PCOM Discussion thread 2007-2008

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yep im in PA, so i am so lost as to what is going on. I called and they said, your file in complete. I knew that back in august. I hope that I get a invite this week.
 
PADO2007 said:
So, i am new to this....seeing the total of 2 posts. Anyways PCOM must really hate me, I have not heard from them at all and of course it is my 1st choice school. I know others are dying to get in too but sigh..what to do. My file was complete in august and it is now coming toward the end of oct. and nothing. I have intereviwed and been accepted at other schools. I have till sometime in dec to make a desposit but I don't want to because I want to go to PCOM.

Am I just not right for the school? I thought my stats were ok, not steller. 3.81 overall gpa, 3.8 science, chem, and physics gpa, ok the mcat sucked bad 22, but hey i have great EC's, president of 3 student government boards and on plenty of others, received many awards, and have done research at a pretty top notch school and presented at conferences.

Anyone have advice? similar situation? I am praying so hard but I am starting to lose hope.
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This might not be what you want to hear, but get used to waiting. It doesn't matter when you were complete, they evaluate every month and pick from the best of the availible applicants. With your high science GPA, I wouldn't lose hope just yet...it is still early but with the lower MCAT I don't think you will be in the first groups. But like I said you still have a good chance of getting an interview at some point, so don't lose hope just yet. IMO, a letter (not an email) to the adcom about your strong desire to attend thier school never hurt anyone. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the responses everyone. I hope I get a interview ( and you guys too!) crossing my fingers soon. Like everyone else im so poor from traveling, interviewing, application fees and such and I only applied to 6 schools. I noticed that the schools require around 1200 deposit and I want to go to PCOM, I don't know if i can afford to drop 1200 and possibly lose it.
I did send a letter of intent already to pcom. Hopefully this helps. I will update you guys as the process goes along. 🙂 let me know if there is anything else i can do.
 
Playmakur42 said:
I was recently accepted to PCOM and have some questions about their clinical rotations. This seemed like the right thread to revive with the questions.

1.) Do the student rotations involve alot of hands-on work and one-on-one work with the attendings? From the large affiliate list, I'm guessing this will be a difficult question to answer accurately since each location probably has different characteristics.

I've read that some places have so many residents that it's difficult for a student to get involved and they tend to end up as just another face in the crowd while at others it's just the student and the attending.

2.) Which scenario typically gives the students a better educational experience?
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Each site is different and each rotation is different. OVerall most people feel they are involved on their rotations even if there are residents above you. It is usually good to get experience with both types of systems (attending alone or resident structure). In the end the educational experieence is what you make of it. People can sense pretty easily your lack of interest in a field and that will tend to make them invest less time in you. But if you show interest it will usually be rewarded.
 
Does PCOM send you a letter when your file is complete? Or did you all just call to check if your file was complete?
 
We have such a variety of rotations that it is impossible to answer your question accurately. You will have 1-on-1 with attendings from time to time. And even if a program has many residents, if you're the assertive-type, all you have to do is stick with the resident who will let you do the most on your own.
I can't say I got much hands-on experience during my 3rd-year (except with surgery). You really get to try things on your own during your fourth year when you get into EMed and any ICU electives. In summary, your rotation experiences will be what you make of them.
 
dcowboys22 said:
Does PCOM send you a letter when your file is complete? Or did you all just call to check if your file was complete?
Click to expand...

They send a letter via snail mail when you're complete. After that, interview invites are mostly sent by email (although I've heard of some claiming they got theirs by mail).

I've been complete for about 30 days now and still no word. I called admissions yesterday and they just said my file was complete and is being reviewed . . . still. 🙁

Good Luck:luck:
 
I think PCOM can take a while. They get a lot of applications.
 
dcowboys22 said:
Does PCOM send you a letter when your file is complete? Or did you all just call to check if your file was complete?
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I had to call them twice to verify because I never got anything in the mail or via email that my file was complete. Unfortunately, you'll have to do that with a lot of schools as they are just too bogged down to stay in top of these types of things.
 
fireflygirl said:
I had to call them twice to verify because I never got anything in the mail or via email that my file was complete. Unfortunately, you'll have to do that with a lot of schools as they are just too bogged down to stay in top of these types of things.
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Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't understand why schools still use regular mail. In my opinion it should only be used for acceptance information and rejections. Interview invites and status updates should be via email or email and regular mail.
 
is there a place to park scooters?
I'm thinking about getting one since schools about 20min drive on cityline ave.
The pharmacist i work w/ pays $2/week and a half for gas😱 I can live with that😀😀

any of you taking classes next semester to prepare for med school class?
I'm taking physio and human anatomy.

Peace~
 
Meatwad said:
Haha, don't worry, you're fine to compare with. The reason everyone is laughing is because no medical school cares if you went to Brown; they care about your GPA far more. So a 3.9 from Podunk State goes a lot further than a 3.0 from Harvard.
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Actually I hear this alot but its not entirley correct.

