Philadelphia COM - Georgia (GA-PCOM) Discussion Thread 2016-2017

[allanMED15]

Does anyone know if I can email the technical standards form?

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[Noxy]

Does anyone know if I can email the technical standards form?

Yeah, the email adress is on the acceptance letter. I scanned the form and emailed it. The portal updated a few days later indicating they recieved it!

 

[kj8210]

So once I submit my application fee will they automatically download my transcripts and letters of recommendation or do I need to do something else for them to get it?

 

[Failboat]

So once I submit my application fee will they automatically download my transcripts and letters of recommendation or do I need to do something else for them to get it?

Nope, you should just be able to submit the fee and then they can process your application. If you have submitted everything, it will show up on your portal.

 

[MakeLifeHappen13]

Just paid the first deposit! Feel extremely humbled and blessed for this opportunity.

 

[CM13]

Would any current or recently accepted students mind elaborating on why they picked PCOM-GA over other schools? I'm really on the fence about sending in the deposit here and would love some advice.

 

[ENTP]

Do not attend this nasty and toxic institution. There is nowhere quiet to study, and the administration is beyond abusive.

 

[crossiscoming]

Do not attend this nasty and toxic institution. There is nowhere quiet to study, and the administration is beyond abusive.

Can you actually give a specific example of how you think the administration has wronged you?

 

[fifthcupofcoffee]

interviewed here yesterday. like i said first choice, beautiful facility and aise cannon is super helpful! idk everyone seemed really friendly to me

 

[jayoh]

Hey everyone, current third year, feel free to PM with any questions and I will give you my two cents.

Would any current or recently accepted students mind elaborating on why they picked PCOM-GA over other schools? I'm really on the fence about sending in the deposit here and would love some advice.

I chose for the location and the laid back atmosphere (i.e. no dress code, lax attendance policy). I don't regret it. I had a good experience and am very happy with my education/board scores. My classmates are cool and I really can't complain.

Keep in mind that attendance is becoming more mandatory so I would basically just expect lecture to be required more often than not. I disagree that there is nowhere quiet to study, as I've never personally had any problem finding a place to study. I am not sure why anyone would consider the administration "abusive". I am not saying that the school is without flaws but with my first 2 years behind me, I am pretty happy with everything.

 

[jayoh]

Here's the deal with attendance:
When I started, I was under the impression that I never had to go to class and could watch everything on tegrity (lecture recordings) and do everything on my own. This was not entirely true, however it did work that way about 60% of the time. OMM lab, PCS, and guest lecture are always mandatory. Anatomy labs and neuro labs are also mandatory. Everything else is not mandatory, in theory.

The problem is that in a class of 130, about 15 people will go to lecture and everyone else just watches is on tegrity. This kind of leaves the professors lecturing to a mostly empty classroom, so there is some pushback from the faculty to "encourage" attendance. For example, one semester we had like 70 "clicker points" as a significant chunk of our grade. So they would give out like 2 clicker questions per lecture. So you're kind of stuck going to every lecture just to get those clicker points.

Other semesters we had no clickers or anything, and you were free to sit in the library all day and watch lectures or study or whatever, on your own schedule.

It is my understanding that over the last 2 years they have added even more things to encourage attendance. That's why I say that you should just expect to go to class (not that unreasonable). But if you go in expecting no lecture then you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[Strange Peanut]

Hey everyone, current third year, feel free to PM with any questions and I will give you my two cents.



I chose for the location and the laid back atmosphere (i.e. no dress code, lax attendance policy). I don't regret it. I had a good experience and am very happy with my education/board scores. My classmates are cool and I really can't complain.

Keep in mind that attendance is becoming more mandatory so I would basically just expect lecture to be required more often than not. I disagree that there is nowhere quiet to study, as I've never personally had any problem finding a place to study. I am not sure why anyone would consider the administration "abusive". I am not saying that the school is without flaws but with my first 2 years behind me, I am pretty happy with everything.

Since you're a 3rd year, maybe you can talk about it. How would you rate your rotation experience so far? I keep hearing that it changes from year to year; therefore, ours may not be the same as yours when we enter 3rd year. I just want to hear a current 3rd years thoughts since Ive only had the chance to speak to 1st, 2nd and 4th years.

