2021-2022 Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM)

[burrito-consumer]

Current student at CUSOM. Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted! CUSOM is previously a wonderful program, but I’m about to give you a hard truth.
There is new admin since the beginning of the fall 2021 semester, and they have been an absolute disappointment. They have dismissed multiple students from the 1st year class due to academic failure. These students reported cases of mental health illness, physical illness, and uncontrollable family emergencies. The new Dean gives no option to repeat semesters/years even under these circumstances. It’s almost unheard of to kick a medical student out of school for ****ing up 1 block due to something out of their control. Almost all other schools allow years to be repeated if failed. And you may be thinking, “I won’t fail, I’ve never failed anything.” I hope you don’t fail, but it’s more common than you’d think. 15% of the 1st year class failed Microbiology. Multiple students failed more than 1 course. It’s common, it happens. The entire class failed the 1st gross anatomy practical with a whopping 69% average.

Many students from the 1st year class have also dropped out due to poor mental health. The behavioral health center has not been taking new students. The entire semester has been a **** show.

Consider all your options!

You say that a lot of people failed classes, but "multiple" were dismissed - what made the difference, did those people fail multiple courses or the entire semester? How many is "many students" dropping out? And, yes, I'd really appreciate others to share their opinions on this, since this is essentially the first time I've seen people saying negative things about the program @anon198 @BananaBaron @grandepike @chanel55 @LiveLoveMedicine @DrThrowawayDO

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[burrito-consumer]

The class started at 166 and is now

And is now...?

 

[burrito-consumer]

Sorry I didn’t realize the last half of my response cut off. The class is in the lower 150s

Thank you. That's a high rate of attrition, certainly higher than past years at CUSOM, but not unheard of. Thanks for giving us food for thought

 

[SledgeHammerDO]

Thank you. That's a high rate of attrition, certainly higher than past years at CUSOM, but not unheard of. Thanks for giving us food for thought

How does CUSOM's attrition rate compare to other DO schools?

 

[burrito-consumer]

So, a second-year student at CUSOM sent me a private message about this thread, but didn't want to post it publicly and start an argument. They gave me permission to post it instead:

I am a second year at Campbell and am happy to give my opinion about the thread comments, but I don't want to start an argument with whomever wrote that information. My class has lost about 15-20 students for various reasons (mental health, family reasons, it's not what they want). To my knowledge, no one from my class has been dismissed from the program, but obviously those things are not advertised to us. I have had several friends go out on medical leave or have to take time off for personal reasons. I am not sure what their experience has been with the dean, but I have 3 friends that are currently out on medical leave that plan to rejoin with the class of 2025 in the fall and they are being allowed to repeat the entire year because of poor grades in the block prior to taking the leave. I have had limited interactions with Dr. Kessler, our dean, but he has always been very kind and I have been told by others that he tries to be accommodating and helpful when unforeseen situations arise.

That being said, the school is not exceptionally accommodating to students that continuously fail courses, but there is a remediation process for students that fail 1 course, and allowances can be made for 2 courses. This option is typically only available one time during the didactic process and it as the discretion of the dean to allow remediation or dismiss you from the program. This is medical school, and we are literally responsible for people's lives in many situations, the school is not going to continue to make allowances for someone that is not passing (70%) because that future physician may end up being incompetent and putting people at risk. This past year more students than ever before, 18 i believe, did fail microbiology. Microbiology at Campbell is probably the hardest course (I only passed by 5 points myself), Dr. Kuo is extremely tough and you need time to get used to learning how to answer her questions. I know that the board did meet with her about revising her questions so that doesn't happen again, but her questions are board style and i have seen many similar questions during my board prep. I also think this new class is having some challenges that have not been experienced by prior classes, and they seem to be struggling a lot with the transition to med school and the sacrifice of free time and all the other crappy things about being a medical student.

It is also true that at least 6 students from my class have taken leave for mental health reasons. That does seem like a lot, but my guess is if you did some research you would find this is not unique to CUSOM. Medical school is more difficult that you can even comprehend until you start and, IMO, it is a weeding process just like all the hoops to get in. It will bring to the forefront mental and physical weakness you didn't even know you had, on top of COVID which has catapulted this due to isolation and constant changes to the learning process (remote vs. virtual). I also think someone's need to take a leave is specific to each person based on their coping ability and support system. I have a friend who had 4 family members pass and she is here and continuing on, i had another friend who is on leave for the same reason. To my knowledge there has not been a situation where a student was not allowed to take a leave and come back when they have had family situations or mental health challenges arise, however you would have to wait until the next year to repeat a course because each class is only offered once a year. If you fall behind, you cannot catch up on your own time because you have to stay at pace with the rest of your class due to the timeline of the program.

