WesternU MSMS Fall 2011/2012 Thread

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mickc said:
17191719,
Thank you for your words of encouragement. By the way, is that an overall, or a science gpa? I'm thinking it's going to be a close call for me.

Anyone interviewing brave enough to post their gpa and MCAT?

2.97 / 23M

Best,
Mick
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That is m overall GPA my science GPA was 3.3 (however they dont count all my science classes AACOMAS had my science GPA as 3.5 )
 
Med2OP said:
Hi 17191719,
Your GPA is so high. I'm sure you would be able to easily get into Western's DO program directly if you improve your MCAT score. Just wondering why you want to spend the money for the MSMS with such a high GPA.

I live in LA but am totally unfamiliar with the Pomona area. I'm sure most hotels would provide shuttle transportation =/ GOOD LUCK SEARCHING!

I had an interview for this program last year too. On last years thread for this program DbDan explained his interview, I think we were interviewed on the same day. He explains it exactly as it was. I quoted his post below. If you have any other questions, I can try and answer them =)

"There were 10 of us who interviewed today, Jodi mentioned that there was 5 interviewed before our group and currently 9 more scheduled, some others still needing to be scheduled and more filing in as today was the last day to submit. The group that interviewed today were all very nice and everyone was very supportive of one another. Overall I could see any one of them as a classmate come June and would be very happy. (I know some of you are on here! lol)

There is space for 20-25 students, 10 linkage DO spots, 2 linkage Dental spots and what looks like 5 podiatry? (I think) spots for linkage. That doesn't necessarily mean the breakdown of the class will be this though since our interviews were actually all for DO linkage.

We had an essay to write, it was a behavioral essay giving you a conflicting situation asking how you would respond. You have about an hr and internet access to write it, nothing too difficult.

We had a short campus tour, which I must say is a great campus. The new building is great and while its not an undergrad feel since it is basically an old strip mall, its definitely bigger and nicer than some DO schools which have a single building which is little more than a converted warehouse.

We then had lunch and a financial aid presentation. Lunch was good, nothing spectacular but better than I had at LECOM or Touro, some sandwiches, chips, orange/apple, a cookie and some soda. One thing I did not realize is that courses actually being on JUNE 14th. VERY early especially since I'm on a few waitlists and this is likely the very earliest I'd hear back from them. Interesting situation but nothing I can't work out with the office in the event I get accepted, we'll see.

Interview itself was fairly uneventful. Some normal questions, why medicine, why DO, experience based questions showing maturity, responsibility, etc. The interview was fairly laid back and the interviewers were very nice, not as stressful as some other interviews I've been in. They said that we should hear back in roughly 2 weeks about both the MSMS program as well as linkage.

I left with a good feeling about the school. Jodi was very nice and extremely helpful and understanding of every situation. She was very forthcoming with information and seems very excited to help everyone in the program. She said they will be issuing committee letters, helping with personal statements, school selection, etc. They seem genuinely invested in getting you into medical school, regardless of whether it is at Western or elsewhere. The faculty seemed very happy there and campus was great. Overall I was very impressed.

If I don't get linkage is it the place for me? probably not. The tuition is just too steep personally and I feel that I could better accomplish my goals by retaking courses through an extension program and keeping my job so I won't accumulate debt. I would definitely love to get a DO at Western though so who knows, maybe if I don't get linkage and go my own unstructured way I'll still somehow make it into the school. To anyone that interviewed with me today, good luck, hope you all get accepted! " DbDan
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I want to do the MSMS because I believe it will help me follow a strict MCAT prep course, and also allow me a linkage spot if I get a 24 hopefully, in addition I love school and I like what the program and school has to offer I visited a couple weeks back.

How far is LA from POMONA, could you realistically live in LA and go to school in pomona>?....
 
I wouldn't recommend living in LA and commuting to Pomona. It'll be a 20 min + commute without traffic. Traffic is a pain in LA county especially during rush hour.


Congrats to those who got interviews.
 
I was contemplating the same thing. From Long Beach to Pomona, the drive can easily hit an hour, especially if you use the infamous 91. That's at least 2 hours of the day gone, everyday, unless you miss rush hour. I love Long Beach, and I will be very sad if I had to leave it.
 
AHAHAHAHA!! okay I am soo sorry but your thoughts on how long it will take to get to Pomona from these places is... naively hilarious!

