PCOM Discussion thread 2007-2008

[mitawa]

Why didn't I think to do a study this simple?
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/...r/20070510172809990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

A high school student came up with the idea, and I am surprised that no one thought of it previously. It is a good study!

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[Dancing Doctor]

Why didn't I think to do a study this simple?
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/...r/20070510172809990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

A high school student came up with the idea, and I am surprised that no one thought of it previously. It is a good study!

It is a good study study, but it says that a patient asked the doctor (the kid's dad) about it. part of the reason this hasn't been thought of is the same theory that doctor who said that pacemaker patients were not those that were using iPods. The pediatric pacemaker population has long been ignored by many cardiologists because they are not in communication with pediatric cardiologists until the child turns 18. In 2002 there were over 1,000 pediatric pacemaker patients registered (I only know because one of my friends has had a pacemaker device since she was 7 or 8). Also, I think the older population is catching up with the technology use, making it another reason to come up in the office.

 

[mitawa]

Hey guys,

What is the avg MCAT and GPA that is need to get into PCOM. Do a lot of the students that graduate go into specialities. I also wanted to know if you are from New York are you less likely to get in and are there more graduates that specialize in PCOM than at NYCOM?

Average stats are relative to the overall applicant, if you are concerned contact the admissions office. As for you other question, here's some info posted by someone else earlier in this forum from us news & world reports...


percentage of 2002-2004 graduates who enter primary care (however defined by USNews - ask them what their definition of primary care is).
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/gra...care_brief.php

WVSOM - 87.3%
MSU-COM - 85.8%
PCSOM - 78.0%
TCOM - 77.7%
NSUCOM - 77.0%
UNECOM - 67.2%
OSU-COM - 67.0%
LECOM - 61.0%
OUCOM - 58.0%
TUCOM - 52.0%
DMU-COM 46.5%
KCOM - 45.7%
NYCOM - 45.0%
PCOM - 37.0%

(COMP/Western, AZCOM, CCOM, KCUMB/UHS, UMDNJ-SOM not listed)

To give you an idea of where the MD schools stands

University of Nebraska College of Medicine 61.0%
Drexel University - 52.0%
George Washington University - 50.2%
University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill - 48.0%
University of Chicago (Pritzker) - 47.0%
Harvard University - 41.0%
New York University - 38.8%
Johns Hopkins - 37.0%
University of Pennsylvania - 37.0%

DO schools make up the top 6 schools that send its graduates into primary care, and 9 out of the top 10 schools are DO.

There are 21 schools that have fewer percentages of its graduates go into primary care than PCOM. They are:

University of Utah 36.3%
Texas Tech University 36.0%
University of Cincinnati 36.0%
Univ. of Texas Houston 35.3%
Howard University 35.0%
Uniformed Services Univ. of the Health Sciences 35.0%
University of Pittsburgh 34.9%
Boston University 34.7%
University of California--San Francisco 34.5%
Northeastern Ohio Univ. 33.0%
Columbia U. 32.7%
University of South Dakota 32.3%
Stanford University 32.1%
University of Rochester 32.1%
Mayo Medical School 32.0%
Vanderbilt University 31.0%
Yale University 30.2%
University of Tennessee 30.0%
Washington University 30.0%
University of Michigan 29.9%
University of North Dakota 28.0%

 

[Onstarr]

interesting info. thanks


any info on whether pcom is moving w/ the waitlist?

 

[MaximusD]

bump back to the front page.

 

[turtle582]

interesting info. thanks


any info on whether pcom is moving w/ the waitlist?

Just got an update email from Deborah at PCOM. She indicated that some people were pulled off the list, and they will continue to review alternates as other students withdraw. I hope I'll be pulled from the list eventually...

 

[Animus]

Just got an update email from Deborah at PCOM. She indicated that some people were pulled off the list, and they will continue to review alternates as other students withdraw. I hope I'll be pulled from the list eventually...

Goodluck!! I will be rooting for you to join us!!

 

[turtle582]

Goodluck!! I will be rooting for you to join us!!

Thanks!!

 

[pamolive]

ahh if only my life was that simple. the problem is, i already have a bf, and he's a first year resident. But his INDIAN parents dont want him to get married before I am doing something professional. So the two of us are kind of stuck in the middle, with no where to go.

