West Virginia (WVSOM) Discussion Thread 2014 - 2015

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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Agree with everyone above. Out of all 13 schools I interviewed at, WVSOM and DMU far and away had the most helpful, kind and upbeat students and admissions office. If you have any questions at all, just give them a shout. They're one of the few schools that won't make you feel like a nuisance for bothering them.
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Tried to call them today for an update since I've been pending since October. Doesn't look like anyone is in the office to take calls :(
 
indebtmd said:
Tried to call them today for an update since I've been pending since October. Doesn't look like anyone is in the office to take calls :(
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They closed the office today due to a oil spillage in the area's water source.

EDIT: From Facebook
WVSOM will be closed Monday, Jan. 26 until further notice.

EMERGENCY WATER SITUATION
LEWISBURG, FAIRLEA, FRANKFORD, RENICK

Additional information: A tanker truck carrying diesel fuel overturned and spilled its contents into Anthony Creek, which flowed into the Greenbrier River, the water source for the above towns. Lewisburg closed their water intake valves at the water plant prior to the oil flow. Therefore, there will be no water available until testing results are deemed clean by the EPA (24-48 hours).

City officials advised citizens to TURN OFF their electric water heaters and reduce gas water heaters to just the pilot light. Also, turn off the water to your residence.

Tanker trucks of potable water will begin arriving possibly tonight.
One of the first stations mentioned will be the state fairground free parking lot where you will fill up your own containers.
Fire departments will use a Homeland Security water tanker for structure fires. There will be no water in the hydrants.

Radio, television and social media will continue with updates.

When the water is turned back on you will receive a boil water advisory.

Booms have been set in the river at key locations to trap as much oil as possible, but some oil will sink due to the cold weather, so clean-up will take an undetermined amount of time.
 
Anyone have an interview 3/2 that could switch for 2/27?!? Message me!
 
I know some people have mentioned this already, but I'm slightly concerned about housing because my google searches haven't shown many options. I have a really nice 25 pound dog that is a certainly a priority. I get stressed thinking about this, lol
 
Also, it's still a bit early to find housing. Within the next month or two, more houses will be populated on the housing list as students decide whether or not to sign a contract for another year at their apartment/house.
 
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I have an interview 2/23 but thats the same date as my first biochem exam. The prof won't allow makeup exams but instead uses the final exam grade to substitute the first exam - not something i want to do. I asked for an earlier interview but they could only offer me 3/2. Would it be stupid of me to reschedule? I really don't want to ruin my chances of getting in.
 
It's only a week later, but honestly it's getting to the point where every day counts. Who knows, 2/23 could be the last person to fill the class with every person thereafter getting put on the waiting list. I think it would be worth it to interview on 2/23. Your prof really won't let you take it early in order to go to a medical school interview? Or work with you at all? What a jerk :/
 
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Tri4thlete said:
It's only a week later, but honestly it's getting to the point where every day counts. Who knows, 2/23 could be the last person to fill the class with every person thereafter getting put on the waiting list. I think it would be worth it to interview on 2/23. Your prof really won't let you take it early in order to go to a medical school interview? Or work with you at all? What a jerk :/
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I was having the same thoughts, and I do think it would be worth it to take the 2/23. It just really sucks because I originally was supposed to interview 12/2 but never saw the email because it went to my junkmail. Fortunately they allowed me to reschedule. unfortunately this is the only interview i've got and i feel like i've already screwed it up. But yeah the professor gave no other options than counting the final exam grade twice.
 
Decision Deferred. I guess there's no hope left. :cryi:
 
LLcoolBeans said:
I was having the same thoughts, and I do think it would be worth it to take the 2/23. It just really sucks because I originally was supposed to interview 12/2 but never saw the email because it went to my junkmail. Fortunately they allowed me to reschedule. unfortunately this is the only interview i've got and i feel like i've already screwed it up. But yeah the professor gave no other options than counting the final exam grade twice.
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Congrats on your ii LLcoolBeans!
I would honestly feel the same way as you do, but if they allowed you to reschedule I doubt they will passively hold it against you. It's sad to hear that your professor wouldn't accommodate for this HUGE event in your life, I find that odd unless he's just jealous lololol.
Anyways I was wondering if you could share your stats? Are you IS or OOS? Sorry in advance if you posted stats earlier in the thread, I didn't see any. I haven't gotten an invitation from this school yet so I'm just curious. Thanks!
 