 

[jayoh]

Since you're a 3rd year, maybe you can talk about it. How would you rate your rotation experience so far? I keep hearing that it changes from year to year; therefore, ours may not be the same as yours when we enter 3rd year. I just want to hear a current 3rd years thoughts since Ive only had the chance to speak to 1st, 2nd and 4th years.

Rotations are very individual, so there is a lot of variation from person to person, and you really need more of a survey if you want a general idea.

I can tell you that for us, they divided Georgia up into 6 or 7 regions, and we had a lottery to choose which region we would be rotating in. I chose the Northeast region, which includes Atlanta and everything NE. Some of my rotations have been incredible and others have been lame. A lot of that comes down to personal interest and how you get along with your preceptor. I have heard amazing things about rotations in Columbus, Macon, and Albany.. so definitely don't think for a second that rural Georgia has lower quality rotations. In some ways rural = more latitude for medical students to be involved.

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but hopefully it helps in some way.

 

[Doctor_anonymous]

Rotations are very individual, so there is a lot of variation from person to person, and you really need more of a survey if you want a general idea.

I can tell you that for us, they divided Georgia up into 6 or 7 regions, and we had a lottery to choose which region we would be rotating in. I chose the Northeast region, which includes Atlanta and everything NE. Some of my rotations have been incredible and others have been lame. A lot of that comes down to personal interest and how you get along with your preceptor. I have heard amazing things about rotations in Columbus, Macon, and Albany.. so definitely don't think for a second that rural Georgia has lower quality rotations. In some ways rural = more latitude for medical students to be involved.

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but hopefully it helps in some way.

Thank you so much for your detailed responses and help!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Carouselambra]

For those that have sent updates did ya'll call/email or just update your aacomas app or both?

 

[getfat]

For those that have sent updates did ya'll call/email or just update your aacomas app or both?

Pre-Interview I just updated AACOMAS

 

[Noxy]

For those that have sent updates did ya'll call/email or just update your aacomas app or both?

I personally emailed them after updating my aacomas to make sure they got my update and got an interview that same day...I am not sure if that was coincidence or not. Im also unsure if they are even receptive to emails like that but I did it anyway because the portal never updated.

 

[mpsu2014]

Hi everyone Best of luck with the interview process.
I am currently a first year at GA-PCOM so I can gladly give insight into the school if you have any questions! I'll try to be as open and honest as possible. Feel free to message me for specific or just tag me and post on here for generalized questions!

 

[MakeLifeHappen13]

Hi everyone Best of luck with the interview process.
I am currently a first year at GA-PCOM so I can gladly give insight into the school if you have any questions! I'll try to be as open and honest as possible. Feel free to message me for specific or just tag me and post on here for generalized questions!

Would you mind sharing some pros and cons about the program? Same goes to @jayoh if he doesn't mind.

 

[mpsu2014]

Would you mind sharing some pros and cons about the program? Same goes to @jayoh if he doesn't mind.

No problem.

