Philadelphia COM - Georgia (GA-PCOM) Discussion Thread 2014 - 2015

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futuredoctore2311 said:
Congratulations!!! I also interviewed on November 7th, I haven't heard anything yet, I hope that doesn't mean I'll be receiving bad news... How did they let you know, via mail or e-mail?
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I don't think thats a deciding factor lol
You get it through a letter in the mail
 
kabead said:
I don't think thats a deciding factor lol
You get it through a letter in the mail
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C6H12O6&spice said:
Everyone gets a letter and they were all sent out at the same time regardless of the decision. Hang in there and keep stalking the mailman!
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Thank you guys!! I guess this is part of the waiting game.. by the time we finish with our pre-med quest we should be used to it... thank you again!!!
 
Accepted!! Looking forward to connecting with new classmates! Best of luck to those of you still waiting!
 
Hey Guys!!! I received my acceptance letter yesterday!! looking forward meeting everyone. There is a Facebook page created for accepted students in this forum, please join if you were accepted. Best luck for those still waiting response!!
 
C6H12O6&spice said:
Anyone know what day orientation for accepted students starts?
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For us it started the week before the fall term started, on August 11 with classes starting the 18th.

You probably won't get firm dates until February/March.
 
futuredoctore2311 said:
Hey Guys!!! I received my acceptance letter yesterday!! looking forward meeting everyone. There is a Facebook page created for accepted students in this forum, please join if you were accepted. Best luck for those still waiting response!!
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Congratulations!!
 
Hey Guys!

I'm scheduled to interview on December 12th and was wondering if anyone who already attended their interview could let me know how it went and what were some example of questions that were asked. Any tips are greatly appreciated :happy::happy::happy:

Thank you in advance!

-Stephie
 
Smonto said:
Hey Guys!

I'm scheduled to interview on December 12th and was wondering if anyone who already attended their interview could let me know how it went and what were some example of questions that were asked. Any tips are greatly appreciated :happy::happy::happy:

Thank you in advance!

-Stephie
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Hey Stephie, something I didnt know was that it was a close file interview (they changed it from how it was before). Also, be ready to type in answers to question with a time frame of 30 minutes. The questions I got were very straight forward, tell me about yourself, why osteopathic medicine, why pecom, 1 ethical (what would I do if I see a coworker/very good friend of mine discriminating someone). That's all I can remember. There were two interviewers and only 30 mins so it was very short. Good luck!
 
futuredoctore2311 said:
Hey Stephie, something I didnt know was that it was a close file interview (they changed it from how it was before). Also, be ready to type in answers to question with a time frame of 30 minutes. The questions I got were very straight forward, tell me about yourself, why osteopathic medicine, why pecom, 1 ethical (what would I do if I see a coworker/very good friend of mine discriminating someone). That's all I can remember. There were two interviewers and only 30 mins so it was very short. Good luck!
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Awesome! Thank you so much for your feedback 😀 I'm so glad you told me about the closed file interview and the mini essay questions. I was not going to be expecting that lol :wideyed:

Congratulations on your acceptance and I hope to be part of your class! :clap:

-Stephie
 
Hopeful23 said:
Hello Everyone, congrats on all of your success up until this point. I just wanted to ask you all's opinion and brutal honesty is welcomed. I recently submitted my app for GA-PCOM but my stats are abysmal. I am an African American male non-trad with a 3.15s 3.2c masters, but I did horrible in undergrad 2.5s 2.8c because I had to support a family and worked full-time throughout school, and I attended Emory University majoring in Neuroscience (I know, what was I thinking. I have a 27 mcat (8v,9p,10b) , and a considerable amount of research experience, I am heavily involved in the community,run a non-profit for inner city youth and currently serve as a Clinical Director for a major Caribbean medical school. I really love pcom and I was encouraged to apply on the advisement and notion that they consider all aspects of an application, but I wonder if I really have any chance at all, any opinions are welcomed. Thank you all, and have a great holiday.
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Your MCAT is right up there with what they accept, I just got in with a 27. Your science and cumulative are a little low but not under what they ask for/accept. I'm not sure how PCOM views masters programs though. Some schools look at both undergrad and masters and some just look at your masters. You could always try and call to see how undergraduate GPAs are weighted if you've taken a masters program. The worst they could do is not tell you anything, never hurts to ask! Your ECs seem top-notch so that should help you out a good bit. What about your patient contact, shadowing, clinical experience? Are you a Georgia resident with ties to the area? Most people in my interview group were from the area or at least Georgia. Do you have strong LORs? Some people underestimate how much influence a few strong LORs can have on your application. You can PM me if you want, I'd be more than happy to try and help you out in any way I can!
 
