Western/COMP Discussion Thread 2010-2011

[stucka21]

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Received a rather interesting e-mail today....

"Dear DbDan

Thank you for applying for admission to Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Pomona and/or Lebanon campus. Your application has received extensive review by the Admissions Committee; however I regret to inform you that you were not selected to interview for a position in the 2011 entering DO Class.

I appreciate your interest in the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, and I wish you good luck in your future educational endeavors."

..... great.... except I already interviewed..... lol WTF If this is there way of telling me I was rejected post-interview I'm going to be livid.

Wow that's crazy!! Did you call them, or was it too late? I am really hoping you get in! Interviewed 10/30.. Just received my "high wait list" letter from Touro Nevada, which makes me even more anxious to hear back from Western (my top choice). I'm going crazy!

Do you know if they already reviewed your file and made a decision this past wednesday? I hope the process is speedier than it was last month

 

[Cheshyre]

Received a rather interesting e-mail today....

Ouch, dude. If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I remember this happening to someone at UMDNJ last year. Don't panic - call admissions and get it sorted out. They have to process ~5000 applications, but AFAIK, there are only 4 admissions officers.

 

[Kalu123]

Received a rather interesting e-mail today....

Did you also apply to the Lebanon campus? Maybe they are denying you an interview for that site?

 

[jellyfishnh]

I just wonder if any of you asked for the interviewers' contact info and sent them thank you notes? If you did, did they reply you emails?

I sent thank-you emails to both of my interviewers and got replies from both. Is it a good sign?? Arrgghhhh....I'm so anxious to see the result T_T

 

[Sinfest]

that blows, sorry to hear that Sinfest!

Not much I can do, oh well.

Hope you get an interview soon dude 🙂

 

[drqc]

Accepted! Got a letter in the mail yesterday.

Hopefully, all of you will be getting good news soon as well!

 

[DbDan]

I got my rejection letter yesterday as well. I'm probably going to call tomorrow just because I'm confused about the e-mail I got but its probably for the best. I was having a rough time figuring out Western vs. AZCOM, they made my choice pretty easy. I kinda felt more at home at AZCOM anyway.

 

[Sinfest]

I got my rejection letter yesterday as well. I'm probably going to call tomorrow just because I'm confused about the e-mail I got but its probably for the best. I was having a rough time figuring out Western vs. AZCOM, they made my choice pretty easy. I kinda felt more at home at AZCOM anyway.

Not sure if this helps, but I got the same email.

If you want to know why you were rejected, they said to call back in April.

 

[DbDan]

Not sure if this helps, but I got the same email.

If you want to know why you were rejected, they said to call back in April.

👍 Thanks. Such an odd e-mail. Incredibly frustrating too... whatever though. It stings but I'll survive. In the end I'm gonna be DbDan, DO in 2015 anyway

 

[stucka21]

👍 Thanks. Such an odd e-mail. Incredibly frustrating too... whatever though. It stings but I'll survive. In the end I'm gonna be DbDan, DO in 2015 anyway

I'm sorry about the rejection, DbDan, but I'm so happy for you and AZCOM!

Does it look like they are speeding up the process when it comes to letting us know post-interview? It looks like it went from a month turn around to 2 weeks... I wonder if they'll keep it up.

 

[DbDan]

I'm sorry about the rejection, DbDan, but I'm so happy for you and AZCOM!

Does it look like they are speeding up the process when it comes to letting us know post-interview? It looks like it went from a month turn around to 2 weeks... I wonder if they'll keep it up.

Their standard turn-around is supposed to be 2 weeks. I'm sure that they will keep with it. Its pretty harsh getting 2 post-interview rejections (LECOM originally rejected as well) considering I thought that I interviewed pretty well. I'm definitely calling in April to find out why I was rejected. I'm going to go ahead and guess it was my grades, once again, that gave me problems. Maybe the issues w/ me being grilled on my research played a part in it as well. Who knows.

 

[stucka21]

Their standard turn-around is supposed to be 2 weeks. I'm sure that they will keep with it. Its pretty harsh getting 2 post-interview rejections (LECOM originally rejected as well) considering I thought that I interviewed pretty well. I'm definitely calling in April to find out why I was rejected. I'm going to go ahead and guess it was my grades, once again, that gave me problems. Maybe the issues w/ me being grilled on my research played a part in it as well. Who knows.

