How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.84 | 91 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 71 |
| Negatively | 12 |
| No change | 11 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.42 | 89 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.40 | 95 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.84 | 96 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 1 |
| 15 minutes | 4 |
| 20 minutes | 8 |
| 25 minutes | 5 |
| 30 minutes | 39 |
| 35 minutes | 7 |
| 40 minutes | 5 |
| 45 minutes | 3 |
| 50 minutes | 2 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 18 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 87 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 69 |
| In a group | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 36 |
| Closed file | 46 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.84 | 91 |
"NDA was signed at the beginning of the day."
"So many stupid questions such as name three world-famous physicians"
"CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT"
"NDA"
"signed NDA"
"Signed NDA - mostly what you'd expect"
"Signed nondisclosure contract."
"what would your high school friends think of you today"
"Why physician? Why D.O.? Why this school?"
"Why do you want to become a doctor?"
"Why DO"
"Tell me about your experience at you internship? What did you do and what did you learn?"
"If I rub my finger on the table, how long will my DNA stay there? (experience on my app.)"
"why medicine, what not being a disc jockey. What is one thing I had learned that suprised me about the school"
"Who you would have dinner with (living or dead) and why"
"If there was something your application that you could change, what would it be?"
"What is your biggest regret?"
"Why DO and not MD?"
"Who is your hero?"
"Why ATSU-SOMA?"
"Why D.O. and why ATSU SOMA?"
"What would you do if medicine wasn't an option?"
"Why do you want to be a physician? Why D.O.?"
"Tell us about yourself?"
"What does your girlfriend think of your decision to apply here?"
"What do you think should be done about the healthcare crisis?"
"Explain why re-take MCAT?"
"What community service activities have you done? "
"Why medicine? Why DO? Why SOMA?"
"Why medicine and what interests you about Osteopathic medicine?"
"Do you think that drug companies should be prohibited from advertising drugs to consumers? Why or why not?"
"Basically all the same questions that the previous posters have posted. They are all standardized."
"Group Exercise: Solve a problem in healthcare and come up with at least 3 points in your answer. Panal of 3 watched and took notes while we worked. I agree with others that they are more interested in how you interact than what you actually come up with."
"Who should receive organ donation-convict/single mother?"
"Is compassion learned through experience and is it necessary to be a successful doctor?"
"Why DO and why A.T. Still in AZ"
"Group Interview: Identify problem with health care and come up with 3 possible solutions. Here they obviously want to see how you interact in a group"
"Part 1 - Group Activity Interviewees divided into groups of 4, asked to solve a problem in healthcare, evaluated by adcom on how well you work in a group, don't think they really cared about the solution to the prompt"
"A man who is a criminal, is on a list for a liver and a mother of three who cannot afford a transplant is not on the list, produce a moral model for transplant lists."
"3 parts to the interview: 1) They watch you do a group activity 2) Closed file interview with a set standard of 6 question 3) File Review where you can talk about dings in your application"
"What aspect of DO philosophy is most attractive to you and why?"
"(Group portion, 20 minutes): Come up with a health care issue that you feel needs change, and discuss the three main elements needing improvement."
"The one about the 9 year old with barely any brain and motor function. Removing th uterus etc... "
"Tell me about how you got to this point in your premed career. "
"GROUP PROJECT(30min): They are just testing to see how well you work with others (whether you contribute, interrupt or exclude people). It helps if you are a nice person on this one ;) BTW, the prompt was related to fixing a problem in health care. Your group has to come up, in a collaborative effort, the solution(s)."
"How did you come to want to be an osteopathic physician?"
"one 30 minute 1:1 half-opened file interview where they had everything in front of them except my numbers: why do? why soma? how does emotion play into medicine? what is one positive and one negative emotion you felt during a medical experience? do you think there is a future for CHCs? what is something that you find complex? pretend you are an admissions director- now you are looking you at your app- what is one weakness you would want to know more about? what would you do if medicine was not an option?"
"What would you do if you caught someone cheating off your exam?"
"Why do you want to become a D.O.?"
"The question about the 9 year old girl."
"Why DO? How will you incorporate DO philosophies into your practice?"
"Why DO?"
"Ethics Q - about a little girl getting a radical procedure"
"See the questions listed by other posters. "
"A parents of a severely brain damaged 9 year old girl want her doctor to perform a hysterectomy and give the child drugs to stunt her growth and keep her weight at around 75 pounds so that they can better care for her. Do you think this is a radical procedure and would you treat the patient in this way?"
"Do you believe name-brand drugs should be advertised?"
"Why SOMA? How will SOMA help you in your career as a physician?"
"About a growth stunting and reproductive impeding treatment to a 9 year old.... ethical?"
"do you think compassion can be taught?"
"Do you think there is a difference in D.O. vs. M.D.?"
"a"
"transplant question"
"Liver question."
"How would you incorporate the concept of mind/body/spirit into your practice?"
"Liver transplant question"
"liver transplant "
"The ethical question."
"Ethical liver transplant choice."
"Ethical Question about organ transplant, see above"
"Give a positive and negative example of universal health care. "
"Ethical question regarding transplant recipients."
"Hypothetical liver question"
"What does treating the mind, body, and spirit mean to you?"
"The liver question"
"Closed formal: (1)What is lifelong learning to you? (2) Give one pro/con for socialized medicine. (3) Ethics question. (4) What is mind/body/spirit to you, and how would you implement this into your practice. (5) What populations/community do you intend on working with."
"The ethics liver transplant questions, see above. "
"CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT"
"NDA"
"signed NDA"
"One on one, MMI, "speed dating", group activities"
"Signed nondisclosure contract."
"but why do you REALLY want to go into medicine"
"How do you handle stress?"
"Why ATSU SOMA"
"What is a herniated disk? (experience on my app.)"
"What I would want my medical practice to look like."
"How did you begin working in underserved communities?"
"Have you ever not completed anything in your life?"
"Tell us about a time you had to make a hard decision and what was your thought process. (or something similar to that)"
"Why Osteopathic? Why? Why? Why? I didn't know that there is a "perfect" ans. to this question. Gosh..."
"If one of your classmates was cheating, what would you do? If your classmates were planning a rally against the professor, which side would you be on?"
"If you could something all over again, what would it be?"
"If you get into an allopathic school or an osteopathic school, which one will you attend?"
"Things concerning my Academic Record."
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"Roleplay question - I want you to prescribe me Viagra because I saw an ad on TV. You know that there are more affordable generic brands available, and discuss with me a few options."
"Why DO and why Arizona?"
"An available liver should be transplant to a criminal or a single mother with kids?"
"What would you do if you caught someone cheating during an exam?"
"Tell us about a time you worked in a team."
"What would you do if medicine wasn't an option?"
"Construct an ethical framework to determine whether a struggling single mother of 3 children or a three-time felon serving time for the murder of a child should receive a liver that has been donated for transplant."
"One-on-one with Dr./Closed File: 1. Mother/convict transplant question 2. Is it ethical for pharm. companies to advertise on tv? 3. Does a Dr. need to have compassion to be successful? 4. Why DO? 5. Why will you be a successful DO?"
"Should pharmeceuticals be advertised?"
"Is pharmaceutical advertising ethical?"
"Two ethical questions. 1. Liver transplant question with the prisoner and mother. 2. If you were the president, would you allow or ban the advertisement of brand name drugs. "
"Closed File: These questions are standard for everyone. Should medication be advertised? Can compassion be taught and does a physician need it to be successful? What fascinates you about osteopathic medicine? Liver transplant should go to a jail convict or mother of 3? "
"Part 2 - File Review File review with adcom, an opportunity to address any dings in the application. Also, to verify/elaborate upon EC's and volunteer experiences. Was also asked 2 questions - 1) How do you deal with conflict? 2) Is there anything else we haven't discussed that you'd like me to pass on to the admissions committee? - Now I'm not sure if this really made a difference or not, but I let the adcom know that I was planning on canceling my future interviews if I got a positive response from this school, and he said he would definitely pass that on to the committee. Less than a week later, I received my acceptance phone call."
"what about the osteopathic philosophy attracted you most to DO"
"Can physicians be taught compassion? Is it important for a physician to have compassion?"
