2018-2019 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences

[hopefuldoctor511]

Had my interview earlier today. Thought I’d give my brief thoughts.

Very low stress interview. The MMI was four stations that were easy. I couldn’t read one of the interviewers but I think that was my anxiety.

The facility is small but nice. The anatomy lab is beautiful. Seems like overall it’s a nice campus to have your preclinical years.

Curriculum sounds standard. It’s concerning that their COMLEX level 2 scores are considerably lower than the others- and the poster earlier in this thread was right: they really just say “we are proud of our scores” and that was that. They weren’t super clear about assessments but I might have not missed that.

All the students were very nice and overall seemed like they liked it! That I was really impressed with. I think the class seemed all really laid back and collaborative. That was probably my favorite part. The staff were very kind.

They have a sim lab and obvious standardized patients but are not connected to a hospital. I know this can be common in DO schools but it makes me nervous. Seems like not a ton of chances to have real clinical exposure during the clinical years outside of making time to do the student clinic.

Biggest downer was everyone basically not being hot on the location. Almost everyone was like “don’t worry, you won’t have time to do anything” and generally felt neutral to negative about Yakima. Obviously it’s not anything like Seattle, but it was a turn off to have everyone- staff included- not have anything super positive to say about it.

Overall, I told my dad that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but it wasn’t as good as I would have hoped. I’m going to spend some time thinking about it over the next few weeks.

I do not think you would be limited in your basic education here. I think you can be very successful. I would encourage others who are on the fence to attend the interviews as it was a good experience for me.

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[FutureDrBeeh]

I have my interview coming soon and a 2nd year is willing to house me but, my issue is that I have to catch a 3PM flight from the Yakima Airport so, I'll be rushing from my interview to the airport. The 2nd-year student also mentioned that she might not be home in time to allow me to grab my stuff. Does anyone know if it is possible to rent a locker at PNWU if I contact their facilities dept? I really only plan on having a small Nike sports bag and my Macbook. I see that they currently rent monthly lockers for students so, hoping they would let me rent one for a day if I paid a fee. This would definitely make this easier in terms of grabbing my stuff after my interview and heading straight to the airport from there.

 

[KBF]

I have my interview coming soon and a 2nd year is willing to house me but, my issue is that I have to catch a 3PM flight from the Yakima Airport so, I'll be rushing from my interview to the airport. The 2nd-year student also mentioned that she might not be home in time to allow me to grab my stuff. Does anyone know if it is possible to rent a locker at PNWU if I contact their facilities dept? I really only plan on having a small Nike sports bag and my Macbook. I see that they currently rent monthly lockers for students so, hoping they would let me rent one for a day if I paid a fee. This would definitely make this easier in terms of grabbing my stuff after my interview and heading straight to the airport from there.

I don't know about actually renting a locker at the school, but during my interviews, there were several others that had their bags with them in preparation of travel directly after said interviews. I know that there were people specifically in my smaller group that had brought their luggage with them and since they weren't carrying around said luggage at every stop we made, I would imagine the school provided an area or space for it to be stored during the duration of the day. That said, there's no aspect of the interview process that having a bag on you would necessarily prevent you from being able to participate in. Even during the actual interview stage, there was a space to leave purses, bags, etc. as you went in to speak to the individuals during MMIs. I imagine if you email or speak to one of the organizers (like Ms. Hope, Ms. Tricia, etc.), they could provide you additional information and help get you sorted for a place to store your luggage.

 

[FutureDrBeeh]

I don't know about actually renting a locker at the school, but during my interviews, there were several others that had their bags with them in preparation of travel directly after said interviews. I know that there were people specifically in my smaller group that had brought their luggage with them and since they weren't carrying around said luggage at every stop we made, I would imagine the school provided an area or space for it to be stored during the duration of the day. That said, there's no aspect of the interview process that having a bag on you would necessarily prevent you from being able to participate in. Even during the actual interview stage, there was a space to leave purses, bags, etc. as you went in to speak to the individuals during MMIs. I imagine if you email or speak to one of the organizers (like Ms. Hope, Ms. Tricia, etc.), they could provide you additional information and help get you sorted for a place to store your luggage.