Yeah, it sucks that every school is different in what they're looking for. I got denied from AZCOM post-secondary because of my mcat (24P).. and now I'm hoping it doesn't affect my Western decision. And Lecom Bradenton and Nova both denied me but won't tell me why until Spring. But I'm glad we both have acceptances else where so no matter what, we'll be doctors soon 🙂 And I want to stay in the LA area, so maybe we'll see each other around after school! haha 😀

 

[wolverinepwns]

People use to tell me EACH SCHOOL IS DIFFERENT and I refused to believe them till this year when I applied. Schools that I thought I didn't have a chance in gave me interviews and some of the ones that I though were for sures simply rejected me! Its mind boggling!

 

[DbDan]

People use to tell me EACH SCHOOL IS DIFFERENT and I refused to believe them till this year when I applied. Schools that I thought I didn't have a chance in gave me interviews and some of the ones that I though were for sures simply rejected me! Its mind boggling!

Very true. Its such a random game. I'm just glad that I got an acceptance to a school that was near the top of my list. Any more options would have just been icing on the cake at this point.

 

[Kevin Baker]

Interviewed 10/23 and just got the acceptance letter. Sending the deposit in soon and withdrawing most of my apps. I'm almost as far away as you can get from CA so expect letters in the mail soon from that interview date. Good luck everyone, and I hope to meet some of my fellow classmates. Anyone know if there is a facebook page?

 

[BoraMD]

Interviewed 10/23 and just got the acceptance letter. Sending the deposit in soon and withdrawing most of my apps. I'm almost as far away as you can get from CA so expect letters in the mail soon from that interview date. Good luck everyone, and I hope to meet some of my fellow classmates. Anyone know if there is a facebook page?

Hi Kevin,

Congrats on the acceptance!!!

I'm not sure there is a facebook page yet, but there's this thread for the Class of 2015: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=773127

See you there!

 

[traitorman]

Interviewed 10/23 and just got the acceptance letter. Sending the deposit in soon and withdrawing most of my apps. I'm almost as far away as you can get from CA so expect letters in the mail soon from that interview date. Good luck everyone, and I hope to meet some of my fellow classmates. Anyone know if there is a facebook page?

wow it seems like every school thread I go to you have an acceptance. congrats!! 👍👍

can anyone comment on western vs lecom-bradenton? from past threads I've looked at, it seems students choose bradenton for the PBL but western is more established and has the reputation and quality rotation sites. just curious to what you guys think

 

[kgelfen]

can someone comment on curriculum ?

They talked about CBL as well, but do students go to lecture year 1 and 2 ?

thanks guys

 

[mes415]

Its been over a month since my letters of reference have been sent and they are still not marked received.. is this normal?

 

[kgelfen]

Its been over a month since my letters of reference have been sent and they are still not marked received.. is this normal?

I would be concerned. It was all processed pretty fast for me. I would contact them. I have heard that they are slammed at the office with paper work, since they are also dealing with COMP NW now.

Good Luck!!!

 

[DbDan]

wow it seems like every school thread I go to you have an acceptance. congrats!! 👍👍

can anyone comment on western vs lecom-bradenton? from past threads I've looked at, it seems students choose bradenton for the PBL but western is more established and has the reputation and quality rotation sites. just curious to what you guys think

Other than cost I couldn't make a case for LECOM over Western. Having interviewed at both Western seems to be by far the stronger school in terms of reputation, rotations and cirriculum.

That said, LECOM costs 20k less per year and boasts a 100% pass rate on the boards so their cirriculum is obviously very strong in its own right. Just gotta figure out if PBL is the right style for you.

 

[traitorman]

Other than cost I couldn't make a case for LECOM over Western. Having interviewed at both Western seems to be by far the stronger school in terms of reputation, rotations and cirriculum.

That said, LECOM costs 20k less per year and boasts a 100% pass rate on the boards so their cirriculum is obviously very strong in its own right. Just gotta figure out if PBL is the right style for you.

i like PBL and the 100% pass rate is great but it sounds like 3rd/4th years are what really matter and western def has those. im still a little uneasy about setting up rotations on my own at bradenton - i wouldnt even know where to start with that.

