearing and what it’s looking like currently. It’s hard to fully commit/prepare to attend a different school when you’re hoping to get off the waitlist at this one. To all who have decided to attend other schools after being accepted at WesternU, please kindly let Admissions know so all of us freaking out on the waitlist have a shot ASAP :)
 
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marmoora said:
That’s what I’ve been hearing and what it’s looking like currently. It’s hard to fully commit/prepare to attend a different school when you’re hoping to get off the waitlist at this one. To all who have decided to attend other schools after being accepted at WesternU, please kindly let Admissions know so all of us freaking out on the waitlist have a shot ASAP :)
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+1 please
 
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Anyone else 3/15 hear back yet? I think I saw only one person on this thread so far
 
Do you know if they are planning to make class mandatory? That seems insane to me. DO's have it hard enough with all of the extra material they need to prepare for. Doesn't seem conducive to higher board scores even though maybe they think it is.
 
kno4nm said:
Do you know if they are planning to make class mandatory? That seems insane to me. DO's have it hard enough with all of the extra material they need to prepare for. Doesn't seem conducive to higher board scores even though maybe they think it is.
Click to expand...

Not sure if you were there but they discussed this during interview. They lady just said there were going to be changes to the curriculum but she said typically their students comes once or twice a week to class. I wasn’t even aware they were trying to do something like that tbh.
 
kno4nm said:
Do you know if they are planning to make class mandatory? That seems insane to me. DO's have it hard enough with all of the extra material they need to prepare for. Doesn't seem conducive to higher board scores even though maybe they think it is.
Click to expand...

First, despite my general disagreement with curriculum supporters, it is almost certain that the faculty know more about board prep than you. The strongest argument against their board prep is the possibly shady relationship with Kaplan, but that is minor.

I've seen the study habits of many students across c/o 2019, 2020, and 2021 to know that having decent planning for long term retention is enough to make up for any "time loss" on non-Step 1 activity. I have classmates who still cram like college. They're the ones freaking out the most. You want to go balls-to-the-wall early to establish your class study time baseline and titrate the hours down to pass comfortably. Use the extra time to do QBank questions (non-UWorld) to "apply your knowledge".

Step 1 is a racist, sexist, homophobic exam (not really). Every IV drug user has HepC. Every female without body hair complaining of infertility has androgen insensitivity and is actually an XY male. Every black woman is lupus or sarcoidosis. You need to program these buzzwords into your soul. That takes time due to high volume. UWorld teaches you how to think for the 40-50% of Step 1 that requires it. NBMEs are the most similar to the actual exam, but do not teach you how to think. You need to take the NBME practice exam AT YOUR PROMETRIC center to see if they let you look at notes during scheduled breaks when you take the actual exam (Diamond Bar does).

Study group advice
If you want an easy time in med school, you'll form a tight-knit group of 6-14 classmates who have a similar Step 1 goal and level of work ethic and you'll split up the 30-60 hours of lecture per exam. Each person will watch the actual lecture and pay close attention to what is emphasized in voice tone or on PPTs (half the professors blatantly give test questions if you pay attention). Then you automate the reviews, preferably with spaced repetition software like Anki. If you see a non-histo/embryology deck with more than 20 cards per hour, then that deck writer FAILED or doesn't understand the lecture. IDGAF what they say or what their grades are. My group averaged only four hours of lecture per exam. We relied on the cards we made and watched lectures casually if we felt like it. Most of us score 1-2 stdev above the mean on NBME and Kaplan cumulative exams and many of us are top half of class.

If you do this, you WILL have time to complete the USMLE-Rx and Kaplan Q-bank Qs in that system during that class and get at least an 80% average. You'll be starting UWorld in Jan of second year at the latest and getting > 55% starting if you follow this advice, even if you are a potato. 40Qs, random, all topics, timed. Expect to take EVERY NBME (even offline ones). Sketchy micro/pharm and Pathoma are nice, but not the core.

If you do something stupid like become a TA for "the MSPE letter" or any reason other than really really liking the class you're TA'ing for - you have zero excuse for complaining about not enough study time. We get 4 weeks minimum, but if you plan properly, you actually get 6-7 weeks with a few days of COMSAE and other semi-related activities. Not bad at all. Use those evenings to avoid burnout (Netflix, EtOH, etc.).

With all of this info, there is no reason you can't get 230+ and still have a life. But you can't be prepared for something you have not even thought about properly (a lot of typical students).
 
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Anyone interested in starting a PM group for pros/cons of schools? Made an excel spreadsheet comparing some schools and would love to collaborate and get new ideas/perspectives.
 