"(One-on-one, professor, 30 minutes, five questions): Basic questions about my background. Can compassion be taught? Does a physician need compassion to be successful? Ethical scenarios (2). What traits from your experience will make you a successful medical student? I forget the others."
"Any strengths & weaknesses?"
"CLOSED FILE (30min):What brings you here? (which I interpreted as "why medicine?," "why DO?," and "why ATSU-SOMA?" Why do you think you have the skills required to be a doctor? What are some adversities you faced that you feel will help you become a better doctor? "
"Why do you want to attend A.T. Still?"
"one 30 minute file review with director of admissions: why do? highlight activities on your application. what speciality do you see yourself going into? why primary care?"
"How would you define "medically underserved"?"
"How do you feel about pharmaceutical companies advertising drugs? Should they be allowed to do this?"
"Do you think compassion can be learned? Is it important?"
"Ethical 9yr old girl question. What do you think about drug companies advertising on TV? Can physicians learn compassion?"
"9 year old brain damaged girl, parents want to give her a radical procedure. Is this ethical"
"Why DO and Why ATSU"
"How do you see yourself serving underserved communities?"
"9 year old girl question"
"the other two from above."
"How do you plan to work with MDs to serve underserved?"
"do you think that MD's and DO's can work together?? how so??"
"Do you think physicians can learn compassion?"
"x"
"religion question"
"How did I become interested in osteopathic medicine?"
"Formulate an ethical argument based on this scenario (prisoner/mother scenario). Follow up Q: Is such a program a ''good idea''."
"Universal healthcare question"
"universal healthcare "
"Mind, body, spirit approach deal with an individual as a whole. How will you implement this into your practice?"
"What is lifelong learning and how will you implement it into your practice?"
"What are the pros and cons of universal healthcare?"
"The mind, body, spirit question"
"What is lifelong learning and how will you implement it in your practice?"
"Explain what you think ''lifelong learning'' is, and how do you plan to incorporate it into your practice?"
"Name a time in your life when you thought you really helped somebody."
"Ethical question about who to give a liver to. Convict or mother of 3."
"The weird tell us how you will interpret and include mind, body, and spirit into your life/practice. "
"Open File: Questions about why low grades here and there. How did the formal interview go. Explain your comm. serv., extra curriculars."
"What kind of practice would I like to have and what kind of people I would serve. "
"CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT"
"NDA"
"signed NDA"
"Signed nondisclosure contract."
"what kind of medicine do you want to practice"
"What would you do if you failed your first exam?"
"Why do you want to become a doctor instead of [other profession]?"
"If a patient wanted Plan B would you prescribe it for them?"
"What are houses made of in Uruguay? (experience on my app)"
"what books i had been reading. what the most interesting case i had seen at work"
"What parts of osteopathic medicine excite you?"
"How have you dealt with tragedy?"
"What book are you reading now?"
"Tell me about your problem solvin skill?"
"What is the best thing to happen in your life so far? Worst?"
"Your patient wants to have a risky embryonic stem cell procedure, what do you say to them?"
"Give an example of a problem, how you solved it, and what you learned?"
"A question about my personal statement."
"What do you know about osteopathic medicine?"
"Where would you want to do your rotations?"
"What is the difference between a primary care osteopathic education versus an integrated primary care allopathic education?"
"Does a doctor require to have compassion in order to be a good doctor?"
"Name something you are most proud of on your record and least proud of on your record."
"Why should the admissions committee pick you this year?"
"Tell us of a time when you helped a person in need and how you felt about it."
"Why did you recieve this grade in this subject, etc, etc ... They went back about 8 years into my academic history."
"One-on-one with admin. committee member: Asked about particular clinical experiences and specific EC's. Asked about depth and length of involvement of certain things on app. Why SOMA? Why medicine? Why DO?"
"What aspects of osteopathic medicine motivated me to apply?"
"How do I prove my dedication to serving an underserved population?"
"Can compassion be taught and is it necessary for doctors to have compassion."
"Open File: They go through your AACOMAS and ask questions. VERY laid back"
"Part 3 - One-on-one interview Had mine with a DO, asked 5 questions. 1) What aspect of the osteopathic philosophy attracts you most to this profession? 2) Develop an ethical standpoint in deciding between giving a kidney transplant to a working mother of three or a prison convict. 3) Do pharmaceuticals have the ethical right to advertise their products to the general population? 4) What have you done that demonstrates your commitment to serving the under-served? 5) Something about maintaining high standards/quality control as a practicing physician; forgot exact question, sorry. 6) Can compassion be taught and does a physician need to have compassion to be successful? - This part was pretty tough. I was sure I bombed it, since I paused a lot to think about the ethical questions especially, and spoke really, really slowly the entire time. I swear I must have sound retarded, but I still got in!!!"
"Long ethical question involving convict vs mother of 3 -- who would you give organ transplant to and why?"
"(One-on-one, admissions counselor, 30 minutes): File review, grade-by-grade, EC-by-EC, etc. "
"How would you keep yourself up-to-date on medical education once you begin practicing? "
"FILE REVIEW: MCAT, grades, withdrawals, ECs, what's the difference between an MD and DO? Are you fluent in another language? Is there anything you want the adcoms to know when your file comes up for review?"
"What do you have to offer to your class if accepted?"
"Let's say you finished residency, set up your own practice, recruited a group of professionals to work under you and one of your employees refused to follow your directions, how would you handle this individual?"
"Is there anything else you'd like me to know about you?"
"Do you think it appropriate for pharmeceutical companies to advertise prescription drugs?"
"Group activity to come up with a school honor code."
"Drug question above"
"My Grades - Organic Chemistry Grade"
"Group activity- develop five points of a school honor code."
"Do you think compassion can be taught? Do you think it is important to being a physician?"
"How do you plan to serve underserved in your practice?"
"do you have any questions for me?"
"How do you feel that your osteopathic training at AT Still will be integrated into underserved areas in the future (they were sort of looking at what kind of setting you wanted to practice in...they want a very specific kind of student!)"
"x"
"views on universal healthcare"
"What does lifelong learning mean to you?"
"How would you incorporate lifelong learning into your practice."
"How will you use osteopathic ideas in your practice?"
"lifelong learning "
"Name a positive and negative aspect of universal healthcare."
"What type of practice do you see yourself having and what kind of patients?"
"Where do I see myself in 10 years? How will I incorporate osteopathic principles in my practice? "
"Give a pro and con to universal healthcare"
"Explain how you feel about serving in an under served area. (It was something like this)"
"What do you think are the positives and negatives to a universal health care system?"
"How do you get your news?"
"How will you stay abreast of new medical info/discoveries in your career?"
"Tell us one postitive and one negative aspect of socialized medicine. "
"Group: (1) Make a working def'n of Professionalism, (2) How would you teach/implement it, (3) How would you evaluate it. ~something like that."
"Explain a positive and negative aspect of universal healthcare. "
"NDA"
"CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT"
"signed NDA"
"Signed nondisclosure contract."
"None, they were all pretty standard, open-ended questions."
"Why did you feel that as a pre-medical student you did not need to take anatomy."
"If you were accepted to 12 schools, how would you choose which one to attend?"
"When all of the excitement of medicine has gone away, what are your core values underneath it all?"
"Have I met Eddie Aikau?"
"What kind of people irritate you? (work environment and academic environment)"
"What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?"
"Do you think you could handle the rough Arizona winters (I'm from Wisconsin)."
"What do you know about osteopathy?"
"personal statement question"
"In group of 3, identify a problem within our currently health system and ways to solve it."
"What would you do if you caught someone cheating during an exam?"
"Asked about desire to work with underserved patients."
"If embryonic stem cells were able to cure paralyzed patients, would you administer such treatment to those who ask for it?"
"Do you think that drug companies should be prohibited from advertising drugs to consumers? Why or why not?"
"Mother/convict question"
"Is compassion learned and how does it make you a successful doc?"
"None"
"kidney transplant"
"what about the osteopathic philosophy attracted you most to DO"
"Can compassion be taught?"
"Does a physician need compassion to be successful?"
"nothing its the same questions for everyone"
"How would you keep yourself up-to-date on medical education once you begin practicing? "
"This one seemed specific to me and was more of a follow-up question than anything else: "It seems to me that you have a lot of interests--what will you do if you are forced to specialize in one area of medicine?""
