2024-2025 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSU-COM)

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PapaGuava

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2024-2025 MSU-COM Secondary Essay Prompts:

1. Have you applied to MSUCOM previously? (Y/N)

2. The MSUCOM curriculum stresses the importance of intrapersonal competencies, including personal responsibility and adaptability. Please tell us a time when you were faced with a challenge in these areas and how that challenge impacted your professional growth. (300 words)

3. What aspects of professionalism do you believe are most crucial for a physician, and how have you demonstrated these qualities in your preparation for medical school? (300 words)

4. Please tell us how you learned about the osteopathic profession by checking all of the following selections that apply. (check boxes)

5. Have you participated in the following MSUCOM Programs: (check boxes)

6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (optional)

You may provide additional information, not stated elsewhere, you feel may help the Admissions Committee gain a better understanding of your candidacy. This may include major life achievements or explanations of academic or non-academic discrepancies on your application. You may also include interests or work experiences.
You are not required to complete this field. If you do not have additional information to share write "N/A" in the box below. (500 words)

7. (optional) In what ways have you engaged with osteopathic physicians, been influenced by osteopathic professional identity, or otherwise have enthusiasm for the osteopathic profession? You are not required to complete this field. If you do not have additional information to share, write "N/A" in the box below.
(500 words)

Good luck to everyone applying!

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OOS secondary received this morning, 6/19!
Submitted primary on 5/27
verified on 5/29
 
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Have you applied to MSUCOM previously? (Y/N)

The MSUCOM curriculum stresses the importance of intrapersonal competencies, including personal responsibility and adaptability. Please tell us a time when you were faced with a challenge in these areas and how that challenge impacted your professional growth. (300 words)

What aspects of professionalism do you believe are most crucial for a physician, and how have you demonstrated these qualities in your preparation for medical school? (300 words)

Please tell us how you learned about the osteopathic profession by checking all of the following selections that apply. (check boxes)

Have you participated in the following MSUCOM Programs: (check boxes)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You may provide additional information, not stated elsewhere, you feel may help the Admissions Committee gain a better understanding of your candidacy. This may include major life achievements or explanations of academic or non-academic discrepancies on your application. You may also include interests or work experiences.
You are not required to complete this field. If you do not have additional information to share write "N/A" in the box below. (500 words)

In what ways have you engaged with osteopathic physicians, been influenced by osteopathic professional identity, or otherwise have enthusiasm for the osteopathic profession? You are not required to complete this field. If you do not have additional information to share, write "N/A" in the box below. (500 words)

@PapaGuava
 
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OOS Just submitted secondary. Does anyone know if there's heavy IS bias?
 
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OOS Just submitted secondary. Does anyone know if there's heavy IS bias?
Looks like they took about 33% OOS according to chooseDO. Definitely a regional preference but honestly not too bad. I think it's worth it to apply especially considering you applied really early and if you have a solid mcat (like > 505) I think you Definitely have a decent shot!
 
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Looks like they took about 33% OOS according to chooseDO. Definitely a regional preference but honestly not too bad. I think it's worth it to apply especially considering you applied really early and if you have a solid mcat (like > 505) I think you Definitely have a decent shot!
Hello there, I’m a current 1st year at MSUCOM. There are a ton of OOS students at this school, so don’t be alarmed!
 
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Hello there, I’m a current 1st year at MSUCOM. There are a ton of OOS students at this school, so don’t be alarmed!
I read that they really value early submission. Just maybe wanted to get your thoughts on this and when is too late to submit. I want to get their secondary complete asap but I keep getting swarmed with MD secondaries so idk just how late I should keep pushing it off
 
Hello there, I’m a current 1st year at MSUCOM. There are a ton of OOS students at this school, so don’t be alarmed!
Hey, I heard that the new curriculum was causing students problems? If you could comment a little on your experience and how it's been, that would be great!
 
I read that they really value early submission. Just maybe wanted to get your thoughts on this and when is too late to submit. I want to get their secondary complete asap but I keep getting swarmed with MD secondaries so idk just how late I should keep pushing it off
Yes, try your best to get it in as soon as you can! The earlier, the better, especially if you are OOS.
 
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Hey, I heard that the new curriculum was causing students problems? If you could comment a little on your experience and how it's been, that would be great!
The new curriculum was introduced last year for the class of 2027. There were multiple small issues with the curriculum, as expected with something new, but these issues were resolved with ours and the now second-years did a great job of making good suggestions. The faculty and administration here is very willing to help their students in any way possible!
 
