2018-2019 Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)

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That's the deadline for those of us who were offered acceptance earlier to pay the deposit. Since the deposit is so huge and non-refundable, I think it will be a pretty accurate indicator of who will end up attending.

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Gotcha! Now it makes sense thank you!

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That's the deadline for those of us who were offered acceptance earlier to pay the deposit. Since the deposit is so huge and non-refundable, I think it will be a pretty accurate indicator of who will end up attending.

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How much is the deposit, if you don't mind me asking?
 
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:wideyed: I wasn't expecting that number. Good luck!!
Thanks! It's a yield-protection maneuver. A lot of DO schools have higher, non-refundable deposits as opposed to MD schools, because they're trying to make sure they can fill their class with candidates they want, and they know a lot of candidates will jump ship to an MD acceptance if they get one. That goes double for new schools like ICOM, where people will jump ship even to other DO acceptances. In my case, ICOM's got me pretty much no matter what, so at least I know I'm not going to lose that money and it truly will end up going to my tuition. Still sucks to come up with that kind of money though!
 
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I’ll be paying the deposit soon. So excited to be a part of the Boise community, and to meeting you guys next year!!
 
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I’ll be paying the deposit soon. So excited to be a part of the Boise community, and to meeting you guys next year!!
Can't wait! If you have facebook, have you joined our class group? :) Hoping to get some people in there so maybe people can start networking for roommates etc. over the next few months. And then once we're all arriving in town, we can start planning activities to get to know each other.
 
Yeah mine said first come first served, too. My concern is I am working full time in a facility where I don't have signal. I am trying to check my personal email frequently using the company computer, but I can't refresh my email every five seconds :bigtears: the way that they want to do this seems very odd and unfair to me.

This may not solve your problem, but you could give access to your email to significant other, friend or parent and when the email comes in they can call you or schedule the date for you?
 
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For those of you that have been accepted, have you thought about living arrangements yet? Boise vs Meridian and living on your own vs with classmates? I know it's early but I'm just curious. lol
 
For those of you that have been accepted, have you thought about living arrangements yet? Boise vs Meridian and living on your own vs with classmates? I know it's early but I'm just curious. lol
I'm from this area (like 20+ years lol) so feel free to ask me any questions you might have if you're unfamiliar.

For me, I think we are going to live in Boise. It's a 15-20 min commute to the school from downtown Boise, but it's worth it to us to live there. I went to BSU and living downtown is a lot of fun. That said, Meridian is where I grew up, and there's a ton more to do there than there used to be (i.e. The Village in Meridian has a lot to do), it is super super safe, and if you can live near campus, it will be nice for you in terms of getting to and from school. Boise is definitely more walkable than Meridian depending on where you live, but both are fairly bike friendly.

I think housing is getting expensive enough (although cost of living is still relatively low) that it is worth considering getting a roomie if you can tolerate it or want it. That said, some people don't do well living with others and the potential for distraction etc. So I think it's doable either way, but obviously less expensive with a roommate.

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I'm from this area (like 20+ years lol) so feel free to ask me any questions you might have if you're unfamiliar.

For me, I think we are going to live in Boise. It's a 15-20 min commute to the school from downtown Boise, but it's worth it to us to live there. I went to BSU and living downtown is a lot of fun. That said, Meridian is where I grew up, and there's a ton more to do there than there used to be (i.e. The Village in Meridian has a lot to do), it is super super safe, and if you can live near campus, it will be nice for you in terms of getting to and from school. Boise is definitely more walkable than Meridian depending on where you live, but both are fairly bike friendly.

I think housing is getting expensive enough (although cost of living is still relatively low) that it is worth considering getting a roomie if you can tolerate it or want it. That said, some people don't do well living with others and the potential for distraction etc. So I think it's doable either way, but obviously less expensive with a roommate.

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Thank you so much! I'm from California so I'm totally unaware minus the little I saw when I went for my interview. I was thinking of Boise but I think I will be going back to the area around Feb to try and look at places and get an estimate of what it will cost. Thanks again, you're always so helpful!!!!
 
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Thank you so much! I'm from California so I'm totally unaware minus the little I saw when I went for my interview. I was thinking of Boise but I think I will be going back to the area around Feb to try and look at places and get an estimate of what it will cost. Thanks again, you're always so helpful!!!!
Yeah no problem! I'm glad I can help people, I'm sure it is a lot more stressful to just up and move to a place you aren't familiar with! February should be a good time to start looking and getting an idea of what's available and what the prices are.

