singernursepremed
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Yes, I got my invite before I took my Casper. You just can't interview before it's scored.
2018-2019 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences
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Ahhh okay Thanks so much!!!!
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Hi Future Medical Students!
I'm a current PNWU med student and am so excited to have been accepted into this program. Sometimes I read through this thread for entertainment to see what's going on with the application year. It takes me back to when I applied and reminds me of how lucky I am to be on this path. One of the concerns I saw in the thread were the low COMLEX scores from this last year. What I'm surprised wasn't shared with you was info we received from our student government about how the test was scored different this year. It seems the NBOME decided that the national Level 1 average was getting too high, so they used an algorithm to drop the average by about 50 points, which makes it look as if test scores took a dip... They said more info would be coming concerning this, but then they (NBOME) got very quiet about the matter. There is a lot of change happening right now in the DO community and it would be wise to educate yourselves on the merger that is coming in 2020 between the AOA and AMA. That being said, I have felt well prepared for my rotations.
The first year was the toughest year for me. In the first semester, I attended lecture everyday even though it wasn't required because I didn't understand that it wasn't required, lol! Sitting in a lecture hall listening to a very fast speaker with ppt slides is not the best way for me to learn. As I realized this, I allowed myself the freedom to stay home and watch the lectures on the recorded Panopto app that is available online. The school is very good about getting lectures up the hour after they are finished. It was nice to be able to pause the speaker and analyze the slides before being asked to move along.
One of the thread contributors/applicants on here was real negative about the case study discussions we have as a class (Which seems weird to me, to have such a strong opinion about something you've never participated in). Having your school picture flashed up on a screen really isn't that bad. It helps everyone get to know each other better and everyone sitting around you is whispering the answer to you if you don't know what to say. It helped me prepare for rotations, where you may be with students from other schools and questions will get tossed to the group. If you are already used to answering questions on your feet, you are in a much better position to shine on rotation and earn a stellar evaluation from the attending (Which is a large part of the grading in 3rd and 4th years). Your residency app will also contain these evals btw.
I'm on my rotations in an area that I had never heard of or even visited before moving out to the area. The unknown is always scary, but the place the school sent me has truly been filled with so many opportunities to learn, network, be inspired, make friends who feel like family and even do research. It's a very special place and I would even consider practicing in the area someday, even without ties to the area. I've heard others say and I can also vouch for this, that some of the more rural locations the school offers, are the locations where you will see and get to do the most. I have a classmate who got sent to Alaska (She is not from there), but she tells me the most amazing stories about her rotation adventures there. Also, the school has regional assistant deans in every region associated with the school. I've never felt abandoned and they help us set up our 4th year... I'd rather have the freedom to choose where I rotate because it helps you network for residency matching.
The dress code is business casual or scrubs. FYI, all rotations for most schools MD or DO in years 3-4 are all business casual dress codes, because most hospitals/clinics have a dress code... and that's where you spend most of your time. The school is trying to prepare you and your closet for this. Consider not basing your career goals off whether you're allowed to wear jeans to school for the first 2 years. hahaha!
Some things I realized along the med school journey:
1. Keep an open mind and be flexible... realize your way is not always the only/best way to do something. One of my favorite professors at PNWU has a saying that I love: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape."
2. Realize rejection is going to happen, and that's ok, it can help you improve if you let it.
3. Be true to yourself, genuine and honest with others, especially in the application process... you'll be a much happier person at the end of the day if you are.
4. One of the best things I did for myself in med school so far, was put a yoga mat next to my desk and take moments throughout the day to find balance.
May the odds be ever in your favor,
Namaste-Peace out.
I'm a current PNWU med student and am so excited to have been accepted into this program. Sometimes I read through this thread for entertainment to see what's going on with the application year. It takes me back to when I applied and reminds me of how lucky I am to be on this path. One of the concerns I saw in the thread were the low COMLEX scores from this last year. What I'm surprised wasn't shared with you was info we received from our student government about how the test was scored different this year. It seems the NBOME decided that the national Level 1 average was getting too high, so they used an algorithm to drop the average by about 50 points, which makes it look as if test scores took a dip... They said more info would be coming concerning this, but then they (NBOME) got very quiet about the matter. There is a lot of change happening right now in the DO community and it would be wise to educate yourselves on the merger that is coming in 2020 between the AOA and AMA. That being said, I have felt well prepared for my rotations.
