How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.36 | 318 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 254 |
| Negatively | 25 |
| No change | 37 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.21 | 309 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.24 | 234 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.41 | 208 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 4 |
| 15 minutes | 31 |
| 20 minutes | 68 |
| 25 minutes | 50 |
| 30 minutes | 98 |
| 35 minutes | 28 |
| 40 minutes | 16 |
| 45 minutes | 17 |
| 50 minutes | 4 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 308 |
| At a regional location | 2 |
| At another location | 8 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 196 |
| In a group | 116 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 309 |
| Closed file | 4 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.36 | 318 |
"Describe a challenge you've faced working at the private practice I worked as a medical assistant"
"How would you explain to a patient what a DO physician is?"
"What characteristics are required by roles within a healthcare team?"
"What is one thing you regret or would change about college?"
"If you were driving to work and you noticed a car accident on the side of the road, would you get out an help knowing that you could possibly get sued for any malpractice?"
"What makes a good osteopathic physician?"
"Tell me how you got here"
""If you caught a fellow student cheating on an exam, what would you do?""
"Out of all the items listed on your application, which would you say is your greatest accomplishment?"
"If I was accepted to all the schools that I applied to, how would I choose? What would I do if I was rejected to all?"
"If you become a physician, what kind of impression do you want to leave your patients with?"
"Most questions were about things I had written in my application. They wanted me to elaborate on certain details. Though they did ask me about my study habits and what works for me, what I do to de-stress, if I had applied to MD schools, why I want to be a DO, what I think of OMM, my exposure to diversity, my most meaningful patient encounter while shadowing/volunteering, my hobbies, why didn't I consider doing research instead of medicine, and they ended the interview by asking me if I wanted to tell them anything not mentioned in the interview itself. Basically know your application well, they don't try to trip you up, they just ask for more details on the things you have already written about."
"If you were a doctor and your patient just tested HIV+ and had not told their spouse would you tell the spouse? (legally the answer is no in all circumstances, you can't touch HIV with a ten foot pole)"
"What kind of learner are you?"
"If you do not get into medical school this year, what will you do next year?"
"Name one class you struggled with in college."
"Why osteopathic medicine"
"Why do you specifically want to be a physician, instead of another clinical application of medicine like nurse practitioner or physicians assistant?"
"Why osteopathic medicine, why now?"
"Tell me about your MCAT scores"
"Specific questions relating to my admissions essay from the AACOMAS application"
"Why do you want to be a doctor, and why PCOM?"
"Tell us about So Long, Pluto (my band)."
"Why Osteo"
"why my undergraduate university"
"What other schools are you applying to? Where else have you been accepted? Are you holding your spots at those places? I thought this was crap that they asked me this."
"Talk about how you, since High School?"
"Why PCOM? Why DO?"
"What do you think is the biggest problem facing health care today?"
"Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician?"
"Why Medicine? They also asked why I had not taken BioChem and how I would prepare for it for Medical School."
"Have you had a family member's health influence your decision to pursue medicine?"
"90% of questions were drawn off of my application"
"So tell us about how music and medicine are similar. (I studied music in college)."
"What would you bring to the student body at PCOM? I am a non-trad with a prior career so I focused on my maturity and experience working in teams with colleagues."
"Why PCOM, What do you know about Osteopathic Medicine? "
"I took MCAT twice with two month in-between, and increased my score by about 6 points (30+). They asked me how I managed to go from an average MCAT score to 80th percentile score in just a matter of two months. I believe the answer to this question made them think, "This is the type of student we want." and ultimately the acceptance."
"These are the ones they seem to ask everyone (except I did not get the expected "What is osteopathy" question): Where do you see yourself in 15 years? When did you know you wanted to be a doctor? Why DO? How do you relieve stress? What factors do you weigh in choosing a medical school?"
"All the normal ones"
"Tell me about yourself? This includes the answer to the sub-questions "Why medicine/osteopathy/Why P.C.O.M.?" (The other questions are kind of a blur after 7 interviews at this point...) "
"specific to my internship, great ice-breaker!"
"Why do you want to be a Doctor and what led you here?"
"why do you want to attend PCOM?"
"Are you happy with the choice of your undergraduate institution?"
"Why P.C.O.M.?"
"Why PCOM? Why D.O.? Have you heard back from other schools?"
"What made you motivated to pursue medicine?"
"Why Osteopathic Medicine? Why double major? "
"Why do you want to be an osteopath?"
"Why DO? Why PCOM? Why Doctor?"
"What do you think is the biggest problem with health care?"
"What can you tell me about osteopathic medicine?"
"Explain to us why you transferred after your freshman year in undergrad"
"Exposure to osteopathic medicine."
"What interests you about Osteopathic medicine?"
"Explain this grade?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why were you a nursing major for a year?"
"What type of doctor do you want to be?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? What was something challenging you faced and how did you overcome it?"
"How would you explain OMM to an MD?"
"I was only asked one question...why PCOM?"
"Question about why i chose my undergrad program and if i would go there again"
"WHen is the last time you laughed? Why Georgia? (i'm from michigan)"
"What do you know about osteopathic medicine (naturally)?"
"Why do you want to go to PCOM?"
"How does osteopathic medicine differ from allopathic medicine and why is that a good fit for you?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"How did you study for the MCAT?"
"specific to my file"
"You never shaddowed an osteopath, why?"
"Tell us about your musical experience."
"Why Do you want to be in medicine?"
"basic"
"How did your undergraduate education prepared you to become a good doctor"
"if all illness were crured, what would ou do"
"With admissions so competitive, why should we pick you?"
"Tell me about your involvement with the Boy Scouts"
"How do you like Cell Biology? "
"Why do you want to attend this school as opposed to other schools in the surrounding area?"
"Why medicine? Why osteopathic medicine?"
"What is the difference between MD and DO?"
"What was the hardest thing you ever had to do?"
"You had a drop in your grades sophomore year, what happened?"
"Strengths/ Weakness"
"What other schools did you apply to?"
"You have any questions?"
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"How did you decide you wanted to be a physician?"
"What motivates you? "
"Tell me about your time spent in Eastern Europe."
"why did you take time off between undergrad and current application process?"
"What is Osteopathic Medicine?"
"What do you for fun?"
"describe a time where you were in a position of conflict and how did you handle it."
"Describe a conflict and how you dealt with it?"
"Introduce myself"
"''Tell us about your mission trip to Mississippi''"
"Where will your family stay while your in school?"
"What would you say is your biggest weakness and your greatest strength?"
"Do you feel your mcat score is a true reflection of your intellectual ability?"
"na"
"Why medicine? Why DO?"
"You did well on the MCAT, how did you study?"
"Why PCOM?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Why DO? Why medicine?"
"Why these low grades in subject X?"
"Why did you pick the undergraduate institution that you did?"
"Where else have you applied? "
"What do I like to do for fun?"
"What do you understand of osteopathic medicine and what is your understanding of osteopathic manipulative medicine? (know this stuff pretty well for the one Dr)"
"How do you think your work at Kmart will contribute to your being a doctor?"
"Let's talk about the gap between your GPA and MCAT score. [Undergrad GPA was low, MCAT score was good]"
"What makes you a good doctor? What volunteer work have you done in an underserved community?"
"Tell me about yourself. 1st ?"
"What is the difference between an MD and a DO in your mind?"
"If faced were with difficulties in medical school, as far as coursework is concerned how would I deal with that?"
"Explain your path to medicine. Start with undergrad years."
"Explain what led you to the osteopathic profession. Would you come to Georgia if accepted? What makes you special? "
"Describe your problem solving skills"
"Tell me about your life since you graduated."
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Have you always been 100% sure about going to medical school since you come from a medical family?"
"What is your understanding of Osteopathy and how would you apply it to the care of your patients?"
"Do you see any problems in the healthcare/medical field?"
"Tell me about yourself and how you reached this osteopathic interview"
"What kind of research do you do?"
"When did you realize you wanted to be a DO? "
"Why osteopathy?"
"Why the low MCAT scores?"
"What is your experience with OMM and osteopathy? "
"What is one of the greatest challenges you face working with inner-city youth? (stemming from working with AmeriCorps in Baltimore)"
"Tell me about your family."
"What was the most interesting non-science class that you took"
"Why did you get a C in bcmb?"
"Why DO? Describe your research. "
"How was your undergraduate experience?"
"I see you shadowed Dr.X . How was it?"
"Explain your undergraduate experience."
"When did you discover you wanted to be a doctor?"
"Tell me about your current job."
"What specialty of medicine do you think you would most like to practice?"
"What prompted you to want to change careers?"
"What sets PCOM apart from the other schools you applied to? This seemed like a question I should ask them, but it was one they asked me."
"What do you know about the osteopathic profession/philosophy? What other schools have you applied to? Any other interviews/acceptances yet? Any allopathic schools?"
"What is one challange you have faced and how did you overcome it?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"Why DO? How did you find out about osteopathy and why did you choose it?"
"Why medicine? Why D.O.? How many times did you take the MCAT and how do you prepare? Have you been to PCOM before?"
"What do your father and grandfather think of you going to DO school?"
"What is your opinion of your undergraduate education and school?"
"Tell me about your undergraduate experiences "
"What do you like about Philadelphia?"
"How did you enjoy your undegraduate experience? Do you think graduate school prepared you for the rigors of medical school? Where else have you applied?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? With emphasis on DO."
"How did you prepare for the MCAT?"
"Tell us about your MPH and research at school."
"Talked extensively about my research, OMM, If I knew of any tequniques that could benifit patient outcomes."
"How did you like your undergrad experience?"
"What specialty are you considering? (This was actually asked after I indirectly brought up the topic)"
"So what are you doing now that you've been out of school for a year?"
"Why do you think the mentality of younger students at your undergraduate institution has changed in regards to getting things done for themselves?"
"What happened with your undergrad grades?"
"what made you choose to come to PCOM (for the biomedical science program)and why did you only apply here for medical school?"
"Why PCOM-ATL?"
""tell me your story""
"What field of medicine would you like to specialize in?"
"How did you balance all of your extracurricular activities with your academics?"
"What was your favorite class?"
"What did you find academically challenging"
"why do"
"What did you like/dislike about my undergraduate institution?"
"1.) Have you been to PCOM before? 2.)Why do you want to be a doctor? 3.)Why a DO and not an MD? 4.) How did you study for the MCATs? 5.) How many times did you take the MCAT? 6.)How has your undergraduate institution prepared you for medical school? 7.) How many schools did you apply to? 8.) Why only PCOM and why do you want to come here? 9.) What quality do you think is the most important for a physician to have? 10.) Is there another quality that you also think is important? 11.) Who is your role model? "
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"why do you want to become a doctor/DO."
"Knwo about your past. I have lived in foreign country and they have lot of questions about that. They really read your AACOMAS application and make sure they know everything about you before you interview. "
"How do you like your undergrad institution? Do you have a favorite class you've taken?"
"Tell us about yourself."
"why medicine and why DO?"
"Why medicine? Why osteopathic? where else have you applied? what's your status with them?"
"Why do you want to be a doc? Why DO?"
"What qualities can you add that wil will make this !st class a success?"
"How did you like Duke?"
"What activities were you involved in during your undergrad years?"
"Talk about yourself. They asked about my grades and my college. Questions about studying abroad."
"Tell me about New Orleans, Mardi Gras, Undergrad experience?"
"Why a physician instead of a physician assistant? "
"1) Tell about your experiences at your undergrad, and How they prepared you for Medical School 2) Why Osteopathy? <<Dont Say: Hollistic or 'Cracking' Backs"
"Explain your low orgo grades"
"Just specifics about my grades"
"If you could not be a physician, what would you do?"
"What do I like to do for fun? what classes do I have now? why I chose undergraduate education (pitt)? Where else did I apply/interview?"
"It was really more conversational than it was a list of questions, some questions included flat out why do you want to be a doctor, who is your role model, where do you see yourself in 15 years, what do you do for fun, what would make you choose PCOM over other schools...."
"What made you decide on your undergraduate institution? (fortunately, one of the interviewers graduated from my university)"
"I can see from your transcripts that your grades are above avergage....excellent even. But you know you're going to have to explain these MCAT scores. "
"Explain to us what you know about OMM."
"difference in how allopathic and osteopathic medicine is conducted?"
"How did your undergrad and grad experience prepare you for medical school?"
"How did you manage to graduate so early (in 2.5 years I graduated)?"
"Why D.O.?"
"how do you handle anger"
"why DO? not MD? "
"What do you know about ostepathic medicine/ why do you want to be a DO?"
"What makes you angry? What makes you laugh?"
"Why did you choose your undergraduate institution? Most interesting class in undergrad (science or not) and how did it prepare you for being a doctor? What other profession would you choose if not medical? "
"1)How has you undergraduate institution prepared you to become a good physician. 2)You said you've done research, tell us about it."
"why osteo? what know about osteo? applied to other schools? MD or DO schools? outcomes?"
"Who is your role model?"
"Tell us what happened in your sophmore year to bring down your GPA?"
"Why are you interested in Osteopathic Medicine."
"How did your undergraduate institution prepare you?"
"How did you chose your undergrad? Did you like it?"
"How has your undergraduate education prepared you for a career in medicine?"
"What have you been doing since graduating from college?"
"how did I prepare for the mcat? "
"What is your interest in osteopathic medicine?"
"Tell us about Omaha, Nebraksa and why you moved there from New Jersey?"
"Your father is an MD so why do you want to become a DO?"
"Why osteopathic medicine? "
"what do you do for fun?"
"How did you study for the MCATs?"
"Why I chose the college I chose? Why I chose the major I chose? What do I do in my free time? Leadership experiences?"
"Why did I move to (state)? How did I prepare for the MCAT? "
"asked about my undergrad institution"
"how did you like your undegrad and grad schools?"
"Why the delay between college and medical school?"
"Why D.O. school?"
"What got you interested in DO?"
"Did you enjoy your undergraduate experience?"
"Why did you choose the college you went to? What do you like to do for fun? What kind of books do you like to read? Explain your MCAT score. "
"Why medicine?"
"What type of medicine do I think I would want to practice?"
"What do you like to do for fun? What was the last book that you read?"
"What did you choose your undergraduate institution. What brought you out east."
"If I could change one thing about myself what would it be?"
"Questions about ungergraduates education?"
"Why DO over an MD school?"
"Tell me about your research."
"What other schools did I apply to?"
"Tell us about your basketball experiences. Describe William and Mary (undergrad) to us and how it impacted you."
"Why do?"
"How did you bring your grades up?"
"What kind of Medicine do I want to practice?"
"Why DO, Why PCOM"
"Have you been to Philly before? been to PCOM before? Why PCOM? What will be deciding factors as to which school you attend?"
"Describe your current position. What do you do. (I am a chemist in industry)"
"Why DO?/PCOM?"
"What's your biggest accomplishment?"
"What other schools have your applied to?"
"what do you think is your biggest accomplishment?"
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"How has your undergraduate institution prepared you to become a physician?"
"how has your experience at ...(your school) prepared you for med school?"
"What is Osteopathy and why do you want to go into it?"
"Favorite classes?"
"Describe your college experience"
"What colleges did you apply to and why did you pick(insert your school here)?"
"Why are you making the career change?"
"See above."
"What are my hobbies?"
"Describe a time you had to face change"
"What leadership experiences have you had and how will you improve your leadership skills before matriculation?"
"What did you enjoy about your undergrad experience and what would you change in the curriculum?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"How have your experiences prepared you for a career in medicine?"
"What are you most nervous about in medical school?"
""Where do you see yourself in 10 years?'"
"How do you learn best? Which learning tactics work best for you? With which learning tactics do you still struggle?"
"Your team members are in a conflict, what do you do?"
"What's the one thing that you think you will miss most, when you start medical school and no longer have time for it?"
"are you capable of performing osteopathic manipulations on someone and having them performed on you?"
"What sort of academic strategy have you used so far?"
"How are you going to choose which medical school you will go to, assuming you get multiple acceptances?"
"Why Philadelphia? (I am OOS)"
"How I handle challenges/adversity"
"Why did you apply to PCOM, specifically?"
"Tell me about XXXX experience on your resume."
"Tell me what you know about osteopathy."
"Why did you choose to pursue philosophy as a second major?"
"About classes I took"
"about the do's i shadowed"
"Why DO? This was awkward because I told them I was also applying to MD schools. I was trying to be smart about this, but also honest. It backfired a bit. "
"What would you like the Admissions Committee know that we didn't discuss?"
"Was the curriculum at your school challenging? (i think they asked this because of bad grades i got one semester)"
"When did you know you wanted to become a physician?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"What exactly is a "Health Science" major? What do you do when you get angry?"
"What brought you to PCOM? and medicine?"
"The only questions not related specifically to my application: Why PCOM?, What do you do to relieve stress?"
"Do you believe in universal health care?"
"I am the child of a PCOM grad so they asked about what specialty my parent is in, whether he/she uses OMM, and why I want to follow in his/her footsteps."
"How have you improved your file since last cycle? How did you feel not being accepted last year. "
"I had a very unique medical experience when I was a young child in a foreign country. I used this as a foundation to answer the inevitable question: Why medicine and why osteopathic?"
"Questions specific to my file were about my grades, my DO LOR writer, my shadowing and internship."
"How does OMM work? Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"What do you see yourself doing in 20 years? I see that you like to ice skate and go hiking, what else do you do to relieve stress? (I answered the question before this point...this was asked a 2nd time)"
"how did you meet the DO who wrote your recommendation?"
"Explain your volunteer experience."
"Do you know the differend between DO and MD?"
"tell us about your research? how has it prepared you for a career in medicine?"
"Tell us about your clinical experience"
"How would your best friend describe you? Tell us about your experiences."
"Why medicine and why DO?"
"What do you do for fun? What is your favorite type of music? Do you read for pleasure? "
"Where do you see yourself headed in your future career?"
"What do you have to offer to PCOM? Explain how you prepare for the MCAT."
"Why Medicine"
"Can I see myself as a teacher in the future?"
"What will be the biggest transition for you in moving to Philadelphia if you are accepted?"
"What do you do for fun? Tell us about you volunteer experiences. "
"Can you explain how you studied for the MCAT(s) and why this class grade doesn't mirror the rest of your application"
"Give us an example of work you've done that required you to use your hands"
"About volunteer experience and what it meant to me."
"what do you think is a problem in the medical field today"
"Explain this bad grade."
"Who are your role models?"
"Specific to my file"
"What is a physician's role in society?"
"Why did your verbal score dip on your last mcat?"
"What is a doctor?"
"Describe yourself and what you have to offer."
"What do you know about the philosphy of osteopathic medicine and OMM? Why PCOM?"
"So, why do you want to be a doctor? (opening question)"
"What would you do to fix the current healthcare situation"
"Why DO? Were you surprised by your mcat score?"
"see above"
"How has your job experience prepared you for a career in medicine?"
"How would you suggest that health care be reformed?"
"What area do you want to work in?"
"How do you de-stress?"
"what make you think you will no longer have Ws in future, in med school?"
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Describe your research experience (I am currently a research fellow)."
"You're involved in a lot of stuff -- music, composition, ROTC, you've performed well academically. To what do you attribute your success?"
"Why D.O.?"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"What were your motivating factors to be involved in so many community work"
"tell me about this term (Dad passed away, grades took a DIP) but they were very understanding, asking what it is due to"
"What do you think about your MCAT scores? Did you take Kaplan/Princeton review?"
"Anything you want us to know about you that we don't already know?"
"Where did you apply and get accepted?"
"Have you done any research? "
"If by some miracle there were no more illness (no need for a physician) what would you do?"
"What schools did you apply to? What would you do if you didn't get into any? What would you do if you got into all of them? What would be your deciding factors?"
"Explain OMM"
"What criteria will you use to make a decision as to which medical school you will attend?"
"How do you feel being in athletics in college has prepared you for medical school?"
"best volunteer experience"
"Do you think your MCAT score reflects your true academic potential?"
"What would the DO I shadowed say my strength and weaknesses were?"
"Why are you interested in Research"
"What kind of physician do you want to be?"
"Relate osteopathy to an experience you've had. "
"What do you do at your job?"
"What did you learn from shadowing a physician?"
"what type of clinical setting do you see yourself in in 10 years?"
"Something about the DO I shadowed"
"Tell me about your research."
"what do you think of your mcat score?"
"Describe a time when you tried incredibly hard to accomplish something but it did not materialize the way you would have liked."
"How do I feel about my academic performance?"
"What do you know about OMM?"
"''What is your understanding of Osteopathic medicine?''"
"What other schools have you applied to?"
"Why do you want to come to PCOM? (wanted to hear about the location, similar goals, and facilities)"
"na"
"Tell me about osteopathic medicine and why you want to be a DO."
"What do you do to relax? What is my favorite book, and why?"
"Why DO? Why Dr? (2 separate Qs)"
"If you were accepted on the condition that you commit 15 percent of your time on underserved areas would you do it?"
"Why DO?"
"Why was your physical science score on the MCAT much lower than your other sections?"
"What field of medicine do you want to go into?"
"You came from a small school...how would you adapt to PCOM?"
"What other schools have you applied to? How many are DO schools?"
"What is your favorite (and least favorite) part of your college education?"
"Tell us a little about your senior research concerning calcium chloride and bacteria; what were you looking for or did you expect to find out?"
"Why osteopathic medicine? Tell me about your research."
"What was your illness? I'm mentioning this question because it really affected my academics. He didn't really want to know the answer to the question. He just wanted to make sure that I thought about what implication a rigorous medical school curriculum, may or may not have. They were very clear that I did NOT have to answer and it WOULD NOT affect ANYTHING"
"Why GA-PCOM?"
"How extensive is your interest in research?"
"What could I tell them about myself that would help them decide to accept me as a student in this years class?"
"Do you have any experience with DO...?"
"What qualities do you have that make you a good doctor? "
"Why medicine, why osteopathic medicine?"
"What happened to your verbal (the way they asked was not too intimidated)"
"Explain your major. (My major was a unique science program that was all Problem Based Learning). How will that experience help you in Medical School"
"Do you volunteer at all?"
"You have done a lot of work in women's health- is that intentional/is that the direction you want to go in?"
"Where are you from?"
"Why did you choose XXX college?"
"I see you are a triple major, what the heck happened to your physical science section of your MCAT?"
"What was different when you returned to school? (I had broken time)"
"Explain your grades during a given semester."
"We noticed you have been away from school for a while. Do you feel like you have lost any of your former capabilities?"
"How I knew the individuals who wrote letters for me."
"What is your favorite period of history? (Before I switched majors to biology, I was a history major)"
"How do you plan on paying for school?"
"What do you do on your spare time"
"Why om and not allopathic medicine?"
"Why I took graduate courses in bio at Temple after graduation."
"Have you ever witnessed OMM and what is your understanding of it?"
"What did you study in Mexico? (I studied abroad for the summer semester of my sophmore year)"
"Why do you want to be a physician, and specifically in regards to practicing osteopathy."
"Why do you want to be a doctor?"
"When was your first experience with an osteopathic physician?"
"What do your MD in-laws think about you applying to DO school?"
"Why do you want to go into medicine at this stage of your life?"
"Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years? What/where do you think you would like to practice?"
"What can you personally bring to the osteopathic medical profession? Tell me about your problem solving skills."
"What health related experience do you have."
"Tell me about your family"
"Why PCOM?"
"How did you like your undergrad? Was it challenging? How did you adapt?"
"Compare osteopathic vs. allopathic. Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"What classes are you currently taking? How do you handle stressful situations? What do you do for fun?"
"What activities are you involved with in your undergraduate school in addition to athletics?"
"Tell me about your MCAT scores (I took the MCATs twice...the first time I bombed the test, but I improved the second time)"
"Why did you choose Penn for your undergrad?"
"What is the most important quality a doctor should have?"
"Why D.O.? Ever thought about D.O./Ph.D.? More questions about my research"
"Tell us about your research (they asked about a specific part of the research)."
"What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?"
"Talk to us about rowing, your experiences."
"Asked if I took an MCAT prep course? Asked why DO? "
"What were organizations you were involved in?"
"Explain the decline in your grades."
"What do you want to specialize in?"
"Question about my high school/Why DO?"
"what type of medicine do you want to practice?"
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"see most interesting question above"
"Do your physician siblings support you in your decision to become a doctor?"
"Why did you pick your original major (engineering)?"
"What area of medicine are you interested in? "
"TEll us about yourself, say you got accepted everywhere what is you criteria for choosing which school you will attend."
"what is your biggest achievement"
"Where do you see yourself in 15 year?"
"Tell us about your experiences in medical settings? "
"Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician?"
"where do you see your self in 15 years."
"How will I make my choice about where to attend"
"Who is your role model and how has he/she influenced your decision to become a physician?"
"What was your hardest course in college?"
"question about my personal statment"
"Give an example of a time when you overcame great adversity to achieve a goal."
"What schools did you apply to? How is that going?"
"Explain your high GPA and subpar MCAT score"
"Where did you apply last year? What were the outcomes? Where did you apply this year? "
"What do you know about osteopathic medicine?"
"Why DO? Why medicine? "
"What you favorite movie, what do you do for fun?"
"What does a PA do on a day-to-day basis? "
"What specialty are you interested in?"
"3) What do you do for your spare time? (Be ready to talk about it DONT SAY: I dont have spare time, or Video Games) 4) When did you know you wanted to be a physician?"
"What are you involved in at school"
"Why do you want to be a DO?"
"Why osteo medicine? What sets me apart from other candidates with similar grades/test scores?"
"What other schools have you applied to or received interviews from? If you were accepted to both an allopathic and osteopathic school, which would you choose and why? (try to be honest with this last question)"
"Tell us about your experience at Xavier and what you are doing now."
"Have you ever had an osteopathic adjustment? Since you've seen a DO in the past, how do you feel their approach differs from MDs you've seen?"
"Were you accepted to other medical schools? Which ones?"
"why my college? what do i do for fun?"
"Why osteopathy?"
"What did you like about your undergraduate school?"
"How did you manage your time with your extracurricular activities? "
"Are you also applying to MD schools? "
"Tell us about the research you are involved in? "
"Being an older applicant how would you feel about younger students in the class? I am only 29."
"What specialty would you like to go into?"
"What do you know about DO?"
"Do you think socialized medicine or the US system of healthcare is better? "
"What other schools did you apply to? Tell us a little bit about your clinical experiences. "
"3)What do you do for fun 4)Tell us why your grades were lower in your junior year."
"why career switch? how spend time (hobbies, interests)?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"What will you bring to PCOM?"
"What impact has your community service had on you?"
"Desribe a conflict or crisis and how you dealt with it."
"What are you doing right now?"
"Explain why you MCAT scores don't reflect your grades. (I have a low MCAT score but excellent grades)"
"what languages do you speak?"
"What do you do for fun? "
"how did my undergraduate and graduate schools help me prepare for medical school?"
"What does your father (an MD) think about you becoming an osteopathic physician?"
"What got you interested in osteopathic medicine? How did your undergraduate institution prepare you for medical school? "
"How has your experience been like at (my undergrate) college?"
"Where else did you apply?"
"how has your undergrad school prepared you?"
"What do you know/understand about Osteopathic Medicine and how it is practiced?"
"What sets me apart from other applicants?"
"What do I do for fun? What will I do if I do not get in this year?"
"what i would do if i didn't get it..if I couldn't go into medicien what would i do"
"what do you do for fun?"
"How did you study in college?"
"How did your undergraduate institution prepare you well for medical school?"
"What do you do in your spare time? "
"What is quality that every doc should have (or something like that)? How do you feel about all the touching in OMM lab?"
"Problems touching classmates in OMM class?"
"What other schools did I apply, and current results? What were my hobbies?"
"Why are you so sure that you want to be a doctor? "
"What do you do for fun."
"Why I picked my undergraduate school?"
"What are your feelings about managed care?"
"Why PCOM?Why medicine? What Speciality?"
"If you go into a DO school what would my father (an MD physician) say?"
"What do you do for fun? Hobbies? Work?"
"What specialty would I like to go into?"
"Why osteopathic medicine vs. allopathic? Describe your biggest stress and how you handled it. What other schools did you apply to? SAT scores?"
"Why did you wait so late to apply?"
"How will your studying habits change during medical school?"
"Why the drop in my GPA during my junior year? (I'm a naval reservist, after September 11th, I was recalled back to active duty during my junior year. I was working 18hour-day shifts. My grades suffered the consequences)"
"although the interview was conversational for the most part (i was able to direct the questions asked of myself), but be ready to defend any flaws in your application - i was asked about the one B- in one of my classes (3.97 gpa b/c of it)"
"Do you think you will have problems touching/examinig your classmates during OMM lab?"
"Why PCOM"
"What do you think DOs are able to do? (this i thought was a really dumb question, but all you have to answer is 'everything' and they're really happy)"
"Why didn't you take any science classes as an undergrad?"
"What type of medicine are your interested in?"
"Tell me about your ECs. Tell me about "insert undergrad school". Where else did you apply? What have you been doing on your year off? Why did you take a year off?"
"Tell me about your ECs. Tell me about "insert undergrad school"."
"What field of medicine would you like to specialize in?"
"Describe a stressful situation you've been in and how you acted and handled it."
"What is your understanding of osteopathic medicine?"
"How were your experiences with the MCAT different each time you took it?"
"Why medicine?"
"What was it that gave you your success in college?"
"what do you for fun?"
"What would you do if you did not get in this year?"
"Why PCOM? Have you seen our campus before today?"
"What about you is special and will help prepare you for medical school"
"What does success mean to you? And is success solely yours or about other people?"
"Have you ever worked with sick or dying people?"
"What was your most interesting clinical experience and what did you learn from it?"
"Are you willing to undertake the responsibilities that OMM requires?"
"What do you know about OMM?"
""Why did you choose to do nursing before pursuing medicine?""
"What is one of the surprising complexities you've encountered in American medicine?"
"What are you most proud of and what would you go back and change if you could?"
"What class in college do you think most prepared you for medical school?"
"Why not become a P.A. they can do all the things a doctor can do?"
"Do you think you'll be comfortable living in a big city/what are your techniques for stress management?"
"What are your interests/ hobbies?"
"Hobbies"
"In a single sentence, how would a friend describe you? And an enemy?"
"If choosing a school, what is the most important thing for you?"
"What would you add to the PCOM entering class of Fall 2012?"
"What did you do at your resident assistant job?"
"Why Philly"
"In my personal statement I talked about my own experience with leukemia...they were so awkward about it...I gave them a short run down and they had absolutely nothing to say about it. "
"How will u balance school and free-time? What do you do for fun? "
"How can you relate your past work experiences to when you become a doctor?"