I hope this provides some clarity around the comments made, I am happy to answer any other questions or concerns you might have. CUSOM is by no means a perfect program, and medical school during COVID has definitely been less than ideal, and you're probably going to have some similar experiences with the unknowns if things continue. I would say evaluate everything you find, and i hope some of the other students can provide a different perspective for you as well. Good luck with everything!

 

[herdog96]

was accepted today! Very shocked to receive a decision on a Saturday, but I’m unsure if I will accept based on what has been talked about above. Can anyone else provide input or clarification? Was my top choice now I’m a little weary 😅

 

[culturekweenXx]

was accepted today! Very shocked to receive a decision on a Saturday, but I’m unsure if I will accept based on what has been talked about above. Can anyone else provide input or clarification? Was my top choice now I’m a little weary 😅

Re: Students having issues with mental health at CUSOM
Unfortunately that's not limited to CUSOM right now. The ongoing COVID pandemic adds a lot of stress to one's experience as a first or second year medical student. Online classes are hard. Being flexible with learning formats is hard. It's hard to make and maintain relationships with your peers when you won't necessarily be seeing them on a daily basis. These things are not specific to one program. It's difficult to say how CUSOM compares to other programs because an individual student (including the above posters) only has experience with one school and attrition rates are not at all transparent.
CUSOM does has the added difficulty of being in a rural location, which might make some students feel isolated, especially if they're not from the area. Keep that in mind when considering whether it's right for you. It's helpful to have family members or established friendships in the area.

As for academic difficulties, medical school is challenging regardless of where you attend. If you're a student who does well with keeping up with coursework and can perform well on standardized exams, you probably don't have too much to worry about.
If you sometimes struggle with time management, or large volumes of information, or test taking, you might have more difficulties. Likewise if you've been out of an academic environment for several years.
I will say that our academic bulletin states that a remediation option after a course failure is not guaranteed, and students are given opportunities on a case-by-case basis. Is the administration harsher on students who have failed courses than at other programs? I honestly don't know, but take people who say it is with a grain of salt. CUSOM doesn't provide statistics on the number of students who are dismissed or their academic circumstances, so any class-level analysis is necessarily reliant on hearsay.

 

[Premed199721]

Hello, Current MSII here. I am renting out the house I am living in now as I have to move for rotations. Its about 6 minutes from the medical school, built in 2017 and the common areas are furnished beautifully. Each room has its own bathroom and walk in closet. Please don't hesitate to PM if interested!

 

[FrozenLover69]

Current student at CUSOM. Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted! CUSOM is previously a wonderful program, but I’m about to give you a hard truth.
There is new admin since the beginning of the fall 2021 semester, and they have been an absolute disappointment. They have dismissed multiple students from the 1st year class due to academic failure. These students reported cases of mental health illness, physical illness, and uncontrollable family emergencies. The new Dean gives no option to repeat semesters/years even under these circumstances. It’s almost unheard of to kick a medical student out of school for ****ing up 1 block due to something out of their control. Almost all other schools allow years to be repeated if failed. And you may be thinking, “I won’t fail, I’ve never failed anything.” I hope you don’t fail, but it’s more common than you’d think. 15% of the 1st year class failed Microbiology. Multiple students failed more than 1 course. It’s common, it happens. The entire class failed the 1st gross anatomy practical with a whopping 69% average.

Many students from the 1st year class have also dropped out due to poor mental health. The behavioral health center has not been taking new students. The entire semester has been a **** show.

Consider all your options!

Current MSII here. This is all true, do not expect the level of support they claim to have during interviews. If you are not a "Gunner" you're not given any sort of extra support. If you cannot keep your GPA over a 3.0 then you're not allowed to be part of any clubs, research, or ANYTHING extracurricular. Most staff members do not take the time to get to know your name or respond to emails. However, schools know they have the power and will assert it by choosing "what's best" for students even though were all adults and will do what we know we need to do to pass boards.

