2021-2022 Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM)

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cocolover said:
-No mask, actually no one was wearing a mask except a couple people lol
- yes I shook hands, but def read the room, my interviewers reached out to shake hands
-meet and greet is very casual, just two med students, you and a couple others also interviewing
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No masks and shaking hands! Casual, laid back, and friendly. Is it 2018? Somebody pinch me as this can't be real !!!
 
@FlaringRaynauds @timing.timing how did you guys prepare for the interview? Also, might be a silly question but did you guys wear makeup or did you guys see women wearing makeup (professional looking)? I'm debating but thinking about a light professional makeup look, nothing over the top!
 
Puertorrican in MIA said:
@FlaringRaynauds @timing.timing how did you guys prepare for the interview? Also, might be a silly question but did you guys wear makeup or did you guys see women wearing makeup (professional looking)? I'm debating but thinking about a light professional makeup look, nothing over the top!
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so these aren't the people you were asking/I haven't interviewed yet at ARCOM, but I've interviewed at a bunch of schools so far and have worn makeup to each of my interviews! I did my whole face for virtual interviews because computer cameras can make you look really washed out, even if you have a ring light. For in-person interviews, I plan on keeping that look a lot lighter -- dabs of concealer instead of a whole set of foundation, no eyeliner and only one thin coat of mascara, and minimal stuff on the lips other than probably some tinted chapstick. I've heard back from three schools total and all of those have been acceptances, so wearing makeup certainly didn't hinder getting in! I also think look good feel good is a real thing and it just made me that much more confident knowing that I felt presentable and professional with my makeup on
 
Puertorrican in MIA said:
@FlaringRaynauds @timing.timing how did you guys prepare for the interview? Also, might be a silly question but did you guys wear makeup or did you guys see women wearing makeup (professional looking)? I'm debating but thinking about a light professional makeup look, nothing over the top!
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The interview was completely blind so when they ask you to tell them about yourself, then be sure to have a decent background story of where you started and where you are now. Obviously don't make it scripted. Other than that, it's a pretty chill interview. Just be yourself and know why you want to be a DO, why ARCOM, and all those basic questions that I'm sure you already know the answer to. The women at my interview seemed to wear little or no makeup at all, but obviously, do what makes you comfortable and confident (as long as it fits within the business casual norm).
 
Does anyone remember if Arcoms secondary asked for criminal background as far as just charges or convictions? Including expunged etc?
 
apeescape13 said:
Does anyone remember if Arcoms secondary asked for criminal background as far as just charges or convictions? Including expunged etc?
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This is what I had copied into the word doc that I wrote my secondary responses in..." Have you ever been charged with a misdemeanor, felony, summary charge, or other criminal charge (whether or not you were convicted or record was expunged, these will often show up on a background check)? Please provide details of charges in space provided."
 
thera51 said:
Did anyone use a cab service to get from their hotel to the school on the morning of the interview? Which one and are they reliable?
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The local Homewood Suites runs their shuttle over to campus to bring you and pick you back up if you stay there.
 
Puertorrican in MIA said:
@FlaringRaynauds @timing.timing how did you guys prepare for the interview? Also, might be a silly question but did you guys wear makeup or did you guys see women wearing makeup (professional looking)? I'm debating but thinking about a light professional makeup look, nothing over the top!
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I didn't wear makeup bc I don't know how to put on makeup. I just made sure my hair was very neat so all the attention would go to my smile. I have controlled acne but definitely could have covered up a bit. Humidity requires a higher level of talent for doing makeup so careful!

Cakey makeup or anything messy/sweating off is a huge no-no IMHO.

If you are not skilled in doing makeup to handle humidity, go bare faced!

(Ofc this advice only applies if you choose the in-person option)
 
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darlingletsgocrazy said:
I didn't wear makeup bc I don't know how to put on makeup. I just made sure my hair was very neat so all the attention would go to my smile. I have controlled acne but definitely could have covered up a bit. Humidity requires a higher level of talent for doing makeup so careful!

Cakey makeup or anything messy/sweating off is a huge no-no IMHO.

If you are not skilled in doing makeup to handle humidity, go bare faced!

(Ofc this advice only applies if you choose the in-person option)
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I'm doing in-person so was thinking of doing a very light makeup look. I really appreciate your advice!!
 
sp2001 said:
I attended their first interview date, got accepted a week and a half later, and just submitted my deposit. They were definitely my favorite school out of my other interviews!
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It would be a pleasure to meet you on the dance floor aka ARCOM's building with literally sparkling floors I really really miss 🙁
 
It was great ! Very laid back. Just go over the questions you find online and have a slight answer for all those questions and you will be fine. Good luck !
 