Thanks again Max for your support. But Indian parents, especially the ones who recently immigrated here such as my parents, are the most difficult to deal with. They are sooo immersed in trying to keep the indian culture alive (which I don't have a problem with) that they have to do things a certain way, and anything that goes against the way it needs to be done, is wrong. According to my parents, girls who are not married by the age of 24 (and 25 if you really want to push it), might as well kiss a good marriage goodbye. And I'm turning 24 soon...I don't agree with it, but i have to live with it because these are my family's cardinal rules. You gotta love being an immigrant!

I'm indian as well. My parents were both born and raised there, and have really tried to instill those indian "shame culture" values in me since I was born. I do what I can to make them proud of me, but I'll never let them influence my personal relationships. Your primary focus should be on making yourself happy. I know how Indian parents can be. They'll be mad if you disobey them. But, I also know how loving they are. They may be mad at you, but they'll always love and support you. My oldest sister did exactly what they told her to do. She went to Indian for med school, came back and had an arranged marriage to an Indian doctor. She's miserable, and wishes she would've just lived her life for herself. You're so young, beautiful and intelligent. You have pretty much every option available to you. Don't limit yourself just because of your family's expectations. I hope it all works out for you.

With that being said, I have a few questions about PCOM. I'm starting the biomedical sciences program in the fall. I have a really low GPA (2.9 cum and a 2.7 sciences), but a decent MCAT (28Q). I just didn't really have motivation in my undergrad, but I know I can do really well in the PCOM program. I do have a D+ in my orgo 2 lab, and they have advised me to retake it. I won't be able to do so until the spring. So, if I do really well in the program, with my stats and that D+ is there any chance I'll get accepted into the DO program for next year?

 

[MaximusD]

I'm indian as well. My parents were both born and raised there, and have really tried to instill those indian "shame culture" values in me since I was born. I do what I can to make them proud of me, but I'll never let them influence my personal relationships. Your primary focus should be on making yourself happy. I know how Indian parents can be. They'll be mad if you disobey them. But, I also know how loving they are. They may be mad at you, but they'll always love and support you. My oldest sister did exactly what they told her to do. She went to Indian for med school, came back and had an arranged marriage to an Indian doctor. She's miserable, and wishes she would've just lived her life for herself. You're so young, beautiful and intelligent. You have pretty much every option available to you. Don't limit yourself just because of your family's expectations. I hope it all works out for you.

With that being said, I have a few questions about PCOM. I'm starting the biomedical sciences program in the fall. I have a really low GPA (2.9 cum and a 2.7 sciences), but a decent MCAT (28Q). I just didn't really have motivation in my undergrad, but I know I can do really well in the PCOM program. I do have a D+ in my orgo 2 lab, and they have advised me to retake it. I won't be able to do so until the spring. So, if I do really well in the program, with my stats and that D+ is there any chance I'll get accepted into the DO program for next year?

The bioscience program is there to help you show that you are capable of the medical school courseload and it should also make the med school curriculum a little easier. If you take PCOM's own program and excel, I have no doubt that it will reflect positively on your application. That said, the D+ will have to be retaken because PCOM requires a C or better in all prerequisites which, unless I'm mistaken, includes that orgo lab.

I hope to meet you in the fall at least in passing. Best of luck this year

 

[mitawa]

bump

 

[mshheaddoc]

For discussion of the school noted above. This includes interview dates, questions, etc. Threads will be merged in here if they are created on their own.


We are doing this to cut down on the traffic of threads so it makes it easier for people to find information about a school.

 

[suenos]

i'm going to be interviewing at PCOM in november and was wondering if there is a student host program. or are there any current PCOM students who'd be willing to host or know anyone who might be able to? i'd be happy to give you a little bio about myself and we can talk over the phone beforehand. let me know if any of you are interested or have any ideas!

 

[Animus]

I will look into it for you and get back to this thread later.

 

[suenos]

thanks for your help - i just spoke with admissions and they said there is no official hosting program, but if you have any insight on ways i can get in touch with students interested in informally hosting, that would be awesome!

 

[mitawa]

thanks for your help - i just spoke with admissions and they said there is no official hosting program, but if you have any insight on ways i can get in touch with students interested in informally hosting, that would be awesome!

I will ask about! PM me specifics.

 

[BoxingTheStars]

I seem to have left the app at home but I wanted to get the rest of my secondaries done in the next few days. I can't seem to remember what the LOR requirements were - I know there was one school that wanted something specific that I didn't have, it might have been PCOM, and I don't want to do the whole app if I can't meet the requirement. Can anyone post the LOR requirements for me? Also, what was the essay (was it just "why osteopathic medicine" basically?) and how much room/space is given for the essay?