So medical school in general is tough. There is no sugar coating it, but PCOM does a great job on several levels:
1. They truly want you to succeed. This couldn't be more evident with the majority of the professors here. If you are struggling, they will take as much time as you need to help. If you happen to be doing not so hot in class, they will schedule a meeting to sit down with you and talk about what can be changed to help - not to scare you, but just to guarantee you're on the path to success.
2. The material that you will learn is more than enough to be prepared for boards. I'm only in the beginnings of year 1 so I'm hoping this will remain constant. But so far so good (anatomy apparently is low yield on boards and thats what we started with so I may be able to offer more insight on this after we finished this term of CMBM). Like any medical school, you will have to learn some extra detail for class that won't necessarily be needed for boards, but otherwise they got it all covered.
3. There is no babying you. I guess this can be looked at as good or bad. From day one its off to the races and they expect you to keep up. This forces you to put the pedal to the metal and learn 'how to med school' and fast. Although this was extremely difficult (in my own personal experience) it honestly made me become a better student/ a better learner/studier a lot faster.
4. THE PEOPLE ARE GREAT. From professors, to fellows helping in OMM, and most importantly, your peers... this school is filled with genuinely good people who want nothing but the best for every student at PCOM. My class constantly offers assistance to others (we post helpful youtube links, self drawn figures, material from previous classes, and other helpful tools/materials on our Facebook group). And the second year class comes to our aid constantly. They put together google drives of study guides, practice tests, helpful material, drives for ebooks etc. We also have a mentor program that pairs you with a second year that can act as your own personal liason (if you so choose to be apart of the program). I have personally used this mentor on countless occasions not only to receive helpful information for various topics, but to just talk and vent. There has been several occasions when I thought I was going to lose my mind and my second year talked me through it. I can't say enough about them. And lastly, the OMM fellows/professors who take time out of their days to hold a thing called "crunch bunch" to walk through manipulations or OMM topics with us after we have already learned the material to guarantee were will be ready for the practical.
5. The material and exams are fair. Medical school is tough. I have only been through 1 full term and currently am underway on the second, and there is no "easy" part. With that being said, the material given to you if fairly reflected on exams (both written and practicals). There have been a few occasions where we have been given a dense topic very close to the day of the exam and most times in these cases the professors have done an excellent job of really emphasizing what we needed to know not only for the exams, but what would be most relevant for boards.
6. The community loves GA-PCOM. Its a well known name and we, as a school, as very well known in the community. This is probably because of all the outreach we do in a variety of settings. Anytime people ask me about where I go to school as soon as I say "PCOM" they already know and have positive things to say. I have only heard the same in relation to rotations. PCOM students are typically well known to be excellent at their rotations.

As for negatives...
I honestly can't really point out and huge, overarching negatives that would make me turn this school down. I guess if you don't like nice weather 90% of the time (I'm originally from the north so GA weather has been glorious) or if you're an Alabama fan (they get a lot of taunting here). Like any school, there may be litter personal things you're not a fan of some of which I'll list:
1. Some classes are mandatory (guest lectures, PCBM, labs of any sort, flipped classrooms). I know some people aren't a fan of having to come to class. Other than these specifics (which are a smaller subset of your weekly classes), class is not mandatory and there is a thing called tegrity which records the lecture for you to listen to at your convenience. On a positive, we never have to dress up for lecture (I literally wear gym clothes everyday), unless its a guest lecture (and these are rarer, especially first year).
2. Some professors are better at conveying material than others. Again, this is kind of a normalcy in any institution. As a whole, PCOM has a great teaching staff who truly wants to teach and who does it well.

Those are the only 2 big problems I can think of in relation to complaints I have heard.

To be honest this school is great. The building isn't grand, but I try to spend the least amount of time in that building anyways (anytime I can get away I do!) GA-PCOM will give you everything you need to succeed, you just need to take it and run with it.

Any other specifics, just tag me or message me!!
Hope this helped

 

[Strange Peanut]

Hi everyone Best of luck with the interview process.
I am currently a first year at GA-PCOM so I can gladly give insight into the school if you have any questions! I'll try to be as open and honest as possible. Feel free to message me for specific or just tag me and post on here for generalized questions!

You mentioned that once medical starts you basically have to hit the ground running and how you sort of struggled a little with that aspect. Now that your first semester is behind you, how has your study methods changed/developed? I understand that everyone learns differently but I'm always curious about other's study habits and schedules.

Thanks in advance. Your previous response was very insightful.

 

[Ashley704]

Interviewed 12/9 and my portal changed this morning to proceed with the $250 deposit!

 

[mpsu2014]

You mentioned that once medical starts you basically have to hit the ground running and how you sort of struggled a little with that aspect. Now that your first semester is behind you, how has your study methods changed/developed? I understand that everyone learns differently but I'm always curious about other's study habits and schedules.

Thanks in advance. Your previous response was very insightful.

Several things to take into account:
First you're going to get bombarded by people telling you how to study, what to study, what materials to use/not to use, when, where etc. Take this with a grain of salt. The one thing I do is NOT talk to other people about study habits. Everyone is going to have something that works for them. So take what works for you and don't change.

Start with how you studied in college. And by that I mean what techniques you use (flash cards, study guides, charts etc.) I was always a hand written study guide person, so I continued that immediately with anatomy and it worked well for me. But I know several other people had other ideas including tons of flashcards, only highlighted the powerpoints (that they print out for us each class). If this does not work, switch it up. Talk to your second year or other first years and maybe get some new ideas. Our class loves sharing organized notes they have made, sometimes that will show you how to better organize or condense down information. Example: I would make copies of pictures in the anatomy atlas and make notes all over the page so I had a visual with the written info (I'm a visual learner, this is important too... know what type of learner you are!)