 

[ndcpjf]

Current MSII here. This is all true, do not expect the level of support they claim to have during interviews. If you are not a "Gunner" you're not given any sort of extra support. If you cannot keep your GPA over a 3.0 then you're not allowed to be part of any clubs, research, or ANYTHING extracurricular. Most staff members do not take the time to get to know your name or respond to emails. However, schools know they have the power and will assert it by choosing "what's best" for students even though were all adults and will do what we know we need to do to pass boards.

I'm an applicant right now but the bolded part doesn't seem too crazy. After all, if you have less than a 3.0 it's a sign someone's struggling academically and it makes sense to put that focus toward coursework than other things which may detract from being academically successful.

 

[b_b]

Current student. It sucks to lose people and I’m genuinely sorry for those who have been dismissed or asked to start again next year, but in my experience the faculty have been nothing but helpful and I hope accepted students reading this remember that someone who has had a negative experience is probably way more likely than someone who has had a good one to come back and post about it. Feel free to pm me.

 

[Chameleon22]

Hey all! I'm also a current student. Obviously every single person is going to have their own individual experience in medical school, so I can't speak to what someone else has dealt with while at CUSOM. However, that being said, I personally have had an extremely positive experience so far. I think a lot of the struggles that people bring up are not specific to CUSOM, but rather specific to medical school and even more specific to medical school during COVID. I know picking a medical school can be overwhelming, especially when people post negative experiences, so feel free to send me a message if you have questions!

 

[FrozenLover69]

I'm an applicant right now but the bolded part doesn't seem too crazy. After all, if you have less than a 3.0 it's a sign someone's struggling academically and it makes sense to put that focus toward coursework than other things which may detract from being academically successful.

In theory it is good, but all this school seems to merit is memorizing mass amounts of information and testing on minute low yield details. Many students have moved here from far away, have no family, and are unable to find any sort of support. The school prioritizes students who already have "mind, body, spirit". I recognize that this is a pandemic but for the kind of money they are taking from me it's obscene that I could have just memorized "First Aid for the USMLE" and been in the exact same state.

 

[ndcpjf]

In theory it is good, but all this school seems to merit is memorizing mass amounts of information and testing on minute low yield details. Many students have moved here from far away, have no family, and are unable to find any sort of support. The school prioritizes students who already have "mind, body, spirit". I recognize that this is a pandemic but for the kind of money they are taking from me it's obscene that I could have just memorized "First Aid for the USMLE" and been in the exact same state.

If I had a nickel every time I heard a current medical student echo this same sentiment, I could probably afford medical school without taking any loans.

 

[FDA2212]

Hey all! I'm also a current student. Obviously every single person is going to have their own individual experience in medical school, so I can't speak to what someone else has dealt with while at CUSOM. However, that being said, I personally have had an extremely positive experience so far. I think a lot of the struggles that people bring up are not specific to CUSOM, but rather specific to medical school and even more specific to medical school during COVID. I know picking a medical school can be overwhelming, especially when people post negative experiences, so feel free to send me a message if you have questions!

I am also a current student in my second year at CUSOM. While I cannot speak on the original message that prompted this, my experience too has been awesome. A couple things I just wanted to note. The office of student affairs is wonderful with working with people who are having physical, mental or family health problems and are willing to work with students to make sure they get caught up. Your peers at CUSOM are also excellent and will help you during studying for classes to make sure you have ample resources (sharing anki, study guides, etc.).

With all this being said, I think it is important to view SDN for what it is, a resource about medical schools. My advice however, is to not let it be your only resource. Weigh your interview day, own research as well as other items when making your decision.

Good luck to all those applying!

 

[logarithmic_speedometer]

I am also a current student in my second year at CUSOM. While I cannot speak on the original message that prompted this, my experience too has been awesome. A couple things I just wanted to note. The office of student affairs is wonderful with working with people who are having physical, mental or family health problems and are willing to work with students to make sure they get caught up. Your peers at CUSOM are also excellent and will help you during studying for classes to make sure you have ample resources (sharing anki, study guides, etc.).

With all this being said, I think it is important to view SDN for what it is, a resource about medical schools. My advice however, is to not let it be your only resource. Weigh your interview day, own research as well as other items when making your decision.

Good luck to all those applying!

Thanks so much for this insight!

