2019-2020 Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM)

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Ali_Gator said:
It’s sad to see the number of people on FB Class of 2024 is slowly increasing while many of us here are still waiting 🙁
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PinetreeDoc95 said:
I'm starting to feel pessimistic about our chances of getting off of the waitlist. Very frustrating...
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Students around the country drop acceptances all the way up to the first day of classes. I've heard stories about students being offered acceptances only a few days before classes start. You've got this!!!
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PinetreeDoc95 said:
I have, the prospect of going through another application cycle is depressing. Also, does anyone know how much waitlist movement has occurred? Has the majority of movement already happened or will there be significant movement in the coming weeks?

This thread seems relatively dead compared to last year.
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Tbh, if there is any movement if at all, ppls will be commenting, especially when school is starting next month. We all know going through another application is stressful and frustrating (with all this Covid 19 thing). However, lets be real, rather than keep hoping for the best, I would rather fill out this cycle application and try to strengthen it. In addition, apply early this year probably increases your chances too! With that being said, I hope some miracle happen and the best to you.


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It’s gotten to the point where every time my phone rings my heart races in hope that it is from admissions, only to be disappointed in verge of tears. I’m planning on taking my MCAT again and already set a date. I just started applications again, but that hope that lingers on for a call makes it all the more hard to concentrate and push forward with starting the process again. I keep envisioning going here and it’s all I dream about. I keep getting distracted with day dreams of walking around campus with an ARCOM white coat on. My heart wants to hear that I’ll get a call soon, but my head keeps reminding me of the lack of much more movement since it’s already June. I need to focus on re-applications, but all I want to do is wait by my phone. It has and is going to be a struggle to do what I need to do and not what I want to do. As wonderful as hope is, it is also a terrible thing to have when you are trying to move forward. Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst is what I’m trying to do, but those two actions are so in conflict with each other.
 
I know it is so much easier said than done, but try to keep your head up, all of you on the waitlist. I know exactly how it feels to get rejected from all the schools you have applied to, and then having to spend more time and money on these applications. Just know that although it may not seem that way, there is a reason you did not get accepted the first time around, and you will become a better doctor for it, at least this is how I view my case.

I reached out to many people to review and comment on my previous application, which helped me understand my deficits in my application and ways I can improve for the next time. I used those suggestions for this application cycle, and this allowed me to get a bunch of DO interviews as well as some MD ones.

I want to give back and help others who once helped me, so if you have any questions, comments, or concerns I would love to answer them. I do not know how much of a help I can be since I am only an incoming medical student, but I would love to try anyways.
 
How has COVID-19 impacted admissions?
 
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Would any current student be willing to discuss things relating to admissions via private message? I have some things I would like to ask, but I would be more comfortable to discuss in private. Thanks.
 
Hematochezia666 said:
I heard rumors of Skype interviews. My best guess is everything is normal as our classes continued with minimal hiccups.
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I think he/she was asking how it has affected admissions. Like waitlist and everything. Will the waitlist movement be the same? Is it moving faster or slower? Are more people giving up seats because of covid? Are less people applying? Things like that. I haven’t talked to admissions so I don’t know anything. Heck I don’t even know if they already finished most of their waitlist movements.
 
El-Rami said:
Would any current student be willing to discuss things relating to admissions via private message? I have some things I would like to ask, but I would be more comfortable to discuss in private. Thanks.
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You can PM me. I'll do my best to get back to you during my study break.
 
aggie19 said:
I think he/she was asking how it has affected admissions. Like waitlist and everything. Will the waitlist movement be the same? Is it moving faster or slower? Are more people giving up seats because of covid? Are less people applying? Things like that. I haven’t talked to admissions so I don’t know anything. Heck I don’t even know if they already finished most of their waitlist movements.
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Pretty much this.
 
aggie19 said:
I think he/she was asking how it has affected admissions. Like waitlist and everything. Will the waitlist movement be the same? Is it moving faster or slower? Are more people giving up seats because of covid? Are less people applying? Things like that. I haven’t talked to admissions so I don’t know anything. Heck I don’t even know if they already finished most of their waitlist movements.
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Call and ask. Nobody knows the magic sauce that admissions uses. We just pay tuition and study. Like I said in my previous post, things likely remained the same as last year.

I remember they pulled some people from the waitlist very close to classes starting last year. It’s not over until orientation begins.
 
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So I saw in the past years the class size was 162. So how come there’s only 150 seats this year?
 
aggie19 said:
So I saw in the past years the class size was 162. So how come there’s only 150 seats this year?
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There’s always 150 official seats but you can accept up to 162 because every school will have students quite or delay graduation. Washes to about 150 at the end.
 
aggie19 said:
But the incoming class size will be 162?
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The inaugural class was 162 because schools are allowed by COCA to go 8-10% above their actual class size to account for attrition. When I started OMS1 there was 165 people in my class. 8 of them were repeating, so technically they accepted 157 for my class, now going into OMS3 we're down to about ~150-152 (that's if no one didn't fail any of last semester's classes, or get held back due to board failure).
 