By the way, the Boise/Meridian area is a really fun place to live! There's just so much to do. If you like music, there is a pretty solid music scene. If you like outdoorsy things, you will be in heaven lol. Within an hour of Boise is great hiking, skiing, rock climbing, boating, mountain biking, fishing, etc. There are great restaurants downtown, and tons of volunteer opportunities. I think you all will be very happy there, and that's even if I put my home town bias aside as much as possible.

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I was accepted at ICOM and withdrew from my other interviews. There were several things that factored into that decision, some of which are specific to my situation. I hope this is helpful for you.
  • I'm from this area, and my entire family is here. This means a lot to me, especially since I have moved away. I can go rock climbing with my dad on the weekends, watch my nephew grow up, and spend holidays with my family for the next four years. Given that I will almost certainly have to leave the state again for residency, those four years will be very precious to me. I'm a non-traditional student, and I know what matters to me. My family is way up there. Additionally, having that support network if/when medical school starts to wear on me will be very important.
  • My spouse and I applied to medical school together, and we were both accepted at ICOM. Not much more to say about it than that...we took a really hard process and made it harder by trying to get in together. We managed it once (at ICOM); I'm not sure it will happen for us again anywhere else.
  • Many DO schools are in very rural areas, while ICOM is in a very nice area next to a really fun city. If you're into really rural areas then more power to you, but it isn't really for me.
  • The local community has been welcoming ICOM with open arms, and as the first medical school in Idaho, they are going to have access to a lot of great clinical sites that are excited to be partnered with the school. So much so that the University of Washington was very resistant to ICOM opening, because they would be losing some of their WWAMI sites to ICOM.
  • I got a great feeling about the school. Listen, I'm a neurotic pre-med just like everybody else, and a part of me definitely wants to go to the most "prestigious" school I can get into. As of right now, that isn't ICOM, because it's brand new, and I know that. But I felt really good about this school when I was there. I could see myself going to school here, and more importantly, I could see myself thriving here. Everyone I met at the school seemed so happy to have us there and so invested in our success. After the interview, I couldn't really see myself anywhere else the same way, even more established or "prestigious" institutions. Gut feeling is not scientific, but I do think it matters. I'm excited to go to ICOM, I'm looking forward to helping make it the best school it can be, and for ICOM to make me the best doctor I can be.
  • In regards to the financial aid, I totally get why this might be a concern. Having federal undergrad loans myself, it is a concern of mine as well, as my loans will not go into automatic deferment with private loans. That said, the school seems very on top of it and they don't anticipate the need for private loans for more than one school year for the class of 2023. That's still 1/4 of your debt that would be private, so you'll have to make that decision for yourself. For me, it's worth it.
If I’m not midterm, during my interview they stated they are striving To get federal aid by 2021. They need 2 years of operation before they can even apply for federal aid grants. And then they have to go through a whole process to see if they qualify?

If you have any more details do you mind sharing? I’m unfamiliar with the process and am not sure if I have my facts right.
 
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If I’m not midterm, during my interview they stated they are striving To get federal aid by 2021. They need 2 years of operation before they can even apply for federal aid grants. And then they have to go through a whole process to see if they qualify?

If you have any more details do you mind sharing? I’m unfamiliar with the process and am not sure if I have my facts right.
They said any federal aid grant would be retroactive for the school year in which it was granted. The financial aid person said you can then retroactively apply for federal aid for the entire school year and presumably pay off the private debt for the year and transfer the debt to federal. Which would make only the first school year entirely private funded. That said, they are being safe and saying they anticipate federal aid by Fall 2021 for sure, but they may get it earlier, as they can apply in August 2020 to receive aid, so if it gets approved any time in that school year, it would retroactively apply.

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That said, I suppose it is safer to assume not the best scenario and assume the first two years privately funded. Better to prepare for worse and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around lol.

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That said, I suppose it is safer to assume not the best scenario and assume the first two years privately funded. Better to prepare for worse and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around lol.

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Thank you so much! I loved ICOM but private loans scare me :/
 
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Hey ICOM class of 2023 - the school made an official Facebook group for our class, so I deleted the one I had made. Join the official one if you're interested!

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Hey ICOM class of 2023 - the school made an official Facebook group for our class, so I deleted the one I had made. Join the official one if you're interested!

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How many people are in the official one??
 
Withdrew my acceptance here! I actually really loved the school and the area but private loans + how awfully new the school is kinda scared me away :/
 
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Withdrew my acceptance here! I actually really loved the school and the area but private loans + how awfully new the school is kinda scared me away :/
To each his own. Where are you choosing to go? :)
 
got the call today:) loved ICOM. Facilities were state of the art and everyone was so friendly at the interview!
 
