2018-2019 University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM)

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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unique username said:
It's my first time applying for UIW SOM.
How did you guys answer the last question about reapplying or just leave it empty???
If you are reapplying to UIWSOM, what have you done to strengthen your application since you last applied?
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I left mine blank
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For interviews, is session 1 the Friday option and session 2 the Saturday? Dumb question but wanted to make sure before I sign up
 
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RockyTopDoc94 said:
For interviews, is session 1 the Friday option and session 2 the Saturday? Dumb question but wanted to make sure before I sign up
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When i signed up there was only saturday available i chose session 1 since there was no explaintion for which is which
 
I look nothing like Elizabeth Olsen. Not even the same race. Just saying.
 
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I did not reveal myself and was too shy to ask around haha. I didn’t think I would say that I had fun on interview day, but I did! We're not allowed to discuss specifics of the MMI, but I will just say that I appreciate the staff who made sure we were at ease and comfortable throughout the day. They really want you to relax and be yourself. I like their approach to an integrated, collaborative, and independent learning curriculum. I also like how they seem serious and invested in their mission to address the needs of surrounding underserved areas. Overall feeling about the school is very good. The only factors for hesitation I can think of are the tuition and uncertainties with a new school at this point. But if this was the only school to take me, I would be more than happy to attend.

I know some people have said you can walk into an MMI without preparing at all, but I still recommend reading the MMI book by Dr. Desai, only to get a gist of the MMI’s format and the overarching theme in how differing stations and questions look for the qualities, skills, and traits of a good physician, but it’s pretty much impossible to rehearse or anticipate specific cases. I like having a general idea of what to expect, but don't worry too much about something you can't really study for.

I didn’t get to write down exact numbers, but during the presentation they showed stats for the class that entered in 2018 (which haven’t been released on the site yet): ~3600 applications, ~600 interviewed, ~150 matriculated. Avg cGPA 3.5, avg sGPA 3.4, avg MCAT 502. We were told that post-interview decisions would come in ~3 weeks. Good luck to everyone who was there with me on interview day, and good luck to those earlier in the application process!
 
Garurumon said:
I did not reveal myself and was too shy to ask around haha. I didn’t think I would say that I had fun on interview day, but I did! We're not allowed to discuss specifics of the MMI, but I will just say that I appreciate the staff who made sure we were at ease and comfortable throughout the day. They really want you to relax and be yourself. I like their approach to an integrated, collaborative, and independent learning curriculum. I also like how they seem serious and invested in their mission to address the needs of surrounding underserved areas. Overall feeling about the school is very good. The only factors for hesitation I can think of are the tuition and uncertainties with a new school at this point. But if this was the only school to take me, I would be more than happy to attend.

I know some people have said you can walk into an MMI without preparing at all, but I still recommend reading the MMI book by Dr. Desai, only to get a gist of the MMI’s format and the overarching theme in how differing stations and questions look for the qualities, skills, and traits of a good physician, but it’s pretty much impossible to rehearse or anticipate specific cases. I like having a general idea of what to expect, but don't worry too much about something you can't really study for.

I didn’t get to write down exact numbers, but during the presentation they showed stats for the class that entered in 2018 (which haven’t been released on the site yet): ~3600 applications, ~600 interviewed, ~150 matriculated. Avg cGPA 3.5, avg sGPA 3.4, avg MCAT 502. We were told that post-interview decisions would come in ~3 weeks. Good luck to everyone who was there with me on interview day, and good luck to those earlier in the application process!
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Thank you for the information.... good luck!!
I got my secondary email last week
 
I feel like I had to add how surprised I was by what some people chose to wear during interview day. I speak more of the women, since I'm female, don't know much about men's dress code, and thought the guys looked sharply dressed. I wouldn't notice little things that were off for the guys. But the girls...one kept a large nose ring on, someone wore a bright pink suit, another had a brightly patterned top with big butterflies under her suit, others wore heavy makeup and toted around fancy brand bags.

The medical profession is already pretty conversative. I would imagine that a Catholic medical school would be even more so. I can't help my surprise at the ummm bold choices some made about their attire. Granted, I noticed nothing too crazy like dyed hair, gauges, and clearly visible tattoos, but still. Of course the staff didn't express any comments regarding clothes, but I'm sure they mentally took note.

All this being said, this is coming from someone who hates dressing up, has a large shoulder tat, and opts for the comfy nerdy graphic tees and sportswear 99% of the time. Because I'm relatively clueless about fashion, I combed through info on interview clothes and just wanted to be extra careful to not stick out in a bad way during the interview. The point of me saying all this is to just be careful with how you present yourself, especially if you're female. Keep it neutral and simple.
 
Garurumon said:
I feel like I had to add how surprised I was by what some people chose to wear during interview day. I speak more of the women, since I'm female, don't know much about men's dress code, and thought the guys looked sharply dressed. I wouldn't notice little things that were off for the guys. But the girls...one kept a large nose ring on, someone wore a bright pink suit, another had a brightly patterned top with big butterflies under her suit, others wore heavy makeup and toted around fancy brand bags.

The medical profession is already pretty conversative. I would imagine that a Catholic medical school would be even more so. I can't help my surprise at the ummm bold choices some made about their attire. Granted, I noticed nothing too crazy like dyed hair, gauges, and clearly visible tattoos, but still. Of course the staff didn't express any comments regarding clothes, but I'm sure they mentally took note.

