Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) Discussion Thread 2016-2017

BU Medical Sciences
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khronos said:
Is BCOM pass/fail? It's not on the list of AACOMAS schools that list grading type.
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I had the same question for the adcoms - and the answer was no.
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What do you guys think of BCOM's "no cadavers" approach to teaching anatomy?
 
Vra4 said:
What do you guys think of BCOM's "no cadavers" approach to teaching anatomy?
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Honestly it isn't bad, they say that as a doctor you are more likely too see cat scans and X- rays, so they might as well teach you anatomy with that in mind. Plus they have a 3rd year elective class where you can work with cadavers, so if you are considering surgery you can take that opportunity.
 
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Just got the call: interview moved from Feb. 13 to Dec. 19!

They are moving through the list pretty quickly it seems.
 
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DualDegreeGuy said:
Just got the call: interview moved from Feb. 13 to Dec. 19!

They are moving through the list pretty quickly it seems.
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Did you call or email to ask about getting an earlier spot? I'm looking at booking my ticket but would like to see about getting an earlier date before I book.
 
jdautofill said:
Did you call or email to ask about getting an earlier spot? I'm looking at booking my ticket but would like to see about getting an earlier date before I book.
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Lots of people have been saying you can simply call admissions and request to be put on a list to be notified when an earlier date opens up. I would recommend calling, they're very friendly in admissions and you'll probably get a response much more quickly than emailing.
 
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Vra4 said:
What do you guys think of BCOM's "no cadavers" approach to teaching anatomy?
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I was kinda bothered by it, especially since they didnt have the cadavers in yet. Theres definitely going to be hiccups down the line. I feel like its an important part of the pre-clinical years.
 
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bigindian4891 said:
I was kinda bothered by it, especially since they didnt have the cadavers in yet. Theres definitely going to be hiccups down the line. I feel like its an important part of the pre-clinical years.
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every physician I've spoken to said it was a time sink and not helpful when you see a live body. But I feel really comfortable with imaging now because we constantly are tested on cts and xrays. 4 months ago, I didn't know what any of that was. we have the option of cadavers later on if we choose
 
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rhedr001 said:
Lots of people have been saying you can simply call admissions and request to be put on a list to be notified when an earlier date opens up. I would recommend calling, they're very friendly in admissions and you'll probably get a response much more quickly than emailing.
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Thanks, I'll give them a call. And... I really like your profile pic, cute pup!
 
Vra4 said:
What do you guys think of BCOM's "no cadavers" approach to teaching anatomy?
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Agree with FutureDO08 on this one. Learning the imaging is more important and I think it is ALOT more clinically relevant than seeing a live cadaver. Also when you have one cadaver per 10 students, not alot of learning is going on since only 1-2 students can really cut and get a decent view of the cadaver. But thats just my personal opinion.
 
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jdautofill said:
Did you call or email to ask about getting an earlier spot? I'm looking at booking my ticket but would like to see about getting an earlier date before I book.
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I called initially and they instructed me to email them, I would do the same if you are interested in moving your date up.

Wait to book, I jumped the gun and definitely paid for it :greedy:
 
FutureDO08 said:
every physician I've spoken to said it was a time sink and not helpful when you see a live body. But I feel really comfortable with imaging now because we constantly are tested on cts and xrays. 4 months ago, I didn't know what any of that was. we have the option of cadavers later on if we choose
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Fair enough, thats a good point!
 
amaci002 said:
Does anyone know how the interview went? I know they make you sign an agreement not to speak about the specifics regarding the questions. But can anyone tell me how the interview vibe was? Was it conversational? Was it interogational?
also the format was it one on one? panel? group?

If anyone that interviewed could answer I'd appreciate it. Thanks
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Hey I interviewed here long back ago in October. But the interview was very relaxed 2-1. As per questions pretty much know about your application in and out. And also know why you are there in front of them. Personal suggestion... just think about your journey you set on to pursue your dream to become a physicianand you will be able to answer all the questions up to their expectations. if they invited you for an interview, they believe in you. All you have to do is believe in yourself..!! Good luck!!
 
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FutureDO08 said:
every physician I've spoken to said it was a time sink and not helpful when you see a live body. But I feel really comfortable with imaging now because we constantly are tested on cts and xrays. 4 months ago, I didn't know what any of that was. we have the option of cadavers later on if we choose
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Can I ask a follow-up question then? How often do you guys have standardized patient encounters?
 