Thank you so much for your input! I was planning on asking Hope but, I didn't want to seem as though I am giving the preconceived notion that I'm going to be giving her and the rest of the admissions team a hard time. I'll reach out to the school directly to see what plans they had with students in this dilemma. Thanks again!

 

[FutureDrBeeh]

Also, did anyone have a hard time catching an uber from the airport, to the school, or traveling around the area in general? I noticed Lyft isn't available in that area and Uber drivers are also limited. How did some of you travel to and from these areas if you didn't have a personal ride?

 

[heavymetalfan]

Also, did anyone have a hard time catching an uber from the airport, to the school, or traveling around the area in general? I noticed Lyft isn't available in that area and Uber drivers are also limited. How did some of you travel to and from these areas if you didn't have a personal ride?

I used uber. Yes, give yourself plenty of time to request the Uber (+20-30 minutes). and regarding baggage, they will store it for you.

 

[Dorn1994]

Anyone from 2/1 interview date hear back yet? I believe they said 2 weeks

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

Anyone from 2/1 interview date hear back yet? I believe they said 2 weeks

I think they said Friday usually, so maybe later this week?

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

Waitlisted. Interviewed 2/1. Damn. I thought I had done well on this one. Let's see if it turns into an A I guess.

frustrated with this whole process. I feel like I'm a strong candidate and I haven't had any acceptances at all.

 

[Cub0220]

Waitlisted. Interviewed 2/1. Damn. I thought I had done well on this one. Let's see if it turns into an A I guess.

frustrated with this whole process. I feel like I'm a strong candidate and I haven't had any acceptances at all.

I am in the same boat. You definitely are not alone. Just hang in there!

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

I am in the same boat. You definitely are not alone. Just hang in there!

Thanks my friend. Do people know if there’s any shot about getting in off the waitlist?

 

[KBF]

Per my phone discussion with Tricia awhile back, the waitlist floats around 100 people during interviews (some added and some leave for other schools). During the interviewing cycle, the waitlist can be cherry picked at will by the committee if they feel someone there has merit (past years shows a few grabbed occasionally, but nothing massive and no set schedule). After interviews are completed and around the end of April/beginning of May, the waitlist is reviewed and ranked. Specifically, the top 10 and top 30 are notified of their rankings. They are then pulled as spaces become available. Per Tricia, typically top 30 are pretty much guaranteed positions (with a few exceptions). Last year, 50 individuals were pulled from the waitlist. Essentially, your odds are about 33-50% at this juncture not including possible early pull through interview process. Keep your chins up, friends. There's awhile to go yet.

 

[KBF]

Additionally, I asked her at the time what could increase our odds for consideration and if there was anything we could do to help our cause. She said that a letter of intent could be attached to our file and could be sent via email (I sent mine literally the day I called her after I hung up the phone...one page outlining my desire to attend the school, that they were my first choice, and what I'm doing in the mean time until I hopefully hear back in spring). She also stated that an updated "packet" of completed activities that contribute to our application could be submitted in April/May time frame for consideration. For example, if you did research, had clinical experience, retook your MCATs, etc. that might not necessarily be part of your formal AACOMAS application, but definitely would be of interest, you could send any accompanying documentation and that would be attached to your file. Last, but not least, I asked if additional letters of recommendation were accepted beyond the 6 letter limit from AACOMAS and I was told that they were accepted and encouraged.

 

[Cub0220]

Thanks my friend. Do people know if there’s any shot about getting in off the waitlist?