DrSprinkles said:
Congrats on your ii LLcoolBeans!
I would honestly feel the same way as you do, but if they allowed you to reschedule I doubt they will passively hold it against you. It's sad to hear that your professor wouldn't accommodate for this HUGE event in your life, I find that odd unless he's just jealous lololol.
Anyways I was wondering if you could share your stats? Are you IS or OOS? Sorry in advance if you posted stats earlier in the thread, I didn't see any. I haven't gotten an invitation from this school yet so I'm just curious. Thanks!
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Thanks, DrSprinkles. I'm OOS, cGPA 3.5, sGPA 3.25, MCAT 23 (lol). ECs include 5 semesters of undergrad research, moderate shadowing, and lots of hours in a cancer research lab. WVSOM was my only ii, so this is kind of a big deal for me lol.
 
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LLcoolBeans said:
Thanks, DrSprinkles. I'm OOS, cGPA 3.5, sGPA 3.25, MCAT 23 (lol). ECs include 5 semesters of undergrad research, moderate shadowing, and lots of hours in a cancer research lab. WVSOM was my only ii, so this is kind of a big deal for me lol.
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Like an above poster stated, who knows, every passing day might be what makes the difference. I say you go to the earliest interview date possible. Maybe try and plead with your professor again? I'm talking like get on the verge of tears with this dude and try to explain that it's very late in the cycle and attending the earliest interview date possible gives you the best chance of an acceptance. I hope you get in. Good luck.
 
I spoke to Kim yesterday and she was really friendly. I've been "decision pending" since november and she said she'd forward my app to the committee and hopefully they'd get back to me soon. Here's hoping since I think wvsom is my only shot.
 
AttainableDream said:
Like an above poster stated, who knows, every passing day might be what makes the difference. I say you go to the earliest interview date possible. Maybe try and plead with your professor again? I'm talking like get on the verge of tears with this dude and try to explain that it's very late in the cycle and attending the earliest interview date possible gives you the best chance of an acceptance. I hope you get in. Good luck.
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Yeah I went with the 2/23 interview. Sadly, I don't think the professor is going to budge.
 
LLcoolBeans said:
Yeah I went with the 2/23 interview. Sadly, I don't think the professor is going to budge.
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That's too bad. However on the bright side you have the opportunity to control your biochem grade with the exam swap. Thanks for sharing your stats, in hind sight I wish I could have pursued independent research in my undergrad. That can certainly have some pull from schools with a research mission.

Study hard for that biochem final and good luck on your interview!
 
LLcoolBeans said:
Thanks, DrSprinkles. I'm OOS, cGPA 3.5, sGPA 3.25, MCAT 23 (lol). ECs include 5 semesters of undergrad research, moderate shadowing, and lots of hours in a cancer research lab. WVSOM was my only ii, so this is kind of a big deal for me lol.
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I think you'll be fine! A few weeks ago, I randomly got an email from WVSOM stating I was granted a rollover acceptance from the previous cycle but required a deposit by October '14. Confused, I called and asked why am I just getting this now. They told me I was rolled-over from last year, but my rollover-acceptance must never have gone out...and guess what? They honored my acceptance 3 months after the deadline!! I'm telling you this because I truly believe the committee is understanding of life circumstances, and will give you the attention you deserve, regardless of when you interview.

Like you, I have a strong research background, 4 semesters of undergrad with 2 publications, and was asked about it a lot during my interview. They wanted to know if I had an interest in research at wvsom, ECT.

Anyway, if I was you, I would reschedule the interview so you can get the test behind you and be a bit more stress free during the interview...and use this as a conversation piece IN the interview: you had to reschedule because of previous commitments that are important to you...yada yada yada. Let us know what you decide!
 
