2019-2020 University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM)

[Kansaskid94]

Hey guys, I'm going to be interviewing (virtually) at UIWSOM shortly and I was a little curious as to what the writing sample is like. How long did it take and what were the topics of the prompts? Also, for anyone who has already interviewed virtually, do they give you a presentation about the school's curriculum, hospitals with which they are affiliated, and things such as that?

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[emarie05]

Hey guys, I'm going to be interviewing (virtually) at UIWSOM shortly and I was a little curious as to what the writing sample is like. How long did it take and what were the topics of the prompts? Also, for anyone who has already interviewed virtually, do they give you a presentation about the school's curriculum, hospitals with which they are affiliated, and things such as that?

I interviewed on campus, so I am not sure about the virtual interview process, but for the writing sample, they just give you a scenario and you write your response to it. It is an MMI style question and for us I think we had 8 minutes at each MMI station. Good luck!

 

[razzimo]

Hey guys, I'm going to be interviewing (virtually) at UIWSOM shortly and I was a little curious as to what the writing sample is like. How long did it take and what were the topics of the prompts? Also, for anyone who has already interviewed virtually, do they give you a presentation about the school's curriculum, hospitals with which they are affiliated, and things such as that?

I completed an on-campus interview, and as emarie05 mentioned, we were provided a scenario on a laptop that required a response. The writing sample described a vague prompt about success in life and we were allotted 8 minutes to complete the prompt. You got this!

 

[DaftMillenialDO]

How much is the deposit for this school?

 

[Toyota Solara]

How much is the deposit for this school?

A wallet-emptying, nonrefundable $1,200. Don't worry - the sting subsides with time

 

[Toyota Solara]

I know right! You can’t even get it back on your tax return anymore lol.

It’s been a while since I’ve paid the deposit but I’m 99% sure it’s applied toward your first years tuition.

I suppose the good thing is, with the recent passage of the coronavirus bill, that it looks like we'll be getting $1,200 back (if you worked a job making less than 75K during your gap year)!

 

[DaftMillenialDO]

I interviewed on campus, so I am not sure about the virtual interview process, but for the writing sample, they just give you a scenario and you write your response to it. It is an MMI style question and for us I think we had 8 minutes at each MMI station. Good luck!

How many stations were there, including the writing prompt station?

 

[razzimo]

How many stations were there, including the writing prompt station?

In total, there were 9 stations:
8 interview stations (including writing prompt)
1 rest station

 

[DaftMillenialDO]

In total, there were 9 stations:
8 interview stations (including writing prompt)
1 rest station

So each station was 5 minutes? Because the virtual interview slot is only 45 minutes. Also the email that they sent said the writing prompt station was gonna be 8 minutes long.

 

[razzimo]

So each station was 5 minutes? Because the virtual interview slot is only 45 minutes. Also the email that they sent said the writing prompt station was gonna be 8 minutes long.

I apologize but I am unaware of how the admissions committee will manage the virtual interview. I completed my interview on the UIWSOM campus. Sorry

 

[wysdoc]

So each station was 5 minutes? Because the virtual interview slot is only 45 minutes. Also the email that they sent said the writing prompt station was gonna be 8 minutes long.

I know you are nervous and want to do your best. But half the point of a MMI interview style is to see how you think on your feet and respond naturally to an unknown question or situation. Prior interviewees have been asked not to share details about the day’s interview, so I hope you will familiarize yourself in general with the format and try not to question other applicants so specifically

 

[omega314]

As a current first year UIWSOM student I just wanted to give my two cents here. The school has worked really hard to transition all aspects of what is typically done on-campus to a virtual format, including admissions interviews. Our curriculum has been shifted entirely to being online based and this has been done quite seamlessly in order to maximize our learning (and with the help of a lot of the more specific functions of Zoom e.g. breakout rooms for group discussion). All in all, I would say the transition has worked well so far for all aspects including admissions and both faculty and staff have handled the circumstances extremely well.

