NSU-COM Discussion Thread 2011-2012

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I was also put on the 'alternate list' recently.

I had the Experience Day instead of the interview and loved the school (#1 choice). I thought the experience went very well so I was very surprised by the alternate decision. Can anyone else relate?


It's interesting to hear that I'm not one of the few then. Why are so many people being put on the alternate list?

I also went to the experience day on November 4th and was put on the alternate list about a week later.

The thing is, Anastasia just emailed me yesterday requesting an interview. Okay I'm glad for the opportunity, but honestly what's going on? I mean if my application wasn't good enough to begin with why didn't they just offer me a traditional interview in the first place? Now I'm paying more than double the airfare and hotel accommodations for a single interview (even if it is my first choice). It's just the principle that has me frustrated.

Frustration all around, I know I'm not unique, but seriously. This is backwards. Anyway good luck to all of you --- hard to enjoy the holidays with all this stress.+pity+
 
It's interesting to hear that I'm not one of the few then. Why are so many people being put on the alternate list?

I also went to the experience day on November 4th and was put on the alternate list about a week later.

The thing is, Anastasia just emailed me yesterday requesting an interview. Okay I'm glad for the opportunity, but honestly what's going on? I mean if my application wasn't good enough to begin with why didn't they just offer me a traditional interview in the first place? Now I'm paying more than double the airfare and hotel accommodations for a single interview (even if it is my first choice). It's just the principle that has me frustrated.

Frustration all around, I know I'm not unique, but seriously. This is backwards. Anyway good luck to all of you --- hard to enjoy the holidays with all this stress.+pity+

That's some serious BS!
 
Haven't submitted my LORs yet, but I submitted my secondary on 10/20.

Sweet! I shouldn't be to far off. I submitted 10 days after you. :xf: Hope everything goes well with your interview :luck:!

Also if your interested I found some good interview stuff from Nova if you are interested.
 
It's interesting to hear that I'm not one of the few then. Why are so many people being put on the alternate list?

I also went to the experience day on November 4th and was put on the alternate list about a week later.

The thing is, Anastasia just emailed me yesterday requesting an interview. Okay I'm glad for the opportunity, but honestly what's going on? I mean if my application wasn't good enough to begin with why didn't they just offer me a traditional interview in the first place? Now I'm paying more than double the airfare and hotel accommodations for a single interview (even if it is my first choice). It's just the principle that has me frustrated.

Frustration all around, I know I'm not unique, but seriously. This is backwards. Anyway good luck to all of you --- hard to enjoy the holidays with all this stress.+pity+

Wow that sounds ridiculous. Please keep us updated.
 
Sweet! I shouldn't be to far off. I submitted 10 days after you. :xf: Hope everything goes well with your interview :luck:!

Also if your interested I found some good interview stuff from Nova if you are interested.

Absolutely, thank you. Best of luck to you as well.

Send me a PM please!
 
I think I'll be sending my deposit in on Monday. Does anyone know if we can pay online? I tried Webstar, but it says it can't locate my records...? Hopefully they didn't change their minds! lol
 
Hi, I'm super confused. I went to the link and registered but it never asked me for my NSU ID number or lead me to the deposit..?? Am I missing something?

1.) Click: University Store
2.) Click: College of Osteopathic Medicine
3.) Click: Student Deposits
 
I officially declined my acceptance here today so that should open a spot for an alternate lister 🙂
What made you choose another school over Nova, and what school did you choose if you don't mind?
 
I have an option to choose between NSU-COM and WVSOM...I am torn between both of the schools and I am wondering if anyone could help me out. Pros and cons of both schools would be awesome. I also want to know how Nova's curriculum works...is it systems based, etc and how friendly/good are all of the professors? Also, if anyone has any info on rotations sites that would help a great deal (I want to ultimately get a residency in NY/NJ). Thanks.
 
