A.T. Still University (ATSU-SOMA) Arizona Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

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is the event Thursday evening formal? should we wear a suit?



So they asked you what you learned in a specific class? Just asking because I'm a nontrad and not sure if I remember everything about all my classes cause it's been a few years!
Not sure if specifics about interview questions can be answered, just FYI.
Most applicants have to sign some nondisclosure agreement.

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Not sure if specifics about interview questions can be answered, just FYI.
Most applicants have to sign some nondisclosure agreement.

Oh right sorry I forgot! thanks!

but do you know about the dress code for the Thursday night social?
 
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For those who just received an II, what dates were available?
 
Anyone got interviewed with a 25 or a 26?

I'm kinda worried but I have a 3.92 sGPA which might balance to get an II.
 
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So everyone is making this open file thing sound really scary. Is there really a reason to be concerned that they'll ask about your file if you wrote everything in it and it's all true? Or is it scary because they look for flaws and you have to defend yourself?
 
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So everyone is making this open file thing sound really scary. Is there really a reason to be concerned that they'll ask about your file if you wrote everything in it and it's all true? Or is it scary because they look for flaws and you have to defend yourself?
As far as i know, they are partially closed file.. I don't think they have access to grades, gpa, or mcat scores. Best of luck, just be yourself!!
 
As far as i know, they are partially closed file.. I don't think they have access to grades, gpa, or mcat scores. Best of luck, just be yourself!!
They did at my interview... It wasn't like he was interrogating me or anything. The faculty is extremely nice! There is no reason to be scared about it!
 
Does anyone know what it means when it says "application in process" for my letters and MCAT? I am trying to figure out if I should contact them or not.
 
Does anyone know what it means when it says "application in process" for my letters and MCAT? I am trying to figure out if I should contact them or not.

It means nothing. You're complete.
 
II just now. What are some interview questions?
We signed nondisclosure agreements but be prepared for the format. There is a one on one with a faculty member, 4MMI stations at 7minutes a piece I believe, MMI speed dating they call it, a group project and a case study
 
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Just got an interview invite! Will be there December 4th :) so excited.


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Same, my password and login won't work...I can login to the secondary form but not get to the interview page. I've tried multiple browsers.

I got in after 15 minutes and realizing that I was typing in the password using the wrong case. Guess I got a little too excited :p
 
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Same, my password and login won't work...I can login to the secondary form but not get to the interview page. I've tried multiple browsers.
I believe they send a special password and link to the interview scheduling page through email when you get your invite. It isn't the same hint as the secondary! If anything I would call them tomorrow they are very nice!
 
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Anyone got interviewed with a 25 or a 26?

I'm kinda worried but I have a 3.92 sGPA which might balance to get an II.
I got an interview and I am out of state (Florida). I have a 25 mcat (9,6,10) and 3.88s, 3.85c. I honestly was not expecting to hear from this school so i am shocked and so excited. I have a ton of EC though. Sorority, MA, ER scribe, hundreds of volunteer, medical mission trip, research, shadowing good reqs, so I think this school really cares more about those things than mcat. You have a chance!
 
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I got an interview and I am out of state (Florida). I have a 25 mcat (9,6,10) and 3.88s, 3.85c. I honestly was not expecting to hear from this school so i am shocked and so excited. I have a ton of EC though. Sorority, MA, ER scribe, hundreds of volunteer, medical mission trip, research, shadowing good reqs, so I think this school really cares more about those things than mcat. You have a chance!
Congrats! Whens your interview? The only slot open when I signed up was Dec. 4th


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II today, was not expecting one from this school-(3.74cpa, 26 MCAT)!

Can any current students share their experiences with the CHC's? I have other acceptances, but I'm choosing to interview here because of this unique aspect.
 
Congrats! Whens your interview? The only slot open when I signed up was Dec. 4th


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Same for me. I guess dec 4th it is! Lucky I am free then!
 
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Anyone know where we can find info about their student orgs/research opportunities? I didn't see anything on the website
 
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Got an II this Wednesday.. See yall on Dec 3rd/4th :)
 
So if this interview is open file, could I get rejected after my interview no matter how well I perform just based on my crappy 25 MCAT..? Scared to spend the money to travel if they really are as selective as they say during interviews. This school has a great reputation though so i guess it's worth a shot. Has anyone been accepted out of state with a 25 mcat?
 