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This question may come off as aggressive, but I am asking it because I am genuinely concerned about it. I liked WesternU and students boasted about how it is a good school, yet, it has an 81% graduation rate. Is that a reflection of the school or the students?
 
My biggest concern is the rotations here. It seems like you could end up needing to drive really far even in your third year .. with LA traffic I'm not sure how that leaves time to study. I'd love to hear more current student opinions.
 
SergeantBuzzKill said:
This question may come off as aggressive, but I am asking it because I am genuinely concerned about it. I liked WesternU and students boasted about how it is a good school, yet, it has an 81% graduation rate. Is that a reflection of the school or the students?
Click to expand...

It’s important to note that they’re reporting the 4 year graduation rate.

Couldn’t find literature for DO schools, but the 4 year graduation rate for MD schools has hovered around the low 80s for almost the last 40 years. So, WesternU’s 4 year grad rate of 81% is just about average for medical schools. See link below:

https://www.aamc.org/download/37922...onratesandattritionfactorsforusmedschools.pdf

Reason for the low 80s average being that a decent number of students take a research year or time off, and some will of course need to remediate classes. 5 year grad rates jump much higher. So wouldn’t be concerned about this stat, it’s pretty normal...
 
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SergeantBuzzKill said:
This question may come off as aggressive, but I am asking it because I am genuinely concerned about it. I liked WesternU and students boasted about how it is a good school, yet, it has an 81% graduation rate. Is that a reflection of the school or the students?
Click to expand...

upload_2018-4-17_7-15-0.png

You need to be very specific about what your number is. To clarify on GSWfan15's info on MD schools, only 1.5% fail to graduate due to academic reasons. This matches closely to what I have seen at WesternU.

I can only speak for DO 2020 (~220 students), but here is what I know. I started 2nd year knowing about 5 students who were "held back". One student coauthored a book (fiction or something) and was traveling OOS for book signings and whatnot. I remember them having a tough time in anatomy, but w/e, they have a very good "excuse" for why they "repeated a year". Apparently, they're doing well now.

I know 1 student who legit was performing poorly (actually came to me for help several times. but I *think* didn't take my advice on using Anki instead of paper until it was too late. I see him now with c/o 2021 and he's doing much better and actually using it afaik).

1 student came from a family that owns a very small business and needed the student's help to cover for a parent whose health was deteriorating or else they'd lose the business. So they took an LOA.

1 student disappeared and I dunno anything about them >.> not in a creepy way though. The other 2, I have never met either.

We just lost 8 students yesterday. They became OMM/NMM fellows so they will graduate with 2021 and get like half tuition paid for or something. So 10 students (4.5%) so far in my class are held back for positive reasons as far as I can tell and 3 (1.3%) may be academically related.

From what I have seen so far, most students who are part of your statistic are not graduating with their original class for a good reason. By FAFSA's definition, they are still counted as graduating "on-time". MOST med students delay graduation to do a research year btw, especially the really really good students gunning for ortho, derm, plastics, etc. so it might be bad to have a very high 4-yr grad rate because it means either there is no research or they don't allow it outside of combined degree programs.

TL;DR - Apparently, we're normal for ANY US medical school.
 
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Does western supply any of the medical equipment for first years? Or do we have to buy everything (stethoscope, optholmascope, etc)
 
How is the waiting list movement like here at Western? When can we hear back? Currently wait-listed. Thanks
 
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thecube13 said:
Does western supply any of the medical equipment for first years? Or do we have to buy everything (stethoscope, optholmascope, etc)
Click to expand...

My friend who is a 3rd year said that the school provided the medical equipment and he received them during orientation.
 
Anyone else here interviewed on 4/5? They said half of us would know in 2 weeks and the other half in 4 weeks right? We hit the 2 week mark today so I'm super anxious.
 
What is the typical school day like? On Western's website it says you have 45 hours per week of class time...thats 9 hours a day...really hoping this isn't accurate. Is there a surgical skills center by chance?
 
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Has anyone from the waiting list heard back yet?
Also, does anyone have a rough approximation of how many students get accepted from the waiting list?
 
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Danzal said:
Has anyone from the waiting list heard back yet?
Also, does anyone have a rough approximation of how many students get accepted from the waiting list?
Click to expand...
also wondering the same!
 
I remember when I was interviewing students mentioned participating in “tracks” such as dialysis, pediatrics, and lifestyle management. Does anyone know how we declare/get involved in these?
 
Hey guys thinking about applying here next year. 503 mcat and 3.86 gpa. Do I have a shot?
 
