Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) Discussion Thread 2016-2017

[Electric_Heart]

Does anyone know how much a 1-bedroom cost at Summerfield Square?

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[Wiggly Tuff Da Ruff]

Is anyone having trouble paying the deposit?


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Ya I think I need to call them about the deposit thing too. ACOM staff is very nice and they'll answer our questions.

 

[scrubtoscrubs]

Congrats! Had you got a call before that? Also join the FB page!

Do you by chance have a link to the Facebook page? I'm having trouble finding it again. Thanks!

 

[cptnjack]

Do you by chance have a link to the Facebook page? I'm having trouble finding it again. Thanks!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1691590081105367/

 

[deleted244469]

How have the recent interviews been, if you don't mind me asking? I just received my first rejection letter and want to knock this interview out of the park! Ive been reading about a lot of "Good Cop, Bad Cop" interviewers. Has this been consistent with the most recent interviews?

Also, any other helpful tips? This is one of my target schools, so I'd like to impress

 

[SurgDoc95]

How have the recent interviews been, if you don't mind me asking? I just received my first rejection letter and want to knock this interview out of the park! Ive been reading about a lot of "Good Cop, Bad Cop" interviewers. Has this been consistent with the most recent interviews?

Also, any other helpful tips? This is one of my target schools, so I'd like to impress

Idk about good cop bad cop. They make it very informal and conversational. Best advice would be know why you want to be a DO(philosophy, OMM, etc), why the school (mission, curriculum, etc) and why that part of the country(obesity is a huge issue there). Just smile, be personable, and realize they accept probably 2/3 of the people who interview so be confident but not arrogant

 

[deleted244469]

Idk about good cop bad cop. They make it very informal and conversational. Best advice would be know why you want to be a DO(philosophy, OMM, etc), why the school (mission, curriculum, etc) and why that part of the country(obesity is a huge issue there). Just smile, be personable, and realize they accept probably 2/3 of the people who interview so be confident but not arrogant

Thanks for the info! I was confident about my ARCOM interview, and look how that turned out (not being serious). Friday is going to take forever to get here!

 

[GBCrzzyy]

I'm staying at the Comfort Inn & Suites by ACOM on 12/1. Is anyone else? I'm down with grabbing a few drinks!

Make sure you check out the Recovery Room if you're going to have a couple drinks! It's an awesome bar that many of the students seem to hang out at after exams. I went with a couple people after our interview day was over and it was a lot of fun. Really good cover band too.

 

[deleted244469]

Make sure you check out the Recovery Room if you're going to have a couple drinks! It's an awesome bar that many of the students seem to hang out at after exams. I went with a couple people after our interview day was over and it was a lot of fun. Really good cover band too.

Will do! Sounds like a good time.

 

[GBCrzzyy]

How have the recent interviews been, if you don't mind me asking? I just received my first rejection letter and want to knock this interview out of the park! Ive been reading about a lot of "Good Cop, Bad Cop" interviewers. Has this been consistent with the most recent interviews?

Also, any other helpful tips? This is one of my target schools, so I'd like to impress

I didn't experience a good cop bad cop situation, both of my interviewers were very friendly. Before they even started the interview I think they could see that I was really nervous so they started off by telling me how good my chances were at that point and how proud I should be of myself and that made me feel awesome. They gave me a couple challenging questions that I wasn't expecting, a couple that I expected and prepared for, and a few casual questions where they genuinely wanted to get to know me. As long as you're honest and you be yourself, I think you will have a great chance at being accepted!

 

[Papa Oso]

After much deliberation , I am going to decline my acceptance. Seems like an amazing school whose few kinks will most likely be fixed within the next few years. Hope one of the many qualified SDNers gets my place . Good luck everyone.

 

[trugrit19]

Will they retract your acceptance if you make a C after matriculation? what's the rule on grades after acceptance?

 

[SurgDoc95]

Will they retract your acceptance if you make a C after matriculation? what's the rule on grades after acceptance?

I'm not sure on this either! I may make a 3.3 and be under a 3.5 for the first time in college since I've been traveling most of the last month and a half

 

[deleted244469]

Is there a list of potential interviewers, or is it pretty much luck of the draw?

 

[Drbee1992]

Completed since June 29th. No interview

 

[Papa Oso]

Is there a list of potential interviewers, or is it pretty much luck of the draw?

Before you interview, there is really no way of telling who you are about to be interviewed by. However, the interview is pretty laxed. It is as stressful as you make it out to be. Biggest advice I remember at the end of the presentation by Mr. Willis was "If you have any weaknesses, address them." I did so, and honestly, doing that well probably has was the reason I got that acceptance, and been successful in other interviews. The only interviews where I got WL at were the ones which I didn't address my weaknesses.

 

[Papa Oso]

Will they retract your acceptance if you make a C after matriculation? what's the rule on grades after acceptance?