So if this interview is open file, could I get rejected after my interview no matter how well I perform just based on my crappy 25 MCAT..? Scared to spend the money to travel if they really are as selective as they say during interviews. This school has a great reputation though so i guess it's worth a shot. Has anyone been accepted out of state with a 25 mcat?
They wouldn't have invited you to an interview if they didn't think you were a worthwhile candidate. I'm sure plenty of people have been accepted with that score from OOS over the years. If you want to go to this school go and nail the interview. Don't let your MCAT affect your mindset going into any interviews, better off having a 25 and have a good personality than a 29 and be completely socially awkward but that's just my opinion.
 
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They wouldn't have invited you to an interview if they didn't think you were a worthwhile candidate. I'm sure plenty of people have been accepted with that score from OOS over the years. If you want to go to this school go and nail the interview. Don't let your MCAT affect your mindset going into any interviews, better off having a 25 and have a good personality than a 29 and be completely socially awkward but that's just my opinion.
That's very true! I'm super confident in my interview abilities, I've had 2 already and have 3 more. Guess I'll go for it. Can anyone tell me how long they take to give you an acceptance/reject after the interview?? I'm interviewing nov 6 and hoping that I'll have some time to decide on which school before the dec 14 deposit deadline. Also can any current students list some pros/cons about the CHC? Haven't done much research on this yet but wanted a head start from current students and their opinions on it! Thanks!
 
Interviewing on Dec 4th! Anyone else on the same day?
 
Was considering waiting until next cycle to possibly retake the MCAT and apply for mostly MD schools, but recently learned more about DO and now am more interested in DO schools, is it too late for me to put my app together and apply? I listed some of my stats/background info below, grew up in AZ so definitely would want to go to ATSU, but am curious to know if its worth it to try and apply this late. Would love to hear some feedback...

GPA- 3.74
Science GPA- 3.70
MCAT- 25 (8,7,10)
Scribe in ENT
lots of shadowing
Research in Ortho Surgery
Several 100s of hours of various healthcare volunteer work
Anatomy TA
 
Was considering waiting until next cycle to possibly retake the MCAT and apply for mostly MD schools, but recently learned more about DO and now am more interested in DO schools, is it too late for me to put my app together and apply? I listed some of my stats/background info below, grew up in AZ so definitely would want to go to ATSU, but am curious to know if its worth it to try and apply this late. Would love to hear some feedback...

GPA- 3.74
Science GPA- 3.70
MCAT- 25 (8,7,10)
Scribe in ENT
lots of shadowing
Research in Ortho Surgery
Several 100s of hours of various healthcare volunteer work
Anatomy TA
I applied in February a few cycles ago and quite a few of my classmates were also late applicants. It's always worth a shot. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
 
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I saw online that SOMA recommends taking out ~92,000 per year for tuition+COL. Could any current students give an opinion on this number? Too high/Too low, etc.?

Thanks!
 
I saw online that SOMA recommends taking out ~92,000 per year for tuition+COL. Could any current students give an opinion on this number? Too high/Too low, etc.?

Thanks!
I think it depends on how well you budget. I suggest taking out the full amount for the initial year because you can always pay back what you don't use.
 
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Was considering waiting until next cycle to possibly retake the MCAT and apply for mostly MD schools, but recently learned more about DO and now am more interested in DO schools, is it too late for me to put my app together and apply? I listed some of my stats/background info below, grew up in AZ so definitely would want to go to ATSU, but am curious to know if its worth it to try and apply this late. Would love to hear some feedback...

GPA- 3.74
Science GPA- 3.70
MCAT- 25 (8,7,10)
Scribe in ENT
lots of shadowing
Research in Ortho Surgery
Several 100s of hours of various healthcare volunteer work
Anatomy TA
I got an interview with a 26 mcat and same gpa but lower sgpa, so I'd go for it!
 
Could any accepted students post their extrCurriculars?
One international clinical experience, 2000+ clinical hours, 2 alternative spring break trips to help underserved communities, shadowed 2 DO for 40 hours a piece
 
One international clinical experience, 2000+ clinical hours, 2 alternative spring break trips to help underserved communities, shadowed 2 DO for 40 hours a piece
I was hoping for someone to make me feel better haha. I think we can agree yours are far above average.
 