"Describe your major."
"What are you doing with your year off? What other schools are you applying to? Any Acceptances?"
"What role did your father play in your decision to enter medical school? (My father is a doctor)"
"They asked about my dads job (nothing exciting, VP of a company branch- not a bank)"
"How has a major illness in your family affected your decision to become a physician? (application specific)"
"What are you doing during your year off?"
"What do you see as the greatest challenge facing physicians today and in the future? I talked about third-party payors, insurance reimbursements and increasing administrative hassles like prior-auths."
"if you couldn't do medicine, what would u do? "
"Please tell us the qualities in which you excel and the qualities in which you need improvement. Funny thing is I couldn't think of any qualities that need improved...the interviewer had to help me out."
"You are from (semi-rural) PA...how do you expect to make the transition to Philadelphia? Did you apply to allopathic programs as well?"
"Several questions regarding my file, all based on my experience in medicine"
"They asked about my research"
"Specific to my file"
"Tell us about this experience...(work, volunteering, travel, etc)?"
"what is the most challenging thing for a physician in medicine today?"
"Why DO? Why PCOM? Why medicine?"
"Describe your duties at Planned Parenthood."
"If you could choose any other profession if medicine did not exist what would you choose?"
"What do you do to relax?"
"What reform do you think that the current healthcare system need?"
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"How did you study for the MCAT? What other schools did you apply to? and did you hear back from any of them."
"What was the biggest impact on you from your volunteer time in Mississippi?"
"Do you play an instrument?"
"how hard do you think you will have to work in medical school "
"Does American healthcare need to be reformed? How so?"
"That's really all they asked me. It seemed like they had already made up their minds before they met. They were pretty lousy interviewers especially Kominsky"
"Have you ever been involved in music?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Explain this grade."
"What fascinates you about osteopathic medicine??????"
"Do you feel like you can handle it?"
"Tell me about being a forensic scientist. "
"You spoke of prevention in osteopathic medicine. Did you get your flu shot? (thank goodness, I did)"
"The election candidates question that i had mentioned earlier. Know why you want to go to PCOM and specifics about Osteopathic medicine and OMM"
"What is the hardest thing you have been through and how did you handle it? What other schools did you apply to and have you gotten interviews there?"
"see above"
"Tell us about a difficult experience you've had and how you resolved the situation."
"What is your biggest weakness?"
"Why did you major in Religion?"
"Which other schools I have applied to"
"You had +B in genetics after second time? What is the most important thing to consider when you choose medical school? What is your primary language? What is Osteo Med mean to you? Any other schools? "
"Why didn't you re-take the MCAT? (Seriously I did fine so I was really suprised by this question)"
"How do handle stress?"
"How do you see yourself in 10-15 years?"
"Describe Temple University's pre-med program. Is it pretty rigorous?"
"How did you study for the MCAT?"
"15 years from now, where do you see yourself?"
"What would be your selection factors in choosing schools after you hear from them"
"so what do you know about DO's"
"Future plans."
"How many languages you speak?"
"Why didn't you improve in verbal?"
"Have you learned from your past experiences? "
"What do you want us to tell the admissions committee about you?"
"How do you handle problems?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"How/Why did you become interested in medicine?"
"Tell us about your experience working in the emergency room over the summer"
"my grades"
"What will you do if you don't get in this year?"
"What I would do if I got into multiple schools and then what I would do if I didn't get in anywhere"
"Based on your research interests, what type of career do you plan on having, And how do you plan to do it."
"What is up with this grade here?"
"What do you have to offer PCOM?"
"Explain your low grades."
"What made you chose Philadelphia to apply to?"
"Do you plan on staying in the south or returning to Indiana?"
"why osteopathic medicine and why in philly?"
"What would I do if I didn't get in?"
"Where did your dad attend medical school?"
"The rest were file related."
"How became introduced to Osteopathic Medicine?"
"What do you do at your job?"
"''What first peaked your interest in not only medicine, but Osteopathic medicine?''"
"If your accepted to more then one school, what is your 1st choice and why?"
"Do you think that you will be able to manage your time between school and your wife? (Weren't really that interested in the answer. They just wanted to tell me to make sure that I make time for my wife, specifically one day a week. They were very supportive.)"
"Tell us about your experiences in your extracurricular activities."
"na"
"How many languages do you speak?"
"What is your best attribute?"
"why Osteopathy?"
"What would you do if a miracle made human illness obsolete?"
"I think that was it. They just talked a lot, in fact I could not complete one sentence without being cut off. I had to start cutting them off!! but I knew they were just goofing so I took no offense. I was out in 20 min. while other students were in there for as long as 60 min."
"Whats my job?"
"Tell us about what you are doing now (I am taking a year off before med school)"
"Is there anything else you would like to say that we haven't asked you?"
"Why DO?"
"Tell us what you know about osteopathic medicine."
"Why do you feel as though your GPA is different from your MCAT scores? (My GPA is a 3.0 and sci/math of like 2.7 while I got 8,9,10 on phys, bio, verbal of the MCAT)"
"After becoming a licensed doctor, do you know what you need to know to practice? [Basically, this could be rephrased as: Do you know everything after graduating?'"
"What would you do if you were not accepted into med school this year?"
"Why didn't you get a reccommendation from a D.O. (I work in a hospital, for the last yr)"
"Why did you apply to both MD and DO schools?"
"Do you have friends at PCOM?"
"What would I do if I were not excepted for this years class?"
"Which other schools? Not really a question, but...do the right thing and send a thank you letter. Get correct spelling from the admin staff."
"How do you relieve stress? They seemed to like a "i want and am ready to learn anything" attitude... "
"Tell about one of your jobs (worked as a lab technician for a county hospital)"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Why did you go to nursing school after you graduated from Temple?"
"Do you plan on taking biochemistry before medical school?"
"What happened in Calculus? Your non-science GPA is much higher than your science GPA. Do you feel that your GPA reflects what you understood in those classes?"
"Convince me why you would go here if accepted at multiple places."
"The questions were pretty standard."
"You worked with diabetes in Australia, can OMM be used to treat the disease?"
"As an older student, how do you think you will interact with students ten years younger than you?"
"Do you think you will be able to pass the licensing exams?"
"If a person called in to 911 and said they were trapped in a vehicle submerged in water how would you help them? (I work as a 911 dispatcher so this question wasn't off the wall for me.)"
"What was the most influencing experience during my undergraduate career?"
"If I were to stand in front of the committee and fight for you what should I tell them?"
"what do you know about OMM"
"Why do you want to spend so much money and go to this school and not go to a public school like MCG, which is only 10,000 a year?"
"What other schools I applied to."
"What do you know about the curriculum at PCOM?"
"Why do you want to come to PCOM?"
"How did you study for your MCATs?( I scored significantly higher the 2nd time I took them)"
"Why did you attend school in California (undergrad). "
"I see you made a 24 on your MCAT...what happened? (As I mentioned, my October scores were a good bit higher and it helped a lot to mention the new ones)."
"Why DO school and not MD school?"
"Tell us about your understanding of osteopathic medicine."
"What did you think of your undergraduate institution? What happened with the experience you had (as written in my secondary essay)?"
"What did you do for extracirricular activites in high school and your masters program?"
"That was it. We talked the whole time. "
"What have you done since reapplication?"
"See most difficult question."
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years? What do you like to do for fun? What is your favorite TV show?"
"What do you do for fun? Describe undergraduate experience. Questions unique to my application. Do I have any questions for them?"
"What are you study habits? Did you retake the August MCAT? (my april score wasn't that great) Why not? ( I didn't take the august exam. I opted to take again next april after taking Kaplan if I didn't get in this year)"
"Why do you want to attend PCOM?"
"What was the last book you read (This was an easy question for me because I read a lot, but I know some of the other students were asked the same question, and the interviewer wanted at least two titles)."
"When did you know you wanted to be a physician?"
"What do you do for fun in your free time? What are your hobbies?"
"What else would you like for us to know about you that you haven't already shared or isn't in your essay?"
"Have you considered going into research? Where do you see yourself in 1o years? Can you accomplish all those things with a DO? And then a few questions specifically about parts of my application (experiences and stuff I had mentioned in my essay)."
"Do you have any idea what you'd like to specialize in?"
"Why osteopathy? How did you study for the MCAT last August?"
"How will PCOM benifit by having me as a student?"
"What type of clinical experiences do you have?"
"Why D.O.? Why only D.O.? (Since I applied only to D.O. medical schools) (Note for the bottom section on travel - My flight was delayed twice, then canceled, rescheduled, then delayed again due to de-icing problems, so I ended up spending more than 12 hours trying to get to PCOM and hence missed the morning breakfast. I am just glad I made it in time to be the last one to be interviewed at precisely 11:30 AM.)"
"Would you really come to PCOM-ATL if accepted?"
"when did you know that you wanted to become a physician?"
"What is one of the biggest problem you will encounter in med school?"
"how would you integrate osteopathy into your chosen specialty"
"Do you have any questions?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What are important qualities for a physician to have?"
"How was the drive, Undergrad experience, do you know OMM,"
"how do you feel about your academic and mcat performace"
"Questions reguarding my research experiance"
"What specialty do you most desire to practice?"
"Why do you want to come to our school?"
"what schools have you applied to."
"What I thought about my undergraduate university and the experience that I had there"
"What other schools have you applied to? Have you ever been in a crisis and how have you over come it?"
"Other than those two questions, one of my interviewers pretty much spent the entire time talking. I hardly did any. I hope it doesn't destroy my chances. I didn't get that impression. He mostly spent time selling the school."
"question about my grades"
"Have you ever thought of being something other than a physician? when was this? why? "
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"What interested you about Osteopathic Medicine."
"What made you apply to osteopathic programs? (and then just more questions about undergrad and my masters program and what attracts me to PCOM)"
"Where else have you applied? Have you been interviewed? Were you accepted at any of those schools?"
"When have I encountered challenges in my life and how did I deal with them? "
"What would you do if you weren't accepted at PCOM?"
"How will you manage to handle to the work during med school?"
"5) How did you meet Dr. XXXX (whom i shadowed) 6)What is the Most biggest challenge facing the medical profession today?"
"Why neuroscience"
"Why will you bring to PCOM?"
"What did I take away from my volunteer experience at children's hospital? Would I have a problem touching other students?"
"Why medicine? What do you know about osteopathic medicine? What do you do for fun?"
"What got you interested in osteopathy? (DO NOT SAY IN RESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION THAT YOU LIKE HOLLISTIC MEDICINE. THAT ALONE IS NOT UNIQUE TO OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE)"
"What types of things did you do during your internship in the Operating Room?"
"where do i see myself in ten years"
"Why D.O.?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What will you do next year if you are not accepted? "
"how did you manage your time in college?"
"How did you improve your grades so much from undrgrad to grad school? Do differently?"
"What are your strengths/weaknesses?"
"What other schools have you applied to?"
"Why osteopathic? How different from MD? Biggest obstacle to overcome? Any specialty choices after graduation?"
"5)What schools did you apply to; what will be your deciding factor in selecting your school. 6)Do you have any questions for us. (Make sure you are prepared to ask like 3 or 4 very well thought out questions, this can really help you and the interviewers have a better discussion) Also, don't sweat the MCAT. My score was real low and they didn't even ask one question about it. Be prepared just incase, but once you're there, it means that they are looking past all of those weaknesses that you see in yourself."
"what did undergrad and grad school experiences provide for use in med school?"
"What was your biggest challenge?"
"Do you tutor? Describe that to us."
"How did you make such dramatic improvement on your MCAT scores?"
"What do you do for fun? What is your favorite movie? How did you get into medicine? Any questions for us?"
"Have you ever observed an osteopathic physician?"
"why osteopathic medicine?"
"How do you feel your undergraduate education has prepared you? Collegiate Athletics? What do you think has given you such a strong work ethic?"
"Tell us about your medical related experiences? What schools did you apply to? Did you apply to NJ-SOM. They are competitive with NJ-SOM, so if you want PCOM, make sure you let them know they are your first choice and why."
"What has been the most stressful situation you have been in so far?"
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"what is your understanding of osteopathic medicine?"
"How did you choose your undergraduate institution?"
"What was my favorite experience in medicine so far?"
"What other schools? What medical specialty? Any other questions? "
"about my b/f and how we would work out med school..locations etc"
"how did you hear about d.o, and how many schools did you apply to, and what kind?"
"How did your undergraduate career prepare you for DO school?"
"How many DO schools did you apply to?"
"Which and how many schools did you apply to?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Did I have any questions? And, what else would I like to say on my behalf?"
"Have you ever been to PCOM before? -this was answered in both of my essays Hint: they don't like P.COM. -- say P.C.O.M."
"Have you ever dealt with someone near death or dying."
"What do i like to do for fun/favorite classes?"
"How many schools did you apply to?"
"What do I like to do for fun? One thing that I wish I could change about myself?"
"Why did you choose your undergraduate school? What are your favorite and least favorite undergraduate classes?"
"What do I do in my spare time? Did I like my undergrad college?"
"What do you look for in medical schools? What would you do if you didn't get into medical school this year? What are you doing in your year off before medical school?"
"Have you ever been to Philly before?"
"What do you look for in a medical school and why PCOM?"
"Why PCOM?"
"hobbies, interests, fav book, strengths/weaknesses, where you see yourself 10 years, clinical volunteer experiences, why EC's, etc"
"Why do you want to be a doctor? What type of medicine do you want to go into?"
"What do you do for fun"
"will you be able to handle the stress?"
"Explain your poor performance freshman year."
"Who is your hero?"
"Why PCOM? Why DO? Why doctor? When/how did you decide on medicine? Who has been the greatest influence on your life?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experience with Dr. ---."
"What do you do in your free time?"
"when did you know you want to become a physician and why PCOM?????????????????"
"What field do you see yourself going into? Oh yeah and what other schools have you applied to?"
"What were your least favorite and favorite classes?"
"How did you prepare for the MCAT?"
"What's been the most stressful thing during the application process you have dealt with?"
"Is there anything you would like to add? "
"What did presenting your research teach you about yourself?"
"What do you like to do for fun? And pre-covid?"
"What would you do if your patient "knew" their medical diagnosis because they researched it online?"
"Would you tell a patient they only had six months to live?"
"If a car crashed and went into the river, would you jump in the river and help?"
""Talk about some of the characteristics you'd hope to see in a successful osteopathic physician? and talk about some of the negative characteristics of a bad osteopathic physician""
"Who do you believe is responsible for a patient's healthcare?"
"How do you define success? Do you think you are successful?"
"Are you comfortable with the dress code required for OMM lab?"
"If you had a magical pen, how would you use it toward healthcare?"
"I was asked what the strongest argument against going into medicine was, and why it wasn't convincing enough for me."
"What makes you angry/ what frustrates you?"
"How do you recognize when you are overwhelmed and in over your head? And what do you do to handle it?"
"Please tell me more about the osteopathic doctors you shadowed."
"A question relating to my personal statement"
"About my hobbies"
"What do you think are the advantages of an osteopathic medical education?"
"What are you reading now?"
"How would your friends describe you?"
"What are some difficulties that you think you will face as a medical student?"
"What exactly is a "Health Science" major? I just thought it was interesting that they were not familiar with it."
"Tell me what you know about OMM and would you practice it?"
"How would you tell a patient they had terminal cancer, without making them lose hope?? (Probably because I work with Hospice and study oncology)."
"#1"
"They asked me how I felt from an ethical standpoint about the "octo-mom" in California (whether fertility practices should be reigned in and should we even do fertility treatments on women with six children who are on public assistance)."
"Tell us about the undergrad you went to. I don't know why they wanted to know this because my undergrad was oriented towards programs like education, business, accounting, etc. I told them that I got the short end of the stick at my undergrad as a pre-med student and it was interesting to see their response to my answer."
"When I answered the stress question, one of the things I said was that I like to cook and they asked if I see any parallels between cooking and practicing medicine."
"PCOM often seems to include current-events questions in the interview or at least one very analytical question of your application if your a foreign/non-trad. For example, the economics major or the foreign candidates."
"What does it feel like to deliver a baby?"
"For some reason, when they asked me if I spoke Spanish, it threw me for a loop!"
"What do you think you will get out of the medical degree other than the training?"
"How did you decide which medical schools to apply to?"
"none"
"Why didn't you apply to medical schools in China if you see yourself practicing there 10 years from now?"
"Your numbers are pretty good. Will you withdraw if you get an MD acceptance? (Didnt even ask if I was applying MD, which I am of course, but just assumed that I was)"
"Questions about Healthcare reform, the economy and bailout."
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Tell us about you family and how they influenced your choice to want to go to medical school."
"Why would you work at a job where the object is to shoot someone with a projectile (paintball)? -- I think this was along the lines of promoting gun violence but it was a legit and unloaded question."
"What did you get on your SAT's?"
"when was the last time you laughed so hard you almost peeed in your pants"
"What interests you the most about Osteopathic medicine?"
"Who are your role models besides your parents?"
"Have you ever been involved in Music?"
"Being that your father is an allopathic physician, how does you feel about you going into the field of osteopathy?"
"What is a physician's role in society?"
"what fascinates you about osteopathic medicine?"
"What is a doctor? We were talking about my current job as a teacher, and he said that doctor means teacher and that he thought my background would be helpful in the future. "
"My two interviewers didn't know each other. So it was like them interviewing each other. I interjected a few jokes here and there, but the questions that they asked me were the standards. "
"Tell us about a time you faced a challenge and how you overcame it."
"How will you be able to help your fellow classmates during the first two years?"
"Why PCOM?"
"What makes you angry"
"when is the last time I had laughed"
"How did you get such a good MCAT score? (I got a 33, and at the time, I didn't think it was that great, but at the same time, I knew it wasn't going to hold me back anywhere)"
"Well, one of my interviewers was rather HYPER. He started asking me crazy questions such as, ''If you saw an endangered animal eating an endangered plant, which would you save?'' and ''define the universe and give 3 examples.'' After a nervous laugh, he was like no i'm just kidding."
"What in your past has prepared you for the tactile nature of osteopathy?"
"Something about who is playing in the football game nexy Monday?"
"How do you explain your academic performance in the community college? (I spent many years exploring many majors with many withdraws. I been focused on how I been doing since I came back to school(Mostly 'A's and '+B's), I totally though that was not a big issue. But it was."
"How would you explain DNA to a third grader?"
"specific to my files"
"What was the biggest challenge you faced during your military service?"
"How do you see yourself in 10-15 years?"
"''I see you're interested in forensics. How do you see that merging with a career in the Army?''"
"Do you think organic chemistry is important in med school?"
"What were some things you do to take care of your health?"
"All basic questions."
"Nothing"
"what is your back up plan, if there was no illness? huh? like that would hppen"
"What was your least favorite course in college?"
"Nothing--pretty straight-forward"
"Tell me about your experience in the Boy Scouts."
"So tell me about yourself."
"If by some miracle there were no more illness (no need for a physician) what would you do?"
"Nothing too interesting. They did ask me why I chose my major."
"Nothing really, just the regular osteopathic questions: why DO? why PCOM?"
"What was the hardest thing you ever had to do?"
"What was the worst thing that happened to you in college?"
"Everything was pretty standard"
"Why do you want to attend PCOM more than any other osteopathic medical school? (this was my third year applying)"
"Give an example of how I was open-minded?"
"They really delved into my interest in osteopathic medicince."
"Why did you want to be a truck driver?"
"Tell us something about your time abroad. "
"Who are your mentors?"
"I was asked to relate osteopathy to an experience I had coaching youth hockey. "
"What was my time like in Eastern Europe? (I was stationed there for two years)"
"why are you so passionate about working with the non-English speaking/illegal immigrant community?"
"Many about my ethnic background. The interviewers really seemed to embrace all cultures."
"Tell me about your research."
"describe a situation where you felt strongly about something but it didn't come to fruition"
"What MD schools did you apply to? (WTF!!)"
"The interviewers focus A LOT on your file. So, this was related to my history."
"What was the hardest time of my life?"
"All of the questions were very standard."
"''Tell us about your missions trip to Mississippi'', or ''You are involved in so many activities and are devoted to your schoolwork; what do you do for fun?''"
"If your not accepted anywhere, what will you do."
"If you were accepted here, would you come?"
"We see your grades from college are quite good, how did you prepare yourself in high school for achievement in college?"
"I was not really asked anything. They talked, I listened and periodically interjected some interesting facts about myself."
"What is the biggest experience of you life?"
"None, all questions were very casual"
"What is one challenge that has had a great impact on you or changed you in some way?"
"What is a gene's relationship to a chromosome?"
"Pertaining to a Biochem question: Why do you think so much energy is released from the breaking of bonds in ATP?"
"Why is your graduate degree taking so long? (I didn't think 3 yrs was that bad)"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What do you think about the MCATS? Is it necessary? "
"In your primary applicatoin, why do you say it was a privilege to work with Hospice patients?"
"Do you think osteopathic manipulative medicine could be used to treat such things as diabetes, a heart condition, [example3]?"
"Do you think the U.S. should be taking precautions for Bird Flu?"
"[In asking about my job, which involves drug and alcohol addictions research] Do you think the cause of substance abuse is genetic or environmental?"
"It was a question about my undergraduate thesis in physiology. The interviewer that asked the question was a professor of physiology"
"Do you ever find yourself asking for help because you seem rather independent?"
"What other schools have you applied to and been accepted to?"
"How will you deal with the negativity you may receive because you chose to become an osteopathic physicine instead of the traditional allopathic physician?physician. "
"correlate your MCAT scores with your undergraduate GPA."
" nothing really.... "
"Describe your problem solving skills"
"If you were a third grade teacher, how would you teach the kids about DNA?"
"NA"
"Who was your mentor and how did he/she play a role in your decision to become a physician?"
"What happened to your southern accent?"
"Things about my nursing career. "
"Why did you decide not to go into music?"
"Pretty standard stuff actually...See questions below."
"Did you ever practice in this career, or just obtain training in it? (This tipped me off that they had not read my app at all, since it talks extensively about the five years I have spent practicing this career.) "
"How would you explain diabetes to a small child, say three or four that has just been diagnosed with the disease?"
"What challenges do you see in future for military medicine? (I plan to go into the military as a doctor)"
"What are the top three things that would distinguish a medical school if you were accepted at ten?"
"Osteopathy requires signficant manual dexterity. How can you demonstrate that?"
"I felt it interesting they spent a lot of time asking me about the individuals who wrote letters on my behalf. My experiences with them and how long we have known each other"
"What is one thing that needs to change in healthcare today?"
"What was your most difficult experience and how did you overcome?"
"What other schools have you applied to, interviewed at, accepted at, paid deposit for"
"Do you believe that the methods of osteopathic medicine were derived from the philosophy of o.m. or was the philosophy derived from the methods."
"I was asked about my past experiences in what the interviewer referred to as "caring" positions and what I learned from them and how it applied to medicine. I didn't get anything out of the ordinary. I was asked if I applied last year though..I guess b/c I'm 2 years out of school."
"How will acting in the theatre and in a play help you in the medical field? (a stem off of my undergraduate experience question)"
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"nothing really, everything was pretty basic and straighfoward"
"What do you think of the state of healthcare today?"
"If you got accepted into a MD school and DO schoo, which one would you choose?"
"Are you an optimist or a pessimist"
"Most D.O. schools require a reference letter from an osteopathic physician. I did not have one. I was asked to share my first experience with a D.O. Luckily I had talked to one in my hometown."
"What do your MD in-laws think about you applying to DO school?"
"Where did you stay last night?"
"Have you had any experience with cadavers?"
"What can you personally bring to the osteopathic medical profession?"
"How does your dad handle your mom being scared of flying? (He is a Delta Airline Pilot)"
""Tell me about your family""
"I want to go into psychiatry, so I was asked how getting a DO would help me in that field (as opposed to an MD)"
"Do you think marathons are meant to be run by humans? This question spurred further discussion on marathons"
"What did my father and grandfather think of me going to a DO school? (both are MD's)"
"What was the most recent book you have read outside of school?"
"What do you regret most about your life so far?"
""Why did you choose to go to Penn?" (For undergrad)"
"My GPA from undergrad is pretty high, so they asked me how I managed to keep such a high GPA and still make time for shadowing and the other activities I was involved in on campus. "
"With all your research experience, (how) do you plan to integrate research into your practice?"
"Some of the more specific questions about my application essays and about my interests."
"If you didn't have 2 minors, could your GPA have improved?"
"I see you rowed....tell me about your medals, team, etc. "
"What for you has been the most challenging part of being a teacher? I taught special ed."
"Tell me about your summer experience at Yale SMEP."
"Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?"
"If accepted, would you be willing to move out to Atlanta?"
"The interviewer asked: "I am a third grade student, and you are a third grade teacher. Explain to me the function of DNA.""
"They asked about my high school becuase I went to this really small all guys school that's located on a farm."
"am i planning on taking the mcat again? (interesting b/c i got a 28 the first time i took it)"
"Interviewer asks, "I'm going to the dominican republic in two weeks. What should I do about the threat of malaria (medications to take)?" I used to do research on malaria, so I guess the question wasn't that wierd, but I still wasn't expecting technical questions. "
"What makes you think you can make it through medical school."
"Do you feel that the MCAT is an accurate tool for use by med-school admissions?"
"What book are you currently reading?"
"What are some characteristics that can negatively impact a physician?"
"Tell us about yourself"
"how will your degree (economics) serve you in medical school"
"What class did I enjoy the most?"
"why do you want to become a DO."
"I was asked what other schools I applied to and they were actually writing them down as I listed them."
"The most difficult situtation of your life where you think you may have not made the right decision"
"With your beliefs, what would you do if you had a Muslum patient?"
"How would you rate yourself (1-10) as an applicant?"
"Boxing? How did you get into that?"
"They asked about a community college I had attended while still in high school."
"You have a C in one of my favorite classes(Physics) but you have A's in classes that I made C's in. How can you explain that?"
"Since you are from a country where there are much more serious diseases,would you empathise with people suffering from "trivial" ailments?"
"What did you think of the faculty breakfast this morning?"
"What was the most difficult situation you had to deal with as a resident assistant and how did you handle that situation?"
"How would I handle a bigger school after a small school undergrad experience? "
"What course in undergrad do you feel is the most representative of a course that you will have ot to ake in Medical school?"
"Why did I choose my undergraduate institution(not very interesting)"
"How did I meet find the doctor that I shadowed. [I had an amusing story which I presume the doctor had mentioned in his Letter of Rec.]"
"What my favorite piece of music to sing is? (I sing in the choir at school)"
"What sets me apart from the other interviewees since they had similar mcat and qpas?"
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"If you had the same scores as the other students interviewing, why should PCOM accept you?"
"Explain where you got your email address name from. ( I wasn't asked this question but alot of other people that interviewed with me that day said they were asked this question)"
"Since you are a fisherman, did you apply to LECOM because of the walleye in Lake Erie? "
"Did you apply to NYCOM since you are from NYC?"
"where do i see myself in 10 years?"
"What was my least favorite class? I responded with comparitive anatomy of verts."
"What do you do to relieve stress? "
"Would you mind being touched in the OMM lab?"
"How did you achieve such good grades?"
"How do you handle anger?"
"none really"
"What do you do for fun (besides riding, which I do all the time I'm not working)?"
"No interesting questions at all. It was like being in an inquisition."
"They asked me a few general current event questions. I think they just wanted to see my response, because I got no feedback."
"How did you choose your e-mail address? "
"They did not ask too many unique questions. All questions just trying to get to know me and see that I am an interesting person."
"How would you feel about touching someone & having someone touch you in OMM class? play sports or musical instrument (muscle memory)?"
"What do your hobbies day about your personality?"
"How has your undergraduate experience prepared you for your medical education at PCOM?"
"I wasnt asked anything out of the ordinary"
"What should we tell the adcom committee bout you?"
"What was one conflict you had in your life and how did you resolve it?"
"Do you speak any languages? "
"what did I learn from medical ethics?"
"Your Father is an MD... what does he think about you becoming an osteopathic physician?"
"Is New Jersey corn better than Nebraska's corn? (I moved from Jersey to Nebraska for one year and had to come back)"
"How has your experience been working as a critical care technician?"
"There's no really eye-opening questions. Everything is either specific to your application or is an standard interviewing question. Actually, wait, I was asked about the importance of the MCAT in the admissions process which was a little out of the ordinary. "
"what does this 'J' grade mean?"
"How did you study for the MCATs?"
"If I was unable to do anything related to healthcare or medicine, what would I want to do?"
"If you are accepted into more than one program, what is the most important factor in your decision to choose one to attend over the rest?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"Tell me about your move to a new state?"
"Who is your role model?"
"Do you think you will have a problem being touched by your classmates in OMM class?"
"How did my undergraduate and professional career prepare me to want to become a physician?"
"Have I ever dealt with someone near death or dying."
"One of the interviewers knew some information about the medicine in the country where i came from so he asked me about it."
"If I could change one thing about myself what would it be?"
"What are my favorite movie of all time?"
"Tell me about your internship experience and why it led you to choose an osteopathic school."
"Did I like my undergrad college?"
"Tell us about your basketball experiences."
"nothing that interesting here, just a regular conversation"
"How has your undergraduate institution prepared you for medical School?"
"How will your studying habits change during medical school?"
"How has my undergrad school prepared me for the Medical profession?"
"Tell me about your family."
"1)Why did you choose to attend your undergraduate school? and what has it done for you? 2) What do you think is the most common injury in gymnastics (I was a gymnast)?"
"Tell us where you see yourself in 12 years"
"What's the link between medicine and literature? (I was an English major as an undergrad.)"
"What will you have to change in order to be successful in medical school?"
"what has been your biggest accomplishment up to this point in your life?"
"What do you think about vaccinations? i.e. Anthrax vaccinations?"
"Who in my life do I admire the most?"
"A hypothetical situation about a mechanical heart used to touch on a few ethical issues... Should a patient recieve the heart considering price, expected life span of patient, and quality of life, etc?"
"Nothing really"
"what is your understanding of osteopathic medicine?"
"What makes you angry?"
"Which High School did I go to? SAT Scores? "
"What was a challenge you had to overcome?"
"What was the hardest course taken during my undergraduate years"
"What do you do for fun?"
"How did you end up in Philadelphia from (insert state here)?"
"Tell us your hobbies. Oh, you took Japanese. Why?"
"Tell us about your hobbies."
"What is something that you think makes an osteopathic medical student succeed"
"Why not become a physician assistant?"