Be prepared to study more than you have studied, probably ever. The struggle can be real, but set yourself a schedule and stick to it. Again, everyone is different with this. Some people stay up late during the weekdays so they have more time to themselves during the weekend. I typically only study or make study guides until about 8-9 at night so I can have a few hours before bed to watch Netflix or watch tv/eat ice cream. All up to preference. With that being said listen to your body. If you wear yourself down with too much studying/not enough sleep you will not retain anything and it will be pointless in the long run. Also be aware that (for the most part) that amount of studying and type of studying together will correspond to how well you truly know the material and how well you will do on the exams.

Study groups are a big thing. A lot of people like studying together in study rooms or at big tables in the library. Again, total preference here. For example, I never study in groups (especially when I am just learning the material). I like to talk out the material aloud, to myself which isn't really helpful in a group setting. Instead, I'll talk through the material and quiz my friends the morning of or the day before an exam. Quizzing friends and talking through material with them is truly a knowledge solidifier.

Find a place you like to study! And try to not get bad habits while studying (snacking, watching TV, social media, texting, etc.) Keep away temptations.

Use your time wisely. Remember that making study guides and notes counts as studying! I usually spend most of my week doing study guides (making them helpful and thorough) and then the weekends studying them. By the time I start studying them I had already heard it and made notes in class and remade the hand written study guide, so the material was already starting to stick. I would always stress myself out about the amount of material we got during the week, but just try to remember it will slowly start to stick overtime.

So to give cliff notes:
1. Use your preferred study habits to start off including which type of learner (visual, auditory, etc) you are to fine tune studying
2. Be prepared to study more than before (don't get started on the wrong foot studying for the same amount of time you studied in undergrad)
3. GET SLEEP & BRAIN REST
4. Find other methods to solidify knowledge (quizzing each other, talking through material)
5. Study alone or in groups (find a preference)
6. Avoid temptations
7. Study smart!

Those are just some of the things I know were useful tips going through first semester. It is hard and sometimes it feels like the material never stops, but remember so many people have gone through this and become great physicians.... you can do it too. Take one day at a time. One off study day or one bad grade isn't going to be the do all to end all. If you got in, you can get out with that degree.

As always, anymore questions just message or quote me so I can respond

 

[Strange Peanut]

@mpsu2014 You legit rock. If your detailed responses are any sort of indication regarding the type of medical students there are at GA-PCOM, I am so happy with my acceptance at this school. Cheers!

Also final question, what have you noticed regarding the tech in class? I am thinking about upgrading from my Macbook Pro I got when I started undergrad and am leaning towards the Microsoft Surface (I think the new 2016 Macbook Pros are complete ass given the specs and hardware). I dont necessary need an upgrade but I feel like it would be nice to be able to take notes on PDFs and Powerpoints without having to cut down a million trees for paper. You mention that the school prints out the powerpoints prior to lecture so now I'm back on the fence. I am also a rather visual learner hence my gravitation towards the Surface.

 

[SusieCarmichael]

Several things to take into account:
First you're going to get bombarded by people telling you how to study, what to study, what materials to use/not to use, when, where etc. Take this with a grain of salt. The one thing I do is NOT talk to other people about study habits. Everyone is going to have something that works for them. So take what works for you and don't change.

Start with how you studied in college. And by that I mean what techniques you use (flash cards, study guides, charts etc.) I was always a hand written study guide person, so I continued that immediately with anatomy and it worked well for me. But I know several other people had other ideas including tons of flashcards, only highlighted the powerpoints (that they print out for us each class). If this does not work, switch it up. Talk to your second year or other first years and maybe get some new ideas. Our class loves sharing organized notes they have made, sometimes that will show you how to better organize or condense down information. Example: I would make copies of pictures in the anatomy atlas and make notes all over the page so I had a visual with the written info (I'm a visual learner, this is important too... know what type of learner you are!)