All this being said, this is coming from someone who hates dressing up, has a large shoulder tat, and opts for the comfy nerdy graphic tees and sportswear 99% of the time. Because I'm relatively clueless about fashion, I combed through info on interview clothes and just wanted to be extra careful to not stick out in a bad way during the interview. The point of me saying all this is to just be careful with how you present yourself, especially if you're female. Keep it neutral and simple.
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We are actually a pretty progressive school, and while as a guy I'm limited on women's dress insights, we are not interested in suppression of anyone's individuality even in professional attire, provided that the attire is in fact professional.

Now speaking to everyone: I want to reiterate that just because we are a Catholic school does not mean you are required to be Catholic nor does it require that you be conservative in any way shape or form. What our University requires of you is that you are tolerant and open-minded about people and the world at large, which when you think about it is just about being a good person.
 
It's lupus! said:
We are actually a pretty progressive school, and while as a guy I'm limited on women's dress insights, we are not interested in suppression of anyone's individuality even in professional attire, provided that the attire is in fact professional.

Now speaking to everyone: I want to reiterate that just because we are a Catholic school does not mean you are required to be Catholic nor does it require that you be conservative in any way shape or form. What our University requires of you is that you are tolerant and open-minded about people and the world at large, which when you think about it is just about being a good person.
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Students like yourself are why this school is at top of my list. I hope the faculty and interviewers have the same mindset. Although I think professional attire is definitely important, I would hope little things like a nose ring or a shirt color wouldn't overshadow valuable qualities each individual posses, especially acceptance. I had a very great experience during interview day and was very impressed with the dean and her enthusiasm for the curriculum.
 
I'm really glad UIW that champions tolerance and diversity in all aspects. My friend who's currently a student there says that unlike the undergrad we attended, where faculty were required to be Christian, that's not the case with UIW, and that allows diversity of thought. That's one of the reasons this school remains at the top of my list, like tby331 said. I do believe that it contributes to a more fruitful medical education. Continuing on that diversity of thought, what it's lupus! said was very reassuring, but you have no idea of what different schools and individuals will think. Believe me, as an artsy person, I'm also in the same boat believing that biases and judgments on appearances shouldn't matter. But with interviews, I would still err on the side of caution and play it safe just for one day. Those 6 hours of covering my tat flew by!
 
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Garurumon said:
I'm really glad UIW that champions tolerance and diversity in all aspects. My friend who's currently a student there says that unlike the undergrad we attended, where faculty were required to be Christian, that's not the case with UIW, and that allows diversity of thought. That's one of the reasons this school remains at the top of my list, like tby331 said. I do believe that it contributes to a more fruitful medical education. Continuing on that diversity of thought, what it's lupus! said was very reassuring, but you have no idea of what different schools and individuals will think. So with interviews, I would still err on the side of caution and play it safe just for one day. Those 6 hours of covering my tat flew by!
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We have faculty with full sleeves... Well rather multiple forearm tattoos

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Thats not to disagree with the sentiment, but it is to drive home the individuality point.
 
tby331 said:
Students like yourself are why this school is at top of my list. I hope the faculty and interviewers have the same mindset. Although I think professional attire is definitely important, I would hope little things like a nose ring or a shirt color wouldn't overshadow valuable qualities each individual posses, especially acceptance. I had a very great experience during interview day and was very impressed with the dean and her enthusiasm for the curriculum.
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Awwww shucks...

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About why the II email lets you pick only one day: someone from admissions staff told me that they're trying to conduct one interview day per month this year, rather than two. Part of the reason is to make it easier on the faculty's busy schedules. I assume the wording from the II email is outdated and meant for last year. Will interview days alternate Fridays and Saturdays, or are they all Saturdays? That I don't know. Those with later interview dates can better answer that.
 
Interview Days for 2018:
August 18th
September 7th
September 15th
October 13th
October 19th
November 3rd
December 14th

Friday Interviews are 12:15pm - 7:00pm
Saturday Interviews are 7:00am - 2:00pm
 
Just got a secondary invite, for those of you who are still in the dark. AACOMAS verified 7/18. GPA <3.2, MCAT 509. Non-trad applicant.
 
ABDUJAN said:
Do you know why it took that long to get a secondary?
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I imagine it was due to my GPA being screened from automatic secondary territory. My official cGPA is just under 3.2 and most schools, from what I understand, require unique review of applicants below 3.2. I know this to be fact at Rio Grande Valley, but I suspect it applies pretty universally across the board. However, my non-trad status likely played a factor in me moving on to the next step.
 
Chr3306 said:
I imagine it was due to my GPA being screened from automatic secondary territory. My official cGPA is just under 3.2 and most schools, from what I understand, require unique review of applicants below 3.2. I know this to be fact at Rio Grande Valley, but I suspect it applies pretty universally across the board. However, my non-trad status likely played a factor in me moving on to the next step.
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Interesting
All the best!
 
For those of you that had a Saturday morning interview, did you uber there? And if so were there plenty of ubers that early in the morning?
 
Cheese Machine said:
For those of you that had a Saturday morning interview, did you uber there? And if so were there plenty of ubers that early in the morning?
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Plenty of Ubers available! I had no problem getting one. There are hotels nearby, but I stayed in an Airbnb about 5 miles away.
 
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