 

[omega314]

Hi everyone, I hope you are staying safe and healthy amidst the ongoing pandemic!

I just wanted to ask if any current students or even prospective students have any insight/ recommendations on materials you should buy before starting medical school? I will be matriculating this July to UIWSOM. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Hi, current first year here!! The only thing big purchase I made prior to starting was an iPad and Apple pencil, which I personally find extremely helpful for anatomy note taking and diagram labeling. This is complete personal preference though and many are fine without a tablet at all. I did end up having to invest in a new laptop but that was only because I was using my laptop from high school and it had slowed down too much for my liking. Other than that, just basic essentials e.g. highlighters and a good set of pens and pencils was all I really bought.

As far as note taking apps, most people use OneNote in class, on their laptops at least. I personally stick to OneNote on both my laptop and tablet and have found it to be extremely user friendly thus far! Although I have heard good things about Notability and Goodnote as well. Hope this helps!!

 

[Shiiitake]

In light of this COVID-19 situation, I'm hesitant towards applying for housing in San Antonio if classes are just going to be online. I know the dean sent us that video saying it's hard to predict the future. I don't personally want to be stuck wasting money on a 14th month lease if we are not even going to physically need to be there until January.

In my opinion, I think it still might be a good idea to have a place away from distractions such as family to get used to medical school, ESPECIALLY if it is online. Some students, even me, have decided to stay in SA in order to focus better. If you did want to wait though, I’m sure you could find housing last minute in the area or within 15 min. Just don’t prepare to be super picky about it.

 

[tulip11]

Hey everyone! I ended up declining my offer. However, my friend who is currently waitlisted would like to ask if anyone called the admin after being waitlisted? What are some things that my friend can do to get off of the waitlist? Is UIW admin okay with receiving calls and asking for some tips from a waitlisted applicant?

Anything will help. Congrats to all of those accepted! and good luck to those who are in the process.

 

[sockers11]

In light of this COVID-19 situation, I'm hesitant towards applying for housing in San Antonio if classes are just going to be online. I know the dean sent us that video saying it's hard to predict the future. I don't personally want to be stuck wasting money on a 14th month lease if we are not even going to physically need to be there until January. Is anybody else in this situation or have opinions/suggestions on the matter?
Thanks,

EDIT: I'm asking this now because I was planning to move to SA when the semester is over.

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on advice regarding what supplies to buy before starting school! It was really helpful.

As for the above post, I am in a similar situation! I currently live in California and need to look into signing a lease soon to move states come July, but am pretty hesitant if the first semester is online and I can complete medical school from home. I guess we just have to take things day by day and see what happens in the next month or so. Fingers crossed and positive thoughts everyone; stay safe!

 

[SMEDOC]

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on advice regarding what supplies to buy before starting school! It was really helpful.

As for the above post, I am in a similar situation! I currently live in California and need to look into signing a lease soon to move states come July, but am pretty hesitant if the first semester is online and I can complete medical school from home. I guess we just have to take things day by day and see what happens in the next month or so. Fingers crossed and positive thoughts everyone; stay safe!

Have you tried asking the admission office if they are considering making the entire first semester completely online? I am sure that they need to give us at least a 1.5-2 month notice on what the plan is. That being said it is still early April and we still have a couple months before we start school.

 

[sockers11]

Have you tried asking the admission office if they are considering making the entire first semester completely online? I am sure that they need to give us at least a 1.5-2 month notice on what the plan is. That being said it is still early April and we still have a couple months before we start school.

I did contact the office of admissions and it seems like the school obviously would like to carry out orientation week and the white coat ceremony as scheduled in July, but said that times are uncertain right now and the health/ safety of the UIWSOM faculty, staff, and students is the priority. The admissions let me know that they would update us with any information they receive as soon as they have it. Like you said, we still have ~4 months before officially starting school so I'm hoping by May, we have some more definitive information so we can make the proper living arrangements. We will see!