Be prepared to study more than you have studied, probably ever. The struggle can be real, but set yourself a schedule and stick to it. Again, everyone is different with this. Some people stay up late during the weekdays so they have more time to themselves during the weekend. I typically only study or make study guides until about 8-9 at night so I can have a few hours before bed to watch Netflix or watch tv/eat ice cream. All up to preference. With that being said listen to your body. If you wear yourself down with too much studying/not enough sleep you will not retain anything and it will be pointless in the long run. Also be aware that (for the most part) that amount of studying and type of studying together will correspond to how well you truly know the material and how well you will do on the exams.

Study groups are a big thing. A lot of people like studying together in study rooms or at big tables in the library. Again, total preference here. For example, I never study in groups (especially when I am just learning the material). I like to talk out the material aloud, to myself which isn't really helpful in a group setting. Instead, I'll talk through the material and quiz my friends the morning of or the day before an exam. Quizzing friends and talking through material with them is truly a knowledge solidifier.

Find a place you like to study! And try to not get bad habits while studying (snacking, watching TV, social media, texting, etc.) Keep away temptations.

Use your time wisely. Remember that making study guides and notes counts as studying! I usually spend most of my week doing study guides (making them helpful and thorough) and then the weekends studying them. By the time I start studying them I had already heard it and made notes in class and remade the hand written study guide, so the material was already starting to stick. I would always stress myself out about the amount of material we got during the week, but just try to remember it will slowly start to stick overtime.

So to give cliff notes:
1. Use your preferred study habits to start off including which type of learner (visual, auditory, etc) you are to fine tune studying
2. Be prepared to study more than before (don't get started on the wrong foot studying for the same amount of time you studied in undergrad)
3. GET SLEEP & BRAIN REST
4. Find other methods to solidify knowledge (quizzing each other, talking through material)
5. Study alone or in groups (find a preference)
6. Avoid temptations
7. Study smart!

Those are just some of the things I know were useful tips going through first semester. It is hard and sometimes it feels like the material never stops, but remember so many people have gone through this and become great physicians.... you can do it too. Take one day at a time. One off study day or one bad grade isn't going to be the do all to end all. If you got in, you can get out with that degree.

As always, anymore questions just message or quote me so I can respond

What time do you typically start studying?

 

[KO_TV]

Several things to take into account:
First you're going to get bombarded by people telling you how to study, what to study, what materials to use/not to use, when, where etc. Take this with a grain of salt. The one thing I do is NOT talk to other people about study habits. Everyone is going to have something that works for them. So take what works for you and don't change.

Start with how you studied in college. And by that I mean what techniques you use (flash cards, study guides, charts etc.) I was always a hand written study guide person, so I continued that immediately with anatomy and it worked well for me. But I know several other people had other ideas including tons of flashcards, only highlighted the powerpoints (that they print out for us each class). If this does not work, switch it up. Talk to your second year or other first years and maybe get some new ideas. Our class loves sharing organized notes they have made, sometimes that will show you how to better organize or condense down information. Example: I would make copies of pictures in the anatomy atlas and make notes all over the page so I had a visual with the written info (I'm a visual learner, this is important too... know what type of learner you are!)

Be prepared to study more than you have studied, probably ever. The struggle can be real, but set yourself a schedule and stick to it. Again, everyone is different with this. Some people stay up late during the weekdays so they have more time to themselves during the weekend. I typically only study or make study guides until about 8-9 at night so I can have a few hours before bed to watch Netflix or watch tv/eat ice cream. All up to preference. With that being said listen to your body. If you wear yourself down with too much studying/not enough sleep you will not retain anything and it will be pointless in the long run. Also be aware that (for the most part) that amount of studying and type of studying together will correspond to how well you truly know the material and how well you will do on the exams.

Study groups are a big thing. A lot of people like studying together in study rooms or at big tables in the library. Again, total preference here. For example, I never study in groups (especially when I am just learning the material). I like to talk out the material aloud, to myself which isn't really helpful in a group setting. Instead, I'll talk through the material and quiz my friends the morning of or the day before an exam. Quizzing friends and talking through material with them is truly a knowledge solidifier.

Find a place you like to study! And try to not get bad habits while studying (snacking, watching TV, social media, texting, etc.) Keep away temptations.

Use your time wisely. Remember that making study guides and notes counts as studying! I usually spend most of my week doing study guides (making them helpful and thorough) and then the weekends studying them. By the time I start studying them I had already heard it and made notes in class and remade the hand written study guide, so the material was already starting to stick. I would always stress myself out about the amount of material we got during the week, but just try to remember it will slowly start to stick overtime.