I am a firm believer that if this is truly what you want to do, and you put in the work and effort that this process takes, you will get there. It may not be in your ideal time frame, but it WILL happen, one way or another. Worst case scenario, we ask for feedback at the end of this cycle and do whatever we need to do to be shoe-ins next year. Best of luck

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

So I called the admissions office (I believe I spoke to Joy?) who basically said that any type of letter or update wouldn't matter until March. Sounds like there's differing opinions? Should I reach out to someone else?

 

[KBF]

So I called the admissions office (I believe I spoke to Joy?) who basically said that any type of letter or update wouldn't matter until March. Sounds like there's differing opinions? Should I reach out to someone else?

I would imagine she's referring to when the waitlist is ranked near the end of interviews, but I wouldn't know for certain as I wasn't the one to speak to her...lol. I spoke to Tricia in November of last year, so there may be discrepancies based purely on the passage of time. I was just passing on what I had been told and what I had seen in the forums from previous years. It's all anecdotal and circumstantial at this juncture, so if you have a more reliable source (aka: speaking to someone directly from the school), I would venture to say that that is far more reliable than second hand from a another waitlisted student such as myself. I'm an honest person and try to share what I know if I think it may help, but its very possible that things could have changed between November of last year and February of this year.

 

[Gsxrdoc]

Waitlisted. Interviewed 2/1. Damn. I thought I had done well on this one. Let's see if it turns into an A I guess.

frustrated with this whole process. I feel like I'm a strong candidate and I haven't had any acceptances at all.

Also waitlisted. I have an acceptance elsewhere but on the other side of country and would prefer to stay in the PNW. Keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

Also waitlisted. I have an acceptance elsewhere but on the other side of country and would prefer to stay in the PNW. Keeping my fingers crossed...

I have no acceptances but have one interview at the end of this month and am waiting to hear back from my state school. Who the heck knows if I'll get in anywhere.

Sounds like this waitlist is ok and there's a decent chance of getting in off of it.

 

[3Mheadphonesdude]

Accepted!! Got the call yesterday afternoon. Interviewed 2/1.

 

[tsmleague]

I have no acceptances but have one interview at the end of this month and am waiting to hear back from my state school. Who the heck knows if I'll get in anywhere.

Sounds like this waitlist is ok and there's a decent chance of getting in off of it.

What school?

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

What school?

Ahh I’d rather not say sorry!

 

[FutureDrBeeh]

Wow, for those of you who were waitlisted. How confident were you during your interview? Were you nervous at all? Were the MMI and 1 on 1 questions difficult? I've been told by several medical students throughout mock interviews that I am an excellent interviewer. I also have 5 years under my belt as an internship director interviewing over 500 students. I'm beginning to think great interview skills aren't just the norm here.

 

[DrOakBerries]

I interviewed well but haven't heard anything back (2/1). I'm a bit worried because other people have heard back already.

 

[WhereMyLiberalsAt]

I'm beginning to think great interview skills aren't just the norm here.

To be “great” literally means that you’re not “normal”...

I’m pretty sure the Pictionary rotation helped me snag an acceptance...

But in all seriousness, to attribute people’s WL decision with their interview skills, illustrates that you need more exposure with this process. Too many things play into this process; the interview may even play a smaller role than luck.

Good luck on your interview and enjoy the day. It was one of the more exhausting interview days I had but it was quite fun.

 

[singernursepremed]

Wow, for those of you who were waitlisted. How confident were you during your interview? Were you nervous at all? Were the MMI and 1 on 1 questions difficult? I've been told by several medical students throughout mock interviews that I am an excellent interviewer. I also have 5 years under my belt as an internship director interviewing over 500 students. I'm beginning to think great interview skills aren't just the norm here.

I actually called for a feedback session, thinking I had bombed the interview even though I felt good. They made a note that my interview was excellent. However, my MCAT science scores were lower and I am still finishing my physics pre-reqs. I have excellent experience, which the person I spoke with stated shone in my interviews and was very impressive. The only concerns she outlined were my pre-reqs being completed and my lower-end science scores on the MCAT. Now that I'm almost done with my physics, my MCAT practice is higher and I'll be retaking it around April/May. So, no. It wasn't difficult, I wasn't nervous, my interview was great, my GPA is very high, and I was still placed on the waitlist, mostly due to pre-reqs and MCAT. A great interview doesn't mean you'll automatically be accepted.

