A.T. Still University Kirksville (KCOM) Discussion Thread 2012 - 2013

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dmarie91 said:
excited for my interview on MONDAY!!!(1/28)👍 KCOM has always been my number one choice!🙂
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Good luck. We have a beast of a block exam on Monday, so ignore all of the disgruntled students that walk past.
 
You all seem like an incredibly pleasant bunch. Wishing interviewees the best of luck! Unfortunately, I decided to matriculate elsewhere so I won't get to meet you guys this Fall. It's been a tough and almost regrettable choice. KCOM is an awesome school and I honestly don't believe you can go wrong here! I'll keep lurking here just to see how apps are going for some of you familiars. As far as it will extend, I'm wishing you all good luck! Lys out..

Sent from my SGH-T769
 
spleencakes said:
Hey guys! I've been a long time lurker and finally decided to register. ;D I just got accepted last week (my first acceptance! I was jumping around in excitement!) and have been going crazy reading through old threads to get as much info as possible. I did still have a few questions about the school, and I was hoping someone might be able to help out.


-During the interview, a switch to semesters from quarters was mentioned. I completely forgot the details, but has this already happened, or is it something that will be new for the upcoming year? If they've already switched to semesters, could anyone comment on what it's like? From what I've seen, it looks like most schools do quarters, and this keeps students on top of the material because of the pacing (maybe???? I have no idea--I could be and probably am totally wrong here!), so I was curious how people liked semesters.


-The OMM program here looks pretty fantastic, but I've read concerns from students attending various schools over spending too much time on OMM. I'm hearing that OMM is 4 hours a week at KCOM. Is this 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab?

-During the Powerpoint presentation at the interview, the most recent set of COMLEX pass rates (or the ones before the most recent set) had a 80-something percentage for Step II. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about that year (changes in curriculum, etc?), since the other years seemed in line/above average. I realize scores fluctuate, but that one seemed really random...and I'm a worrywart. 😉

Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided 👍 KCOM is definitely in my top 3!

Also, for future applicants who might find this useful, the interview was very relaxed. My stats were basically in line with the school's (my MCAT was a little higher than average), and I was complete in December. I interviewed in January, and they mostly asked me about the activities listed on my application, as well as my hobbies outside of medicine. Of course, be sure to know why medicine, why DO, and why KCOM before going in! ;D It also wouldn't hurt to start thinking about how to go about the "tell me about yourself" question, since you don't want to ramble on and on. I've read a lot of advice about always bringing the answers back to medicine/why you/etc, but I've actually had an interviewer here tell me not to do that right off the bat. :laugh: This was definitely something I appreciated though. It seemed like everyone really wanted to get a good picture of the applicant. Side note: I didn't get a single question about grades or scores. Overall, don't stress out about the interview, and remember to be yourself! I didn't know how much to prepare for this one, since it was my very first interview, so I brushed up on healthcare policy, medical ethics topics, and all that fun stuff, but none of that came up. Anyways, everyone's extremely friendly, and time will fly by faster than you'd expect, as the interview will feel more like a conversation with questions thrown in to keep it going. Got the call a week after my interview :biglove:

P.S. Congrats to everyone who was accepted, and good luck to those still waiting!
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Thanks so much for the great interview advice!!!🙂
 
spleencakes said:
Hey guys! I've been a long time lurker and finally decided to register. ;D I just got accepted last week (my first acceptance! I was jumping around in excitement!) and have been going crazy reading through old threads to get as much info as possible. I did still have a few questions about the school, and I was hoping someone might be able to help out.


-During the interview, a switch to semesters from quarters was mentioned. I completely forgot the details, but has this already happened, or is it something that will be new for the upcoming year? If they've already switched to semesters, could anyone comment on what it's like? From what I've seen, it looks like most schools do quarters, and this keeps students on top of the material because of the pacing (maybe???? I have no idea--I could be and probably am totally wrong here!), so I was curious how people liked semesters.


-The OMM program here looks pretty fantastic, but I've read concerns from students attending various schools over spending too much time on OMM. I'm hearing that OMM is 4 hours a week at KCOM. Is this 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab?

-During the Powerpoint presentation at the interview, the most recent set of COMLEX pass rates (or the ones before the most recent set) had a 80-something percentage for Step II. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about that year (changes in curriculum, etc?), since the other years seemed in line/above average. I realize scores fluctuate, but that one seemed really random...and I'm a worrywart. 😉

Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided 👍 KCOM is definitely in my top 3!