So to give cliff notes:
1. Use your preferred study habits to start off including which type of learner (visual, auditory, etc) you are to fine tune studying
2. Be prepared to study more than before (don't get started on the wrong foot studying for the same amount of time you studied in undergrad)
3. GET SLEEP & BRAIN REST
4. Find other methods to solidify knowledge (quizzing each other, talking through material)
5. Study alone or in groups (find a preference)
6. Avoid temptations
7. Study smart!

Those are just some of the things I know were useful tips going through first semester. It is hard and sometimes it feels like the material never stops, but remember so many people have gone through this and become great physicians.... you can do it too. Take one day at a time. One off study day or one bad grade isn't going to be the do all to end all. If you got in, you can get out with that degree.

As always, anymore questions just message or quote me so I can respond

I just want to emphasize point number 1 because it's something I struggled with starting out. I wanted to use all the resources I could get my hands on and ended up failing the first Anatomy test because of it. After that, I just went to 3 sources (YouTube, PowerPoints, and BRS) and ended up with an A at the end. The second years who are near the top of their class will have these "forums" during lunch where they tell you what works for them. Honestly, these just stressed me out because they all learn differently and they kept promoting their way of studying. Just power through the first test on your own and if you fail like I did, don't worry about it. You can still recover and be successful.

 

[SusieCarmichael]

I just want to emphasize point number 1 because it's something I struggled with starting out. I wanted to use all the resources I could get my hands on and ended up failing the first Anatomy test because of it. After that, I just went to 3 sources (YouTube, PowerPoints, and BRS) and ended up with an A at the end. The second years who are near the top of their class will have these "forums" during lunch where they tell you what works for them. Honestly, these just stressed me out because they all learn differently and they kept promoting their way of studying. Just power through the first test on your own and if you fail like I did, don't worry about it. You can still recover and be successful.

BRS?

 

[KO_TV]

BRS?

Board Review Series for Anatomy!

 

[SusieCarmichael]

Board Review Series for Anatomy!

Oh yeah, that's right! I totally knew that was a thing.....yep.

 

[bme94]

Chances for an II? cGPA: 3.71, sGPA: 3.6, MCAT:499

 

[mpsu2014]

Chances for an II? cGPA: 3.71, sGPA: 3.6, MCAT:499

I had a 3.69, 3.6, 405.... and I'm a first year so I would say you are pretty solid. It will be more about extracurriculars and your personality on interview day

 

[mpsu2014]

What time do you typically start studying?

I just want to emphasize point number 1 because it's something I struggled with starting out. I wanted to use all the resources I could get my hands on and ended up failing the first Anatomy test because of it. After that, I just went to 3 sources (YouTube, PowerPoints, and BRS) and ended up with an A at the end. The second years who are near the top of their class will have these "forums" during lunch where they tell you what works for them. Honestly, these just stressed me out because they all learn differently and they kept promoting their way of studying. Just power through the first test on your own and if you fail like I did, don't worry about it. You can still recover and be successful.

Thanks for the extra input! Just to give the idea of how different this can before everyone... I used the following sources:
Greys Anatomy (its a practice question bank, no the TV show)
Dr. Preddy (he simplifies everything in relation to anatomy on YouTube, he is from another DO school)
Anatomy Atlas

Thats it... And I did well in anatomy also! The majority of my class failed the first test. Our average before getting some questions back was in the 60's.
And yes the second years at first will stress you out. Find one that you really trust, thats what I did, and I go to her for anything. That way I won't get bombarded with information.


@SusieCarmichael on the weekdays I typically study either 4pm-8pm or 5pm-8pm (give or take some time depending on the material and the amount of class that day). Take Friday off usually. On the weekends it varies... but typically I study a lot. Anywhere from 930am-8pm Sat/Sun. I usually take a break for lunch and a break to workout. Again this is what I do, lots of people would say thats crazy. So like I said before just figure out what works for your brain/body/life You will do just fine!

 

[mpsu2014]

@mpsu2014 You legit rock. If your detailed responses are any sort of indication regarding the type of medical students there are at GA-PCOM, I am so happy with my acceptance at this school. Cheers!

