Western University - Lebanon (COMP) Discussion Thread 2013 - 2014

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gocougs339 said:
Well, I guess I can help lol. I have interviewed at both WVSOM and COMP-NW and I was accepted at COMP-NW this year. Both schools are great and will get you where you want to be. However, if I had to pick between both schools I would attend COMP-NW over WVSOM.

WVSOM is a great school, they have fairly decent board pass rates when you consider that they accept many students with lower stats. WVSOM main selling point when I interviewed was that they created an excellent anatomy program that many new schools basically emulate. However, my train of thought is if new schools are basically copying what they created and improving upon it, then who cares. WVSOM is very cheap if you are an in-state student, OOS state is about 50k, so about the same as COMP-NW. WVSOM has state-of-the-art human sims which I thought were very cool because you can practice many scenarios without killing a live patient. As far as I know COMP-NW doesn't have human sims, if they do I don't remember seeing them on my tour. COMP-NW really pushes patient exposure and as a student you will have many simulated patient encounters in your first 2 years which I prefer over the human sims. WVSOM also has simulated patients encounters but not nearly as many COMP-NW. I prefer Lewisburg over Lebanon, it was just cooler and prettier town all around. Outside of the towns, COMP-NW is in a much better location. You're 1.5 hours or less from the ocean, mountains, or Portland. West Virgina is beautiful and has it's fair share of outdoor activities, but it just doesn't compare to Oregon. Both schools are located in relatively cheap areas to live. All of WVSOM 3rd year rotations are done in WV, COMP-NW's are mostly in Oregon with a few also near the Tacoma area. I believe both schools allow more flexibility in their 4 year rotations. Both schools will definitely provide exposure to rural medicine but COMP-NW has rotations in bigger cities as well.
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gcoug: Thank you so much for your response. This is exactly what I was looking for and is very helpful comparing/contrasting the programs. I know that the tuition prices are comparable (as I am considered OOS for both institutions). I think you bring up a good point in reference to sim patients vs sim robots in the curriculum, and I will make sure to take that into consideration on interview day to squeeze some information out of the staff. I agree that both places are great for those who love to be outdoors, and it seems as if both are rooted in smaller communities as well. I cannot wait to 'feel' out Lebanon and the surrounding areas in my travels there. Thank you again so much for going into detail regarding both institutions. I still am a bit curious about COMP-NW's preparation for the boards as well as a few key parts of their curriculum. I hope to find out more next weekend, and will report back accordingly! Thanks again!
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TickleMyPink said:
Not sure if the rotations/faculty are anything remarkable? When I interviewed, and from a friend that is a current student on rotations, the faculty are mediocre (most of them being beamed up from Pomona on the big screen), and the rotations are still very much a work in progress. Still a lot of flux in sites and work to do from ramping up their NW track (30 or so students) to the full blown 105 students. Regarding homeliness: They do definitely take care of their students there which is worth a lot. I would say administration are great, not faculty.

Pham was cool on interview day and I think he teaches some of the first year clinical stuff. I hear their anatomy faculty are over-eager to push their own agenda/terminology which makes the testing between the two campuses a bit of a snafu. Who knows, it's med school and that's what students are best at, bitching about everything. So maybe this is all BS.
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Current student here. While not all our professors are amazing, I would certainly not call them less than remarkable. We have faculty teaching us that have trained at big named universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Johns-Hopkins. Our anatomy professor is an editor in both Gray's and Netter's. Trust me, these people know what they're talking about.

There are many times where students are frustrated with lectures, not because of the lack of knowledge that the professor possesses, but rather their teaching techniques. We have a good number of great public speakers and a good number of not so great ones. Honestly, I'm sure this problem exists everywhere and you either learn to be the kind of student that accepts it and tries your best...or the kind who constantly complains and blames the system.

I love that the lectures are streamed since I can watch them at my own speed from the comfort of my own home. Our professors are also very active on our discussion boards where we can post questions. I think what sets COMP-NW apart from other schools is how much our faculty cares about our success. We have Town Hall meetings where we can talk to Dean, without any other faculty presence, about any issues we might be having. We also have curriculum reps who speak to the "higher ups" and sometimes there are surveys to ask us how things are going. They're really trying their best to make each course we take better every year. Med school is extremely tough, but when you're surrounded by students, faculty and administration who ultimately care about your well-being, it makes the experience so much better.