Thanks a bunch

 

[TexasTriathlete]

You can get it off their website.

 

[IUgrad]

Here is the PCOM (philadelphia) secondary:
http://www.pcom.edu/General_Information/SupApp2008_PCOM.pdf

And, here is the Georgia campus:
http://www.pcom.edu/General_Information/SupApp2008_GA.pdf

Both have the letter of recommendation info at the bottom... Good luck!

 

[BoxingTheStars]

great! thanks!

 

[PlAnEjaNe]

Ummm, so PCOM doesn't accept letters from science faculty? Only 'academic adviser' or 'premed adviser' from your ugrad school? That sucks when I apply it will have been 3 years since graduation and my school does not do 'adviser' letters, only letters from faculty. What do I do?

-PlAnEjaNe

 

[PlAnEjaNe]

Ummm, so PCOM doesn't accept letters from science faculty? Only 'academic adviser' or 'premed adviser' from your ugrad school? That sucks when I apply it will have been 3 years since graduation and my school does not do 'adviser' letters, only letters from faculty. What do I do?

-PlAnEjaNe

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Call them and ask.

 

[DOcat]

Well, it took me a while, but I finally found an already existing thread having to do with PCOM and I figured I'd revitalize it! I interviewed yesterday and absolutely loved it!! It was my fourth interview of this year, and I was really beginning to worry that I wouldnt find a place that really felt like home. Well, now I just have 3 weeks of waiting to hear from them..but I cant wait! I was interested to read about the study space there, because that was something I noticed during the tour. I CAN NOT study in an apartment, so having the buildings open 24/7 before exams is awesome! The anatomy lab is amazing, and I loved the interaction between teachers and students in class.

One question i did have was about the teacher-student relationships out of class. Because it is such a big class, do professors know their students and are they easily available/helpful out of class?

 

[DO Sigma Nu guy]

Well, it took me a while, but I finally found an already existing thread having to do with PCOM and I figured I'd revitalize it! I interviewed yesterday and absolutely loved it!! It was my fourth interview of this year, and I was really beginning to worry that I wouldnt find a place that really felt like home. Well, now I just have 3 weeks of waiting to hear from them..but I cant wait! I was interested to read about the study space there, because that was something I noticed during the tour. I CAN NOT study in an apartment, so having the buildings open 24/7 before exams is awesome! The anatomy lab is amazing, and I loved the interaction between teachers and students in class.

One question i did have was about the teacher-student relationships out of class. Because it is such a big class, do professors know their students and are they easily available/helpful out of class?

Hey DOcat.

I'm glad you enjoyed your interview/time at PCOM. I hope you get that thick small envelope in a few weeks. In regards to the teacher/student relationships, it all depends on the professor. Overall, it is very very very easy to get in contact with faculty. They all have office hours and are easily accessible by email. The only professors that might be harder to get in contact with might be the clinical faculty since they are usually working in the hospital/seeing patients.

I'm a 2nd year and it has never been a problem tracking down a teacher to have them explain a difficult concept that they went over in class.

Any other questions, don't hesitate to PM me.

Good Luck!

 

[Animus]

I am going to have to agree with my friend DO SNG. I am a first year and I find that almost all the profs are wonderful for getting to know students. I am one of those people who does not go out of my way to talk to profs and get to know them, however, I have made a few good professors as friends already. Almost all of them have an open door policy and during lectures on more than one occasion they have answered people by name. I found this quite impressive as the class size is very large and I really enjoy almost all of the profs.

As for study spaces, those can be difficult to find. I do not enjoy libraries so I tend to try and find classes. Around test times it is sometimes hard to find a classroom, however, if you are a late studier like myself you do not have a problem. I find that there are two kinds of studiers usually, the just after class people and the late nighters like myself. If I show up around 730 or 8pm the earlier studiers are leaving and I get my classroom. Sometimes you have to work for it or wait a bit, but you can usually get one, I am sure it also depends on your class....if a lot of people in your class like to study at school it may be harder, etc.

 

[MaximusD]

I am going to have to agree with my friend DO SNG. I am a first year and I find that almost all the profs are wonderful for getting to know students. I am one of those people who does not go out of my way to talk to profs and get to know them, however, I have made a few good professors as friends already. Almost all of them have an open door policy and during lectures on more than one occasion they have answered people by name. I found this quite impressive as the class size is very large and I really enjoy almost all of the profs.