ChiefComplaint said:
Completed in September. Multiple interview offers at other schools. No word from this institution. What's up with this school?
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You're not guaranteed an interview, just because you have interviews with other schools doesn't mean you'll get one here
futuredoctore2311 said:
Hey Stephie, something I didnt know was that it was a close file interview (they changed it from how it was before). Also, be ready to type in answers to question with a time frame of 30 minutes. The questions I got were very straight forward, tell me about yourself, why osteopathic medicine, why pecom, 1 ethical (what would I do if I see a coworker/very good friend of mine discriminating someone). That's all I can remember. There were two interviewers and only 30 mins so it was very short. Good luck!
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The written interview was tough man! I think they're seeing how you do under pressure because you only have 30 minutes to answer 5 or 6 pretty in depth questions. The interviewers get a copy of what you write so be prepared to talk about it more in depth. I got the same as above just no ethical questions. They asked questions based on what I said so my advice is think about your highlights, what makes YOU a good candidate, what makes YOU unique, why should they choose YOU over the other just as well qualified applicants, and make sure to highlight those. Interviewers love to ask if you have any questions or if there's anything else they should know at the end, my suggestion is think of a strong final closing statement (think how lawyers do it), something that summarizes why you would make an excellent doctor so it sticks in their mind and they remember you. The interview is basically about selling yourself, you know you will be a good doctor so think about the qualities/experiences/etc that support that when you are interviewing. The best advice I received was don't forget about body language. Put your hands on the table if there is one, lean forward a little bit when you're speaking, make eye contact and try and portray confidence even when you're shaking like a leaf. You got this.
 
C6H12O6&spice said:
You're not guaranteed an interview, just because you have interviews with other schools doesn't mean you'll get one here


The written interview was tough man! I think they're seeing how you do under pressure because you only have 30 minutes to answer 5 or 6 pretty in depth questions. The interviewers get a copy of what you write so be prepared to talk about it more in depth. I got the same as above just no ethical questions. They asked questions based on what I said so my advice is think about your highlights, what makes YOU a good candidate, what makes YOU unique, why should they choose YOU over the other just as well qualified applicants, and make sure to highlight those. Interviewers love to ask if you have any questions or if there's anything else they should know at the end, my suggestion is think of a strong final closing statement (think how lawyers do it), something that summarizes why you would make an excellent doctor so it sticks in their mind and they remember you. The interview is basically about selling yourself, you know you will be a good doctor so think about the qualities/experiences/etc that support that when you are interviewing. The best advice I received was don't forget about body language. Put your hands on the table if there is one, lean forward a little bit when you're speaking, make eye contact and try and portray confidence even when you're shaking like a leaf. You got this.
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Nothing is guaranteed in the medical school application process. This school just seems a bit aloof in their communication. I honestly wouldn't entertain an interview from this school at this point as I have heard from some of my more preferred schools.

Congratulations on your acceptance!
 
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C6H12O6&spice said:
You're not guaranteed an interview, just because you have interviews with other schools doesn't mean you'll get one here


The written interview was tough man! I think they're seeing how you do under pressure because you only have 30 minutes to answer 5 or 6 pretty in depth questions. The interviewers get a copy of what you write so be prepared to talk about it more in depth. I got the same as above just no ethical questions. They asked questions based on what I said so my advice is think about your highlights, what makes YOU a good candidate, what makes YOU unique, why should they choose YOU over the other just as well qualified applicants, and make sure to highlight those. Interviewers love to ask if you have any questions or if there's anything else they should know at the end, my suggestion is think of a strong final closing statement (think how lawyers do it), something that summarizes why you would make an excellent doctor so it sticks in their mind and they remember you. The interview is basically about selling yourself, you know you will be a good doctor so think about the qualities/experiences/etc that support that when you are interviewing. The best advice I received was don't forget about body language. Put your hands on the table if there is one, lean forward a little bit when you're speaking, make eye contact and try and portray confidence even when you're shaking like a leaf. You got this.
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Thank you so much for your feedback! I will definitely take all of this into consideration. :happy: I notice I get super nervous when practicing answering the questions. I guess I need to just relax and keep practicing.

Congratulations on your acceptance! I really appreciate you taking time to reply to my message! 🙂

-Stephie
 
Smonto said:
Thank you so much for your feedback! I will definitely take all of this into consideration. :happy: I notice I get super nervous when practicing answering the questions. I guess I need to just relax and keep practicing.

Congratulations on your acceptance! I really appreciate you taking time to reply to my message! 🙂

-Stephie
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The interviews here are super relaxed and conversational so just be yourself and don't stress (or at least try your best not to lol).
 
I'm really hoping for an ii here but no luck so far... 🙁 I was complete early Nov. but my DO letter got there five days ago (the letter writer took forever!). I guess I should be patient.

3.5/29, nontraditional. I have a good ongoing research commitment with a leadership role but my last clinical EC ended a year ago and last community service like two years ago (I do have a lot of hours for both though). Not sure, maybe this is a problem? Also, I have no ties to GA or the south. Is it looking grim or do I still have a chance? Eh.. 🙁
 
PlasticBag said:
I'm really hoping for an ii here but no luck so far... 🙁 I was complete early Nov. but my DO letter got there five days ago (the letter writer took forever!). I guess I should be patient.

3.5/29, nontraditional. I have a good ongoing research commitment with a leadership role but my last clinical EC ended a year ago and last community service like two years ago (I do have a lot of hours for both though). Not sure, maybe this is a problem? Also, I have no ties to GA or the south. Is it looking grim or do I still have a chance? Eh.. 🙁
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I'm a first year and we have a good amount of people not from the south (Texas, Ohio, etc) so you definitely have a chance unless you're super far away! I think your chances are really good based on your stats/ECs/LOR from a DO. Good luck!
 