 

[Sharingan001]

Anyone know if the class is already full? Are they only waitlisting at this point?

 

[Coffee&Scrubs26]

Anyone know if the class is already full? Are they only waitlisting at this point?

Are they still doing interviews?

 

[Sharingan001]

Are they still doing interviews?

I'm not sure. My early-mid March interview was pushed 2 weeks down due to the time it took to shift to digital interviews. I'm not sure how many more interviews they may have held after mine. I'm still waiting for an initial decision. Coronavirus has definitely delayed things. Wondering if their class is full at this point anyway?

 

[DaftMillenialDO]

Are they still doing interviews?

I had my interview on the 1st. I think the last date that I saw when I signed up was the 2nd. Not sure if that's the LAST date.

 

[sabbear]

In light of this COVID-19 situation, I'm hesitant towards applying for housing in San Antonio if classes are just going to be online. I know the dean sent us that video saying it's hard to predict the future. I don't personally want to be stuck wasting money on a 14th month lease if we are not even going to physically need to be there until January. Is anybody else in this situation or have opinions/suggestions on the matter?
Thanks,

EDIT: I'm asking this now because I was planning to move to SA when the semester is over.

Personally, I don't think the school year will start completely online this fall. Not only based on what the dean said in the recent video to incoming students, but also because for Texas, the peak of new cases of coronaviruses is expected to hit in early May and will likely decrease throughout the month into early June. This is information from yesterday/ this morning that my husband (a resident physician in San Antonio) was given in his morning rounds today. Obviously we can't see into the future, but as long as things hold to the current projections, the school should be comfortable with orientation week/ white coat ceremony/ start of the school year all going through as planned.
(i'm no expert tho so pls don't hold me to that)

 

[txmedgirly]

has anyone from the post interview waitlist heard anything?

 

[Sharingan001]

has anyone from the post interview waitlist heard anything?

Nope. Bump!

 

[941209rf]

Can a current student give an estimate for book costs the first year? Since UIWSOM lumps “room, board, books and living” costs together, I’m having a hard time estimating what I can afford for rent and food

 

[emarie05]

Can a current student give an estimate for book costs the first year? Since UIWSOM lumps “room, board, books and living” costs together, I’m having a hard time estimating what I can afford for rent and food

I think I remember on interview day them saying that books are included in the tuition and provided by the school, but I'm not sure about any other extraneous costs.

 

[confusedstudent213]

Can a current student give an estimate for book costs the first year? Since UIWSOM lumps “room, board, books and living” costs together, I’m having a hard time estimating what I can afford for rent and food

All the books that you need are provided by the school via their online database. If you want to buy hard copies of the books, that is up to you! If anything, you might need to spend money on different supplemental subscription services like Osmosis, Boards and Beyond and Pathoma. But don't worry too much about them now because you don't know what works best for you at this point. You could set some money aside for them though just in case

 

[wysdoc]

Has UIWSOM released their 2020 match report?

There is no Match List for this school, as its first cohort of students won’t graduate until May 2021.

 

[mkhan1]

Hi, I’m an incoming student and I was wondering if anyone has any insights on living near campus vs closer to downtown. Living in an area I like is pretty important to me, but I can see how being close to campus would be great for the 8 am classes. Would you say most people live near campus?

When I toured, I didn’t see a whole lot of people studying on campus. Do most people study at home/elsewhere? If so, I don’t think living far away would bother me. If most people study on campus though, I figure I would want to be nearby.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Premedman19]

Has anyone received any information regarding if all spots have been filled? Or if there is potential waitlist movement soon?

 

[DaftMillenialDO]

Waitlisted 4/21. Interviewed 4/1. Will give up waitlist spot. Good luck to everyone else!

 

[BacksideAttack123]

Got an email that the waitlist remains active and will be till July!

 

[txmedgirly]

Got an email that the waitlist remains active and will be till July!

I got it too! Do we know if they’re still interviewing??