I have worked with a few profs on the admission committee at pcom in research labs and was told that they do in fact weigh schools when comparing applicants. not on any official scale, but they know witch schools overinflate grades and such, and they know some schools with harder pre-med programs. Like if you see someone with a 3.9 and a 22 from CC vs someone with a 3.3, 33 from a tougher school witch one wouold you think is a better applicant?
 
I think that meatwad's point is that, all other things being equal, a decent GPA from a tough school will go farther than a stellar GPA from an easy school. In your scenario, all things are not equal.
 
no i believe his point was the opposite, that was the point i was trying to make.
 
You would have to be talking about pretty slight difference in GPA for quality of school to come into play. There is a difference, at least that I have noticed in my class, in how ugrads preps students for handling medical school (assuming they come right from undergrad). Students from that do not come from "tough" undergrad schools seem to take a little more time to adjust right out of the gate.
 
Hey!

I am thinking about applying to PCOM-GA since I am from and live in Augusta. I graduated undergrad in 2005 and I am not sure if we had a pre-med committee. I mostly heard of students getting letters from individual profs. My situation is that since I graduated 2 years ago, I completed an M.A in a non-science field but still related to health care. (Health Care Policy & Administration). What should I do about LOR? Also, I'm taking the MCAT in January. What is a good target score for PCOM? Thanks!
 
lizzysha2001 said:
Hey!

I am thinking about applying to PCOM-GA since I am from and live in Augusta. I graduated undergrad in 2005 and I am not sure if we had a pre-med committee. I mostly heard of students getting letters from individual profs. My situation is that since I graduated 2 years ago, I completed an M.A in a non-science field but still related to health care. (Health Care Policy & Administration). What should I do about LOR? Also, I'm taking the MCAT in January. What is a good target score for PCOM? Thanks!
Click to expand...

26+
 
My stats: 3.2 gpa, 27 MCAT, ECs include volunteering, research, and clubs. I'm an out-of-stater from FL. Does it seem like I would have a chance at PCOM?😕
 
mademoiselle1 said:
My stats: 3.2 gpa, 27 MCAT, ECs include volunteering, research, and clubs. I'm an out-of-stater from FL. Does it seem like I would have a chance at PCOM?😕
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your gpa is slightly below and mcat score is slightly above their averages, i think. you should apply.
 
did anyone get the interview invite recently? When is your appointment?
 
Still waiting, been complete since end of September. I know the admissions committee only meets once a month, anybody know what day is it every month??
 
once a month meetings kinda make me happy
...since im so late in getting this application in...
i'm really boned for this year, HERES TO TRYING AGAIN!!!
:-/
 
Howdy Peeps! 😎

I'm a South FL Latino dude - I have a B.Sc. in Bio with a 3.49 GPA and I took the MCAT twice in 2005 - first try 27 T , and second try, 23 T. (o😱ch, I know, quite a drop; I was burned out and didnt quite feel like cramming excessively btwn April and August, and I paid for it). I also speak Spanish and French and serve as a med-interp.

I am studying to re-take the exam; I registered for a prep-course and have actually realized JUST how many practice tests you need to take to do well (DOY! wish I'd known that before! lol)

I take the MCAT CBT at the end of January, and I'll be finishing a Master's Degree in Biomedical Science at the end of next fall. My plan is to apply this coming summer, so that I have a new (and hopefully improved) 3rd MCAT, and so that by then I'm finishing my M.Sc. degree as the fall app cycle is starting up.

I have really good rec's (according to UMiami Med professor at my college who sits on their AdCom), and I have 1100 hrs of documented shadowing with a Peds ER doctor. :hardy: woot-woot

WHAT ARE MY PCOM CHANCES, in your humble opinions. Just wondering. I'd appreciate any/all input from you guys. THANKS!!! 👍
 
2005 stats for out-of-staters
3,765Applied
293Interviewed
179Accepted
98Enrolled

ave gpa ~3.3
ave mcat ~24

according to usnews. however, for OOS, a point higher on mcat and .1 higher on gpa should be a decent estimate, I assume.
 
Algorhythmik said:
Howdy Peeps! 😎

I'm a South FL Latino dude - I have a B.Sc. in Bio with a 3.49 GPA and I took the MCAT twice in 2005 - first try 27 T , and second try, 23 T. (o😱ch, I know, quite a drop; I was burned out and didnt quite feel like cramming excessively btwn April and August, and I paid for it). I also speak Spanish and French and serve as a med-interp.

I am studying to re-take the exam; I registered for a prep-course and have actually realized JUST how many practice tests you need to take to do well (DOY! wish I'd known that before! lol)

I take the MCAT CBT at the end of January, and I'll be finishing a Master's Degree in Biomedical Science at the end of next fall. My plan is to apply this coming summer, so that I have a new (and hopefully improved) 3rd MCAT, and so that by then I'm finishing my M.Sc. degree as the fall app cycle is starting up.

