Has anyone been to this thing before? Or is anyone going and know what to expect? I have the paper that tells hat is going to go on, I just really want to make sure that this thing will be worth it(since it will be a long trip for me). I hope that I am not sounding arrogant, it is just a pure money issue (concerning travel etc.) Thanks a bunch.
I went a few years ago, and the name of it says it all. If you have no idea about osteopathic medicine and you'd like to see some OMM performed before you eyes, by all means attend. I do recommend strongly to go if you are very serious about attending COMP. A couple of my good buddies are going to attend and it was beneficial that they mentioned attending the conference. Is it mandatory? No, but it can help as not many schools to my knowledge have such a conference. I'm from S. Cali so the drive wasn't bad at all. If I was from the east coast and was serious about attending med school perhaps on the west coast, I'd fly and check it out. The distance on your app's will show in the COMP interview how bad you wanted to attend there.
I went to the COMP Open House last August. I flew from New York...just to attend the open house. They seemed to look at that really favorably.. I think it was KEY to include in my secondary when they asked why I wanted to attend COMP. After the open house..you will have a lot of first hand information about the school, and its offerings. You also will be able to meet students, faculty, and explore the school and area. It was a good experience and solidified my desire to attend Western. As a side note...I also attended UHS' Open House...and found it quite informative as well. Feel free to write me with any questions
Just like Wyldstyle and Yosh said, WesternU looks favorably to those who attend the conference when it comes to applying. The secondary specifically asks if you attended one of their conferences. As for what topics are discussed, they focused a little more about COMP itself, but they also give a fair amount of information on osteopathic medicine in general. Towards the end of the conference, one of the osteo doc gurus will demonstrate a series of osteopathic manipulative procedures. If you're lucky enough, he might pick you as his volunteer subject.
I am thinking of attending this conference also. Is there any one from the San Francisco Bay area who would like to drive down there and share the travelling expenses? Its a pretty boring drive to do alone. Sean
It's a pretty cool conference... you get introduced to osteopathic medicine by some of the faculty, get toured by the students, and get a free lunch. What more could you ask for? Acutally, it's also a good way to meet the admissions advisors, students, and faculty and pick their brains. I met someone in admissions, kept in touch with her, and actually had her as one of my interviewers. And she remembered me! I was happy about that. The next conference is April 28th, I might do a tour if my schedule permits. Email me if you plan on going, and we'll chat. Eric, WesternU, MSI
Good question Dave. I'm assuming relatively casual...especially since it's a nearly all-day event. Any input those of you who have been the the conference before? -J
Attire for the conference? Well, just to be safe I'd go with business professional (polo shirt and khakis for a guy). Although I was tempted at first to wear a tank top, shorts with holes in it, and some flip flop slippers. j/k ...well partly. Anyways, you may meet some of the administration and perhaps you could use the time to make sure they remember who you are...so I would dress business professional. They're really nice! P.S. Volunteer for the OM demonstration! I didn't when I went 2 years ago, but it would be interesting to actually experience it! - wyldstyle2000
Hey guys, wyldstyle2000 made a good suggestion.. volunteer for the OMM demo.. especially if you DO have something you might want them to take a look at! When I went to OMAC, students were a bit tentative to volunteer at first. It really is a good idea to experience OMM yourself.. and you might even gain some exposure to the administration if they recognize you the second time around during interviews. OMAC is something I would seriously consider if you have means of attending the conference. As others previously mentioned, it did have a favorable effect when mentioned in my application and interviews. One of my interviewers (I had three) was actually the DO who performed the OMM demo that day and I made sure to bring that up! If you are really interested in COMP, it is definitely worth the time in my opinion. I do understand that it is quite a hike to travel from anywhere besides the western states.. but hey, you could perhaps go a little early (or stay later) and make a mini-vacation out of it.. it IS California after all!
For those of you in Northern Califonia or unable to attend the April conference. There will be a COMP conference in UCDavis on May twelfth. 5/12 Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. [sign up in 111 South Hall by 5/4/01] Osteopathic Medicine Awareness Conference [sponsored by Western U of Health Sciences/COMP and University of California, Davis] Kleiber Hall The phone number in South Hall is (530)752-3000. I'm not sure whether or not this is specifically for Davis Students but for those of you who won't be able to attend the April one, here's your chance.