The first year was the toughest year for me. In the first semester, I attended lecture everyday even though it wasn't required because I didn't understand that it wasn't required, lol! Sitting in a lecture hall listening to a very fast speaker with ppt slides is not the best way for me to learn. As I realized this, I allowed myself the freedom to stay home and watch the lectures on the recorded Panopto app that is available online. The school is very good about getting lectures up the hour after they are finished. It was nice to be able to pause the speaker and analyze the slides before being asked to move along.
One of the thread contributors/applicants on here was real negative about the case study discussions we have as a class (Which seems weird to me, to have such a strong opinion about something you've never participated in). Having your school picture flashed up on a screen really isn't that bad. It helps everyone get to know each other better and everyone sitting around you is whispering the answer to you if you don't know what to say. It helped me prepare for rotations, where you may be with students from other schools and questions will get tossed to the group. If you are already used to answering questions on your feet, you are in a much better position to shine on rotation and earn a stellar evaluation from the attending (Which is a large part of the grading in 3rd and 4th years). Your residency app will also contain these evals btw.
I'm on my rotations in an area that I had never heard of or even visited before moving out to the area. The unknown is always scary, but the place the school sent me has truly been filled with so many opportunities to learn, network, be inspired, make friends who feel like family and even do research. It's a very special place and I would even consider practicing in the area someday, even without ties to the area. I've heard others say and I can also vouch for this, that some of the more rural locations the school offers, are the locations where you will see and get to do the most. I have a classmate who got sent to Alaska (She is not from there), but she tells me the most amazing stories about her rotation adventures there. Also, the school has regional assistant deans in every region associated with the school. I've never felt abandoned and they help us set up our 4th year... I'd rather have the freedom to choose where I rotate because it helps you network for residency matching.
The dress code is business casual or scrubs. FYI, all rotations for most schools MD or DO in years 3-4 are all business casual dress codes, because most hospitals/clinics have a dress code... and that's where you spend most of your time. The school is trying to prepare you and your closet for this. Consider not basing your career goals off whether you're allowed to wear jeans to school for the first 2 years. hahaha!
Some things I realized along the med school journey:
1. Keep an open mind and be flexible... realize your way is not always the only/best way to do something. One of my favorite professors at PNWU has a saying that I love: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape."
2. Realize rejection is going to happen, and that's ok, it can help you improve if you let it.
3. Be true to yourself, genuine and honest with others, especially in the application process... you'll be a much happier person at the end of the day if you are.
4. One of the best things I did for myself in med school so far, was put a yoga mat next to my desk and take moments throughout the day to find balance.
May the odds be ever in your favor,
Namaste-Peace out.
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How long does your app stay on committee. I’ve been on committee since 11/1
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Fourth year here, quick update but this year the requirements were changed to 4 weeks IM, w weeks surgery, 28 unrestricted electives. The student catalog lists a lot of electives but honestly if you have a doctor in mind or a specialty you really want to learn from you can probably set it up.
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Deny post supplement. Good luck everyone
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premed348755
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II yesterday! Earliest date without being on a waitlist for dates looks like April though
Sent from my iPhone using SDN
Sent from my iPhone using SDN
I also signed up for the April day as that was the only date option but also asked to be waitlisted for any days that may come available sooner.
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Heads up guys... as new quarter grades were coming out I called admissions to see if they were interested in a letter of intent or transcript since the letter received noted they would be evaluating waitlisted applicants throughout the cycle... was told they would attach it to my app if I wanted but they don’t plan to review our apps again until April so it wouldn’t benefit you to send anything new until closer to that timeframe.
As if it wasn’t stressful enough to be in purgatory wondering if after every interview round you’d hear back, now you get to enjoy a new level of fetal position waiting until the end of the year when only the top 30 or whatever are gonna get the shot. I pulled back from some of my ECs because the stress felt like I was standing in front of a firing squad, counting down a week at a time seemingly to infinity. I had inundated myself with every medical show, volunteering, circle of premed friends and the associated neurosis, and had everyone asking me how the interview went for a month. It’s. Not. Healthy. Take care of yourselves, everyone.