Also, for future applicants who might find this useful, the interview was very relaxed. My stats were basically in line with the school's (my MCAT was a little higher than average), and I was complete in December. I interviewed in January, and they mostly asked me about the activities listed on my application, as well as my hobbies outside of medicine. Of course, be sure to know why medicine, why DO, and why KCOM before going in! ;D It also wouldn't hurt to start thinking about how to go about the "tell me about yourself" question, since you don't want to ramble on and on. I've read a lot of advice about always bringing the answers back to medicine/why you/etc, but I've actually had an interviewer here tell me not to do that right off the bat. :laugh: This was definitely something I appreciated though. It seemed like everyone really wanted to get a good picture of the applicant. Side note: I didn't get a single question about grades or scores. Overall, don't stress out about the interview, and remember to be yourself! I didn't know how much to prepare for this one, since it was my very first interview, so I brushed up on healthcare policy, medical ethics topics, and all that fun stuff, but none of that came up. Anyways, everyone's extremely friendly, and time will fly by faster than you'd expect, as the interview will feel more like a conversation with questions thrown in to keep it going. Got the call a week after my interview :biglove:

P.S. Congrats to everyone who was accepted, and good luck to those still waiting!
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When I interviewed I noticed the lower step 2 also. It was 86%. I asked about it as did a couple other students and we never got an answer. I don't think they have looked into it so there may not be an answer.
 
dmarie91 said:
Thanks so much for the great interview advice!!!🙂
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No problem! Good luck on your interview on Monday!


skargylejohn said:
When I interviewed I noticed the lower step 2 also. It was 86%. I asked about it as did a couple other students and we never got an answer. I don't think they have looked into it so there may not be an answer.
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Ahh, thanks for the confirmation! 👍 I was tempted to call and ask but decided to hold off a bit longer. As much as the percentage stood out a lot, their pass rates have been pretty good historically, and either way, judging from what I saw at the interview and comments from current students, I have a lot of faith in KCOM. Hopefully it was just a wonky year. 😀
 
I'm assuming that everyone else with upcoming interviews at KCOM got the email from Donna Sparks?

I'll be there on Thursday and look forward to seeing what ATSU has to offer!
 
did you guys send thank you letters by email or my mail?
 
hockeyteen22 said:
I'm assuming that everyone else with upcoming interviews at KCOM got the email from Donna Sparks?

I'll be there on Thursday and look forward to seeing what ATSU has to offer!
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was it a bad email or good email???
 
dmarie91 said:
did you guys send thank you letters by email or my mail?
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I sent cards in the mail around 3 mailing days after my interview. I was told you could send them to the admissions office address (with the interviewer's name in the address block, of course), and they'd get them to the interviewers for you. =]
 
spleencakes said:
I sent cards in the mail around 3 mailing days after my interview. I was told you could send them to the admissions office address (with the interviewer's name in the address block, of course), and they'd get them to the interviewers for you. =]
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thanks! 🙂 I think I'll do that too...
 
I am interviewing Thursday and received that email from Donna Sparks as well. Does not sound too encouraging, but I assume there will be at least a little movement with deposits being due in April. Good luck nonetheless!
 
NewOrleansLove said:
I am interviewing Thursday and received that email from Donna Sparks as well. Does not sound too encouraging, but I assume there will be at least a little movement with deposits being due in April. Good luck nonetheless!
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Yeah, I sort of took the email as: don't interview unless KCOM is extremely high on your list and you have competitive stats. For those who didn't get the email/already interviewed, it essentially said what anyone could figure out just by looking at the FB group: the class is pretty much filled with only a few non-deposited open spots left.

Hope you arrive safely (snow today) and ill see you tomorrow.
 
DancinDoc17 said:
I e-mailed each of my interviewers. It seemed well received and I was accepted a week later.
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thanks🙂 I went out an bought thank you cards last night, but after seeing your post, I decided to send an email and it was also well received🙂! I interviewed Monday, so hoping to get an acceptance 👍 I think I'll just give these thank you cards to my professors who wrote my letter of recs...
 
hockeyteen22 said:
Yeah, I sort of took the email as: don't interview unless KCOM is extremely high on your list and you have competitive stats. For those who didn't get the email/already interviewed, it essentially said what anyone could figure out just by looking at the FB group: the class is pretty much filled with only a few non-deposited open spots left.

Hope you arrive safely (snow today) and ill see you tomorrow.
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FB group only has 109 people in it (as of right now). That would mean there are still many spots available. Good luck!
 
abolt18 said:
FB group only has 109 people in it (as of right now). That would mean there are still many spots available. Good luck!
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Compared to other schools, the KCOM FB group actually has A LOT of people. And when you consider how much of a family school KCOM is, I would think its safe to say that there are quite a few people with families who don't have facebook or don't have time to hop on there and join the group. And there was even someone earlier in the thread who didn't have a facebook page and so didnt join... I've had more than a few friends actually delete their pages for the application cycle as they were worried over the schools viewing their content!