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ZooPoo said:
I think you'll be fine! A few weeks ago, I randomly got an email from WVSOM stating I was granted a rollover acceptance from the previous cycle but required a deposit by October '14. Confused, I called and asked why am I just getting this now. They told me I was rolled-over from last year, but my rollover-acceptance must never have gone out...and guess what? They honored my acceptance 3 months after the deadline!! I'm telling you this because I truly believe the committee is understanding of life circumstances, and will give you the attention you deserve, regardless of when you interview.

Like you, I have a strong research background, 4 semesters of undergrad with 2 publications, and was asked about it a lot during my interview. They wanted to know if I had an interest in research at wvsom, ECT.

Anyway, if I was you, I would reschedule the interview so you can get the test behind you and be a bit more stress free during the interview...and use this as a conversation piece IN the interview: you had to reschedule because of previous commitments that are important to you...yada yada yada. Let us know what you decide!
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Thanks for the advice, but i decided to not reschedule even though it'll likely hurt my grade for biochem. However, I asked the Kim from WVSOM to let me know if a sooner interview date opens up. Though I'm not banking on that happening, I can still hope. I've never heard of a rollover acceptance but I'm glad it worked out for you! congrats!

I think my research experience definitely helped and I'm glad you mentioned that because I'll be sure to prepare a lot to say about that in my interview. Although, my research has never really been independent, and has mostly been helping grad students and physicians with their projects. I wasn't really involved in developing procedures, but rather just crying them out. How do you suggest I highlight my research experience despite never having an integral role in planning/leading the project.

But i think my biggest attribute was the essays. They asked a lot of questions about why I wanted to attend a rural school, and other things related to rural primary care. Coming from a small town, living on a farm - even thought I'm OOS - I was able to really create a genuine set of essays to highlight why I'm a good fit for WVSOM. At least... I think that's what I did.

I think the biggest takeaway message here is that I was still able to get an interview despite having a 23 on the MCAT and only average grades to make up for that. Essays and ECs go a long way in my case.
 
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LLcoolBeans said:
Thanks for the advice, but i decided to not reschedule even though it'll likely hurt my grade for biochem. However, I asked the Kim from WVSOM to let me know if a sooner interview date opens up. Though I'm not banking on that happening, I can still hope. I've never heard of a rollover acceptance but I'm glad it worked out for you! congrats!

I think my research experience definitely helped and I'm glad you mentioned that because I'll be sure to prepare a lot to say about that in my interview. Although, my research has never really been independent, and has mostly been helping grad students and physicians with their projects. I wasn't really involved in developing procedures, but rather just crying them out. How do you suggest I highlight my research experience despite never having an integral role in planning/leading the project.

But i think my biggest attribute was the essays. They asked a lot of questions about why I wanted to attend a rural school, and other things related to rural primary care. Coming from a small town, living on a farm - even thought I'm OOS - I was able to really create a genuine set of essays to highlight why I'm a good fit for WVSOM. At least... I think that's what I did.

I think the biggest takeaway message here is that I was still able to get an interview despite having a 23 on the MCAT and only average grades to make up for that. Essays and ECs go a long way in my case.
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My stats are rather similar to your (MCAT slightly higher, and cGPA lower). I would pretty much say the same thing since I also grew up in a rather rural setting (big town, but having a lot of people coming from really rural parts for care).
 
LLcoolBeans said:
Thanks for the advice, but i decided to not reschedule even though it'll likely hurt my grade for biochem. However, I asked the Kim from WVSOM to let me know if a sooner interview date opens up. Though I'm not banking on that happening, I can still hope. I've never heard of a rollover acceptance but I'm glad it worked out for you! congrats!

I think my research experience definitely helped and I'm glad you mentioned that because I'll be sure to prepare a lot to say about that in my interview. Although, my research has never really been independent, and has mostly been helping grad students and physicians with their projects. I wasn't really involved in developing procedures, but rather just crying them out. How do you suggest I highlight my research experience despite never having an integral role in planning/leading the project.