I'm extremely happy I chose COMP-NW and honestly did not expect to love med school as much as I do now. I hope my little blurb helps...good luck on your interviews and decisions!
 
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First year here.

Streamed lectures aren't typically a big problem. Would I rather have them in person? Sure. Honestly, though, I hardly even notice it anymore. Most of our class stopped going to live lectures and are just on campus watching them at their own pace.I don't think the problems we had with Anatomy will be an issue anymore. They tried to change things around with our class and it ended up not working out to well because of some differences in teaching styles/values between both campuses. Either way, the questions on any particular lecture will come from the professor who gave it, and you'll have the option to watch it live, recorded or both. You won't be at a disadvantage from being here in Lebanon instead of Pomona where more of the lectures are live. If anything, its more of an advantage (at least in anatomy) because of our lab instructors. They're fantastic and because we have less students we have more access to them.

No, we don't have sims. We have lots of standardized patient contacts. Not the same thing, but thats what we have. The standardized patients are great, and you'll see them pretty quickly after you start.

As far as board prep, we have access to kaplan so far. I don't think the school will provide us with any other resources for the time being. I feel like most board prep is up to how you want to tackle it, at least that is what I gather from the 2nd years i've spoken with. Figure out what resources you want to use (qbank, uworld, goljin, pathoma, etc), figure out a schedule, and get to it.

Lebanon is a small town and there isn't much to do in town. About 20 minutes away is Corvallis which is a great college town. Nice shops, resturants, bars, atmosphere etc. Some of my classmates live there and they think the commute is worth it, and because you can watch the lectures recorded thats completely doable. Some students live in Albany, which is about 15-20 minutes northwest of us. Its not as nice as Corvallis but is probably a little cheaper. It has quite a bit more in the way of stores and things to do than Lebanon, at least. I have a couple friends who live there and they have no complaints. Some students even commute from Salem and Eugene, each of which is about and hour or so away. You can live where you want, if you're willing to commute a little.

Even though there isn't much to do in Lebanon itself, there is a lot in the surrounding areas. Corvallis and Albany have some fun things to do, there are a lot of wonderful places to hike, climb or ride your bicycle. We're only 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Portland which is loaded with fun things to do. None of that really matters though. You'll be so busy that you'll probably just be at home studying anyways.

Its a good school and yes it has its problems. Every school has its problems. No medical school is going to hold your hand, and how well you do on tests will likely hinge on how well you study and if you understand the material versus how good or bad the professor is.
And yes, we all complain. All medical students complain.If you have any other questions let me know, i'll answer them if I can.
 
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Also a first year and I'd really have to agree with iheartnachos. Pretty good summary of the school and area. I'm pretty happy here.
 
I wanted to ask how many hours you are in class per week? I know studying varies by person, but at my interview the student panel said they have enough time to study during the week so that they can take weekends off to relax. I just find that hard to believe.
 
Samurai Jeff said:
I wanted to ask how many hours you are in class per week? I know studying varies by person, but at my interview the student panel said they have enough time to study during the week so that they can take weekends off to relax. I just find that hard to believe.
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I think that's extremely dependent on the individual and how well you study during the week. There's usually 4-5 hours of lecture each day (plus more on days when you have OMM or ECM or another mandatory class like service learning or interprofessional education) and you aren't usually required to actually go to class for the regular lecture.
I personally start a little later in the morning, like 9-10, and then study solo or in a group until 10-12. Then on Saturday it's a shorter day and I take Sundays off. Again, to each his own.
 
ithinkimlost said:
Current student here.
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dudeliness said:
Also a first year
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Iheartnachos said:
First year here.
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Hey all,

Can one of you post about Lebanons weekly schedule and also note what is mandatory? I know OMM and Clinical Skills is mandatory attendance? So like:

Monday - Lecture from 9-12, OMM Lab from 1-5 ** MUST ATTEND**
Tuesday - Etc
Wed - Etc,

I am really thinking Albany/Corvallis would be a better fit for me and my future wife, especially with her nursing job, so I am still torn between living at Cascade Ridge vs living away. I know I've brought this up before--and i've gotten many opinions. Just trying to get more info.

If OMM and Clinical Skills are Tues and Thursday and Anatomy on Wed for example, then I could easily live in Albany and just commute 3x a week.