"Do you think there is a future for CHCs?"
"With all the recent talk about health reform, how would you address the debate over providing health care to non American citizens?"
"Is it necessary for a doctor to have compassion in order to be effective?"
"The question pertaining to the 9 year old girl whose parents hope to stunt her growth via various medical procedures."
"Can physicians learn compassion?"
"The pharmaceutical drugs question about whether it is appropriate to advertise on television"
"The pharmaceutical companies advertise drugs that encourage patients to get the more expensive drug, rather than generic versions of it. Do you think it is Ok for them to market these drugs? "
"The questions were the same preset 5 questions that others have posted. None were difficult."
"The question about the brain damaged 9 year old girl."
"There is 9 yr old severly brain damaged girl. Her parents want to stunt her growth and give her a hysterectomy so she can be better cared for. Do you think this is a radical procedure?"
"Something to do with the advertizing of new medications on television and whether I agreed with their presence or not."
"How do you plan to work with allopathick doctors to serve the underserved?"
"something about a 9 year old girl who was severely mentally impaired... the parents wanted to care for her at home, but in order to keep her size and weight managable, they had her have a hysterectomy and gave her drugs to stunt her growth.. is this child abuse? should the state get involved?"
"It was a hypothetical question which I found out really happened...it went something like this: There is a 9 year old female that is clinically braindead. Her parents want to care for her in their home but they are worried that she will grow too tall and weigh too much so they give her drugs to stunt her growth and the girl has a hysterectomy. Do you consider this to be a radical procedure? Is this considered child abuse? Should the state get involved."
"aa"
"How does my view of religion play a role in how I would like to practice medicine"
"Regarding ethics - would I give a liver transplant to an uninsured mother of three or an insured convicted felon?"
"The questions were the standard five, but they did follow up with questions of their own making. I got ''Do you think the prison transplant program a good idea?'' A couple other questions that were extensions of the standard five, as well."
"Do you think physicians should consider a patients ability to pay when treating them?"
"the ethical transplant question "
"The most interesting question was about the transplant for either a convict or the single mother."
"As others have said, the choice between who to do the liver transplant for."
"It was an ethical question regarding whom I would give a transplanted organ to a felon or a single mother with no insurance."
"Who would you give a liver to, a mother who can't afford it or a prisoner whom the state will pay for it?"
"What does a mind/body/spirit approach mean to you and how would you implement it in your practice?"
"There is an ethical question, regarding transplant recipients. They are up-front in telling you that everyone receives the same 5 questions."
"If you had to choose, would you give a liver to a convicted child murderer (who could afford the operation) or to a mother of three (who could not offord it)"
"Do you see a difference between MD's and DO's?"
"If given a choice between a criminal in prison and a mother of 3 which one would you give a liver to if they were both in dire need?"
"Give positives and negatives of socialized health care."
"ALL DAY IS GEARED TOWARD ASSESSING YOUR APPROPRIATENES FOR THE PROGRAM"
"Probably the ethics question that I state for the next question. The other question were pretty standard. Expain a positive and negative aspect of universal healthcare. What kind of practice I would like to have. How I would keep up with current medical knowledge after school. "
"NDA"
"CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT"
"signed NDA"
"Signed nondisclosure contract."
"how will you deal with failing a patient"
"Why do you really want to become a doctor? I'm not sure I understand."
"n/a"
"What do you think would be the greatest challenge of medical school for you?"
"What would you do if you caught a classmate cheating?"
"How do you deal with the thankless and discouraging nature of working with underserved communities?"
"None"
"What is your biggest fear?"
"What would you do if medicine wasnt for you?"
"Why would you come to SOMA if you live so close to NSUCOM?"
"What would you do if 3 months into this, you realized it wasn't for you?"
"I felt confident about all of them, so none really."
"liver transplant for mother or convict one."
"Name something you are most proud of on your record and least proud of on your record."
"Describe a time when you had a difficult decision to make. What was your thought process."
"Compare and contrast the image of a doctor that you think the public holds and the image of the doctor you wish to become."
"Construct an ethical framework to determine whether a struggling single mother of 3 children or a three-time felon serving time for the murder of a child should receive a liver that has been donated for transplant."
"The one about the kidney transplant list and who to chose between the mother of three and the criminal. They really want to see your thinking process so don't just pick one without rationalizing it."
"Is it ethical for pharmaceutical companies to advertise on TV? Thanks to those who posted this--I was prepared for it in advance!"
"The most difficult question was what aspects of osteopathic medicine motivated me? Not because of the ? itself, but because I had prepared for this question assuming the interview would have seen my file."
"Who should get a kidney transplant: convicted felon vs. working mother?"
"During the file review (not the interview), the interviewer asked me about my MCAT score and some grades."
"pharmaceuticals "
"A man who is a criminal, is on a list for a liver and a mother of three who cannot afford a transplant is not on the list, produce a moral model for transplant lists."
"Save a child or an incarcerated drug user. "
"The convict/mother question"
"The ethical question, but it wasn't bad."
"None were especially difficult. They don't try to trick or stump you. "
"the most difficult part was finishing the 5 questions in the allotted time! I have a tendency to talk a lot in my interviews and that made it difficult for the interviewer cause she needed to get responses to the 5 questions so her review could be complete. "
"Explain something that is complex to you."
"How do you think you set yourself apart from the other SOMA applicants?"
"I was asked an ethical question about whether I considered a particular treatment to be radical or humane. Then I was asked to provide a convincing argument defending my position for someone who held the opposite view."
"The question listed above."
"Ethical one about brain dead 9yr old girl whose parents wanted to stunt her growth to make it easier for them to care for her at home."
"the one above"
"Above"
"The one about the young mentally challenged girl who's parents wanted to stunt her growth and give her a hysterectomy to make it easier for them to take her around."
"above, and how do I plan to serve the underserved in my practice."
"see above"
"See above."
"aaa"
"as above"
"None."
"What does mind/body/spirit mean to you. It's something I've given a lot of thought to over the years...but even though it's still hard to articulate the concept of ''spirit'' I think."
"something about lifelong learning "
"The ethical question because you do not want to seem prejudice in your answer."
"The follow-up question to my answer to the transplant question. ''Make a convincing case for the opposite of you original choice.''"
"The ethical question, they don't let you have an easy way out by just saying ''whoever was on the list 1st'' They ask you specifically which person and you have to critically think about what to say"
"How will you incorporate mind, body, and spirit into your practice as per our philosophy?"
"Ethical stance on who gets a liver transplant. Either a jailed convict with state insurance, or a mother of 3 with no insurance. "
"How do you plan to incorporate spirituality in your practice?"
"Tell us about a time you felt like you really made a difference in someone's life."
"Should surgeons agree to do surgeries if they don't know in advance if the patient will be able to pay for it?"
"We believe in including an appreciation in mind, body, and spirit in our institution. How will you include this philosophy in your practice?"
"The ethics question: Who would you give a liver to; (1) narcotics user on state healthcare who is in jail for accidentally killing a child during a robbery, (2) single mother of three on private insurance"
"ethical, regarding a decision about a transplant to two ppl of differing backgrounds."
"An ethical question, wether I would give a liver transplant to a felon who surgery would be paid for by the state or to a single mom who didnt qualify for assistance but could not afford the procedure. After I answered I was asked to make the case for the person I did not pick."
"General osteopathic med school interview questions"
"General interview questions + looking over my file"
"Reviewed biomedical ethics, primary and secondary application, ATSU SOMA mission and curriculum"
"Relaxed by the pool the day before and had a great dinner at Blanco (really good mexican restaurant in AZ)"
"Read my whole application night before. Went over mock questions."
"Practicing MMI questions"
"Read a book on MMI"
"Had interviews before this one which helped. Read and practiced questions online, read general MMI strategy, thoroughly reviewed my primary and secondary apps."
"SDN Interview feedback"
"Read sample questions"
"SDN, reviewed responses to secondaries"
"SDN feedback"
"Reviewed my app."
"Read their curriculum. read SDN."
"Looked through the Student Doctor Network feedback and interview prep articles. Practiced answering questions with friends."