Personally, I recommend living in Claremont, Chino Hills, San Bernadino, Upland, La Verne, Ontario, etc. Claremont and Chino Hills are really nice. I understand wanting to live somewhere 'glamorous' if you have to live in SoCal but unless you are able to live there for free it's not worth the gas and time to commute.

mickc said:
I was contemplating the same thing. From Long Beach to Pomona, the drive can easily hit an hour, especially if you use the infamous 91. That's at least 2 hours of the day gone, everyday, unless you miss rush hour. I love Long Beach, and I will be very sad if I had to leave it.
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I have a good friend that lives in Long Beach, I have made this drive many time while I've been here. From Long Beach to Pomona is an hour and 15minutes with minimum traffic. With morning traffic it will take you well over 2hrs to get to Pomona from Long Beach. The 60 and the 10 are both parking lots in the morning. Granted once to get to the east side of LA your speed will pick up.. but getting there will boil your blood. At least it does for me because I hate traffic lol

JacobStrath said:
I wouldn't recommend living in LA and commuting to Pomona. It'll be a 20 min + commute without traffic. Traffic is a pain in LA county especially during rush hour.


Congrats to those who got interviews.
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If you live on the east side of LA you will be able to get to Pomona in about 45 minutes. You will be travelling against the heavy traffic which will be nice for you, but still going to be a long drive to school and back everyday.
 
Yes, I live in Burbank and it takes me exactly 55 minutes to get to Pomona. But I am coming opposite of traffic so I'm grateful for that. If I get in with the linkage, :xf:, I plan to commute the first year for the MSMS and if all goes well and I get into med school then I will move closer to Pomona for the next four years. =/
 
Wow, I am surprised to hear of these long commutes. I live about 20 minutes away but will still strongly consider relocating to Pomona because traffic in LA is so miserable.
 
Anybody receive that email about our interviews yet?
 
sbdrmle said:
If you live on the east side of LA you will be able to get to Pomona in about 45 minutes. You will be travelling against the heavy traffic which will be nice for you, but still going to be a long drive to school and back everyday.
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haha I never said I was traveling from LA to Pomona. I live in Pomona, but dang. 45 minutes from East LA? That's damn crazy. I use to live in Alhambra and commuted to UCLA during non-rush hour and it takes about 25-30 minutes. It was heaven for me.

I highly recommend living near campus instead of commuting if you guys have a choice.
 
JacobStrath said:
haha I never said I was traveling from LA to Pomona. I live in Pomona, but dang. 45 minutes from East LA? That's damn crazy. I use to live in Alhambra and commuted to UCLA during non-rush hour and it takes about 25-30 minutes. It was heaven for me.

I highly recommend living near campus instead of commuting if you guys have a choice.
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Yeah at least from what I've been able to experience... the traffic is a nightmare over on this side. Seriously it sucks! Even on the weekends hahaha

I guess I'm also saying that if you are living on the east side of LA you want to leave 45minutes before class starts because you'll have parking and setting up also.. but ya know everyone will have that... and that's maybe 5minutes but still that is allotted in to that 45minutes lol
 
2.9 GPA (overall and science each) with a 24N... Really good extracurricular stats (Research 1 year, Dir of Operations for a war-torn countries national basketball team, volunteered over 2000 hours, degree in business at UCSB). I'm still waiting for a call, very anxious. Don't know what to expect.. my LOR's are pretty good, too.

What do you guys think?
 
MCATbound said:
2.9 GPA (overall and science each) with a 24N... Really good extracurricular stats (Research 1 year, Dir of Operations for a war-torn countries national basketball team, volunteered over 2000 hours, degree in business at UCSB). I'm still waiting for a call, very anxious. Don't know what to expect.. my LOR's are pretty good, too.

What do you guys think?
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Wow, sounds very impressive. You already have the 24 that they require in order to be linked and your extracurricular stats are awesome. Do you have your degree in business and you took the necessary science prereqs? When did you send in your application? GOOD LUCK! =)
 
sbdrmle said:
AHAHAHAHA!! okay I am soo sorry but your thoughts on how long it will take to get to Pomona from these places is... naively hilarious!

Personally, I recommend living in Claremont, Chino Hills, San Bernadino, Upland, La Verne, Ontario, etc. Claremont and Chino Hills are really nice. I understand wanting to live somewhere 'glamorous' if you have to live in SoCal but unless you are able to live there for free it's not worth the gas and time to commute.



