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Western/COMP Discussion Thread 2009-2010
Started by danimjo
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So again, general consensus is they're serious about their envelope req?
I didn't even know that size existed...
Anybody else just sending it in in a 8 1/2 x 12?
I didn't even know that size existed...
Anybody else just sending it in in a 8 1/2 x 12?
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Yeah, I guess not. Seems like a waste though, when I'm only going to use one, and I have a stack of perfectly good larger envelopes (That every other school has found perfectly acceptable) sitting right here...
Whoops... completely forgot about that. I was delayed in turning in my secondary because my printer ran out of ink, and in my rush to get it turned in before the interview I just used a regular envelope. So I'll let you guys know if that hurts me 😉
Still, really excited to interview at Western on Thursday. Just realized that a guy I roomed with on a medical service trip is just starting there, so I'm going to try to meet up with him. This is my first interview, so I'm a little nervous, but this is still exciting.
It took a month for them to tell me that I was complete, but it only took 3 days for them to send me the interview invite. These paper applications are really annoying. All schools should just take care of this stuff online. I always get paranoid that my application will get lost in the mail or something.
Did they email you about being complete? I tried emailing about the status of my application and then leaving a message on the phone after I got no response. Nobody ever bothered to get back to me though, so I have no clue if they even received my application. Annoyed. 😡
Ah, I feel like I'm running so late with Western. I'm still waiting on AACOMAS to update my grades and send the updated application to them, and then I still have to get invited for a secondary and wait a month for them to tell me its complete?! 
Yikes! lol
At least interviews are just now starting and haven't been going since August like some schools...
Yikes! lolAt least interviews are just now starting and haven't been going since August like some schools...
I got an email, it looks like this:
Please be advised that your Application is now complete and it is being sent to the Admissions Committee for review.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Cassie Ellis
Admissions Counselor
Western University of Health Sciences
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
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Western's interview season officially opened yesterday... man, this place is pretty cool. It was great meeting so many other applicants, too (I'm looking at you, Ibn!) and I wish the best of luck to you and to all those who will follow us.
I received my secondary on 7/24, submitted my secondary around 7/28, sent my LORs on the 27th. My app was confirmed complete on 8/21.
Congrats on the invite, jaey! I hope you do well.
I had a great time at my interview yesterday. I met a lot of fellow interviewers. All of them were wonderfully nice people. Jedi is a pretty cool guy, too. 🙂
The lectures/information sessions don't start until 8:45, but even then, you should definitely get there by 8:00. All of the staff were friendly and accommodating. Dean Adams was engaging and inspiring. He went around the room and individually shook hands with each applicant. In his talk, he really emphasized the osteopathic principles. In fact, all of the people we heard from throughout the day (especially Dr. Reddy during the OMM demonstration) really explained the uniqueness of osteopathy. So hearing that throughout the day, I thought, really helped me formulate/solidify my reasons for wanting to go DO.
The student panel discussion was also really helpful. The two second-year students that lead our group were just awesome. They answered all of our questions, were very blunt and to the point. It was nice getting the perspective of the second years.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), there is a lot of down time. Some people don't interview until 3:00, so they end up waiting a good two, almost three hours.
As for the interview itself, I think mine went pretty well. I got the usual "why medicine" and "why DO" questions. I was also asked about strengths and weaknesses. I got a tricky bioethical question, too. The interviewers asked about experiences/grades specific to my application. Oh, I was also asked what I would do in the event that I get accepted to both MD and DO programs. That was one of the first questions my two interviewers asked, actually. All in all, I feel confident and am hopeful that I'll hear good news in two weeks.
Good luck to everyone else! I would love to answer any questions about the interview day.
I had a great time at my interview yesterday. I met a lot of fellow interviewers. All of them were wonderfully nice people. Jedi is a pretty cool guy, too. 🙂
The lectures/information sessions don't start until 8:45, but even then, you should definitely get there by 8:00. All of the staff were friendly and accommodating. Dean Adams was engaging and inspiring. He went around the room and individually shook hands with each applicant. In his talk, he really emphasized the osteopathic principles. In fact, all of the people we heard from throughout the day (especially Dr. Reddy during the OMM demonstration) really explained the uniqueness of osteopathy. So hearing that throughout the day, I thought, really helped me formulate/solidify my reasons for wanting to go DO.