I'm still trying to pay off my credit cards and flying to cali is gonna make it even tougher but i guess its gonna be worth it if theres a chance i could go to a good school like western.

and do they really interview on a saturday??

 

[DbDan]

i like PBL and the 100% pass rate is great but it sounds like 3rd/4th years are what really matter and western def has those. im still a little uneasy about setting up rotations on my own at bradenton - i wouldnt even know where to start with that.

I'm still trying to pay off my credit cards and flying to cali is gonna make it even tougher but i guess its gonna be worth it if theres a chance i could go to a good school like western.

and do they really interview on a saturday??

Yes and their saturday interviews can have up to 100 people in attendance. Mine was their smallest group at 16.

As for rotations at Bradenton, I'd try to find some of the current students on here. I haven't seen too many complaints about them aside from not having rotations all in one place. Most people seem not to have an issue actually getting them scheduled.

 

[SFO-IST]

Other than cost I couldn't make a case for LECOM over Western. Having interviewed at both Western seems to be by far the stronger school in terms of reputation, rotations and cirriculum.

That said, LECOM costs 20k less per year and boasts a 100% pass rate on the boards so their cirriculum is obviously very strong in its own right. Just gotta figure out if PBL is the right style for you.

the 100% pass rate only means they bar people who won't pass from taking the test or fail them out. it seemed like lecom had a higher fail rate than other schools.

 

[SFO-IST]

By the way, here is the Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_168485773179106

 

[DbDan]

the 100% pass rate only means they bar people who won't pass from taking the test or fail them out. it seemed like lecom had a higher fail rate than other schools.

🙄 This has been discussed a billion times in the LECOM thread.

People fail out because they can't take the PBL curriculum, not because the school fails you out if you can't pass the boards. The administration has said explicitly when you interview they do not and will not bar you from taking the test. They will administer a practice test and give you their opinion on whether or not if you can pass but will not bar you from taking it.

 

[AvocadoLover]

Hey all! I was just wondering for those of you whom have gotten interviews: How long did it take from the time you were complete to get an invite? I've been complete since 9/30, but haven't heard anything yet. Thank you!

 

[traitorman]

Yes and their saturday interviews can have up to 100 people in attendance. Mine was their smallest group at 16.

As for rotations at Bradenton, I'd try to find some of the current students on here. I haven't seen too many complaints about them aside from not having rotations all in one place. Most people seem not to have an issue actually getting them scheduled.

i was 😱 at first when u mentioned the 100, but I'm guessing that's including interviews for all the other professional schools. haha that'd be pretty crazy

i've been able to PM some students and I've gotten positive but also worrisome responses.

Hey all! I was just wondering for those of you whom have gotten interviews: How long did it take from the time you were complete to get an invite? I've been complete since 9/30, but haven't heard anything yet. Thank you!

i was complete end of july/early aug and just got my interview invite two days ago

 

[Cheshyre]

i was 😱 at first when u mentioned the 100, but I'm guessing that's including interviews for all the other professional schools.

I interviewed last year and there were ~70 person groups. I believe mine was over 70 (last interview of the season).

Honestly, it wasn't bad at all to have that many people. The entire day was well-organized and laid back.

 

[traitorman]

I interviewed last year and there were ~70 person groups. I believe mine was over 70 (last interview of the season).

Honestly, it wasn't bad at all to have that many people. The entire day was well-organized and laid back.

70 people for just the DO program??

 

[wolverinepwns]

I kinda wish, Western would just let me know whats going on! secondary has been complete since first week of Sept, I keep calling and emailing and all I get is the "its still under review". every other school that I applied to has processed my app except Western. it sucks to have to have all your plans on hold and be in a huge limbo.

 

[JP1285]

i was 😱 at first when u mentioned the 100, but I'm guessing that's including interviews for all the other professional schools. haha that'd be pretty crazy

Actually, I'd say we (the 10/30 group) had about 100 people there just for the DO program. They organize it pretty well. However, for those of you who like to hype yourself up or do any other kind of "pre-game" ritual, it's pretty tough to find the time -- it's basically lecture on curriculum, lecture on fin aid, then interviews (give or take 15 mins). UNLESS you're one of the late afternoon interviewees.