Vra4 said:
Can I ask a follow-up question then? How often do you guys have standardized patient encounters?
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We had one a couple weeks ago and we have a standardized patient final coming up this coming week. We've just started doing them recently but they're recorded so we can watch ourselves. It's been pretty cool


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Hi everybody,
How long after your interview did you hear a response?
 
What do you guys think about BCOM not receiving full accreditation until graduating its first class?
 
bio53858 said:
Hi everybody,
How long after your interview did you hear a response?
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Depending on what day of the week you interviewed, it is anywhere from 3-7 days. I interviewed on a monday and got the acceptance email thursday morning. If you interviewed on a Wednesday, then you won't find out until next week.

bio53858 said:
What do you guys think about BCOM not receiving full accreditation until graduating its first class?
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Zero concerns because that is how every medical school (MD and DO) does accreditation. Everyone is provisional until the first class graduates.
 
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How easy/hard it is to get a private loan? What's the difference btw it and the federal loan?
 
samsamani said:
How easy/hard it is to get a private loan? What's the difference btw it and the federal loan?
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Not hard at all. You fill out an application and the bank runs a credit check. I was told by the BCOM staff that Wells Fargo was the best bank to get a loan with because they have the longest deferment (60 months aka 5 years). I was also told to NOT apply until February (6 months before class starts) since they would have to run your credit score again. Every time your credit score gets looked up, it can go down so you want to minimize that.

The difference between federal and private loans is the interest rate. Federal loans have the same interest rate for all students, regardless of credit (currently 5.31%). A private loan can have a fixed or variable interest rate.
Source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized

For private loans, your interest rate is based off your credit score and whether or not you have a co-signer. If you have a good credit score (720+) then the private interest rate should be close to the federal rate. I got an of offer for 6.1% fixed. Yes, it is true that federal loan forgiveness programs do not forgive private debt but each state also has different loans forgiveness programs that may forgive private debt as well. Check the AAMC loan forgiveness database for more information: https://services.aamc.org/fed_loan_...1&CFTOKEN=E7AF04B0-034C-62CB-242A730779B181C4

The way I look at is that since we are part of the second class, so we should only have private loans for the first year which is not bad at all. Plus the cost of living in the budget (like most schools) heavily overestimates how much money you need. Don't get scared of the 75k you see, I would think of it as 60-65k because NM is a super cheap state. With tuition at 48k, it is entirely reasonable for food, housing, etc. to be in the 12-17k/year range depending if you are single or have a family you are bringing.
 
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SlugMD said:
Not hard at all. You fill out an application and the bank runs a credit check. I was told by the BCOM staff that Wells Fargo was the best bank to get a loan with because they have the longest deferment (60 months aka 5 years). I was also told to NOT apply until February (6 months before class starts) since they would have to run your credit score again. Every time your credit score gets looked up, it can go down so you want to minimize that.

The difference between federal and private loans is the interest rate. Federal loans have the same interest rate for all students, regardless of credit (currently 5.31%). A private loan can have a fixed or variable interest rate.
Source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized

For private loans, your interest rate is based off your credit score and whether or not you have a co-signer. If you have a good credit score (720+) then the private interest rate should be close to the federal rate. I got an of offer for 6.1% fixed. Yes, it is true that federal loan forgiveness programs do not forgive private debt but each state also has different loans forgiveness programs that may forgive private debt as well. Check the AAMC loan forgiveness database for more information: https://services.aamc.org/fed_loan_...1&CFTOKEN=E7AF04B0-034C-62CB-242A730779B181C4

The way I look at is that since we are part of the second class, so we should only have private loans for the first year which is not bad at all. Plus the cost of living in the budget (like most schools) heavily overestimates how much money you need. Don't get scared of the 75k you see, I would think of it as 60-65k because NM is a super cheap state. With tuition at 48k, it is entirely reasonable for food, housing, etc. to be in the 12-17k/year range depending if you are single or have a family you are bringing.
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Thank you, that was very helpful
 
I'm interviewing this Wednesday! I hope to see some of y'all there.
 
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SlugMD said:
Not hard at all. You fill out an application and the bank runs a credit check. I was told by the BCOM staff that Wells Fargo was the best bank to get a loan with because they have the longest deferment (60 months aka 5 years). I was also told to NOT apply until February (6 months before class starts) since they would have to run your credit score again. Every time your credit score gets looked up, it can go down so you want to minimize that.