I have an option to choose between NSU-COM and WVSOM...I am torn between both of the schools and I am wondering if anyone could help me out. Pros and cons of both schools would be awesome. I also want to know how Nova's curriculum works...is it systems based, etc and how friendly/good are all of the professors? Also, if anyone has any info on rotations sites that would help a great deal (I want to ultimately get a residency in NY/NJ). Thanks.

I can comment on NSU but I don't know anything or anyone who go to WVSOM.

First year at NSU you will be taught mainly by the college of medical sciences (different than the college of medicine) and it will be taught by subject (biochem, anatomy, physio, histology, etc.). Most of the professors (95% of them) are nice and open to you dropping by their office whenever you like. I never had any occurrences with any professors that I did not like, but I have heard from some of my classmates about how some professors were not helpful when they went to talk to them, or were just complete d-bags. The OPP department is part of the college of medicine and is extremely good...all the professors are unbelievably helpful. Attendance is "mandatory" but I never went to class and did not suffer any repercussions.

Second year is 100% taught by the College of Medicine and visiting professors/physicians. All your classes are recorded online. It is systems based curriculum so your first semester you will have one block of Dermatology/Musculoskeletal/Hematology and another block of Cardio/Respiratory/GI. All the professors basically beg you to come talk to them because they really enjoy talking with the students and getting to know us. They are all extremely helpful and really enjoy teaching us about their fields of specialty.

One thing I have to say though is that the student body here is awesome. Everyone in the class helps each other out by emailing out study tools, websites they found to be helpful, clarifying information by asking questions and getting answers, emailing out past exams they found, etc. It is not competitive amongst your classmates at all. We started a note taking service our 2nd semester of 1st year so that those who decided to not come to class would be able to get the notes and any key points the professors touched on. We carried this over to our 2nd year as well.

Nice thing about NSU is that your rotation sites are set up for you (i have heard that other schools make you set them up yourself). One of the sites you are able to choose from is in the Hamptons, NY, so that could work out for you. You will do your core rotations (14 months) at whatever rotation site you are assigned. You have to do 3 months of rural rotations during your 4th year (2 months you are assigned a place, and 1 month you get to choose...so you can go internationally if you want or stay local. Some people have gone to Australia, Hawaii, NYC, etc.) The remaining months of your 4th year are your elective rotations where you want to go rotate through programs you are interested in applying to for residency.

Hope that helps you out a bit. If you have any more questions, PM me.
 
Anyone look into housing yet? Obviously I won't be looking for a place for several months, but I was curious about the general area. If there are any students who can comment from last year that would be awesome.

Do most students live on-campus or off?

Does anyone live near the beach and commute to class?

What should I expect in terms of rent?

Thanks
 
Anyone look into housing yet? Obviously I won't be looking for a place for several months, but I was curious about the general area. If there are any students who can comment from last year that would be awesome.

Do most students live on-campus or off?

Does anyone live near the beach and commute to class?

What should I expect in terms of rent?

Thanks

95% of the class lives off campus. 5% live in the graduate housing (these are rough estimates). One outweighs the other really. Graduate housing at rolling hills includes all your bills, utilities, etc. and come furnished. I can't remember how much it breaks down to a month but I want to say about 1100 a month.

Living off campus is what most of the class does. There are plenty of places right around campus, within walking distance. They will run anywhere from 900/mo for a 1/1 to 1300 for a 2/2...plus utilities of course. There are some more "luxurious" places within 5 miles of campus that start at 1400 for a 1/1 and go up to 2000 for a 2/2. Plenty of people live downtown fort lauderdale or over on the beach. Rent is a little more expensive there compared to around campus. And traffic can be anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on traffic from the beach or downtown.

Some places you may want to google before coming down to check out:

Walking distance to NSU-COM:
- Sunforest
- Sundance

Other places many students live within 5 miles of campus:
- Palms Trace
- Gatehouse on the Green
- St. Tropez
- I think there is a place called Palms West
- and a bunch of others I can't think of right now

Luxury Apartments:
- Midtown 24
- Veranda at Plantation
- And a few others that are slipping my mind

Just to get you started on some places to look at...others may chime in and tell you some other places that I can not think of
 
Anyone know the grading scheme for NSU for first two years and rotations? (Pass/Fail OR High Honors, Honors, Pass, Fail) etc. Thanks.
 