As for study spaces, those can be difficult to find. I do not enjoy libraries so I tend to try and find classes. Around test times it is sometimes hard to find a classroom, however, if you are a late studier like myself you do not have a problem. I find that there are two kinds of studiers usually, the just after class people and the late nighters like myself. If I show up around 730 or 8pm the earlier studiers are leaving and I get my classroom. Sometimes you have to work for it or wait a bit, but you can usually get one, I am sure it also depends on your class....if a lot of people in your class like to study at school it may be harder, etc.

Nothing really to add, just wanted to thank you for reviving the best thread of SDN history. Who made this great thread... oh yeah it was me!

I too am a first year, and have been fairly impressed with the vast majority of the faculty here at PCOM. All are extremely accessible, and a few go out of their way to befriend students. Some of my profs knew me by name before I knew theirs... ut oh. Ha that's prob bc I've displaced their names with anatomical minutiae.

You'll like it here... unless you don't like a relatively cohesive class, great facilities, and excellent professors... Med school is rough, but between the excellent profs who legitimately care about your success and your peers, it's a relatively good experience overall.

 

[Empi]

I really REALLY want to be a member of this group next year.

 

[prionsRbad]

Sweet Jesus, I almost just had a heart attack! I got a letter (very thin, one page) in the mail from PCOM today and I was scared to open it. I finally did and it was a letter saying that my file is complete and ready for review.

pshew

 

[EEL08]

Sweet Jesus, I almost just had a heart attack! I got a letter (very thin, one page) in the mail from PCOM today and I was scared to open it. I finally did and it was a letter saying that my file is complete and ready for review.

pshew

That's how I felt when I got the financial aid letter from NOVA. Let's hope no actual rejections for both of us.

 

[medhacker]

Sweet Jesus, I almost just had a heart attack! I got a letter (very thin, one page) in the mail from PCOM today and I was scared to open it. I finally did and it was a letter saying that my file is complete and ready for review.

pshew

The accepted envelope is really thin too

 

[prionsRbad]

The accepted envelope is really thin too

Oh, great! This process is such as emotional rollercoaster!

 

[mitawa]

Oh, great! This process is such as emotional rollercoaster!

I remember that I wanted to toss the thin envelope when I received it after interviewing, because I thought it was a rejection. Please don't do that. Good luck

 

[CurlyWhirly]

Does anyone remember how long after your file was complete at PCOM you got an interview invite? PCOM is one of my top choices and I want to know how long it took for people to hear back from them. Thanks!

 

[suenos]

i got an interview invite (by e-mail) a little over a month after i was complete.

 

[DocInProgress]

I have a couple of questions about PCOM..

1. How's the competition amongst students? Is it cut throat or relaxed?

2. Approximately, how many students does PCOM matriculate each year?

3. Out of curiousity, what is the race % (caucasion, african, asian) in the PCOM school itself? the environment?

4. What do YOU think distinguishes PCOM from the other DO schools?

5. Is there a lot of things to do around PCOM? (In my undergrad institution, there was hardly anything to do and I don't want to repeat that again .)

Thanks for all the answers!

 

[mitawa]

I have a couple of questions about PCOM..

1. How's the competition amongst students? Is it cut throat or relaxed?

2. Approximately, how many students does PCOM matriculate each year?

3. Out of curiousity, what is the race % (caucasion, african, asian) in the PCOM school itself? the environment?

4. What do YOU think distinguishes PCOM from the other DO schools?

5. Is there a lot of things to do around PCOM? (In my undergrad institution, there was hardly anything to do and I don't want to repeat that again .)

Thanks for all the answers!

#1- Competition is generally relaxed, many people study in groups and share resources with their classmates.

#2- First year class=268 (118 male / 150 female)

#3- Not sure you can ask admissions, but I know it seems to be a somewhat more diverse than other schools

#4-It is one of the oldest Osteopathic schools in the nation; therefore it has a very large alumni base. The faculty and the atmosphere are excellent. Good rotations.

#5-You are in Philadelphia. If you are a historical buff like myself the opportunities are endless. City Center always has something to do. Close to Penn’s Landing. Go catch a Phillies or Sixers game. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive you can head to Atlantic City, Great Adventures, Hershey Park, and a few more on the weekends for fun. You can walk, bike, skate, etc thru Fairmount Park. Go to the Mutter museum and check out the medical collections.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I talked to one of the docs (DO) in the ER where I volunteer. He did his residency in philly, and he told me that any of the five schools there (Drexel, Temple, UPenn, Jefferson, PCOM) would provide you with as good of a medical education as you can possibly hope to get.