The student panel discussion was also really helpful. The two second-year students that lead our group were just awesome. They answered all of our questions, were very blunt and to the point. It was nice getting the perspective of the second years.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), there is a lot of down time. Some people don't interview until 3:00, so they end up waiting a good two, almost three hours.
As for the interview itself, I think mine went pretty well. I got the usual "why medicine" and "why DO" questions. I was also asked about strengths and weaknesses. I got a tricky bioethical question, too. The interviewers asked about experiences/grades specific to my application. Oh, I was also asked what I would do in the event that I get accepted to both MD and DO programs. That was one of the first questions my two interviewers asked, actually. All in all, I feel confident and am hopeful that I'll hear good news in two weeks.
Good luck to everyone else! I would love to answer any questions about the interview day.
Well,
They started the college of Dentistry, Podiatry and optometry, so you are sharing an anatomy lab with all of the schools. There was in the past only he 220 DO students now for the same amount of space you have about 400 students. At the beginning since the space they have for all of us is only 220 in the real classroom they have to project the lecture in another classroom so seats in the classroom where the professor is in flesh and blood was prime... This i believe should not be the same for you guys since the new building will be open (cross our fingers) in January... But there still will be more students then seats even in the new building. The good news is that we will finally have breakout rooms.
PM me if you want.
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All schools have issues. The difference between children and adults is the ability to handle the issues without whining about every little thing.
I was just informing them because I feel if we had been more informed things would have been a lot less difficult. It has nothing to do with being children vs adults.
Yes, they did mention this, and they told us about how it would be resolved by the new building. It's disappointing that we couldn't get a chance to see how that would work out, but I'm not too worried.
And Siggy, yes, it's nothing a mature med student shouldn't be able to handle, but it helps to know these things when making decisions. One school's issues may be more acceptable/tolerable to me than another's.
My problem wasn't with talking about issues, it was the entire 'it's a good thing there aren't any 1st years yet talking with the applicants interviewing' comment. It implies that who ever is doing the tours/panel would be so wraped up in one issue as to not be able to move past it.
Just for clarification, I know firsthand that the reason why second years have always spoken to interviewees is not because the school is trying to disguise the few growing pains of this year, it is because as a first year, you have been in medical school for barely one month and you can not offer the same perspective as someone who has been around longer. Second years can give input on the entire first year and part of the second depending on the interview date, the clubs, the extracurriculars and just generally how the school operates from experience and how they evolved as students/friends/relationships/free time etc. Do not take it personally, it is not a reflection of the competency of first years, it simply relates to what information will be as high-yield as possible for the prospective students.
I don't know why we get assigned admissions counselors if they don't even bother to return emails and phone calls. I'm getting extremely annoyed at Western's administration.
Yeah i have to agree..last year was the same. E-mail should be returned within few days though. Phone call on the other hand, you just gotta keep on calling. I remember calling until answer machine for half an hour, until someone finally picks up. Can't help it, they got too many things to handle. Keep trying 😉
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What kind of questions did you get in the interview? Who was on the panel? I have my interview on the first, and I would love to have an idea of what I'm getting into. Thanks.
I'll try recalling as many questions as possible:
I honestly can't think of anything else. The interview itself was about 25-30 minutes. The last part was for questions/answers with the interviewers. I had a professor as well as a physician interview me.
I'd love to help in any other way. Please don't hesitate to ask! Best of luck! 🙂
- Why medicine?
- Why DO?
- Did you apply to MD schools?
- What would you do if you got into both MD and DO schools?
- What are you strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Who would you give your only liver to (a 45-year-old alcoholic with two children or a 25-year-old drug abuser with no children)?
- Explain X bad grade on your transcript.
- Tell us about X activity on your application.
- Tell us about your leadership experiences.
- Why DO?
- Did you apply to MD schools?
- What would you do if you got into both MD and DO schools?
- What are you strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Who would you give your only liver to (a 45-year-old alcoholic with two children or a 25-year-old drug abuser with no children)?
- Explain X bad grade on your transcript.
- Tell us about X activity on your application.
- Tell us about your leadership experiences.