Hey bro. I would choose Nova because my brother graduated from there. Hes doing residency right now at St. Joe's Hospital in NJ. He loved it there. He said the professors would help you and would make sure that you understand everything. It all matters on how much you talk to them. The more you engage with them the more they will know you. Besides, he loved the nightlife there. Idk if you are into that stuff but I sure am. So go NOVA all the way.
 
Hey bro. I would choose Nova because my brother graduated from there. Hes doing residency right now at St. Joe's Hospital in NJ. He loved it there. He said the professors would help you and would make sure that you understand everything. It all matters on how much you talk to them. The more you engage with them the more they will know you. Besides, he loved the nightlife there. Idk if you are into that stuff but I sure am. So go NOVA all the way.

Thanks man, I'm actually leaning a lot toward Nova now after talking to people. Are you going to Nova (Class of 2016)? Also what residency is your brother doing..surgery, IM, FM, etc?

And yea...nightlife would be awesome especially after exams lol.
 
Anyone have an experience day next week on the 9th?
 
Anyone know the grading scheme for NSU for first two years and rotations? (Pass/Fail OR High Honors, Honors, Pass, Fail) etc. Thanks.

It is a percentage grade...so if you had an overall grade of 89% in anatomy...you will get an 89 in anatomy, not a B+. A few classes are P/F.

Rotations I am not sure about...but I am assuming it is Fail, Pass, High Pass, Honors?
 
Just gave up my spot today. Hope that helps someone out here. Cheers!
 
Is it necessarily better to attend the Experience Day rather than a traditional interview?
 
Is it necessarily better to attend the Experience Day rather than a traditional interview?
what do you mean by "better"? I think their favorite candidates get interview invites as opposed to experience day invites, but that's just me assuming stuff and things and stuff. Also, i think experience day invites have only been going out in the last month or two, making me think the class is getting fuller. but to be honest, im just guessing
 
what do you mean by "better"? I think their favorite candidates get interview invites as opposed to experience day invites, but that's just me assuming stuff and things and stuff. Also, i think experience day invites have only been going out in the last month or two, making me think the class is getting fuller. but to be honest, im just guessing

I'm just wondering why they would have two separate interview formats in the first place. One must trump another in some way.
 
I do 🙂


Awesome! I'm excited, but I don't know how to prepare because there isn't a traditional sit down. How are you preparing?

Is it necessarily better to attend the Experience Day rather than a traditional interview?

I was confused about this as well. I don't believe Experience Days make you a shoe in as seen with DOAlltheWay. Here's what I found in last year's thread. I don't believe this is only for applicants with extremely strong MCAT scores because I'm definitely an underdog, from what I can gather we won't have an "interview." We will be in a fish bowl of sorts.

The first type is just the typical med school interview day-they invite you to an interview, you get an orientation, tour, interview, blah blah, and then in the following weeks the admissions committee meets to decide whether to accept/reject/waitlist.

The 2nd type is what they refer to as "The Medical School Experience". Here is how this works-for those applicants who have a sufficiently high gpa and MCAT score, the decision is made to forego the standard interview process, and these applicants are invited to attend this special prorgram which essentially serves to "sell" the school to this subset of "high-stats" applicants. There is no interview for these applicants, and if you are invited to attend, the decision has essentially already been made to accept you. Nova recognizes that these applicants, due to their high stats, likely will have many choices regarding what school to attend, and a great number of these applicants are hoping to attend an MD school, but have applied to Nova and other DO schools as a "safety" in the event they are not accepted to an MD program. Nova uses this "Medical School Experience" day to attempt to draw in some of these applicants and convince them that Nova may be the better fit for them.
 
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Awesome! I'm excited, but I don't know how to prepare because there isn't a traditional sit down. How are you preparing?