"When did you decide that you wanted to pursue osteopathic medicine ?"
"What would you do if you were in a group and there was disagreement?"
""Tell us about yourself""
"Tell us about a time you've worked among a diverse population. How did it help you grow?"
"Explain osteopathic medicine, without using any of the "buzzwords"."
"What is one thing I think I will find most difficult about going into medicine."
"If you were a doctor and your patient just tested HIV+ and had not told their spouse would you tell the spouse? (legally the answer is no in all circumstances, you can't touch HIV with a ten foot pole)"
"If you knew your roommate had cheated on her AACOMAS application or in lab (I had told them I worked in a lab) what would you do?"
"Regarding end-of-life issues, what does the term "quality of life" mean to you?"
"If you do not get into medical school this year, what will you do next year?"
"If you have never shadowed a D.O., how do you know that medicine is right for you?"
"In every transition there are specific hurdles for every person, what hurdles have you overcome in the past and what do you think that hurdle will be for medical school?"
"what was a class you struggled with in college and how did you overcome it?"
"Why was your PS score on your MCAT so low compared to your other scores?"
"If your best friends asked you to change one thing about yourself before matriculating, what would it be?"
"They asked an ethics question that I was caught off guard with."
"None were difficult."
"For me, it was 'why DO?' mostly because I had already told them I was applying to both MD and DO schools. Every other person at the interview was also applying to both MD and DO, so I don't think I'm unusual to have this approach. "
"What do you believe you will be able to add to osteopathic medicine?"
"very laid-back, open file interview"
"None were really difficult, they all were very file specific, but getting asked healthcare questions is never fun."
"None really, it was hard to talk to them as they all had their laptops out, I felt weird talking without eye contact on practically all the questions..."
"None really, it was such a good conversation"
"I didn't think any question was difficult, but I heard some peers come out and say they were asked how they would explain DNA to a third-grader and I think had I gotten that question it would've given me pause."
"The qualities need improving question. This question was difficult for me to answer because I didn't want to come off as a total loser and I also didn't want to come off as a perfectionist. When I stalled and the interviewer suggested an answer, I simply ran with his suggestion because it sounded pretty "safe" at the time."
"Did you also apply to MD schools?"
"Standard SDN-like questions, but PCOM seems to include 1 or 2 different ones. My hardest question was: It seems like you were really involved a lot, doing A, B, C, D, E, F...,...G...H...how did you manage all of that? You said what things that you did to relieve stress (2x by this point of the interview), but doing all of those things successfully is...very abnormal! (this was hard b/c I just manage to do it all no matter how long or how much effort it takes! sleeping or not!)"
"Why the United States?"
"None were truly difficult it wasn't much to ask to be yourself."
"None really"
"what is the most challenging thing for a physician in medicine today?"
"Why did your score on the PS section of MCAT not change?"
"As an economics major, how would you fix health insurance in the U.S.?"
"Using one of the questions from the presidential debbate, do you think healthcare is a right, privilege, or responsibility?"
"What do you do to relax? (difficult because I told them things I enjoyed and they didn't think it was relaxing enough...)"
"Why did you decide to choose medicine and continue with your major?"
"Explain the change academically from sophmore year to junior year? Did you apply to both DO and MD schools? (I felt weird answering this question, because I did apply to both like most people, it's just a funny feeling you get after you tell them you did and you wonder how they interpret it.)"
"What is your favorite movie? Why (excluding theatrics)?"
"I see that your father is an allopathic physician, what does he think about you becoming a DO?"
"Explain this bad grade."
"Explain this grade?"
"The questions were not difficult. The music question was the most unexpected but not difficult."
"The questions weren't all that challenging."
"What is a physician's role in society?"
"see above....this was because i just answered a question pertaining to the benefits of OM"
"What are you going to do to keep up with the workload here? How do you plan on studying?"
"Nothing difficult at all. "
"How would you explain OMM to an MD?"
"Why PCOM?"
"How do you feel about the current national election contenders' health plans"
"what is the hardest thing you have ever had to deal with and how did you handle it."
"How do you conceptualize subjects so that you can better understand them, rather than just trying to memorize information?"
"Why do you want to go to PCOM?"
"Something confusing about health care reform."
"I was only asked 3 questions: what area are you interested in, what are your hobbies, and what's your biggest weakness."
"What in your past has prepared you for the tactile nature of osteopathy?"
"Can you recall any events from when you lived back in Europe??"
"you didn't have many liberal arts classes(being a biochem mojor). Do you think having education in liberal arts courses are important to being a physician?"
"Why didn't you retake the MCAT? (I didn't think I did that poorly)"
"Why do you think your MCAT score was what is was?"
"How can you contribute to our class?"
"Can't think of a difficult question that was asked."
"Since I was a religion major: How can you relate what you've learned from your religion major to medicine?"
"Qs that could of been answered if they actually read my file -it was open file."
"Nothing"
"Why was that your least favorite?"
"Why is there a dip in your grades?"
"If by some miracle there were no more illness (no need for a physician) what would you do?"
"What happened with your grades?"
"Nothing too bad... but I don't like it how they ask where all you have applied? interviewed? been accepted?"
"What criteria will you use to choose between medical shcool for which you have been accepted?"
"If you could be standing in front of our admissions board (all 30 doctors or something like that) what would you say that would cinvince them of accepting you?"
"low grades"
"Why Philadelphia?"
"none were really difficult.. mostly generic questions"
"No questions were really difficult. They do want to see that you have thought about what you are doing with your life and really ask several follow-up questions in that vein."
"What is this grade doing here? You don't know science!!"
"Seeing that you have changed your mind before, why did you come back to wanting to become a physician?"
"Explain your low grades."
"The osteopathy/hockey question. There was no way I could have seen that coming, but as long as you know why you want to be a DO, you should be able to come up with something good. Somehow, I impressed them. "
"There really wasn't one."
"No questions were difficult, they were all very general and drew somewhat off my life's experiences."
"nothing really just straight forward conversation."
"How do I know OMM really works?"
"So what happened during your freshman year (re. grades)?"
"how badly do want this? after i would try to respond, the interviewer repeatedly kept cutting me off and saying 'but HOW badly?' it seemed like he only wanted one answer which was frustrating"
"There wasn't one"
"Same"
"Where else have you applied? Interviewed? Been accepted? It isn't a difficult question but it is uncomfortable to answer."
"What are your thoughts on the MCAT as a whole?"
"What about our facility makes you want to attend school here? (I had not been on a tour of the facility yet)"
"none of the questions were too difficult"
"What schools you applied to? What schools did you interview at? Where have been accepted? I did not consider it difficult to answer, but I felt uncomfortable that they were asking me this question."
"None, as above"
"What other schools did you apply to?"
"look above. not really hard, just caught me off guard. Other interviewees received the same question, and one on genes."
"There was nothing too hard but I was embarrassed listing all the MD schools I applied to. "
"How would you explain Osteopathic Medicine to someone who had never even heard of it?"
"Have you shadowed Dr. X? (The Dr. wrote a recommendation without me shadowing...but I was going to make contact with the Dr. in the near future)"
"What are the other medical schools you have applied to? How many DO schools?"
"How do you explain the disparity between your MCAT scores and your science and math GPA."
"Do you think the U.S. should be taking precautions for Bird Flu?"
"[In response to my personal statement, which mentioned that I had experienced depression as an undergrad] Do you think you are now cured? "
"Probably about my thesis because I forgot to review it the way i wanted to"
"Please describe a difficult situation academic or not and how did you go about dealing with such difficult situation."
"Why have you never shadowed a DO?"
"They were all pretty easy to answer."
"none. all very conversational. "
"What should we specifically tell the board that you can provide to the school? What qualities make you special?"
"Same as above."
"Had to explain why my VR score decreased from the last time I took the MCAT"
"Who was your mentor and how did he/she play a role in your decision to become a physician?"
"Really explain why you left nursing school."
"I felt prepared for all the questions. I hate the,"Is there anything more we should know about you" question though. Do you see any problems currently in the medical field. "
"If you were offered admissions here, would you come? (I was surprised and a bit thrown off by this, as there are a handful of schools that I would like to attend)."
"Convince me why you would come here if you were accepted at multiple places."
"None of the questions were difficult. The interview was very laid back and conversational."
"See above..."
"See above."
"Why did you score poorly on the MCAT?"
"What happened with my MCAT. I scored 21 and they are trying to ask me for an excuse. I wanted to say "I didn't answer enough questions correctly," and that's it."
"What was your most difficult experience and how did you overcome?"
"The top one."
"Nothing too difficult...which I can't believe I can say that, but it really was laid back and relaxed"
"standard questions"
"None. Laid Back"
"How do you explain your undergraduate calculus grade?"
"Do you think doctor's really help people"
"Same question..."Describe your first encounter with an osteopathic physician""
"Nothing to tough"
"There were no difficult questions asked."
"How do you think you fared on the MCAT?"
"Tell me about your problem solving skills (for about 5 minutes I rambled on about my interpersonal problem solving skills and the DO finally stopped my and said to explain more on an academic level....opps)."
""Why my PS MCAT was a 6 compared to my 11VR""
"None, all of the questions were very straightforward and right out of my file."
"What is your knowledge about OMM and what do you think are the qualities that makes one good at it (something along those lines)"
"What is the most difficult problem you have faced and how did you deal with it?"
"Where do you see yourself practicing in ten years?"
"If you were a third grade teacher, how would you explain the function of DNA? (Although this question was on SDN, I did not prepare for the question because I figured I wouldn't be asked it since I am not a teacher...so I gave my best on the spot answer)"
""Were your early grades affected by not adjusting to college?" (My freshman year grades were so-so)"
"How I think I performed on the MCATS. I hate that question. I dont think anyone feels like they got a 45 when they walk out of that exam... So I just said I prepared extensively and was confident my grade would reflect that."
"Tell us about your research/Master's thesis. (It was difficult to explain to someone without any prerequisite understanding of cancer etiology and treatment--I think I stuttered a lot, trying to keep it simple......)"
"None, really."
"What do you think about malpractice insurance in healthcare today?"
"none too difficult"
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"Is there an area where you prefer to practice medicine?"
"Explain the reason for the decline in your grades here."
"For me, it was answering why I sucked at life when it came to my undergrad performance."
"where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"nothing, all background questions"
"What is one of the biggest problem you will encounter in med school?"
"I see that you got grade X in this class, did you take it again? (...ummm...you have my transcript...yes, I did)"
"nothing was overly difficult"
"Probably the above."
"what do you think is the bissest problem with healthcare? if president bush called you and asked you what to do about it, what would you advise?"
"nothing particularly"
"What problem solving skills do you have and how did you acquire them?"
"How has your undergraduate institution prepared you for medical school?"
"As our first entering class, what would you bring to this school?"
"where do you see yourself in 15 years."
"Very specific questions about patient care, where the interviewers were looking for specific answers"
"Specific questions about grades. How come you repeated this class and have still not done so much better than the first time. Ans: I took graduate level class last semester in the same subject and did extremely well"
"If accepted, how likely is it that you would come here?"
"none really. All were standard."
"None of them were really difficult. "
"See above"
"Explain your low GPA as compared to the high MCAT"
"Grade-related questions..."
"Where do you see yourself in fifteen years?"
"What do you think about women in medicine? My interviewer kind of threw this in at the end. And that question "talk about yourself" - I never know what to say."
"The way I answered the first question led into discussions on health ethics and what I would do if I had I terminally ill patient who wanted to be euthanized and who I could offer no hope of recovery to?"
"Explain your low orgo grades"
"What is the most difficult thing that I forsee affecting the medical profession. (this question blindsided me because when they started asking, I was anticipating a different one)"
"If you could not be a physician, what would you do?"
"Who is your role model? (I don't really have one)"
"If you were accepted to both an allopathic and osteopathic school, which would you choose and why?"
"When they asked me to explain my MCAT scores to them. They were lower than they would have liked them to be. They couldn't understand how my grades were so good but my MCAT scores were low."
"Why is it that last year when you applied you did not apply to any osteopathic schools and this year you have?"
"If there is one thing you could change about myself what would it be? I responded with my hair. I wish I could grow hair as I am going bald. One more thing was that I wish I had a photographic memory."
"Can you tell us about the OMM technique you saw?"
"There wasnt one "
"nothing difficult. Just basic shallow questions."
"Nothing really. I suppose most difficult for me was how did your undergraduate school prepare you to be a physician?"
"Asked about my verbal score(grinded me over and over again)."
"None at all.....real laid back"
"Tell us why osteopathic medicine over allopathic?"
"Why do you want PCOM. I was so turned off by the school at this point that I had to make up an answer."
"Nothing too difficult."
"Nothing I wasn't expecting, but probably what has been your biggest obstacle to overcome?"
"Nothing difficult."
"Many allopathic schools have a holistic approach, and most MDs provide "hands on" care to their patients, so what's special about osteopathy?"
"What was your biggest challenge?"
"Why should we accept ou into the class of 2008?"
"All pretty answerable...I didn't feel stumped at all."
"no difficult questions...they just wanted to get to know me"
"None-pretty easy."
"Nothing really"
"How has your undergraduate education prepared you for a career in medicine? I knew they wouold ask me that, but when I went into the interview, I blanked out."
"Since I am a re-applicant, they asked me why I had applied so late last year."
"none- the interview was very conversational and relaxed."
"None, dont worry it is very laid back. I only got nervous because I was waiting around so long, but they just want to get to know you."
"Nothing really! The interview was all about knowing YOURSELF and why you choose to become a D.O."
"Ditto- same as above, but with regards to question difficulty"
"are you going to finish your thesis?"
"Why my grades were a little lower than what they are used to seeing?"
"What will you do if you do not get into med school this year? (jeesh-- what a question!!)"
"nothing really difficult, very quick interview 15/20 minutes"
"2 - How many times have you taken the MCAT? (I voided twice, so only one score shows, but I decided to be honest - then they grilled me) and Why the delay between college and applying to med. school?"
"None really--it was a very conversational interview."
"None"
"Who is your role model? It caught me off gaurd a bit..."
"no difficult questions---no ethics or health care questions"
"Talk about a difficult experience in your life."
"Will having a family be a liability?"
"How do you think the current health insurance situation is affecting medicine? How many Americans are without health insurance? --40% in case you were wondering. One of my interviewers was ridiculously hard on everyone! "
"None, it was very conversational"
"No difficult questions"
"If you were on the fence of a DO or MD school which would you choose and why?"
"Nothing was difficult. They mostly wanted me to elaborate on my application and tell them about myself personally. Nothing out of the ordinary!"
"nothing difficult"
"how my undergraduate school prepared me for medical education"
"What is the most difficult situation you have ever been in?"
"Explain how you managed to bring your GPA up significantly since freshman year? (I had about three C's and a ton of B-'s during that time!)"
"Same as above"
"what is the biggest challenge facing healthcare? "
"1)Question about MCATs...why my verbal was so low and my physical was high the first time round, and vice versa second time around 2) What do you know about how OMM is used in practice?"
"What's your biggest weakness?"
"none of the questions were difficult! :)"
"What sort of challenges will I see as an osteopath in your profession"
"Nothing really.... Some question about OMM threw me off, but not too bad."
""Given that today is election day, what issues do you feel are important concerning healthcare and your career as a physician?"... this was tough for me not knowing alot about politics. I admitted i was not very informed about all the issues, but gave an intelligent answer about problems with healthcare then fortunately the interviewer just talked about the issues for quite some time with me. "
"Explain your academic record from the first 2 years."
"Nothing was too difficult, I was pretty prepared, but just be sure to read up on HMOs: What is your understanding of the health management problem and how would you solve it?"
"Why are you interested in Medicine? Any personal situations that turned you on to the field?"
"What was a challenge you had to overcome?"
"How do you feel that your undergraduate institution prepared you for medical school (not really that hard of a question)"
"What's been the most difficult thing you've encountered during the application/preparation process?"
"What is one quality that you feel a physician should possess?"
"What is your biggest regret?"
"How have your study skills grown over the years?"
"SDN, Practice, mock interview"
"Mock interviews and thinking through general question/answers"
"sdn interview feedback, prior prep from other interviews"
"Reviewing my own file, practicing for interview"
"SDN, general interview prep/advice."
"SDN, also spoke with current students"
"General interview preparation."
"Read SDN, looked over the website, reviewed app and secondary"
"Forums, practicing questions"
"Lots of practice questions on SDN and http://www.colorado.edu/advising/sites/default/files/attached-files/Med_100%20intquest.pdf"
"SDN! Also reading "The DOs" by Norman Gevitz, rereading my essay answers, and typing out answers to interview questions taken from SDN."
"By reading over my entire application a few times, then writing answers to several commonly asked questions. I also did two practice interview runs, one with my family and one with my masters program counselor."
"I read the SDN"
"Practiced and rehearsed explaining my resume etc..."
"Review ACOMAS, supplement."
"Reviewed my file and application materials. Did many mock interviews."
"SDN, read over healthcare legislation, PCOM website, read over primary and secondary applications"
"Reviewed common/ general interview questions, did a mock interview, reread my application materials"
"Practice interviews. Read up on the school and health care legislation."
"Reviewed application, website, interview feedback, talked to students."
"Mock Interview"
"Reviewed PCOM website and made sure I knew all the information contained in my application."
"Reviewed my AACOMAS application, talked to my friend that attended the school, read the website."
"PCOM's website, SDN, current students"
"SDN, other interviews"
"read sdn, regular interview questions, reviewed the website"
"Had 3 previous interviews, so I didn't do any real preparation."
"Practiced mock interview, read Gevitz's book, researched school."
"Reviewed my AACOMAS application. Read everything I could about the school to incllude the catalog. Read several books on Osteopathic Medicine history and philosophy."
"SDN, "
"SDN feedback, reviewed my applications and looked over the school website"
"SDN, current PCOM students"
"SDN interview feedback questions. Reviewed my application. "
"Read my apps, had friends ask questions, learned about PCOM"
"Looked over questions on SDN. Thats about it."
"SDN interview feedback, read over application, reread my papers on osteopathic medicine"
"Read SDN interview feedback and PCOM threads, read every single page on their website, reviewed my app and statements and spent the night before relaxing in a hot tub and doing yoga."
"SDN, website, mock-interview"
"Primary app, secondary app, sdn, introspection about my life...I see that people don't mention this on here but I think it's really important that you understand yourself as a person FIRST before worrying about explaining why osteopathic and why PCOM. Other than that, I read up on PCOM's website, and talked to few friends who go to PCOM."
"Looked over all of my primary and secondary application materials, SDN feedback, mock interview"
"mock interview, sdn and just being introspective the night before"
"Visited PCOM open house x2, shadowed PCOM students for 2 days of her classes (including OMM) and asked MANY random questions, CIB profile, SDN threads, SDN interview fback x 1 year, 5 prior interviews, drove around the area to look for apts, etc"
"Read over my file"
"Read the school website, SDN, re-read my secondary application, really thought about genuine answers."
"Read my file. Read SDN feedback"
"read over my personal statement, secondary essays, visited the school's website, got experience through other interviews"
"SDN, mock interview"
"Read over file, SDN feedback, read up the school's history."
"read over application materials"
"student doctor network, read 'The Difference a D.O. makes', reviewed my application"
"Interview Feedback, made sure that everything I put in my application and supplemental I could back up. "
"SDN; mock interviews"
"Nothing really. "
"Answering questions to myself. If you can answer "Why DO? Why PCOM?" to yourself comfortably, you'll be fine. Confidence is the most important thing."
"Schools website, SDN, talked to other students"
"SDN and ACCOMAS App. PCOM website"
"Read the website, reviewed AACOMAS, read interview feedback."
"Reading interview feedback on SDN and the school's website"
"Read personal statement, read up on the school."
"sdn, website, application"
"SDN interview questions, previous interviews at other schools"
"Mock interviews"
"Read my primary and secondary applications. Read SDN interview feedback. Read the PCOM webpage."
"Read over my primary."
"Read SDN interview feedback...Memorized answers to common questions."
"just anticipated questions and gathered my thoughts....that all went out the door when i became nervous. lol, just answered honestly"
"SDN, talked to students, visited the school previously."
"I didn't. I treated it like court testimony (which is a part of my job). "
"SDN, primary application, secondary essays, internet searches"
"Got a good night's sleep the night before."
"SDN, looked over primary and secondary application. Thought of plenty of examples to fit different scenarios."
"read over app. interview feedback "
"definitely SDN forums and interviews, i just read the questions and thought of natural answers."
"I didn't. I am going into my interviews ready to answer everything honestly. Nothing more."
"School's website, reviewed common interview questions, SDN."
"SDN feedback, reading primary and secondary apps"
"SDN, going over interview prep from other sources"
"mock-interviews; sdn; read application; read web-site"
"SDN, worldhealthnews, read over application and personal essay, read about the school itself"
"read over primary app. school's website. SDN interview feedback"
"SDN, my own file, website..."
"sdn, pcom website, reviewed my file"
"Reviewed Primary/secondary, SDN"
"SDN, read over my application"
"Looked over my essays, SDN, reviewed the school's website, printed out information I wanted to reference."
"AACOMAS, PCOM Website, SDN, talking with D.O. Students"
"SDN, AACOMAS, and primary apps."
"Reread suppl, app, and snd"
"Read over my application, SDN, school website, PCOM CD"
"SDN, Mcat"
"SDN, mock interviews, read some medical prep books."
"SDN, AACOMAS, mock questions--talking to other students interviewing with me"
"Reviewed primary and secondary application, SDN, and mock interview."
"sdn, writing letters to every DO in the Atlanta phone book and asking about the career (it was as slow summer). Two admissions board members ended up responding and talked to me about the school. "
"SDN, going over the questions with my boyfriend"
"SDN, read up on the school's website, Personal statement"
"SDN, read primary and secondary apps, read up on OMM and PCOM website"
"I had been really busy the week before the interview and wasn't able to do much preparation. "
"SDN and AACOMAS"
"This site.. just having friends ask me questions"
"SDN (very helpful and generally accurate). Mock interview. Researched the school. "
"Read up on the school and review my application."
"SDN, looked over AACOMAS application"
"SDN, ran through generic medical school interview questions"
"SDN, reading my essays, and researching the school a ton. "
"Practiced answers, read SDN."
"SDN, look at my applications, and school website"
"STN, Reviewed personal statement and application. "
"mock interviews, SDN, went over primary and secondary applications."
"SDN, personal statements, transcripts"
"ACOMAS, secondary application, reviewing research aims, SDN, etc..."
"SDN, reread app, DO website"
"SDN, read essays"
"SDN, school website, open house at GA-PCOM, review personal statement, grades"
"SDN, PCOM website, reviewed my application, attended an open house at PCOM"
"SDN interview feedback (the questions from this year's feedback have been right on), interview prep books, reviewing primary/secondary, reviewing PCOM's website"
"Web site and supplemental"
"Read the school's website, SDN, and practiced common questions"
"SDN interview feedback, browsed the schools website, re-read my secondary, previous interviews"
"reread my essays, sdn, interview feedback"
"previous experience"
"Read applications, PCOM website, and refreshed my osteopath concepts"
"PCOM website, health care reading, reading my application and secondary."
"SDN, school's website, prepared common Qs and As, Healthpolitics.com "
"SDN, PCOM website."
"Wrote out possible answers to "
"PCOM web-site, primary and secondary application, SDN and some internet reading about OMM"
"Read SDN, looked over my primary and secondary to PCOM"
"U of Washington Bioethics site, PCOM website, AACOMAS primary, light reading about osteopathic medicine, SDN"
"SDN, reread my application, went over the prospective student part of their site."
"(1) Studied every portion of the "Prospective Students" section of the PCOM website. (2) Read through my AACOM application, especially the essay. (3) Read through my PCOM application essay. (4) Prepared questions to ask the interviewers. (5) Student Doctor Network (SDN)."
"Visited the school's website, visited AACOM website, SDN, had a friend ask me potential questions, had a mock interview with my boss (an M.D.)"
"Read the schools information page. read AOA.com information and AACOM.com page."
"SDN, Spoke with current students, Mock interview"
"Read my application, sdn"
"I looked over questions from this site and practiced with friends. "
"SDN. reviewed job interview websites. reviewed my application. practice."
"SDN, went over answers out loud"
"SDN; reviewed application;"
"SDN, read over my personal statements and essays, read their website, read about osteopathic medicine"
"Read SDN, primary & secondary application, talked to students and to one of my friends who inteviewed there the week prior"
"Studentdoctor.net, talking with present students, reading up on Osteopathy."
"Reading this website, talking to other DO students and reading my personal statemenst and my application. Mainky knowing what I had to offer."
"By fully understooding the DO philosophy and knowing why it appealed to me."
"reviewed my application, SDN, notes from previous interview."
"SDN, reviewed my application, website, had friend ask me typical interview questions on my 7 hour car ride"
"Informal mock interview, SDN, Reviewed applications, Read books on interview Strategies"
"SDN, application, people who interviewed there in the past. "
"Reviewed my application and SDN."
"Reviewed my application and studentdoctor.net"
"Reading SDN. Reviewing Osteopathic philosophy. (I highly encourage this as they always ask "Why osteopathic medicine" or some derivation.)"
"SDN, extensively asked current students about the school and made plenty of contacts, worked hard for great letters of recommendations particularly from PCOM alum"
"SDN, Read over essays, etc."
"SDN, review submitted applications, read interview resources/tips from various webpages"
"sdn, website"
"Read over SDN, d.o. websites, school website."
"The best preparation was the other interviews I went on. I'm not much for the mock interviews. I did get insight by reading this website. I skimmed my personal statement and other materials too."
"Re-read my statements, SDN, and PCOM.edu"
"SDN, Mock interview at my undergrad school, friends who interviewed there, PCOM website"
"read over my file, looked at sdn, talked with students who already go to the school"
"SDN, secondary application, school website"
"They asked questions mostly about my education and interest in osteopathic medicine."
"read over my application and read the past questions on this site"
"Read over my AACOMAS statement and read up on osteopathic philosophy. Make sure becoming a D.O. is NOT simply a fall back option for you if you don't get into medical school."
"Reviewed application material and PCOM web site. Also, read some DO web sites like, AOA."
"I'd visited the school, talked with many graduates, and visited the college's website."
"SDN, read up on ethics, etc."
"SDN, wrote out my answers to potential interview questions and went over them with my family and friends"
"SDN, My file. Thats about it. I wanted to do a mock interview and tape myself but what can I say I am lazy. LOL."
"Been to 3 other interviews"
"Read info about the school, talked to a PCOM alumni, read SDN, my personal statement, etc..."
"SDN, school website"
"Read SDN feedback, PCOM website and CD, my applications, some osteopathic history"
"Nothing Really"
"SDN, researched PCOM website and read over my application. "
"SDN, other interviews, read my application, talked to current students"
"Prepared to explain why I'm interested in medicine, particularly osteopathic. Researched what PCOM has to offer, both in student body and education resources."
"Talked to DO students at PCOM, looked at Studentdoctor.net, read up on what was happening in healthcare, visited PCOMs website for the nitty gritty on the osteopathic philosophy "
"Read my essay, looked over other student responses on SDN, talked to first year students at PCOM"
"Read through my application essays, read feedback on this site, mentally prepared, then relaxed during the actual interview."
"SDN, PCOM's Website, Read health related news."
"SDN, PCOM statement, application"
"Read SDN feedback, talked to friends that interviewed there, reviewed file."
"SDN, school website/cd"
"Reviewed SDN questions and feedbacks. Reviewed the history of Osteopathy. Reviewed application and PCOM information packet."
"Read SDN, reread my application essay and resume, grades, etc. jotted down notes on questions I might be asked."
"SDN, read over PCOMs website"
"SDN, SDN, SDN...Read "The DOs" by Norman Gevitz (didn't help me in particular but if you want to understand osteopathic medicine, read it!), PCOM website"
"look at SDN.com and look over my personal essay"
"studentdoctor.net; website; researched about osteopathic philosophy"
"Research PCOM-ATL website, SDN, and I spoke with professionals at work about interview tips."
"comfortable with my file, read questions on SDN"
"Read reviews on this site and looked over my "soon to be patented" all-purpose interview notes"
"SDN, school website, re-read my apps and essays, talked to PCOM students and DO's."
"School website, SDN, and AACOM website"
"PCOM website, mock interview, and practice questions"
"Read school history, DO history, mock interviews."
"Read SDN, read osteopathic history, wrote my thoughts out on potential questions and read over them, and I prayed a lot."
"SDN, reading over my primary and secondary applications, mock interviews, and actual interviews at other schools helped too"
"by going to their information session, and checking their web-site."
"SDN, primary app, secondary app, and the school website"
"How come you haven't done well in verbal section on MCAT inspite of your good scores in PS and BS sections."
"read over my application, look at this site, had a friend interview me (which was very helpful!)"
"Website (had already done a ton and so I didn't really have much else I could do to prepare)."
"looked on this web site"
"Reread all material that I sent them, researched their website, AACOM booklet, practiced questions."
"Prepared with any questions I had for them, knew why I wanted to be a doc and was ready for whatever they threw my way."
"SDN, website, mock interview"
"SDN,Gevitz book, PCOM website"
"read over application, essay, read SDN interview feedback"
"Practiced, read the PCOM website, and reviewed my application materials"
"Read the PCOM site, this site, some stuff about osteopathy."
"PCOM web sit friends that went to the school, previous interviews, read over application."
"Read, extensively, the school's website. "
"Read over my application, looked at SDN"
"Relaxed, read over personal statement, made sure I knew all I could about PCOM and Osteopathy, went to bed early"
"PCOM website, studentdoctor.net, brochure and cd"
"this website, pcom's website and med school friends"
"SDN, read application materials, school website"
"read this website, reviewed aacomas apps, secondaries"
"PCOM and AACOM websites, read Norman Gevitz's "The DOs", looked at SDN interview feedbacks"
"Studentdoctor.net, medical students and biomedical sciences program students' feedback from the school, school website (pcom.edu), aacom.org, and osteohome.com."
"This website, reviewed my secondary, talked to a current student at PCOM"
"This was my 7th interview overall, my 4th DO interview. I was well prepared. My Stats- 3.7 GPA, 27 MCAT."
"visited campus over summer. talked with current students."
"Looked over my application. Everything was answered with honesty so there was no need to prepare."
"SDN,PCOM website, reviewwed application, posed hypothetical questions"
"school website, this site, writing answers down to hypothetical questions "
"I read my secondaries, browsed the P.C.O.M. and A.A.C.O.M. websites, read feedback at studentdoctor.net"
"Read the paper, had a beer, went to bed early."
