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II! Curious if any accepted student plans on choosing this school over others and wouldn't mind sharing why.
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University of the Incarnate Word (UIWSOM) Discussion Thread 2016-2017
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II here too!
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II! 12/09
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For me, I submitted my secondary on 5 Sept and got my interview offer around mid October.
Also, I chose to accept the admission offer and am cancelling all future interviews (Nova, as of now).
I chose UIW in leu of pursuing other programs because, frankly, I love their mission and how passionate literally everyone on staff is about it, from the anatomy lab coordinator all the way up to the Dean. San Antonio has become my second home since leaving the military, and their desire to produce physicians to help meet the gap in care in South Texas pairs perfectly with my desire to stay and give back to the town that has given me a new shot at a career.
Could I have held off and seen if I pre-matched with a school in the TMDSAS system or tried my shot at other, more established programs? Absolutely. But for me I feel that the quality of life from not having to move my family far coupled with a program that feels tailor-made for me just completely blows every other program out of the water.
*steps down off soapbox*
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About a month for me. I submitted mine around mid-Oct and received my invite today.
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GPA 3.5, MCAT 27. I don't think I'm the best applicant on paper, but I had a lot of other things going for me: raised in San Antonio with family in the area, Spanish-speaking, 4 years clinical experience (scribe).
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I think this school is definitely a "fit" and mission focused school. GPA 3.4 MCAT balanced (all above 125) 502 (3rd retake)
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Anyone have an interview date on 12/09?
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I'll be there!
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I'm down to get together the night before and have dinner!
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I'm staying over my friend's place.
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I have multiple acceptances and REALLY leaning towards UIW, but it's not set and stone yet.
Reasons (in no particular order):
1) San Antonio -- Great weather (No snow!), great major city, tons of food options, close to Austin if you want to have a crazy weekend (lol)
2) Faculty were ALL sweet and nice, literally. Everyone worked well with each other, as opposed to other schools where it seemed like each faculty just does their own thing but in the same building.
3) Texas... Graduating from a Texas medical school should give us a leg-up in matching into residency at other MD medical hospitals in the state.
4) Easy access to everything-- Literally EVERYTHING you will need is within a mile from the school, including 24-hour Wal-Mart, a HUGE supermarket, tons and tons of food options, and it's all comes with a cheap cost of living.
5) The spirituality (not to be confused with religious) aspect of the school will help me mentally in getting through any difficult hurdles med school will bring, and knowing that the faculty is spiritual as well I think will allow us all to bond on a deeper level.
- To elaborate on this: Literally a minute after I stepped in on interview day, one of the ladies on faculty saw that I was nervous for the interview. After a minute of speaking with her, she shook my hand with both of her hands and said "Don't be nervous, we're really happy you're here and you got chosen for an interview because we want you here." It might sound whatever over the internet typing like this, but in the moment during my anxiety it felt REALLY nice knowing that they truly care about you and want you to succeed.
6) The dean (I know it's kind of redundant with faculty) but the fact that she's so easy to approach and talk to, discuss any concerns and questions with, and is really involved in the entire process makes me have full confidence this school will be nothing short of amazing.
7) Curriculum -- Everything this school is doing is cutting-edge in terms of the medical field. They are the ONLY D.O. school that I am aware of that utilizes a true MMI. (Most schools do like 1 or 2 MMI scenarios which isn't a real MMI Interview). The curriculum itself is AMAZING. I had my concerns at first, but after looking at more in-depth blueprints it is clear that we will be learning how to apply what we learn as we learn it. I'm not sure how this will stack up to typical D.O. schools that use lecture-based curriculums, BUT I can say many D.O. schools want to switch to this curriculum format, but it's difficult for them to do so because their faculty is so used to lecture-style. So in that regard, with UIW already starting out with this type of curriculum they will be ahead of the game in a few years time.
Concerns:
1) The school does have a heavy primary care focus, but the Dean did inform us that she doesn't expect every one of us to enter primary care.
2) Hiccups that will occur since we will be the inaugural class
3) Being adequately prepared for boards. The school has reassured us that they will prepare us, so I gotta have faith on this part but it's scary because it's the boards!!!! loll.
As for rotations for 3rd and 4th year, this should not be an issue. Dr. Mohr, who is in charge of setting up clinical rotations, is an expert at this and has already setup a good number of rotation and residency spots way AS OF NOW. So by 3rd year I have no worries there will be more than enough rotation spots for us. Perk of being in San Antonio is that it's a major city (7th largest in U.S.), and with large cities they have lots of hospitals to tap into.
Hope this helps!
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12/9 here as well!
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Can anyone confirm when the interview day ended? I saw in the email that it ends at 12:30 pm but does that include lunch or is lunch after that? Trying to book my flight..I want to give myself plenty of time but I don't want to be stuck at the airport for 5+ hours either.