Also final question, what have you noticed regarding the tech in class? I am thinking about upgrading from my Macbook Pro I got when I started undergrad and am leaning towards the Microsoft Surface (I think the new 2016 Macbook Pros are complete ass given the specs and hardware). I dont necessary need an upgrade but I feel like it would be nice to be able to take notes on PDFs and Powerpoints without having to cut down a million trees for paper. You mention that the school prints out the powerpoints prior to lecture so now I'm back on the fence. I am also a rather visual learner hence my gravitation towards the Surface.

Thank you! Glad I can help, I know going into this you can kinda feel blind and helpless so I'll try to be detailed and honest!! The students here are truly incredible and brilliant people that I am honored to be surrounded by knowing they will one day be my colleagues.

Everyone is different. Our class id pretty split between Mac and Microsoft. All preference here.
Almost every lecture is printed out for you to write on except for OMM and PCBM lectures. Most people just type notes for these classes. I still make handwritten notes as we go along.
But your main class each semester will always have the powerpoints printed for you.
Sorry I know that probably doesn't help.
I have a Mac, I love Macs so I wouldn't change even going through this first semester.

 

[Educatednegro]

I just want to emphasize point number 1 because it's something I struggled with starting out. I wanted to use all the resources I could get my hands on and ended up failing the first Anatomy test because of it. After that, I just went to 3 sources (YouTube, PowerPoints, and BRS) and ended up with an A at the end. The second years who are near the top of their class will have these "forums" during lunch where they tell you what works for them. Honestly, these just stressed me out because they all learn differently and they kept promoting their way of studying. Just power through the first test on your own and if you fail like I did, don't worry about it. You can still recover and be successful.

With the fast pace of medical school do you find yourself physically reading through the chapters of the text books or just relying on the Youtube, Powerpoint, lecture, and BRS

 

[bme94]

I had a 3.69, 3.6, 405.... and I'm a first year so I would say you are pretty solid. It will be more about extracurriculars and your personality on interview day

Wait, a 405? Or do you mean a 495?
I don't know how my ECs are, but at the time I applied I had + 300 hours of scribing, ~500 hours of clinical research, 400 hours of non-clinical research, 100 hours of volunteering/community service, and some clubs...I also had 6 LORs. I see some amazing ECs on here, so I just wanted to share mine and see if they're okay.

 

[dorthyb]

Wait, a 405? Or do you mean a 495?
I don't know how my ECs are, but at the time I applied I had + 300 hours of scribing, ~500 hours of clinical research, 400 hours of non-clinical research, 100 hours of volunteering/community service, and some clubs...I also had 6 LORs. I see some amazing ECs on here, so I just wanted to share mine and see if they're okay.

Your EC'S are pretty close to mine and I was accepted with similar stats.

 

[mpsu2014]

With the fast pace of medical school do you find yourself physically reading through the chapters of the text books or just relying on the Youtube, Powerpoint, lecture, and BRS

Nope. Honestly you won't have time to read the chapters. Because it would add up to thousands of pages by the end of the week. Maybe if you decide not to go to class and just read through the powerpoints and suggested chapters on your own, but this isn't a common method.
Typically if I don't understand something I will either:
1. Google/youtube
2. Ask the professor/students
Usually you'll figure it out through these 2 methods.

There were occasional times in SPOM (anatomy) that I would look at the blue clinical boxes to read more on pathology from our clinical anatomy book, but other than that.... I haven't cracked a book yet in this second semester.
But again this is all preference. Some people will refer to the books more than others. I typically go straight off of the lectures because they usually have everything you need. I also grabbed the First Aid book for Step 1 for this second semester (because its all biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology) which First Aid simplifies well. With that being said... The supplemental materials including BRS, Greys, First Aid will sometimes have things that you will not go over in class or not have the level of detail you go over in class... for exams know what the professors teach! I know for anatomy there were a few of the questions from Greys and BRS practice sections that were way different from the material we learned in class. For boards: I would also focus on what you learn in class, but then you can be guided a little more by the other materials to fill in any gaps. But... as a first year I haven't really started focusing on that yet.