Extremely doubtful. This school appears to view applicants more holistically than most. If you really want to be sure, just call admins yourself and fine out.

 

[deleted244469]

Before you interview, there is really no way of telling who you are about to be interviewed by. However, the interview is pretty laxed. It is as stressful as you make it out to be. Biggest advice I remember at the end of the presentation by Mr. Willis was "If you have any weaknesses, address them." I did so, and honestly, doing that well probably has was the reason I got that acceptance, and been successful in other interviews. The only interviews where I got WL at were the ones which I didn't address my weaknesses.

How did you go about doing this? Was it an actual question, or more of a "Is there anything else we should know" kind of thing? I don't see how I would bring that up without it being awkward.

 

[Noxy]

How did you go about doing this? Was it an actual question, or more of a "Is there anything else we should know" kind of thing? I don't see how I would bring that up without it being awkward.

I wouldn't bring it up unless asked. That would be asking for trouble IMO and would make for an awkward interview. If it comes out during the natural progression of the conversation then be ready to talk. They acted in a good cop/bad cop manner during my interview. Seems to just be the luck of the draw honestly to which style of interview you get here and which people you interview with. If asked I would own up to it though, for example...For me, they asked me about my grades in my freshman year and I owned up to it and told them how I grew from the experience. Basically don't make an excuse and always show growth from past failures or weaknesses. Also, they asked about my MCAT score and if I would retake again which I answered with a laugh and a very large no. I think they are honestly trying to gauge who you are as a person and how you react, more than your exact answers. (body language is super important guys!!!) In my interview, I think they were trying to see if I remained calm with stress questions. Other interviews from here were described as a relaxing conversation between people. Just be yourself, practice the basic why this school, why do, why doctor, and other common questions.

 

[deleted244469]

I wouldn't bring it up unless asked. That would be asking for trouble IMO and would make for an awkward interview. If it comes out during the natural progression of the conversation then be ready to talk. They acted in a good cop/bad cop manner during my interview. Seems to just be the luck of the draw honestly to which style of interview you get here and which people you interview with. If asked I would own up to it though, for example...For me, they asked me about my grades in my freshman year and I owned up to it and told them how I grew from the experience. Basically don't make an excuse and always show growth from past failures or weaknesses. Also, they asked about my MCAT score and if I would retake again which I answered with a laugh and a very large no. I think they are honestly trying to gauge who you are as a person and how you react, more than your exact answers. (body language is super important guys!!!) In my interview, I think they were trying to see if I remained calm with stress questions. Other interviews from here were described as a relaxing conversation between people. Just be yourself, practice the basic why this school, why do, why doctor, and other common questions.

From reading, it sounds to me that ACOM might be tailoring their interview style based on the applicants academic history. Thanks for the info!

 

[Papa Oso]

How did you go about doing this? Was it an actual question, or more of a "Is there anything else we should know" kind of thing? I don't see how I would bring that up without it being awkward.

Things are only as awkward as you make them. Towards the end, I said "I want to address a weakness in my application and I feel it is important to be as transparent as possible. I know that my application has X weakness. X happened because of Y reason. Although I am not necessarily happy that Y happened, it will make me a better medical student and more importantly, a better doctor because of Z reason. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but I feel like this is something important to note."

I feel like doing this is what got me the acceptance. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, and of the 4 times I have done so, twice (including this one) the interviewers went out of their way to say that the experience is a positive as far as being an ideal applicant, and the other 2 responded positively (body language) but didn't explicitly say that was a good thing like the other two. When you are confident and take control of how they perceive you, you appear more as a future physician than as a subordinate. You DO NOT want them to look down on you.

Here is a great video recommended to me by multiple current med students. Perhaps it will be of use for you (if you like the first video, check out part two):

 

[xkb89]

Things are only as awkward as you make them. Towards the end, I said "I want to address a weakness in my application and I feel it is important to be as transparent as possible. I know that my application has X weakness. X happened because of Y reason. Although I am not necessarily happy that Y happened, it will make me a better medical student and more importantly, a better doctor because of Z reason. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but I feel like this is something important to note."

I feel like doing this is what got me the acceptance. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, and of the 4 times I have done so, twice (including this one) the interviewers went out of their way to say that the experience is a positive as far as being an ideal applicant, and the other 2 responded positively (body language) but didn't explicitly say that was a good thing like the other two. When you are confident and take control of how they perceive you, you appear more as a future physician than as a subordinate. You DO NOT want them to look down on you.

Here is a great video recommended to me by multiple current med students. Perhaps it will be of use for you (if you like the first video, check out part two):

Thanks for the advice. What is the name of the video you linked? I am getting an error whenever I click play.


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[Mr.Woldwide]

Anyone get any confirmation email after paying the deposit?