I had an early interview, but I'm also not a big pre-gamer, so it didn't bother me too much...

just a heads up.👍 GOOD LUCK on Sat!

 

[SFO-IST]

🙄 This has been discussed a billion times in the LECOM thread.

People fail out because they can't take the PBL curriculum, not because the school fails you out if you can't pass the boards. The administration has said explicitly when you interview they do not and will not bar you from taking the test. They will administer a practice test and give you their opinion on whether or not if you can pass but will not bar you from taking it.

Well, I didn't say that they fail you out if you don't pass the boards, all I'm saying is that LECOM either sets their passing bar higher, or they could do a better job of supporting people who have difficulty with PBL. Actually, the pass rate for PBL is HIGHER than that of their lecture based learning track. I personally suspect that LECOM sets the bar higher, which would virtually guarantee that their students who meet that bar will pass the boards. I think a more meaningful number to look at all schools would be the percentage of students who pass their classes AND pass the boards. PBL or not, a good school will give students not just the opportunity to succeed, but also support those who are having difficulties, within reason of course.

Finally, I'd like to add that I interviewed at LECOM and was very impressed with the school. I am a big fan of PBL and would like to see it used at more schools with the effectiveness they have at LECOM. All I'm trying to point out with the above is that there is more to a school than just the COMLEX pass rate - there is also the failure rate.

 

[jellyfishnh]

Actually, I'd say we (the 10/30 group) had about 100 people there just for the DO program. They organize it pretty well. However, for those of you who like to hype yourself up or do any other kind of "pre-game" ritual, it's pretty tough to find the time -- it's basically lecture on curriculum, lecture on fin aid, then interviews (give or take 15 mins). UNLESS you're one of the late afternoon interviewees.

I had an early interview, but I'm also not a big pre-gamer, so it didn't bother me too much...

just a heads up.👍 GOOD LUCK on Sat!

Do you know when they're gonna send out letters of acceptance/rejection for the 10/30 interview??? It's been 2 weeks already!!!

 

[stucka21]

Do you know when they're gonna send out letters of acceptance/rejection for the 10/30 interview??? It's been 2 weeks already!!!

I have an upcoming interview so I've been calling this week to try and get my decision. I was supposed to get it today, but it turns out that my file was not reviewed yet :/ But it looks like most of 10/30's group will get their letters sent out today, although there are still some that are not complete (like mine). They are super nice though and told me I should know by next Friday.

I'm really hoping i get good news since Western is my top choice by far. Goodluck to all those that I interviewed with 🙂

 

[JP1285]

I have an upcoming interview so I've been calling this week to try and get my decision. I was supposed to get it today, but it turns out that my file was not reviewed yet :/ But it looks like most of 10/30's group will get their letters sent out today, although there are still some that are not complete (like mine). They are super nice though and told me I should know by next Friday.

I'm really hoping i get good news since Western is my top choice by far. Goodluck to all those that I interviewed with 🙂

Yeah, I remember them saying we SHOULD know by the 15th...ahh! Should I call too? I live 20 mins away from the campus, I should probably just wait.

 

[jinobi]

Yeah, I remember them saying we SHOULD know by the 15th...ahh! Should I call too? I live 20 mins away from the campus, I should probably just wait.

Dean Adams still has to approve all the ones that have been accepted, and there are still some who have not been decided on. We should know by the 15th.

 

[stucka21]

Dean Adams still has to approve all the ones that have been accepted, and there are still some who have not been decided on. We should know by the 15th.

Not everyone unfortunately. I interviewed 10/30 and my file will not get looked at until Wednesday. They weren't able to get to all of us..

 

[MLSDMYM]

I kinda wish, Western would just let me know whats going on! secondary has been complete since first week of Sept, I keep calling and emailing and all I get is the "its still under review". every other school that I applied to has processed my app except Western. it sucks to have to have all your plans on hold and be in a huge limbo.

Welcome to the medical school application cycle...lol. Some people are in limbo all the way up until May/June, so if you find out by December you'll be sitting pretty. Good luck!

