2020-2021 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM-Auburn)

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Please feel free to tag a pre-medical moderator when the secondary prompt is posted.

Interview feedback:

Good luck to everyone applying!

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Secondary received this morning. Essay questions below:

Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life, share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience (500 words max)

Professionalism and respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance in medical school and as a physician. What three professional qualities do you believe a Student Doctor must demonstrate and describe how you will demonstrate these qualities as a medical student at VCOM? (500 words max)

How do your professional ambitions align with osteopathic medicine? (500 word max)

What influenced your decision to apply to VCOM? (e.g., personal or medical experiences; influences of friends/family/physicians/mentors; etc.) (500 word max)
 
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Secondary received this morning. Essay questions below:

Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life, share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience (500 words max)

Professionalism and respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance in medical school and as a physician. What three professional qualities do you believe a Student Doctor must demonstrate and describe how you will demonstrate these qualities as a medical student at VCOM? (500 words max)

How do your professional ambitions align with osteopathic medicine? (500 word max)

What influenced your decision to apply to VCOM? (e.g., personal or medical experiences; influences of friends/family/physicians/mentors; etc.) (500 word max)
Hi there I was wondering when you submitted your application. I haven't heard anything from the school and I'm concerned I might have been screened out due to a low MCAT subsection...
 
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Hi there I was wondering when you submitted your application. I haven't heard anything from the school and I'm concerned I might have been screened out due to a low MCAT subsection...

Hi! I submitted on 6/11 and was verified 6/12. I haven’t seen anyone else post that they’ve received a secondary yet, so maybe they’re handing them out slowly!
 
Received my secondary this morning 6/22. Submitted 5/26, verified 5/27. OOS, no MCAT (taking in July), 3.8 GPA. When they want you to fill out your CV, what's the move here... copy and paste from AACOMAS or rework it? Description says "A short title/description ONLY is needed." but there doesn't seem to be a word count.
 
Hi! I submitted on 6/11 and was verified 6/12. I haven’t seen anyone else post that they’ve received a secondary yet, so maybe they’re handing them out slowly!
UGH well Ill wait and see. I submitted and verified on 6/15 so I might be in the massive pool of applicants who rushed the system the day it opened to schools well see...
 
Received my secondary this morning 6/22. Submitted 5/26, verified 5/27. OOS, no MCAT (taking in July), 3.8 GPA. When they want you to fill out your CV, what's the move here... copy and paste from AACOMAS or rework it? Description says "A short title/description ONLY is needed." but there doesn't seem to be a word count.
Also I would write this the same way you write resume descriptions. Just super bland and basic. When I was writing my AACOMAS app I would include a sentence about how this experience was valuable in medical school or as a physician somehow. I can show you two personal examples.

This is what I would write on the CV application: Researched aggression in the hypothalamus in rat models in both wet and dry labs. Sliced and mounted samples for analysis and imaged and analyzed dyed slides with in-depth understanding of structure of hypothalamus.

Versus what I wrote for AACOMAS: As a research assistant, I studied aggression-mediated gene activation in the ventromedial hypothalamus. I worked in a wet lab embalming, mounting, and staining mouse brains and at a separate facility where I imaged and analyzed our slides using Brain Maps 4.0. Dr. X used this research for The X Project, a global effort to map the cytoarchitecture of the brain. I developed the ability to differentiate minute regions within the hypothalamus from hazy, nissl- stained slides and have furthered my appreciation for the complexity of the brain.
 
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Also I would write this the same way you write resume descriptions. Just super bland and basic. When I was writing my AACOMAS app I would include a sentence about how this experience was valuable in medical school or as a physician somehow. I can show you two personal examples.

This is what I would write on the CV application: Researched aggression in the hypothalamus in rat models in both wet and dry labs. Sliced and mounted samples for analysis and imaged and analyzed dyed slides with in-depth understanding of structure of hypothalamus.

Versus what I wrote for AACOMAS: As a research assistant, I studied aggression-mediated gene activation in the ventromedial hypothalamus. I worked in a wet lab embalming, mounting, and staining mouse brains and at a separate facility where I imaged and analyzed our slides using Brain Maps 4.0. Dr. X used this research for The X Project, a global effort to map the cytoarchitecture of the brain. I developed the ability to differentiate minute regions within the hypothalamus from hazy, nissl- stained slides and have furthered my appreciation for the complexity of the brain.
That's really helpful, thanks for the response!
 
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Im bummed I still haven't heard anything and Im starting to think I got screened out. My overall MCAT is a 505 but the scores are 122/127/130/126 really messed up that C/P section lol....
 
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If we had a volunteer position not on AACOMAS, would this experience be put in the CV and experiences sections?
 
The CV section mentioned earlier -- is that a part of VCOM- Auburn's secondary? If so how many resume descriptions does the secondary application require?
 
Second year student here at VCOM-Auburn! Here to answer any questions that you may have! Direct message me if you are uncomfortable asking in the thread!
 
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Silence for me. Never even received an AACOMAS app received email
 
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The secondary asks for SAT scores. I do not have access to my scores or account anymore. Did anyone in a similar position just write not taken(?) I don't want to say not taken for SAT and ACT and that raise a flag cause you need one for undergraduate admissions (?)
 
The secondary asks for SAT scores. I do not have access to my scores or account anymore. Did anyone in a similar position just write not taken(?) I don't want to say not taken for SAT and ACT and that raise a flag cause you need one for undergraduate admissions (?)