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Can someone link the official one? I can’t find it
 
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We have lab 4 days a week right? My interview was back in August so I don't quite remember what a typical week looks like.
 
We have lab 4 days a week right? My interview was back in August so I don't quite remember what a typical week looks like.
Yes I believe so. 2 days of Anatomy and 2 of OMM lab but they alternate. I believe anatomy was M&W while OMM was T&Th!
 
Yes I believe so. 2 days of Anatomy and 2 of OMM lab but they alternate. I believe anatomy was M&W while OMM was T&Th!

Awesome! And the timing of when they are in the afternoon just depends on what group you're in right? I'm just trying to get an idea of what my schedule may be.
 
Awesome! And the timing of when they are in the afternoon just depends on what group you're in right? I'm just trying to get an idea of what my schedule may be.
Yes! It'll either be right after lunch (1pm) or later & which group goes right after lunch alternates as well.
 
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I'll be turning down my acceptance today. Hopefully it goes to one of you!
 
I was accepted at ICOM and withdrew from my other interviews. There were several things that factored into that decision, some of which are specific to my situation. I hope this is helpful for you.
  • I'm from this area, and my entire family is here. This means a lot to me, especially since I have moved away. I can go rock climbing with my dad on the weekends, watch my nephew grow up, and spend holidays with my family for the next four years. Given that I will almost certainly have to leave the state again for residency, those four years will be very precious to me. I'm a non-traditional student, and I know what matters to me. My family is way up there. Additionally, having that support network if/when medical school starts to wear on me will be very important.
  • My spouse and I applied to medical school together, and we were both accepted at ICOM. Not much more to say about it than that...we took a really hard process and made it harder by trying to get in together. We managed it once (at ICOM); I'm not sure it will happen for us again anywhere else.
  • Many DO schools are in very rural areas, while ICOM is in a very nice area next to a really fun city. If you're into really rural areas then more power to you, but it isn't really for me.
  • The local community has been welcoming ICOM with open arms, and as the first medical school in Idaho, they are going to have access to a lot of great clinical sites that are excited to be partnered with the school. So much so that the University of Washington was very resistant to ICOM opening, because they would be losing some of their WWAMI sites to ICOM.
  • I got a great feeling about the school. Listen, I'm a neurotic pre-med just like everybody else, and a part of me definitely wants to go to the most "prestigious" school I can get into. As of right now, that isn't ICOM, because it's brand new, and I know that. But I felt really good about this school when I was there. I could see myself going to school here, and more importantly, I could see myself thriving here. Everyone I met at the school seemed so happy to have us there and so invested in our success. After the interview, I couldn't really see myself anywhere else the same way, even more established or "prestigious" institutions. Gut feeling is not scientific, but I do think it matters. I'm excited to go to ICOM, I'm looking forward to helping make it the best school it can be, and for ICOM to make me the best doctor I can be.
  • In regards to the financial aid, I totally get why this might be a concern. Having federal undergrad loans myself, it is a concern of mine as well, as my loans will not go into automatic deferment with private loans. That said, the school seems very on top of it and they don't anticipate the need for private loans for more than one school year for the class of 2023. That's still 1/4 of your debt that would be private, so you'll have to make that decision for yourself. For me, it's worth it.
Don’t spread rumors. UW hasn’t lost any WWAMI sites to this school. They were opposed to it for many other reasons.

Although, this is still a great post and you deserve a congrats for you and your spouse. You’ve outlined a lot of good reasons as to why someone might prefer this school over others. Facilities seem pretty great too from what I’ve seen of them, if that matters to anyone.
 
Don’t spread rumors. UW hasn’t lost any WWAMI sites to this school. They were opposed to it for many other reasons.

Although, this is still a great post and you deserve a congrats for you and your spouse. You’ve outlined a lot of good reasons as to why someone might prefer this school over others. Facilities seem pretty great too from what I’ve seen of them, if that matters to anyone.
Right. They specifically mentioned UW being worried about this, which is why I mentioned it. I guess my wording wasn't clear enough, as I wasn't trying to imply this was something that happened, but I wasn't spreading rumors.

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Interviewed at this school today and had an AMAZING experience. Many of you have already mentioned a lot of this, but I want to reiterate how incredible/high-tech the facilities are and how kind and welcoming everyone was. I was intimidated by the notion of three separate 30-minute interviews going in, but they totally flew by-- very conversational, and I feel as though I learned almost as much from my interviewers as they did from me. :)
 
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Interviewed at this school today and had an AMAZING experience. Many of you have already mentioned a lot of this, but I want to reiterate how incredible/high-tech the facilities are and how kind and welcoming everyone was. I was intimidated by the notion of three separate 30-minute interviews going in, but they totally flew by-- very conversational, and I feel as though I learned almost as much from my interviewers as they did from me. :)
Yay, I'm glad you had such a great experience! I hope you get the best news this Friday!