Was considering waiting until next cycle to possibly retake the MCAT and apply for mostly MD schools, but recently learned more about DO and now am more interested in DO schools, is it too late for me to put my app together and apply? I listed some of my stats/background info below, grew up in AZ so definitely would want to go to ATSU, but am curious to know if its worth it to try and apply this late. Would love to hear some feedback...

GPA- 3.74
Science GPA- 3.70
MCAT- 25 (8,7,10)
Scribe in ENT
lots of shadowing
Research in Ortho Surgery
Several 100s of hours of various healthcare volunteer work
Anatomy TA
make sure you shadow a DO though!!! this is a huge thing- i applied last year and without those shadowing hours i wasn't even granted an interview- did my shadowing and additional research on the DO world and will now be joining the class of 2020!
 
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Could any accepted students post their extrCurriculars?

ok-- that person who previously replied is super stellar and i applaud them for their hard work!! mine is not like theirs

shadowed DO, MD, midlevels.
minimal research
all of my community service in rural, underserved areas.
lots of community service with youth
Pre-Med club
served on the school's governing board

SOMA, of the few interviews i've had, took the most care and time and looked at the whole application and person not just scores. If you feel like your EC's are lacking but another part of your app is strong, they really consider the 2 together. Form interview day, i got the feeling they took a deeper look at personalities rather than the piece of paper with your name and stats on it.
 
I was hoping for someone to make me feel better haha. I think we can agree yours are far above average.
I don't have a huge amount of EC's. I shadowed a DO for 40 hours. At the time of submission I believe I had about 300 hours volunteering as an MA over about 2 years. About 150 hours volunteering at a healh center as a greeter, also over the span of two years. All my healthcare exposure involved underserved communities.

I don't feel like a have done as much as other applicants, and my stats aren't stellar. I do believe that they look at the entire person, their personality and their ultimate career goals.

Hope this makes you feel better! Good luck this cycle! :)
 
I don't have a huge amount of EC's. I shadowed a DO for 40 hours. At the time of submission I believe I had about 300 hours volunteering as an MA over about 2 years. About 150 hours volunteering at a healh center as a greeter, also over the span of two years. All my healthcare exposure involved underserved communities.

I don't feel like a have done as much as other applicants, and my stats aren't stellar. I do believe that they look at the entire person, their personality and their ultimate career goals.

Hope this makes you feel better! Good luck this cycle! :)

If you dont mind me asking..... what are they?
 
Thank you everyone for the responses.
I don't have a huge amount of EC's. I shadowed a DO for 40 hours. At the time of submission I believe I had about 300 hours volunteering as an MA over about 2 years. About 150 hours volunteering at a healh center as a greeter, also over the span of two years. All my healthcare exposure involved underserved communities.

I don't feel like a have done as much as other applicants, and my stats aren't stellar. I do believe that they look at the entire person, their personality and their ultimate career goals.

Hope this makes you feel better! Good luck this cycle! :)
Thank you for your post! I'm actually applying next cycle, so I still have some time to improve my application. I don't have any shadowing yet and approximately 25 hours volunteering at PCU unit of a big hospital, ~50 non-clinical volunteering. I realize that I am nowhere ready to apply, just wanted an idea of how much I need to do. I have a good GPA, hope that makes me look good! Thanks again everyone!
 
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Thank you everyone for the responses.

Thank you for your post! I'm actually applying next cycle, so I still have some time to improve my application. I don't have any shadowing yet and approximately 25 hours volunteering at PCU unit of a big hospital, ~50 non-clinical volunteering. I realize that I am nowhere ready to apply, just wanted an idea of how much I need to do. I have a good GPA, hope that makes me look good! Thanks again everyone!
Ahh! Well good luck next cycle!
 
Received a II from this school last night:

Submitted 7/20/15
Complete 7/28/15
II 10/26/15
Interview scheduled: 11/20/15 (date change from 1/22/16)
LizzyM 61

Underdogs, keep the hope alive! :)
 
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Received a II from this school last night:

Submitted 7/20/15
Complete 7/28/15
II 10/26/15
Interview scheduled: 1/22/16 (only date on the calendar)
LizzyM 61

Underdogs, keep the hope alive! :)
My lizzyM was right around that and was accepted so good luck to you :)
 
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