 

[medhacker]

I talked to one of the docs (DO) in the ER where I volunteer. He did his residency in philly, and he told me that any of the five schools there (Drexel, Temple, UPenn, Jefferson, PCOM) would provide you with as good of a medical education as you can possibly hope to get.

Yeah, but PCOM is better

 

[DOcat]

the more I hear about PCOM, the more in love I fall...ohh haha. can't wait to hear back!

 

[DocInProgress]

#1- Competition is generally relaxed, many people study in groups and share resources with their classmates.

#2- First year class=268 (118 male / 150 female)

#3- Not sure you can ask admissions, but I know it seems to be a somewhat more diverse than other schools

#4-It is one of the oldest Osteopathic schools in the nation; therefore it has a very large alumni base. The faculty and the atmosphere are excellent. Good rotations.

#5-You are in Philadelphia. If you are a historical buff like myself the opportunities are endless. City Center always has something to do. Close to Penn’s Landing. Go catch a Phillies or Sixers game. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive you can head to Atlantic City, Great Adventures, Hershey Park, and a few more on the weekends for fun. You can walk, bike, skate, etc thru Fairmount Park. Go to the Mutter museum and check out the medical collections.

Thanks for the awesome answers. I do have a couple of more, if you don't mind.

1. Do you know the avg GPA/MCAT for the entering class of 2006 or 2007?

2. What is the exact tuition and fees for PCOM? Is PCOM federal aid friendly even for OOS? How much do students usually take out in loans?

3. If I wanted to go to Texas for residency, is it possible from PCOM? Or would I have to stay in Philly for residency (not that Philly is bad but I know some people in Texas)

Thanks again!

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I'd imagine that if you do well enough on your boards and you get good recs from your rotations, along with good grades, you'll have plenty of options for residency. In Texas, and anywhere else.

 

[DOcat]

i believe that alot of that is answered on their website. just do some digging.

 

[DocInProgress]

i believe that alot of that is answered on their website. just do some digging.

I did, but it seems like it is outdated from 2004's data. That's quite a while ago. So I asked to find out the more recent data.

 

[DOcat]

well, apparently PCOM doesnt specialize in website design...because its not very helpful. They have a budget form, but nothing available for averages. and i found

How will I finance my education?
A. Tuition is $34,122. Applicants should not be discouraged by the high cost of a medical education.

on the FAQ part. unfortunately, they don't have any presentation, or easily accesible info about that.

 

[boodthedog]

I did, but it seems like it is outdated from 2004's data. That's quite a while ago. So I asked to find out the more recent data.

The admissions reps are very helpful. If you're not getting the answers here, try emailing them. You can find contact info on the website.

 

[Animus]

Thanks for the awesome answers. I do have a couple of more, if you don't mind.

1. Do you know the avg GPA/MCAT for the entering class of 2006 or 2007?

2. What is the exact tuition and fees for PCOM? Is PCOM federal aid friendly even for OOS? How much do students usually take out in loans?

3. If I wanted to go to Texas for residency, is it possible from PCOM? Or would I have to stay in Philly for residency (not that Philly is bad but I know some people in Texas)

Thanks again!

Hey, I am in 2011

1. not sure of this admissions may tell you

2. federal aid was not hard to get for me, all of my friends got what they wanted too, not quite sure what you are asking here. Lots of people I know are oos and had no problems that I am aware of. I tried to find the tuition we paid, however, it is not up anymore that I can find it is around what was put earlier though, somewhere in the 39k range.

3. I too will probably be hoping to go to texas for residency, pcom is one of the best schools to consider for this as there are soemthing like 28 weeks of elective rotations. This means you could spend much of that time in texas if you wanted rotating at programs that you would be applying to. PCOM offers more elective rotation time than most schools, even mds as far as I am aware (do not quote me on this).

 

[DOcat]

what do most students usually need to take out at PCOM? I know that the cost of living is higher in philly, so what is usually expected for the budget?

 

[Playmakur42]

.

 

[DOcat]

haha i know exactly how you feel. Of course we get stuck with the AOA conference week right after our interviews so no one is meeting. I'm hoping the committee will meet early next week and maybe we'll be lucky enough to hear next week??? haha probably a little bit of wishful thinking there.

what day did you interview?