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

Wow, for those of you who were waitlisted. How confident were you during your interview? Were you nervous at all? Were the MMI and 1 on 1 questions difficult? I've been told by several medical students throughout mock interviews that I am an excellent interviewer. I also have 5 years under my belt as an internship director interviewing over 500 students. I'm beginning to think great interview skills aren't just the norm here.

I felt pretty ok about my interview. If I had to guess, I think my own personal approach might deviate from the mission. I’m not huge on primary care and given this was my first DO interview I think my “why DO” answer was a tad jumbled.

I agree with the above posters. I think if the interview was poor they would axe you that much quicker. Seems like the waitlisted folks might have more nuanced reasons not to be accepted outright. At least that’s what I’m hoping.

 

[DrOakBerries]

Just checked my portal, wait listed on 2/13. Any suggestions on how to get off the waitlist? I really want to go here.

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

Just checked my portal, wait listed on 2/13. Any suggestions on how to get off the waitlist? I really want to go here.

Seems like they are receptive to updates/letters of interest/additional recommendations in March. I got a letter in the mail this weekend.

 

[DrOakBerries]

Seems like they are receptive to updates/letters of interest/additional recommendations in March. I got a letter in the mail this weekend.

Send a letter in March? I have a lot to send from this last 6 months. 2 publications and 5 months of treating patients one on one in a TMS clinic. The psychiatrist I work with would write me another letter as well.

 

[hopefuldoctor511]

Send a letter in March? I have a lot to send from this last 6 months. 2 publications and 5 months of treating patients one on one in a TMS clinic. The psychiatrist I work with would write me another letter as well.

Yeah, that's what my letter said at least. You could always call and clarify; I'm planning on sending an email to the admissions team to get some clarity as well. I'll probably get around to it sometime this week and will post back here if I find anything out

 

[3Mheadphonesdude]

Anyone accepted know what to do next? I was told to wait for an email, but I wasn't able to think after getting the good news. PNWU site says to check the self-service portal but I see some things in my checklist that go to a dead-end page.

 

[Dorn1994]

Anyone accepted know what to do next? I was told to wait for an email, but I wasn't able to think after getting the good news. PNWU site says to check the self-service portal but I see some things in my checklist that go to a dead-end page.

You should receive an official letter in the mail that contains the Consent and Acceptance form. From my understanding you need to sign that form and mail it back to them (based on the instructions on the form), as well as pay the deposit through the Self-service portal by the specified due date. I got the call on Wednesday of last week, and received the letter the following Saturday, my deadline is Feb 27th.

Hope this helps!

 

[heavymetalfan]

declining my offer! I mostly enjoyed interviewing at this school, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I like the school! I think the staff seem excellent, and I really enjoyed my conversation with them! Unfortunately, I can't go to all the med schools.

Good luck!

 

[tsmleague]

declining my offer! I mostly enjoyed interviewing at this school, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I like the school! I think the staff seem excellent, and I really enjoyed my conversation with them! Unfortunately, I can't go to all the med schools.

Good luck!

Mind if I ask where you’re headed instead?

 

[heavymetalfan]

Mind if I ask where you’re headed instead?

Haven't decided yet! A few deposits down and 2 more interviews.

 

[OneDayiA]

Anyone who is scheduled for the Feb 22nd interview date that is NOT planning on coming or has committed to another school, can you please email Hope and let her know ASAP?

A few of us that are scheduled on later interview days are waiting on earlier openings so it would really mean a lot to us It would make travel plans much easier if we know ahead of time. Thank you in advance!

 

[FutureDrBeeh]

To be “great” literally means that you’re not “normal”...