The difference between federal and private loans is the interest rate. Federal loans have the same interest rate for all students, regardless of credit (currently 5.31%). A private loan can have a fixed or variable interest rate.
Source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized

For private loans, your interest rate is based off your credit score and whether or not you have a co-signer. If you have a good credit score (720+) then the private interest rate should be close to the federal rate. I got an of offer for 6.1% fixed. Yes, it is true that federal loan forgiveness programs do not forgive private debt but each state also has different loans forgiveness programs that may forgive private debt as well. Check the AAMC loan forgiveness database for more information: https://services.aamc.org/fed_loan_...1&CFTOKEN=E7AF04B0-034C-62CB-242A730779B181C4

The way I look at is that since we are part of the second class, so we should only have private loans for the first year which is not bad at all. Plus the cost of living in the budget (like most schools) heavily overestimates how much money you need. Don't get scared of the 75k you see, I would think of it as 60-65k because NM is a super cheap state. With tuition at 48k, it is entirely reasonable for food, housing, etc. to be in the 12-17k/year range depending if you are single or have a family you are bringing.
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When do you suggest applying for a loan? What's the latest you would suggest? Thanks!
 
kj8210 said:
When do you suggest applying for a loan? What's the latest you would suggest? Thanks!
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I don't know the latest date you can apply. My guess is that because it's a private loan, there is no real deadline as long as you make sure you have the money by the time you have to pay off your tuition which is before the first day of classes. Refer to BCOM handbook for more details.

The earliest I recommend is 6months before classes start so middle of February. That way they would only run your credit score once.
 
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Oh ****! I wanted to tell you guys that you should be building credit for that first year of your private loan. I went to my bank and applied for a non-secured credit card and am spending between 14 - 33% of the max every month in order to build my credit score. I also plan to buy maybe an Apple Watch or something on an installment plan. Those 2 things will go a long way in securing you a lower interest rate. Interest is compounding - check your credit score today!!!!

ACOM recommended https://www.creditkarma.com. If you don't show up its because you don't have any credit. You want a score over 700. Good luck and I hope to see you ladies and gents in August!
 
Grey Storm said:
Oh ****! I wanted to tell you guys that you should be building credit for that first year of your private loan. I went to my bank and applied for a non-secured credit card and am spending between 14 - 33% of the max every month in order to build my credit score. I also plan to buy maybe an Apple Watch or something on an installment plan. Those 2 things will go a long way in securing you a lower interest rate. Interest is compounding - check your credit score today!!!!

ACOM recommended https://www.creditkarma.com. If you don't show up its because you don't have any credit. You want a score over 700. Good luck and I hope to see you ladies and gents in August!
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You get 3 free reports each year as well. (transunion, experian, equifax)

get a discover card, you can pull fico scores,
get a Capital One card, you'll see your scores but I believe they're off the experian models (inflated scores usually in my experience)

Don't load up on the hard inquiries, keep your utilization in the 10-25% max range. Maximize Miles cards and promos if you have the cash or spending ability to get miles as well if you need rentals, hotels, flights.

More and more cards are offering monthly score monitoring. Mind you, all banks use different FICO/scoring models but these will give you an estimate of where you are.

Often, you can ask the lender you're looking to borrow from which scoring model they use to base their decision and they'll let you know. If you've purchased a vehicle recently, don't go off that score, I've had different scores for home loans, car loans, and student loans.

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
 
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Has anyone spoke to admissions whether the decision for ppl who interviewed on Friday will be given at the end of this week or before hand?
 
vladnix said:
Has anyone spoke to admissions whether the decision for ppl who interviewed on Friday will be given at the end of this week or before hand?
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Decisions come out on Thursdays for everyone, whether you interview on Monday or Friday.

You decisions will come out the following Thursday.
 
It's Thursday...ah! Waiting for the email
 
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For people who have flown in previously, is it easier to just get an uber all the way to the school or just rent a car?
 
Waitlisted :/, whose a good contact that deals with the waitlist?
 
Accepted! Interviewed 12/9. #autocorrectfail
 
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Anyone else on the waitlist for 2017 or that got admitted from the waitlist can offer me some advice. BCOM is my top choice regarding schools so I'd love to pay the deposit and go there.
 
vladnix said:
Anyone else on the waitlist for 2017 or that got admitted from the waitlist can offer me some advice. BCOM is my top choice regarding schools so I'd love to pay the deposit and go there.
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Theres heavy waitlist movement since it is a new school. Adrian said he took 80 kids off the waitlist last year.
 
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