"SDN, Practice interviews, reading literature"
"student doc and personally read common questions out loud and answered them"
"reviewed interview questions from Studentdoctor.net"
"SDN, on my own, mock interviews"
"this website helps a lot!! Also make sure you go over both your primary and secondary applications because they will read your essays right before they call you in."
"Read up on the school, SDN, practiced interviewing"
"Read SDN, made sample question and answers, read about OMT."
"SDN, Mock-interviews."
"Read primary and secondary applications. Read about osteopathic medicine."
"Interview feedback, knew application, relaxed."
"SDN, practice"
"SDN interview feedback qs, mock interview, read school websites and CIB"
"Student Doctor Network, School Website, Review Application/Secondary"
"Read SDN, Review CV, review application, read website"
"Reviewed my personal statement and application. Read the literature provided by the school's website."
"SDN, AACOMAS app, looked over my secondary answers, used mock questions"
"SDN was the biggest help, reviewed my AACOMAS application and AT Still application, read over the website, practiced my answers to the standardized questions a couple of times."
"AACOMAS and Sec. apps, Mock interview, School website, Feeback from here"
"Reviewed my primary and secondary apps. SDN. Current medical news..."
"Read over the school's website, re-read my apps, had my friends give me mock interview questions."
"SDN, school's website"
"none - I would recommend re-reading your secondary essays though since 2 of the 5 questions in the one-on-one came directly from there. Also, look over your primary app. again."
"SDN, mock interview, and reviewed my application"
"mock interview. BE ENTHUSIASTIC!"
"Went over my app, SDN feedback, read DO history book, read healthcare policy"
"SDN, the other interviews I've had, reviewed myfuturedoctor.com"
"This site "
"My primary, secondary, my research papers, SDN interview feedback, mock interview with a friend."
"Knew my application, knew my motivations. Did a mock interview over the phone with a friend the night before. "
"read sdn interview feedback and forums on school, read over website, listened to npr news on health care bill, read over my application"
"Read over my secondary, personal statement, school website, SDN forums, mock interviews"
"Reviewed my application, studied lists of typical medical school interview questions, read comments on SDN, and prayed!"
"SDN; reviewed my application; the school website"
"Looked over application, SDN, researched ATSU-SOMA and CHC's"
"Read SDN, read secondary and primary"
"SDN, Wash-U's Ethics website, School's Website"
"SDN interview feedback, school website, read over my application/essays."
"I read SDN, the SOMA web page, the CHC web pages, my primary and secondary applications."
"SDN, google searches, reviewed my primary and secondary (since they go over it with you)"
"SDN, application."
"SDN, read the entrie website."
"SDN, looked over my application"
"AT Still Mesa website, SDN..."
"aaa"
"sdn, school website, internet, ethics books"
"Read secondary, went over my file, etc."
"website, viewbook, read over my secondary"
"SDN, reviewed secondary"
"read SDN, ATSU objective and looked over osteopathic philosophy "
"SDN, reviewing primary and secondary application"
"Lots of communication with ATSU admsissions staff, looking over my file, SDN, COM-Mesa website, CHC shadowing/research."
"read my personal statements, school website and any info I could find about it"
"Didn't really "
"Reading forums, talking to current D.O.s, and reading about the history of A.T. Still and his approach to Osteopathic Medicine. "
"SDN, reviewed secondary application. The formal interview is closed-file; however, you also have a 15 minute file review session with a faculty member, separate from your interview."
"SDN"
"SDN Thread"
"Read over my application, SDN"
"Read Osteopathy history book, shadowed DO, mock interviews, SDN, reviewed file, talked to strangers"
"TOO LONG TO PREP FOR!"
"Visited schools website and this website for interview question ideas."
"The school uses both a cadaver lab and a holo lens"
"How extremely passionate the staff + students were about the mission. The school's facilities are also top of the line."
"Even though a lot was done in one day, they managed to make it feel low stress."
"All of the students and faculty were extremely helpful, friendly, and enthusiastic."
"The organization of the whole interview day"
"Laid back students, very professional staff."
"faculty/facilities/ early patient interaction"
"The faculty"
"They definitely wanted to get to know you. The curriculum sounds excellent."
"The people and facilities."
"nice facilities"
"i wan't really into the school, i wasn't particularly positively impressed"
"Dr. Gary Cloud seemed very nice."
"The match list was very diverse, facilities are great, and professors are really excited to teach!"
"The friendliness of the students I interacted with."
"How many student ambassadors were at hand"
"The friendliness and approachability of the faculty. The facilities were also top notch and very high tech. Another thing was the innovative curriculum of the school (1 year at ATSU, and 3 years at clinical sites around the nation)."
"The faculty and staff"
"Enthusiasm of staff and current students!!! They are very passionate about medicine and SOMA! I like that not much time is spent on dissecting (prosections) and more is covered in lectures. The students said the tests were straight from the notes. The cost of living is very reasonable right next to the school ($650 for 2 bedroom)."
"Friendliness of the staff, their openess and honesty."
"Faculty and staff were extremely nice, impressed that the dean spoke to us."
"All the cool tech. used to teach the students"
"Dr. Koenecke is very sweet!!!"
"The friendliness of everyone at the school"
"Everything! The campus, the curriculum, the staff and faculty!"
"I absolutely loved the school from the first time I set foot in Mesa. Amazing program!"
"Work with community health centers and commitment to the underserved."
"The other interview candidates were a lot of fun. We had a great time."
"The admissions staff were very accommodating to my needs and unusual circumstances. The school is well connected to CHC's around the country."
"brand new facilities with innovative tech to help methods of teaching. Able to start 2nd year in communities all over the states including new york, hawaii, etc"
"How excited the current students were about the program and the community health center involvement."
"the desire to serve underserved patients in so many areas of the country."
"Very friendly admissions staff. Faculty interviewers were also very relaxed."
"Clinical presentation curriculum ... seemed as though you learned about medical problems in a more real-world approach"
"The students seemed happy, the schools is very committed to student success, they have a strong focus on primary care which is great because that is what i want to enter, however, the school is not just for primary care wannabes, the students their had a wide variety of interests in future fields, the location is about a 15-25 minute drive to the hot spots in arizona. Also, there was great communication between the admissions office and me during the whole process."
"The Dean is impressive and the admissions staff is so great and friendly. The campus is beautiful and the students are nice."
"Friendly! staff and passionate/clearly educated directed Dean."
"The fact that the program is so new but it seems that they have their stuff worked out. Also since it is so new, they have new facilities as far as standardized patient labs/omm lab/sim man/anatomy lab, etc. Oh, and the beautiful weather & location!"
"Very new. A brand new YMCA is being built which you will have access to as a student."
"very unique curriculum. I feel that this school probably invest the most into how they best educated their students more than any other school in the nation (MD or DO). They think outside the box rather than just following how everyone else teaches med students. They integrate basic and clinicals better than anyone else I have seen. "
"progressive curriculum, enthusiasm of students, friendliness of admissions staff, prosection in anatomy lab w/ option to take dissection lab (I hate dissection), strong emphasis on technology and training of electronic medical record keeping from year 2, early clinical exposure, awesome dean, scholarship opportunities, OMM demonstration during lunch"
"The admissions personnel"
"The innovative educational model the school uses. It's more hands-on and less "sit in a lecture hall everyday and test on it""
"The program structure, the faculty and staff, the location"
"brand new school"
"The innovative curriculum, how many students said "welcome" to interviewees in the hallway, how happy the students were about the school, how the dean was really excited about the curriculum, how apparent it was that the school was receptive of student feedback. "
"OMT demo. The amount of time they spent interviewing us; it felt like my application money was well spent! They also cleared up a lot of myths that people babble about on SDN, such as SOMA is all about primary care, its not, you can go into whatever area of medicine you want. I liked hearing more about the CHCs. I thought I knew everything, but after the presentation, I got the impression that the CHCs will produce extremely well rounded doctors based on the shear number of patients the students will see at these sites."
"school's curriculum"
"The facilities, the way the school has set itself apart from other schools by a different curriculum and education approach."
"I really like their innovative curriculum. The school is dedicated to training the BEST primary care physicians, and I truly believe this school is going to be a leader in medical education. They also have very nice facilities; everything is brand new and high-tech."
"The faculty, staff, and current students. The facilities."