I have a good friend that lives in Long Beach, I have made this drive many time while I've been here. From Long Beach to Pomona is an hour and 15minutes with minimum traffic. With morning traffic it will take you well over 2hrs to get to Pomona from Long Beach. The 60 and the 10 are both parking lots in the morning. Granted once to get to the east side of LA your speed will pick up.. but getting there will boil your blood. At least it does for me because I hate traffic lol



If you live on the east side of LA you will be able to get to Pomona in about 45 minutes. You will be travelling against the heavy traffic which will be nice for you, but still going to be a long drive to school and back everyday.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm living in denial right now, LOL! You would too, if you had to leave such a cool city. I've been looking into Claremont as a place to live. What do you think of Fontana?

As far as emails, I've yet to receive any from Western.
 
mickc said:
Yeah, I'm living in denial right now, LOL! You would too, if you had to leave such a cool city. I've been looking into Claremont as a place to live. What do you think of Fontana?

As far as emails, I've yet to receive any from Western.
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I'm from the IE and Fontana really only has houses for families. (the nice part of Fontana.) If you're looking for good housing off the 10 check near Ontario Mills they have some nice complexes.
 
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

And goodluck to everyone who has an interview next week 😀
 
Hey guys, question for those of you that are in the program and have applied (particularly to dental school). Does every single class in the curriculum go into your science GPA?

For example, the program has a class called Critical Learning and Communication Skills. Would this go into your sci GPA even though it is not really science based?
 
Amali,
If I am not mistaken, since this is a Masters program, these grades calculated will not be added into your undergrad gpa. That is, they will be part of a graduate gpa instead.

Best,
Mick
 
amali said:
Hey guys, question for those of you that are in the program and have applied (particularly to dental school). Does every single class in the curriculum go into your science GPA?

For example, the program has a class called Critical Learning and Communication Skills. Would this go into your sci GPA even though it is not really science based?
Click to expand...

No not all of the classes are considered science and mickc is correct in that this will be a completely separate GPA... Since you will receive a Master's degree at the completion of this program the GPA will be kept separate from your undergraduate GPA. And when you input these courses into an updated application for Dent, DO, OD, etc... you will not say Critical Learning skills is a science course... because it's not.
 
mickc said:
Amali,
If I am not mistaken, since this is a Masters program, these grades calculated will not be added into your undergrad gpa. That is, they will be part of a graduate gpa instead.

Best,
Mick
Click to expand...

There is a separate Master's GPA calculated, but overall and science gpa's are a combination of undergrad plus graduate courses.
 
does anyone know how long it takes for the official DAT scores to get in? Do you think I could still make it for the April 1st deadline if I have everything else complete? I actually found out about this program yesterday, hence the delay..

Thanks for your input : )
 
I don't know much about the DAT but could you send them a copy of your scores before they receive the official ones? I know for the MCAT there's a code/link that adcoms can click to access official scores, don't know if its the same for DAT. There are a few predents on here who could give you a better idea lol. I would send in your app asap! They are starting interviews this week!

Btw I was reading your thread before about Midwestern, I thought Midwestern gave guaranteed interviews if you met the minimum req? Maybe I'm mistaken.

Good luck to those who have interviews this week!!! 🙂
 
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People with interviews: check your email!
 
Yes! Got the mail too! Getting more and more nervous as the day approaches =/
 
Guys~
I've got a good feeling for all of us. We've all worked so hard to get where we are now. I can't wait to meet you guys Thursday.

Mick
 
mickc said:
Guys~
I've got a good feeling for all of us. We've all worked so hard to get where we are now. I can't wait to meet you guys Thursday.

Mick
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I agree! I have a feeling we r all going to be studying hard next to each other come June. Can't wait till Thursday! Hope to hear of more interview calls for everyone else. =)
 
Me too! Soooo nervous .... How is everyone dealing with the nerves?
 
Did anyone get an email saying their file is ready for evaluation by the department? I called to ask and the lady I spoke to said it means I'm complete and ready for review. Seems odd though because I had a similar email from someone else a few weeks back.

She did tell me that interviews will go through May though! Those of you with interviews, feel free to put in a good word for the rest of us 🙂
 
Hey guys.

I'm sending my LORs through interfolio and I've never used it before. Can some one give me some insight as to how to send it? Which address should I use through the site?
 
JacobStrath said:
Hey guys.

I'm sending my LORs through interfolio and I've never used it before. Can some one give me some insight as to how to send it? Which address should I use through the site?
Click to expand...