Thanks
LaughingMan

I definitely owe you all a dinner for yalls help.
 
LaughingMan said:
Hey all,

Can one of you post about Lebanons weekly schedule and also note what is mandatory? I know OMM and Clinical Skills is mandatory attendance? So like:

Monday - Lecture from 9-12, OMM Lab from 1-5 ** MUST ATTEND**
Tuesday - Etc
Wed - Etc,

I am really thinking Albany/Corvallis would be a better fit for me and my future wife, especially with her nursing job, so I am still torn between living at Cascade Ridge vs living away. I know I've brought this up before--and i've gotten many opinions. Just trying to get more info.

If OMM and Clinical Skills are Tues and Thursday and Anatomy on Wed for example, then I could easily live in Albany and just commute 3x a week.


Thanks
LaughingMan

I definitely owe you all a dinner for yalls help.
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LaughingMan-
I'm going to owe YOU dinner since you keep posting pretty much all my questions! I'm looking at alternate areas for the husband!
 
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Papa said:
Interview Invite!!! Any suggestions or comments on the area? Never been
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Congrats on the II. This time of year is limited as far as cool things to do and see in this part of the state due to the weather. If you can fit an extra day or two in, I'd recommend driving to the coast (still a high potential for rain) or spending a little extra time in Portland. One suggestion I'd make concerning your trip and interview would be to do the pizza night. Even if you just get to know one or two people, it makes the interview day even more relaxed. Good luck!
 
LaughingMan said:
Hey all,

Can one of you post about Lebanons weekly schedule and also note what is mandatory? I know OMM and Clinical Skills is mandatory attendance? So like:

Monday - Lecture from 9-12, OMM Lab from 1-5 ** MUST ATTEND**
Tuesday - Etc
Wed - Etc,

I am really thinking Albany/Corvallis would be a better fit for me and my future wife, especially with her nursing job, so I am still torn between living at Cascade Ridge vs living away. I know I've brought this up before--and i've gotten many opinions. Just trying to get more info.

If OMM and Clinical Skills are Tues and Thursday and Anatomy on Wed for example, then I could easily live in Albany and just commute 3x a week.


Thanks
LaughingMan

I definitely owe you all a dinner for yalls help.
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No problem! A few months back I posted a screenshot of my schedule. You've pretty much got it though.
Currently we are in the IDIT (introduction to disease, immunity, and therapeutics) and have IDIT lecture from 8-12, and sometimes a 1-2 lecture maybe once a week. The IDIT is not mandatory and is recorded.
For me I have OMM on Monday from 1-5, sometimes getting out a bit earlier. Tuesdays I have ECM from 1-5, rarely getting out earlier. Both ECM and OMM are mandatory attendance.
Maybe every other week, or for a couple of weeks in a row, we have extra mandatory classes like IPE (inter-professional education) or service learning. Those two aren't very hard, they are just a bit of a time suck.
That's pretty much it. This past week sucked because we had OMM/ECM Monday/Tuesday afternoons, IPE Wednesday afternoon, and service learning Wednesday afternoon, but that combination is not usual. We usually have most of the afternoons for study.

As for living away from Lebanon, I know plenty do it. Some even living as far away as Salem or farther. I chose to live very close to school so I can easily go home for lunch and spend time with my wife and daughter.
 
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Ratatatatouille said:
Anyone else still waiting to hear back after Jan 11 interview?
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I called today because I was eager to hear back and Jeanie told me I am on the wait list and letters should arrive in 3-4 days for everyone with more information.
 
Hi I'm interviewing this Saturday and am going to the pizza social. How is the environment during the social and is there a specific dress code? Also will staff and faulty be present? Thanks
 
grumpy97 said:
Hi I'm interviewing this Saturday and am going to the pizza social. How is the environment during the social and is there a specific dress code? Also will staff and faulty be present? Thanks
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Most guys were in collared shirts and khakis so business casual I guess. There were probably 30 applicants and 10-15 medical students present along with a few administrative personnel and faculty. No one knows anyone at first, but they have the med students rotate around. You get to know the people around you. For me, it was nice to get sincere answers to many questions from current students and meeting a few other applicants made the interview day much less stressful. I almost didn't go, but I'm so glad that I did!
 