"Everything! The day was laid out perfectly and was relatively stress-free. The presentation about SOMA's mission and the way they've structured the curriculum was inspiring. They area all about helping out underserved communities and training fantastic doctors to do so. The area and campus was beautiful, and the facilities are top notch. Everyone was was super nice and did their best to make you feel comfortable. Lunch was by far the best I've seen as well :)"
"The enthusiastic staff, the beautiful facility and the innovative program"
"The overall environment of the school, how well they were able to describe their curriculum, since it is so unique and completely different from other medical school. "
"The facilities were not bad and the campus really isn't too far out of the city. The faculty/dean excited about their curriculum, but I wonder if it will have the desired effect or prove to lead to high board scores. What they are doing is a more PBL style learning, and years 2-4 will be spent in community health centers around the nation."
"The level of commitment of the faculty and staff to developing a new, innovative and highly effective school. "
"How friendly everyone was"
"The curriculum is awesome. It's all problem-based, and you start clinicals in the second year."
"The HEART and passion of the founders and faculty. They all really see the need to change healthcare and are highly accredited individuals."
"the energy of the students was very encouraging... i had doubts about the school being new and having a new curriculum, but the students were all very positive about it... i was totally sold on the school"
"They are very innovative and are using a very new approach to teaching. Everyone was really nice."
"cc"
"Confidence of the staff"
"The administration is really enthusiastic, the campus is nice, I like their new way of teaching, I LOVE the ideas of a community health center..."
"The enthusiasm of the faculty and admissions staff. The good lunch! The many opportunities to ask questions. Their choice to not flagrantly sell the school, but make us aware that they are looking for a *very* particular student. Such an approach is better for all parties involved."
"The curriculum - great idea"
"the curriculum "
"The new approach to the manner in which medical school is taught."
"I am in love with the curricular emphasis as well as approach to educating students. As expected, ATSU faculty and staff are as warm and friendly as those at any other school"
"I loved the way the curriculum is laid out. You do one year in Phoenix, then you get placed somewhere else. I am person who likes to move so I don’t mind. Also you get to start your clinical rotations at an early time than any other medical schools. I saw that someone had written that we don’t get to do our own dissections on the cadveras. On my interview, I didn’t hear that. I thought they said we would have anatomy lab like any other school. Any besides that you are starting your clinical rotations earlier, which means you will be able to do live dissections at an earlier time in your medical school career. They really emphasize the osteopathic principles. As most of you know DO’s are know to serve in disadvantaged communities, that is one of the main reasons why I chose to do Osteopathic medicine instead of Allopathic. My main goal is to serve the disadvantaged and COM-Mesa definitely throws you into that early on. "
"The school location"
"The excitement of the staff. "
"The ultra-modern facilities, and their focus on systems-based learning."
"Mesa isn't overgrown or overwhelming, the cost of living wouldn't be too high."
"The curriculum is going to be really innovative and hi-tech. Being embedded in a CHC the 2-4 years will give students very solid clinical exposure. Arizona is beautiful and most of the CHC sites are in cool places to live (Seattle, New York, Hawaii, etc.) This school plans on only using those educaiton models that have been proven to be effective. The school will truly provide a unique learning experience not found at any other school in this country."
"It is in a nice and new location."
"Everyone is really excited about the school. Plus its nice an advanced, so advanced they couldnt show most of it because it wasn't ready yet."
"THE MISSION, THE PEOPLE, AND THE WAY THEY INTEND TO TEACH US. ALSO, THE PATIENT LEARNING SIMULATORS WERE AMAZING"
"The use of the clinical presentation model as method of teaching the curriculum."
"The randomness in clerkship rotation sites 3rd and 4th year"
"They can be a little .. too much in regards to the mission and how often they discuss it"
"Poorly organized and chaotic day. One on one interviewer seemed apathetic towards my answers and dismissed the questions I asked them."
"The day was a little long"
"CHC uncertainty both selecting one and once you are there. They can lose a hospital site etc. and then you may have to spend months somewhere else. It's a lot of "moving" and as a result you lose access to the nice facilities in AZ. You spend 3 years at CHC yet never get to "see" it before hand. Seems like 1st year curriculum is more brutal than other schools to compensate for clinic time in 2nd year."
"N/A"
"The MMI was not well-organized. The students weren't really monitoring when people started reading the prompts."
"Had concerns about some comments made by faculty, school doesn't report/release board scores, students at school seemed unsure if school was preparing them for COMLEX, disliked that they made us try on white coats at interview for sizing"
"i walked into the interview room and it felt like an interrogation."
"Traditional interview seemed like a good-cop/bad-cop scenario. Felt pretty one-way and the "bad cop" kept questioning my motives for becoming a physician."
"Very unorganized on the day of the interview, although they said they were short staffed. A staff member went on a big spiel on how health care is a privilege so if someone can't pay that's their problem, you'll never pay off your student loans if you go in to family practice, surgeons make $600,000 a year and that is still not enough....The whole thing really turned me off."
"I felt like I was on the stand and getting interrogated during my interview. One of them kept trying to get me to contradict myself. I hardly had time to speak with them because of the questions being fired at me. Not a pleasant experience at all like I've had at other schools. You have to put in extra curricular time if you want to dissect a cadaver? Every medical student should get that chance without having to give up study time."
"the lack of access to dissect bodies"
"No COMLEX II board scores yet."
"The number of students interviewed in the same day (48) - felt like a number. Biggest turnoff: the staff promised 4 weeks for a decision but it took 8 weeks and nobody would answer my emails about why it was taking so long so that I could accept/decline other schools!!!"
"long day and too much time doing nothing"
"Not many opportunities are given to disect. It's more OMTs that are taught using cadaveras."
"I think Dr. Kasovac tried stress testing me because he kept saying I was wrong."
"No dissection-just prosection"
"Nothing, really."
"Uncertainty about CHC placement and financial aid. CHC placement done after you have matriculated. Financial aid package not delivered until July."
"The cost is very expensive for a medical school. Also the curriculum is drastically different than most other schools, and it is difficult to judge how the students are doing because there are no residency matches available. They also put you in a room for an hour while you watch a video on financial aid and CHC's - which was not enjoyable."
"The surroundings are drab and spread out. You can't get around without a car."
"Start 2nd year in new places - moving, settling in new place, more materials rushed in 1st year, how to take COMLEX I? back in Arizona?"
"Only on the Mesa, AZ campus for 1 year."
"I think this place is great. No complaints here."
"This school is very different compared to other medical schools. I don't consider this to be a true "negative" but it's something worth considering as you interview here and consider a potential offer."
"Teamwork exercise where someone observed me and the other candidates interviewing, taking notes furiously; students seemed to be older and married -- nothing wrong with this, just not the atmosphere that interests me; location -- campus seems to be in the middle of a bunch of dirt fields; admissions director; the idea of moving after my 1st year of medical school; lack of on-campus housing; emphasis on studying in small groups"
"You have to buy your own health insurance, do your own background check, pay a $2000 nonrefundable fee,."
"Apparently the weather in the summer is nasty hot! Also, not knowing which CHC you are assigned to is a little concerning."
"It was a good day!"
"The fact that the school is so new and has no boad scores/residency matches to prove their success."
"Location of the school. Curriculum... the fact that you leave after just one year. "
"the uncertainty of which CHC you could be placed at. "
"no real library (everything is digital), no board scores, no residency match lists, provisional accreditation, requirement to pay for own criminal background check and CPR certification upon acceptance, $2000 deposit (most schools only require $1000 and applies to first-year tuition), no research opportunities, no guarantee of any CHC location upon acceptance"
"The provost, This guy was a nut. He made fun of the mayo clinic. Saying some doctors sit behind their desks waiting for patients and others actually get out and help people. When asked about research, he said we emphasize actually helping patients over research. "
"Financial aid presentation was long but without substance -- I didn't get much out of it. "
"The anatomy lab (I vote pro-sect < student dissect), internet curriculum (although it is limited, they emphasized this)"
"too new, no 3rd and forth year experience, no board score"
"Nothing really. I was hoping the school had its own student housing but it didn't. "
"ONE HOUR long presentation on financial aid...oh what fun! =| actually, IF you have not sat through one of these presentations before, it is very informative...but I have already done it and it was just reviewing the same stuff I heard before."