Hey,
I used interfolio to send my letters. You have to manually enter the address for the MSMS program. It is not listed on their site, I think they only have the D.O program listed to send letters to. Just type in the same address that you would send your signature page and the rest of your application papers to. Hope this helps. Let me know if you still have questions.
 
Ok, my anxiety levels are at an all time high! I can't believe I am so nervous! Anyone else feeling the same? =/
 
I'm pumped up for tomorrow too! Can't wait! =D

Don't worry about it, Med2OP. You've got it. They wouldn't interview you if they weren't interested in you!
 
Thanks Med2Op for the interfolio stuff. Good Luck on your interviews tomorrow!!! You guys will do great!
 
mickc said:
I'm pumped up for tomorrow too! Can't wait! =D

Don't worry about it, Med2OP. You've got it. They wouldn't interview you if they weren't interested in you!
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That's true!! And you're all in the first interview group so def a good sign! 🙂
 
Thanks everyone for all the enouragment! =) definitely helped! Good luck and see you tomorrow bright and early! We r all going to be great!
 
Goodluck to the people who have interviews tomorrow! Hopefully Western will give out more interview invites soon.
 
Any one else interviewing next Tuesday not receive an email from Danielle about information regarding the interview? i.e. where to go, what to bring, ect.
 
I have an interview next tuesday - but i have not received the documents from Ms. Mendoza. I am awaiting patiently.

How was the interview Mick, 1719, and Med20p?
 
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PAbound86 said:
I have an interview next tuesday - but i have not received the documents from Ms. Mendoza. I am awaiting patiently.

How was the interview Mick, 1719, and Med20p?
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Hey Everyone,
I can imagine that you may have some questions, so I'll describe what I can from my day and try to answer what I can.

My email actually was sent to me Monday, just a few days before today's interview.

As for the interview, I got up at 5:08 am this morning, got dressed, and headed out to Long Beach, leaving the house at 6:30 am. There was no traffic. In fact, I could've driven as fast or as slow as I wanted. In any case, my trip took exactly 54 minutes. I parked in the Guest Parking at 3rd and Elm - the parking meter kiosk was broken, so I saved $2. I sat in the car for a bit, before walking to the HSC building around the corner.

The meeting began at 9 am, as opposed to the scheduled 8:45. Members of the administration committee introduced themselves and afterward, faculty working in the financial aid area came out and went over the breakdown of the MSMS program. Pretty much, it would be a idea to look into FAFSA now and to also look into scholarships and whatever Western's website had to offer. At this point, the group was split into two, with one group writing essays, and the other taking a campus tour. After an hour, we switched turns and afterward, we met up at lunch, where we had the opportunity to meet the current MSMS students and ask plenty of questions. Soon after, we moved to the interview area and waited our turn. There were actually 2 interviews. I'm not sure what I can give out in detail, but overall, everyone was friendly. My impression of the school is that everyone seems to know one another, and faculty are approachable and care about an individual's success.

As a bonus, I got to finally meet Med2OP and 17191719! 🙂

Best wishes,
MickC
 
Hey Mick!

Seems like the interview went well! Were there two interviews for the MSMS program or was one for the program of interest? If you're not allowed to say that's fine lol. Do you feel like you want to attend the program more now than before? Hope you guys get in!! 🙂
 
Were the interviews open or closed file? I can understand if you guys can't answer but it'll def help relieve some stress 😱
 
Hey guys! The day was exactly as Mick described. Th interviews were closed file. And again, everybody is so friendly and makes you will right at home (although I was still fairly nervous for my interview). We find out our status in 2-3 weeks and they did mention that they would have interviews in April and May. So all that havent gotten a call yet, could be getting one soon.

Mick, it was so great to meet you today! Hope we all get in! 17191719, i probably met you but don't know who you were lol. Again, I hope we all get in =)
 
How many people were interviewed today? Just so I can estimate how many spots may be left…

Were you guys split up somehow by pre-DO / pre-dent etc..?

Thanks for all of the input! I'm sure you all did great!
 
I believe there were 15 of us. There were also three "no-shows." As far as split up, we were randomly split up for the tour and essay portion. Interviews made sense, ie there were 2 pre-dents and they were both interviewed by dental school faculty.
 
Day was great just as Mick explained! Was great meeting everyone .... Med2op I was the one person from out of state. Now the waiting begins
 
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