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[deleted244469]

Things are only as awkward as you make them. Towards the end, I said "I want to address a weakness in my application and I feel it is important to be as transparent as possible. I know that my application has X weakness. X happened because of Y reason. Although I am not necessarily happy that Y happened, it will make me a better medical student and more importantly, a better doctor because of Z reason. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but I feel like this is something important to note."

I feel like doing this is what got me the acceptance. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, and of the 4 times I have done so, twice (including this one) the interviewers went out of their way to say that the experience is a positive as far as being an ideal applicant, and the other 2 responded positively (body language) but didn't explicitly say that was a good thing like the other two. When you are confident and take control of how they perceive you, you appear more as a future physician than as a subordinate. You DO NOT want them to look down on you.

Here is a great video recommended to me by multiple current med students. Perhaps it will be of use for you (if you like the first video, check out part two):

FANTASTIC Post! Thank you so much. This video is pure gold. I can now see why I didn't get an acceptance to the first school I applied to. I pretty much did everything he said NOT to do. Lol.

 

[trugrit19]

I have an ACOM interview on friday but I just received an email saying i have been invited to attend an ACOM dinner with the student ambassadors. is this normal/does everyone receive this?

 

[deleted244469]

I have an ACOM interview on friday but I just received an email saying i have been invited to attend an ACOM dinner with the student ambassadors. is this normal/does everyone receive this?

I just received this as well . Would it be a good idea to attend this?

 

[SurgDoc95]

I just received this as well . Would it be a good idea to attend this?

Definitely can't hurt

 

[Papa Oso]

Thanks for the advice. What is the name of the video you linked? I am getting an error whenever I click play.


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Just go to Youtube and search: Kevin Aehern Medical School interview. There are two parts to it.

 

[Noxy]

Things are only as awkward as you make them. Towards the end, I said "I want to address a weakness in my application and I feel it is important to be as transparent as possible. I know that my application has X weakness. X happened because of Y reason. Although I am not necessarily happy that Y happened, it will make me a better medical student and more importantly, a better doctor because of Z reason. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but I feel like this is something important to note."

I feel like doing this is what got me the acceptance. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, and of the 4 times I have done so, twice (including this one) the interviewers went out of their way to say that the experience is a positive as far as being an ideal applicant, and the other 2 responded positively (body language) but didn't explicitly say that was a good thing like the other two. When you are confident and take control of how they perceive you, you appear more as a future physician than as a subordinate. You DO NOT want them to look down on you.

Here is a great video recommended to me by multiple current med students. Perhaps it will be of use for you (if you like the first video, check out part two):

That is a great video for everyone! If I will say anything about my undergrad, I am grateful they are tough on their pre-meds about teaching them about interview preparations. They handed out interview checklist packets for those who designated they had the desire to pursue medicine and really drilled it into us. It went into extreme detail like this video (like nail appearance ,hair, body language, shaking hands first, mentioning the interviewer by name Dr x if applicable) We even HAD to meet with someone and discuss our interview answers in detail for two hours prior to a committee interview if we chose to request a committee letter. We were video-taped during the interview with a panel of 6 vs 1. It was so helpful though. I have said it before, interviewing is a skill!

 

[trugrit19]

where do we go for the interview? i have the address of the place, but do I just walk in the front lobby at 8 am?

 

[GBCrzzyy]

where do we go for the interview? i have the address of the place, but do I just walk in the front lobby at 8 am?

yeah there will be someone there to direct you

 

[deleted244469]

Was anyone asked any ethical questions in their interviews? Is this something I should be well versed in?

 

[SurgDoc95]

Was anyone asked any ethical questions in their interviews? Is this something I should be well versed in?

Very general ethics questions nothing medical based (for me). Very straight forward! You're definitely overthinking the interview and potentially over stressing yourself out. Believe us all when we say to RELAX! The staff goes out of their way to make the experience as comfortable as possible so just know why you want to be a DO and speak from the heart. Oh and smile smile smile! Two interview offers means schools believe you're qualified so believe in yourself=)

 

[deleted244469]

Very general ethics questions nothing medical based (for me). Very straight forward! You're definitely overthinking the interview and potentially over stressing yourself out. Believe us all when we say to RELAX! The staff goes out of their way to make the experience as comfortable as possible so just know why you want to be a DO and speak from the heart. Oh and smile smile smile! Two interview offers means schools believe you're qualified so believe in yourself=)

Thanks for the advice and the kind words. After my first interview, I definitely had to step back and look at what I could have done better, so I'm just looking at all of the possible angles. This approach has actually improved my confidence and has made me less anxious. I think part of the problem with my first interview was that they were TOO relaxed and my interview etiquette really suffered. I learned from that experience that while the interview may be "relaxed" per say, it isn't an excuse to forget everything that I was taught about interview tactics (especially posture!!!)