I’m pretty sure the Pictionary rotation helped me snag an acceptance...

But in all seriousness, to attribute people’s WL decision with their interview skills, illustrates that you need more exposure with this process. Too many things play into this process; the interview may even play a smaller role than luck.

Good luck on your interview and enjoy the day. It was one of the more exhausting interview days I had but it was quite fun.

Can you elaborate more on the pictionary rotation?? What were the rotations like?

 

[FutureDrBeeh]

I actually called for a feedback session, thinking I had bombed the interview even though I felt good. They made a note that my interview was excellent. However, my MCAT science scores were lower and I am still finishing my physics pre-reqs. I have excellent experience, which the person I spoke with stated shone in my interviews and was very impressive. The only concerns she outlined were my pre-reqs being completed and my lower-end science scores on the MCAT. Now that I'm almost done with my physics, my MCAT practice is higher and I'll be retaking it around April/May. So, no. It wasn't difficult, I wasn't nervous, my interview was great, my GPA is very high, and I was still placed on the waitlist, mostly due to pre-reqs and MCAT. A great interview doesn't mean you'll automatically be accepted.

Thanks for your feedback! My verbal score is actually not the best so, it's something I'm hoping it's something that doesn't put me on the waitlist. Do you mind sharing your latest MCAT score?

 

[FutureDrBeeh]

Anyone accepted know what to do next? I was told to wait for an email, but I wasn't able to think after getting the good news. PNWU site says to check the self-service portal but I see some things in my checklist that go to a dead-end page.

How did you find out you were accepted? Did you get a phone call, email or both?

 

[bumble1768]

Hey guys fourth year here. Reading through there seems to be a decent amount of concern about fourth year rotations and I wanted to put my two cents in.

I'm originally oos and decided I was going to do most of my fourth year back home. The school didn't have any contacts there for me obviously but was very prompt and helpful with paperwork/ answering questions. Then my county caught on fire and I was evacuated for 14 days. Four months worth of rotations fell through immediately. Within 24 hours my site coordinator had alternatives for me at my core site and some online rotations I could complete while evacuated.

In my experience, if you're setting up rotations outside of the five state region and audition rotations, yes you do have to put in more leg work than if you stay near your core site. That being said we are certainly not left out dry.

If you have any questions you can drop them here or PM me. I'm at the tale end of fourth year and while the school can be frustrating at times (as anywhere will be) I got a quality education that lead to an unbelievable amount of interviews during the match process all through the ACGME match.

 

[3Mheadphonesdude]

How did you find out you were accepted? Did you get a phone call, email or both?

Phone call first, then a letter in the mail some days later. Check the self-service portal at Newly Admitted Students :: PNWU to view the decisions if available.

 

[KittyKat00]

I had my interview day today. It was fairly straight forward and the MMI format wasn't that bad. The group interviews were a lot easier and laid back. Good luck to everyone who interviewed today!

 

[txco1994]

Interviewed yesterday. Many of the things I was worried about (based on reports from this feed) were cleared up during the interview day, and I would be very happy to attend this school. One things that stood out to me was the community in this place. Both in the school and in the community in general. Spend some time in Yakima if you have the opportunity. The locals are genuine and very friendly.

There wasn’t any information shared in regards to where the class is as far as being filled.

The interview itself (MMI and group activities) were laid back and overall this was probably the least stressful interview days I have had.

In regards to any early clinical experiences, it seems that they want you to be competent enough to succeed in a clinical setting before being able to volunteer in that setting, which makes sense, but those options are available.

The school seems very open to student input, our tour guide mentioned that they are trialing whether or not lectures should be mandatory, so they are having several staff members analyze who is going to class versus their scores. They acknowledged that some students seem to benefit with having the option to attend or not attend class. That being said, they fully acknowledged that everyone learns differently and ultimately they want us to succeed. I saw this as a huge positive.