EODWalt said:
Most guys were in collared shirts and khakis so business casual I guess. There were probably 30 applicants and 10-15 medical students present along with a few administrative personnel and faculty. No one knows anyone at first, but they have the med students rotate around. You get to know the people around you. For me, it was nice to get sincere answers to many questions from current students and meeting a few other applicants made the interview day much less stressful. I almost didn't go, but I'm so glad that I did!
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Definitely worth going to, and the dress code is casual. I went in jeans and a tshirt. Jeannie told me that was just fine last year.
 
Does anyone know how the ISAC program enrollment works? Are they selective or basically everyone gets enrolled who wants as long as they are above the GPA/MCAT min?
 
Chipacon7 said:
Does anyone know how the ISAC program enrollment works? Are they selective or basically everyone gets enrolled who wants as long as they are above the GPA/MCAT min?
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I don't know that they turned anyone away who applied, and I think they may have even taken a couple who were "almost" within the minimum stats. My science GPA was something like .01 below the minimum. Lol
That being said, I think Jeannie Davis or Jess would be the best ones to ask. They are very helpful and friendly.
 
I was told you had to have some background in physiology or anatomy to be selected for ISAC. I had neither so I didn't apply.
 
grumpy97 said:
Hi I'm interviewing this Saturday and am going to the pizza social. How is the environment during the social and is there a specific dress code? Also will staff and faulty be present? Thanks
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A couple admin and maybe a faculty member will be there, along with students. Don't wear a suit and tie. I would say business casual is a pretty safe bet. If you're going to wear jeans just don't be a slob (stains, holes, etc). Be nice, be clean, get some burning questions out of the way and get rid of some of that stress for the next day.
 
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For those coming to the social Friday night and the interviews Saturday, be prepared for some winter weather. Check your forecasts and plan accordingly. The storm just started in earnest in Portland, but it is expected to be worse further south. Good luck to all and safe journeys!
 
Noqterne said:
For those coming to the social Friday night and the interviews Saturday, be prepared for some winter weather. Check your forecasts and plan accordingly. The storm just started in earnest in Portland, but it is expected to be worse further south. Good luck to all and safe journeys!
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We definitely are getting some snow here! Heed the above advice and please give yourselves enough time to get around, especially if you aren't used to driving in snow/slick conditions.
 
Do you think it is safe to try to come down I-5 from Portland?
 
Following up on the winter weather comment, we currently have just over 10 inches of snow here, so plan driving times accordingly. They are also prediciting freezing rain on Saturday.
 
Just a heads up, the pizza night was cancelled tonight
 
emtthink said:
Just a heads up, the pizza night was cancelled tonight
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Yea I'm bummed out about that. Was looking forward to the social. What are the chances they cancel the interviews tomorrow?
 
grumpy97 said:
Yea I'm bummed out about that. Was looking forward to the social. What are the chances they cancel the interviews tomorrow?
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Official word I received was that interviews are still on for tomorrow. I don't think that they can cancel interviews since people payed to fly here and travel
 
grumpy97 said:
Yea I'm bummed out about that. Was looking forward to the social. What are the chances they cancel the interviews tomorrow?
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I'm not sure. I think it would have to get really bad for them to cancel the interviews. Everyone has spent a lot of time and money getting here, not to mention having to reschedule it. Just give yourself PLENTY of time to get anywhere and accelerate/brake slowly.

Keep asking questions if you guys have any. Hopefully some of us here can make up for the lack of a pizza night.
 
Iheartnachos said:
I'm not sure. I think it would have to get really bad for them to cancel the interviews. Everyone has spent a lot of time and money getting here, not to mention having to reschedule it. Just give yourself PLENTY of time to get anywhere and accelerate/brake slowly.

Keep asking questions if you guys have any. Hopefully some of us here can make up for the lack of a pizza night.
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I truly hope they don't cancel. I'm an OOS ( Midwest) and I was wondering how many students come from Midwest and east coast?
 
And also if you can give some insight on the curriculum and maybe a sample weekly schedule? Thanks
 
grumpy97 said:
I truly hope they don't cancel. I'm an OOS ( Midwest) and I was wondering how many students come from Midwest and east coast?
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The majority of students definitely come from the pacific northwest, but we do have a reasonable amount of students from the midwest/east coast. I couldn't give you an exact number though.

Dudeliness gave a pretty reasonable summary of a week for us a few posts up, so i'll probably just end up repeating a lot of what he said. When you guys start, you'll have a significant amount of time in lab and lecture for anatomy.