 

[theambitious966]

I got it too! Do we know if they’re still interviewing??

I think they're done. Hopefully we see some WL movement after May 15th...

 

[Shoresy]

Accepted 4/15. Interviewed 3/27. I'm planning on accepting the offer.

 

[YellowCard]

Accepted 4/15. Interviewed 3/27. I'm planning on accepting the offer.

CONGRATS!

 

[Sharingan001]

Accepted 4/15. Interviewed 3/27. I'm planning on accepting the offer.

Congrats!! Would you mind sharing stats/ a LizzyM score?

 

[Shoresy]

Congrats!! Would you mind sharing stats/ a LizzyM score?

Thanks! 512 and 3.5gpa. Out of state

 

[Sharingan001]

Thanks! 512 and 3.5gpa. Out of state

Oh cool! Have you also applied MD? Seems pretty competitive. Surprised uiwsom is your first choice.

 

[Shoresy]

Oh cool! Have you also applied MD? Seems pretty competitive. Surprised uiwsom is your first choice.

Right now I'm waitlisted at OU, Okstate, and ARCOM. With it being my third cycle to apply (after improving my MCAT and expanding my list of schools) I'm relieved to have an acceptance and definitely plan on paying the deposit to accept and lock in my seat. Unfortunately it's non-refundable and $1200. I'll go with OU or OSU if I'm accepted there, but I'm definitely getting psyched about UIWSOM the more I learn about it.

 

[wysdoc]

Just out of curiosity, is there reasons you are choosing UIWSOM over ARCOM?

an acceptance, not a Waitlist!

 

[Sharingan001]

Right now I'm waitlisted at OU, Okstate, and ARCOM. With it being my third cycle to apply (after improving my MCAT and expanding my list of schools) I'm relieved to have an acceptance and definitely plan on paying the deposit to accept and lock in my seat. Unfortunately it's non-refundable and $1200. I'll go with OU or OSU if I'm accepted there, but I'm definitely getting psyched about UIWSOM the more I learn about it.

Gotcha, thanks for sharing! Hope you get into your top choice, you deserve it for the persistence!!

 

[Shoresy]

an acceptance, not a Waitlist!

Lol, yep. It'd probably come down to tuition if I got into both, although I was a little more impressed with the curriculum at UIWSOM.

 

[Shoresy]

Gotcha, thanks for sharing! Hope you get into your top choice, you deserve it for the persistence!!

Thanks!!

 

[Zizou_5]

Hi, I’m an incoming student and I was wondering if anyone has any insights on living near campus vs closer to downtown. Living in an area I like is pretty important to me, but I can see how being close to campus would be great for the 8 am classes. Would you say most people live near campus?

When I toured, I didn’t see a whole lot of people studying on campus. Do most people study at home/elsewhere? If so, I don’t think living far away would bother me. If most people study on campus though, I figure I would want to be nearby.

Thanks in advance!

Current third year here. There's a post from April 11 about local apartments, on the on the UIWSOM facebook page you should have been added to when you accepted. If you were not added to that page, just email admissions.

Typically people study all over the city. Some people die-hard love studying on campus. Lots of spaces for group and solo studying.

A vast majority of students live in the 5 new-er multi-family apartment complexes that are all within ~5 minutes of campus.

Hope that helps!

 

[Mr. 94 feet.]

Does anybody have a rough estimate of how many students receive the mission scholarship?

 

[theambitious966]

Facebook group is at 131

 

[pursuit_doctor]

Facebook group is at 131

FB group is not representative of what will happen. There will be many WL movement to MD schools in Texas so that will open spots up. Don't lose hope! But, also prepare to reapply if you aren't already accepted somewhere!! Keep optimisim

 

[theambitious966]

FB group is not representative of what will happen. There will be many WL movement to MD schools in Texas so that will open spots up. Don't lose hope! But, also prepare to reapply if you aren't already accepted somewhere!! Keep optimisim

You're right! thank you for your encouragements!