As if it wasn’t stressful enough to be in purgatory wondering if after every interview round you’d hear back, now you get to enjoy a new level of fetal position waiting until the end of the year when only the top 30 or whatever are gonna get the shot. I pulled back from some of my ECs because the stress felt like I was standing in front of a firing squad, counting down a week at a time seemingly to infinity. I had inundated myself with every medical show, volunteering, circle of premed friends and the associated neurosis, and had everyone asking me how the interview went for a month. It’s. Not. Healthy. Take care of yourselves, everyone.
What’s the general impression of this school? Are there any urban rotation sites? And what percentage on average of each class end up matching into emergency medicine? Are there federal loans? I post-poned my interview from last month to January and am excited, but know very little of this school. Feel free to DM me. Thank you so much!
the closest urban core rotation is Bellevue, WA...which you aren't going to get put there unless you grew up in Bellevue, have family in Bellevue, have a house there, have a spouse there, etc, because those people will get priority for that spot during 3rd year.
The majority of class like over 60% goes into primary care.
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I was waitlisted for my interview back in September. +1 to dragging it out even more! Planning on submitting a letter of intent but not sure if now or closer to April would be more beneficial.
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Did you do it by email? I had a roommate accidently throw out the letter and I don't want to ask for another to just say no...
singernursepremed
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Good luck to everyone waiting to hear back from 11/30! Fingers crossed for all of you to hear good news tomorrow!
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Yeah I just emailed the admissions office, they seemed totally receptive to it.
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Withdrew my acceptance so I hope it goes to one of you guy!
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You haven't heard either?
HotTamale18
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II today. Complete 12/4.
Interviewed 10/26, waitlisted 11/5, got a call on 12/20 that I’ve been offered an acceptance! I’ve been in Africa for the past month, and just listened to my voicemails.. I just signed up for a new MCAT date too because I thought I wasn’t going to get in this year.. I am still a bit in shock. Good luck to everyone!
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I was also waitlisted after interviewing 28SEP2018. Did you follow-up with them in any way to get off the waitlist?
No I did not, So I was a little surprised since they said they don't move the waitlist until spring in the letter they sent about being waitlisted. But I'm guessing they will keep pulling off the waitlist as ppl decline Admissions. We only get a month to pay a 1000 deposit. Stay hopeful
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No I did not, So I was a little surprised since they said they don't move the waitlist until spring in the letter they sent about being waitlisted. But I'm guessing they will keep pulling off the waitlist as ppl decline Admissions. We only get a month to pay a 1000 deposit. Stay hopeful
That is surprising. Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep my fingers crossed!
hopefuldoctor511
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Just got my interview moved up from the 22nd to the 1st of feb. hoping it goes well.
singernursepremed
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Did you all hear anything yet?
I got a letter in the mail that I was waitlisted. This honestly isn't my first choice school so I wasn't too bummed about it.
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This is all well and good except for the fact that this resulted in lower first time pass rates for COMLEX from this school. You seem to be more addressing the average COMLEX score, which is important, but having students fail to pass altogether is not a good thing. For the most recent cohort, the first time pass rate was 5.7% lower than the national average (87.1% vs 92.8%). That's a lot! They've been lower than average for the last 3 cohorts, which I believe matches up with the doubling of their class size from 77ish to 144ish. It's almost like doing that caused their students to suffer. This would support the argument that a more step-wise increase in class size would have been beneficial to students (but not the pocket$ of administrators).
Regarding the tips from your journey: I agree keeping an open mind is important, and something many of my classmates don't do as much as they could. But at what point should one get to choose exactly what they want to pursue (e.g., not primary care) and receive solid support from their program? My concern would be that becoming too flexible as a med student would result in the school determining your fate more than they should.
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-You always have a choice, you get to choose your mentors, and in my anecdotal experience in pursuing a non-primary care specialty, I have received all the support I've asked for. You just have to ask. This may be different for other people... but you'll find that having good communication skills is important when it comes to asking for support. ˚Different 3rd year regional sites may be different though. I also want to add that although I am pursuing a specialty that is not primary care, the DO schools traditionally have a mission to provide docs to the primary care specialties. If you don't align with the DO values, don't apply to a DO school. When I think back to my peers who seemed to be the most unhappy with our training, they were the students who didn't want to go to OPP class, resented that they had to learn it for board exams, mocked Osteopathic traditions, and plan on applying to some fancy surgical specialty... only to be disappointed to find out that DOs generally (not specific to any one school) tend to have a tougher time matching into these specialties overall. It certainly doesn't mean you won't get to be the doctor you want to be if you do want to be a DO with a fancy surgical specialty, you're just going to have to really prove you want to be there. For many people, the things we have to work the hardest for and that give us the most resistance, tend to be the things/career choices we will value the most when we finally reach the goal. I just recently met a practicing neurosurgeon who is a graduate of our school... just living proof that it can be done as a PNWU grad! We have a great alumni network that are ready to mentor if you ask.
