Western Status

[SB]

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I recently interviewed at Western/COMP and a few days later I received a letter from the committee stating that I have been placed on hold. I know that this is not good. I also know that they will reaccess the hold applicants after April 1, they stop interviewing after march. what can I do to somehow become admissible? I really would like to to go COMP and I made that clear during the interview, unfortunately that fact that I do not have a recommendation from a DO may have hurt me. What can I do from here on out?

 

[dlbruch]

SB- I don't know your situation, but if there is any way you can get a letter from a DO, you can send it and request that it be added to your file. It definitely can't hurt and it may be the little bit needed to put you over the top. If you don't know any DO's you can look in the phone book, contact the California DO association (I don't know the real name of it), or you can call Western and ask them if there are any graduates in your area. Spend a morning or afternoon with a DO and ask a lot of questions. Explain you situation and ask if they would be willing to write you a letter- most will probably write something describing your interest in Osteopathic medicine and your personality. It will be hard to assess you abilities and potential in such a short time, but you have to take what you can get.

 

[Doctor TRuth]

SB:

Definetly get the letter from a DO asap.
Are you a california resident? if yes that would help in your chances increaseing to get accepted from the hold list and also you can get a recommendation letter from a DO who graduated from COMP.

What are your stats?

 

[RAM#48]

From above post:
"Spend a morning or afternoon with a DO and ask a lot of questions. Explain you situation and ask if they would be willing to write you a letter- most will probably write something describing your interest in Osteopathic medicine and your personality. It will be hard to assess you abilities and potential in such a short time, but you have to take what you can get."

There is a lot of truth in this statement; it is exactly what I did when I got 2 DO's to write my letters. Although the time spent with them was brief, they wrote excellent letters (I know since I formatted them, all they did was sign and send).

Sitting down for an hour did me as much good as did shadowing for an afternoon. Give them your CV, aacomas, but better yet anything that shows your uniqueness and commitment to be a DO. I also gave one a copy of a letter that another physician had written for me - sort of a template to go by - your recommender may not have written one before, and obviously time is of the essence!

Good luck!

 

[Paul's Boutique]

Truth! Good to see you!

SB: Yes, shadowing a DO is (in my opinion) the best way to secure a -solid- (not just OK or Good) letter of recommendation. You want to give that physician as many reasons as possible for recommending you, and there's no substitute for time spent with him/her.

I understand your sweating this one, and that time's a factor, but if you could spend one or two evenings w/ a DO, so much the better. Be up front with them! Call them up, tell them your situation, and ask if it's OK to shadow them a few times with the goal of having them write a letter for you. Most would be willing to help, since they all had to do this too to get where they are, right?

Give it a shot; you may be surprised at the results!

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-PB (Western Univ./COMP '04)

 

[DJ]

SB,
I agree with all the previous posters. You want to do something that stands out from the rest on the hold/WL status.

I was in the same situation as you last year. I interviewed late and got the hold letter a few days after. So don't fret too much about what might have gone wrong during the interview. The simple reason is probably because we interviewed late in the game. Hopefully your outcome will be different than mine. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

E-mail me if you have anymore questions.

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DJ
WU/COMP Class of 2004!