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Ends at 12:30 w/ lunch included. I'd book a flight for 3:00 pm or later to be safe
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Hi! I know others have replied, but thought I'd share my thoughts on why I'm leaning toward UIW over other schools. My reasons echo what others have said which I think is a good sign.
1. Every interaction I've had with UIW leads me to believe they are organized and focused on follow through. Specifically:
- When I called the Office of Admissions about problems with my letters, they were responsive and truly concerned about making sure my issue was resolved.
- The interview day ran without any glitches or hiccups-- no small feat when you're coordinating two simultaneous MMI tracks with 9 stations each!
- I received my acceptance on the exact day they promised they'd have a decision.
Bottom line: I sense great efficiency and clear communication from the administration. I love that.
2. As others have previously stated, the faculty, admissions staff, and even the high school volunteers were welcoming and encouraging. I felt my interviewers were secretly cheering for me. When I wrote thank you notes post-interview, I actually had meaningful things to write about because I was truly able to be myself throughout the process! Also, I felt the interview day was designed with us in mind. I didn't appreciate this until I interviewed at other schools that clearly didn't care about their interviewees. UIW was thoughtful in so many ways ranging from letting us go as soon as the mandatory activities concluded (i.e. they didn't waste our time!) to making sure we stayed hydrated and fueled (water bottles everywhere, snacks available in the check-in room).
3. It seems their clinical rotations in years 3 and 4 will be solid. Major hospitals in San Antonio were mentioned on interview day (sorry, don't remember names!).
4. I was apprehensive about joining the inaugural class of a medical school until one of the deans said, "When you're a member the inaugural class, the faculty are your upperclassmen." That concept has stuck with me, and now, I see the ability to connect with our faculty as a gift that most medical students aren't given. I'm also hopeful that our class will form deeper bonds with each other as a result. It's important to me to feel connected and supported by my classmates.
5. I'll be real with you. The campus is underwhelming and drab. It's by a Walmart and Golden Corral. It doesn't exactly inspire me. And yet. I feel the UIW campus is where it is by design-- it's literally in the community we as students will serve (South San Antonio). This speaks volumes. I'm really pumped to be a part of a school that's truly living the mission.
6. The last thought I'll leave you with. I'm very OOS and the idea of moving to Texas (especially since the election) had me worried. If I go with UIW, it's with the intention to truly make a difference in the community I'll be joining. I feel confident that UIW will support me (and all of us) in becoming socially responsible physicians in a part of the country that needs it. And THAT excites me.
Hope this is helpful.
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I have multiple acceptances and REALLY leaning towards UIW, but it's not set and stone yet.
Reasons (in no particular order):
1) San Antonio -- Great weather (No snow!), great major city, tons of food options, close to Austin if you want to have a crazy weekend (lol)
2) Faculty were ALL sweet and nice, literally. Everyone worked well with each other, as opposed to other schools where it seemed like each faculty just does their own thing but in the same building.
3) Texas... Graduating from a Texas medical school should give us a leg-up in matching into residency at other MD medical hospitals in the state.
4) Easy access to everything-- Literally EVERYTHING you will need is within a mile from the school, including 24-hour Wal-Mart, a HUGE supermarket, tons and tons of food options, and it's all comes with a cheap cost of living.
5) The spirituality (not to be confused with religious) aspect of the school will help me mentally in getting through any difficult hurdles med school will bring, and knowing that the faculty is spiritual as well I think will allow us all to bond on a deeper level.
- To elaborate on this: Literally a minute after I stepped in on interview day, one of the ladies on faculty saw that I was nervous for the interview. After a minute of speaking with her, she shook my hand with both of her hands and said "Don't be nervous, we're really happy you're here and you got chosen for an interview because we want you here." It might sound whatever over the internet typing like this, but in the moment during my anxiety it felt REALLY nice knowing that they truly care about you and want you to succeed.
6) The dean (I know it's kind of redundant with faculty) but the fact that she's so easy to approach and talk to, discuss any concerns and questions with, and is really involved in the entire process makes me have full confidence this school will be nothing short of amazing.
7) Curriculum -- Everything this school is doing is cutting-edge in terms of the medical field. They are the ONLY D.O. school that I am aware of that utilizes a true MMI. (Most schools do like 1 or 2 MMI scenarios which isn't a real MMI Interview). The curriculum itself is AMAZING. I had my concerns at first, but after looking at more in-depth blueprints it is clear that we will be learning how to apply what we learn as we learn it. I'm not sure how this will stack up to typical D.O. schools that use lecture-based curriculums, BUT I can say many D.O. schools want to switch to this curriculum format, but it's difficult for them to do so because their faculty is so used to lecture-style. So in that regard, with UIW already starting out with this type of curriculum they will be ahead of the game in a few years time.