I have really good rec's (according to UMiami Med professor at my college who sits on their AdCom), and I have 1100 hrs of documented shadowing with a Peds ER doctor. :hardy: woot-woot

WHAT ARE MY PCOM CHANCES, in your humble opinions. Just wondering. I'd appreciate any/all input from you guys. THANKS!!! 👍
Click to expand...



Is PCOM your #1 choice?
 
how does pcom see a grad school GPA? I have an undergrad in chem engineering from a top engineering school with a 3.1 and a 3.98 in graduate program. I also scored a 26 on mcat (didnt do enough of practice tests).

what would be my chances? I have visited the school and liked what I saw.
 
i've had my secondary complete at pcom for about 2 and a half months now and still haven't heard anything back from them. i did, however, hear back from the GA campus and have an interview from them later this month. most likely, I'll probably end up choosing another school over the ga-pcom if i get accepted. so my question is, if i were to cancel my pcom-ga interview, would that effect their decision to grant me the pcom-philly interview? i would really like to attend pcom-philly, but still haven't heard back from them yet.
 
Honestly, it might because they do GA admissions through the philly office. I wouldn't worry about not hearing back yet. I know a lot of people who haven't heard back and they've been complete longer. Just call in every once in a while to check on your status, and maybe send them a letter letting them know just how much you want to go to PCOM. You might want to send in an additional recommendation, or some info on what you've been doing since you applied.

I'm a biomed here and I really love the school. The faculty are amazing and they make everything so easy for you (all of the powerpoints are online, and all of the lectures are available on MP3). The student body and the faculty all have very diverse backgrounds, so you can learn a lot from pretty much every person you meet here.

I've heard from some people that you can actually take your elective rotations overseas. I'm not sure how many schools do that, but that is such an amazing opportunity.
 
How long did u guys get a response from them after completing the secondary? It's been almost 3 weeks and I haven't heard anything from them. I am start to freak out. I hope the application is not missplaced or lost in the mail 🙁. Should I call them or email them to ask?
 
fbf said:
How long did u guys get a response from them after completing the secondary? It's been almost 3 weeks and I haven't heard anything from them. I am start to freak out. I hope the application is not missplaced or lost in the mail 🙁. Should I call them or email them to ask?
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They sent me a letter in the mail saying that I was complete about 2 weeks after I mailed in my secondary. That was back in September and I haven't heard anything from them since. They are pretty slow with the reviewing process compared to the other schools I applied to.

I would call to make sure they have everything. Good Luck :luck:
 
fbf said:
How long did u guys get a response from them after completing the secondary? It's been almost 3 weeks and I haven't heard anything from them. I am start to freak out. I hope the application is not missplaced or lost in the mail 🙁. Should I call them or email them to ask?
Click to expand...

PCOM does not send out decisions based on when the applications were complete. They evaluate apps once a month and send interviews to the top candidates. Then they supposedly reevaluate the applicant pool the next month to send out more interviews. It is possible that someone could be complete in September and not get an interview until the spring. I know a student there that did not get an invite until about 4 months after being complete.
 
Ilovethemcat said:
PCOM does not send out decisions based on when the applications were complete. They evaluate apps once a month and send interviews to the top candidates. Then they supposedly reevaluate the applicant pool the next month to send out more interviews. It is possible that someone could be complete in September and not get an interview until the spring. I know a student there that did not get an invite until about 4 months after being complete.
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so they don't even tell you whether your application is completed? 😕
I'll call them tmr to check .
 
prionsRbad said:
They sent me a letter in the mail saying that I was complete about 2 weeks after I mailed in my secondary. That was back in September and I haven't heard anything from them since. They are pretty slow with the reviewing process compared to the other schools I applied to.

I would call to make sure they have everything. Good Luck :luck:
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Dude, did you read my answer to your question? 😕 They send you a letter in the mail when you are complete. After that, you just wait.
 
I interviewed last winter. was put on the waitlist. no seats opened.
THEN, i sent in my application packet super early, I HAVE NOT HEARD A
THING???
any words of wisdom...
 
prionsRbad said:
Dude, did you read my answer to your question? 😕 They send you a letter in the mail when you are complete. After that, you just wait.
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Dude your picture cracks me up. :laugh::laugh: Its sorta scary and funny at the same time.
 
was it the same application?
what did you add to your resume?
they look for that kinda stuff...
 
andrewlennon said:
I interviewed last winter. was put on the waitlist. no seats opened.
THEN, i sent in my application packet super early, I HAVE NOT HEARD A
THING???
any words of wisdom...
Click to expand...


Did you ever get any feedback from the ADCOM as to why you were not accepted the first time?
 
desijigga said:
Still waiting, been complete since end of September. I know the admissions committee only meets once a month, anybody know what day is it every month??
Click to expand...

so does anyone know what day they check every month?
 
i just got a PCOM invite! Dec 3rd..is this early, late, or just ok timing? what percent of interviewed students gain acceptance? good luck to all of you still waiting!
 
I had my interview in January, and I got in, as did 4 others in my interview group. Just an FYI... If that helps anyone. 🙂
 
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