As an OM2, do you feel like the school's curriculum is preparing you for COMLEX (and/or USMLE)? A common criticism I see at different schools from people in their second year is they feel like in-house exams/curriculum don't prepare them for board exams and you basically have to study two separate curriculums to be prepared. Which, tbh, sounds miserable lol.

 

[Chameleon22]

Thanks so much for this insight!

As an OM2, do you feel like the school's curriculum is preparing you for COMLEX (and/or USMLE)? A common criticism I see at different schools from people in their second year is they feel like in-house exams/curriculum don't prepare them for board exams and you basically have to study two separate curriculums to be prepared. Which, tbh, sounds miserable lol.

In my opinion, the school definitely prepares us for comlex/usmle. Starting from block 1, our professors make sure to point out information that is heavily tested on boards and we revisit these important concepts multiple times throughout the two years. I don't feel as though I've had to study a separate curriculum for boards. In fact, I typically use boards study materials to prepare for our quizzes and tests so I feel like they line up pretty well!

 

[DrThrowawayDO]

With all this being said, I think it is important to view SDN for what it is, a resource about medical schools. My advice however, is to not let it be your only resource. Weigh your interview day, own research as well as other items when making your decision.

I want to re-iterate what another student said above.

• First off: I feel ridiculously well-prepared for boards here. We have very well-trained faculty.
• The dean isn't out to get us--he has treated me with nothing but respect and he isn't necessarily navigating CUSOM through the easiest period of history at the current moment. I support him full stop and he has my full confidence.
  • In general, admin has been nothing but kind and professional to me.
• Dr. Kuo genuinely cares about training the students well. People who failed her class should have failed her class. She is the CUSOM "boogie man" because she writes hard questions and people don't like doing hard things. I support Dr. Kuo full stop and she has my full confidence. For the record, she knows my name and
• My advisor is very proactive, interested in my success as a doctor, and DEFINITELY knows my name.
• Re: people being dismissed, to my knowledge they all failed multiple classes. Medical school is hard, and you cannot hurt patients. Please see the snippet from another student below.

I will say that our academic bulletin states that a remediation option after a course failure is not guaranteed, and students are given opportunities on a case-by-case basis. Is the administration harsher on students who have failed courses than at other programs? I honestly don't know, but take people who say it is with a grain of salt. CUSOM doesn't provide statistics on the number of students who are dismissed or their academic circumstances, so any class-level analysis is necessarily reliant on hearsay.

@burrito-consumer sorry for the late reply. To my knowledge those dismissed failed multiple classes in the block (block = quarter). Some of them may have failed courses in block 1, too, but I cannot confirm or deny this (but I can say that if they were dismissed, it lends credence to the fact that they probably did fail block 1 classes too). This is why it is important to read the quote from the user above, and realize that medical school will be different for everyone. You need to base your cost-benefit analysis of attendance on your interactions with faculty, the students, and your interview day, et cetera. If you haven't had trouble in school before, you shouldn't have it here. Life isn't impossible here, it's a great medical school.

PMs are open for any fretting pre-meds. 🙂 Good luck this cycle guys

 

[LiveLoveMedicine]

Thanks so much for this insight!

As an OM2, do you feel like the school's curriculum is preparing you for COMLEX (and/or USMLE)? A common criticism I see at different schools from people in their second year is they feel like in-house exams/curriculum don't prepare them for board exams and you basically have to study two separate curriculums to be prepared. Which, tbh, sounds miserable lol.

Current MS-2, I agree with my peers about board prep. Cusom has a pretty methodical schedule to help us prepare. Before we even begin our dedicated study, after block 8, we will have already done over 2000 questions through truelearn and taken 2 COMSAE prep exams. I would say the practice questions coincide with about 80% of lecture material, and they also help identify topics you need to cover independently. In addition to the campus, the board scores and first time pass rates were the main reason I choose cusom over other offers.