"SDN, read my application, pcom's website"
"read my personal statement, reviewed my primary and secondary application, SDN."
"studentdoctor, PCOM website , and read DO history"
"SDN, looked at their CD, website"
"SDN, read my secondary"
"SDN, school web-site, AACOM"
"Read student doctor experiences, reviewed my own applications, PCOM website and some osteopathic history."
"I read all of the history of osteopathic medicine from a book and made sure I knew that and about the applications of things like OMM, etc...I also used this website, a medical school manual, read about ethical issues online, and reviewed my AACOMAS and PCOM App."
"read SDN, reviewed PCOM site & CD-ROM, read AACOM book"
"SDN, PCOM website"
"Read this website and the school website."
"read interview feedback, read up on DO history and PCOM"
"SDN, PCOM website, ethics review website"
"SDN"
"SDN website, osteopathic medicine website, PCOM website"
"student doctor, school website"
"read this site, reviewed school website."
"Look at this site, PCOM.edu, aacom.org, Theres also a great site about osteopathic medicine and its history in case you need more info: www.osteohome.edu"
"PCOM, SDN + AACOM website, reviewed AACOMAS and secondary application."
"PCOM website, SDN"
"sdn site, reviewed applications, virtual tour, looked at curriculum, talked to some friends that were students"
"SDN Interview Feedbacks, PCOM site, AACOM site, My application and personal statements"
"Mock interview, this website, PCOM website, talked to PCOM students and other applicants who had already interviewed at PCOM"
"SDN, interview feedback; read up on history of osteopathy; emailed current students."
"sdn, read over apps"
"read this site, my secondary and AACOMAS applications, PCOM's website and info, brushed up on ehtics questions"
"Read the online e-catalog."
"SDN, ethics questions, looked at website"
"Read up on school on their website, studentdoctor.net feedback"
"-SDN interview feedback -Read up on osteopathy -PCOM's website "
"read sdn's interview feedback"
"Read this website, practiced answering questions, hung out in downtown Phili the night before."
"SDN, gevitz, websites"
"SDN, school website, mock interviews, book on osteopathy"
"Read this site, info on school, my application packet, books on osteopathy"
"Read about school on aacom website, their website and cd, sdn interview feedback, review information on osteopathy."
"I didn't"
"Read application, wedsite, SDN"
"SDN, reviewed their CD"
"Reviewed my applications and the school's website, read a book about medical school interviews, SD.net, talked with my teachersz"
"looked over my applications, SDN, Norman Gevitz's The D.O.'s"
"SDN, school website, read up on osteopathic medicine"
"watched a few movies the day before to relax...read some interview feedbacks"
"SDN, PCom's website, read up on current affairs"
"Honestly, I did nothing. I didn't want to stress myself out with reviewing material about the history of osteopathic medicine and thinking of possible questions they would ask me. I just relied on my gut instincts and answered the questions truthfully. "
"SDN, DOs in America book, pre-health club at college "
"Visited the school this summer, checked out the web site, reviewed all of my essays, etc. I sent them. "
"read SND, read stuff about osteopathic medicine (which wasn't very helpful when they asked in depth questions about OMM), PCOM website"
"read sdn website and drew on previous (non-med school) interviews"
"Read over my applications, looked at the school's website, this website, looked over some stuff on osteopathy"
"This site, PCOM's website, went to the open house in September, brushed up on my osteopathic principles and healthcare issues."
"SDN feedback, read into osteopathic medicine in depth"
"SDN, reviewed by application, PCOM website, corresponded with current students"
"website.."
"Read "The DO's," this site, friends at the school."
"Reviewed my AACOMAS and secondary applications, read up about the school (PCOM website is great), reviewed important issues."
"SDN, DO books, PCOM website"
"school website, interview feed back, SDN, read my profile"
"website, interview feedback, spoke to students, read a book on Osteopathy as well as did some research on HMOs."
"This site and read about Osteopathic Medicine"
"Went to their website, talked to current students"
"Read information about the school on their web-site, spoke to a friend who attends PCOM"
"Read this website, read PCOM website, did research on DO philosophy online"
"SDN, Interviewfeedback, PCOMs website, Gevitz book, Friends at PCOM"
"I read Gevitz's book, took virtual tour of school (THEY ARE REALLY BIG ON PEOPLE GOING TO THE SCHOOL BEFORE THE INTERVIEW), read interviewfeedback.com, read up on HMOs, read my file, prayed, and watched a couple of movies to relax..."
"PCOM website, SDN forums"
"The friendliness and facilities"
"Attitude of the faculty and students"
"the campus, clinical rotation quality, overall reputation"
"The interviewers were very laid back and it was more of a conversation. The tour and breakfast with current students were both positive; that is not related to admission's decision in any way."
"More than a handful of students stopped on their way to wish us luck and offer encouragement. Also, the campus is nicer than some others."
"Everyone was really nice, they didn't try to intentionally stress you out"
"Everyone seemed happy and they had great facilities"
"Students that we saw on campus during our student-led tours were supportive. They would cheer for us or clap as we walked by. Before even setting foot in the door for my interview, I felt encouraged and supported by the student body. I can't impress upon the student applicant enough how great that feels."
"Involvement of students in the interview process."
"The encouraging, non-competitive environment was a huge plus."
"Everyone at school was nice and honest - no one was out to get you and put you on the spot"
"The tour! We had three student tour guides who were all incredibly friendly, full of anecdotes, and honest about the school. Also, the woman in the bookstore, Dotty, is an absolute darling. Go see her after your interview. She's very knowledgeable about student and campus life, and very supportive and encouraging."
"Everything about this school is amazing. Their classes are well organized and all video recorded, the library is open 24/7 with card access, housing is close by, parking is easy and affordable, students are actually happy and very friendly. Several students saw the group of interview students sitting in the lobby and came over to wish us luck and calm us down, others said hi in the halls."
"The lady at the front counter who greets you when you walk in is the best."
"Everyone was very helpful and welcoming. The students seemed very happy and would stop by the admissions office just to talk to us and wish us luck."
"My interviewers were really pretty stellar. They blew me away with their openness and friendliness, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience."
"The campus."
"Everything."
"Students and faculty were friendly and open to answering questions"
"The small size of the interview room and table. It made it feel like a conversation, not an interrogation. The fact that all the questions were heavily prefaced with context, so you understood what they were trying to ascertain with the question. That the questions seemed insightful, not arbitrary or like they were trying to "trap" you. The medical student in the interview provided a certain sense of comfort and humanity in the process. I appreciated how much the admissions staff tried to put us at ease."
"This school is awesome. The community is great and everyone works together and seems pretty happy."
"everyone (faculty, staff, & students) are HAPPY to be there"
"The interview was conversational and really focused on me."
"How friendly everyone was at the school."
"The friendliness of the students and staff, the impressive simulation center and cadaver lab."
"People were extremely friendly, passionate about the school and welcoming."
"friendliness of the students and staff, comfort level at the school"
"Everything. The facilities, the friendliness of students and staff."
"The staff, students and professors were very positive about all things PCOM."
"Our tourguide was friendly. "
"The facilities. "
"Really good reputation, awesome location, cool athletic gym"
"How incredibly nice everyone was."
"Loved EVERYTHING! ADCOM is so laid back and personable. Students pop in the office to say hey and wish you good luck. Ms. Debbie at the security front desk is AWESOME!"
"nice reputation, ability to do rotations pretty much anywhere you want, nice anatomy lab, students seem to help each other"
"My interviewers were AWESOME! They were hilarious and we joked around alot, even as I left the room they were still laughing- it was an all around good time. - Students were nice...admissions staff was nice, STAN/NOELLE (Spelling?) were interesting...Lecture halls had tons of plasma TV's/screens which was really nice."
"beautiful athletics facilities, simulated robotic patients, how relaxed students were, campus feel"
"The school's history and location in Philadelphia, quality of rotation sites, reputation in comparison to the other 4 med schools in Philly, the athletic facility, the robotic patients (Noelle and Stan I think?) and the beautiful view of the Philly skyline from the hockey deck on the roof of the rec center."
"location, great tradition"
"School has been around forever so their curricula is very strong, great facilities, awesome list of clinical rotation sites, access to resources for board preps, being able to compete on its own with 4 other med schools in the city, and of course, it's in Philly..the city of brotherly love"
"The sense of community and the post-exam parties."
"Everything, I loved this place. "
"-Seeing other candidates who were dissing osteopathy and clearly focusing on allopathic ask a MSI student "So, have you taken your boards yet?" lol! -Seeing other candidates who were accepted to other programs who were still interviewing -Seeing PCOM students who were accepted at other programs who preferred PCOM even though the most logical choice (UNECOM or NSUCOM) would be cheaper/easier -Urban... rotations will have more #patients/rotation and diversity in ppl/cases -They READ and remembered my file! -Price is reasonable -System-based with some case-studies -Reputation -Many students end up taking USMLEs or don't even have to b/c PCOM is so well known in the area -Cafe has reasonable options -mp3 lectures with student notes for Y1 & Y2 (mixed reviews of)"
"They actually READ my file! I have never been in an interview where they read my file cover to cover. Usually if they get my name right I'm impressed. It seems like they actually took the time to evaluate me, which is what a school should do."
"Pretty much everything! I don't mind their for-profit status nor the debate about lack of Title VI loans. The students were so friendly and passionate about their endeavors. The faculty and staff are seriously committed to making RVUCOM an amazing place to learn medicine."
"Interview was very laid back. Very friendly and courteous tour guide."
"friendliness of staff, other people interviewing seemed qualified and they truly wanted to be there, whereas other DO schools I have interviewed at I got the feeling people just applied because they think they would have more of a chance of getting accepted (versus an MD school). current students genuinely wanted to be there and chose that school even though they had other options."
"location, faculty, anatomy lab though alittle outdated, gym and student lounge area, security guard at the front desk"
"The fact that the President stopped by, seems like a great guy and how friendly everyone was."
"Meeting the President of the school."
"The Dean of Student Affairs was extremely impressive. "
"Their affiliation with the number of healthcare centers in the region."
"The location is nice."
"Friendly interview. Breakfast with Dr. Nicholas, OMM, was informative and enjoyable."
"The friendliness of students and staff"
"Everything about this school. "
"The student who gave our tour was lively and interesting to speak with"
"Great facilities, very friendly, great great city."
"the area was great. the students were so nice. the professors were so open and friendly. my tour guides were great. buffie was hilarious"
"The students seemed to be close-nit and the facilities were decent."
"Nothing"
"The support the school gives students. They have career counselors, specialists to help you with study skills, etc."
"I thought the students truly loved their school and I could see that in the tour guides and the other students walking around. Strong diversity. Enthusiastic and passionate faculty."
"Things looked pretty new. The gym was decent."
"the facilities and technology"
"The faculty, the small class size, the high-tech facilities, STAN, geographical location. GA-PCOM is everything that I am looking for in a medical school. "
"I actually liked the school a lot more than what I thought I would. Small class size, very friendly faculty, great students -- even the financial aid lady was funny. She checks this site, so put this in bold."
"very well organized admissions program they told us that they would have a decision in 3 weeks. Also the breakfast was in a private room with a student and faculty member. "
"Everyone was happy at the school - students, faculty, admissions, front desk - everyone!"
"very high tech...STAN. friendly smiling faces. lots of medical students stopped by and chatted with us."
"facilities, interviewers were friendly. I was stressed out for no reason. Dont be stressed! it's just a conversation."
"everything! the facilities were amazing, and just made me so much more excited. The tour was awesome, I got to go into the anatomy lab and up next to the students disecting the cadaver; the two (boy and girl) were second years that were giving us the tour and they were awesome, they were enthusiastic, super nice, and very informative and proud of their school and their experiences. Also, i probably met about 15 first years they were all so interested in finding out about me and answering any of my questions which was awesome."
"The school seems solid all-around. The PCOM name brings credibility, and the professors I met seem extremely good. I would love to go to school here. I would have total confidence in the level of education they provide."
"First and second year students were friendly, many stopped into the admissions office to talk to us and answer questions. The Philadelphia 76ers basketball team practices on the school's campus."
"The facilities were nice and modern"
"The school campus is absolutely awesome. Very high tech. Its just an old ware house turned completely around. Its one story, but very big. The labs have 6 plasma flat screens hanging from the ceiling along with floor to ceiling projectors... the professors can therefore work at their table and have the camera on what they're doing so you can see it from your seat. The rest of the school is completely wireless, they have the new STAN system working, and the school is just very modern looking and colorful inside."
"The students loved the school; they were excited to be there and PCOM was their first choice."
"Before our interview, a couple of medical students came up to us and basically told us a bit about school and some hints for an interview. Students overall seem to be really happy and enthusiastic."
"there was swarm of students that stopped by the waiting area and greeted us, the interviewees. They made the whole process less stressful and provided deeper insights in the school. "
"The staff are really nice people and are very helpful. I was also able to sit in on a class which was really cool."
"facilities, the organization of the day, and dozens of students stopped by to say hi and answer questions"
"Everyone was happy from security guards to students. Everyone wanted to tell you how happy they were there. They have excellent simulators as well as other facilities which will make learning both fun and interesting. I was also hugely impressed with the school's view on team work rather than competition."
"Students seemed really happy, everyone was really nice"
"The interviewers were uber-friendly and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. Even the security guard was friendly!"
"I was very impressed with the facilities and the wealth of technology that was available. Huge Anatomy Lab. "
"The student were honest and very informative. The interviewers were great and interesting themselves."
"The facilities are fantastic!!!"
"Everything"
"the 'fishbow' was a little strange, but there were students that came by and talked to us. The Financial Aid lady was great- dont know what some of you were talking about, but she is Great- funny and honest. The school looks great and the new tech was really impressive"
"Helpfulness of students in the med school coming by and talking with us."
"They are constantly updating the school. They know they are getting tight on space so they are planning to construct a new building soon."
"How friendly and encouraging the interviewers were. "
"The interviewers were so nice."
"Everything! the professors,the staff, OMM lab, anatomy lab, the fitness center...the list goes on..."
"The school is really in a cool place and the facilities are all pretty new looking."
"Cultural and ethnic diversity. No dresscode!!! Oh YEAH!!!!"
"I love everything about the school"
"Friendliness of students who walked up talked to me. The staff was very friendly as I walked around the building alone."
"I was 2 hours late for my interview due to a flight cancellation and 15 hour flight delay and all three of the interviewers stayed late and waited till I got to PCOM."
"The facilities of the school. And the people are really nice and seem to know each other very well."
"The staff was very nice. Good OMM dept. Everything is high-tech"
"The friendy people and technology of the school."
"The school is in a good location in Philly, and the Ms. Debbie (I think that's her name) at the front desk was VERY enthusiastic--even for a Monday morning. She was amazing!! "
"The faculty are very qualified and clearly care about getting to know students and wanting them to do well. I was also pleasantly surprised by the racial diversity of the PCOM Atlanta. They advertise a commitment to diversity and they certainly follow it."
"Where do I start. Everything from breakfast in the cafeteria, which was delicious, to the tour at the end was great. The facilities are great, location is great, the staff and faculty are GREAT, and I could not be happier with the school."
"Everything, esp. the frienly students."
"How enthusiastic the students were about their school, how friendly everyone was"
"The size of the OMM and Anatomy Labs. Also everyone seemed extremely nice, very personable."
"the students were all very nice. student body seemed to all get along be very helpful towards one another."
"the caring faculty, enthusiastic students, nice, colorful facilities, the fact that they've already established all rotation sites before even building the school, entire campus is wireless, professors have an open door policy, many, many cadavers (both in the classroom and storage area) to allow students to dissect and get the medical education they deserve, its proximity (~10 mins) to two big malls, very supportive environment. "
"EVERYONE is so welcoming and positive. Strong camaraderie and emphasis on learning vs. competition. Great campus."
"OMM lab, proximity to Atlanta"
"The facility is fairly new"
"The friendly people. Facilities are top notch."
"The interviewers were very kind and professional, The tour guide was fantastic, the facilities are state-of-the art, they have excellent resources to help students find clinical clerkships, the students there seemed very happy and close"
"All of the students seem to love PCOM and are very enthusiastic about the school. Students are very involved in activities and seem very down to earth and not competitive. The campus is very nice with state-of-the-art facilities. "
"The overall atmosphere.. the current students were thrilled to be there and SO helpful when taking you around to lecture rooms (and I'm not even referring to the tour)"
"The students were really outgoing and took the time to come and talk with us while we waited to be interviewed"
"The students seem to enjoy the school and they seem close to one another. The OMM lab and anatomy lab were great."
"The friendliness of the faculty and students, the great location"
"facilities"
"Students are very frinedly. Many of they just stopped by to say hello and answer the questions. "
"It was very relaxed, they wanted to get to know me, and not make me sweat."
"The facilities are very nice. The second floor of the libary was just re-done and looks great and spacious. The athletic facilities and the gym were nice too, with new equipment. The students were very outgoing and seemed to really love thier school. They emphasized that most people join clubs and are very involved in the school. "
"school is all wireless and technology is state-of-the-art"
"The fascilities, the OMM and anatomy labs are great! nice library. pretty much everything the school has to offer so far. Very nice! Oh, did I mention they have the nation's leaders when it comes to OMM doctors?! I kid you not. The area is also beautiful. Also, no mandatory attendance policy and all classes are taped and accessible online!"
"The breafast before the interviews started was so nice. I couldn't eat a crumb but the conversation was reassuring to all the nervous interviewees and I appreciated that."
"Awesome facilities and extremely friendly staff"
"How much the current students enjoyed being there. The first year students had an anatomy exam the next day and a couple of them sat with us in the fish bowl for close to an hour answering questions during their lunch break. Very nice and very unexpected. "
"How positive all of the students and faculty were. Their great reputation and facilities. "
"The overall enthusiasm and genuine niceness of the students and staff."
"Everyone I met was entirely positive about the school. Everyone there has a sense of pride about it."
"The students and faculty were all extremely pleasant. Everyone was there to help and not to make you feel nervous about the interview. They gave the assurance that you had made it "that far" (getting an interview). Heck, the college president even stopped by the office on his way into the building, introduced himself, told us about his family, and wished us the best."
"Everyone (faculty and students) was very warm and welcoming - and very available and eager to answer questions. Facilities (especially the anatomy and OMM labs) were brand new and very high-tech. Whole campus is wireless. Library has most books online - all textbooks are required to be online."
"The school has great potential. The anatomy lab and OMM lab are excellent. They have one of the best professors in OMM. The faculty seems to be very helpful to the students and the students being the only class there have a great say in the development of the school."
"The facilities were top-notch. The OMM program has one of the most reknown OMM experts in the world. "
"Facilities, student enthusiasm, multiple interest groups, anatomy lab"
"How welcoming everyone was (including the students)."
"the technology of the school. wireless throughout and in parking lot. access many online medical text and journals. laid back atmosphere conducive to learning. the OMM lab... Wow!"
"How enthusiastic the interviewers were and how much they wanted me to attend their school.... They tried to convince me the entire time that their school would be the best place to go."
"Technology; the friendliness of students; Personable professors"
"The students and staff seemed friendly, relaxed, and very welcoming."
"The facilities were very modern. The faculty was pleasant (especially the lady at the info booth right at the entrance...what a sweetie!)"
"The culture and environment. It is a supportive environment and everyone is extremely friendly. Several students stopped by while we were waiting to be interviewed to answer questions. The President of the School even came in to speak with us during our wait!"
"The attitudes of the interviewers"
"The students really seemed to enjoy their school. They seemed to be having a good time through it all. Also, although the class is very big--they seemed to be close."
"How much the school has to offer(despite being a new program). I was also impressed by how well one of the interviewers knew my application. "
"Facilities! Surrounding areas were beautiful too! The cost of living is much lower there than it is in most places in Florida."
"School is brand new and very high tech - plamsa screens in OMM lab and anatomy lab. Faculty seemed enthusiatic. The school seems to have already laid some ground work for rotations."
"Its a great school, I just dont care for philly. "
"The facilities were great and the professors seemed very positive and helpful. The students were very friendly and all loved being there."
"The interviewers were very open and honest."
"Friendliness of the students."
"the interview was the best part. Students seemed relaxed and confident."
"The facilities and the location of the school were second to none. The opportunities to find life outside school are endless in Philly. The clerkships offered are numerous and include rural and inner-city settings. "
"Brand new campus with state-of-the-art equipment"
"The students were really down to earth and happy! They were joking around and all seemed to have a sense of humor. It really felt like a family."
"16 cadaviers! for 80 students, that's alot!"
"I really liked how friendly everyone was...I also sat in on a lecture and the professor was engaging."
"The school is in a great location. When walking into the building everyone was so great. The receptionist was the most happy person you will ever meet who kept telling me I was going to do great, a definite relaxer. Students came in and talked to us while we waited and answered any questions that we had. An overall sense of enthusiasm and camaraderie. "
"Facilities and the atmosphere! "
"the school's facilities, location, and low cost of living around the school"
"Faculty and students were very welcoming and friendly."
"The faculty members seems awesome."
"quality of students"
"The facilities are brand new and are amazing. They have a HUGE OMM lab and anatomy lab. Gwinett County is a great place to live and work. Great schools as well."
"The facilities are brand new and state of the art."
"PCOM is a nice school with a good reputation, excellent rotations, and solid residencies. They produce good doctors."
"All of the students at PCOM are enthusiastic and more than willing to show you around or answer any questions that you might have. The facilities are great! And, Chris Webber was practicing in the gym while we were there. "
"The facilities are brand new, the students were helpful and willing to answer any questions we had (I even got some email addresses) and they seemed very tight knit (probably because there class was realitively small). I loved the area, it was quiet enough to get some serious studying done, but close enough to ATL to enjoy city life. Also, the townhouses looked really expensive, but students told us they found affordable rent pretty close to the school. "
"School felt like a campus. A lot of DO schools are just one building in the middle of nowhere. This school had many buildings and in Philly. I think that is why most students pick PCOM as number one."
"Everyone there was SO enthusiastic and all of the students seemed genuinely happy to be there. There also seems to be a lot of camraderie between the classes."
"The location. I've been to Philadelphia a few times before but I never realized how much I loved it. The school is on the outskirts of Philly but not too far. The students were really nice too - they dropped by to answer our questions and the interviewers themselves were very friendly. The interview seemed like a conversation than a grilling session. The school also has great rotations, a fantastic match list, and great osteopathic residency opportunities"
"students seemed really happy, enthusiastic, and friendly. the sixers practice there and i saw them!"
"The facilities were amazing, the location of the school is great, the students were extremely friendly"
"Friendly and delightful atmosphere. Extremely happy students and beautiful campus. "
"I was impressed that the students do rotations with MS from Temple, UPenn, and Drexel. The location is awesome since you are able to take advantage of the city, but do not have to pay the high rent to live in it. "
"The people! It's a very tight-knit group at the school--a real family feel. Everyone is very approachable and on the same "team.""
"Im a Biomed this year at PCOM, so I know how great the facilities are, and how amazing the teachers are also. So for me, I was just impressed by how well the interviewers knew my file and my accomplishments and seemed to be interested in getting to know me. "
"The friendliness of the students--they all came in on their way to classes to say hello and good luck. The unpretentious nature of the dean and the interviewers--no trick questions or bad attitudes."
"Everything! The facilities are top-notch, the students, staff, and faculty are extremely friendly and welcoming, the lecture that I sat in on was well delivered, and I just loved the overall aura of the campus."
"The friendly feeling from everyone from security to the dean of students."
"Very nice people there, even the security guard."
"The two interviewers were really nice, breakfast with dean, and the campus is really nice."
"The students had so much pride in their school!"
"The school had a solid campus with multiple buildings, facilities and a garage. Saw two large lecture halls with state of the art AV systems, reminding me a little of elite private northeast colleges. Cafeteria is also better than I expected and the food is not as bad as I feared. PCOM also gave me the impression that they cared not only about their students academic well-being but also social and physical well-being, establishing a decent workout and exercise area with plenty of basketball courts. Reminds me of the good old days in college. Finally, there is a bus stop right outside of PCOM's front entrance, allowing a quick trip into the city."
"The new school will have state of the art technology and the faculty/administration seem very enthousiastic and friendly. Atlanta location is a big plus."
"The facilities, the location, and the actual content of the interivew. The student tour guides were really down to earth."
"Nice facilities, enthusiastic students and faculty, the good word of mouth I've heard from other people was backed up by the students there."
"everyone is so nice and helpful here"
"the facilities; the campus"
"Admissions office was optimistic about starting a school in ATL-GA. Resources are at ones finger tips in Atlanta. New technology & new facility"
"facilities, cheerful attitude of faculty, enthusiasm of students"
"The facilities are very nice, ample computer facilities, and faculty seems devoted and enthusiastic. Students are happy."
"Friendly attitude of students and faculty, nice facilities"
"Everything!! PCOM-Atlanta is going to be a n awesome school."
"PCOM is 2 hours from NY and its easily accesible by public transportation"
"enthusiasm of students, noncompetitive environment, yet rigorous academics"
"The whole atmosphere was really relaxed and positive."
"The plans for the new school."
"Everyone is so warm and friendly at PCOM. The lady at the front desk is so kind. She kept going on and on about how handsome all the men looked and how beautiful all the girls were that were there for their interviews. I was afraid I would be pretty nervous for the interview, but as soon as we got back to the waiting room after breakfast I did not even get a chance to sit down because I was the first one called in, so there was no time to get nervous."
"The energy and technology of a new school."
"the positive and friendly atmosphere of the school."
"The school seemed to be very competitive in relation to all the other five med schools in the city"
"The things which they are going to be doing at the new campus (Atlanta campus) and kind of faculty they are attracting. "
"I was very impressed with how they really got to know me. My last interview, it seemed like my interviewers didn't really care and they just wanted to get things over with, but here they really seemed to care!"
"Patient manican simulator. Superb facility design. Seem to be very motivated people building the new PCOM GA school."
"how well planed the school is"
"Students could not say enough about the school!! I've been there twice, once to tour at a conference, once to interview, and each time I found at least 5 to 6 people to talk to and all loved the place. They said students were helpful towards each other, lectures were come or go, profs were great."
"Friendly student body. Breakfast with the dean."
"the facilities, carol fox and the rest of the staff, campus is beautiful"
"everything, I got a chance to meet the Deans right before my interview, The location of the school(Atlanta), the palns they had for the school "
"The relaxed atmosphere of the interviewers"
"The great lengths that PCOM takes to make applicants feel welcome and comfortable. The students seem to really love it."
"The PCOM students were very friendly and positive about their experience at PCOM. I interviewed with the director of admissions and a D.O. physician, and the interview was more like a conversation. I felt relaxed and comfortable. The school is perfect for me, and I could really see myself as a student there which is important to me. The anatomy labs are state of the art, and the mock-clinic where they bring in patient actors really impressed me, as did the robotic S.T.A.N. "
"How HAPPY everyone is! Most students are young and they were so friendly when we were waiting for our interviews. The facilities and gym are nice...the gross anatomy lab looks out over downtown Philly! Our tour guide said they're trying to get lectures in MP3 format, too."
"Electronic standardized patient, opportunities to go to south america durign summer of first year, problem based aspect to lecture based learing. I want to have a lecture based curriculum but I think that PBL is a useful learing school so teh incorperation of the two was fantastic. Preceptor program to shadow physicians,the number of people that I new that went ot the school. Interviewers didn't look down upon the discussion of ethical and somewhat contraversial issues. Opportunities to interact with medical studenta at the other 5 medical schools in philly."
"Everyone is very friendly at the school. Students, faculty, staff, etc. were very happy to have us there for the morning. "
"The faculty, staff, and students were extremely nice and helpful."
"How friendly everyone was (and this was an hour before a major exam) Also my fellow interviewees were pretty cool, no one was cut throat or anything, we were all nervous, but still willing to talk"
"The interviewers made me feel very comfortable and they were glad I was there. All the students were extremely happy to talk about PCOM and to us."
"the location, the nice facilities, the friendly people everywhere including the security lady when you first walk in"
"The campus is beautiful and the students all seem very friendly and happy to be there. Students came in during our waiting period and answered any questions we had and tried to put us at ease."
"love the campus, i really respect the school, students told you anything you wanted to know about the schhol"
"The students are all very proud of their school and happy to be there."
"sweet anatomy lab and facilities, lots of study areas, gymnasium (sixers practice there), and STAN"
"The anatomy lab!!!! It was probably the first that I had seen that overlooks a skyline as opposed to the windowless labs I saw at other schools. The facillities are in general are phenomenal!!!"
"The campus is completely modernized and furnished with the lastest technology. The environment in general was just so warm and welcoming. As I walked into Evans Hall, the first person I came into contact with told me I looked good in my suit...:) Then the lady at the desk greeted me before I could even open my mouth. The students there are very friendly and kept stopping in to talk to us about the school. On top of all of that, the school is small which I like since I went to a small undergrad school. "
"The facilities are phenomenal. The design and location make it a perfect atmosphere for learning. Not to mention the anatomy lab is on the 6th floor overlooking the city skyline (much better than the typical windowless labs)."
"Nothing really. I did not like the school. I am going to NYCOM instead. Currently waiting for the MD school responses, but either way, NYCOM is my top choice for DO."
"the atmospehere of the campus as well as the students. everyone had a laid back personality and seemed very happy."
"Campus"
"The friendliness of the students and campus."
"Everyone was really laid back, the stress level is only that high because I was the last person to be interviewed, but the interviewers did not grill me at all."
"The considerate and encouraging students. "
"The only positive thing was that my hotel was close enough to the school so that I could walk to the interview. Oh yeah, nice gymnasium, when it's open."
"The atmosphere at the school. Everyone was very friendly and willing to answer any questions. The facilities were also very impressive. "
"The anatomy lab. The location. I can commute from home."
"the student body is really family like, great facilities, great staff, great location "
"The students were very enthusiastic and very friendly. Nice facilities!"
"anatomy lab"
"Nice facilities, very friendly students."
"EVERYONE was absolutely awesome! The immediate feeling you get when you walk on campus and see people interacting is a family atmosphere that is low-stress and non-competitive. It was great! "
"The school was beautiful and the people were extremely nice. The faculty was also extremely helpful and nice."
"The facilities, staff and students. Many students stopped by to ask our group if we had any questions. Two other students decided to come w/our student guide on the tour."
"EVERYTHING..I love this school. The facilities are new, clean, and wonderful..the OMM lab is the best I have ever seen. The students look happy and everyone you speak to is friendly-the admissions staff is calm, humorous, and so friendly"
"My interview was AWESOME! I had the director of admissions, Deb and she was so nice. She made all of us feel welcome. In talking with the students from the otehr groups, you should definately try to get her for your interview."