"Not sure how I feel about the location, I'm worried that the first year may be overwhelming because the way the curriculum is set up"
"Although no final decisions have been made, there is a possibility that students will need to return to Mesa near the end of their second year for a board review course (approximately 6 weeks). I wonder how living arrangements for this length of time will be made."
"Having to move prior to and following the first year and having to return for a six-week board review."
"Nothing, its a great innovative school."
"Nothing really - perhaps some of the other interview-es ... They seemed to be quiet competitive, one of them didn't miss a chance to show her ''extra'' knowledge of all things medicine."
"The curriculum seems a little sketchy, I hope it works out for everyone. The community health center (CHC) in Phoenix is only for Native American students or those who can demonstrate a strong desire to work with the Native American population. For a campus that is based in Phoenix, they should have had some other CHCs in the Phoenix area and sought to cover a wider demographic. A Native American focus in Phoenix is a very narrow focus. There is a diverse group of underserved in Arizona and a diverse group of students with varying interests. I also didn't like that the questions were all set questions that everyone is asked even though I knew them ahead of time from SDN. The interviewer was not involved at all other than to ask the questions and write down answers. He just looked at his paper and wrote things down. Hopefully this school does not bring down the reputation of ATSU-KCOM, which is an awesome school."
"The anatomy lab is more than adequate but not as nice as any of the ones I have seen at other schools."
"Nothing"
"You only stay at the school for one year before leaving for clinicals."
"Being a brand new school (interviewing for second class), they can't have 100% accredation yet, aren't eligible for some things until they graduate a class and that even our program/CHC isn't perfectly laid out."
"no dissection, only prosection... they try to plug you into a CHC... seems like they want a specific type of physician and that's it.... the CHC emphasis probably won't help you if you want to specialize in something else"
"Everyone is fairly new there since this is the first class they have so not everything is 'set in stone' yet at the school and changes are still being made. The financial aid woman wasn't very knowledgeable in our session. "
"cc"
"completely geared towards primary care medicine"
"The lady said the class is ''full'' but they are still waiting to hear from 28 students. There is an ''accepted'' list, in addition to a wait list. Seems like it will be tough to get in since it's so late. Also, since there are only 10 spots per community health center, it could be hard to get the one you want."
"The revelation at the end that the class is ''full''. Talk about a heartbreaker. I know spots will open and students will change their minds...but ouch!"
"No room to explore other practices - ( pretty much have to be primary care, ob/gyn, internal med)"
"the facilities weren't done"
"Some of the classroom were not yet finished."
"Nothing really. I only wished more specific details were provided regarding academic calendars."
"This is a new school so some of the facilities were not finished. We weren’t able to get a accurate feel to what our classrooms and labs would look like. "
"The attitude of some of the staff, the program's shakey design, and the fascilities"
"The only contact with the teaching faculty was only during lunch. Not very much time to get to know them or for them to get to know me. "
"They seem to be looking for their particular model of candidate, as if you have to fit into a certain mold."
"School is TOO new and I don't think they have full accreditation yet. The interview is only five strict questions. They have no idea who I am because they never even asked ''How are you?'' "
"They still have a lot of planning to do, so its hard to get exact answers about certain things on interview day. The anatomy lab is pretty small. The area is going to be developed to include a lot of stuff, but it won't be ready for next years class. Conceptually, the school sounds great, but it reamins to be seen how it pans out in reality."
"The cadaver lab is extremely small, I am not sure where the medical students will have their class. No real preparation for step 1 of COMLEX/USMLE because there is not very much time dedicated in the curriculum for basic sciences. "
"It is HOT!! New school jitters; how will the program work on the COMLEX, placements, etc."
"JUST THAT THE FACILITIES ARE NOT FINISHED YET, AND WE DID NOT GET A COPY OF THE CIRRICULUM."
"The only thing I didnt like was that there would be no actual dissecting in the anatomy lab, the corpses are pre-dissected. "
"Idk"
"They prepared us well for the interview, especially if you attend the Dean's Welcome the night before."
"I felt prepared overall"
"i think i was doomed from the start, i probably shouldnt have gone, i dont fit their mission and they seemed to be pretty negative during my interview"
"If you do not get into the rotation site you want, you are sent to where ever is left over."
"How long the interview day was going to be..."
"The first year is crammed into one floor of a one building campus in the middle of nowhere."
"I would get my acceptance call at the latest time on the last day they said they would let us know. ( I got the phone call at 4:40pm on the last day of the 4th week after my interview... they said they would let us know in 3-4 weeks)."
"When they say it is hot in Arizona, they mean it is HOT! Wear comfortable shoes and clothes for going outside on the tour. Organize your interview accordingly: the admissions staff may tell you they will give you an answer in 2-4 weeks but mine took 8 weeks... luckily I had enough time to accept/decline other schools but I was very nervous!"
"No research opportunities provided on campus. Very limited. It's simply not there"
"I wish I knew more about their way of teaching."
"The everything was so laid back."
"That the file review would be pretty intense."
"more about osteopathic medicine."
"That the admissions office is actually in a different building than the material's address says."
"that the days will be very long, make sure you are hydrated b/c weather hot."
"N/A"
"More info about the location, curriculum, etc."
"That you need to buy a specific laptop....too bad i already bought one a couple months ago...now i have to spend another 2 grand to get the specified laptop, oh well!"
"One of the main roads in front of the school is under construction, which almost made me late! Plan a little more time in your drive."
"that my interview would be closed file."
"Nothing. The "interview schedule" posted on the school's website is completely accurate and if you read over their website there is nothing that you should have missed. However the day was rather long, though I was relatively prepared for this."
"that the admissions staff and office would not open until 7:55 AM for the 8 AM scheduled interviewees"
"The school, reminded me of ITT Tech. It just seemed that these guys were trying to cut corners wherever they could. there was a great amount of technology, like flat screens and stuff like that. But there is no dissection. The Dean said that dissection is a waste of time..... the library is non existent, why have books when you can read them online. you are only at the school for a year and do your second year of didactic online. with a faculty adviser on site. "
"That I have to buy a tablet PC and they're not really MAC friendly"
"That the interview for the afternoon group was the last thing to be done whereas for the morning group, interviews were the first to be done"
"That I was going to have a great day and have all of my misconceptions corrected."
"That there was construction going on out in the street and I missed my turn and got lost as a result! So I wished I drove down the day before just to make sure I would know exactly where to go."
"There were about 20 students being interviewed. Half of us did file reviews and interviews while the other half toured the campus. The same person who interviews you also observes you during a group activity; the groups consisted of four students."
"The curriculum may have more to offer than thought at first glance."
"How AWESOME this school is!"
"I should have read up more on CHCs. However, I was very impressed with the presentation"
"I wish I had read more about the CHC's - a little bit perhaps, but they do give a presentation and you have about 7 days to get back to them about the choice of your CHC. "
"How disappointing ATSU-Mesa would be."
"Nothing-I did a ton of research!"
"Mesa is pretty large. Stay as close as you can to the school if you're only going for a day... You cannot walk ANYWHERE in Mesa. ANAYWHERE. There are barely sidewalks."
"I forgot that you have to pick which Community Health Center site you'll be at for years 2-4. I wish I had known that this campus wasn't exactly a problem-based curriculum but have an even more unique way of teaching through case studies and flow charts kind of (it's hard to explain!)..."
"sss"
"vast difference in curriculum"
"I just wish I did my interview earlier...now it's just a matter of if OTHERS don't go - only then can I get in. :-("
"Nothing."
"nothing really "
"Nothing, I was fully prepared."
"Nothing really. Preparation was good so there weren't any surprises."
"Facilities were not finished"
"How inadequet the anatomy lab is and the anatomy philosophy of the school in general. There is not much in the way of teaching areas, just promises that there will be more fascilities in the future and not for this entering class. "
"I wish I would have learned more about the locations of the CHC's along with the type of people they serve."
"Everyone is asked the same 5 questions during the interview."
"I wish I had known the interview day runs from 10am to 5pm."
"Arizona is sunny and beautiful. I learned a lot more about what the CHC's (community health centers) were. It gave me more confidence about the program. Faculty to student ratio will be 1:10 at CHC. Some lectures will be podcast from main campus."