 

[SledgeHammerDO]

For those who haven't had a chance to join yet, here is a link to the Class of 2026 Accepted Students FB group: CUSOM Class of 2026

 

[chanel55]

Current student at CUSOM. Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted! CUSOM is previously a wonderful program, but I’m about to give you a hard truth.
There is new admin since the beginning of the fall 2021 semester, and they have been an absolute disappointment. They have dismissed multiple students from the 1st year class due to academic failure. These students reported cases of mental health illness, physical illness, and uncontrollable family emergencies. The new Dean gives no option to repeat semesters/years even under these circumstances. It’s almost unheard of to kick a medical student out of school for ****ing up 1 block due to something out of their control. Almost all other schools allow years to be repeated if failed. And you may be thinking, “I won’t fail, I’ve never failed anything.” I hope you don’t fail, but it’s more common than you’d think. 15% of the 1st year class failed Microbiology. Multiple students failed more than 1 course. It’s common, it happens. The entire class failed the 1st gross anatomy practical with a whopping 69% average.

Many students from the 1st year class have also dropped out due to poor mental health. The behavioral health center has not been taking new students. The entire semester has been a **** show.

Consider all your options!

Applicants reading this post, please take it with a grain of salt. I am part of the class of 2025, we have lost 9 students total since August. Out of the 9, I can say with 100% certainty that 5 left on their own. I've heard of 1 student (which I'm assuming is the author of this post) who failed 3 classes out of 4 main courses last block and they were fully "dismissed." Out of the 5 I know left on their own, they all are able to return in the Fall if they chose to. The story behind the dismissed student is more than what's posted on this thread, including poor behavior with the school's administration.

As for the stats they are listing in this post, 16 out of 160+ failed Micro the first block, which would be under 10%. Also, a 69% average on the 1st gross anatomy practical is in fact not the "entire class" failing but 50% of the class. They fail to mention that for our 2nd gross anatomy practical the average was 90%.

Behavioral Health department at CUSOM can only take on so many students at a time. I will admit it has been hard for students to get regular appointments but they are trying their best.

CUSOM was my first choice and I do not regret my decision. This is medical school. It will be hard wherever you go. The work you put into it directly correlates with how you do. Please do not let bitter posts like this steer you away from Campbell.

(@burrito-consumer sorry for the late reply to this!)

 

[chanel55]

Current MSII here. This is all true, do not expect the level of support they claim to have during interviews. If you are not a "Gunner" you're not given any sort of extra support. If you cannot keep your GPA over a 3.0 then you're not allowed to be part of any clubs, research, or ANYTHING extracurricular. Most staff members do not take the time to get to know your name or respond to emails. However, schools know they have the power and will assert it by choosing "what's best" for students even though were all adults and will do what we know we need to do to pass boards.

This is also false. I have sent multiple emails to different professors during my time here so far and not a single email has gone unanswered. As for not being able to participate in extracurriculars without a 3.0 GPA, I feel as pre-med students reading this, this will make sense to you. If you cannot maintain a 3.0 why would they want you to add anything more to your plate?

 

[ndcpjf]

Interviewed and Waitlisted: Looks like the class might be full?

"The admissions committee asked for your application to be placed on our waiting list due to the availability of seats at this time for the class of 2026."

 

[logarithmic_speedometer]

Interviewed and Waitlisted: Looks like the class might be full?

"The admissions committee asked for your application to be placed on our waiting list due to the availability of seats at this time for the class of 2026."

Same!

 

[Coffee_is_Life]

Interviewed and Waitlisted: Looks like the class might be full?

"The admissions committee asked for your application to be placed on our waiting list due to the availability of seats at this time for the class of 2026."

When did you interview?

 

[burrito-consumer]

They did say during my interview day that waitlist decisions only happen once the class is full, and since my day was earlier, all of us would either be accepted or rejected. That said, like any DO school, you can probably expect a ton of movement in the coming months.

 

[Hytrina]

II today! Super excited. Seems like interviewing for wl position at this point.

 

[anotheranonymous]

1st year student here just adding my input in. My experience here has been great and I don't regret choosing this program over others like VCOM and LECOM.

As far as resources go, the behavioral health department is small and overwhelmed but I was able to get in and have had bi weekly appointments since starting. I've been told that they are planning on expanding, and one of the therapists mentioned putting up videos on basic strategies that would help with common problems. Not everyone can get in for appointments and there sometimes has been a waitlist, but honestly I didn't hear much from other schools as to even if they had mental health resources specifically for the medical health professions. The school also has a lot of resources if you are struggling academically such as peer tutors, professors that are willing to meet 1 on 1, and the academic success center. Mostly you just have to email and set up an appointment. Exams are a lot of info but the professors really stick to their lecture objectives and I haven't had much issue using that to guide my studying.