Concerns:
1) The school does have a heavy primary care focus, but the Dean did inform us that she doesn't expect every one of us to enter primary care.
2) Hiccups that will occur since we will be the inaugural class
3) Being adequately prepared for boards. The school has reassured us that they will prepare us, so I gotta have faith on this part but it's scary because it's the boards!!!! loll.
As for rotations for 3rd and 4th year, this should not be an issue. Dr. Mohr, who is in charge of setting up clinical rotations, is an expert at this and has already setup a good number of rotation and residency spots way AS OF NOW. So by 3rd year I have no worries there will be more than enough rotation spots for us. Perk of being in San Antonio is that it's a major city (7th largest in U.S.), and with large cities they have lots of hospitals to tap into.
Hope this helps!
Hi! I know others have replied, but thought I'd share my thoughts on why I'm leaning toward UIW over other schools. My reasons echo what others have said which I think is a good sign.
1. Every interaction I've had with UIW leads me to believe they are organized and focused on follow through. Specifically:
- When I called the Office of Admissions about problems with my letters, they were responsive and truly concerned about making sure my issue was resolved.
- The interview day ran without any glitches or hiccups-- no small feat when you're coordinating two simultaneous MMI tracks with 9 stations each!
- I received my acceptance on the exact day they promised they'd have a decision.
Bottom line: I sense great efficiency and clear communication from the administration. I love that.
2. As others have previously stated, the faculty, admissions staff, and even the high school volunteers were welcoming and encouraging. I felt my interviewers were secretly cheering for me. When I wrote thank you notes post-interview, I actually had meaningful things to write about because I was truly able to be myself throughout the process! Also, I felt the interview day was designed with us in mind. I didn't appreciate this until I interviewed at other schools that clearly didn't care about their interviewees. UIW was thoughtful in so many ways ranging from letting us go as soon as the mandatory activities concluded (i.e. they didn't waste our time!) to making sure we stayed hydrated and fueled (water bottles everywhere, snacks available in the check-in room).
3. It seems their clinical rotations in years 3 and 4 will be solid. Major hospitals in San Antonio were mentioned on interview day (sorry, don't remember names!).
4. I was apprehensive about joining the inaugural class of a medical school until one of the deans said, "When you're a member the inaugural class, the faculty are your upperclassmen." That concept has stuck with me, and now, I see the ability to connect with our faculty as a gift that most medical students aren't given. I'm also hopeful that our class will form deeper bonds with each other as a result. It's important to me to feel connected and supported by my classmates.
5. I'll be real with you. The campus is underwhelming and drab. It's by a Walmart and Golden Corral. It doesn't exactly inspire me. And yet. I feel the UIW campus is where it is by design-- it's literally in the community we as students will serve (South San Antonio). This speaks volumes. I'm really pumped to be a part of a school that's truly living the mission.
6. The last thought I'll leave you with. I'm very OOS and the idea of moving to Texas (especially since the election) had me worried. If I go with UIW, it's with the intention to truly make a difference in the community I'll be joining. I feel confident that UIW will support me (and all of us) in becoming socially responsible physicians in a part of the country that needs it. And THAT excites me.
Hope this is helpful.
Thanks guys! That was super helpful. I'm really excited about the interview and can't wait to check out the school. Another question, I know you can't reveal specifics about the interview, but what did you guys do to prepare for the MMI? I was going to check out youtube videos as someone suggested. I've only done traditional interviews so I'm trying to figure out the best way to prep for MMI format.
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Hi! I know others have replied, but thought I'd share my thoughts on why I'm leaning toward UIW over other schools. My reasons echo what others have said which I think is a good sign.
1. Every interaction I've had with UIW leads me to believe they are organized and focused on follow through. Specifically:
- When I called the Office of Admissions about problems with my letters, they were responsive and truly concerned about making sure my issue was resolved.
- The interview day ran without any glitches or hiccups-- no small feat when you're coordinating two simultaneous MMI tracks with 9 stations each!
- I received my acceptance on the exact day they promised they'd have a decision.
Bottom line: I sense great efficiency and clear communication from the administration. I love that.
2. As others have previously stated, the faculty, admissions staff, and even the high school volunteers were welcoming and encouraging. I felt my interviewers were secretly cheering for me. When I wrote thank you notes post-interview, I actually had meaningful things to write about because I was truly able to be myself throughout the process! Also, I felt the interview day was designed with us in mind. I didn't appreciate this until I interviewed at other schools that clearly didn't care about their interviewees. UIW was thoughtful in so many ways ranging from letting us go as soon as the mandatory activities concluded (i.e. they didn't waste our time!) to making sure we stayed hydrated and fueled (water bottles everywhere, snacks available in the check-in room).
3. It seems their clinical rotations in years 3 and 4 will be solid. Major hospitals in San Antonio were mentioned on interview day (sorry, don't remember names!).