The email we received really did paint the picture that there were almost no outright acceptances remaining and that the best we could hope for at this point is movement in April. Regardless, I have heard and read such great things about KCOM and I truly think the school and Kirksville will be a great fit for me, so I am still excited for my interview tomorrow and the opportunity to see the campus more in depth.
 
hockeyteen22 said:
Compared to other schools, the KCOM FB group actually has A LOT of people. And when you consider how much of a family school KCOM is, I would think its safe to say that there are quite a few people with families who don't have facebook or don't have time to hop on there and join the group. And there was even someone earlier in the thread who didn't have a facebook page and so didnt join... I've had more than a few friends actually delete their pages for the application cycle as they were worried over the schools viewing their content!

The email we received really did paint the picture that there were almost no outright acceptances remaining and that the best we could hope for at this point is movement in April. Regardless, I have heard and read such great things about KCOM and I truly think the school and Kirksville will be a great fit for me, so I am still excited for my interview tomorrow and the opportunity to see the campus more in depth.
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FYI there a quite a few people who already attend KCOM/are admin at KCOM in the group.
 
bijoux22 said:
FYI there a quite a few people who already attend KCOM/are admin at KCOM in the group.
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Regardless, there are a significant number of people in the group as compared to other schools. Take that for what you will.

The email, however, leaves little ambiguity on the fact that there are only an extremely limited or no outright acceptances to be granted to interviewers.
 
hockeyteen22 said:
Regardless, there are a significant number of people in the group as compared to other schools. Take that for what you will.

The email, however, leaves little ambiguity on the fact that there are only an extremely limited or no outright acceptances to be granted to interviewers.
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I'd be curious to find out what this email said. Copy paste the important parts anyone?
 
Got into my state school. Gonna cancel my interview here. Good luck all!
 
abolt18 said:
I'd be curious to find out what this email said. Copy paste the important parts anyone?
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"Just wanted to update you where we are at in our application cycle......our class is almost full for the July 2013 start but not all seats are secured by a deposit. We anticipate we will have several seats to offer in the upcoming weeks so if KCOM is one of your top choices for medical school we encourage you to interview with us. All accepted students have a payment due in April so additional seats will be available at that time as well. We also have guaranteed seats to offer for next year's class should a seat not become available this year. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or email....I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. I hope you will make the decision to visit campus and see what KCOM has to offer you. Please notify us if you would like to cancel your interview"

So not all seats were secured at the time it was sent, but they clearly make it known that seats are limited. The final sentence which opens up the possibility of canceling the interview really says a lot.

But again, even though I know the odds may be against me, I've been excited for my interview and seeing what the school and kirksville has to offer! Absolutely no reason for me to toss aside a school where I think I'll fit in great at!

PS. That is the email in its entirety. The ellipses are not parts I cut out haha
 
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gam1989 said:
Hey Wingz, I noticed you had your interview end of November. Did it take almost two months to get an acceptance? :/
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I did... It was quite peculiar, I interviewed in November and received a deferred decision to January. I sent in my fall grades and updates and I heard a few days later!
 
dmarie91 said:
thanks🙂 I went out an bought thank you cards last night, but after seeing your post, I decided to send an email and it was also well received🙂! I interviewed Monday, so hoping to get an acceptance 👍 I think I'll just give these thank you cards to my professors who wrote my letter of recs...
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Good idea! I just received hand-written thank you cards from my interviewers yesterday...nice touch! It took a while, though...considering I interviewed early December. 🙂
 
hockeyteen22 said:
"Just wanted to update you where we are at in our application cycle......our class is almost full for the July 2013 start but not all seats are secured by a deposit. We anticipate we will have several seats to offer in the upcoming weeks so if KCOM is one of your top choices for medical school we encourage you to interview with us. All accepted students have a payment due in April so additional seats will be available at that time as well. We also have guaranteed seats to offer for next year's class should a seat not become available this year. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or email....I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. I hope you will make the decision to visit campus and see what KCOM has to offer you. Please notify us if you would like to cancel your interview"

So not all seats were secured at the time it was sent, but they clearly make it known that seats are limited. The final sentence which opens up the possibility of canceling the interview really says a lot.

But again, even though I know the odds may be against me, I've been excited for my interview and seeing what the school and kirksville has to offer! Absolutely no reason for me to toss aside a school where I think I'll fit in great at!

