PCOM Discussion thread 2008-2009

[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.

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[TexasTriathlete]

This thread was started almost a year ago. Time to jump on the bandwagon, Class of 2013 slackers of the PCOM family!

 

[MossPoh]

I'm applying to both PCOMs. Rock the cashbah baby.

 

[Bleurberry]

Alright!! PCOM!!
Without a doubt my #1 choice. I'm hopeful. Let's see what happens.
Good luck to those in my boat.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

PCOM Secondary

 

[MossPoh]

Man. Those secondaries are short and sweet.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

Yessir. They sure are. However the Philadelphia app is kind of weird:

Please attach a brief statement indicating why you wish to attend Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and why you want to become an osteopathic physician.

What health care related experiences have you had?

Are these two separate "pages"? Answer both in the same essay? What do we do????????

 

[udsoccer7]

separate essays.

 

[MossPoh]

Whenever I see "statement" i don't think "essay". I think half to 3/4 a page. They have to read a lot of these things. Novels are probably not wanted

 

[mkittens]

eckk.. it says a comittee letter is required! That is going to delay my application quite a bit.. early october probably

 

[diggintheDOs]

are people planning to go ahead and get started on the PCOM secondaries and submit them once completed, or are you waiting to here from them first? im getting started on the short essays, but not sure if i should mail it in once im done!

 

[MossPoh]

eckk.. it says a comittee letter is required! That is going to delay my application quite a bit.. early october probably

Lucky me since we don't have a committee here.

To the other question. I'm going to start on the gist of the "Why osteopathic medicine" type essays. May see if there is a general trend with other schools and try to get the essays that can kill a couple of birds with one stone.

 

[udsoccer7]

Ya you can get started but don't mail them until you receive the secondary. From my experience, I only had to write 3 or 4 secondary essays since most school ask the same questions.

 

[diggintheDOs]

Ya you can get started but don't mail them until you receive the secondary. From my experience, I only had to write 3 or 4 secondary essays since most school ask the same questions.

sweet. thanks! good luck at pcom and GO CUBS

 

[pamolive]

eckk.. it says a comittee letter is required! That is going to delay my application quite a bit.. early october probably

You can have a letter sent from your prehealth or academic advisor instead. If that speeds things up for you, that will probably be the way to go. Just call the admissions office and tell them your situation. See what they have to say.

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Yeah, I love the overlap amongst the DO schools. I'm excited about PCOM. I love the city and my gf's family is near there...I just got matched up with a mentor-DO who graduated from PCOM and he's now a cancer surgeon....

Woo hoo!

 

[OCHO]

eckk.. it says a comittee letter is required! That is going to delay my application quite a bit.. early october probably

Are you able to send in two separate science teachers LORs in lieu of a committee letter?

 

[mkittens]

well i have two science teachers recommendation letters, but the i believe they specifically need a committee letter if the school has a committee. If I was complete late september, first week of october, is that too late?

 

[MossPoh]

Maybe if I just blitz them with LORs they'll see that like a committee. 3 science, 1 non-science and 3 doctors.

I think committee letters are the dumbest thing ever.
"Hi. We're going to look at your transcripts. Ask you some questions. Then make a complete judgement based on our 30 minutes together. Good luck"

 

[udsoccer7]

For those of you who don't have a committee at your school ( I didn't either) I just sent one professor letter as well as one physician letter. Some schools frown upon sending extra letters to them. You may want to hold off with sending extra letters until you have either been waitlisted for an interview or waitlisted after your interview.

 

[Psych1985]

Hi,
Anyone attending the Open House session next week?

 

[MotherGoose]

How long are your essays for the PCOM secondary? I don't want it to be too long or too short. Thanks for your help.

 

[fireflygirl]

How long are your essays for the PCOM secondary? I don't want it to be too long or too short. Thanks for your help.

Check it out for yourself: http://www.pcom.edu/Admissions/PA_Supp_App.pdf

 

[MotherGoose]

Oh yeah, I have that page already. I just don't know what a "brief statement" is. I was thinking 3/4 of a page, but wanted other opinions before I send it in. Thanks for your help though!

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I think I wrote about half a page for each essay. I don't really think it matters that much. If they wanted an exact size, they would have said so. Just make your point clearly, and don't ramble.

Posted via Mobile Device

 

[fireflygirl]

Oh yeah, I have that page already. I just don't know what a "brief statement" is. I was thinking 3/4 of a page, but wanted other opinions before I send it in. Thanks for your help though!

Ooops sorry - misunderstood

I agree with TT, nothing more than 1/2-3/4 of a page is necessary. I think that's how long mine were. Just get your point across as concisely as possible.

 

[engineeredout]

Is that 1/2 - 3/4ths a page single or double spaced?

 

[fireflygirl]

Is that 1/2 - 3/4ths a page single or double spaced?