You'll likely have 4 hours of lecture, lab or a mixture of the two from 8am-12pm, with an hour break for lunch. I use the word break loosely because some clubs tend to meet during lunch, and there are a lot of guest speakers and tutor sessions held during that time as well. Then, on mondays and tuesdays, you'll have 4 hours of clinical medicine on one day and 4 hours of OMM on the other. The rest of the week (wed-friday) will likely be 4 hours of lecture/lab or a mix, followed by 4 hours in the afternoon of lecture/lab.

This general format doesn't vary too much. Lab will get cut out and get replaced by other classes/lectures when you finish anatomy. Mondays and tuesdays afternoons (1-5pm) are usually reserved for clinical medicine and OMM. Eventually some classes lectures will be supplemented with small group work. We haven't started that yet this year, so I can't tell you much about it.
 
Interviews are definitely still on for tomorrow. It's gonna be a little different due to all the weather and some people not being able to make it, but it's still on.
Just give yourself plenty of time to get here. Be safe and have fun tomorrow!!
 
Iheartnachos said:
The majority of students definitely come from the pacific northwest, but we do have a reasonable amount of students from the midwest/east coast. I couldn't give you an exact number though.

Dudeliness gave a pretty reasonable summary of a week for us a few posts up, so i'll probably just end up repeating a lot of what he said. When you guys start, you'll have a significant amount of time in lab and lecture for anatomy.

You'll likely have 4 hours of lecture, lab or a mixture of the two from 8am-12pm, with an hour break for lunch. I use the word break loosely because some clubs tend to meet during lunch, and there are a lot of guest speakers and tutor sessions held during that time as well. Then, on mondays and tuesdays, you'll have 4 hours of clinical medicine on one day and 4 hours of OMM on the other. The rest of the week (wed-friday) will likely be 4 hours of lecture/lab or a mix, followed by 4 hours in the afternoon of lecture/lab.

This general format doesn't vary too much. Lab will get cut out and get replaced by other classes/lectures when you finish anatomy. Mondays and tuesdays afternoons (1-5pm) are usually reserved for clinical medicine and OMM. Eventually some classes lectures will be supplemented with small group work. We haven't started that yet this year, so I can't tell you much about it.
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Thanks. That's pretty much what I wanted to know.
 
Did everyone make it to the interviews and back safely?If so, how did it go? I am curious as to the number of people that were not able to make it. I was supposed to drive down from Portland with a friend for his interview, but we decided it was just a little too risky! After dealing with the freezing rain last night, I am pretty glad we chose as we did - though it did mean rescheduling.
 
LaughingMan said:
Where will ye be staying!?


Also--anyone hear back from Western yet on Fafsa? Mine was complete and sent to the school 01/07/2014. Still havent heard back.
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I went looking for something a little ways out of town so I could run or ride my bike in - for a little forced exercise to be honest. I found an apt about 3.5 miles out of town, right on the Santiam river for a pretty good price. I received notice from WesternU that they had received my FAFSA just today.
 
Still exploring housing---I honestly find it so strange so many apartment complexes do not have websites to explore. Thankfully Cascade Ridge just put one up, but in Corvallis/Albany--very few have one.
 
LaughingMan said:
Still exploring housing---I honestly find it so strange so many apartment complexes do not have websites to explore. Thankfully Cascade Ridge just put one up, but in Corvallis/Albany--very few have one.
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I found that when I was looking too. There are some new apartments that just came up in Lebanon and they look pretty nice. I would have considered them but they weren't finished until the semester had already started. They're the "McKinney Lane Apartments", if you're interested. If you're looking into Corvallis I unfortunately don't know much about the apartments there. Most of them are likely to be filled with OSU undergraduates.
 
There's some cheap apartments out here too. We were able to find many on craigslist, but other than that, no real "official" websites.
I'm not sure what you're looking for, but we found a 2 bed 1 bath apt for just $585/month everything included except electricity. It may be hard to find deals that good, but they're out here. A far sight cheaper than cascade at eight or nine hundred, but this place isn't nearly as new or as well maintained.
My classmates staying in cascade seem to really like it. And I've heard management is very good there.
 
Has anyone heard back from the February 8th interview?
 
:nod:If anyone has questions about the school, feel free to message me (current OMS2), I am more likely to notice that then this thread.
 
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