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Hi all, I’m an incoming OMS-1 at ARCOM and they sent us the digital “Welcome Home” Event this week with info about our classmates and professors and such. They had a list of people in our class who are definitely coming, and it was 157 people! I’m not sure if this means that they’re done accepting or if they may send out a few more acceptances!
 
medical girl said:
I cannot stress the importance of calling the admissions office and showing your continued interest up until the first day of classes! Don’t give up!
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If we call the admissions office to check the status would that make a negative impression, perhaps?
 
Ali_Gator said:
If we call the admissions office to check the status would that make a negative impression, perhaps?
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I wouldn't call to inquire about status. Perhaps you could send a 'letter of intent' on a Word document to the admissions email that outlines what you have done since you applied and also why you would be a good fit for the school and their mission. When I sent one to another school, this is how I laid it out (by paragraph):
  1. thank you for the opportunity to interview blah blah blah you're my first choice
  2. why i liked the school
  3. what i've done since I submitted my secondary
  4. named the ppl i interviewed with and thanked them
This shows continued interest in the program in a professional manner. I formatted it as a letter and addressed it to "Admissions Committee." I had my signature on it and all.

Note: If ARCOM isn't actually your first choice, I wouldn't tell them that they're your first choice. If you got accepted to ARCOM but also accepted to your real first choice, and then attended your real first choice, it's possible people at ARCOM would remember that. Medicine is a small world - don't go lying to people with more power than you!
 
Does anyone know of students who are selling furniture/furniture sets? I don't have Facebook.

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I got waitlisted at another school back in March. I submitted a LOI to that school. Since March, I’ve changed my mind due to personal reasons. If I get accepted to both schools today , I would choose ARCOM over that other school. My thing is, should I write a letter of intent to ARCOM even though I already wrote one to the other school?
 
aggie19 said:
I got waitlisted at another school back in March. I submitted a LOI to that school. Since March, I’ve changed my mind due to personal reasons. If I get accepted to both schools today , I would choose ARCOM over that other school. My thing is, should I write a letter of intent to ARCOM even though I already wrote one to the other school?
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The consensus I've seen around SDN is that if you wrote a letter of intent to one school, it means that you've basically said that no matter what happens, if you are accepted to school X, you will attend that school despite having other offers from Y, Z, etc. It looks really bad on you if you get accepted to school X, but decide to go to another program that you were also accepted to. Why would you have given a letter of intent so early before March? Clearly, it wasn't a good idea since you've clearly changed your mind since then.

From my phone calls with ARCOM, I was told that they don't place any serious emphasis on LOI. The reason for that is basically this post right here. Too often students use letters of intent in an attempt to convince ADCOM members to choose their application, but don't mean the words they say because as soon as a better option comes around, that letter of intent and the promise that student made to attend that once beloved school becomes meaningless. My advice, don't bother wasting your energy on making another letter of intent cause its not only disingenuous, dishonest, and unethical (according to some individuals on here and in some medical school admissions committees), but it won't place help your case in any way whatsoever.
 
Alternative answer to the LOI question asked 2 posts ago: Yolo it and send it in. Call/email regularly with even the tiniest of updates and express continued interest. Godspeed.
 
h23 said:
The consensus I've seen around SDN is that if you wrote a letter of intent to one school, it means that you've basically said that no matter what happens, if you are accepted to school X, you will attend that school despite having other offers from Y, Z, etc. It looks really bad on you if you get accepted to school X, but decide to go to another program that you were also accepted to. Why would you have given a letter of intent so early before March? Clearly, it wasn't a good idea since you've clearly changed your mind since then.

From my phone calls with ARCOM, I was told that they don't place any serious emphasis on LOI. The reason for that is basically this post right here. Too often students use letters of intent in an attempt to convince ADCOM members to choose their application, but don't mean the words they say because as soon as a better option comes around, that letter of intent and the promise that student made to attend that once beloved school becomes meaningless. My advice, don't bother wasting your energy on making another letter of intent cause its not only disingenuous, dishonest, and unethical (according to some individuals on here and in some medical school admissions committees), but it won't place help your case in any way whatsoever.
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If you go back in the thread you can see that I really liked both schools. Overall, I decided to not write a letter to ARCOM. I did it in March because that was my first choice school. Since then, my parents have been out of a job for a couple months due to covid and we are struggling financially. I haven’t been out of my house in months because my parents canceled the car insurance and I can’t drive. Right now, ARCOM is a better choice because it’s cheaper and I wouldn’t have to pay rent because I would be living at my uncle’s family who lives 30 minutes away.