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Really hoping they open up more interview dates soon. I really want to have the chance to come here.
 
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I’ll be paying the deposit soon. So excited to be a part of the Boise community, and to meeting you guys next year!!

I have seen you on the forum, gotten a ton of interviews, not sure about acceptances, but sounds like ICOM is your first choice. What made you chose it over the other schools?
 
I have seen you on the forum, gotten a ton of interviews, not sure about acceptances, but sounds like ICOM is your first choice. What made you chose it over the other schools?
Hey! Yeah I’ve had 20+ interview invites. I have only gone to 7 so far. As of yet, ICOM is still my favorite and I’m glad it was the first school that accepted me. It’s important to love the campus and area of whichever school you choose. I find Boise very much in line with my personality and passions (hiking, nature, college town, fun night life, etc.) The tour was informative and I admired the layout of the school. From my other interviews, I noticed that the more established and older schools seemed to have more apathetic teachers. I’m not saying they were all bad, but I didn’t see a fire in their eyes. ICOM faculty, including front desk security, all had that fire and passion for the school, making it seem like it would be a more enjoyable medical school experience. Because let’s face it - med school is going to be rough at times and being around this kind of positive energy will be very beneficial. I applied to ICOM because I knew that not only would the teachers be a lot more invested in the success of the students, but there would be more freedom and unexplored territory for the students themselves. I have some student organization ideas to pursue in med school and ICOM gave me the impression of being fully supportive of those ideas. Also, the dean and faculty that interviewed me were some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, and that speaks volumes in itself. Any dean that gives his cell phone # to students to voice their concerns certainly has the students’ best interest at heart. I hope I wasn’t too vague - hope this helps and good luck!
 
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Hey! Yeah I’ve had 20+ interview invites. I have only gone to 7 so far. As of yet, ICOM is still my favorite and I’m glad it was the first school that accepted me. It’s important to love the campus and area of whichever school you choose. I find Boise very much in line with my personality and passions (hiking, nature, college town, fun night life, etc.) The tour was informative and I admired the layout of the school. From my other interviews, I noticed that the more established and older schools seemed to have more apathetic teachers. I’m not saying they were all bad, but I didn’t see a fire in their eyes. ICOM faculty, including front desk security, all had that fire and passion for the school, making it seem like it would be a more enjoyable medical school experience. Because let’s face it - med school is going to be rough at times and being around this kind of positive energy will be very beneficial. I applied to ICOM because I knew that not only would the teachers be a lot more invested in the success of the students, but there would be more freedom and unexplored territory for the students themselves. I have some student organization ideas to pursue in med school and ICOM gave me the impression of being fully supportive of those ideas. Also, the dean and faculty that interviewed me were some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, and that speaks volumes in itself. Any dean that gives his cell phone # to students to voice their concerns certainly has the students’ best interest at heart. I hope I wasn’t too vague - hope this helps and good luck!

Thank you. 20+ interviews! Holy Batman! I do appreciate your response. I can’t wait to interview here, I love Boise and know I would love the area.
 
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Any recent II?

I'm nearing the end of three weeks. Really excited about this school. They said 2-3 weeks for review. Complete beginning of October.
 
Any recent II?

I'm nearing the end of three weeks. Really excited about this school. They said 2-3 weeks for review. Complete beginning of October.

They emailed me before 3 weeks but no II for over a month. They are trying to open more dates and have been sending out emails stating we will get an interview when they open up dates
 
Interview email this morning! I am so excited, dates in Nov and Dec, we had to rank the dates we wanted.
 
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Withdrew my early dec interview. Good luck to you all!


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Thank you. 20+ interviews! Holy Batman! I do appreciate your response. I can’t wait to interview here, I love Boise and know I would love the area.
Best of luck man! I loved the experience. Take some time off if you can and go rafting / explore the city too!
 
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Best of luck man! I loved the experience. Take some time off if you can and go rafting / explore the city too!

Unfortunately I can’t, I have a full time job and all the dates are mid-week. My job has been amazing and flexible but can’t take the whole week off, but I will be back if I get an acceptance!!
 
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Are you guys driving or flying? Coming in Tuesday early or later? I don’t know if this is weird or not but if either or both of you would wanna meet up for coffee/drink/dinner Tuesday evening somewhere in Boise send me a message! :)
 
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