2017-2018 Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM)

[nezpas]

Got invited for an interview. Went to schedule it, but no dates are available. Any ideas on what might be going on? Should I just email Bob Willis?

Scroll all the way down. The only available dates were Oct 20th and 27th when I checked yesterday

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[Future.Doc.9]

Scroll all the way down. The only available dates were Oct 20th and 27th when I checked yesterday

Yeah, they were all completely gone by last night. For anyone else in the same situation, Bob said he will be adding more dates today!

 

[cubamed]

DId you really end your statement with 'dale'?

 

[hopefuldoctor93]

Accepted!!!

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[MissDr.]

Accepted!!!

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Woo! Congrats! Welcome to the club!

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[DOsteopathic]

Accepted!!!

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Congrats!!! I interview next Friday

 

[Nok]

ACCEPTED!!~ I actually thought I messed up a little bit during the interview session, but yes!!!!!

 

[osyed05]

Accepted!!! Interviewed on 08/18 and I really fell in love with this school!!

 

[DOsteopathic]

Congrats all you guys!!!

 

[Future.Doc.9]

Scheduled to interview November 10th, but I feel like all the spots will be taken by then with all of you KILLING IT! Congrats to all accepted!

 

[cbeck8]

interview invite for 10/20, excited! 3.55 gpa 500 mcat

 

[aspiremd84]

Thoroughly enjoyed my interview today at ACOM. Fell in love with the school, the staff and just the overall atmosphere. It was my first interview in the cycle so I didn't have much to compare it to, but the fact that they're associated with SAMC and has some cool core rotation (hospice/palliative care) is super neat. Also the people I interviewed with were awesome - thanks for being a great group guys!

 

[nezpas]

interview invite for 10/20, excited! 3.55 gpa 500 mcat

Me too!

 

[TDOCSPI]

Everyone I know who flew in (plenty of far away OOS students were at my interview) flew into Atlanta, GA and then drove over via rental car. That price is typically cheaper than flying into Dothan. Those prices are ridiculous. Check those out and see if that helps.

I flew into Pensacola and drove, about the same drive but your at the beach and only costed 50 more for the overall trip. You can also fly to Panama City and drive, for about the same price. I am from Utah. I loved the school atmosphere. I believe this is the best place for me and my family to go through medical school and can't wait to here back.

 

[giguerex35]

how do you change your II date?

 

[TDOCSPI]

I'm trying to decide if I should submit my secondary here or not. The flight from where I live to the school is massively expensive, and the drive is like 20 hrs (not going to happen). I like what I'm seeing about this school, but I'm not finding a ton. What particular reasons do you guys like about this school?

For me the school is brand new but has very strong clinical rotations which is the most important part of your medical training. Additionally you stay in one location for the third year clinicals, if you have family that is nice. Some DO schools require a lot of traveling. The fourth year clinicals are pretty standard. Not to mention they had 100% placement (96% for those who applied to MD, the 4% that didn't get in immediatly found a home after the fact, which the school heavily supported) and they are very supportive of students and want you to succeed. More like a family not a number feel. Oh and I don't like big cities and ACOM is 90 minutes from the beach. Sunday funday with the family.

Also the cost of living in Dothan is really cheap compared to most places.

Cons would be, lack of clinical site on campus for the community and training purposes. But they do currently have a OMM site off campus for those interested.

Another Con would be hard for me to come up with and really reaching beyond any reasonable expectations.

 

[physgal]

Hey everyone! What is closest airport? What time does interview ends? Heaading to another interview in TX the next day AHHH

 

[brachialplexus]

Hey everyone! What is closest airport? What time does interview ends? Heaading to another interview in TX the next day AHHH

There's a regional airport in Dothan that has limited flights from Delta Airlines, but its probably going to be pricey. Some other options include Tallahassee, Atlanta, Albany. I flew to Atlanta, rented a car, and drove 3 hrs to Dothan because it was the cheapest. You'll have to look around and do some tinkering to find the cheapest route.

 

[AcadH]

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[aspiremd84]

Before I book flights, the interview day ends at 3 but with lunch and tours ending at 1 how early would it be okay to leave? Would ideally like to drive in from Atlanta but with the drive if I left at 3 would definitely cut it close.