On an admissions frequently asked questions page, I found this: "In the event you are unable to recall or obtain your previous standardized test scores, please respond with “do not recall.” Please attempt to locate and submit this information, if at all possible." I fortunately was able to recall my SAT score, but I would try typing "do not recall" if you really can't remember.
 
Im bummed I still haven't heard anything and Im starting to think I got screened out. My overall MCAT is a 505 but the scores are 122/127/130/126 really messed up that C/P section lol....
I feel this lol... I got a 512 but my breakdown is 129/123/130/130. Really hoping our low section doesn't prevent us from getting in.
 
On an admissions frequently asked questions page, I found this: "In the event you are unable to recall or obtain your previous standardized test scores, please respond with “do not recall.” Please attempt to locate and submit this information, if at all possible." I fortunately was able to recall my SAT score, but I would try typing "do not recall" if you really can't remember.

See I tried that but it keeps sending me to an error page.
 
The secondary asks for SAT scores. I do not have access to my scores or account anymore. Did anyone in a similar position just write not taken(?) I don't want to say not taken for SAT and ACT and that raise a flag cause you need one for undergraduate admissions (?)


Update: In case someone runs into this problem, I emailed admissions and you should click "taken" and then type "n/a" and they will know you can not find your scores.
 
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Literal silence since submitting my AACOMAS. Not even an "AACOMAS received" email.
 
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Update: In case someone runs into this problem, I emailed admissions and you should click "taken" and then type "n/a" and they will know you can not find your scores.

Thanks for sharing! I'm glad you got it worked out because I am certain this is going to be an issue for many other people.
 
Silence over here too. Verified 7/14 and even received an email from them 7/15 saying my application is scheduled to be reviewed by a committee but that the process could take a few MONTHS :( I would love to go to this school. We had a rep Come and visit my school and talk about their sports medicine program and I looked at their campus online and it looks awesome since they share it with Auburn U. It's so hard to find campuses that offer good fitness facilities and whatnot
 
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Also silence, I messaged admissions to ask if I my app was still under review and they said it was. I guess they move slow?
 
I think interviews will be sent soon, Vcom-V sent some out. This is my top choice of the 4 campuses, does anyone have an interview tab or no?
 
I don't have one either, I was just theorizing those who have one would possibly get an interview (Someone in Louisiana noted they have a tab).
 
what does interview tab mean? and has the first round of II went out for Auburn yet?
Someone mentioned you might have an interview tab if you are selected for an II, but pretty sure it was just speculation. I don't think anyone has gotten IIs yet?
 
Was advised 7/6 that my primary was under review to determine whether or not to send me a secondary. They said it could take "several months"....reading about all the secondaries and even interview on this, am I being R-ghosted?
 
Was advised 7/6 that my primary was under review to determine whether or not to send me a secondary. They said it could take "several months"....reading about all the secondaries and even interview on this, am I being R-ghosted?
Im in the same boat as you and emailed them because of the silence, they said it was still under review. Maybe because im at the cutoff of 3.2 GPA's? Who knows
 
Im in the same boat as you and emailed them because of the silence, they said it was still under review. Maybe because im at the cutoff of 3.2 GPA's? Who knows

Definitely could be the same for me - My sGPA is below their cut-off and not all of my science grades are B or better. Just wish that if this is a hard cut-off they would get to it.
 
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I see some people stressing; let me reassure everyone.

I applied in October, received the same "you're application is under review, this process may take months" email. I received my interview invitation in MARCH. Interviewed two weeks later in early April, and got the call that I was accepted 6 days before school started all the way in July. Be patient.

Don't you guys worry. Until you have been rejected, you are under consideration. I do not *think* VCOM does silent rejections.
 
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I see some people stressing; let me reassure everyone.

I applied in October, received the same "you're application is under review, this process may take months" email. I received my interview invitation in MARCH. Interviewed two weeks later in early April, and got the call that I was accepted 6 days before school started all the way in July. Be patient.

Don't you guys worry. Until you have been rejected, you are under consideration. I do not *think* VCOM does silent rejections.

When did you receive the secondary?
 
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When did you receive the secondary?
About a week. But you got to remember, you guys are all in the middle of the highest-volume of applications - smack dab in the middle of the cycle. When I applied in October, I very well could have been the only person that applied on that day.
 
Does anyone know if we apply to only one VCOM through AACOMAS if we are considered at all 4? Or do we have to submit a primary to all four? Sorry if this was already answered.
 
Does anyone know if we apply to only one VCOM through AACOMAS if we are considered at all 4? Or do we have to submit a primary to all four? Sorry if this was already answered.
If you apply to one school, the secondary they send you will tell you to rank all four campuses and you will be under consideration to all of them. Only one primary is needed.
 
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Hey everyone!

If we have over 140 credits, do we have to contact admissions and tell them we would like our GPA recalculated? Or do they do it automatically?
 
To those who got interviews today, are you guys IS or OOS? and what are your stats if you don't mind sharing. Btw Congrats!!
 
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OOS (FL) II received around 11:00 AM. cGPA 3.73, sGPA: 3.68, MCAT: 505, Good EC's
 
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OOS (FL) II received around 11:00 AM. cGPA 3.73, sGPA: 3.68, MCAT: 505, Good EC's

Fellow Floridian here, hoping to receive a secondary soon (Just submitted my primary recently).
 
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To those who got interviews today, are you guys IS or OOS? and what are your stats if you don't mind sharing. Btw Congrats!!
OOS, MO resident. 507, 3.5 cumulative 3.33 sGPA. Few thousand clinical hours
 
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