hopefuldoctor511
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A little frustrated that they keep sending me emails saying "since other offers are coming out, make sure you're still coming!" Just seems a little tacky. I get why they're doing it but for whatever reason it rubs me the wrong way.
singernursepremed
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Eep! Good luck! I'm one of the waitlisted folks from awhile back, but I know that they are pulling from that possibly after every interview round and so the anxiety you're feeling has been happening for me a couple times now (and, if we're completely honest, will likely keep happening until April/May...lol). I unfortunately don't know when each interview group hears back without hovering around here for one of you kind folks to keep me updated. Your reply is appreciated.
singernursepremed
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Not a problem. My portal changed this morning - waitlisted. Trying to figure out what I can do to improve my application before they rank.
Trying to figure out what I can do to improve my application before they rank.Not a problem. My portal changed this morning - waitlisted.
Awe...I'm both sorry and glad for you. To be waitlisted isn't a no...and from what I heard, it hovers around 100 with 50 people pulled from it last year. We got a 50/50 chance! Keep your chin up and hopefully we'll hear good news soon enough.
singernursepremed
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Awe...I'm both sorry and glad for you. To be waitlisted isn't a no...and from what I heard, it hovers around 100 with 50 people pulled from it last year. We got a 50/50 chance! Keep your chin up and hopefully we'll hear good news soon enough.
Well, I work here in Yakima and already have a good thing going, so I'm OK either way - would love to not have to apply again though! That would be kind of embarrassing working in the hospital and seeing the med students all of the time. :/ I'm a bit of an 'underdog' this cycle so it wasn't a huge surprise. Here's to hoping for both of us!
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Hi, is anyone interviewing on Feb 1st and driving from Seattle? How are you getting to Yakima?
If your plan is to drive from SeaTac to Yakima, you'll wanna take the I-90 eastbound through the Snoqualmie Pass. It's snowing like crazy any given day around this time of year, but it's also the most reliably maintained with snow plows and salting. I would suggest a good google search of the pass ahead of time (the only alternative route if it's closed at all is going a big loop down through Oregon...the smaller passes usually close up sooner from weather issues) and an AWD vehicle if there is snow will keep you from having a panic attack. It can get pretty dicey otherwise. If it's just rain, you'd be good with 2WD (and I have made the trip a few times through rain with my lil' compact prius...lil' scary, but no one died). If it's snowing bad and you have flexibility with leave time, during daylight hours is always nicer than later at night, from my personal experience. If you do drive through the snow and you haven't driven through snow before, get in that slow lane and go as slow as you need...no matter how fast everyone else is going.
My husband and I drove through last weekend to see available living options in the area (we live in Seattle currently) and it was snowing pretty thick the Friday night we drove through. We had an AWD Subaru Outback and the distance through the pass took twice as long as normal with a good 9 vehicles spun out on the side in a snowbank from going too fast. We made it through just fine, but we took our time. Be super safe, take your time, and best of luck!
And to clarify the google search, you're looking for WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation) Snoqualmie Pass Road and Weather Conditions. That will show you if the pass is open or closed along with any pertinent requirements to drive the pass like tire chains, if there's snow, if the roads are wet, etc.
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Eep! Good luck! I'm one of the waitlisted folks from awhile back, but I know that they are pulling from that possibly after every interview round and so the anxiety you're feeling has been happening for me a couple times now (and, if we're completely honest, will likely keep happening until April/May...lol). I unfortunately don't know when each interview group hears back without hovering around here for one of you kind folks to keep me updated. Your reply is appreciated.
Same boat here. Hoping for a phone call every day.
hopefuldoctor511
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Honestly looking forward to the interview tomorrow. I've had the chance to talk to several people who say they've enjoyed their time there. I'm somewhat concerned about the board scores but kinda hype about the rotations-- from what I've heard rural rotations are an excellent place to learn medicine and you have an awesome chance to build solid relationships. Excited about their research opportunities too. Hope to see some of you there! I'll be the anxious person in the corner
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