We ended at 2:15pm. There wasn't much optional for me...(besides the apartment tour) everyone pretty much stayed until the end. Give yourself atleast 4-5 hours for the drive, and also keep in mind of the time change from central to eastern at ATL.

 

[nezpas]

Did anyone get any sort of confirmation after selecting their interview date/time? I never did.

Same boat. I didn't either.

 

[Coltuna]

Same boat. I didn't either.

+1

 

[first_time_applicant]

Same boat. I didn't either.

me neither, I was kinda just assuming I was good to go

 

[Coltuna]

Did anyone get any sort of confirmation after selecting their interview date/time? I never did.

If you go back to the link they sent you to schedule your interview, I believe there's an option in the top right that shows what time and day you scheduled.

 

[nezpas]

me neither, I was kinda just assuming I was good to go

Me too

 

[AcadH]

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[DecisionTime2017]

Unless something changes, I've decided to attend my ACOM interview on 10/20. Heard enough good things about the school that I want to see it for myself and compare it to BCOM.

 

[first_time_applicant]

If you go back to the link they sent you to schedule your interview, I believe there's an option in the top right that shows what time and day you scheduled.

yes, you're right

 

[nezpas]

Unless something changes, I've decided to attend my ACOM interview on 10/20. Heard enough good things about the school that I want to see it for myself and compare it to BCOM.

I am interviewing on that day too. Good luck!

 

[aspiremd84]

Thanks for mentioning the time change, did not factor that in. Think I would need to leave by 1 to get to my flight on time assuming not too heavy traffic, and theres only 1 flight offered in Atlanta as well..

No problem! Hmmm..that might be cutting it a bit close. I had the same dilemma and just stayed an extra night to catch a early AM flight the next day.
You can also reach out to Bob Willis - and ask if leaving at 1pm is an option if staying an extra night isn't feasible. But my best guess is they won't allow that since you have some presentations after lunch/tour.

 

[dawgs1]

Thoroughly enjoyed my interview today at ACOM. Fell in love with the school, the staff and just the overall atmosphere. It was my first interview in the cycle so I didn't have much to compare it to, but the fact that they're associated with SAMC and has some cool core rotation (hospice/palliative care) is super neat. Also the people I interviewed with were awesome - thanks for being a great group guys!

I interviewed on friday as well and also fell in love with the school! The faculty, curriculum, stats, and just the overall presentation of the school was great.

 

[DOsteopathic]

Thanks for mentioning the time change, did not factor that in. Think I would need to leave by 1 to get to my flight on time assuming not too heavy traffic, and theres only 1 flight offered in Atlanta as well..

What time is your flight on interview day from Atlanta?

 

[AcadH]

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[GBCrzzyy]

Thanks for mentioning the time change, did not factor that in. Think I would need to leave by 1 to get to my flight on time assuming not too heavy traffic, and theres only 1 flight offered in Atlanta as well..

I would strongly recommend spending another night here and leaving early the next morning instead of ending your interview day an hour or so early. It may not seem like a lot but ACOM takes an incredible amount of pride in the professionalism that they hold all of their students and faculty to and they are already building a great reputation for having some of the most professional students during their rotations. I mean, they gave a professionalism warning for a student being 3 minutes late to a mandatory lecture. It may sound harsh but it really is incredibly important. (not all lectures are mandatory, most aren't but you still have to maintain 60% attendance) Think about it this way, if you are late for a surgery while you're a resident, you'll most likely miss the surgery. It's imperative to learn to be early if not on time for everything and they drill that in on day one. By leaving your interview day early, you very well could be giving them a weak impression of your professionalism. If it is at all possible for you to squeeze in the extra night, I highly recommend that. Otherwise I would email Bob Willis immediately with a lengthy and professional explanation as to why you would have to leave early. They may be fine with it if you approach it the correct way but they still may not like it. Don't give them any reason not to love you if you can help it. That's my advice, take it or leave it. But regardless, I hope you make it work and get good news! Just wanted to be upfront about how serious they take professionalism.