 

[trugrit19]

Thanks for the advice and the kind words. After my first interview, I definitely had to step back and look at what I could have done better, so I'm just looking at all of the possible angles. This approach has actually improved my confidence and has made me less anxious. I think part of the problem with my first interview was that they were TOO relaxed and my interview etiquette really suffered. I learned from that experience that while the interview may be "relaxed" per say, it isn't an excuse to forget everything that I was taught about interview tactics (especially posture!!!)

I feel ya on that!!! I dont know if I had been accepted to the other school i interviewed for or not but I feel like the interview I had at that particular school was so relaxed that I just forgot everything I was taught. so i definitely understand where you are coming from! where did you interview?

 

[deleted244469]

I feel ya on that!!! I dont know if I had been accepted to the other school i interviewed for or not but I feel like the interview I had at that particular school was so relaxed that I just forgot everything I was taught. so i definitely understand where you are coming from! where did you interview?

ARCOM

 

[futurephysician57]

Interview is in less than 12 hrs we got this fam. I hope to see you guys tomorrow. Let's do this

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[SurgDoc95]

Just paid my deposit

 

[deleted244469]

Just finished with my interview day.

First off, whoever said the interview was "laid back and conversational" was completely full of it. Lol. I had two interviewers that barely cracked a smile and one GRILLED me on my application. Eek. I hope I sufficiently answered their questions. :-/

Besides that, the day was great hahaha. The facility was beautiful and the staff and students were very generous and willing to answer all of my questions.

 

[Noxy]

Just finished with my interview day.

First off, whoever said the interview was "laid back and conversational" was completely full of it. Lol. I had two interviewers that barely cracked a smile and one GRILLED me and my application. Such a terrifying experience. Eek. I hope I sufficiently answered their questions. :-/

Besides that, the day was great hahaha. The facility was beautiful and the staff and students were very generous and willing to answer all of my questions.

Sounds like we had the same interviewers lol

 

[fleur64]

anyone interviewing on the 9th? Im planning on flying into Tally on the 8th. Is anyone else doing this, and want to maybe carpool together from there?

 

[SurgDoc95]

Must be subjective on how the interview day goes I guess! Then again people claim LECOMs interview day is hell and I thought it was great so maybe I'm overly optimistic

 

[kipper68]

Just finished with my interview day.

First off, whoever said the interview was "laid back and conversational" was completely full of it. Lol. I had two interviewers that barely cracked a smile and one GRILLED me and my application. Such a terrifying experience. Eek. I hope I sufficiently answered their questions. :-/

Besides that, the day was great hahaha. The facility was beautiful and the staff and students were very generous and willing to answer all of my questions.

Well, I'm sure you did great. They certainly asked me about some weaknesses in my app and I was actually really grateful that I had that opportunity to explain them. If you are open and honest about what happened, what you learned from it, and how it will make you a better medical student, it's actually to your advantage to discuss any weaknesses.

GL!!!

 

[trugrit19]

I thought they did a really good job selling this school!

 

[BabyDoc814]

OMS 1 student here: shoutout to the interviewee who waved back at me while I was studying today in the group study rooms!!!

 

[deleted244469]

OMS 1 student here: shoutout to the interviewee who waved back at me while I was studying today in the group study rooms!!!

That was funny. The presenter thought he had a question. LOL

Well, I'm sure you did great. They certainly asked me about some weaknesses in my app and I was actually really grateful that I had that opportunity to explain them. If you are open and honest about what happened, what you learned from it, and how it will make you a better medical student, it's actually to your advantage to discuss any weaknesses.

GL!!!

Thanks! I'm hoping for the best. I just thought that the interview felt extremely "up tight", and really didn't let me be myself........like, at all. That aspect was disappointing.

But, you know what they say:

 

[trugrit19]

.

 

[trugrit19]

Oh, and my interview experience was different. They didn't grill me at all and were very nice, but I mentioned my lower MCAT score and felt like it was a mistake. Also, I was so nervous I kept studdering. I actually think I completely messed up the interview bc I just got so nervous. Very surprising considering I've had a good bit of interview practice.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Oh, and my interview experience was different. They didn't grill me at all and were very nice, but I mentioned my lower MCAT score and felt like it was a mistake. Also, I was so nervous I kept studdering. I actually think I completely messed up the interview bc I just got so nervous. Very surprising considering I've had a good bit of interview practice.

If you were able to explain why you got a lower MCAT and what you learned about yourself from the experience it can definitely turn into a positive! Also, your interview experience was very similar to mine in that I thought everyone was very nice.

 

[FingersCrossed22]

If anyone is looking for an affordable place to stay for their interview at ACOM check out my listing on airbnb. I'm a first year, and I can provide transportation to/from the airport and ACOM. Let me know if you have any questions!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16220892?checkin=12/09/2016&checkout=12/10/2016&s=VJ0Eln4a