"The whacky curriculum. I think they want to move the students out of the school after a year because there is not really any room for them at the school."
"Asking about COMLEX, and matches"
"NOTHING"
"Theres a file review. Its only about 10 minutes but I wish I had prepared a little more about what I had to say about my grades/MCAT scores. "
"Enjoyed being in-person and learning more about the school"
"The interview day is very long (7:30 to 1 pm) but everything happens so fast you barely have time to freak out. The clinical patient part was very fun and stimulating, the group interview was also very fun because you got a chance to really interact with the other interviewees. The speed dating was a little messy for us and most of those questions were difficult but it was really quick. Overall, the interview day was long, but fun."
"Loved this school! Definitely the medical school of the future!"
"Amazing school."
"The students only mention of fun was watching a 1 hour tv show on a Friday night after studying all day. The students didn't mention doing much of anything for "fun""
"Nice school and people there"
"It is a busy day but it goes quick. Even though the speed dating was kind of off-putting, you will get some people you click well with and others not so much. They definitely want to see as much of you as possible and have as many opinions as possible to put together."
"Great school, laid back interview day."
"May be good for some people, but not a good fit for me"
"Good day overall."
"n/a"
"GREAT school!"
"The day was much too long. Way too many presentations of unnecessary info. for applicants. Typical interview days last about 4 hours with lounging time, this one was just over 6!"
"great school, be wary of the 1+3. They never offered specifics on % of people who passed boards. If I could, I would press the dean to give specific numnbers on who passed and who did. Maybe ask them who would not be a good fit for th school."
"The school seems to have a very family/community feel, which really appeals to me. All staff and faculty members seem very dedicated to each student's success. The social on the night before the interview was a great way to get to know the other candidates and interview panel and to lower the anxiety."
"I think this curriculum is "love it" or "hate it" - it is a great idea if you don't mind being up-rooted frequently but it may not be the best option for people with family. I was extremely sold on it by the end of the day - the staff does an excellent job of explaining the reasons for this type of set-up."
"It was mostly laid back. I heard that the other interviewers were much nicer than the one I had."
"Great school, awesome curriculum!"
"Fantastic school with a great program."
"interesting curriculum. program still new and a little uncertain."
"Seems like a good program, but is very expensive and you are taking a risk on this drastically different educational approach. The rotational sites were very undesirable for me and is a large reason why I will not be attending."
"Don't arrange student to have triple 30min interviews in a roll...very unfair while others gets rest in between."
"The interview schedule was very organized. The admissions office really has it together. We were able to operate right on schedule all day long."
"I recommend the afternoon interviews. You'll be doing your interviews later in the day, after touring the campus and having lunch with some Year 1 students. You'll be able to think of some questions to ask the interviewers and also better plan your interview strategy."
"The admissions office was great, I interviewed on a Tuesday and I got a response via phone call three days later on Friday extending an acceptance offer . The standardized questions were a pain the butt and I kept asking the interviewer to repeat the questions because some of them were really long. One question was about 2 paragraphs. The nice thing is that asking them to repeat the question does not hurt you, its better to totally understand the question than to be only 50% sure and answer the question incompletely. There are two interviews, the first one is standardized with 5 or 6 questions and is closed file. The second interview is more of a file review where they go over the AACOMAS. This is where you want to get all the information that you have stored up out. Since you can't really say much during the standardized interview, this is where you need to show your emotion and explain any hiccups in your app. My file review went pretty quickly, the only thing I really needed to talk about was my low MCAT score. However, I kept talking about my current job, my life experiences, why I wanted to attend the school, and all about my volunteer work. Do not stop talking during this time...if there is a long pause, you need to fill it up with what you have to say."
"Though new, this school seems to have it's stuff together. Good luck to all those applying!"
"Even though ATSU-SOMA is a brand new program, the staff, especially the dean, have everything down to a science. Like most people, the fact that they have no board scores/residency matches let alone graduates to back up their program's success scared me a little, but after listening to the presentations given by the dean and the provost I was actually very impressed with what they have set up there and the research that went in to creating their program. It seems to me that they will produce a lot of successful docs. Also, the fact that they have 100+ years of experience in Kirksville really helps!"
"Nice school but you have to love the Community Health Center idea because you're out of the school after just one year to go to a CHC. I feel like its more primary care oriented compared to other schools."
"wonderful place to go to med school at. "
"The school does a really poor job of representing itself. I really want to go here because of what I've researched and experienced OUTSIDE of what's on their website and what I learned during the interview day. Before attending, I actually went and shadowed the 2011 class in my CHC of interest, and was really impressed by everything I saw. That's when my opinion of this school completely changed, and it's a pity that so many people will be missing out simply because they do not know enough about this program or feel they already know enough not to even consider this school. A huge myth is that this school locks you into primary care -- this is simply not true; you can specialize in anything you want, and because the class is so small (and new), I feel the students really have a lot of say and flexibility in what they get out of their education here."
"The facilities are sub-par. simulation dummy you use are not very nice, nor up to date. There is only one and the simulations room is just a side room that does not give the feeling of an actual hospital, nor clinic. It just is a small office. "
"OVerall excellent people and promising program. "
"One interview is closed file and they ask the standard/ethical questions The other interview is open file and they go through each bad grade, your MCAT, certain ECs, foreign language, etc. The group project involved 4 students tacking a problem in healthcare and identifying 3 key elements and solutions to the problem. The woman who watched us just sat in the corner taking notes--she is a specialist in family/marriage counseling so she can see through any discomfort or ingenuity. Be nice, don't be nervous! "
"GREAT SCHOOL!! (Read: Accept interviewer with initials R.J.D. if you are an admissions director, I will make you proud :D) But seriously, give this program a shot."
"It was really warm when I visited (109 degrees!). You have one 30min closed-file 1-on-1 interview. Another 20min open-file 1-on-1 interview. The last is a 30min group interaction activity. The staff and interviewers were awesome, welcoming. SOMA's interview day is one of the longer interviews I've been on and I was exhausted by the end of the day. Wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking around quite a bit! Rumors of SOMA graduates only becoming primary care physicians are lies. "
"There was a 30 min. open "file review" that is extremely conversational and allows you to explain anything and everything that is in your application. There was another 30 min. more formal interview that was closed-file. In addition, you do a 20 minute group project with 3 other applicants."
"Everyone has a chance to go over their file with one admissions representative, so you can explain any gaps or poor grades in your education, and provide any additional information pertaining to your community service, etc. You are also interviewed by another individual, who has never seen your application and knows nothing about you; they ask a few standard questions that everyone is asked. Later, this same person observes you during a group activity. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. They spend a good portion of the day discussing the school's mission and their curriculum. They also spend some time discussing the financing of medical school. During lunch you have the opportunity to sit down with current students and ask them anything you want. Two days after the interview I received notification that I was accepted."
"Overall, my interview day provided a positive experience. The facilities and technology afforded by this University are very nice. My interviewers were all kind and asked the standard questions. I had a 30 minute file review, a 30 minute interview, and a group exercise in which we were to collectively provide five points of a medical school honor code. Lunch with the current students was positive and helpful. I did recieve a very nice coffee mug :) I found out that I was accepted to the program and am seriously considering attending."
"The day was really structured well. We had presntaions about the school and its mission in the morning and then we were broken up into two groups. My group did interviews while the other group a financial aid presentaion and tour, then after lunch the groups switched. There is one main closed-file interview with a set of standard questions, one file review to give you a chance to talk about whats in your application, and then one group activity at the end of the day."
"I had a very postive experience. The staff members were wonderful and I really felt like I fit in with that program. Whatever hesitation I had about going to a new school simply dissipated after visiting the campus, speaking with the students and going through the interview process. "
"The interview experience was great, everyone was friendly. The students for last year's class had lot of good things to say about the school. All in all - everyone seems to be genuinely excited about the new curriculum. "
"It was a great day. The admissions staff was very organized. Everything ran very smoothly. All of the questions that I had prior to the interview were answered in the informational sessions. Lunch was excellent and the students we ate with were very enthusiastic and happy. The faculty and staff were very welcoming."
"It was a good but long day. This was my first interview so I was really nervous but the staff and students really made me feel comfortable. The day started with a school and CHC presentation, followed by lunch with students and faculty. The interviews/file review, financial aid/tour were next, and then the group exercise. It was a really good day!"
