A.T. Still University Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) Discussion Thread 2016-2017

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Good luck to everyone applying!

Describe your activities during any gaps longer than 3 months in your college or postgraduate record.
(Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)

Describe your academic readiness for medical school by answering one of the following questions:
  • Describe your learning strategy and how this strategy will help you become a successful student at SOMA.
  • Describe any academic performance issues you have experienced and how you got back on course.
Describe your understanding of a career as a osteopathic physician by answering one of the following questions:
  • Describe the essential traits of a osteopathic physician. Which one of your past experiences had the greatest influence on your choice of traits?
  • Of the following characteristics found in successful medical students, choose one that is important to you and explain why?
  • Confidence
  • Empathy
  • Discipline
  • Resilience
  • Integrity
  • Intelligence
  • Maturity
Describe your understanding of a career as an osteopathic physician by answering one of the following questions:
  • Describe your experiences with osteopathic physicians. Have you ever shadowed a DO, if not explain why? Do you have a letter of recommendation from a DO, if not explain why?
  • Which one of the osteopathic tenets do you most identify with at this point in your life? Explain why.
  • How do you envision incorporating osteopathic philosophy and practice as a physician?
Describe your understanding of SOMA by answering one of the following questions:
  • What unique feature of SOMA appeals to you? What specific feature of SOMA concerns you?
  • What would be your strongest attribute as a SOMA student? What would be your weakest?
  • How do you plan to be involved with medically underserved populations in your medical career? How have your past volunteer experiences influenced your plans?
Please list any changes or updates to your AACOMAS application. This section may be left blank if your AACOMAS application is complete and accurate:

All essays are 500 words or less. Thanks!
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Pretty much my first choice school! Waitlisted last year, but applied again this year. Good Luck everyone!
 
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Hey guys, I had the pleasure of touring this school recently and absolutely LOVED the campus. I also loved how close it was to my wife's family, which would save lots of money in rent and living expenses. Haha.

Can we get a current SOMA student in here to tell us about why they like the school and stuff? I'd like to learn more about a current student that's NOT actively trying to sell me on it.
 
Be sure to research CHCs and be committed to them! If you are a fan of such arrangement you will be very happy here
 
Dustbowl12 said:
Be sure to research CHCs and be committed to them! If you are a fan of such arrangement you will be very happy here
Click to expand...
Thank you, @Dustbowl12 I think the opportunity we get to immerse ourselves in the clinic early on is amazing! To learn the basics and integrate that knowledge with real-world experience under the guidance of CHC faculty is something you don't find anywhere in today's healthcare landscape for med students. I've heard many schools claim to change the world, but SOMA actually took the initiative by putting their students on the front lines of care delivery :)
Applying again, but SOMA is still my first choice school. Keeping my fingers crossed :xf:
 
Dustbowl12 said:
Be sure to research CHCs and be committed to them! If you are a fan of such arrangement you will be very happy here
Click to expand...

Can you explain what we might find about each CHC? What do you like about the CHC arrangement? What don't you like about it?


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You gotta be kidding me with all these questions, theres like five 500 word essays for this secondary
 
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Received today. So many essays!!!


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@cantcatchme Do you think they are screening students before sending out secondaries? I was verified 6/6 but haven't heard back yet o_O
 
I PM'ed AlteredScale the prompts so they should be posting them in the space above shortly!
 
SmilingTooth said:
@cantcatchme Do you think they are screening students before sending out secondaries? I was verified 6/6 but haven't heard back yet o_O
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Did you get one from KCOM? The email I got from SOMA is exactly the same so I don't think they are screening unless you have sub-3.0 GPA.
 
In the website said that anyone with a GPA 2.8 or higher will receive secondary. Stay positive :clap:
 
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cjcarter said:
Did you get one from KCOM? The email I got from SOMA is exactly the same so I don't think they are screening unless you have sub-3.0 GPA.
Click to expand...
I submitted my secondary for KCOM yesterday. Not a sub-3.0 so I should be safe.. or not?
 
FCMike11 said:
Not sure what the screen is but I did receive a secondary invite yesterday.
Click to expand...
what-is-going-on.gif
 
SmilingTooth said:
what-is-going-on.gif
Click to expand...
Here are your prompts at least:

What particular qualities do you feel you can bring to KCOM? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)

What specific experience/exposure have you had with osteopathic medicine? How has this influenced your decision to become an osteopathic physician? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)


Please list any changes or updates to your AACOMAS application. This section may be left blank if your AACOMAS application is complete and accurate:

Sent from my Nexus 6P using SDN mobile
 
FCMike11 said:
Here are your prompts at least:

What particular qualities do you feel you can bring to KCOM? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)

What specific experience/exposure have you had with osteopathic medicine? How has this influenced your decision to become an osteopathic physician? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)


Please list any changes or updates to your AACOMAS application. This section may be left blank if your AACOMAS application is complete and accurate:

Sent from my Nexus 6P using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
Thanks, Mike! These look like KCOM prompts. I submitted the secondary for KCOM yesterday. What about SOMA's?
 
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If you have a letter from a DO, but not someone you shadowed for 20 hours (I did 15 with them) is it worth it to even submit this secondary?
 
SmilingTooth said:
Did you at least shadow an MD for 20 hours?
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Nope, the max for every doctor is 15. I emailed them to see what they say, but it wouldn't be the saddest thing in the world to not have to fill out another secondary.
 
UPDATE: She said 20 hours is recommended but not required, and will not automatically screen you out. I will have to evaluate if it's worth it or not.
 
femmegoblue said:
UPDATE: She said 20 hours is recommended but not required, and will not automatically screen you out. I will have to evaluate if it's worth it or not.
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That question will definitely pop up during the interview. Just make sure to prepare the question about why primary care and underserved population? DO or MD doesn't matter. If you can't answer that they will literally tell you better luck next time lol
 
SmilingTooth said:
That question will definitely pop up during the interview. Just make sure to prepare the question about why primary care and underserved population? DO or MD doesn't matter. If you can't answer that they will literally tell you better luck next time lol
Click to expand...
Every bit of shadowing and volunteering and exposure to medicine I have had has been with undeserved populations and primary care, I don't believe that is deficient on my app. Hopefully that will make up for those 5 hours.
 
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This is the longest secondary i've been received.
 
Secondary received.....yeah that's really long.....which makes me somewhat content that LECOM was just a $50 secondary submission and that's it!
 
This is one helluva secondary. I feel like just copypasting my work/activities section in the clinical experiences section...
 
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Secondary finally submitted. My head was spinning by the time I hit the submit button :bang:
 
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lnguyen1412 said:
and I'm sitting here only finish the 1st questions. 4 more to go lol
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Don't sweat. Take your time and make sure to research the why SOMA question thoroughly before answering. Your chances of getting an interview pretty much depends on it

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."
- Confucius
 
FCMike11 said:
Here are your prompts at least:

What particular qualities do you feel you can bring to KCOM? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)

What specific experience/exposure have you had with osteopathic medicine? How has this influenced your decision to become an osteopathic physician? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)


Please list any changes or updates to your AACOMAS application. This section may be left blank if your AACOMAS application is complete and accurate:

Sent from my Nexus 6P using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

Why is everyone saying the secondary is long if these are the only prompts? Just curious.. Haven't submitted yet, I'm pre-writing.
 
Received a secondary today! Verified 6/21.

This covers most of the questions I've seen from other schools, so finish this and we should be mostly done writing essays this cycle!
 
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