PS. That is the email in its entirety. The ellipses are not parts I cut out haha
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Haha those ellipses were strangely amusing. :laugh: There definitely will be more spots opening from people choosing to go elsewhere/not turning in all their deposits. =]
Anyways, good luck at the interview! KCOM was pretty amazing, from what I saw during my interview and from what I heard. The staff = hands down one of the friendliest groups of people ever!
 
hockeyteen22 said:
"Just wanted to update you where we are at in our application cycle......our class is almost full for the July 2013 start but not all seats are secured by a deposit. We anticipate we will have several seats to offer in the upcoming weeks so if KCOM is one of your top choices for medical school we encourage you to interview with us. All accepted students have a payment due in April so additional seats will be available at that time as well. We also have guaranteed seats to offer for next year's class should a seat not become available this year. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or email....I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. I hope you will make the decision to visit campus and see what KCOM has to offer you. Please notify us if you would like to cancel your interview"

So not all seats were secured at the time it was sent, but they clearly make it known that seats are limited. The final sentence which opens up the possibility of canceling the interview really says a lot.

But again, even though I know the odds may be against me, I've been excited for my interview and seeing what the school and kirksville has to offer! Absolutely no reason for me to toss aside a school where I think I'll fit in great at!

PS. That is the email in its entirety. The ellipses are not parts I cut out haha
Click to expand...

To me that comes across as a very optimistic email! They're saying that even though they've accepted almost enough to fill the class, a lot of spots can be expected to open up as people withdraw/don't pay their deposits. To me, this seems like an email they're sending so people realize that there is still hope (that way they don't withdraw because they think it's futile). But that's just how I took it. Good luck all!
 
abolt18 said:
To me that comes across as a very optimistic email! They're saying that even though they've accepted almost enough to fill the class, a lot of spots can be expected to open up as people withdraw/don't pay their deposits. To me, this seems like an email they're sending so people realize that there is still hope (that way they don't withdraw because they think it's futile). But that's just how I took it. Good luck all!
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Yeah there is hope. They have this neat option where they can put you on the "Accepted pending a seat" list. That means that if a spot opens up this year because someone backed out (which people will) then it will go to people on that list. The great thing about it is if a spot does not open up, then you are automatically accepted and have a spot for the next cycle's class. This is a great thing for people who really want to go to KCOM or who don't have other acceptances to fall back on. I didn't have my interview there until the very end of April and got on the "accepted pending a seat" list in May. This was then the killer wait period to see whether or not I would be moving a few months later. Luckily a spot opened up in June and 1.5 months later I made the move. So there IS movement even way late in the game, you just have to be willing to be patient.

(I am assuming they are still doing the "accepted pending a seat" list from 2 cycles ago but don't kill me if it changed...)
 
I saw there were some posts about passing rates. Do note that schools typically talk about their passing rates on boards, but really it's a pointless stat. Some schools hyper inflate their passing rate scores by blocking some students from taking the comlex, where as some schools rarely block students. Moreover, just because 99% of the student pass doesn't mean you will, or just because 75% of the student pass doesn't mean you'll be in the 25%.
If I had to judge a school based on board related stats, it would be the average scores. Unfortunately DO schools rarely report it and who knows if what they say is true, as no one would really know. I think if anyone is concerned about board scores, it would be more important to find a program that you think you would click with: are lectures you kind of style? what about the curriculum setup? etc.
Anyways, just my thoughts.
Oh, and yes KCOM has had some rather remarkable board scores in the past. I do know they had one random bad year a few years back. Personally I think it's just an anomaly.
 
Can anyone refresh my mind on the layout of the courses & exams? Are there block exams?...in a week or day?...how often?...a week off in between?....etc.
Thanks!
 
DancinDoc17 said:
Can anyone refresh my mind on the layout of the courses & exams? Are there block exams?...in a week or day?...how often?...a week off in between?....etc.
Thanks!
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Blocks (Cover all basic science courses +OTM) happen around every three weeks on Mondays. Lectures are held from 8-12 and then there is usually a lab or more lectures until about 3 or 4. OTM is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 8-10 (for 1st year students). Typically we have 4-5 blocks per quarter (we will be switching to semesters this summer) and then a cumulative final. As far as time off for blocks, we usually have a light load on the Friday preceding the block and then you have the weekend to finish up studying (so basically stay on top of your stuff or cram).
 