FutureDocSW said:
Hey guys thinking about applying here next year. 503 mcat and 3.86 gpa. Do I have a shot?
Click to expand...
You would not like my advice. Your GPA is very good if your major is Biological Sciences or Physical Sciences. You should consider preparing and taking MCAT again as soon as possible. MCAT is a good gauge to compare and justify GPA from different schools.
 
JW4Gdud said:
You would not like my advice. Your GPA is very good if your major is Biological Sciences or Physical Sciences. You should consider preparing and taking MCAT again as soon as possible. MCAT is a good gauge to compare and justify GPA from different schools.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I agree with him
 
thecube13 said:
I remember when I was interviewing students mentioned participating in “tracks” such as dialysis, pediatrics, and lifestyle management. Does anyone know how we declare/get involved in these?
Click to expand...

I interviewed at the Lebanon campus, but I assume it’s similar. There’s an application (essay) and an interview, I think. It’s a few months into your first year that you apply, I want to say October? Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong - i interviewed at a few schools with track systems like this.
 
thecube13 said:
I remember when I was interviewing students mentioned participating in “tracks” such as dialysis, pediatrics, and lifestyle management. Does anyone know how we declare/get involved in these?
Click to expand...
I'd mostly ignore these unless you are really interested in one of the topics. In general, they are mostly a time sink and dont usually merit many residency app benefits. The research track is probably the biggest joke of them all, however. Maybe it will be better for your year. Just try not to worry about clubs and ECs so much unless you enjoy them or can get good research and presentations. (which some people get from these--but not nearly as many as they will make it seem when they try to sell you on these within the first 5 weeks of school.)
 
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darknecrosforte said:
First, despite my general disagreement with curriculum supporters, it is almost certain that the faculty know more about board prep than you. The strongest argument against their board prep is the possibly shady relationship with Kaplan, but that is minor.

I've seen the study habits of many students across c/o 2019, 2020, and 2021 to know that having decent planning for long term retention is enough to make up for any "time loss" on non-Step 1 activity. I have classmates who still cram like college. They're the ones freaking out the most. You want to go balls-to-the-wall early to establish your class study time baseline and titrate the hours down to pass comfortably. Use the extra time to do QBank questions (non-UWorld) to "apply your knowledge".

Step 1 is a racist, sexist, homophobic exam (not really). Every IV drug user has HepC. Every female without body hair complaining of infertility has androgen insensitivity and is actually an XY male. Every black woman is lupus or sarcoidosis. You need to program these buzzwords into your soul. That takes time due to high volume. UWorld teaches you how to think for the 40-50% of Step 1 that requires it. NBMEs are the most similar to the actual exam, but do not teach you how to think. You need to take the NBME practice exam AT YOUR PROMETRIC center to see if they let you look at notes during scheduled breaks when you take the actual exam (Diamond Bar does).

Study group advice
If you want an easy time in med school, you'll form a tight-knit group of 6-14 classmates who have a similar Step 1 goal and level of work ethic and you'll split up the 30-60 hours of lecture per exam. Each person will watch the actual lecture and pay close attention to what is emphasized in voice tone or on PPTs (half the professors blatantly give test questions if you pay attention). Then you automate the reviews, preferably with spaced repetition software like Anki. If you see a non-histo/embryology deck with more than 20 cards per hour, then that deck writer FAILED or doesn't understand the lecture. IDGAF what they say or what their grades are. My group averaged only four hours of lecture per exam. We relied on the cards we made and watched lectures casually if we felt like it. Most of us score 1-2 stdev above the mean on NBME and Kaplan cumulative exams and many of us are top half of class.

If you do this, you WILL have time to complete the USMLE-Rx and Kaplan Q-bank Qs in that system during that class and get at least an 80% average. You'll be starting UWorld in Jan of second year at the latest and getting > 55% starting if you follow this advice, even if you are a potato. 40Qs, random, all topics, timed. Expect to take EVERY NBME (even offline ones). Sketchy micro/pharm and Pathoma are nice, but not the core.

If you do something stupid like become a TA for "the MSPE letter" or any reason other than really really liking the class you're TA'ing for - you have zero excuse for complaining about not enough study time. We get 4 weeks minimum, but if you plan properly, you actually get 6-7 weeks with a few days of COMSAE and other semi-related activities. Not bad at all. Use those evenings to avoid burnout (Netflix, EtOH, etc.).

With all of this info, there is no reason you can't get 230+ and still have a life. But you can't be prepared for something you have not even thought about properly (a lot of typical students).
Click to expand...
Rule number 1 of COMP: Listen to every word that flows from the mouth of darknecrosforte.
Rule number 2: Anki
 
Did everyone send in everything in the checklist and have it marked completed? I still have the H&P, background check, degree, and academics still marked as incomplete.
 
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