"It is a great atmosphere, there is AWESOME technology, the school is very updated and modern, the atmosphere is very outgoing and great. I even got to see Allen Iverson, because the 76ers practice at the school's gym."
"students seemed genuinely happy, faculty was eager to help, facilities were amazing"
"Everything, this is far and away the best school I have seen, MD or DO."
"How much the students love the school and how the students interacted with each other. Saw the 76ers practice!"
"The students are really friendly and although 1 person was supppossed to take us on a tour, 2 others joined in."
"The students seem to be very friendly and supportive of one another."
"the facilites were fairly new and up to date and the students were friendly"
"Facilities were great, students seemed happy"
"You will love everything about this school. The facilities, faculty, students are all so nice. "
"The school is great! Students are very helpful and supportive. All the staff members were very welcoming and made me feel like I really belonged there. The cafe has great food and ALL the facilites are renovated. Despite the large class size there are enough facilites to accomodate everyone! PCOM offers many opportunities to get involved in exciting research areas, like Alzheimer's disease, etc. There is a nice balance between the competition and cooperation among PCOM students. PCOM is located strategically, with almost everything available around a 5-10 mile radius. "
"Everything! PCOM is really awesome! I loved the curriculum- it's systems-based with a myriad of learning methods. PCOM-affiliated rotation sites are strong. The faculty is incredibly helpful with an open door policy. The students are really nice and appear happy to be there. The staff were really friendly. The facilities are wonderful. The cafeteria is clean and bright. The food is pretty good as well. The gym was really impressive. "
"the facilities, the president stopped in to talk to the interviewees, the anatomy lab, students were friendly, the basketball courton the roof"
"Students were very laid-back even though they were studying for an exam. Very friendly staff and the facilities are pretty modern. It was great that everything was in such close proximity of each other. Cafeteria food was great."
"I had been to the school before so I was already familiar with the campus. The facilities are really nice and relatively new. The friendliness of the students and the faculty. Also, the plethora of information that was given to the prospective students about the school and its program. I did not need to ask questions because they were all answered."
"EVERYTHING!! The day before, my father and I walked quickly around the school, and I think we saw the *back* of the school (didn't really know where we were going), so I was kind of nervous that the school looked deserted (being a Sunday and all). However, when I arrived the next morning for my interview, the campus was so full of life! The facilities really are amazing-- you should see the anatomy lab! Who's ever heard of an anatomy lab on the sixth floor, containing an entire wall of windows that overlook the skyline of Philly???? I sat in on a class with the first years, and the teaching was amazing-- totally engaging; even though it was a lecture hall with 200+ students, people were raising their hands, asking questions! Also, Deb Erdner (assistant director of admissions) is so incredibly kind and caring; I cannot tell you how much she put me at ease. Also, it was amazing that a second year student sat with us interviewees for the ENTIRE time we were waiting, making sure we weren't nervous! Everyone *is* so nice there; it truly is not a cliche. "
"i sat in on the OMM lab the day before, teacher was great, someone who seems to make things interesting. the students were all very happy. The OMM teacher took us to breakfast in the morning, talked about the program and answered our questions. He really eased us into the day. "
"facilities, students seemed very happy there"
"Facilities."
"The students were very happy with their educational experience. They also seemed to live "normal" lives and were very easy to talk to."
"Absolutely everything was amazing at this school, I was so impressed with facilities, admissions people, students, just everything. Even the president of the school came in to greet us and all the interviewers were so nice and made us all feel very welcome."
"-Friendliness of students -Student Activities Center -School's reputation and history"
"friendly people (almost too friendly...), spiffy gym, relaxed atmosphere"
"The students were normal people - not bookworms who have been in three research projects. "
"students were enthusiastic about their program eventhough they were in the middle of finals. Evans hall is a great place to study, take classes, socialize, etc. The cafeteria's food is awesome. The recreation facilities are great. The campus is small, but clean, and safe. I was very impressed with the friendliness of everyone from the faculty, security, students, fellow interviewees and ancillary staff. The tour guide (student government person)was very informative and answered all our questions."
"94% board pass rate, nice facilities, good research possibilities, pleasant faculty. I've been to PCOM before and loved it - my interview experience was not that great though."
"Very friendly faculty, staff, and students, new campus, close to Philly, lots of comfortable on campus study areas"
"Everything. The students are really happy there. We had two students come in while we were waiting and answer all our questions. It really demonstrated the supportive environment in the school. The faculty was really nice. The curriculum seemed challenging but in the same time it looked like students really enjoy the experience. The school is small which has a certain attraction in it, and its in a nice part of philly. "
"Parking & the receptionist at the main entrance."
"Student, professor were really nice and approachable. Great Facilities,rotations, and etc. I loved this school!!"
"As we waited for our interviews students voluntarily came into to talk to us. Most were first years but some were not. They all seemed very enthusiastic about the school and anyone who'd go out of there way to make others feel comfortable seems like people from a supportive enironment."
"The school overall impressed me. Everyone I met was SUPER nice and very helpful. The facilities were good and it was easy to find your way around campus. Pretty nice area of Philly."
"I have a close connection with PCOM, so I already know a lot about the school. However, hearing these things again from the administration, faculty, and students just impressed me all the more. Their clinical training is fabulous, no matter if you want to do primary care or a specialty."
"the friendliness of the students....seems to be a truly non-competitive environment. DO/MBA program"
"all of the students were excited to be at the school...while your waiting to interview they'll stop in and talk to you...it was a test day and everyone still seemed happy after finishing thier tests. also the facilities are great. "
"The students at PCOM are so excited to be going to school there. They were also really friendly to the people interviewing."
"The facilities. And, you know, Iverson's Bentley parked out front. "
"The students!!!!!!!! They all seem so happy to study at PCOM. They stopped by while we were waiting to talk about how great the school is, etc."
"the facilites are absolutely amazing, the best i have seen of any school, MD or DO. Excellent sports facility, including weight room, gym, etc, and even the cafetaria was pretty impressive, out of all the schools i have been to"
"Everyone was so nice throughout the entire day in a really genuine way. Even the interviewers made a point to put you totally at ease-everyone came out of the interview with a big smile. The facilities are AMAZing!"
"the campus, the students that stopped by, the diversity of the class"
"a lot of energy at the school. great facilities. "
"everyone at the school seemed really laid back, they didn't just seem like over stressed med students-- i got the impression they still had lives outside of studying, and its a really diverse place, the facilities are really nice"
"The facilities--WOW! Everything is immaculate. The anatomy lab is bright and well-ventilated and has a beautiful view of the Philly skyline. The new student activity center is gorgeous; the 76ers practice there. The faculty, staff, and students have to be just about the friendliest people on the planet. All day, students were constantly coming up to the interviewees wishing us good luck and asking if we had any questions. One actually took about 45 minutes out of his class time to talk to us about PCOM. While the student body is relatively large, it feels like a big family and the students seem supportive of one another. The curriculum is totally integrated, meaning that everything you learn has a broader context. There is A LOT of research going on. The 6 core hospital they're affiliated with have a total of over 1,000 combined beds. They just bought a new robotic patient simulator, which very few med schools--MD or DO--have. You see patients as early as your first trimester. The scribe service is reputed to be very good. The lecture halls are big and can get crowded, but are chock full of hi-tech gadgets--very impressive. To top it all off, even the food in the cafeteria is great! Over half of PCOM grads now specialize, and many go on to do very high-profile residencies. There are a ton of student organizations; I saw signs advertising the upcoming student SKI TRIP sponsored by the ski/snowboard club."
"Everyone was so friendly"
"Everything about the day was positive!! Students kept coming in and talking with all of us, I got to sit in on an OMT lab, the facilities are AWESOME (got to see the 76ers practing), breakfast was good and very informative,"
"Students were nice, facilities are new"
"Everyone was very nice and the small campus was very impressive."
"Students were very friendly and many stopped by to talk to the interviewees even though they were in the middle of finals. Facilities are very nice."
"How nice everyone was.....just about every aspect of the school...students all seemed very happy. Opps to rotate through some of the best hospitals in the country and work in underserved areas."
"the facilities, students"
"The campus, it was recently renovated and looks great, although it is small."
"Despite it being finals week, all the students were extremely nice, friendly, and laid back. The facilities are awesome too! Quick turn around for an answer from the school too!!"
"How friendly all of the people there were. (staff, students, doctors)"
"The facilites are great!"
"The facilities are really nice. Students were constantly coming in to talk to us while we were waiting. Students generally seemed excited to be there."
"Facilities, attitude of the current students towards their school and towards eachother."
"The.....the....campus is pretty nice. The Sixers use the gym to practice, but don't start fishing yet. You can't get in when they are in there, and apparently, unless you are a single hot chick, don't bother going anywhere near it when they are there."
"The facilities, WOW!"
"nothing - great school"
"The welcome and QandA with students was a little too informal. No real ice breaker and had multiple awkward pauses"
"PCOM had to revamp is curriculum because students were doing poorly on boards as well as failing Physiology...OMM is currently in the basketball gym. class size is also massive for even a DO school (270)"
"There wasn't really a presentation offered. We went right into tours, to a late breakfast and then interviews."
"The tour was really long, the campus is very small so there was no need to spend over an hour walking around"
"The area surrounding campus was not very pretty or exciting. I was concerned my wife & I would not be happy at the school for 2+ years, but to end on a positive note, the staff are all very warm & welcoming and make-up for any lack of color outside of campus."
"My tour guide was unenthusiastic."
"One of my interviewers kept cutting off my answers before I could get to my point to move on to the next question. Also, lunch featured meat, cheese, and junk food. Something vegetarian/vegan friendly besides potato chips would have been appreciated."
"I can't think of anything that was bad about PCOM."
"The arrogance and hostility of the interviewers"
"Since I had an afternoon interview (12pm), we were given a tour, lunch and informational meetings before our actual interview. It was hard to focus on all of the information on the tour because I was only thinking about my interview."
"The rest of the day was less organized than the interview; I would have liked to meet more students."
"Person at breakfast that tried to use a scare tactic."
"Nothing, really! The only thing was, having had a tour during the open house by an GREAT tour guide--our tour guide seemed a little unsure and at a loss for things to say during the tour. But, she made up for it by being honest in all her answers and not trying to seem like a recruiter or like she was trying to put a positive spin on everything."
"Seemed like there were few housing options within walking distance of the campus."
"the interview day was not informative of PCOM and didn't appear to try to sell us on the school"
"During the breakfast we had with the OMM expert physician, he acted like we had another thing coming if we thought we knew what osteophatic medicine is. I'm sure he is well-informed about osteophatic medicine; however, he came off as somewhat abrasive. "
"Location."
"I wish the admissions committee did more to sell the school. I ended up choosing another school over this one. Also-- the OMM faculty member that had breakfast with us kept telling us that we did not know what osteopathic medicine was(he said that at least 3 times)..... uhhhhh ok???"
"The amount of time you have to wait in the admissions office. However the other applicants were awesome to talk to and the guy at the desk joined in conversation too!"
"large class size, ability to do rotations pretty much anywhere (i like some structure), Spend pretty much the whole day in classes and OMM"
"Whoever I spoke to a few weeks earlier to reschedule my interview- an absolutely rude person who gave me such a hassle. "
"City Ave"
"There wasn't much of a presentation to the morning... it was more sitting around and just us asking questions. In comparison to other schools who had more of a formal schedule to their mornings with powerpoint presentations and stuff it didn't seem like they were going the extra mile to impress visitors (although I didn't need impressing because it was already my top choice)."
"very large class. worst interview day i have been to. I received no information or the curriculum, financial aid , and other advantages of going to PCOM"
"Nothing really. I heard their curricula is tough but that's fine because that means I will be well prepared for boards and clinicals"
"The testing schedule (a huge exam every 2 or 3 weeks)."
"-Not a big fan of their lecture halls...should be updated -Still using Nucleus...looking forward to more technology integrated into curriculum/lecture halls. -Trying to find a quiet place to study off campus may be difficult? -Admin doesn't seem as focused on maintaining the program or performance on the boards? -One of the faculty members (Dr Fogel) retired (albeit suddenly?) to teach WAY down south"
"Getting an interview was hard, not only for reasons of competition I felt, but also because their admissions was a little disorganized. "
"Can't say I found anything."
"No longer have their own hospital...sad! one person there for an interview stated "i'll just give my bills to daddy" and several others seemed to be on the same page"
"the traffic around the school, it is in a very busy area"
"The long wait, but that is to be expected."
"The fact that I spent two and a half hours after my interview with nothing to do until the tour."
"One of the interviewers barely spoke and it made me feel like he did not want me there. "
"The students were telling me how they never went to classes. "
"Well, its a DO school and the match rates are significantly lower than the MD schools I've interview at... And I have to learn OMM :("
"The third interviewer never showed up."
"The length of time spent waiting and the lack of material from the financial aid office."
"My interview went by really fast, I wish they could have gotten to know me better and i could have had more time with them. "
"Waiting for hours in the fishbowl"
"Not a thing."
"I had high expectations because posters on the pre-osteo forum seem to think it's a good school, but their didn't really seem to be anything amazing about it. The students and faculty told me on multiple occations that it was the best DO school and their grads are immune from any DO bias. They ripped on allopathic schools alot and talked about how they had a better reputation than the city's allopathic schools. One student told me how he gets a better education than Penn students, which made me want to roll my eyes. The school wasn't that bad, but everyone I met was pumping it up and selling it like they were brainwashed and insecure about thier mediocre school. For all their bragging and putdowns, they don't have their own teaching hospital!"
"The format was extremely unorganized. My interviewers were particularly cold, unfriendly, and seemed to have it out for me from the start. One interviewer even used a profane term during the interview."
"The financial aid presentation was not even remotely helpful. They did not seem to want to give any information regarding an estimated budget or cost of living."
"I felt a little underwhelmed. I could see all the things about the school as noted above, but I knew all of that going in from speaking with friends at PCOM. I guess I was looking for something to jump out and grab me and that just didn't happen."
"I was generally not impressed. It just seemed like one of those new schools that shot up in the last few years that give DO schools a bad name. I don't think anyone would go here if they had a choice. The school is just a big, ugly, one-story warehouse so there really is no campus to speak of. The students were nice, but they didn't seem enthusiastic or happy. The few I talked to also didn't seem very smart honestly. The school couldn't tell us much about the rotating sites for 3rd and 4th year. Sounds like they don't have much lined up and their students will be on their own to set up rotations. Yuck. I will go here if I don't get in anywhere else, but I hope I don't have to."
"the class size of 260"
"It's Atlanta. The only negative about the school is it's located near Atlanta. So I guess that's not too bad if that's the worst I can say."
"Nothing I really liked PCOM"
"Breakfast was a disappointment....muffin and coffee....I wanted more!"
"sort of a small campus."
"really just the expense of flying down there from michigan, but everything was so easy and the trip was obviously worth it. "
"Not much info on the actual education itself. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, and its probably my fault for not asking. But its PCOM, so I'm sure they do a great job."
"Bad luck that interview day coincided with exams for first year students. Wasn't able to observe any lectures. Spent at least 3 hours sitting in the ''fish bowl'' (waiting area) doing basically nothing while waiting to be interviewed and take a tour."
"The people weren't really very friendly"
"The lack of knowledge about financial aid.. the financial aid lady was very vague and really offered no information without the interviwees having to ask. Other than that, i really loved the school."
"I felt the DO's that were accessible to us were old-fashioned and not necessarily up on new and current medicine."
"Location of school is not as safe as hoped it would be. Students have to find their own housing."
"even though majority of the interviewee thought the interview was pretty not stressful, I ''felt'' like I was being attacked with demand for poor community college performance. But you know, I do have pretty wild academic history! LOL Hence, if you have any Ws or Ds or what not, be prepared to explain well. "
"not much... just a lot of waiting in the fishbowl for my interview. also, financial aid information was minimal."
"Very Little. A class size of over 260 people may be slightly daunting."
"The class size seems really big."
"The only negative was that we got lost on the highway and took the wrong exit. But that was our fault. :-P"
"I caught a cold."
"The library -it is entirely electronic."
"well the breakfast was really more of a snack"
"The tour guide got lost in Rowland Hall."
"Nothing at all. Loved it."
"You sit in the ''fishbowl'' area and have to wait for everyone in your group to interview. I think we seriously sat there for 3 hours. Not kidding. Just make sure to talk with everyone in your group or else you'll just be sitting there."
"Having to wait so long to be called in for my interview....they should schedule the day differently"
"nothing I can really think of"
"Its in an old warehouse. And, although they fixed it up very nicely, its still has a sort of warehouse feeling."
"The tour guide was a bit bland."
"The building, though adequately equipped, felt empty. They haven't utilized all of the building's space, though they plan to in the future. "
"Ummmmm, I can't think of a thing. "
"The library is almost completely electronic. It was just odd to see a library with very few books."
"small campus, confined to one or two buildings."
"Not much. Unfortunately, classes are 8-5PM daily."
"Interviewers were not amiable (left from the interview with a negative impression of the faculty), lack of a campus --everything is in one building which is a warehouse, no windows, multicolored walls "
"A lot. The interviewers were not very friendly, sitting in the ''fishbowl'' for 3 hours"
"The wearhouse look of the building...but at least it's colorful!"
"the financial aid lady did not provide any information, but I later learned that everything is online"
"During the interview my interviewers just sat with their heads down writing notes. There was no conversation and it was hard to judge how they felt about me, but I got an acceptance two weeks later so they must have liked me! "
"The smaller recreation area. Don't get me wrong, the building itself if quite large, but as far as machines and free weights, I think it could get crowded pretty quickly. Everything else about PCOM was great!"
"The financial aid lady was unkempt and not very helpful, she didn't have time to put any thing together for our packets."
"The school is located in an old warehouse near the busy city of Atlanta. I also experienced a lot of complications with communication with the school."
"my interview was afteran exam date, so the place was empty! It was hard to tell what the school really felt like when there was no one in it."
"Campus is pretty small. One building. Library is tiny. "
"Not much except the class is large, but it does not come across as such."
"I didn't get to see the anatomy lab or STAN. They say that the anatomy lab is huge with a large window overlooking the city."
"They're still not as "
"The school is a converted warehouse, it just gave a bad first impression, but it does make up for it on the inside! No scholarships available as of yet. Because they are so new, no board rates nor major clinical involvement in first two years."
"The fact that everyone was told it was going to be a conversational interview and it was nothing like a conversation at all! It was question, on question, and the faces of the interviewers were cold and stern. I couldn't tell if I should talk more or less. "
"Large class size? "
"Not too much...just didn't like the question about what other schools have I applied to."
"The only negative thing with respect to my visit was that I was interviewed last (even though I was not scheduled last) and the student giving the tour started it before I was done interviewing. So, I ran to catch-up and missed over half of the tour. What I did see was extremely nice."
"Nothing - visiting the school actually dispelled most of the doubts I'd had coming into the interview."
"One student said the classrooms are overcrowded and it is not worth the money"
"bookstore is open, but not fully stocked yet."
"The day wasn't planned out at all... No breakfast even though the email said that there would be one. Nothing to do while waiting except talk to a current student... Wished there was more of a 'campus' feel to it... "
"none"
"One of my interviewers was quite negative and hostile regarding my aspirations to do research as well as clinical medicine. I sat in on a lecture which was very difficult to follow because the room was huge, crowded with students, and noisy. The anatomy lab had a strong odor to it that I could smell down the hall as we approached it. "
"I was a little surprised at the size fo the gym. I figured it would be more accomidating with a class size and all..."
"No negative impressions. I would just say prepare yourself that you may not be interviewed at your assigned time. When it comes to interviews, obviously some will be longer/shorter than others. I was just prepared to go in around my assigned time. However, I went in about 45 minutes before that time, other about 45 minutes after their time. Be prepared that they may change the interview schedule. It really isn't a negative impression, just some information you may find helpful."
"Nothing really. I was suppose to interview at 10 am and the interviews ran late. I finally interviewed at 11 ish. I overheard there are parking issues at time."
"Nothing too negative- lighting within the building is sort of low and dark."
"The lack of organized research opportunities they had... This is growing though and the students who go there can really influence this."
"After arriving, we were offered a very light breakfast and then shown to the lobby of the admissions office, which was to be our home for the next 5 hours or so. Finally, everyone finished interviewing and then we waited another half hour for a student to show up for a tour. Bottom line = 5.5 hours spent on campus - 25 min. interview - 15 minute tour = lots of wasted time. No presentations,no financial aid info, no lunch with students - it was like we were being ignored. Finally, to cap the day the admissions officer told us that while a decision on our status would be made immediately, we could expect a letter in 4-6 weeks, completely contradicting the interviewer who had just told us to expect a letter within two weeks. The administration just did not do a good job of selling the school or of making me feel valued as a potential student. "
"Philly. "
"no."
"Class size. I didn't think it would be such an issue, but when you compare a large Osteopathy school with a medium sized or even large Allopathy school the one on one face time with instructors is much better at an Allopathy school."
"PCOM provides you with breakfast and that was the worst...not the food but the time. I would say that comparing PCOM with schools who provide lunch, the lunch is much more relaxed."
"The interview process seemed very disorganized at times. After breakfast, there was a lot of down time as individuals interviewed. The admissions staff did not offer the chance for us to go and sit in on lectures."
"N/A"
"The interview was AWFUL! Even if i get into the school i don't want to go! My mcat/gpa are ABOVE the school's average yet the interviewer told me that my academic profile is not strong and instead of going to the peace corps as backup i should just improve my grades. He was quite negative and discouraging!"
"I wasn't thrilled with the wait. My interview was scheduled for 11:30 which was the last time slot, but they ran late and I didn't go in until almost 12. But, I kept calm by socializing with the other interviewers. "
"Haha can't think of anything."
"Long waiting time between interviewing and tour."
"Traveling to the school was expensive for a 20 min. interview. Also, it seems that the admissions staff are all new to the state so they didn't know that much. In fact, when I had my interview, the tour guide wasn't the one in charge of admissions, she was a sub."
"the wait for the interview was tough, as there were no classes, I didn't realize it untill afterwards, but it felt as if the interview was much longer than in actually was."
"The program, although connected with the Philadelphia campus is brand new. They only have (I think) 8 faculty right now. "
"This campus is brand new, so the program is still in a state of flux."
"I have visited PCOM on three different occasions and always left with the same impression: it just isn't the school for me. To begin, their admissions department is obviously in transition because most of the staff lack basic information about the school and possess little understanding of what sets PCOM apart from other institutions. Overall, they are unfriendly and seem to have a chip on their shoulders. I was not impressed by their director of admissions. She stated that she really wanted to cancel our interviews that day because she had so much going on in her life, but decided not to for some reason. Very unprofessional. In addition, our tourguides seemed more interested in conveying how cool they were instead of providing a quality and comprehensive tour of their school. They didn't take us to the library, anatomy lab, or many of the other buildings on campus. They were first year students and didn't know how to get to half of the places on campus and seemed to think that their ability to get lost was somehow funny. They seemed more interested in telling us how often their class goes out to bars together and how the 76ers practice in their school's gym. Finally, PCOM makes interviewers pay $5 for parking in their lot on interview day. If they really wanted to make a positive impression on prospects, they should consider providing a voucher for parking. I traveled from across the country to come to PCOM for the interview. The least they could do was provide a lousy parking pass."
"nothing major, they just didn't provide a packet with information regarding the school, financial aid, etc. I wonder if they forgot about it that day?"
"The interview day was not well organized, even after my interview I wasn't really sure when I was allowed to leave. "
"The time we had to wait between breakfast and our interviews. Bring something to read or talk to people."
"There was not much - this school really surprised me. Perhaps the large class size (250-270 students)."
"Nothing persay, but having no board scores or match lists to look at is kind of scary and tuition is 34K a year"
"Wait for interview after breakfast was cumbersome. "
"Since there are so many MS1, (during my interview, I was told that there are 270-something MS1) the average number of students per cadaver is 5 or 6. One student explained that unless you want to cut, it isn’t a problem. But, in my opinion, I want to make the most of my education and cutting is as important as any other skill learned during medical school. Also, I was disappointed that PCOM has not integrated STAN (look it up on the website) into the program yet. "
"Not much..."
"How long we had to wait. I was supposed to have my interview at 11, but wasnt called in till 12:45. "
"The long wait between breakfast and the actual interview (~2.5hrs), the lack of funding for the DO/PhD route, and the clinical rotations available for 3rd/4th year students needs improvement. But they were honest about it..... "
"Nothing, aside from the fact it was pouring rain."
"No info on the school, area, financial aid, interviews ran very late, so I had to miss the tour, students were on spring break so no one was around to talk to or visit a class."
"The odor in the anatomy lab was a bit pungent, though the student tour guide said one gets used to it after a while. Maybe the filter system is not all that state of the art. I did not get to meet any faculty members, partly due to the fact that I could not attend the breakfast."
"Well...it's a brand new school- so no current students to hit with questions, no definate teaching hospitals established. no tour of the school- facility is under construction."
"For anyone interested in stats: GPA 3.72, MCAT 29P with some volunteer experience and lots of research experience."
"They really do need to find some way for you to spend your time between interviews- there's a lot of waiting around. It was ok though, because the people in my group were cool. To be fair- there were no classes going on that day since the 1st years had a day off and the 2nd years had exams."
"the cost of going here!"
"The new facilities are not done being built. I was not able to go inside the new building and take a tour."
"nothing in particular"
"The admissions office seemed unable to handle the large number of interviewees present. Interviews ran short and were felt by many to be relatively non-probing and uninteresting. My interviewers were brief and didn't seem prepared. When I asked questions about the school, they left them largely unanswered. The tour was led by two students, who immediately claimed that they loved PCOM so much they couldn't think of anything they would want different..."
"Financial aid presentation was very brief and seemed rushed, but I was otherwise very pleased"
"the area is not that great. the guide said that its not the safest place."
"traffic around the philadelphia area."
"the actual interview and the long wait before my interview"
"This is a new campus with no past history. But the main school has a great reputation in the field of medicine and i will be ready to count that they will bring the same to the new campus"
"Nothing really"
"New school, little proof to go on. However, I was shocked how little mattered once I got to meet Dr. Evans and Dr. Fleischmann."
"I already knew this, but the cost"
"Not too organized. There were four of us, and after breakfast we just sat there while each of us was interviewed individually. The other three were cool, so it was all good."
"No financial aid presentation, no presentation of anything at all - just a brief interview and student tour. MSII student told us he lied, saying he wanted to go into primary care, just because he thought thats what the ADCOM wanted to hear. Also was told they'd let me know of their decision in "a few weeks" whereas KCOM informed me within 5 days. "
"the students who gave the tour were less than energetic, but from what i saw, this was the exception"
"nada"
"The tour guides didn't seem to have experience giving tours together before and read off a sheet of paper as to where to take us etc. But tons of students came into the admissions office all morning long to talk to us and that was so helpful. You really get the best feel for a school in talking to students I think."
"The amount of time students had to wait between breakfast and interviewing negatively impressed me. I was lucky to be one of the first candidates to interview. But, the other students were just sitting for hours and getting more nervous by the minute. After my interview, I had 2 hours of free time before the student tour began at noon. They said we were free to sit in on first and second year classes, but we didn't see any open seats and also didn't want to interrupt the class by trying to find an open seat."
"Hmm nothing really."
"Class size is HUGE and cost is high but I think that its well worth it for the quality of eduacation that you get and the amazing networking system that yo will build being that it is one of the first DO schools."
"The waiting is a little tough especially when you're one of the last interviews. I think I started to get more "nervous" as the time slowly ticked away. "
"I was told to, and arrived for 815, my interview was scheduled for 1130. I met up with a friend who attends PCOM. I went back to the admissions office at 1015, and I was called for an interview at 1020. Threw me off guard and I almost missed it too!"
"The wait until my interview was over 2 hours."
"Waiting"
"sitting and waiting"
"The day was just breakfast, interviews and a tour. No one other than one doctor and tons of students talked to us, I wish we had more of a teachers perspective."
"must pay to park in parking garage(even if you are a student), sat around for hours between breakfast and actual interview in the "fish bowl""
"NOTHING!!!!"
"Nothing!!!!!"
"The majority of the day was spent just sitting around and waiting for interviews. I was the first to be interviewed, so from 9:45-12:00 I just sat around talking to other interviewees, unfortunately the interview was during Spring Break so we couldn't attend any lectures. It would've been helpful to get more information about financial aid and other stuff."
"Everything about the place. The wait was too long, the students were not too friendly, and they just don't seem like serious medical students. The faculty were very unprofessional and quite frankly, looked very mean and acted like they were something bigger than what they are- just people. "
"not a thing"
"Lack of behavioral science classes when I asked about them. I thought it was odd b/c PCOM offers a few different psychology degrees."
"waiting 3.5 hours for my interview in one room, but students did come in to chat"
"The size of the class (I didnt realize that all 250 students have class together ALL day). I felt like wallpaper all day because my interview was near the end and they switched the person who they orginally announced would be my interviewer. "
"It had that high school/fraternity atmosphere going on. I looked up the stats for students going here and the MCAT scores and GPA were pretty low. ALso, the pass rate on boards is below what I consider to be acceptable."
"The rudeness of the interviewer."
"not to much other than the extremely long down time waitin for ya interview..but us applicants had some good convo so its all god"
"Interview itself- the director of admissions was one of the interviewers and was not at all friendly towards me!"
"the interviewers were very cold. As others posted, I did not feel that the interviewers cared about getting to know me. It was just ask the standard questions and then get out."
"The interviewers were not friendly in the least bit. When it was my turn to ask questions I asked "what percentage of 4th years get into their 1st choice for residency." The Director of Admissions looked at me and just replied "that is a really bad question." I take that to mean that she either did not know the answer or did not want to answer. Regardless, there is no such thing as a bad question. There was no need for her to be rude. Also, we were told that the members on the panel had spent a great deal of time reviewing our apps before the interview. Maybe they forgot to do that with mine cause they were asking me basic questions that were clearly answered in my secondary. "
"Nothing!"
"The tuition of $31K plus. Also, some of the students were aggressively touting the school and dissing other schools."
"NOTHING!!!"
"The sheer class size. It is a whopping 250."
"Not enough time in the interview, there was alot I didn't get to talk about."
"There were around 15 other interviewees which made the interview very short. I would have liked to talk to the admissions com. longer. "
"I was one of the last ppl to go and we had to wait around for like 2 hrs.!! THen when I got to the interview, I felt like they were rushing me. Theyonly asked about test scores and grades and research and I felt they didn't try to get to know me as a person."