I was confused about this as well. I don't believe Experience Days make you a shoe in as seen with DOAlltheWay. Here's what I found in last year's thread. I don't believe this is only for applicants with extremely strong MCAT scores because I'm definitely an underdog, from what I can gather we won't have an "interview." We will be in a fish bowl of sorts.

The first type is just the typical med school interview day-they invite you to an interview, you get an orientation, tour, interview, blah blah, and then in the following weeks the admissions committee meets to decide whether to accept/reject/waitlist.

The 2nd type is what they refer to as "The Medical School Experience". Here is how this works-for those applicants who have a sufficiently high gpa and MCAT score, the decision is made to forego the standard interview process, and these applicants are invited to attend this special prorgram which essentially serves to "sell" the school to this subset of "high-stats" applicants. There is no interview for these applicants, and if you are invited to attend, the decision has essentially already been made to accept you. Nova recognizes that these applicants, due to their high stats, likely will have many choices regarding what school to attend, and a great number of these applicants are hoping to attend an MD school, but have applied to Nova and other DO schools as a "safety" in the event they are not accepted to an MD program. Nova uses this "Medical School Experience" day to attempt to draw in some of these applicants and convince them that Nova may be the better fit for them.


What source did you get this from? I too have Experience Day coming up on the 9th. Now I'm not saying this because I want it to be true for me since I have the Experience Day invite, but if Experience Day does not include an interview it would make sense that they have essentially placed you above "Interview" status. Because Experience Day sounds like their trying to sell me the school. I mean a sit-down with current students plus a speech from the dean of admissions? I don't see why they would do all this as well as give tours of the facilities and campus if you're a peg, so to speak, below interview material. Of course, I could be wrong but I just want more insight to know where I stand. If planning on wait-listing or rejecting those invited to "Experience Day" why not do so from the secondary application. I don't know I guess I'm partially biased because I want it to be true but it makes sense if you think about. I would interview those I am considering and give an Experience Day to those that I already know I want to come. Otherwise "Experience Day" seems pointless and it does say in the email that it fulfills your interview requirement. What do you think?
 
What source did you get this from? I too have Experience Day coming up on the 9th. Now I'm not saying this because I want it to be true for me since I have the Experience Day invite, but if Experience Day does not include an interview it would make sense that they have essentially placed you above "Interview" status. Because Experience Day sounds like their trying to sell me the school. I mean a sit-down with current students plus a speech from the dean of admissions? I don't see why they would do all this as well as give tours of the facilities and campus if you're a peg, so to speak, below interview material. Of course, I could be wrong but I just want more insight to know where I stand. If planning on wait-listing or rejecting those invited to "Experience Day" why not do so from the secondary application. I don't know I guess I'm partially biased because I want it to be true but it makes sense if you think about. I would interview those I am considering and give an Experience Day to those that I already know I want to come. Otherwise "Experience Day" seems pointless and it does say in the email that it fulfills your interview requirement. What do you think?
Everything you just said makes sense. But I don't get why they would make people think they are an awesome candidate by offering experience day, and then somehow make the decision to put them on an alternate list without an interview. I had a traditional interview, so I don't know what happens during experience day, but it sounds like the administration just talks to you and shows you stuff. What criteria are they using to pick candidates from experience day? What are they seeing/not seeing to put people on the alternate list?
 
What source did you get this from? I too have Experience Day coming up on the 9th. Now I'm not saying this because I want it to be true for me since I have the Experience Day invite, but if Experience Day does not include an interview it would make sense that they have essentially placed you above "Interview" status. Because Experience Day sounds like their trying to sell me the school. I mean a sit-down with current students plus a speech from the dean of admissions? I don't see why they would do all this as well as give tours of the facilities and campus if you're a peg, so to speak, below interview material. Of course, I could be wrong but I just want more insight to know where I stand. If planning on wait-listing or rejecting those invited to "Experience Day" why not do so from the secondary application. I don't know I guess I'm partially biased because I want it to be true but it makes sense if you think about. I would interview those I am considering and give an Experience Day to those that I already know I want to come. Otherwise "Experience Day" seems pointless and it does say in the email that it fulfills your interview requirement. What do you think?