I honestly can't think of anything else. The interview itself was about 25-30 minutes. The last part was for questions/answers with the interviewers. I had a professor as well as a physician interview me.
I'd love to help in any other way. Please don't hesitate to ask! Best of luck! 🙂
Oh, that was just my experience. Obviously, there were/are other interviewers as well. Some of my fellow interviewees got questions about health care and shadowing experiences. I know this because I talked to them afterwards. So the questions you get will definitely depend on 1) specifics in your application and 2) the people interviewing you.
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I was told my application was marked complete yesterday and I was just wondering how long it took Western to get back to you as far as if you were or were not granted an interview. And was having my application marked complete yesterday late? Thanks for all of the help.
I am complete for over a month now and no news. Maybe those OOS who have got invites have above average stats?
I feel a bit hesitant about going to Western now. I've only been complete for like 2 weeks so haven't been invited to interview yet, but I think I'd prefer to go to DO school in the midwest. I hear from ppl from the west coast that the DO bias is really bad over there. Ultimately, you're going to be practicing medicine most likely in the region where you went to school. The midwest is a lot more friendly to DOs than either of the coasts. Obviously, at the interview, they aren't going to tell you this. They are going to do OMM demos showing how great it is but fail to tell you that barely anyone even practices it. You'll most likely just be practicing like any other MD in cali but then have to deal with that huge bias over there of being a DO.
Someone who grew up in cali...can anyone comment on this? is the bias really that bad?
Someone who grew up in cali...can anyone comment on this? is the bias really that bad?
I just got my secondary invite today after being verified only a week ago, MUCH faster than i was expecting considering people have sighted how heavily they supposedly screen primaries. I am also surprised I even got them considering that my grades are not near where they should be. We shall see how this plays out. I am hoping to send out my secondary by Monday along with my letters of rec.
Living and going through the process in Cali this has been the number one question that I have asked to all of the DOs that I have interviewed. A great number of them have said that they had not experienced a great deal of bias and recently there have been patients who only want to see a DO.
A good deal of them also sighted the DO to DO favoritism in some practices and how they look out for one another. There are 4 or 5 strictly DO practices in Orange County that I know of. Many of them also sight DO only residency's as something that has helped them. In all most of them have told me that if you really are passionate about what you do and actually do work hard, it doesn't matter if you are an MD or DO.
So if my AACOMAS was submitted 08/20, is it safe to assume I won't be getting a secondary? I haven't heard anything from this school...
I was complete Sept 2 and still waiting anxiously waiting to hear back....
Being from California, I'll just say that most people I talk to have no idea what DO is. I find I'm constantly explaining why I'm applying to two different sets of medical schools right now. However, I'm glad to hear from DbDan that California DO's are doing all right, and that's the impression I'd gotten as well.
Also, you're more likely going to wind up practicing in the region where you do your residency, not where you go to school. So keep that in mind.
All right, everyone who interviewed last week... our decision letters went out today. Let's see what happens...
All right, everyone who interviewed last week... our decision letters went out today. Let's see what happens...
I hate waiting. I just want to know before I leave for my KCUMB interview next week...I wonder how long it takes a letter to go from SoCal to Central Cal?
After 2 emails and numerous unanswered phone calls, I'm finally marked complete after submitting my application last month. They sent me FOUR emails telling me about my complete status. Guess they wanted to make sure I stopped bugging them. 
Probably not too terribly long... I'm in the same boat, wondering if it'll get to me before I leave for my Nova interview.
After 2 emails and numerous unanswered phone calls, I'm finally marked complete after submitting my application last month. They sent me FOUR emails telling me about my complete status. Guess they wanted to make sure I stopped bugging them.
I'm glad u got it sorted
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Complete last friday & interview invite today -- coordinator contacted me by phone? Which I thought was odd. But very excited. Seems they still have some interview spots open for this week and lots of October dates available. 🙂
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Did anyone who interviewd on the 17th two wks ago receive any mail/news from COMP? Just curious...the wait is killing me..
Haha, our decisions should have been mailed on Friday. I'm at work, but I've been checking here constantly for any raucous celebration, which would indicate that there would be something in my mailbox when I get home...
=)
they mailed out the decisions today. the director wasn't around last week to sign the paperwork.
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