"The school was not as diverse as I had imagined."
"The student giving the tour short changed us. I had toured the campus before and we saw only 1/4 of what PCOM had to offer. This didn't hurt me because I knew what else they had. Be aware of this because they really have a lot of great facilities."
"Just waiting over 2 hours for my interview "
"The tour seemed a bit unorganized, but overall it was pretty informative."
"The board pass rate seemed a little low as compared to the other schools that I visited- I believe it was 92%. The area could be improved upon a little bit, but it's a wonderful school. "
"the sixers practice was closed and i couldn't see AI"
"Waiting time for interview was a tad boring, although other interviewee were interesting. Tour was a bit unorganized and long winded in some areas."
"Just waiting in a room while the other students were being interviewed. They really did not have anything for us to do while we waited. But a few students came in and spoke to us about the school, so that helped. Also, I felt that the interviewers asked questions so quickly that I was unable to say as much as I would have liked."
"Of course, what everyone else complains about-- the wait till interview time. Also, the cafeteria is really nice, but it's so small, and I was disappointed that there was no salad bar. I'm vegetarian, and I hope they have more that the waffles and big honkin' meat I saw there!!"
"nothing about the program or the school but the area seems a little sketchy. other than that its great"
"interview day agenda"
"Unsafe location, uptight fellow applicants, students making negative comments about the college president, large class size, clearly expressed preference for Penn State students, tour guides seemed clueless and unhappy, one student told me he chose PCOM because of the near 60-40 female-male student body ratio - is this why you pick a medical school?????"
"Nothing--During my wait before the interview I talked with students and sat in on a class."
"Just waiting around for 2.5 hours for your interview can make you antsy even if you arent nervous beforehand"
"-Class size -School is a bit small for all the students it has enrolled -No hospital on campus"
"one of the people who was supposed to have interviewed me didn't show until after the interview was over. but that's not a big deal"
"The campus was small - but who cares - downtown Phili is 15 min. away."
"We did a lot of sitting around waiting for the rest of the group to interview (there were 12 of us). Our tour was given by a student that was asked to do it at the last minute (not that organized). The interview is supposed to be open file, but they didn't really know anything about me - they asked me questions that were answered in my essays. "
"Lots of down time as we waited for others to interview, small school in general, only about 900 students on campus at any one time"
"Can't think of anything"
"Class size"
"No osteopathic hospital or clinic"
"They have no hospital, though they are affiliated with many in and around Philadelphia."
"I know that a lot of people think the area is bad. I have lived in Philadelphia for the past three years, and there is NO "safe" place in the city. If you are afraid of diversity, then PCOM is probably not the place for you. What many people don't notice is that there are really nice, "safer" suburbs on the other side of City Ave."
"not much at all.....possibly the surrounding area around the school (safety)"
"They really didn't talk about the curriculum, nor did they try to sell the school to the applicant."
"The finiancial aid officer. She buzzed right in, gave us the spiel about cash, and left. She didn't even take her coat off! The nerve. "
"The area where the school is located is not nice and housing is pretty expensive."
"the tuition is a little up there, and the sorrounding neighborhood seems a bit sketchy"
"I would have liked the interview to be a little longer, I don't feel like 20 minutes is enough to really get to know someone. The tuition is pretty rotten but what's another couple of thousand in debt?"
"location in Philly, no on campus housing, the interviewers grilling me about MCATs and OMM and whatever else they felt like!!"
"everyone else seemed to really love the guy (i think he was a dean of some sort, or the head of OMM) that ate breakfast with us and gave us an introduction, but i thought he was a pompous asshole"
"The library was a tad small, but I don't study in libraries anyway."
"The tuition and amount of lecture time"
"Absolutely nothing!!"
"Did not get to go to any classes, as the brosure stated."
"Nothing really."
"The day wasn't organized as nicely as at other schools... wasn't too bad though."
"the tuition....YIKES!"
"how everyone was treated during the day of the interview"
"The length of time we spent waiting around. Our time should have been spent speaking to students, or admissions officers while we waited. Also the financial aid lady so obviously did not care to be with us for the short few seconds she stopped by."
"NOTHING"
"The tuition"
"The 9% tuition increase this year. It's up to 28,510"
"Nothing."
"The students just didn't seem to like it there. Most students who saw us in the room waiting didn't even stop to say anything, in fact; only one stopped to say anything at all. It was very disappointing! If you are attending the school (YOU CHOSE TO GO TO), you should be screaming it from the rafters, not looking at the interviewees like undercover NARCs in gen pop at OZ! "
"Nothing was particularly unimpressive, but the library is a little undersized."
"I wish I had known that it was going to be so rushed, so I could have rehearsed some shorter responses. It was stressful on the spot to turn my approx. 2-3 min answer to a 30 second one."
"that i would be asked not one but two ethical scenarios"
"That the interview would be conversational and not to stress"
"Not much. There weren't any surprises."
"N/A"
"How short the interview day was going to be."
"Where the parking garage was. It was a little difficult to find."
"Traffic on the interstate can be bad during rush hour!"
"Nothing!"
"You can ask to be interviewed first if you have travel plans scheduled. And there's free bike parking in the parking garage--I chained my bike to a bench on campus and got a warning from security."
"That they don't try trick you during the interview. I was fairly nervous before entering the interview and I didn't even eat properly at the provided lunch."
"I wish SDN said that there would be scenario/ethical questions at PCOM but they said the interviews were really laid back and conversational. Nope, hostile presentations of high intesity scenerios was what I got."
"The tour guides kept encouraging us to ask questions about the school, I didn't ask many questions because I figured I would ask them in my interview to show my interest, however, my interviewers did not provide an opportunity to do so. The interview ended without them asking if I had any questions. I wish I had asked more questions to the tour guides and other admissions people who came to speak with all of the interviewees."
"The exam schedule; I would have tried to schedule when more students were available to talk."
"Don't stress!"
"Nothing, really. I think that having gone to the open house beforehand, I had a certain comfort level already."
"relax. breathe. They want to get to know YOU."
"That there would be so much downtime between the interview and the tour."
"How laid-back the interview would be."
"That we would be waiting awhile for the interview"
"relax, its not a bad interview"
"That I would be finished by noon."
"Eat a hearty breakfast before you get there! Bring snacks for inbetween as well."
"How hard of a time they would give me about applying to both MD and DO schools...I honestly felt this was the bulk of the interview. "
"That there would be two and half hours between my interview and the tour. "
"How laid back it would be :)"
"that you can interview first if you want, to relax"
"Everyone on here says it is stress free and really conversational- it really was!! For me at least, a few other students didn't feel that way but mine did. "
"how friendly the interviewers would be"
"How much down time there would be."
"That I wasn't going to hit any traffic at all on schulykill. I got to school WAY early...!"
"How to use a SEPTA."
"That when you go to the parking garage you need to press the red button to open the gate"
"-That I would have a personal issue demand my attention 5 min after I had my interview...joys of owning a property =( -The rest was expected. I'd been there before 4x for open house and shadowing, heard about the "paperclip" in interviews from the past, etc"
"That there would be 10 other people interviewing that day!"
"cost of living in the area"
"I felt prepared for the day, some of the questions caught me off guard so I wish I thought more about different questions."
"That I would be sitting on my butt most of the day-I would've brought a book or just left had I known."
"Nothing in particular"
"How disorganized the day would be"
"I was going first (at 9pm) and it was expected that I be at breakfast."
"I wish I would have had a better idea of the questions they would ask, so I wouldn't have been so nervous and could have answered them better. "
"That my tie was going to have a malfunction the night beforehand."
"That I should have brought something to read in the fishbowl"
"that the place was so great"
"PCOM is in an ugly suburb. I guess since it has a Phili address that it is technically in Philadelphia. You would never know it because the school is so far outside of the real city. It must be on the city border."
"That the school is WAY outside of Atlanta in a pretty boring, redneck area with nothing but a few strip malls around it. It's a good 45 minute drive from Atlanta."
"my southern accent was more noticeable than i anticipated "
"The class size. That really surprised me. I thought it would be bigger. By this time, I already had my acceptance to KCUMB. But they got some competition after that interview. In the end, it was a very difficult decision. "
"Nothing. I prepared by researching PCOM's website, the Philadelphia area, the cultural climate and the nearby MD schools"
"Nothing really. Everyone is really nice."
"What the election candidates had planned for the future of healthcare"
"Nothing really surprised me. Pretty standard medical school. Everything was top-notch and brand-new. Nothing I saw would have kept me from applying if I had known beforehand, if that's what this question is asking."
"The school is not really in the heart of Philadelphia and is more on the outskirts. Area around the school seemed cramped and dismal."
"Traffic is TERRIBLE around there. It took me 25 minutes to go the last 3/4 of a mile in my car. Leave an insane amount of time to get there."
"To not be nervous for an interview because it really wasn't scary at all."
"lunch was free! parking was free! "
"Nothing, but do your research..."
"I wish I had known about the $2000 deposit...I would have started saving earlier."
"I had to wait for almost three hours before my interview, which certainly didn't help my nervousness."
"That there would be no guide to take us to class. Maybe I missed that information because I was late for the breakfast, but it would have been nice while I was waiting to know where to go."
"That it was going to be as relaxed as it was."
"Parking was going to be free and breakfast may not be provided (delayed school opening due to snow)"
"How nice everyone was during the interview process."
"How nice and friendly everyone is"
"Nothing--I'm a biomed student here at GA-PCOM"
"There was no need to be nervous. Think about the question before answering and take your time."
"Using SDN, and since it was my 2nd interview, there wasn't too much that I wasn't prepared for. I did discover that interviews can be fun...(sometimes!)"
"Atlanta is cold lol"
"I had read previous posts of people complaining about the multi-colored walls but I liked them. "
"Nothing, it was my second time interviewing."
"Be prepared to get an earlier flight out than you planned."
"Eat before you go:-)"
"Nothing, really. Except that the interview is NOT stressful!"
"How relaxed the whole interview process was going to be. That their ''breakfast'' is barely breakfast (eat beforehand)."
"The basketball court on the roof."
"that my hotel was 18 miles away and the traffic in the morning is bad. make sure you have lots of time."
"Can't think of anything"
"curriculum is integrated but becomes systems based after first trimester."
"that it has some of the top people in Osteopathic Medicine on the admissions committee"
"To be relaxed; everyone is so welcoming & high acceptance rate post-interview."
"Lack of a campus"
"PCOM is in ''Philadelphia'', but barely. It's on the outskirts of town, not in a bad area, but more of a boring, suburban-type area."
"How empty the school seems."
"I should've eaten a good breakfast before coming, although breakfast is served"
"To bring small change for my parents parking. They paid the machine with a $10 bill (the cost was only a dollar or so) and received the change in all quarters. A little annoying, but the machines could have just been low on cash that day or something.."
"A meeting took place during the interview process so some students were finished with interviews and could leave after the tour of the facility."
"nothing, but I did read about the P.C.O.M and not PCOM pronunciation, so that was helpful to know ahead of time"
"Nothing, i knew about the school, program, and area."
"I knew that the school was called P.C.O.M, but make sure not to make the mistake of saying PCOM during your interview. "
"They're dining services consist solely of a visiting catering (i.e. when they pack up and go, there's no food to be found; only available a couple hours/day)."
"That it used to be a warehouse! and that Atlanta traffic is horrible!!!"
"The interview is not as conversational as you think..."
"They call it P.C.O.M (to emphasize the osteopathic medicine)"
"That there are a ton of people from my undergrad who attend PCOM."
"They call the school P.C.O.M. not P-com. Apparently they want to emphasize osteopathic medicine and they dont' like to call it P-com (which my pre-med advisor called it)."
"SDN prepared me for the interview quite well - especially the fact that I would NOT interview on time and actually rather late."
"Most of what I needed to know I found on SDN ahead of time. "
"Nothing. I did my research. Acutually I thought there were two classes their but there was only one."
"Nothing. I was very well prepared."
"Interviewing in March is LATE"
"Everything was okay."
"lots of prep so no suprises. "
"The building is the red brick one on your left... There's one sign for it, and yes that is it...Don't think that there is more of the building after the sign... Just turn in... It saves you time from looking for the building... =)"
"That there was going to be a group waiting with me."
"I wish I had been prepared to defend my aspirations to do research and clinical medicine. I did not expect to encounter such a hostile and negative attitude toward research at this school. "
"The class size.. although they profess that there is no competition. However, it may give students a chance to meet and mingle with new people almost everyday (I guess)"
"Integrated Curriculum. You learn one system at a time."
"That although the class size is huge, the students seem very close and friendly with each other. It seems to be a noncompetitve environment--which seems pretty amazing considering it is medical school. This is all very good in my opinion."
"That my file had not reached the campus due to a snowstorm at the Philadelphia Campus. They were very accomodating and made sure that I was still able to go through with my interview (this is why is was closed file for me)."
"While the facility is rather nice inside, the "campus" is really just a parking lot and a building - there's no where to sit outside at all. Feel like taking a walk between classes? - forget it. Traffic in Atlanta is really, REALLY BAD. PCOM-GA's mission is to train docs to serve in the south, and they are serious about it. When people found out I was from a northern state, they looked at me like I was from another planet. Be prepared to defend why you want to move to/practice in the south."
"They have OMM for two years as apposed to only one (which most schools have). "
"Philly traffic at 8-9 am will take you 1 hour to go 10 miles. No joke book a hotel within walking distance."
"That I could have given a better tour than the two students who did it (One student said that she hadn't given a tour in two months)"
"That the breakfast was continental"
"That I would be so discouraged by the interviewer and that he would basically made it look like it was a waste of time that I was applying. They wanted to know what other schools i had gotten interviews from and seemed surprized when I told them I had gotten any. "
"Nothing comes to mind."
"How laid back it really was. There was really no need for me to be nervous."
"That I didnt have to stress out. Once you get an interview..more than half the battle is gone. Relax and be yourself."
"that the interview is very laid back, i shouldn't have been stressed out abou it"
"Bring a magazine or book to read between interviewing and the tour."
"Taxi fares"
"that it is very easy to get a bus/train to the airport afterwards, no one at the school could tell me how to use public transportation, but luckily the doorman at the hotel next door gave me sound advice. "
"I was not shocked by anything. I had learned a great deal from speaking with friends I know who attend. "
"I wish I had listened to my instincts about the school on other visits. It's not a friendly place, particularly for non-traditional students. "
"TRAFFIC."
"How short my interview day was going to be, it was scheduled to start around 8am and I was done by 10am. "
"Notta"
"School is instating a one-year biomed master's bridge for borderline rejected applicants."
"How hard it is to navigate around downtown if you are not from Philadelphia. I stayed at a hotel there and really had a hard time finding my way to PCOM."
"That the hotel I stayed at is an all uphill walk to the school and is about a 1/2 mile away (which isn't a big deal unless you have a foot problem)"
"nothing, felt prepared"
"Nothing, prior research was helpful."
"I wish I had known that only breakfast was included (not lunch). Breakfast was held in the cafeteria, and the applicants had a wide range of breakfast foods to munch on. Also, there was a 15 minute break between each interview (Luckily we only had 6 people interviewing). Also, many of the students that interviewed already knew current students from undergrad (can be seen as a positive or a negative). "
"The wait time for the interviews is very long (three hours) and nerve-racking. It's best to converse with the other interviewees and relax."
"Im a biomed, so I pretty much knew everything to expect. You didnt have to attend the breakfast they provide for you, but Im glad I went. I think it looks bad to show up right before your interview."
"They didn't ask me specific questions about osteopathy, or course/grade-specific questions about undergrad. I though they might nitpick a bit...."
"How few of the second year students attend lecture? Nah...I knew mostly everything I needed to know."
"Their one of the few schools in the country that has "stan the man""
"The administration will decide within a day of your interview if you are accepted, rejected or wait-listed"
"No surprises for me- I'm in their biomed program and SDN prepared me for everything in the interview."
"nothing, i am a biomed so i am already pretty familiar with the school and their ways"
"nothing, i did lots of research"
"Nothing..."
"the breakfast is great, you can order anything in the cafeteria"
"How bad my choice of hotel was and how much a seemingly simple cold and bad night can affect your performance."
"nothing really"
"Acceptance/Rejection letters are mailed out the next day so you don't have to worry about waiting a long time to hear back."
"how nice and welcoming the students are."
"I wish I had known how early the interview let out, so I would not have spent 8 hours in the airport. My interview day was over at about 10a.m. However, I do like how they didn't waste anytime describing issues I'd only be interested in once accepted, like the other schools I've interviewed with."
"allow extra time for traffic."
"the cab drivers will rip you off big time so rent a car"
"Where some of the rotations will be. I wish more were closer to the school."
"to eat more at breakfast or to bring a small snack."
" I could have shown up and gone home 20 minutes later (after the interview)."
"There's no such thing as being too formerely dressed for an interview."
"If your interview isn't until 11 or 11:30, you will be sitting in the admissions office from 9am until that time. "
"Beware of the Philadelphia traffic, and allow yourself plenty of time to get to the school on the morning of your interview. It's so much better to be early than it is to be late. "
"Nada"
"Leave plenty of time to get there, philly traffic can be brutal in the morning"
"That my interview time of 1130 is TENTATIVE!"
"the length of time you would have to sit around and wait between the interview and the tour"
"Wear comfortable shoes....you will be walking a lot!"
"i live 15 miles northeast of philly and thought 1 hour would be enough but it took almost 1 hour and 45 minutes with traffic. Leave EARLY!"
"That I didn't need to go to the information session and tour that was offered during the summer because it was about the same as the interview day."
"traffic is a real bitch in the morning. Give yourself a lot of extra time to travel."
"If you're coming by train, be prepared to pay at least 15 bucks for a cab ride to the Adam's Mark hotel (which is right next to the school). "
"Nothing really, I never imagined the campus would be so beautiful."
"Philly has a high crime rate, especially PCOM's surrounding area."
"not a thing"
"a better idea of OMM"
"That they overbook their interviews for the amount of time they have. "
"That I would dislike the experience so much."
"how big phila is and how easy it is to get lost"
"That they will not ask you to clarify something you say, just take it as is even if they hate or disagree with what you say."
"How much I would dislike the school and how full of themselves they are."
"That the panel would not care about getting to know me. "
"Not really any surprises!"
"I knew this from this site and the CD-ROM but everyone does refer to the school as P C O M, and not P-COM. Also, the cab ride from the Amtrak 30th St Sta costs about $11 only if there's NO traffic; really, it's more like $15-20."
"There were 18 people here to interview yesterday, and it seemed a little crowded."
"It costs 52,000K per year to go there."
"how great the school is"
"That I should have applied last year."
"That all of the prospective students would be in a room together throughout the 3 hr interview process. There were 12 of us being interviewed and there were two groups of interviewers. We were picked from the group one by one. This was strange because you saw the other students as they came out of the interview... some happy some sad."
"tokens, tokens, tokens"
"Cab ride was closer to 20.00 (as opposed to the 11.00 they tell you to anticipate). "
"Nothing really because I already knew a lot about the school and what to expect since it was my first choice."
"how much time just sitting around and waiting there would be."
"-Nothing"
"that you can buy parking tokens in the bookstore"
"The interviewers were very nice, and they really cared about what I was saying."
"I knew about the extended waiting time while other interviews occurred. I recommend bringing some material to read however the were conversations ongoing between interviewees and current students so time flew."
"The student that gave the tour said that they really don't do much OMM there."
"Its hard to get a cab from the school back to the train station"
"Philly has crazy traffic in the morning, so leave really early. "
"Bring something to read or study because there is a lot of waiting. Also, there is a lot of time between breakfast and lunch, so bring a snack!"
"how laid back the interview was. there really is no reason to stress about it. "
"Nothing"
"They take two weeks to give you an answer. That's a long time for me. Other schools I've interviewed for give you an answer in a week. "
"lots of waiting around (2 hours), while others are being interviwed, but i guess this is something that is unavoidable"
"that i should have been more prepared...reading everything about the school and feedback from other students, I was relaxed....but, when i sat down, they started pulling me apart!"
"I didn't know about the scribe service. It works thus: no more than 2 days after a lecture, the scribe's notes are placed in your very own note mailbox in the basement of Evans Hall. "
"That the interview truly was low-stress, they just want to find out about YOU. "
"Facilities are incredible"
"That I really didn't have to do all the research about osteopathic medicine and OMM and the school, because they really didn't ask me about any of that."
"Students were in the middle of finals because it was the end of their first trimester. Because of this, the tour was cut short... we couldn't visit the lecture halls or the anatomy lab."
"none"
"Had to pay for your own parking."
"That it really is not a stressful situation. Everyone makes you feel at ease."
"Nothing."
"I read all that stuff for NADA! I wish I knew that the student interviewer had more weight on my interview score than the admissions staffer."
"I wish I had known that I would be sitting all morning waiting for my interview. There was a large group and a limited number of interviewers."
"Interview felt very rushed, 3 interviewers and had a very obvious list of questions. They tried to be more conversational but it didn't work well as it was just question after question with no time for real discussion."
"faculty were pleasant but to the point. the admissions coordinator who started the welcome sessions was bubbly yet very unprofessional. the interview day was surprisingly short!"
"The interview day here was honestly a great experience. I never felt anxious except at the start of the interview and that went away immediately. The people (students, staff, DOs) were extremely nice, and the day wasn't overly long, although I wish there was a formal presentation at some point and also a chance to ask questions to the financial aid staff."
"Great campus, great environment"
"Bring copies of your personal statement to hand out. If you are confident that your personal statement will stand-out, then offer to leave it with your interviewers. Also, ask for their business cards so you can follow up with them. This has become commonplace, so it won't make or break their opinion of you. It is more of a courtesy that shows you have done your research and know that this is kind of an unspoken "must" for interviews."
"The admissions staff are friendly, wonderful people."
"Just relax and have fun - because they are just trying to get to know you better!"
"Everyone was very nice."
"don't pronounce the school Peeee-COM prounounce each letter seperately PEE-SEE-O-EM. Apparently the old heads get upset when you make it sound like all the other osteopathic schools."
"Really great first interview!"
"Overall, I was extremely impressed by the school, especially the interviewers. I definitely hope to get good news from PCOM soon!"
"I think the process was very clear cut and simple. Having had an afternoon interview, I think that might have been slightly advantageous to the morning interviews who did not have the chance to go on the tour FIRST. Going on the tour before the interview was nice because it gave you a chance to loosen up, ask questions and get excited (rather than nervous!) about the interview."
"PCOM is great. Hoping for good news."
"This interview is very individually focused, no hard-hitting health care questions or science problems here."
"PCOM seems like a great place to go for medical school. Current students have nothing but good things to say about it."
"Top choice school from day one. So glad I was accepted on October 9!"
"Ehh, PCOM has a good reputation and produces good doctors...but, I just wasn't feeling it."
"Best interview atmosphere yet! I thought the open filed interview would be much more difficult, but it was nice that they take the time to really do their research on you!"
"PCOM is a great school. I thought the school had a commuter vibe to it though, philly seems great though, not sure how I feel about the loss of their hospital"
"Just go in and be yourself- smile, and just have a nice conversation. I had no odd questions- mostly all just off of my application. I never got any health care/ why do you want to be a doctor questions. Day starts at 8am- meet for breakfast with staff/a student. Then interviews go from 9am- 11:30/12. My interview was at 9am, but I didn't go in until 9:20. There was 3 interviewers, they're going paperless so they typed notes onto a laptop. Afterwards I had free time to kill until 12 when the campus tour was given. I sat in on OMSII classes for a couple of hours, then took a tour which lasted until about 1:15."
"I ended up getting accepted, which I am extremely grateful for because I have a low GPA and interviewed late in the cycle. I actually got a "delayed decision" letter first (ouch!) but then the acceptance followed a few weeks later. During those few weeks I did some more shadowing and had another D.O. letter of rec forwarded in, and I think going that extra mile might have tipped it in my favor because I've since learned that almost everyone else with those letters ended up on the waitlist. Phew."
"a lot of people think PCOM is the "best D.O. school" bc it's in phili and has been around forever, but this couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth. "
"I got accepted. Very thankful for my acceptance because I interviewed late and only very, very few of us got accepted...most others got waitlisted or rejected. APPLY EARLY!!!"
"They like to hear P.C.O.M. (each individual letter) as opposed to PCOM (pee-com) and if they ask you "what is osteopathy" try not to use the word "holistic"."
"One of the medical interviewers couldnt attend...I hope everything was okay for them. I was VERY concerned post-interview if I convinced n=1 enough! -At the Hilton (no free wifi =(), you literally park RIGHT next to PCOM. I was < 50 feet from the driveway =) and ditched my bags before my interview. I grabbed a light breakfast (free) when they open @ 6:30-6:45. The restaurant got busy when I was there and some ppl couldnt find a seat ~7am. They have a coat room when they take you back into "the fishbowl". -Chat it up while your waiting and de-stress...who cares if it takes 2 hours of killing time to get accepted to medical school?"
"It was like a conversation. Relax and be yourself"
"If you get a chance, apply to the school! You will be impressed with the facility, the people, and how at ease the interview is. RVU is stellar!"
"I was not sure about this school, but visiting really opened my eyes to what a great place it is! The curriculum seems great and there seems to be a greater sense of pride at PCOM than other osteopathic schools I have interviewed at. If out of state, stay at the Hilton as the Crowne Plaza is 3/4 mile, which isn't that bad, but walking in bad weather and a suit, I would have rather stay at the Hilton which is right by the campus. "
"Overall it was a great experience, PCOM is a wonderful school. The students have a lot of pride and they were very friendly."
"Organize the interview day better!"
"I enjoyed the company of my fellow interviewees. They were incredibly qualified and likable. The interview process was framed as "non-stressful" by the admissions staff and I felt it wasn't for show. They did their homework on us before we arrived, it was apparent. "
"I <3 PCOM!!! One interviewer was really nice, the other was very stern and you couldn't read that person at all. "
"Overall, I was very impressed with PCOM. The students and faculty create a family atmosphere. Unlike atleast one school in the area, PCOM does cadaver dissection, not prosection. The technology is fantastic."
"got there at 8ish and sat around and talked to other interviewees. talked to buffie about random things including financial aid. some students stopped by to talk. interviewed. watched an IV lab. student tour of the facilities during which learned everything imaginable about attending school there. left around noon"
"Typical interview experience. A little tougher than I expected, but not that bad."
"It was a waste of time. They did not want to know who I was. They only wanted to criticize my application. I'm better off not attending medical school there. "
"Very positive day. The interview was like a conversation."
"I thought I had a nice interview. The questions were direct and I felt I answered them well. I thought the school is very proud of itself and rightfully so. I got a good feeling on campus and truly felt like the rumours about the school being a ''family'' were true."
"Fairly conventional with the basic questions you would expect."
"Well, I showed up about an hour early for my interview. There were about 9 other interviewees in the fishbowl when I arrived. A discussion was held on financial aid information and then we just chatted until it was time for us to interview. The students, faculty and other candidates were all extremely nice. The only stress of the interview was how nervous I was to do well. Then we took a tour and had a nice lunch. Thats it!!! Nice school, nice people. I've heard it was located in the suburbs but it gave me the impression of a compact busy little city.....not suburban. But, I am from a very small town in the south."
"My experience at the interview was great. Food and drinks were provided in the interview area. I was nervous at first because of the high stakes of the day and didnt talk much until the interview. After the 15 minutes of chatting with a D.O. and a PhD, I was much more comfortable and the day was a lot less stressful. We finished all four interviews in an hour then went and sat in on a PCS class where they were discussing some interesting topics! (genital exams) We toured the facilities, talked with a student and then wrapped up. "
"Great day. They two other gentlemen there for the interview were great. The PCS class we sat in on was a wonderful experience. I was very excited while I watched the students learn what I will be learning soon. The interviewers were very funny. I know they will have the theme to Underdog stuck in their heads for a while. I enjoyed the facilities. Just a wonderful experience overall. Great school. "
"Overall my experience was postive, I would accept an a seat in the 2008 class in a heartbeat. Personally I am not happy with my responses though, I could have been more concise."
"I interviewed in February, and chose this school over about a dozen other acceptances across the country. I am now in my first year. PCOM truly shines and Philadelphia is a major medical hub with outstanding hospitals. We share clerkships with local MD schools, including UPenn, Drexel, Temple and Jefferson. I made the right decision by choosing PCOM. The interview was stressful, although it was stressful not because the admissions team was intimidating, but because I wanted to be accepted. My best advice is to relax, know why you want to go through the rigors of becoming a doctor, know who you are, and BE NICE! As a current student, I have never heard one of the students complain about their choice. Also, when interviewing, be prepared to possibly wait for quite some time in the ''fishbowl.'' That wait can be an hour or two, and the stress levels may rise. My best advice with this is to speak with other interviewees while you wait. It makes the time go faster, and by the time you are called, you will be in more of a ''conversational'' mode, as opposed to facilitating a rapid (or drawn out) fire-and-answer session. My best interviews where conversational in nature. Most schools just want to find out who you are, and if you have the drive to work harder than you ever had in your life. Undergrad and graduate school were a walk in the park compared to what you'll have to do with studies, personal growth and committment to your patients."
"This was my first interview so I was extremely nervous. This is probably the best interview I WILL EVER HAVE! Why? they really go out of their way to calm you down. My interview didn't last more than 5 minutes. There were 4 other people in my group..their interview lasted for half an hour each. I was the last one to be interviewed. As soon as I walked in, they told me I was an impressive candidate and asked whether I had any questions or not. I didn't get any questions from them. I asked them for a recommendation of a good anatomy book to look over to prep me for gross anatomy, and the interviewer (neuroscience prof)made me follow him to his office and gave me 3 books for free..as a gift!!!! This only happens in movies...It was very surreal. I felt like they really wanted me there. Financial aid lady is hilarious. well good luck to everyone and if you have any other question..feel free to PM me: Madhoshi. "
"we had breakfast with an enthusiastic OMM faculty member who pretty much covered most questions that we had. This was followed by waiting about for a couple of hours in the admissions office with the other candidates. It went by pretty quickly since everyone was friendly. The interview itself was laid back and friendly, however I was visibly stressed...really for no reason. I was asked a couple of tough questions about health care but I guess that that is fair game. The other interviewees said that they hadn't gotten any tough questions. My advice, trite but true, is really to just be yourself. "
"first off, I wore a nice black suit and short black heals. I wanted to note that because I had no idea what to wear and had to ask a bunch of different people. I was personally very nervous, but they interviewers were great and very nice. Really the school is the whole package, the students are a family and the faculty want you to survive and be successful :) it is a place that I look forward to attending. I answered the questions to the best of my ability, and I had tons of questions for them which I believe they liked."