Anyway! That was a lot - feel free to message me if anything is unclear or you want to ask something about the interview day. Good luck everyone!!

 

[Ligamentumarteriosum]

Per my phone discussion with Tricia awhile back, the waitlist floats around 100 people during interviews (some added and some leave for other schools). During the interviewing cycle, the waitlist can be cherry picked at will by the committee if they feel someone there has merit (past years shows a few grabbed occasionally, but nothing massive and no set schedule). After interviews are completed and around the end of April/beginning of May, the waitlist is reviewed and ranked. Specifically, the top 10 and top 30 are notified of their rankings. They are then pulled as spaces become available. Per Tricia, typically top 30 are pretty much guaranteed positions (with a few exceptions). Last year, 50 individuals were pulled from the waitlist. Essentially, your odds are about 33-50% at this juncture not including possible early pull through interview process. Keep your chins up, friends. There's awhile to go yet.

I really want this to be true... did she give you those numbers?

I was waitlisted from PNWU from the first September interview. Since then I received 9 hard and 2 soft rejections post-supplement, leaving PNWU the only remaining option. I even applied PhD and had one interview/reject and 2 soft reject. My only option is the pipeline for PNWU but I am getting my MS in June so it’s really expensive without the degree being meaningful itself.

I am in such a tough spot mentally right now between what feels like universal rejection and anxiety

 

[Ligamentumarteriosum]

Wow, for those of you who were waitlisted. How confident were you during your interview? Were you nervous at all? Were the MMI and 1 on 1 questions difficult? I've been told by several medical students throughout mock interviews that I am an excellent interviewer. I also have 5 years under my belt as an internship director interviewing over 500 students. I'm beginning to think great interview skills aren't just the norm here.

Waitlisted in October/ Sep28 interview. I was feeling 3/5 on confidence level because I knew going in that discussion of transcripts/mcat was going to be difficult. I did get questioned on that, and I believe I gave adequate but not stellar responses. I felt I nailed the scenarios, and in all cases was able to be humerous and develop rapport with my interviewers. I tend to do well on interviews, so my remaining anxiety came from how bad I want to go there and the fact that my grades and mcat were low. Of the last 60 or so credits they look at, gpa was 3.4 and mcat was 497. I don’t think I was able to pile enough grad courses/experiences to bury some low stats, which contributed to not getting accepted off the bat.

It is difficult to imagine where I will rank when it comes to stats vs. experience.

 

[KBF]

I really want this to be true... did she give you those numbers?

I was waitlisted from PNWU from the first September interview. Since then I received 9 hard and 2 soft rejections post-supplement, leaving PNWU the only remaining option. I even applied PhD and had one interview/reject and 2 soft reject. My only option is the pipeline for PNWU but I am getting my MS in June so it’s really expensive without the degree being meaningful itself.

I am in such a tough spot mentally right now between what feels like universal rejection and anxiety

Those were the numbers I was given by them when I asked last November. It's still word of mouth, but she had no reason to tell me false numbers when I asked.

 

[PediatricEndo]

Current 1st year here if any of you have questions! I remember being on this thread 9 months ago stressed out and wanting to know more :’)

 

[Dorn1994]

Current 1st year here if any of you have questions! I remember being on this thread 9 months ago stressed out and wanting to know more :’)

Do we really need MMR Titers for our immunizations (Hep B I understand but MMR seems a little excessive)?

 

[Doctorofyourdreams]

Do we really need MMR Titers for our immunizations (Hep B I understand but MMR seems a little excessive)?

Considering that there is a measles outbreak in this state and we work directly with patients who may or may not be unvaccinated (especially if you choose to volunteer at UGM) the school is going to want to make sure that you are protected and that your patients are protected

 

[Dorn1994]

Considering that there is a measles outbreak in this state and we work directly with patients who may or may not be unvaccinated (especially if you choose to volunteer at UGM) the school is going to want to make sure that you are protected and that your patients are protected

Very good point