"It was great. Everyone was really nice and it was pretty relaxing. The school is definitely innovative, but all the students seem to love it. They are all about suceeding and becoming the best med school once they graduate their first class."
"My time at the school was nice. The presentations were incredibly informative about the school and faculty. Totally laid back, I actually had a good time meeting all the other interviewees. Don't stress, just be ready to learn about the program!"
"overall, i had a great time... ive heard this was not the typical experience but i dont have anything to compare it to since it was my first one... "
"It was a full day. You have a file review and then an interview that is closed file where they ask you a standard 5 questions everyone gets. Lunch was absolutely amazing!!! Then you do a group session where you're being watched and evaluated. We helped create important things that should be included in their honor code since they don't have a school honor code yet. I found out I got into the school the next day!"
"xxxxxxxxxxx"
"positive; but made realize that this school is looking for a particular type of student and if you don' tfit the mold this may not be the school for you"
"Love it."
"It was the best interview experience I've been on yet. I've let offers expire just so I can have a shot at this school, and I'm really stretching the offers of another to wait and see if I'm lucky enough to go to Mesa! The lunch was good, the students there seem very happy, Phoenix is a great place to live with lots of culture and opportunities to be outdoors, and the school is a visionary creation. That said, you really need to be signed on with their philosophy to be happy here. If you don't really care about catering to underserved populations, especially ethnic populations, this isn't the school for you. If you have any experience in public health, this school is a godsend!"
"Stressful - Mesa seems to have great ideas - just not sure how pratical they are."
"I love the proposed curriculum and hope that everything works out fine in that respect. "
"It was great. The staff and students were all really nice. I was accepted so I look forward to going."
"I'm passionate about this school - hopefully everyone else who's going is, too. It's true what they say about needing a specific kind of student for this program. The learner-centeredness of this program is going to require this kind of a person and the students are what's going to make the program take off (not to say that faculty and staff aren't top notch because they are). Go here if you're on-board with everything on interview day. Don't if you're not. You'll likely be unhappy and those around you, too."
"I really loved COM-Mesa. I was accepted and will be placed in Hawaii for my clinical rotations. The school is technologically advanced and has a lot to offer a medical student. I know people are hesitate because it is a new school but I think they are just as worried as we are about accreditation which means they will do anything in their power to make sure we succeed. I hope to see some of you in the Fall! "
"My experience at the school was almost exactly like it has been described by the other feedbacks. Some of the ideas the school has like immediate patient exposure, are good ideas however the school is extremely focused on community health and primary care. The curriculum will not train their students adequetly, I feel, in the basic sciences so I will be turning down my acceptance to Mesa and attending AZCOM instead as I love Arizona. Before I drop 200K on an educational program I need to know that the school will be doing everything possible to allow me the best all around education and success. "
"I interviewed with a member of the Evaluation committee a board member of one of the Community Health Centers in Arizona. They ask 5 standard questions that were given to everyone. There was also a file review with the Associate Director. This was to verify that everything was correct and to explain the reasons for low grades or MCAT scores. "
"Again, I felt that they were looking for a very specific kind of candidate. The interview, group activity, and even lunch are structured to evaluate if you are that kind of candidate. (I was accepted, so my comments are not sour grapes.)"
"Everything seemed well-organized, but they did not conduct a very good interview. You'll answer the questions, but they still won't know what kind of person you are or how you think. "
"The day was really organized (no sitting around doing nothing time). The lunch was really good and we ate outside in the sun. The faculty member sitting with us answered a lot of questions well. The three part interview allowed you to speak with three different interviewers in three different settings, so you had the opportunity to show more than one side of yourself. The three parts are: 1) The regular two person med. school interview, 2) A file review to discuss problem areas in transcript/MCAT, 3) A group exercise."
"The interview day started at 10am. There was about 20 interviewees. We all listened to a talk about the school from the different directors. We ate lunch with faculty, I think they all watch everyone at the lunch for ''character assessment'' which is creepy. Then we are split into groups and either taken on a tour/financial aid spiel, taken to a file review, or taken to an interview. The file review consists of one person looking at your entire file and critiquing it. The interview consists of two interviewers asking some good and some nutty questions. By the way there are right answers to the questions they are not just philosophy questions which is stupid since everyone will see the philysophical questions they ask differently. Then everyone does a group project with 4 other interviewees and that is about it. "
"It was a great experience, everyone was really nice, and really excited about the new program. They gave free mugs, candy and pens. Having 30 interviewers that day was pretty overwhelming, but make sure to sit up front during the presentations. The facilities aren't done so the tour is wack, except the SIM-MAN, but you can tell they really want everything to be hi-tech, and it will be. There were three interview situations: (1) 2 on 1 closed file formal 30min, (2) 1 on 1 open file 10min, (3) 2 on group, make a def'n of professionalism, how to implement, and teach. (4) I had a feeling I was being evaluated all day though, especially during lunch. "
"A VERY LONG AND SOMEWHAT STRESSFUL DAY- YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO 'FAKE' YOUR WAY THROUGH THIS ONE, SO JUST BE YOURSELF.... VERY DIFFERENT THAT ALL OTHER INTERVIEWS I HAVE BEEN ON"
"Over all the experience was very good. The school is brand new so its very nice. There is a big push for technology so they have state-of-the- art equipment. The school is located in a very nice part of Mesa, just about 15 minutes from the mountains. The method of teaching the material which is through case-studies seems very interesting and innovative. "
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 40 |
| Faculty member | 6 |
| Admissions staff | 41 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 68 |
| Neutral | 18 |
| Discouraging | 2 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.69 | 88 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 10 |
| Out of state | 76 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 8 |
| 2-3 hours | 23 |
| 4-6 hours | 27 |
| 7+ hours | 27 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 71 |
| Automobile | 13 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
SkyHarbour
Phoenix International Airport
Pheonix, AZ
Phoenix skyharbor
SkyHarbor-Phoenix
Phenix
Phoenix- Mesa - be careful, there is also Phoenix Sky Harbor!
PHX airport
PHX Sky Harbor
PHX International
Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
Sky Harbor
Pheonix
Phoenix Sky Harbor
pho
ABR
SKY
phx
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 1 |
| With students at the school | 2 |
| Friends or family | 15 |
| Hotel | 56 |
| Home | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
Arizona Golf Resort
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley- Scottsdale
Yes
Days Inn
No
La Quinta Inn
Arizona Golf Resort
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley- Scottsdale
Yes
Days Inn
No
La Quinta Inn
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 9 |
| $101-$200 | 6 |
| $201-$300 | 9 |
| $301-$400 | 12 |
| $401-$500 | 21 |
| $501+ | 22 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.98 | 96 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.59 | 95 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.22 | 95 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.56 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.92 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.32 | 71 |
"For online interviews, three consecutive 15 minute interviews is not enough time and definitely felt rushed."
"Admissions office is great with questions and always redirect me to someone who knows how to answer them. They are also very responsive to emails/calls."
"Shorten the day... there was too much down time and the day dragged on. Longest of all the interviews i've been to by 2+ hours"
"interview day and social too long"
"The interview day was very drawn out. It could have been reduced by at least 90 min."
"Fantastic overall - organization could have been better but I understand the first weekend of the cycle can be a bit of the guinea-pig run through. I would advise for such short interview time that the interviewers ask at the end "is there anything more you would like to tell us that we didn't talk about?" Also, PLEASE stick to your timeline for notifying applicants! We have deadlines from other schools as well to respond :/"
"There was a lot of down time for my particular group. Since we weren't a particular chatty bunch - it made it seem pretty long between sessions."
"The interview day was pretty long."
"Shorten the interview time? 30min per person x 3, if you schedule badly, you'll do 1.5hour of interv"
"It seems that admissions staff is usually not available when I call with questions. "
"Let applicants know how long the interview day is going to be. Almost an 8 hour day!"
"The admissions personnel were great. All the interviewers were very personable and kind. I really en"
"Everything is great!"
"Excellent presentations! No suggestions."
"None. Everything was great."
"None."
"No baked potatoes for lunch. It was not enough food!"
"I think the school does a fantastic job with everything. Absolutely no improvements!!!"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?