"Great interview. The interviewers were very professional, and seem to really know what they're doing when it comes to educating medical students. The campus is excellent. Everything is shiny and new. Everyone seems happy to be there. Atlanta is a great city."
"The day began at around 8 AM and we were given complimentary breakfast with a second year and third year student. After this we all sat in the ''fish bowl'' waiting area for our interviews. This dragged on forever. The actual interview was laid back and conversational and was not intimidating nor were there any strange questions. At noon we were given a tour of the building in which classes are held and the neighboring building that houses the basketball court where the sixers practice and a small workout facility in the basement. Afterwards we were released by 1230 PM. "
"The interviewers weren't very friendly. They stared blankly or with looks of disapproval during my entire interview. Maybe they were trying to be intimidating or something. It left me with a negative impression of the place."
"I had a great experience... I loved the school much more than I even thought possible. I can't imagine liking any other school better... now I just have to figure out how to fund it!!"
"It was overall positive. The students were excited to be there, and felt that it was a 'family' experience. "
"Overall great, relaxing and fun. I had a chance to stay over at first year's medical students' apartments, so it was really cool."
"Excellent! I like the school more than I did before."
"I had been on SDN and read about other people's interviews and mine wasn't bad but I didn't feel like it went super well either. They didn't give me a feeling either way of how the interview went. Do you research, be ready for anything they throw at you, but really above all be yourself! Good luck."
"great school, great facilities, students seem very happy, great rotations, OPTI programs, probably one of the top osteopathic schools."
"It could not have been better. The staff truly gave the feeling that they wanted to get to know me better. The interviewer knew my file but knew there was more to ME than what was on paper and she took the time to find out what would me a good physician."
"I was pleasantly surprised by PCOM (P-C-O-M, not P-COM as the dean emphasized). I was especially struck by how nice everyone was (maybe I visited on a ''good'' day). I certainly enjoyed my visit. The interview day was rather short, ending before 1 p.m."
"I actually had a lot of fun at this interview. Everyone was cheerful and helpful, and it was especially interesting talking to my one interviewer, who was a PCOM grad and had the armed forces scholarship, so he was able to give me insight into the university as a military person."
"We started by gathering in what they call the fishbowl and the director of admission came in and welcomed us while going over the itinerary. We were then met by the professor of OMM and he took us up stairs where breakfast was accompanied by an informal conference. Then we returned to the fishbowl for afew hours as our names were called one by one. The time passed quickly though because it was exam day and quite afew of the students stopped in and spoke with us. Every one was very freindly even with the telltale bags under their eyes. The tour followed the interviews which only further impressed me with PCOM."
"It was a good first interview experience."
"Aisha in admissions did the best job at relaxing everyone. She answered Qs and really got everyone to loosen up before the interviews started. Then the interviews were relaxed. Following tat was the tour...very nice facilities."
"One of the professor makes you come up to the front of the class and sing (usually student - interviwers too if you were standing in the back of the classroom)."
"was talking to someone that wanted to REALL know who I am"
"Overall a good experience."
"Interviewers were extremely nice--it was just like having a conversation."
"The interview went well. Be prepared to answer where you applied (MD and DO), accepted, and information about grades/MCAT scores. You can't tell if you are doing well during the interview but as long as you are yourself and don't get nervous you will do fine."
"Very positive! The interviewers were encouraging and told me what my odds for acceptance were at the end. "
"Overall this was a very positive experience. "
"My interview was scheduled at 11 so I showed up around 10am. There is a breakfast (fruit and juice) at 8:15 but it's optional. I got called back for my interview 30 min early but it ended up lasting an hour. After that I got a chance to sit in an OMM lecture, then went on a tour at 12. They really did just want to learn more about me and if I would be a good fit for the school. I love this school right now and would be more than happy to attend."
"Arrived at the campus, four of us were scheduled to interview only two showed up (actually another girl came at 10 go figure). We had breakfast with the finacial aid coordinator who is hilarious by the way. A second year student came to talk to us about the curriculum. The admissions coordinator then spoke with us since one of our interviewers called out sick. The other guy interviewed while I talked to some first year students. They answered all of my questions with delight. After my interview we went on a tour. The campus is very nice, state of the art. Then we sat in for an OMM lecture which was very cool by the way."
"Breakfast was alright...i was nervous because this school is my top choice. Then we went and sat in the admissions office to be called back for an interview, i was the second to last person so i had to wait AWHILE. "
"Overall, I liked the school and the people. I got accepted so I may end up there! I had a good group of fellow interviewees to talk, which helped relax me. Talk to your group and I'm sure that'll help you too. The students were really good about approaching me and answering questions."
"At first I was extremely stressed about not making my interview but the staff and the interviewers had reassured me that they would wait as long as it takes for my plane to get in and not to worry. That shows above and beyond care, making me love the school that much more."
"There were only 3 interviewees and it was really laid back. We all sat in the room next to the conference room that they held the interviews. They had food and drinks laid out but beware the financial aid lady.. she talks a mile a minute about nothing. Just smile and nod. The tour was about 15 minutes and I was done at 11 am. "
"It was positive. They really want to know what YOU want to do with your life and don't want to hear the standard answers."
"It was great overall. The interviewers really grilled me on my file, and were truthful about everything. The keep it real."
"It went well, and was just a basic conversation. I really enjoyed my interviewers, and received acceptance within a couple of days! I also learned the 76ers practice there, and the school takes pride in that! I liked the campus and the people! It was a very relaxed interview, so don't stress!!!"
"The day began with breakfast in a room of the admissions office with a student. Immediately after breakfast, interviews began. Those of us waiting to be interviewed sat in a group in another part of the admissions office. Interviews were two interviewers on one interviewee and lasted 30 minutes (I found the interview unintimidating- the interviewers clearly just wanted to get to know me as a person and answer my questions about the school, which they did openly and honestly). With about 6 candidates, it took 3 hours (those of waiting were given the freedon to roam around the building as long as we came back on time for the interview). During the interview period, those of us waiting were given a too casual and unhelpful explanation of financial aid by the financial aid woman. After interviews were finished, we were given a casual tour by a student and set free. Admissions decisions (a yes for me) were mailed out within 2 weeks."
"Be ready to talk about yourself (experiences listed on AACOMAS) as well as osteopathy. The ostepathy/hockey question for me was strange, and also one guy that went in right after me was asked to relate osteopathy with being a Subway sandwich artist because of his work experience there. As long as you prepare yourself, you'll do great. Visiting absolutely solidified the fact that PCOM is the perfect fit for me. "
"Great day, very glad to have been accepted for an interview."
"It was very relaxed, conversational. Not really any confrontational questions. The mostly asked questions to get to klnow me better. I didn't get the standard, why do you want to come to PCOM? question which surprised me. All my interviewers were really nice which almost make it feel like it wasn't an interview."
"The whole day seemed like an interview. The five interviewees and a faculty member who later was also an interviewer met and had a very light breakfast. (Eat before you go) The faculty member was extremely nice and asked questions and talked about himself some until about 10:00am. Then the interviews began. All of the canidates sat in the Financial Aid/Admissions office while each was called in for the 30 min. interview. The five of us got along great and chatted about each others experiences. I think this really lightend the mood and made my interview go really well. During the interviews a few students and faculty members stopped in to say hello and answer questions. Everyone was so nice. The day ended around 1:30 pm after a tour around the campus/building."
"overall it was a very positive experience. i truly do see myself attending PCOM if offered admission. the adcom people were really nice and seemed like they just simply wanted to get to know you better. there is no doubt that i will get an outstanding medical education there. the city of philly itself is awesome. easily two thumbs up."
"it was my best interview so far. the interviewers were very courteous to me, the students were very helpful in answering questions, and more than anything, i felt like i could really study there and enjoy my life at the same time"
"Great experience overall!"
"interviewers were very pushy/abrasive...i left with a very negative impression of the school"
"Honestly-a waste of a day. The best part was that on my way out of town, I was able to grab a cheesesteak sandwich. I've already gotten into other MD and DO schools, so I just wanted to see PCOM, which other SDN'ers described as ''exclusive''. I'll let you be the judge of that when you have conversations with their students. Then there was the ''fishbowl'' experience. After breakfast with the dean of students (one of the bright spots), we all sat in a big room for about 3 hours while everyone interviewed. I think the entire time, about 3 medical students stopped by to let us know how great PCOM is. There were no activities during this time, and the chairs are all around the perimeter of a fairly large room, so you nearly need to yell to speak to other students. If I do end up going DO, I'm headed up to UNECOM, they're only 2K more per year, they are a heck of a lot friendlier, and the location is one to drool over. Speaking of drooling, that cheesesteak sure was good."
"Relaxed...but know how to answer questions about low points in your file."
"They have nation's top leaders in OMM and Osteopathic Medicine, lots and lots of resources for being a new school, beautiful neighborhood, modern and colorful facilities, very welcoming environment, and receptive to students' concerns"
"The interview day was relaxed and everyone was friendly. The day begins with breakfast with a professor and a few students. I was nervous so I didn't really want to eat anything. But the students are great for answering all your questions. Then you go right to the interviews. I was first and when my interview was over we just sat in the ''fishbowl'' for 3 hours until everyone was finished interviewing. Students would stop in and say hi and answer any questions we had. Then there is a tour and the whole day is over by 1pm. I got my acceptance letter two weeks after my interview and I can't wait to begin school at PCOM in the fall!"
"Excellent! The overall interview and tour solidified my decision for this school. As all the feedbacks have mentioned before, this is an extremely low-stress interview. Advice that I was given that really helped: Remember that if you are granted an interview invite, you are already qualified to attend their school. Therefore, there is no need to be stressed. Just come in and enjoy your day at PCOM. The interviewers were sooo nice and did not try to attack me in any way. On a side note, I received my acceptance letter a short time later. Good luck!!"
"Very good facility and the professors were friendly with the students. They almost sounded like I would like LMU-DCOM once they knew I had applied there. It was almost a sales pitch. "
"We arrived at the school at 8:15 AM and went to the canteen area (where food is catered in for about 2 hours everyday). Talked with the financial aid lady, and two professors (one was an interviewer). There was no real informational presentation but we were allowed to ask the staff questions during breakfast. Interviews were two staff on one student. They were very laid back and the interviewers constantly promoted the school. They seem to already know if they are going to accept you. I really didn't have many questions, and those I did have, I had to interupt the interviewers to answer them. A student was in the ''fish bowl'' to answer questions while interviews were in progress. After about half of the potential students interviewed, we went on a tour of the school. The students seemed to enjoy the school. The tour was given by a student and the financial aid lady, but the student seemed to know a lot more about the school than financial aid. After the tour, those who had already interviewed were free to leave while the others stayed to interview."
"very positive, the whole day just solidified my decision that PCOM is my top choice. The students were very eager to answer any questions we had and the whole interview itself was not confrontational at all. "
"I also got a call about rescheduling, however I was flying in so not much I could do about it. I got there, sat for a while, had my interview and tour and left. The strange part was the fact that I didn't really talk at all. I felt like I had to bring up important things. Overall I really liked the Dr's who interviewed me and the facilities are great. The advantage of a new school is that there are a lot of ways you can get involved and start something new. "
"It was OK. I guess I was not impressed nor dissapointed. They did not convince me that this is a great school."
"We had breakfast with a faculty member and student. Interviews started around 930 and lasted anywhere from 10-30 minutes. It was very casual and relaxing under the circumstances. They made me feel at ease, and that I belonged there. It was a very easy interview. I would not stress about an interview since they are very down to earth."
"I got to the campus at around 8:00AM and went to sign in at Evans Hall. Most people were just beginning to walk in at this point and we were all taken to breakfast. After breakfast we sat in the admissions office and waited to be interviews one-by-one. Students stopped by to talk to us about their experiences. Everyone was very friendly including the interviewers. "
"On my way to the interview, I was called and told there was a 'miscommunication' between the PA and GA campuses and the email we were sent was 'incorrect.' They wanted to move my interview from 1:30pm to 12pm--impossible b/c I was already in route & was too far away. Then they tried to RESCHEDULE it! I declined that 'offer' and said I would get there when I could. There was nothing to eat/snack on as promised in the email. I signed in at 1230; was called to interview at 1240 and had to wait 20 mins on my other interview (there are two per interview) to finish leisurely chatting with a student. I finally entered the interview room around 1pm (let me remind you that they wanted me to interview at 12; what happened??). The interview went ok. After, we had a campus tour and were free to go. However, on the 'interview day schedule' we were given, an welcome/info session, and a financial aid session were listed but....that never happened. "
"if you arrive early i.e. before your interview, plan to sit in the fish bowl ignored. Maybe it was because it was saturday but we got no info on financial aid, curriculum, housing, etc. and it was on the agenda they gave us! they interviewers were a couple of goofballs, nice DOs but can come off a bit rude if you don't know they're just messing with you. We all got a biochem question in ATP which schocked the hell out of us! They pretty much got their minds set on whether they want you there or not and I was told at the end that they wanted me there and was accepted! the school is great and has so much potential, being that it's gonna be the same as going to PCOM-philadelphia, but it is too young as of now. But that is me, I've already been accepted to a few other places, but if that weren't the case I would have been very happy attending PCOM-GA."
"We got there a little before 8, had breakfast as a group of about 12 students, met admissions people (some were totally grouchy..yikes), were introduced to the interviewers, sat and waited our turn to be called in. There were two interviews going on simultaneously and we all knew the order we would go. During the time others are interviewing, we could walk around, sit-in on a class, or just chat with fellow students. It was great just talking and getting the jitters out. PCOM students were friendly and stopped in. The tour was ok but the guides were busy saying hi to friends who passed by and had private jokes that made no sense to anyone else. I was not impressed by the tour and how classes and activities were described in a third grade vocabulary. Eh, I was a bit put off by that. "
"I went in almost hoping that I didn't like it because I was already accepted to UMDNJ-SOM, and as a NJ resident it is extremely affordable -- but I couldn't help but LOVE PCOM"
"Two people in the room, administrator and a faculty member. Open-file, so they knew a good deal of information about me. I expected to be asked more about osteopathy / OMM, but they were more interested in my clinical experiences and courses I had taken. "
"Met at 8:15am and went to breakfast with one of the manipulation faculty members. Started the interview process at 9am. While waiting for your interview you could go to first or second year classes and wonder around. A tour of the campus ended the day. "
"I guess it was the traditional "
"I really like the school and almost wish it wasn't my first interview since it's my first choice. We all had breakfast together and then sat in a fishbowl where first and second years stared at us and some came in to tell us to be less nervous. Then we had time to watch lectures and we got a tour of campus."
"I had only applied to M.D. schools before D.O. schools and only applied to one D.O. - PCOM. The more I researched PCOM and the theory behind osteopathic medicine, I found myself in favor of its techniques and regretting not applying to others. When PCOM interviewed me, I was excited and thoroughly pleased by everything I saw and heard on the day of the interview. Everyone was a community, even with those being interviewed. It as as if we were welcomed into the PCOM spirit. I felt excellent about the interview; I was told my file showed nothing but positive things and hard work and dedication. So, I could not wait for the decision. I was disappointed when wait-listed, but then considered how late I had applied (hence a March interview). But, on March 18, 2006 I received my ACCEPTANCE LETTER! So, PCOM - here I come in August 2006."
"The day started out with a light breakfast in the cafeteria with a financial aid officer. We all introduced ourselves and she invited us to ask questions. Then we went back to the waiting area and they told us what order we would be interviewed in. As we waited for others to finish, many students, faculty members, and administrators came by to talk to us and answer questions. The interview itself was laid back and I felt very at-ease. The interviewers said they appreciated that I was forthcoming in my answers and did not give "generic" responses. There was a lot of down time as we waited for others to finish interiewing, but the other candidates were a very interesting group who I enjoyed getting to know a bit."
"It was a a good experience laid back like everyone said. I sort of forgot I was on an interview. The people with me (other interviewees) were cool."
"The day began with an inviting greeting by the Student Affairs director. After intial intros., the interviewers and two student ambassadors sat for continental breakfast and addressed any ?'s that we might have had. During this time, the smiling faces addressed the particular highlights of the school. Afterwards, around 11 am, the first interview took place. Intermittently throughout the day, several students popped in to the "fish bowl" as they liked to refer to it and spoke of their experiences thus far. Besides that, the interview was very friendly and the day ended early for some and later for others depending on when you interviewed and toured the campus."
"The interviewers were all very nice, but made me feel guilty about being accepted at other schools. They made me feel like in telling the truth, I was harming my chances of being admitted at PCOM."
"This was my first interview for a medical school and it was a awesome experience. I was very nervous while waiting to be called in, however once I entered the room I was at ease. The interviewers were great and they just wanted to get to know me as a person."
"Two interviewers. Four potential students waiting in lobby for name to be called. Conversational. Purpose is to measure desire, motivation and mental capacity for DO. "
"good... not stressful... The interviewers said that I had a good application... I thought it was ok... 3.8 gpa and 24mcat... They said that I probably will get into the school during the interview and 2 weeks later, there was a letter."
"Very relaxing. The interviewers did not ask a lot of questions. It was more of a discussion of my credentials. They were very enthused, engaging, what more could you ask for in an intervies"
"I was profoundly disappointed. I was really excited to be invited to interview. The college looks great on paper but the reality didn't live up to my expectations or hopes. I left with the impression that I wouldn't be offered a spot in the class and even if I was, I doubt I would choose this school. "
"Get there, have breakfast with interview group and admissions faculty person. Wait in the "fish bowl" till your assigned interview time (dont worry. you will be so busy talking with the other students that you will be caught off-guard when they call you back) After my interview, had a tour and that was it...finished by 12:45pm"
"It honestly did not feel like an interview at all. It was more of a conversation in which the interviewers were trying to get a sense of your personality. Be yourself, that's the best advice I can give."
"I went to the interview liking PCOM. I left loving PCOM. It seems to be a great place to learn medicine. I think it would be supportive all around--from students, faculty, admissions people, etc. "
"The interview was very laid back and relaxed. The interviewers knew my application inside and out and were able to ask questions that were relevant and showed they were interested in me as an applicant. The interview was very conversational, and I felt that they spent a good deal of time trying to sell me on the school- they are enthusiastic about their program and want to see it grow! I was glad to hear that many of the current students had a diverse background, with respect to what they had done prior to beginning med school."
"Overall, I loved the school, the area, and the students seemed pretty easy-going and cooperative. Though its still very new, the curriculum has had some time to evolve from its original form. Just relax...It was one of the most easy going interviews I've ever been to."
"Alhough I was impressed with PCOM-GA on paper and offered a seat at the school, the interview helped me realize that it isn't the school for me. I have no doubt that many students will have a completely different and very positive experience. "
"We had breakfast with a member of the faculty (an OMM instructor). After which, we sat in a room together, a student talked to us, the president came by and talked to us until it was time for our interview. The interview was very laid back and the same basic questions were asked. At the end, we were given a tour and then allowed to leave. "
"The interview was very relaxed and positive. They went out of their way to make it low stress and conversational."
"The interview was very relaxed. Lunch was okay and the staff members were really friendly."
"This school started out as my first choice Osteopathy school. I don't think it has fallen my personal rankings, but there were many unseen disadvantages to this school. Class size; emphasis on social interaction with other students (yes the instructors nearly tell you you have to interact with your class); small facilities for such a large class; and sheer cost all detract from this college in my new view. On the plus side the students seemed to be friendly, down to earth, good people. The facilities that they have are top of the line. (Make sure they show you STAN on your tour if you haven't seen "him.") The "doctors from day 1" policy is great and I have seen many other schools mimicking it. The area is terrific."
"Yes, you finally got asked away from the awkward "fishbowl" which is the PCOM waiting room. It can be a very relaxing interview experience if you know your file and you know yourself. It starting by talking about nothing for about five minutes then they commenced with questions, initially asking me about my references. I had three very good letters that were from PCOM alums. If you are really interested in a school I believe this is the best way to help your chances outside of grades and MCATs. They also asked some generic questions like what do you like to do for fun, which I always feel foolish answering. Life is fun. I live. Anything can be fun. Eventually I was able to discuss a DUI, which I unfortunately received during undergrad. It was a great learning experience though and taught me a million different life lessons that I was able to discuss and use to my advantage during the interview. Ultimately, if you are in a similar situation, being truthful and not making excuses for yourself is the best way to conduct yourself. They two interviewers were pleased with my responses and let me go with a very good feeling which was reassured 9 days later. "
"It was a weird experience overall. The staff seemed "discombobulated". There was no option for interviewees who were not interviewing to do anything else other than sit in silence. Overall, the interview was not too hard (although I have to wait until I hear from them in four and a half weeks). The questions were straightforward."
"My interview experience was great. The interviewer knew my file inside and out and made me feel completely comfortable. "
"First we had a breakfast, then we had interviews (9am-12). In this time there was not much to do. I had a chance to sit in on a class for a few minutes. i went in at a break so i was able to sit and listen to what the students were talking about. this wasnt really part of the day, but i asked the admission counselor what classroom the students were in and she said it was okay to sit in. i highly recommend doing this, even if no one else does (which happened to me). Then we had a tour."
"The staff/students were very nice. Interview sucked. I cried. I have never felt so stupid in my entire life. The interviewer was also a teacher there, if I have to deal with teachers like that I rather not go to the school! I have never ever heard of an interviewer telling the interviewee to go improve ur academic record. It's like then why did u give me an interview if u didn't like my grades! "
"It was good. I ran into a friend that goes there now so that was great and helped me to relax. The interviewers were so nice and actually complimented me on a few things and said they were impressed with me. Man, that was a boost of confidence. Also, they really do love the school...they definitley attract a certain personality of student. A little about me if it helps..I know people don't usually give stats but here is mine. I graduated 2003 with a cum GPA of 3.50, I was a psychology major. I wasn't originally premed so I had to take some courses after graduation. I do have a D in Orgo 1 on my record but retook it and got an A, so don't stress too much if your are in that situation too. I got a 27 on the MCAT. I only took it once. Physical 8, verbal 10, bio 9, writing N (If I recall correctly). PCOM was my first choice. I only applied to a few schools and got accepted at UNECOM, waitlisted at CCOM and accepted into PCOM so that's where I'm heading. PCOM postmarked my acceptance letter the day of my interview which was great b/c then I didn't have to put a deposit in to UNECOM while waiting to hear back. They definitely knew that I was going if I get in...probably b/c I told them that when they asked. he he ...Good luck with your interview."
"The interview experience was calm. It was my first interview and I was the first to go. Even though there were three interviewers, it was a laid back environment. The admissions counselor continually informs you that this is their opportunity to meet you and not attack you. I really look forward to hearing back from this school. This and UMDNJ are my top choices. "
"Well the day started off bright and early 8am. Dr. Nichols and a 2nd year took us (11 other people being interviewed) to have breakfast. We all sat down and ate. Dr. Nichols talked about osteopathic medicine and the 2nd year told us the ends & outs of surviving the 1st year. After that we all went down to the "fishbowl" and waited for our interview. Unlike most other posts..our interviews went by quick. PCOM had three sets of interview committees. All interviews were done around 11. After a few of us finished interviewing, we went to a 2nd year lecture. GREAT! Can't Wait! Then a little tour..and the day is over! "
"You go to breakfast in the morning with the other interviewees. I ate with the student guide and one of the doctors who interviewed us. Then I have to wait around for a few hours because my interview wasn't until 11:30. After I met with my cousin and he showed me around the school. The interview is very laid back, but make sure you know the osteopathic philosphy inside and out, my interviewer was very interested in this."
"There was a breakfast with a faculty member and other interviewees. Then you wait until its your turn to interview. When all interviews were complete,at around 12, a tour of the school was given. "
"Everything is new, the students are really nice, and Atlanta's highway sucks."
"Went to breakfast, waited for 2 hours, interviewed, then toured. "
"The interview was great. VERY relaxed, yet thorough. I met with a D.O. and a PhD (both on staff). They questioned me about my application, grades, MCAT, etc. I will note the importance of updating your file. The MCAT scores they saw were lower than the ones I received in October. If I had not had my file updated, I doubt I would've been accepted."
"It began with a tour of the facilities, with a 2nd year student. Next we had lunch and then the interviews started. There were two of us there, and the other guy went first. He was in for about an hour. Then it was my turn. We talked about me for about thirty minutes. Then we talked about DOs, residencies and how to pay for school for about thirty minutes."
"The day began with breakfast in the school's cafeteria. I was lead to the cafeteria by an obviously angry admissions staffer. The interview group had lunch with an obnoxious student (who ripped on every other medical school I applied to) and a professor from the school who was more interested in chatting with the obnoxious student about how cool the first year class was when compared to other classes at PCOM. Following breakfast, we returned to the admissions office for the interview. We were ignored by the admissions staff, but a few students did drop by to say hello. Following the interview, we were lead on a tour by a group of first year students who apparently lifted their personalities from drunken "Real World" characters. "
"The interview itself was pretty laid back and calm, although I was a nervous wreck being the first one called in for the interview. I think I stumbled over my words when trying to explain my understanding of the osteopathic philosophy... make sure you know it inside and out, why you want to go into the profession and such. I left the interview feeling horrible about my chances. However, I got the acceptance letter 4 days later! Don't give up hope too easily!"
"I stayed at the Hampton Inn and they provided a shuttle to PCOM so I didn't have to stress about driving. I arrived about 10 minutes till 8am. We had breakfast (a muffin-if you are a big breakfast person like me maybe you should eat first) with the financial aid advisor and the student affairs director. Then we went on the tour (very high tech). We then waited to be interviewed. The other DO that was supposed to interview me was stuck in traffic so one of the PhD's sat in for him. She was really nice so I didn't mind. The interview was laid back (I think I made it a little more stressful because I was nervous and this was my first interview). My advice is get there early, be friendly to students and other interviewees and just be yourself. "
"Well I was second to last to go, so the DO and PHD both left and I just had one person Ms Fox who is vice president of admissions. It made it really relaxed since it was one person. I hate panel interviews! We started talking about how my mom hates to fly and is married to a delta pilot and from there we just talked the whole time. She asked me about two questions. The only thing that worries me is that she didn't ask me why PCOM? I thought that is like the most important. Who knows."
"Every good interview experience. I'm a reapplicant to this school and I think I did very well."
"I LOVE PCOM! It is definitely my first choice after seeing the enthusiasm of the students and faculty in addition to their facilities, which are great. The laid-back style of the interview also made the day and experience at PCOM more positive."
"It was positive overall. I went into this interview with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. PCOM has moved up to the top of my list - actually it is now tied with my other #1 choice. The interviewers were friendly and asked the typical interview questions (why DO? How did you find out about osteopathic medicine?). The students were friendly."
"i was nervous, but interviewers were nice and made me feel at ease--students also came in and talked to us"
"It was an excellent experience. Everyone from faculty to students to administration were very friendly and helpful. The facility is outstanding and the campus is just outside atlanta so you aren't in the city traffic everyday but you are close enough to go to the city whenever you want/need to. The cirriculum will mirror PCOM-philly so no worries there, and the other interviewee's were really cool as well."
"Excellent school, friendly people, nonstressful interview and the faculty takes a genuine interest in the students needs and desires. "
"Overall, I had a great experience. The interview was really easy and I think the interviewers really took their time to get to know me. I never felt intimidated by the interviewers (although the other applicants would disagree). I also liked that the students all seem ecstatic and proud to be a part of PCOM. Good luck!"
"The interview itself is totally non-stressful. It's simply a conversation with your interviewers. I was asked nothing on ethics, healthcare, or controversial issues--questions were strictly about my application and me. I was impressed by PCOM, especially by its people and facilities. I will seriously consider matriculating if I am accepted (they said the wait time for a decision is less than a month)."
"It was a great experience. It was very low key, and not stressful at all. Honestly, it was pretty much a 'glorified conversation.' I left feeling really confident and positive about my chances of being accepted. So fingers are crossed..."
"Very positive experience. Don't know why I was worried. The time lag between breakfast and the interview is nice if you need time to prepare, but can also make you nervous....bring something to read! Make sure you have prepared a few questions to ask the interviewers. It looks bad at the end if you don't ask anything."
"It was a very laid back experience. The day was nice and relaxed, with many students coming by to talk to us. Breakfast was good, too! I love PCOM and I'll be crossing my fingers so hard for the next few weeks."
"Interviewers were very friendly and welcoming. There was hardly any stress."
"The interview itself is very relaxed, very informal; almost more conversational than Q and A. But, the day itself was disorganized (you sit in the waiting room for a LONG time with NOTHING to do--see above comments too). I would need to go back when students were around to get a real feel of PCOM. The interview/visit left me feeling confused on how I feel."
"Absolutely awesome! I would love to go here. Hopefully it works out for me"
"In general, my interview experience was a success. I certainly liked what I saw. I like the location of the school, being situated in Bala-Cynwyd, a predominantly residential and office building area. Even though I ended up being interviewed with one of the toughest interviewer (I found out after the interview) I was not put off by her initial sterness. I recommend PCOM."
"Waited in lobby waiting room for a few minutes, went to hear presentation from dean in his office about the school's faculty, facility, technology, possible teaching hospital sites, curriculum, admissions process, etc. It lasted maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Then the two other applicants that were there with me went for there interviews, one at a time (so I of course was left sweating it out by myself in the waiting area). Each interview took between 30-40 minutes. After the interview you are free to leave. The first interviewee left around 10! I was interviewed by a D.O. and a faculty member- we were all seated together at a table. I felt more comfortable at this interview than at any of my previous ones. I felt like I was having a pleasant conversation with my interviewers, not like I was been grilled with question after question. Overall, I didn't do a lot of talking, actually! They even complimented my achievements. The interview went really well- I felt silly for getting so nervous. "
"The day starts off with breakfast, followed by the interviews. The waiting is not that bad - if your interview pool is talkative. If you want to catch up on some reading, bring it along to pass the time. After all the interviews are complete, there is a student led tour of the campus. I felt I had a great interview - this school is now my first choice."
"Overall- really laid back interview with no surprises- especially if you've read SDN. Everyone there is super helpful from the faculty to even the support staff. The breakfast was a really nice way to start the day. We had to sit around- a lot- but we probably would have sat in on classes if they had been in session. The tour guide was awesome and I saw parts of campus that I hadn't even seen as a biomed. On another note- if you really want to go here but don't make it in- do the Biomed program. I highly recommend it and it will be worth your time."