For those who already interviewed, did you send a thank you letter/email? If so, did you send it to admissions or directly to the interviewers? I wasn't sure what the post-interview etiquette was for ARCOM.
 
HappyCamper! said:
For those who already interviewed, did you send a thank you letter/email? If so, did you send it to admissions or directly to the interviewers? I wasn't sure what the post-interview etiquette was for ARCOM.
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I wrote separate letters to each interviewer and saved them as a PDF. Then I emailed and asked the admissions committee to forward it to them.
 
Got the call in the AM Eastern Time 9/28/2021 today. Interviewed Sept 14th. LizzyM 67.40 and a 504 and a 3.9X. First dub of the cycle. ARCOM really blew me away when I visited. Good luck everyone. Ask me questions if yall have any.

😤​

​

 
HappyCamper! said:
For those who already interviewed, did you send a thank you letter/email? If so, did you send it to admissions or directly to the interviewers? I wasn't sure what the post-interview etiquette was for ARCOM.
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Sent one to my faculty interviewer. Ask admissions for their email. As for the community member, admissions is not allowed to give out info so I just sent an email to admissions to have it forwarded to them. Sadly, I did not get a reply, but I got an A tho exactly 15 days after.
 
TheGoat23 said:
Sent one to my faculty interviewer. Ask admissions for their email. As for the community member, admissions is not allowed to give out info so I just sent an email to admissions to have it forwarded to them. Sadly, I did not get a reply, but I got an A tho exactly 15 days after.
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Did you email admissions to get the faculty email or did you ask personally afterwards? Congrats on the acceptance!!!!
 
HappyCamper! said:
Did you email admissions to get the faculty email or did you ask personally afterwards? Congrats on the acceptance!!!!
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Thank you thank you. After the interview I was kind of out of it and forgot to ask them for their email. I actually just called ARCOM by phone and just asked the receptionist. Since I was traveling back, I sent the email maybe the day after instead of the day-of. Hope that helps.
 
TheGoat23 said:
Sent one to my faculty interviewer. Ask admissions for their email. As for the community member, admissions is not allowed to give out info so I just sent an email to admissions to have it forwarded to them. Sadly, I did not get a reply, but I got an A tho exactly 15 days after.
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Congrats on the A!

I'm not here to make you feel invalidated, but there's nothing really sad about not getting a reply. I assume these faculty members are very busy.
 
TheGoat23 said:
Thank you thank you. After the interview I was kind of out of it and forgot to ask them for their email. I actually just called ARCOM by phone and just asked the receptionist. Since I was traveling back, I sent the email maybe the day after instead of the day-of. Hope that helps.
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Applicants may wish to align with the general consensus: Thank you letters are best sent within 24 hours of the conclusion of the interview (day).
 
If anyone decides to submit a deposit, message me! I'm debating whether to start a groupme so I can get to know future classmates.
 
Anyone got rejected or waitlisted post-interview yet ? I had 9/17 interview and still haven't heard back.
 
TheGoat23 said:
I had a 9/14 interview and they called me 9/28 morning. You should expect it late this week or by next tuesday.
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Hopefully good news. Getting really anxious because I see few 9/17 acceptances already.
 
heyhello123 said:
Hopefully good news. Getting really anxious because I see few 9/17 acceptances already.
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Check my stats posted.

The CEO/Pres told us 6000 apps, 600 interviews, and class of around 150. They have to accept more than 150 so I'm guessing around 300 to 400 A? He did also tell us that classes will be filled by mid-October and acceptances after it is just to fill the people who did not accept their acceptance from the school. He said that its not by interview date, meaning that the school can accept all at one interview day and none at the next. So, your acceptance is based on you and not how you rank among the interviewees the day you also interviewed. I'm sure you're gonna do fine.
 
TheGoat23 said:
Check my stats posted.

The CEO/Pres told us 6000 apps, 600 interviews, and class of around 150. They have to accept more than 150 so I'm guessing around 300 to 400 A? He did also tell us that classes will be filled by mid-October and acceptances after it is just to fill the people who did not accept their acceptance from the school. He said that its not by interview date, meaning that the school can accept all at one interview day and none at the next. So, your acceptance is based on you and not how you rank among the interviewees the day you also interviewed. I'm sure you're gonna do fine.
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I would agree with your guess. I know Goro has said that (low-tier) DO schools--idek how DO schools are ranked--tend to accept 2-3x the number of open seats.

I would say at least 300. I don't see this school accepting less idrk why.
 
TheGoat23 said:
Check my stats posted.