But i think my biggest attribute was the essays. They asked a lot of questions about why I wanted to attend a rural school, and other things related to rural primary care. Coming from a small town, living on a farm - even thought I'm OOS - I was able to really create a genuine set of essays to highlight why I'm a good fit for WVSOM. At least... I think that's what I did.

I think the biggest takeaway message here is that I was still able to get an interview despite having a 23 on the MCAT and only average grades to make up for that. Essays and ECs go a long way in my case.
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Hmmm...our research experiences were a bit different. First I would be prepared to answer basic questions in a conversational, concise manner. What I mean is, be able to explain to someone who has little to no knowledge of the topic what you are researching, and why it's important. A good rule of thumb for this would be to explain where there is a gap in knowledge, and how you're research would help fill it in. But to directly answer your question, explain how you've grown as a researcher. Maybe something along the lines of: "at first I had more of a technician role in the lab, but have grown to understand the science and be able to contribute meaningfully to discussions in lab meetings." Most importantly, HAVE SPECIFICS. Just making this up, but you can describe a time where you may have had more expertise on a piece of equipment than the grad students; and were able to teach someone how to use it more efficiently.

Also, be prepared to answer questions about your MCAT score because it is low. My MCAT was not great either (26), and when I was asked about it, I said something like: "Look, I understand it's a weak point in my application, but I feltthat spending time in the lab doing research was a more productive use of my time than studying for a test." Which, by the way, is true in my opinion. The way I said it I think was important. Do not be cocky about this! I also mention that it humbled me, ect.

Anyway, I'm glad you're doing what you think is right. Good luck
 
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1/7. Although, I won't be going here due another acceptance. And thank you.
 
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OhNoMedSchool said:
anyone have "decision deferred" pre-interview and heard anything back since that? i sent them a letter right when my status changed and its been about a month and a half and I haven't heard anything
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Was it a letter of intent or an update letter? I was also put on 'decision deferred'.
 
OhNoMedSchool said:
anyone have "decision deferred" pre-interview and heard anything back since that? i sent them a letter right when my status changed and its been about a month and a half and I haven't heard anything
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YES. It has been quite static with WVSOM, even with my update letters.
I updated them about 2 weeks ago, but even at that point I have been "deferred" for at least a month.
 
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DrSprinkles said:
YES. It has been quite static with WVSOM, even with my update letters.
I updated them about 2 weeks ago, but even at that point I have been "deferred" for at least a month.
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I would call them. They told me that I have been deferred because of my MCAT score and I just gotta wait... :nailbiting:
 
indebtmd said:
I spoke to Kim yesterday and she was really friendly. I've been "decision pending" since november and she said she'd forward my app to the committee and hopefully they'd get back to me soon. Here's hoping since I think wvsom is my only shot.
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whats your MCAT?
 
Schall87 said:
I was complete in Mid November. have a 28 mcat followed by 26 retake. Undergrad gpa is weak, 3.03. SMP Graduate program (biology, medical sciences) gpa 3.47. I really fit the mission of this school. Decision deferred ten days ago. I realize I am an underdog, but it still blows.
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Decision deferred without ii?
 
I have a 24 mcat and got an interview in a few weeks. So idk if mcat is everything there.
 
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.
 
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FutureDoc_OC said:
I have a 24 mcat and got an interview in a few weeks. So idk if mcat is everything there.
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My MCAT is in the low end as well. They seem to be very mission oriented and look at various aspects of one's application.
 
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Anyone have any ballpark figures of interview/acceptance stats?
 
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IslandStyle808 said:
All I found is matriculant stats (this might be for those who enter in 2013)

http://173.219.86.22/Applicants/applicants-home
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I saw this on their site as well. I read some forums from years past and saw some figures like 600 interviews/400 accepts/200 enroll. Was wondering if that held true for today because this was years ago I believe and their application total has been growing pretty rapidly. With those figures above, I would like my chances but I sort of feel like they sound too favorable.
 
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