"the interview was brief, laid back, and easy."
"Very easy interview. Once you get the interview here, your worries should be over. I got my acceptance letter yesterday and I sent my deposit today. I am quitting my job in finance and will be starting in august."
"Just go over the web site, sdn questions (which you are already doing) and try to ask questions at the end that are unique to your interests. I asked the interviewers how can I become involved with Sigma Xi if accepted? It is a research fraternity and it showed that I actually cared about going to their school."
"PCOM-ATL's interview experience was good. After going to the interview I decided that this school is my number one choice of where I want to attend osteopathic medical school."
"very pleasant, all the questions were clarifications of my experiences and my file"
"Breakfast was provided and led by a faculty member who was great and talked alot about the school. When we got back to the admissions office waiting room, there weren't enough chairs for all 16 or so of us to sit. Visiting classes being held for 1st and 2nd years was interesting and impressive. Interviews were lacking in discussion and interest, on both sides, partially dampened by my having a nasty cold and not having slept the night before. Tour was fun and the STAN mannequin was fascinating. I'm not holding my breath on an acceptance. But I think it's best for them and me, so I'm glad I went."
"It was very positive and everyone, including the interviewers, were very friendly and inviting. The breakfast was really good too, you have a lot of choices. Overall there are no reasons to be nervous, just be yourself during your interview"
"I had a really great time seeing the schematics for the new school, and talking to the admissions people. Everyone was great."
"had breakfast, introduction, then interviews, we had to wait till everyone was done then we got a tour."
"nothing out of the ordinary or stressful. as long as you know why you are applying to do school (as opposed to md), youll be fine. tour was a bit lacking and not enough financial aid info or housing info, even after asking questions."
"It was perhaps one of the best interviews that I could have asked for. It was very relaxed."
"The interview was very casual and relaxed. The interviewers were so nice and seemed really interested in me and what I had to say rather than over analyzing exactly what I was saying."
"This school is amazing. It was the only school I visited and the only one I applied to. I noticed most people do not tell you their stats on here, but I will so you have an idea. I am a biology major on a 3+4 plan and have a 3.3 GPA and a 3.4 Science GPA, I took the MCAT once and got a 27L (Do not sweat it if you bomb the writing sample, most schools do not even look at them.), I have a ton of extracurricular activites and volunteer service, and I had four letters of recommendation sent to the school. I found out I was accepted today (January 24th, 2005)."
"I interviewed with PCOM-Georgia branch. The interview seemed very low stress, which I've found to be not uncommon of the newer DO schools I've interviewed with. They even told us before the interview that they were not going to ask any outlandish questions, and they held true to that. "
"good experience overall. great school. everyone was very friendly."
"Overall, I am not sure how well it went but everyone was very nice and friendly. The atmopsphere at the school was great and highly conducive to studying successfully with several resources and a very friendly staff."
"My interview was at Atlanta campus. As this being the first year and interviews being conducted at the amke shift office, the interview went on very fast. Our interview started at 8.00, followed by half an hour of presentation and than the personal interview. It went on pretty fast. I was donr by 9.00. Three days later i got the letter in the mail "ACCEPTED". This interview is very personal with very low stress. No screwy ethical questions "
"This interview was at the Georgia campus. It started out with the vice dean giving a short orientation (less than an hour), then all applicants (all 4 of us) sat in the waiting area until we were called in for the interview. They let us know ahead of time when each person was going to interview so we were allowed to leave and come back if we wanted to. The interview lasted about 35 minutes and it was very laid back and conversational. PCOM-Georgia has become my #1 choice and I really hope I get in! :)"
"PCOM-GA campus. I thought this was an amazing school in terms of what I am looking for from a school. I think it is going to be a great opportunity for many students, possibly myself. The school is certainly not for everyone."
"everyone was real friendly"
"Great interview....I actually felt like they should have asked more or grilled me more. It seemed too too easy, so that could be good or bad."
"Very comfortable interview. Low stress, friendly. "
"I was truly impressed by everything form the the staff to the interview itself. They truly asked questions that really gave them an oppurtunity to findout what kind of person I was. PCOM-Atlanta went from my 2nd choice to my 1st choice right after the interview. I got my acceptance today and I am definitely going!!!!"
"It was much more painless than I had imagined."
"The interview was great. It's supposed to be 2 people interviewing, but one of the interviewers was a no show so the Dean of Admissions just interviewed me one-on-one. She is fabulous and very easy to talk to. She is positive without sugarcoating your application or the admissions process. During the interview (and all day long--beginning with the faculty breakfast) you get the sense that PCOM makes a sincere effort to present the school in the best possible light and attract the students who will be a good fit for the program. I have not noticed such a genuine approach in any other school I have applied to so far and it made a very positive impression on me."
"To break it down: Breakfast 8:15 - 9:00 AM Student Interviews 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Student Tour 12:00 PM Overall, the experience was very positive. PCOM students are very upbeat. The admissions staff is very friendly, and the facult want to see you succeed. Spend as much time as you can talking with the PCOM students. Come with many questions prepared, because you have a lot of time between your interview and the student tour to talk to students. I learned so much, and left PCOM feeling very satisfied with my experience. I'm really hoping that I'm accepted to PCOM, because it is my top choice!"
"This was my first interview so I was a little more nervous. They make you sit in the admissions office and wait, which doesn't really help. Thankfully, students come in and talk to you. The other people in my interview group were pretty nice, and overall I had a good experience at PCOM. I just found out I got in, too. "
"I arrived around 8:15. the group of interviewees went to breakfast with one on the faculty members talked about the school opportunities etc asked questions. Sat in the fishbowl and waited for my interview. ALot of students came in and talked to us which gave me the opportunity to NOT get nervous while waiting. Interviewed with two doctors and another individual on admissions committee, I really enjoyed the experience I am going to have a hard decision between here and UMDNJ. "
"I wasn't exactly sure how to feel about my performance. I'm a Physician Assistant Student right now and the two physicians that interviewed me had a lot of questions about what a PA student does as far as an education and training. But, it all paid off because I received my acceptance letter this morning in the mail! "
"Everything went smoothly, interview was laid back, interviewers were extremely nice"
"The day started at 8:15 with breakfast with one of the deans. He was very friendly and tried to reassure us about the interview. Then we basically had to sit in a room for 3 hours while waiting for all the interviews to be completed. During the wait a financial aid officer came to talk to us and was not very helpful. She just told us we'll basically be taking loans out. Also, about 6 current students came in to talk to us, answer any questions, and told us about their experience at PCOM. The interview was very short and not stressful at all. Once all the interviews were completed we went on a tour. The campus is beautiful, and they have very modern and hands-on facilities. If I get into PCOM, I will be going there!"
"the interview seemed so laid back and conversational. I had just been accepted to nova so I wasn't as nervous, but I did get wait-listed in just a week. kinda surprised i guess so just waiting now. I love the school and it is my first choice"
"Well waiting to be called for an interview was more tiring than anything else. You are welcome to sit in on a class but my interview was in the middle so I couldn't go early just in case the previous interview was quick and then I couldn't go latter because my interview ended up begin late. There isn't much information given about the school from faculty, the students do most of the talking."
"The day started with an informal breakfast with the interviewees and a faculty member around 8:15am. Then we went back to the waiting room and sat around until it was our time to interview. I had two DOs as interviews and they were very friendly. Around noon, a student took us around the campus for a tour. I had the opportunity to view a radiology class and the students were singing karaoke! We were able to leave after the tour (~1:15pm)."
"I experienced pure unfiltered postivity. If I get into this school, I'm definitely going."
"The interview was mainly conversational and laid back. They asked questions taylored to my application about my undergraduate school (b/c they hadn't heard of it before), my intership experiences, my graduate studies, and how I got interested in osteopathy. They also asked basic questions about OMM and the differences btw. MD and DO."
"Let's put it this way. I wasn't impressed, rather, I was extremely disappointed. I was accepted to NYCOM, UMDNJ-SOM, and Western U before I came here to PCOM. Out of the four, PCOM was the worst in terms of academic standards, the clinical facilities, and just the overall atmosphere of the school and the surrounding area. The interview day was unorganized and they made you wait for hours on doing absolutely nothing. "
"it was an amazing experience with a very friendly and curtious faculty and student body. I have been accepted and will be attending the PCOM class of 2008"
"My interview experience was awesome! I loved the school. I could really feel myself there. If I get in I will definitely be going."
"Overall, this school is laid back and non-competitive. Heck, when we went to see the gym it was like my undergraduate school all over again, everybody pumping iron! PCOM gives you a lot of opportunities in alternative medicine and careers that you will not find anywhere else."
"P.C.O.M. is a great school, and I imagine that my negative experience was unique. The stress level was so high because it was my first interview, because I was to go almost last, and because I hadnt the nerves to eat a proper breakfast. So...four hours later I was ready to faint. "
"WOuld not go here unless they accepted me, gave me a full scholarship, and paid me a monthly stipend."
"We had breakfast with one of the vice-deans. He was extremly friendly and funny. He gave us pointers on what questions they might ask on the interview. It was a pleasure talking to him. The interview itself was very negative. The director of admission was rude and unfriendly and that curbed my enthusiasm. The doctor that was with her was extremly nice. The students who came to answer the questions were very friendly. The school itself is awesome."
"day started off with breakfast with the vice dean who is a great guy and fun to talk to, then we waited for our interviews and while we did so a bunch of PCOM students dropped in and talked to us the entire time answering questions and what not, then we had interviews, then a tour"
"Waiting was terrible- I had one of the later interviews, but luckily student after student came in to talk to us. The tour was great, the facilities nice, but the interview itself was higher stress than SDN had led me to believe it would be."
"Very negative. It was nice that students stopped in during the day to wish us luck. The interview experience, was, shall I say, lacking any intellectual stimulation."
"Decent tour, but a bit odd. When I asked one of the tour guides why he chose PCOM he told me was that it was because they had a rugby team. That's like saying you chose a school based on the chiks! Lastly, they think that the fact that the 76rs practice there is such a draw for their school. I mean, this is med school, I care about the academics, clinicals, acceptance into residency, etc..I don't care if the 76ers practice there! "
"It was a great experience where everyone was friendly and laid-back. They want to get to know who YOU are as a person, they don't care about grades by the time you get an interview (you've already made that cut). It was just great!"
"The interview was great. There were two groups of interviewers. One was the financial aid director and a family practice physician and the other was the assistant financial aid director and a cardiologist. Both groups were very relaxed and asked similar questions. Some questions that others were asked that were not asked of me were 1)tell us about the history of osteopathic medicine and what you know about it 2)what body part did AT Still study (trick question, answer is none, he focused on the whole body)."
"It was a large group of 15-16 prospective students so we were put into 3 interview groups: all 3 groups included a staffer from Admissions and a faculty DO, and one group also had a student rep. Although the interviews had scheduled times, they ran late. As a result, the later interviewees felt rushed and 1 applicant, who was the last, wasn't done until 12:30, which meant that the tour started a 1/2 hour later than scheduled. The morning breakfast was a nice chance to meet the others and chat w/the younger Dr. Nicholas about the school, curriculum, etc. The clinical rotation system seems complicated with selection of slots and negotiating w/fellow students for time frames. A short Fin Aid presentation would have been useful (esp. given the tuition) but it seems the staffer just dropped off pamphlets in the waiting area (I missed her bc I was in my interview at the time). There is a 5-week SummerStart program for nontraditional students/students w/a limited sci background that covers med biochem & etc - it's free but you have to be in Philly in June. There's several housing complexes near the school so a car isn't really needed until 3rd year for traveling to the rural and more farflung rotations. There are a significant number of nontrad/older students."
"The interview was laid back and not intimidating at all. My interviewers were interested in finding out about me, and what I like to do..not my opinion about hypothetical clinical situations as I have been asked at other schools. I appreciate how, although my MCAT scores were fine, I am not judged and labeled by my scores..the test was mentioned for a total of 2 min. and not stressed at all..the only question I was asked was in reference to my preparation."
"I had a great time at PCOM. The 76ers practice there and we had a great day. PCOM is totally family orientated, they had a huge Christmas party and EVERYONE was terrific. We had breakfast with a DO - Dr.Nicholas, and he was so cool. He told us so much about PCOM, and really made us feel comfortable"
"VERY VERY TEXTBOOK INTERVIEW (other than the fact that it is a panel interview). Absolutely nothing tricky, and not much ethical talk either. "
"so far so good"
"Great, I would love to come to school at PCOM. "
"PCOM really tries to make it low stress. It was my first interview and it was a great experience. All the students love the school and its probably the top DO school. PCOM is my #1 choice. I hope I get in! "
"Overall, the interview was not stressful. However, since I was one of the last ones to be interviewed, I felt that the interviewers were a bit rushed with me."
"It was a great experience. Everyone there is nice and the school helps the students to do well."
"Breakfast 8am. Interview process started 9am. Lots of waiting for others to interview until 12. 12- tour of campus. Done at 1 pm. Go sit in on some classes while you are waiting. The students are willing to talk- and they are abundant."
"My interview experience was made great by the PCOM staff and interviewers. It was my first interview at the time and I was a little nervous but they make you feel at ease right away by just trying to get to know you. I just got accepted a couple days ago and its my top choice as of now. My advice is that you know the school well, know they give you early clinical experience through community service, they have robotic simulator for doing physical diagnosis, know osteopathic history, why you want to be a DO, def. why PCOM. Also there is a big osteo history book in admissions waiting room, pick that up because they like they you looked at it while waiting. Just relax, BE YOURSELF, if you have made up BS answers they might see right through you. They want to just see if you can communicate well with them, answer easy questions and see a humane side of you that DO's ought to be. FINALLY, YOU MUST ASK SOME GOOD QUESTIONS TO CONCLUDE YOUR INTERVIEW. It shows your interest in going there, that you know some details about the school.(ask about their clubs/organizations, so many of them, ask about board passage rate, etc. Good luck to everyone and I hope this helps"
"PCOM is my first choice, and my visit to the shcool really proved to me that I should not change my mind about going there! There is a genuin atmosphere among students and staff of helping each other. Its simply awesome!"
"I really loved PCOM! I consider it to be my top choice. The interview is really laid back and I didn't have any difficult questions at all! It's a really great school!"
"the school is excellent, it really positively influenced my opinion of the school...i am really thinking about attending now"
"PCOM is a friendly environment very conducive to learning. If I get accepted, it will definitely be a top choice."
"After all of the interviewees arrived, the assistant director of admissions took us to breakfast in the cafeteria. She gave us so much information that many of my questions were answered. Then we waited in the lobby of the admissions office while everyone was being interviewed. While waiting, a few of us sat in on a lecture. Then current students came into the waiting area and spoke to us about the school and answered a lot of questions. After everyone was interviewed, 3 students took us on a tour of the school. The day started at around 8am and ended at around 1pm."
"It was really great! Do not get nervous; the interview was so laid back, and the people are so nice; I ended up feeling like I could just stop one of the students walking by and ask them any questions. "
"it was a great experience.i came in with little or no expectation of the school and after the interview its one of my top choices"
"the interview day was a joke. we spent 3 hours just sitting around and waiting for people to cycle through their interviews. they gave no presentations or information about the school of things to do in the city (i am from out-of-state). the interview itself was very short, and felt like i had just run into them randomly on the street. they only asked the following 4 questions...."
"Frankly, the interview was a joke. The woman who asked most of the questions was very rude and disrespectful. The doctor was fine, but he certainly didn't jump in to stand up for me. They gave me a very negative impression of the school. The admissions staff were curt almost to the point of being rude, but not quite. The other applicants all seemed very uptight and competitive and unable to relax. We had a breakfast with one of the other admissions officers, and he promised that the interviews would not be stressful, but rather an opportunity "for us to get to know each other." I felt very deceived when my interview was anything but that. Overall, the school to me had a very fraternity/sorority type feel, in a negative way."
"P.C.O.M. is a great school if you want hands on medical education. The students are non-competitive and help each other out. VERY friendly atmosphere."
"Day began around 8am with an admissions member taking us to breakfast. She answered questions and gave an overview about the school and its programs. The interview was very relaxed; it was conversational. I interviewed with the director of admissions and a physician"
"there was nothing particularly great or bad about the experience. people LOVE to talk about PCOM, and it can be a bit much. but that's just my opinion---others may have really appreciated the barrage of info."
"PCOM has it all together. The school is more than 100 years old, which means that they have been there and done that. Their facilities are very modern. Plus, PCOM's student services, teaching methods, and course work are are all top notch. For example, they changed their anatmoy class length because students wanted it, and they added time to help student get ready for boards. So, the school really does care about student concerns. Furthermore, every staff member we talked to was so nice. The woman at the information desk gushed more than my mother about how awesome we all looked in our suites before the interviews. Dr. Nichols, an OMM speacialist, talked to us before the interviews. He told us about rotations and anything else we asked. He is very cool - and he teaches OMM to the 1st years. Finally, PCOM's students are extremely proud of their school. That says to me that PCOM is a great place because its customers, the students who live and work there, are very happy with PCOM."
"Overall very impressed. The students were charismatic and enthusiastic. The curriculum is systems based which I like. The facilities are more than adequate."
"If you have a tough interviewer, they're just trying to see if they can rattle you a little bit. I got the general impression from this school that they (especially the students) think they're better than all of the other schools."
"THe interview experience went really well. The interviewers asked fairly simple questions, the student tour leader was well informed and honest with his answers, students were really happy about going to the school."
"Overall, I got a feeling that pcom really prepares you both clinically and academically. "
"Excellent"
"Great experience!!"
"The interview was VERY laidback. It was conducted by Carol Fox and a professor. The interviews are usually conducted by an additional faculty member and Deborah Erdner (instead of Carol Fox, I was told), but she was not present that day. They were both so nice. Don't sweat it - I was nervous for no reason. In the morning we met with a member of administration for breakfast and he told us some things about the school. There was a total of 5 of us interviewing that day. After all the interviews we had a tour guided by a 2nd year student."
"PCOM truly has a lot to offer. the campus is very nice, situated in the suburbs of philly, and the admissions staff was extremely nice. it was my first interview and i'm glad i did it at this school because they don't ask you anything to make you feel uneasy. they just want to get to know the person you are. i would be happy to be a student here."
"this was a really laid back interview... the only reason i gave it a stress level of 4 was because i was the last one to interview so i got more nervous just sitting there waiting....but everyone at the campus is nice.. the students are really helpful. they answer most of your questions before you get a chance to ask them. definately nothing to worry about the interview itself. it was just a casual conversation... they arleady read your file... they are just trying to get a feel for you... definately a pleasant experience. and the tour that followed was really good as well....it was given by students and they let you know some stuff about the school that hte others did not..."
"The interviewers gave very little feedback, they asked random questions, and they obviously had not read the applicant's file before the interview.I was expecting questions about my life and instead I was asked very general questions."
"I was a little stressed during the interview because I felt like I was on trial; three interviewers sat at one end of this long table, while I sat at the other. They kind of grilled me about my grades...things got better though after I confessed that I loved watching Joe Millionaire. I left feeling like a tool, but I was accepted, so I guess you never know. "
"The day starts early, first you & the other applicants have breakfast for an hour or so. Interviews start at 9am and finish around 12. While you are not interviewing, you are waiting at a lounge. PCOM students stop by to talk about the school. During that time, a representative from Financial Aid gives a small presentation. The day ends with a tour around the school. "
"Overall, i was totally impressed with PCOM. I knew it was a good school, but having gone to the school, it has reinforced my desire to attend. Great curriculum, facilities, people seemed nice and happy to be there, terrific faculty (that Dr. Nicholas guy is quite a character), good clinical rotations, etc. I would without a doubt, hands down attend PCOM if i got accepted, and even withdraw my acceptance to allopathic med school. Just relax and be yourself, the interview was really laidback, and it was actually the most relaxed out of all the 10 DO school interviews i have been to - they just want to get to know you - if you made it to the interview, then they just want to see if you can effectively convey who you are as a person to them"
"Completely fabulous-the curriculum is great, the facilities amazing, and the people so genuine."
"Well, the day started off with a DO taking us to breakfast in the cafeteria. He was very nice and talkative and answered any questions we had. Then we had to sit around while other people interviewed. I was unfortunate to get the hard group of interviewers. The interview didn't seem to go to well at first, but I thought I pulled it together (but NO acceptance!) They asked question after question, i.e. What do you like to do for fun? my answer was photography. As soon as I started talking about it, the student who asked the question cut me off and said WHAT ELSE? then the female interviewer also said YEAH,WHAT ELSE? (I'm sorry, I thought Photography was a pretty cool hobbie to have, but guess not!!) Then I went on to say I like to read..What book has inspired you the most? I said "Brave New World"...Do you think we can live in a utopian society that is protrayed in the book? No, why not??? on and on and on....they were very nasty and rude throughout the interview!! However, the tour was adequate and the campus is lovely. The other group of interviewers seemed to be nice and friendly....just my luck! Well, good luck and hope they are in a good mood!"
"4. Where do you see yourself in 10 yrs. 5. Why (blank school) for your B.S. 6. How do you know (blank - one of my recommmenders) The whole day was very relaxing, although sitting around while everyone is interviewed got to be a drag by the end (2.5hrs total). Breakfast was nice and informative. One suggestion: relax and let the answers flow. I was a little to tense and my answers tended to be brief."
"this interview wasn't that stressful, except there was a fair amount of time spent just waiting around. The admissions staff was really friendly, as were the two people that interviewed me. They were really really nice, although one of the interviewers had trouble making eye contact. a lot of students stuck their heads in while we were waiting to wish us good luck and answer any questions. PCOM seems like a really good place for med school-- high expectations, but sort of laid back and relaxed at the same time. its definitely one of my top choices. the interview itself is just like a conversation. you can sort of direct it anyway you want to. i felt like they did really want to get to know about me and my interets. just talk a lot, and they will sort of ask about the stuff you are saying."
"There were ~10 of us being interviewed. First, we had breakfast with Dr. Evan Nicholas, an OMM specialist. Dr. Nicholas is a character and definitely put everyone at ease. We were then interviewed in the order originally scheduled. There were 2 sets of interviewers. Mine consisted of the director of admissions, a DO faculty member, and an MSIII. After my interview, I spent some time in the 2nd-year lecture hall listening to an allergist teach about asthma. When the interviews were complete, we were given a tour of the campus by an MSII who was very knowledgeable and spoke frankly to us about what he liked and disliked about PCOM. I had a blast. PCOM is positively amazing. I'd choose it over any other medical school, osteopathic or allopathic. Hands down."
"My interview was laid back and they were just trying to get to know me. They seemed to have a positive attitude and were very encouraging."
"I love PCOM!!!! I will be going there next year (if I get accepted)...it fits me and what I want in a med school. The whole day was very relaxed, the only reason I felt stress was because it was my first choice school!!"
"The day was pretty good... I was extremely nervous and stressed out, probably because it was my first interview and I was in the middle of midterms, but the people made me feel a little more relaxed. The interview process seemed to take forever.... I was the last one to go, which meant that I sat in the "fishbowl" from 9:30 until I interviewed at 11:30. Waiting for that long made me kind of antsy and even more nervous. Students came by to talk to us about the school and everyone was very friendly. I guess my nervousness didn't really matter because I got accepted."
"Overall an enjoyable experience. Breakfast with the Dean was very nice and informative. As far as the interview goes, I didn't get asked about my motivation to become a DO or why I wanted to attend PCOM which was surprising. "
"In all, it was a great experience. I know I would like it here. Be prepared to explain bad MCAT's (didnt have that prob) and any poor grades (like I had to)!!!!"
"PCOM was my number one choice, followed closely by NOVA. I still hope I get in and will go, no doubt. However, I didn't feel welcome at PCOM as I was at all the other schools. Maybe bc they know they are good so they don't need to go all out to impress you. The admissions staffs seemed not to care about the interviewees at all. However, I can't complain about the facilities or the curriculum or the students. They all were great. So, I can't let the little things the admissions staffs did deter me from going to PCOM, IF I got accepted. This was my last interview bc I Got in at NOVA. So, it's either PCOM or NOVA. Good luck, everyone!!!!"
"The campus is great, the people are great and your fellow pre-med students are great too. I had a nice time interacting with everyone. Everyone seemed real happy to be there. I didnt get as much interaction with the med students as I had wanted to. But Overall, the experience was great."
"Overall the experience was awesome. It definitely increased my desire to attend the school."
"The people at PCOM seem genuinely happy to help you with anything. About 10 of us "interviewees" had breakfast together and waited all morning in a small room. We were called out one at a time to interview and then had the tour. Overall it was pretty laid-back and not too intimidating. "
"Overall it was a great experience. The interview itself is not very stresfull. I was interviewd by the director of admissions and a faculty member who were very freindly. The asked questions designed to learn more about your personality. Actually the most stressful part is waiting for the interview. "
"Amazing experience overall, great school. Questions in order: 1. How did you end up in Philadelphia from (insert state here)? 2. Why did you changr your major? 3. Why is spending more time with a patient a good thing? 4. What area of medicine are you interested in? 5. What is one quality that you feel a physician should possess? 6. What other schools did you apply to? 7. What factors would influence your decision in selecting which medical school to attend? 8. Anything else you would like us to know? Again, great experience overall. They told us our interview order and who we would be seeing. They had people from Financial Aid and the Bursar Office come speak to us while we were waiting. Breakfast was good, cafeteria is more than adequate. PCOM students were always coming in to talk to us while we were waiting to be interviewed. All of my questions were answered and I felt at ease with the entire day."
"This is in addition to the last interview posting. In case you are wondering, IT WAS NOT EXAM DAY when the interview occurred. In fact, they didn't have an exam for about a week and some change..."
"It wasn't very positive. I was interviewed by a third year whose freaking grandpa went to the place, and a lady from admissions. The admissions staff member loved my interview skills, and the third year was very curt, seemed bored, and was probably only there for the free lunch he got afterwards. I was turned off from the moment I got there. No one was really friendly. The admissions staff were like "Sit down, you'll be seen in a minute." They played a tape over and over about osteopathic medicine. All good, but the tape skipped and was from 1995! The breakfast was nasty, and even the chefs looked upset. Carol Fox came and sat with us, but seemed to be there because it's a routine thing she does, and not like she really cared about who we were and what we had to say. The students seemed uptight all day long. ALL DAY LONG! The tour was decent, but the tour guide seemed distracted. The gym is beautiful, but you are better off at the Y when basketball season starts. The MSI class size is huge (250), so if you want friends, make them before you get there. It's like high school in there. My interview was as above, but I could have had a six pack of V-8! After the interview and tour, we were left to ourselves. They said, "Well, you can leave now if you want." I decided to stay and look around, but after five minutes, my gut said "WE ARE OUTTA HERE NOW!" I have never looked back, and I am GLAD I didn't get in. I found a better school that appreciates me a lot more. If you like it rough, and cold, and in Philly. be my guest! I personally would say BUYER BEWARE to any accepted PCOM student. Go there on a Tuesday (not exam day) and make sure you want to spend 4 years on the outskirts of Philly!"
"Nice school. Fairly relaxed interview, but waiting increases the stress level. "
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 280 |
| Faculty member | 4 |
| Admissions staff | 14 |
| Other | 4 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 171 |
| Neutral | 22 |
| Discouraging | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.71 | 203 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 92 |
| Out of state | 105 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 75 |
| 2-3 hours | 56 |
| 4-6 hours | 52 |
| 7+ hours | 23 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 49 |
| Automobile | 143 |
| Train or subway | 8 |
| Other | 8 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 77 |
| $101-$200 | 34 |
| $201-$300 | 25 |
| $301-$400 | 15 |
| $401-$500 | 9 |
| $501+ | 10 |
PHI
BWI (Family lives there)
PIA
Philadelphia International Airport
N/A
bwi
ATL
PHL
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 5 |
| Friends or family | 35 |
| Hotel | 80 |
| Home | 15 |
| Other | 0 |
Hilton City Avenue
No
Wyndham by Wingate
Yes
Hilton City Avenue
No
Wyndham by Wingate
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.62 | 208 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.47 | 208 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.68 | 209 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.07 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.75 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.41 | 68 |
"Have some sort of icebreaker or short presentation to start off with. It was awkward to go straight to questions with med students."
"the admissions counselor was very unprofessional, he blatantly told us over and over again that we would all be accepted on the spot. after each student introduction, he also told each student how they would be present on campus. He was bubbly and well intentioned but it came off poorly, especially if one was rejected it also took 7 months for PCOM to review my application, without ever even sending a completion status"
"Please issue decisions by email, not by snail mail. Also to include a chance to talk with financial aid staff."
"Maybe upgrade the post interview decision to an email instead of a physical letter sent through the mail"
"Keep up the good work!"
"They are great!"
"All decisions are delivered via mail only. Apparently past classes said that they preferred a more formal method of notification? However, I think they should email and send out the letters, or at least give accepted students a phone call ahead of the letter."
"The lady that sits and welcomes is the best ever. She attempts to set the tone for the school, I wish the doctors were like her."
"The entire day was very pleasant! However, I would have much preferred to have the interviews first, and then lunch and the tour. Most interviewers agreed that it was hard to pay attention to all of the information given on the tour when we are thinking about our interviews."
"No real suggestions; it would have been nice to meet more students during lunch maybe, but I understand that exams made that a bit difficult."
"None! I thought it was efficient, easy and thorough."
"Everyone is friendly and really dedicated to choosing a class with the right fit for PCOM. No suggestions!"
"They are so nice!"
"None - very good process."
"They should work on really selling the school better. I was expecting to be blown away because of a"
"There is a lot of down time waiting for your interview or after your interview before the tour. Mayb"
"Notification of being complete would have been appreciated, but I understand they are going to cpus"
"How about actually presenting information about the school rather than opening it up to questions."
"Ideally more of the process would be web or email-based. Especially secondaries and deposits. Great"
"There's nothing to suggest, they are all AMAZING people!"
"Give tours while we are waiting to interview (block us into 2 groups)"
"Give the interviewees a handout outlining their interview day!"
"More organized. There was a nice breakfast but lots of sitting/interviewing then the tour."
"Create an online portal."
"Get it together!"
"I know they get more applications than any other school but I wish there was a little more communica"
"the interviewer told us ''good luck'' before she interviewed us. i felt like i was going into an mm"
"No changes. Great school. Really enjoyed my day. Y'all treated me right. Thank you."
"My application was lost twice, which delayed my interview offer. Although PCOM receives more applica"
"Keep up the good work. Could be a little faster though."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?