I know many of the students that left our class left for personal/medical/mental health reasons with some of them planning to return. If you are struggling from illness or personal emergency, from what I understand they are very kind with allowing you to take exams/quizzes/practicals late. If you do need to take medical or personal leave, you can rejoin the next class. Obviously I don't know every one of the students that didn't return, but as far as I know at least 5 of them chose leave either temporarily or permanently. Some of the classes are a struggle, our class had a rough time with micro and our first anatomy practical was less than ideal, but they do not want us to fail. While we were mad at the anatomy department for our first cadaveric practical, the subsequent one was a much better representation of what we learned. Remediation is a possibility if you fail one class, and many people had to remediate micro even after they added a few points to push more people into "passing". Micro is a hard topic and doubly hard since its given during your transition to med school, but I can't imagine its much better anywhere else.


Feel free to dm me any questions!

 

[chanel55]

Same!

Interviewed and Waitlisted: Looks like the class might be full?

"The admissions committee asked for your application to be placed on our waiting list due to the availability of seats at this time for the class of 2026."

I also interviewed last Jan and was waitlisted! Movement starts in May, which is when I was ultimately accepted! Good luck 🙂

 

[Bulba]

Waitlisted post interview. Not sure if this is a good thing, but I’m still very much interested in Campbell.

 

[IrishBreakfast]

Waitlisted post interview. Not sure if this is a good thing, but I’m still very much interested in Campbell.

Same.

 

[dreamYY]

II just now.
Stats: 508 MCAT and 3.3-3.4 GPA.
Complete 11/29.

 

[Bulba]

II just now.
Stats: 508 MCAT and 3.3-3.4 GPA.
Complete 11/29.

Lets go Dreamy!!

 

[catcats3233]

Interview on 2/7, any advice? any tough questions?

 

[IrishBreakfast]

Interview on 2/7, any advice? any tough questions?

Very friendly, mostly getting to know you..

 

[catcats3233]

How far is the airport from this school and which one is it

 

[PreMed030]

How far is the airport from this school and which one is it

Nearest airport would be RDU (Raleigh-Durham International) and you're looking at just under an hour drive time from there to campus

 

[MAGABLM]

Nearest airport would be RDU (Raleigh-Durham International) and you're looking at just under an hour drive time from there to campus

You may also want to check out: Fayetteville Regional Airport (FAY / KFAY) and

Harnett Regional Jetport (HRJ)​

 

[CatanSettler]

Very friendly, mostly getting to

Interview on 2/7, any advice? any tough questions?

know you..

Current first-year here. I would recommend you take this time to see if the school is a good fit for you as much as they are gauging if you are a good fit for this program. I was tentative interviewing since I had never grown up/served in a rural area (I grew up in 2 major international capitals throughout my life) and certainly had my doubts about coming here, but after my interview it was obvious this was the program I wanted to attend and I don't regret my decision for a second (even after the controversy of the previous threads). Obviously put your best foot forward during the faculty interviews, but take the time to ask your honest-to-god questions during the student Q&A portion (even feel free to mention the aforementioned controversy--most of us first- and second-years are aware of it now). It is perfectly acceptable to ask "what do we like and what do we not like about the school/program" (in fact, this has been a common question in recent weeks), and we will answer truthfully.

I will say I was asked what other schools I had applied to (mostly if I had applied to both MD and DO schools) and why I would choose CUSOM if accepted during my interview. I answered as honestly as I could muster, thinking I had effectively nailed the coffin on my acceptance, and yet here we are.

Hope this helps 🙂 feel free to PM me with questions.

 

[CatanSettler]

Applicants reading this post, please take it with a grain of salt. I am part of the class of 2025, we have lost 9 students total since August. Out of the 9, I can say with 100% certainty that 5 left on their own. I've heard of 1 student (which I'm assuming is the author of this post) who failed 3 classes out of 4 main courses last block and they were fully "dismissed." Out of the 5 I know left on their own, they all are able to return in the Fall if they chose to. The story behind the dismissed student is more than what's posted on this thread, including poor behavior with the school's administration.

As for the stats they are listing in this post, 16 out of 160+ failed Micro the first block, which would be under 10%. Also, a 69% average on the 1st gross anatomy practical is in fact not the "entire class" failing but 50% of the class. They fail to mention that for our 2nd gross anatomy practical the average was 90%.