 

[GwBXtRTrVktW9E]

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[thestudiousmeathead]

Anybody from this past Friday hear back yet?

Nothing here yet, but I have been compulsively checking my phone and email while at work. Such suspense.

 

[hopefuldoctor93]

They didn't get back to us till Thursday, so be prepared to wait!

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[GwBXtRTrVktW9E]

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[giguerex35]

thanks for the heads-up!

If we're interviewing on 10/13 is it for a spot in the class or a WL spot

 

[Coltuna]

If we're interviewing on 10/13 is it for a spot in the class or a WL spot

100% a spot in the class. "Waitlist" interviews won't start until after christmas probably.

 

[physgal]

How many spots are there in each class? Interviewing here oct 20


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[thestudiousmeathead]

How many spots are there in each class? Interviewing here oct 20


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Their class is 162 per year, but I believe they accept around 250.

 

[Coltuna]

They were interviewing into at least February last year's cycle.

 

[dawgs1]

How many spots are there in each class? Interviewing here oct 20


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At my interview last friday, they said there were approximately 160 spots in the class.

 

[Coltuna]

I suspect that as a new(ish) school, they accept many more than 160 though.

 

[brachialplexus]

I suspect that as a new(ish) school, they accept many more than 160 though.

They definitely double the class number!

 

[moyamoya6]

I suspect that as a new(ish) school, they accept many more than 160 though.

They send out about 500 interview invites and accept about 250. They had interview spots until the end of May last cycle. There's 162 new students in each class.

 

[GBCrzzyy]

My class has 172 students so I wouldn't say 160 is a hard and fast rule. Also, I think during my cycle they accepted around 300 out of about 450-500 interviewees. It should come out to being about roughly 2/3 of the people who interview get accepted. They were still accepting people last cycle until end of January/beginning of February. After that, they interviews tended far more towards WL positions with a few scattered acceptances. After April they were all WL positions but they were interviewing for a long time - into May I believe. And they pulled a decent amount from the WL. One of my classmates was accepted less than a week before orientation week started. I interviewed in October last year and was given my II in August. It seems like a lot is happening in those months but realistically, there aren't a whole lot of interview groups, they are just very spread out. They usually have interviews every Friday - skipping some during holiday weeks, etc. And each interview group has anywhere from 10-20 applicants I believe. They are not large interview groups and they are only one day a week so it may seem like a lot of people are being accepted and the class is full but I'm sure they aren't even close to their class cap yet. They pace it out and with being neurotic premeds (of which I was one - but now I'm a neurotic med student) everyone is always concerned about whether or not they are interviewing for WL because their interview cycle is slower than most other schools but stay confident! My roommate interviewed in December and I would bet that about half of my class interviewed in the spring!

 

[moyamoya6]

My class has 172 students so I wouldn't say 160 is a hard and fast rule. Also, I think during my cycle they accepted around 300 out of about 450-500 interviewees. It should come out to being about roughly 2/3 of the people who interview get accepted. They were still accepting people last cycle until end of January/beginning of February. After that, they interviews tended far more towards WL positions with a few scattered acceptances. After April they were all WL positions but they were interviewing for a long time - into May I believe. And they pulled a decent amount from the WL. One of my classmates was accepted less than a week before orientation week started. I interviewed in October last year and was given my II in August. It seems like a lot is happening in those months but realistically, there aren't a whole lot of interview groups, they are just very spread out. They usually have interviews every Friday - skipping some during holiday weeks, etc. And each interview group has anywhere from 10-20 applicants I believe. They are not large interview groups and they are only one day a week so it may seem like a lot of people are being accepted and the class is full but I'm sure they aren't even close to their class cap yet. They pace it out and with being neurotic premeds (of which I was one - but now I'm a neurotic med student) everyone is always concerned about whether or not they are interviewing for WL because their interview cycle is slower than most other schools but stay confident! My roommate interviewed in December and I would bet that about half of my class interviewed in the spring!

There's placement for 162 new students for each class. The remaining 10 in your class are students who had to repeat their first year. ACOM will eventually expand their class size now that it is fully accredited.

 

[GwBXtRTrVktW9E]

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