I got the info from last year's thread. (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=10573528) I have been going back and forth about how they're going to be evaluating us. You bring a good point. I don't know why they would make us do this if they are going to waitlist us. So nervous! Are you getting in on the 8th? Not to be creepy but it's my birthday and I was hoping people would be around to go for drinks or something before.
 
Yeah I'll be down there on the 8th pretty much all my family lives down there, I went to school at BC which is right across from Nova as you will see when you go. I mean where you gonna be staying? I'm staying with my fam so I wont have my own car. How far are you going to be from the school?
 
Everything you just said makes sense. But I don't get why they would make people think they are an awesome candidate by offering experience day, and then somehow make the decision to put them on an alternate list without an interview. I had a traditional interview, so I don't know what happens during experience day, but it sounds like the administration just talks to you and shows you stuff. What criteria are they using to pick candidates from experience day? What are they seeing/not seeing to put people on the alternate list?


Precisely the more reason to believe that those invited to Experience Day have essentially been picked. Experience Day fulfills the interview requirement. If you're not being interviewed yet you're fulfilling the interview requirement then it must mean that they have already considered accepting you based on your file. Of course a tour of the facility is necessary and required. It basically includes everything that the interview day includes except the interview. So one could conclude that they invite students to the Experience Day not only to showcase the school but also fulfill the requirement of going to the school, meeting the students, seeing the facilities, etc. It makes no sense to have something that is so similar to the interview and fulfills the interview requirement without plans on accepting them. For that just wait list them from the jump. I don't know it doesn't make sense any other way.
 
That's what I thought going in to my Experience Day. If I had known there was a chance that I would have been alternate listed instead of accepted, I would have preferred a traditional interview to showcase myself on a more personal level. I'm till hoping for that acceptance though... preferably before the 14th deadline.
 
Yes unfortunately I was. I had an experience day on Nov 4 and left with a great impression of the school. NOVA is definitely my top choice so I was pretty bummed when I got the email about the alternate list. Like I said, the experience day was very enjoyable, but I would have like to have had the chance to talk to someone in an interview to sell myself.
 
Yeah I have experience day this coming 9th. Signs are pointing to a waitlist from what people are saying, what were you stats? If you dont mind.
 
I have 31O with 3.65 gpa so I think my stats were ok.
 
I have a traditional interview with a slightly lower MCAT, but a higher GPA.
 
Did anyone create a Facebook group for the class of 2016?
 
This is crazy ...I've been done since July ...nothing... I've emailed they said keep waiting..crazy!
 
Complete for over 3 months here and no news AT ALL! what is going on?!
I'm in-state and feel like I have a pretty competitive application, stats and EC.
why?? 😱

Anyone complete over the summer recently receive an interview?
I've been done since July 21 ! What the heckkkkkk
 
Yeah, I am pretty much losing a grip on this school...it has been over 2 months and every time I called them, they said be patient and wait...
 
This is crazy ...I've been done since July ...nothing... I've emailed they said keep waiting..crazy!



Are you saying you've been done since July with everything and they haven't called you for an interview or that you were waitlisted?
 
Hi Cmed12:

Whoops! Sorry for the delay. I don't really come on here unless prompted by a PM. To tell you the truth, the most preparation I'm doing is to ensure that I leave the high school science classes I teach with straightforward assignments to keep them occupied on Friday while I'm in Florida. Can't be worried about how they're doing up here while I'm down there.

At this point, I feel like I know everything about myself, and I've spent time looking into the particulars of the DO program at Nova, so I kind of feel like staying relaxed and excited is the best way for me to prepare. But I'm definitely the type of person who becomes increasing calm as the event approaches, so I might not be the best person to ask.

PM me if you have any specific questions 🙂 Good luck!
 
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