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MSU over here making my stomach drop when I see a notification from them on gmail…for the DO PHD program lol.
 
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Does anyone know how to apply for the DO PhD program? Was it something I had to designate on the AACOMAS primary?
 
What are the benefits of DO/PhD? I have a solid amount of research from undergrad and enjoyed it. Is there any reason to pursue a DO/PhD if you don’t intend to be an academic physician?
 
What are the benefits of DO/PhD? I have a solid amount of research from undergrad and enjoyed it. Is there any reason to pursue a DO/PhD if you don’t intend to be an academic physician?

I’ve met numerous MD PhD candidates and graduates during my undergrad at conferences and such, and I can say with confidence that the prevailing thought is: “do not do an MD PhD if it’s not in your heart to get a PhD”.

Even tho this is for DO PhD, pretty much same thing. It’s like an 8 year commitment that will delay your physician earnings by at least 4 years. You also have to do a PhD in 4 years rather than 5-6 which is considerably difficult as is. I guess the main selling point is 1. Tuition is free and 2. You’re more competitive for competitive specialities. But at the end of the day, it’s a serious commitment. If you’re not looking to be an academic physician, then it’s probably not your thing. All the MD PhDs at my institution I know primarily focus on clinical research with much lesser clinical activity.

However I’m just an applicant like you, so take everything I say with a grain of salt :) I’m still unsure if I even want to go this route
 
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I’ve met numerous MD PhD candidates and graduates during my undergrad at conferences and such, and I can say with confidence that the prevailing thought is: “do not do an MD PhD if it’s not in your heart to get a PhD”.

Even tho this is for DO PhD, pretty much same thing. It’s like an 8 year commitment that will delay your physician earnings by at least 4 years. You also have to do a PhD in 4 years rather than 5-6 which is considerably difficult as is. I guess the main selling point is 1. Tuition is free and 2. You’re more competitive for competitive specialities. But at the end of the day, it’s a serious commitment. If you’re not looking to be an academic physician, then it’s probably not your thing. All the MD PhDs at my institution I know primarily focus on clinical research with much lesser clinical activity.

However I’m just an applicant like you, so take everything I say with a grain of salt :) I’m still unsure if I even want to go this route
That makes a lot of sense. That’s not for me.
 
Hello there, I’m a current 1st year at MSUCOM. There are a ton of OOS students at this school, so don’t be alarmed!
Hi there! Would you please be able to elaborate on the grading system at MSUCOM? I think it is H/P/F (Quintile Ranks).
 
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Hi there! Would you please be able to elaborate the grading system at MSUCOM? I think it is H/P/F (Quintile Ranks).
Since last year, it's P/F and there are tiers. Tier 1=90-100%, tier 2=80-89%, and tier 3=70-79%. There's no limit on the amount of students on each tier so it encourages collaboration
 
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Since last year, it's P/F and there are tiers. Tier 1=90-100%, tier 2=80-89%, and tier 3=70-79%. There's no limit on the amount of students on each tier so it encourages collaboration
Thank you so much!
 
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For any reapplicants, does the clinical experience tab where you list all your shadowing/clinical work still show up on secondary portal? I’m trying to get my descriptions from last year, and cannot find them.
 
Is it harder to get into the Detroit campus than the East Lansing campus?
 
For any reapplicants, does the clinical experience tab where you list all your shadowing/clinical work still show up on secondary portal? I’m trying to get my descriptions from last year, and cannot find them.
not a reapplicant but am i missing something here? i dont have this tab and i submitted back in june.
 
not a reapplicant but am i missing something here? i dont have this tab and i submitted back in june.

Then I’m guessing they removed or changed it. In the previous year, there was a tab where you had to itemize clinical experiences (shadowing, scribing, etc.) separately. I just needed the descriptions for them to help with other schools prompts and such.
 
I was pretty excited this morning when I saw an email from admissions.... but it was just to ask if I'd thought of being a DO-PhD.
 
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I was pretty excited this morning when I saw an email from admissions.... but it was just to ask if I'd thought of being a DO-PhD.

Same! These types of emails have gotten me a few times.
 
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I was pretty excited this morning when I saw an email from admissions.... but it was just to ask if I'd thought of being a DO-PhD.
Yep, felt this lol. I flew out of my bed when I read "MSU admissions" only to see the DO-PhD email.
 
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Is the admission website for MSUCOM down for anyone else?
 
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Does MSUCOM send "soft interview" emails like what Western COMP does? I'm just waiting to hear what they think about my app .____.
 
ive been submitted since 7/3 is it normal i still have not heard back?
 
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