Thank you, @simbad8! Currently I'm about 800 miles away but originally from across the ocean. Maybe they will feel like giving me some points for "diversity"... Trying to stay positive 🙂
 
simbad8 said:
The interviews here are super relaxed and conversational so just be yourself and don't stress (or at least try your best not to lol).
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Thanks! I will try my best to stay calm and just be myself :nod:
 
PlasticBag said:
I keep checking my email for an early christmas present in the form of an ii but I should probably stop...
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Don't give up hope... Last year I got the ii email on 26 Dec. It could come at anytime, but don't let the stress kill your holidays either.

ChiefComplaint said:
Has anybody without a DO letter or recommendation heard back from PCOM at all?
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I applied last year without anything from a DO... obviously it wasn't that much of an application killer.

Good luck!
 
To all current students: How was the Code Black documentary showing yesterday?
 
d-dimer said:
Can any current student chime in on any recommended course/s to take prior to starting OMS-1?
@simbad8 @CaptRetired @Carl Seitan @wjs010
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Eh... anatomy might help but no college courses are close to what you do in med school unless you take a gross anatomy w/ cadaver dissection (still not nearly as in depth though). I majored in bio and Chem so I chose a lot of bio electives that I knew would pay off in med school (cell bio, micro, immunology, genetics, biochem). I think the one that's paid off the most so far is immunology because I've seen everything we're being taught already and can just put it on the back burner. And I'm also glad I took Latin in high school cause it helps a lot haha even though everyone says it's useless.
 
ChiefComplaint said:
Has anybody without a DO letter of recommendation heard back from PCOM at all?
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I interviewed and was accepted without a DO letter. Interviewed on Nov. 7th and was accepted three weeks after. I know the waiting game is hard but don't loose faith.. we are still early in the process, i know of many people that have been ii and accepted on the last months of the cycle.. I'm still waiting on schools closer to where I leave, this one is 10 hrs away.. Good luck.. my best advise is not to wait anything.. just think that a random day, you'll get that e-mail..
 
d-dimer said:
Can any current student chime in on any recommended course/s to take prior to starting OMS-1?
@simbad8 @CaptRetired @Carl Seitan @wjs010
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I am a (very) non-traditional med student, and I don't know what your science background is, but above the basic pre-reqs the only classes I took undergrad consisted of 1 nursing A&P course (just happened to fit in my schedule) and Biochemistry (I figured I should take something that would help me in med school). That said, simbad8 has a point. The A&P course did help me quite a lot as they had a strong emphasis on bones. Here they expect you to know the bones before you even step foot in the lecture hall. The A&P course helped me a lot because of the strong focus on bones and it introduced me to histology (another large feature of SPOM). I also had a basic knowledge of many of the larger muscles, but nowhere near the level required here as we didn't learn origin, insertion, enervation or blood supply. Would the class have been harder without it? sure. Would it have made the difference between my pass and failing? I don't think so. Should YOU take it? I would recommend taking it if you have the time and money to get into a basic A&P course... if you don't then I wouldn't sweat that either. It is really only a primer that will help you in the first semester.

Biochemistry... that is paying high dividends this semester. My undergrad class was taught by a newly transplanted PhD that had something to prove. He covered twice the material that was normally in my college's biochem course and did so at a grad school level. It was VERY difficult, but it really did help. Would I recommend it? No, probably not... it was only helpful because of how he taught it. For all those non-trad students, I would recommend cell bio, molecular bio, or immunology. Those 3 are killing me lol.

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to ask anything. Caveat--- this is only my opinion... and you know opinions are like armpits- everyone has them and they usually stink.
 
PlasticBag said:
Do we know the average wait time for an ii? Being patient is so hard...
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Anytime between now and end of the season, my friend said they usually stop offering invitations in February and stop interviewing in March. They will fill in for those who cancel but the class will be pretty much full by end of January.
 
futurexray said:
Anytime between now and end of the season, my friend said they usually stop offering invitations in February and stop interviewing in March. They will fill in for those who cancel but the class will be pretty much full by end of January.
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The interviews are limited, though I don't know when that cutoff is. Don't give up hope, though... A good friend of mine decided after his interview that this was the school he wanted to go to. He had turned down other interviews, etc, but didn't actually get an acceptance here until early summer before class. There are many slots that shuffle as deadlines come down around the country as students who hold on to their acceptances to multiple locations have to make final personal decisions. Keep your chin up, don't give up unless you decide medicine isn't for you.
 
ChiefComplaint said:
To all current students: How was the Code Black documentary showing yesterday?
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An over dramatization of a crappy hospital system that is upset they had to catch up with modern medicine when there facility was updated, also it's super liberal/pro ACA was kind of a bummer.

Cool shots of trauma but that's about it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ignore spelling and/or grammar
 
Yea, wanting all those poor and disadvantaged people to get access to healthcare is a real drag.
 
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