Behavioral Health department at CUSOM can only take on so many students at a time. I will admit it has been hard for students to get regular appointments but they are trying their best.

CUSOM was my first choice and I do not regret my decision. This is medical school. It will be hard wherever you go. The work you put into it directly correlates with how you do. Please do not let bitter posts like this steer you away from Campbell.

(@burrito-consumer sorry for the late reply to this!)

Also to reiterate this student's post: I personally know 2 of the remaining unaccounted 3 that have taken a break but not left and they were doing very well academically (>90% in any class) but were overcome with burnout--one is coming back with the class of 2026 while the other is personally debating if medical school as a whole is something that he wants/is willing to commit to but both were offered the opportunity to return. The school is not unreasonable and understands that everyone who attends medical school is a Type-A personality who more-than-likely is highly accustomed to being in the upper echelon of their undergraduate classes, so obviously continuing to perform at this level in medical school will bring its fair share of stress (which is already an inexplainable amount for most students).

I am also a current student in my second year at CUSOM. While I cannot speak on the original message that prompted this, my experience too has been awesome. A couple things I just wanted to note. The office of student affairs is wonderful with working with people who are having physical, mental or family health problems and are willing to work with students to make sure they get caught up. Your peers at CUSOM are also excellent and will help you during studying for classes to make sure you have ample resources (sharing anki, study guides, etc.).

With all this being said, I think it is important to view SDN for what it is, a resource about medical schools. My advice however, is to not let it be your only resource. Weigh your interview day, own research as well as other items when making your decision.

Good luck to all those applying!

I agree wholeheartedly with this post as well. On top of your peers helping you study for classes, the second years have consistently tried to help us by giving us their study guides, anki decks, "how to survive med school survival guide," and a lot more. It's the general consensus among the first years that we intend to continue this tradition with next year's incoming students. The school also offers a free peer tutoring services where you will be paired with a second year who exceeded in those classes you may struggle in, and I have only heard good things from this service.

Regardless, you can take my advice with as large/small a grain of salt as any of the other students' posts, but don't bank your medical education on heresay and truly weigh your decision on what you think will be best for you based on your interview and the other research you may have done on the school outside of SDN.

Good luck in your applications and congratulations for those already accepted either here or elsewhere! PM me if you have any more questions/concerns.

 

[charamsukh]

Did you guys send a thank you email after your interviews? And did they reply back?

 

[ilovevegetablez]

Did you guys send a thank you email after your interviews? And did they reply back?

yes I did and no I’ve never had a response from this school or any others! I’m guessing they get so many of similar emails that it’s just too much to respond/to not give any false hope or anything

 

[parasiteeater13]

Just got the R from CUSOM. Good luck to everyone.

 

[Coffee_is_Life]

Just got the R from CUSOM. Good luck to everyone.

Sorry to hear that. Was this post interview?

 

[catcats3233]

Anyone know how full the class is?

 

[burrito-consumer]

Anyone know how full the class is?

Full. People are getting waitlisted post-interview, which means all seats have been filled. However, like most DO schools, you can expect to see a large amount of movement on that waitlist. Personally I'm about to withdraw from this wonderful school and free up a spot for someone else.

 

[Asparaginedoc]

Full. People are getting waitlisted post-interview, which means all seats have been filled. However, like most DO schools, you can expect to see a large amount of movement on that waitlist. Personally I'm about to withdraw from this wonderful school and free up a spot for someone else.

Just interviewed here today! Is it possible to still get an A with the class full or is it Waitlists from here on out?

 

[burrito-consumer]

Just interviewed here today! Is it possible to still get an A with the class full or is it Waitlists from here on out?

They explained in my earlier interview date that they only vote to accept or reject. If the class is full, then "accept" votes are placed on the waitlist. They did not say whether or not the waitlist was ranked. If you look earlier in the thread, everyone was either accepted or rejected. Now, everyone is either waitlisted or rejected. So, unfortunately, you have just interviewed for a place on the waitlist.

 

[ndcpjf]

Has anyone gotten any responses through emailing [email protected]? I've emailed twice through the cycle and haven't gotten a response once. Just wanted to see if it was me or others' experiences as well.

 

[parasiteeater13]

Sorry to hear that. Was this post interview?

Yep