Like I said, it was due to personal reasons. Why did I write a letter or intent back in March? Well, I didn’t think COVID would affect me that much. If granted acceptance at both schools right now, I would have to pick ARCOM. I understand what a letter of intent is which is why I only wrote one letter to the and not the other schools.

When I asked the question, I didn’t think I have to explain but you have blown it out of proportion by implying that I’m unethical and dishonest.
 
Actually they haven’t worked since mid march(they both work at a restaurant). So it’s been 3 months and not 2.
 
aggie19 said:
If you go back in the thread you can see that I really liked both schools. Overall, I decided to not write a letter to ARCOM. I did it in March because that was my first choice school. Since then, my parents have been out of a job for a couple months due to covid and we are struggling financially. I haven’t been out of my house in months because my parents canceled the car insurance and I can’t drive. Right now, ARCOM is a better choice because it’s cheaper and I wouldn’t have to pay rent because I would be living at my uncle’s family who lives 30 minutes away.

Like I said, it was due to personal reasons. Why did I write a letter or intent back in March? Well, I didn’t think COVID would affect me that much. If granted acceptance at both schools right now, I would have to pick ARCOM. I understand what a letter of intent is which is why I only wrote one letter to the and not the other schools.

When I asked the question, I didn’t think I have to explain but you have blown it out of proportion by implying that I’m unethical and dishonest.
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I personally think that in this situation picking ARCOM even with a LOI to another school is excusable. A LOI is not a contract. Make the decision that is within your best interest. No ADCOM will be kept up at night thinking twice about it.
 
aggie19 said:
If you go back in the thread you can see that I really liked both schools. Overall, I decided to not write a letter to ARCOM. I did it in March because that was my first choice school. Since then, my parents have been out of a job for a couple months due to covid and we are struggling financially. I haven’t been out of my house in months because my parents canceled the car insurance and I can’t drive. Right now, ARCOM is a better choice because it’s cheaper and I wouldn’t have to pay rent because I would be living at my uncle’s family who lives 30 minutes away.

Like I said, it was due to personal reasons. Why did I write a letter or intent back in March? Well, I didn’t think COVID would affect me that much. If granted acceptance at both schools right now, I would have to pick ARCOM. I understand what a letter of intent is which is why I only wrote one letter to the and not the other schools.

When I asked the question, I didn’t think I have to explain but you have blown it out of proportion by implying that I’m unethical and dishonest.
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I didn't imply that you were unethical and dishonest, I implied that the action of sending multiple letters was unethical and dishonest. Nevertheless, I probably came off as a bit harsh there, so I apologize. I got a little carried away there and apologize that you had to explain your situation to me for me to get it. If you want to write a letter to ARCOM, I'd recommend that you write a letter of interest and combine it with any updates you may have. I'd say that holds more merit than a letter of intent letter and in that update/letter of interest, include this stuff you said here. The difference is you're not explicitly stating that ARCOM is your number one choice.

At the end of the day, whatever you decide to do is your choice. I personally think sending multiple LOIs to different schools is unethical, but that doesn't stop people from sending them all the time. ARCOM even told me that they don't take these LOI's seriously and would rather see an update letter from you, describing what you've been doing. I got this directly from one of the admissions counselors. Do whatever you think is best though.
 
aggie19 said:
If you go back in the thread you can see that I really liked both schools. Overall, I decided to not write a letter to ARCOM. I did it in March because that was my first choice school. Since then, my parents have been out of a job for a couple months due to covid and we are struggling financially. I haven’t been out of my house in months because my parents canceled the car insurance and I can’t drive. Right now, ARCOM is a better choice because it’s cheaper and I wouldn’t have to pay rent because I would be living at my uncle’s family who lives 30 minutes away.

Like I said, it was due to personal reasons. Why did I write a letter or intent back in March? Well, I didn’t think COVID would affect me that much. If granted acceptance at both schools right now, I would have to pick ARCOM. I understand what a letter of intent is which is why I only wrote one letter to the and not the other schools.

When I asked the question, I didn’t think I have to explain but you have blown it out of proportion by implying that I’m unethical and dishonest.
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Hope you and your family are well!
 
We are from Texas and everywhere else has reopened. But they chose not to go back because they are older and more at risk. We are doing fine, but just cutting back costs.

I decided not to write a LOI to ARCOM. If accepted to both, I will just go to ARCOM even though I wrote a LOI to another school.

Ali_Gator said:
Hope you and your family are well!
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Booksandshoes said:
Does anyone know of students who are selling furniture/furniture sets? I don't have Facebook.

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Check the ACHE marketplace Facebook page. Students sell their stuff there all the time. Especially now while people are trying to move for rotations.

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