 

[mpsu2014]

Wait, a 405? Or do you mean a 495?
I don't know how my ECs are, but at the time I applied I had + 300 hours of scribing, ~500 hours of clinical research, 400 hours of non-clinical research, 100 hours of volunteering/community service, and some clubs...I also had 6 LORs. I see some amazing ECs on here, so I just wanted to share mine and see if they're okay.

Oh oops!! Mistyped. I got a 505.
You sound like you have some good stuff under your belt to show your dedication and experience in this field. And these seem to be good ECs to talk about during interviews!
For my PCOM interview I literally just talked about stories from the ER (I scribed for 2 years) for the entire time.
From your stats and ECs I would say you have the perfect resume to get into any DO school.
Now to just kick some butt on the interview (aka just relax and be yourself!)

 

[bme94]

Oh oops!! Mistyped. I got a 505.
You sound like you have some good stuff under your belt to show your dedication and experience in this field. And these seem to be good ECs to talk about during interviews!
For my PCOM interview I literally just talked about stories from the ER (I scribed for 2 years) for the entire time.
From your stats and ECs I would say you have the perfect resume to get into any DO school.
Now to just kick some butt on the interview (aka just relax and be yourself!)

Really? Because my MCAT is only a 499. That's why I'm worried. I'm surprised. With your stats, no one wonder you got accepted!

 

[Educatednegro]

Nope. Honestly you won't have time to read the chapters. Because it would add up to thousands of pages by the end of the week. Maybe if you decide not to go to class and just read through the powerpoints and suggested chapters on your own, but this isn't a common method.
Typically if I don't understand something I will either:
1. Google/youtube
2. Ask the professor/students
Usually you'll figure it out through these 2 methods.

There were occasional times in SPOM (anatomy) that I would look at the blue clinical boxes to read more on pathology from our clinical anatomy book, but other than that.... I haven't cracked a book yet in this second semester.
But again this is all preference. Some people will refer to the books more than others. I typically go straight off of the lectures because they usually have everything you need. I also grabbed the First Aid book for Step 1 for this second semester (because its all biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology) which First Aid simplifies well. With that being said... The supplemental materials including BRS, Greys, First Aid will sometimes have things that you will not go over in class or not have the level of detail you go over in class... for exams know what the professors teach! I know for anatomy there were a few of the questions from Greys and BRS practice sections that were way different from the material we learned in class. For boards: I would also focus on what you learn in class, but then you can be guided a little more by the other materials to fill in any gaps. But... as a first year I haven't really started focusing on that yet.

Thanks thats what I thought.

 

[drmeow2016]

Really? Because my MCAT is only a 499. That's why I'm worried. I'm surprised. With your stats, no one wonder you got accepted!

That's a good enough MCAT score. I got in with a 498, but I also had a 3.8 science and cumulative GPA so I think that balanced it out. You should be fine. Go for it!

 

[bme94]

That's a good enough MCAT score. I got in with a 498, but I also had a 3.8 science and cumulative GPA so I think that balanced it out. You should be fine. Go for it!

Thanks! I was complete at the end of November, so hopefully hear something by the end of January.

 

[getfat]

Did they make the Class of 2021 Facebook group yet?

 

[PreMedFGCU]

My portal changed and now gives me a link to pay my deposite for admission!! I'm in Ohio visiting family and won't be back to Florida for another week or so to check the mail, but does this mean I'm accepted!?!?!?!

 

[SusieCarmichael]

More than likely. Congrats!!!

 

[Strange Peanut]

Did they make the Class of 2021 Facebook group yet?

Probably wont be made until it gets closer to the end of the cycle or at least after the everyone matriculating pays the 2nd deposit.

 

[PreMedFGCU]

I am officially accepted into Ga-PCOM!!!

 

[PreMedFGCU]

Anyone else from the 12/9 interview been accepted?

 

[mpsu2014]

Really? Because my MCAT is only a 499. That's why I'm worried. I'm surprised. With your stats, no one wonder you got accepted!

I think this is just fine PCOM isn't really all about stats at the end of the day. Your score on the MCAT isn't an exact determinant of how you'll do in medical score so they won't look at that score (which is 1 point off from the average if I'm not mistaken) and automatically count you out.

Good Luck! Stay Confident!

 

[getfat]

Im debating not taking a class i posted on AACOMAS this spring. Does anyone know the right person I should ask at Ga-PCOM if this is OK?