 

[freothalaf]

Complete 11/3 Just got the call for an interview on 12/11, very good turnaround for me! Good Luck to everyone in limbo.

 

[mauve]

so i need some Cal-inside knowledge 😳 i'm OOS, heck out of US too

where did you guys stay? I read Cheshyre's recommendation about staying at the Best Western in Ontario (btw Cheshyre, how do you get from Ontario to Western? shuttle? bus?) and I wanted to get more input about where everyone else stayed. Definitely need free wifi, somewhere to eat within walking distance would be good.

 

[traitorman]

I just switched my interview date from 11/20 to 12/11 so if anyone wants that november date, better jump on that now!

 

[imanooblar]

--

 

[freothalaf]

That's right. I sent in my check for my secondary(~Oct. 22nd) and after a couple weeks I noticed it still hadn't been cashed so I emailed them on Nov. 5th and they said I was complete on the 3rd. I got the call today for the interview and still they have yet to cash my check. I wonder if they are going to forget about it?

 

[heartofsmiles]

After talking with the admissions counselor today, the decisions for the 10/30 have indeed gone out in the mail and you guys that interviewed on that date should receive news in a few days!

 

[stucka21]

After talking with the admissions counselor today, the decisions for the 10/30 have indeed gone out in the mail and you guys that interviewed on that date should receive news in a few days!

I interviewed 10/30 and was told that my file has not been looked at yet, and will be looked at by the committee this wedneday. I am able to call Friday for my decison since I have an upcoming interview.

So I hope most 10/30 people get their decision soon! But don't be freaking out if it doesn't come in a few days 🙂 I know she said they didn't get to all of them unfortunately (or maybe just mine? haha)

 

[Slack3r]

I'm starting to wonder...

I'm still "Complete Ready for Review" and my MCAT scores cleared in late September. This feels like quite a long time to wait for a review. (3.65, 32R, AZ resident)

 

[Cheshyre]

so i need some Cal-inside knowledge 😳 i'm OOS, heck out of US too

where did you guys stay? I read Cheshyre's recommendation about staying at the Best Western in Ontario (btw Cheshyre, how do you get from Ontario to Western? shuttle? bus?) and I wanted to get more input about where everyone else stayed. Definitely need free wifi, somewhere to eat within walking distance would be good.

Yeah - when you get off your plane at Ontario, there'll be a little kiosk near the exit of the building with a couple of hotel names / phones on it. You basically find the Best Western phone and call. They'll send a shuttle to get you in <10 minutes. Last time I stayed they had free WiFi and free breakfast. There's a diner down the street and a gas station if you just need some drinks/snacks.

Unfortunately, BW Ontario doesn't provide transportation around town so you'll have to get a cab.

 

[MNBred]

Interviewing here on Saturday...any last minute tips? It sounds like the two on one interview can feel a bit like getting grilled...here's to hoping my folks are in a good mood that morning. Although they ARE working on a Saturday, so....🙂

 

[DOinprocess]

Well it used to be that the entire cirriculum was a didactic systems based approach. Standard lectures, etc.

Now the 2nd year cirriculum is more of a PBL style cirriculum. That is, you have a large lecture style presentation of 4-5 cases and you are given learning objectives (this would happen on monday). Then you are given Monday night and all day tuesday to meet with your small group or learn those concepts on your own before returning to review the cases and concepts on wednesday morning. At least that is how I interpretted it and how it was explained to me (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Hi, thank you to those who shared about the new curriculum for the second year at Western. From what I gather, the first year has not been changed, it's still anatomy first and then lecture-based systems courses (please correct me if I'm wrong)?

I was wondering if there are any current 2nd-years out there who can comment on the 2nd-year schedule. Specifically, are the Essentials of Clinical Medicine and Osteopathic Principles and Practice classes for the 2nd-years on the same days as the two required large-group sessions? Also, are there any other classes with mandatory attendance? Basically, what I want to know is how many days a week you are required to be on campus as a 1st-year and a 2nd-year (not that I want to avoid being on-campus, but because of personal circumstances it's more convenient for me to stay at home to study on my own). Thanks for your help!