The CEO/Pres told us 6000 apps, 600 interviews, and class of around 150. They have to accept more than 150 so I'm guessing around 300 to 400 A? He did also tell us that classes will be filled by mid-October and acceptances after it is just to fill the people who did not accept their acceptance from the school. He said that its not by interview date, meaning that the school can accept all at one interview day and none at the next. So, your acceptance is based on you and not how you rank among the interviewees the day you also interviewed. I'm sure you're gonna do fine.
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Damn I interview Oct 12 so by the sounds of it the class should have given out around 150 acceptances by then? Thats really surprising they’re interviewing that many kids so fast but the pressure is on I guess.
 
supersenior2 said:
Damn I interview Oct 12 so by the sounds of it the class should have given out around 150 acceptances by then? Thats really surprising they’re interviewing that many kids so fast but the pressure is on I guess.
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bestie, they've been interviewing for a long time now. i remember seeing people with IIs before i even got a secondary lol
 
thera51 said:
I too am going to have my backpack with me (traveling from OOS only bringing a backpack. I cant leave my backpack in my hotel since they want me to book another night if I want to come back and pick it up after the interview is over. I am planning to go from the interview to the Fort Smith airport so would have my back pack. I would think it shouldnt be an issue to have at the interview?
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Not here to bestow my wisdom on y'all (y'all are smarties!) but some general comments mostly applicable for in-person interviewees:

BAGS
I can clear this up for anybody still wondering.

Bags are ok. Please call the admissions office for instructions if you want a heads up for where you'll put it. If you're not down to call, there is a staff member who stands at the entrance on interview day to check off your name. They will offer to take care of you (i.e. lead you to the room) if they see you with stuff you're holding onto--doesn't matter how big or small. Please do not bring large items into the interview general area. There weren't too many people at my interview but if it gets crowded it's just inconsiderate of space yk. But yeah there was someone who brought all her luggage and she was fine. Idk where they had her put it. But they didn't ask her any details, although I assume she was headed directly to the airport.

WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFOREHAND
Please do not use your phone at all during the interview day. There is not a single moment where applicants are left alone. This isn't like some other in-person interviews if y'all have experienced them.

Please be mindful of conversations you have with fellow applicants. Again, you will not be left alone. I've had interviews where people got accepted after engaging in conversations about drugs, academic cheating, etc. in the waiting area--likely all overlooked because applicant conversations were not heard by any staff members. If you're shy, you will not feel socially awkward on this interview day 🙂

Because there is so much talking, I recommend bringing a portfolio thingy with a notepad (you can get them at Target) to jot down notes here and there. There's just a lot of information--recall the website does not go into great detail.

Please make sure you get good rest the night before. This is not an interview you want to pull an all-nighter for. There is a lot of sitting and looking at speakers/screen, so being awake is very important.

You may meet the Dean's dog(s). If you are not comfortable with dogs, please do not feel pressured to pet the dog(s), stand close, etc. The staff made it clear that this was all cool, no hard feelings, but jic you worry about what to do.
 
fayfay said:
It was great ! Very laid back. Just go over the questions you find online and have a slight answer for all those questions and you will be fine. Good luck !
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I’ve reviewed the questions from the SDN interview page for ARCOM, but are there any other places online that you found where people posted questions that they got? Thanks!!
 
AB92 said:
I’ve reviewed the questions from the SDN interview page for ARCOM, but are there any other places online that you found where people posted questions that they got? Thanks!!
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Bro you'll be fine. Litterally just know why doc, why DO, why ARCOM. Just dont freak out is the biggest advice I can give you. It is very laid back. Some questions I took like 10 seconds to collect my thoughts. Be prepared for a 5 min writing question though.
 
TheGoat23 said:
Bro you'll be fine. Litterally just know why doc, why DO, why ARCOM. Just dont freak out is the biggest advice I can give you. It is very laid back. Some questions I took like 10 seconds to collect my thoughts. Be prepared for a 5 min writing question though.
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My peer did not get asked any of these questions. They briefly brought up OMT, but that was it. They got asked a lot about one of their ECs for like 1/3 of the interview.
 
TheGoat23 said:
Bro you'll be fine. Litterally just know why doc, why DO, why ARCOM. Just dont freak out is the biggest advice I can give you. It is very laid back. Some questions I took like 10 seconds to collect my thoughts. Be prepared for a 5 min writing question though.
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what do you mean by writing question?
 
boba21 said:
what do you mean by writing question?
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After you interview, you will be brought back into the main room where they will give you a prompt that you have to address. It's literally a open ended prompt and I do not believe that this is considered by admissions on whether you get accepted or not.
 
boba21 said:
what do you mean by writing question?
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Idk if it matters or not but i legit wrote random sentences lol cuz writing is not my cup of tea. Its an open ended question like @tuf13119 said. Thats why its hard for me cuz i could have written about anything. You're given like 5 min for a broad question which is why it's kinda a pain.
 
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