DancinDoc17 said:
Can anyone refresh my mind on the layout of the courses & exams? Are there block exams?...in a week or day?...how often?...a week off in between?....etc.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes there are block exams about every 3 weeks. It is one exam in one day (sometimes split up into 2 hour sessions with breaks in between) that has every class you are taking that block on it randomized per question. The grades are still separate for each class, it's just the questions are randomly given within the test to simulate boards. There is no break in between blocks and class resumes the next morning for the next block. Block tests are usually held on Monday's so I consider the weekend after that our "break" as the next block test won't be for another 2 weeks (typically).
 
dntke1518 said:
Blocks (Cover all basic science courses +OTM) happen around every three weeks on Mondays. Lectures are held from 8-12 and then there is usually a lab or more lectures until about 3 or 4. OTM is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 8-10 (for 1st year students). Typically we have 4-5 blocks per quarter (we will be switching to semesters this summer) and then a cumulative final. As far as time off for blocks, we usually have a light load on the Friday preceding the block and then you have the weekend to finish up studying (so basically stay on top of your stuff or cram).
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Thank you for the info!
 
Have a somewhat specific question for KCOM students who have tried or are trying to match gas in or around Missouri. I notice many KCOM grads have matched gas at various programs in Missouri. Do you think the KCOM namesake has helped with acceptance into these programs? Obviously I know board scores are a major factor as well.

I've been accepted to KCOM (pending a seat) and a couple of other places and I definitely want to match into gas. I have quite a bit of clinical experience to include TIVA (total IV anesthesia) with live tissue on the military side if anyone is wondering how I know I want to pursue that without even starting day 1 of med school. Thanks for your input!
 
oda18d said:
Have a somewhat specific question for KCOM students who have tried or are trying to match gas in or around Missouri. I notice many KCOM grads have matched gas at various programs in Missouri. Do you think the KCOM namesake has helped with acceptance into these programs? Obviously I know board scores are a major factor as well.

I've been accepted to KCOM (pending a seat) and a couple of other places and I definitely want to match into gas. I have quite a bit of clinical experience to include TIVA (total IV anesthesia) with live tissue on the military side if anyone is wondering how I know I want to pursue that without even starting day 1 of med school. Thanks for your input!
Click to expand...
I haven't matched yet (and I am still years away) but I will give my two cents as I am doubtful a KCOM grad that has matched gas will see your post. Does the KCOM name mean something to PDs for Anes? Yes, it is an older reputable school that produces competent physicians. But like you mentioned board scores are the major factor, regardless of the name of your institution.
 
I wonder why people who are not apart of the KCOM class of 2017 but instead are 2015 or 2016 are joining the 2017 Facebook group?? It gives a confusing picture of how many seats are roughly still available.
 
dmarie91 said:
I wonder why people who are not apart of the KCOM class of 2017 but instead are 2015 or 2016 are joining the 2017 Facebook group?? It gives a confusing picture of how many seats are roughly still available.
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Many are student ambassadors to help the incoming class with questions such as housing. I know I've posted before about the numbers in the FB group and really use those numbers as a rough estimate, comparing the size of the group to other schools while also considering the fact KCOM puts emphasis on applicants with families and so the FB group numbers might even more underrepresent the size of the class.

My interview last week was extremely pleasant and I was absolutely impressed with KCOM and kirksville! Though in my admissions interview, the interviewer did outright say at the end "I'm sure you have received the email and know that there are currently no available spots, though we expect a few seats to open up especially in April when the next deposit is due. Expect to hear back from us in 2-4 weeks though it could be sooner or it could be later."
 
hockeyteen22 said:
Many are student ambassadors to help the incoming class with questions such as housing. I know I've posted before about the numbers in the FB group and really use those numbers as a rough estimate, comparing the size of the group to other schools while also considering the fact KCOM puts emphasis on applicants with families and so the FB group numbers might even more underrepresent the size of the class.

My interview last week was extremely pleasant and I was absolutely impressed with KCOM and kirksville! Though in my admissions interview, the interviewer did outright say at the end "I'm sure you have received the email and know that there are currently no available spots, though we expect a few seats to open up especially in April when the next deposit is due. Expect to hear back from us in 2-4 weeks though it could be sooner or it could be later."
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ooh right the ambassadors!! that makes sense!👍 I interviewed on jan 28th but didin't recieve that email before hand, still waiting for a decision though, thinking about calling today 🙂
 
dmarie91 said:
ooh right the ambassadors!! that makes sense!👍 I interviewed on jan 28th but didin't recieve that email before hand, still waiting for a decision though, thinking about calling today 🙂
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I wouldn't recommend calling, I don't think they can give you a decision over te phone unles they are calling you.
 
Wow ignore all that awesome spelling in my last post. I have multiple TIAs when using my iPhone keypad apparently.
 
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