Hmmm I can't remember and I can't fnd my essays right now but I want to say that I did a half page single spaced. I mean technically since no limit is given you could do single or double spaced; but like I said before, it's all about answering the question completely and succinctly. So if that takes a half page single or double spaced shouldn't matter. Get the right stuff down and worry about that and not so much the details about how long it needs to be. They won't be rejecting anyone for writing a longer essay than another person!!!

 

[phigirl56]

Mine were 3/4 of a page, single spaced. (If not a little more than that.)

 

[Bacchus]

Any idea when their secondaries are going to be sent out?

 

[Psych1985]

I went to the Open House this past Wednesday and they said secondaries should be out in the next 10-15 days.

 

[wannabedocta]

Which PCOM is better in terms of funding, residency matches, location? PCOM-Georgia or Philly??

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Is that 1/2 - 3/4ths a page single or double spaced?

Are you ****in with us?

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Which PCOM is better in terms of funding, residency matches, location? PCOM-Georgia or Philly??

Locations are both good. As far as DO schools go, they are both located in major cities, so they are two of the best in this regard. Unless you'd rather not go to school in a major city.

Funding? What the **** does this matter? Do you mean NIH/government funding? Philly does more research if that's what you mean.

Georgia has yet to graduate a class, and their class size is like 1/3 the size of Philly, so you can't really compare anyway.

They are really different schools, but based on the same successful model.

 

[Lucylu123]

I got the secondary invite today in the mail!

 

[Lucylu123]

Does anybody know if it is okay if your committee letter comes from the post bacc institution instead of the school where you got your bachelors degree?

 

[JonnyG]

Does anybody know if it is okay if your committee letter comes from the post bacc institution instead of the school where you got your bachelors degree?

you will still need something from your home schools deans office that is a form letter stating you went here, you got a degree, you don't owe them any money.

 

[Lucylu123]

Haha thanks for the response...I definitely cannot get a committee letter from them so I guess that will have to do.

 

[JonnyG]

Haha thanks for the response...I definitely cannot get a committee letter from them so I guess that will have to do.

Its a stupid requirement but they have their reasons and its simple to get if you call the schools deans office. It is hust a form letter they send out

 

[Lucylu123]

Yeah I'm sure that they do. PCOM is definitely on the top of my list so I guess its worth the extra hassle. Does that mean they won't read my other letters though?

 

[ILikeFood]

Its a stupid requirement but they have their reasons and its simple to get if you call the schools deans office. It is hust a form letter they send out

What about a letter from the registrar's office instead? I emailed the dean of my home school, she can't be bothered with form letters apparently.

 

[JonnyG]

What about a letter from the registrar's office instead? I emailed the dean of my home school, she can't be bothered with form letters apparently.

Thats something you have to call PCOM about. Its probably the same thing. This letter is usually pretty simple to get but messing this up can halt your application so a 2 minute phone call might be worth it

 

[fireflygirl]

What about a letter from the registrar's office instead? I emailed the dean of my home school, she can't be bothered with form letters apparently.

That's what I did for my UG institution and it was totally fine by PCOM.

 

[Lucylu123]

I have been having this same issue, and I spoke to the admissions office this morning and they said it could NOT come from the registrars office. (which of course after I emailed the dean he forwarded it to the chair of my undergrad department who forwarded it right to the registrars office.) Sigh...

 

[fireflygirl]

I have been having this same issue, and I spoke to the admissions office this morning and they said it could NOT come from the registrars office. (which of course after I emailed the dean he forwarded it to the chair of my undergrad department who forwarded it right to the registrars office.) Sigh...

That is so strange. I mean they just need an official letter saying that you are in good standing right. So what difference does it make where it comes from??? So where else can you get it?

 

[Spooner13]

I've heard a lot of great things about PCOM, but I had a question about the clinical years. Does anyone know if the hospitals where students rotate are teaching hospitals? I really want my clinical years to consist of didactic style learning (that is, if I get accepted anywhere). If anyone has any info, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

 

[JonnyG]

The majority of the hospitals have didatics and residency programs. The school also makes you return once a week to school for lectures.

 

[beachblonde]

That is so strange. I mean they just need an official letter saying that you are in good standing right. So what difference does it make where it comes from??? So where else can you get it?

If you look online for your undergrad website, under the office of the Dean of Students (that's where it usually is) you'll find a request for Dean Certification. It's the same thing as a Dean's letter (people need these letters for all sorts of things) and you'll probably be able to request one through the mail.

It's kind of a pain in the butt, no? I already graduated from college, clearly I was in good enough standing for them to give me a degree!

I'm also very curious where PCOM does rotations. Does anybody know offhand, or have a link to more info?

 

[Spooner13]

The majority of the hospitals have didatics and residency programs. The school also makes you return once a week to school for lectures.

Thanks for the reply JonnyG.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

So today when I went to get the mail I found TWO envelopes from PCOM. They looked identical from the outside. And when I opened them...they were identical on the inside too...? 2 letters from dean of admission, exactly the same, with the supplemental application. Just thought I'd share in case anyone wants an extra