4. I was apprehensive about joining the inaugural class of a medical school until one of the deans said, "When you're a member the inaugural class, the faculty are your upperclassmen." That concept has stuck with me, and now, I see the ability to connect with our faculty as a gift that most medical students aren't given. I'm also hopeful that our class will form deeper bonds with each other as a result. It's important to me to feel connected and supported by my classmates.
5. I'll be real with you. The campus is underwhelming and drab. It's by a Walmart and Golden Corral. It doesn't exactly inspire me. And yet. I feel the UIW campus is where it is by design-- it's literally in the community we as students will serve (South San Antonio). This speaks volumes. I'm really pumped to be a part of a school that's truly living the mission.
6. The last thought I'll leave you with. I'm very OOS and the idea of moving to Texas (especially since the election) had me worried. If I go with UIW, it's with the intention to truly make a difference in the community I'll be joining. I feel confident that UIW will support me (and all of us) in becoming socially responsible physicians in a part of the country that needs it. And THAT excites me.
Hope this is helpful.
Awesome! Sounds great! I'm thinking about applying there next year as I already going to Incarnate Word for undergrad.
As for the part about the campus being underwhelming, yeah. It is being built on an old air force base. The Osteopathic school will be where the School of Aerospace Medicine was. Fun fact: JFK dedicated it the day before he was assassinated.
I'm curious if anyone remembers the names of the hospitals. University Hospital is the largest one here and it's a teaching hospital for the other medical school here. I assume one of the rotations sites will be Christus Santa Rosa Hospital since UIW is affiliated with them but I would like to know if there are any other hospitals.
Also about the election: San Antonio and the other major cities are very different than the rest of the state. San Antonio is very blue and, generally, very welcoming. We are also a minority majority city. I wouldn't worry too much about stuff like that. At least, not in the major cities.
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I live in Texas and attending UIW would be a bit of a stretch for me. Bottom line is: promises on things can be made but really all I have seen is vague answers (its expected really, no class yet) and going here feels like a risk over any other accredited US school.
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Definitely not. 19k in-state tuition and is an allopathic school.
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Really no comparison between the two for a multitude of reasons.
Im not trying to disparage anyone's choice but just adding a voice when most of what I see for fit are "feel good" factors.
San Antonio is very close to family (i have kids) for me and that'd be huge and is only 4 hrs away from home. But after interview day/further research (i was accepted) end of the day it's too much risk vs an established school with established rotations.
To each his own though.
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what other school did you get accepted to?
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Can you elaborate on the vague answers? Is it the board prep or curriculum?
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About a month.
D
deleted244469
Aerospace Medicine? I didn't realize that was a thing.
I am as well.
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Curriculum/testing (frequency-style)/rotation sites (west texas too - ranking?).
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Whoops, mispost.
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Cancelling my interview here! good luck to everyone!
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It was to train the flight surgeons and nurses to take care of pilots and astronauts. haha
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#TIL
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I interviewed in the first group and received my acceptance on 10/4, I remember meeting several of y'all who were on that first interview date and several faculty members and it was an absolute pleasure. I won't be attending UIW and plan to drop my acceptance in the next week and I hope that one of you will receive it. For everyone that is concerned about this school, I can't speak on the curriculum or rotation sites but I can confirm that the faculty and staff were extremely friendly. Almost all of the schooos I interviewed at I felt very welcomed at but especially so at UIW. The MMI interview was also super fun and it felt like the time just flew by. If any of y'all have questions about the school please feel free to ask and I can tell you my own observations. But if the friendliness of the faculty is any indication, the future students here are in very capable hands.
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Nope not yet, but our 3 weeks falls on thanksgiving so Im assuming we won't hear anything til the monday after thanksgiving sadly
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Has anyone stayed at the wyndham river walk hotel that uiwsom advertises on the interview page? I'm making my travel plans for 12/10 interview now and trying to decide which hotel to book.
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II. Not having rotations set up is scary. And they're not accredited obviously. Are there any incredible things about this school that I should really consider?
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Hopefully there will be some movement as people back out of interviews.... making space for more serious applicants
Well, they have COCA provisional, so it's a step in the right direction. And there will be tons of new schools opening in then next decade or so, so I don't believe the age of the school will be a problem. At the end of the day, you could always find a great career in primary care, maybe you won't be a famous plastic surgeon...
Well, they have COCA provisional, so it's a step in the right direction. And there will be tons of new schools opening in then next decade or so, so I don't believe the age of the school will be a problem. At the end of the day, you could always find a great career in primary care, maybe you won't be a famous plastic surgeon...
It's my impression that this school has the same accreditation status as Dell and UTRGV. The next step cannot occur until first class graduates
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II today! Complete 9/6, OOS
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+1
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