A.T. Still University Kirksville (KCOM) Discussion Thread 2012 - 2013

BU Medical Sciences
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Got my housing figured out. All that's left is fill out the lease paperwork and mail it to the landlord with the deposit! So much stress gone!
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Interviewed yesterday. Very pleasant. One of my interviewers was really intimidating, he was asking me questions regarding the blemishes on my application that were both tough to hear and answer. My other two interviewers were very relaxed and made me feel comfortable. I'm glad I got the tough one out of the way first. I met some awesome people (Peter and Brian), and I would consider myself very lucky to be their classmate next year. The town is empty and there is nothing nearby (a shopping mall about 100 miles south). For me, this is a positive because I will be able to focus on school, for others I imagine that this is a major deal breaker. The program itself is easily the best of the osteopathic schools I have seen. I'm excited to hear back and I would definitely accept an invitation to matriculate.
 
MattikuSS said:
Interviewed yesterday. Very pleasant. One of my interviewers was really intimidating, he was asking me questions regarding the blemishes on my application that were both tough to hear and answer. My other two interviewers were very relaxed and made me feel comfortable. I'm glad I got the tough one out of the way first. I met some awesome people (Peter and Brian), and I would consider myself very lucky to be their classmate next year. The town is empty and there is nothing nearby (a shopping mall about 100 miles south). For me, this is a positive because I will be able to focus on school, for others I imagine that this is a major deal breaker. The program itself is easily the best of the osteopathic schools I have seen. I'm excited to hear back and I would definitely accept an invitation to matriculate.
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Haha, yea. I got a toughie for my first one. Very acute eye for weaknesses. If you did an okay job explaining them, I wouldn't think it'd count against you too much. After all, they invited you to interview despite whatever blemishes you have. I know it's a little late, but I'm wishing you luck!
 
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Interviewed Monday, put on the alternate list today. Really liked this place, I hope I get to go here!:love:
 
coolingglasses said:
Wow. Maybe I should drive up next weekend then. The weekend after that I'll be in Columbia for True/False. And well, it'll be March by then.
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Well the snowstorm kind of dashed my plans... I guess I can still drive up during the week next week.
 
Except there's another storm coming this Tuesday

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karate134 said:
Except there's another storm coming this Tuesday

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Yeah, my friend just showed me the report.

I might have to suck it up and go regardless. My car is AWD, but I've never put it to the test.
 
If anyone is looking for housing, I know my landlord still has a place or two near the campus. Just PM me.
 
Accepted off the "accepted pending seat list" today. Things are starting to move!
 
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coolingglasses said:
Like I said, if that's the biggest problem at KCOM, things are going to be great.
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Yeah I felt the exact same way. What I can't understand is why s/he wrote that post at all. Clearly it's not going to stop anyone from applying to KCOM, especially considering how its one of the very few negative things said of this school on the entire forum.

I think s/he was just having a bad day and felt like ranting, imho. Similar to the Western thread posted a couple months ago, and the LECOM ones before it.
 
Just got accepted this morning! I am so excited!! Just a few things have worried me that I hope some people on here can shed some light on:

1. Switching to the semester system. A few of the students I talked to said this would mean big problems in terms of the difficulty since the quarter system is already extremely challenging.

2. Does anyone know how the grading works? Is there a set percentage of individuals that get A's, B's etc.?

3. Taking away the reviews? This is slightly concerning I'm not sure why the administration would do that since analyzing your test mistakes is a big way of learning what you did wrong in the first place.

When I visited KCOM it felt like home and a lot of that I think was due to the supportive environment which is exactly what medical students need!

Thanks everyone!
 
heybigA said:
Just got accepted this morning! I am so excited!! Just a few things have worried me that I hope some people on here can shed some light on:

1. Switching to the semester system. A few of the students I talked to said this would mean big problems in terms of the difficulty since the quarter system is already extremely challenging.

2. Does anyone know how the grading works? Is there a set percentage of individuals that get A's, B's etc.?

3. Taking away the reviews? This is slightly concerning I'm not sure why the administration would do that since analyzing your test mistakes is a big way of learning what you did wrong in the first place.

When I visited KCOM it felt like home and a lot of that I think was due to the supportive environment which is exactly what medical students need!

Thanks everyone!
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Switching to semester system:
Med school is difficult. Period. Quarters, semesters, year, trimesters: anyway you shape it, itll rock your world.
No mattet what system it is, any med school makes it doable... itll just be at the upper limit of what you can do. So as far as "big problems in difficulty", well this is med school. Point is, itll be maximum difficulty at all times. Its something people dont understand til they get here. I would suggest a new career if anyone is expecting some thing easy.
Moreovet, remember the administration really wants us to accel for two reasons: 1) they do care and 2) board scores. So they wont make anything impossible.

As far as grades:
There is no limit as far as number of people that get certain grades. In fact, we dont use letter grades here. Youll quickly find that youll care only about being on the upper side of 70%.
In undergrad a 91% on an exam was doing "ok". Get an 85% was practically failing in undergrad. Now getting a 78% is cause for a celebration.

As far as test reviews go, you are probably right. Honestly, I think they will reconsider it eventually.

If you want to ask more questions feel free to ask.

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Got moved from the pending to accepted list yesterday! So, movement :)
 
ian2013 said:
Did you get a phone call or a letter?
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I got a phone call from Donna Sparks right at 3:00 pm.she said that they had a spot open up and asked if I was interested in it. Told her yes and she said great and that they are sending out the acceptance packet today. I have two weeks to pay my deposit. Lol
 
Hi everyone! I just got accepted pending an open seat! This is my top choice school and I really hope I get moved up. It is very encouraging to see that some of you have been accepted off the pending seat list already! Any words of advice on how to get moved up quicker? I've already let Donna know KCOM is my first choice but that I've been accepted for this fall at other schools with upcoming due dates.
 
redpurkinje said:
Hi everyone! I just got accepted pending an open seat! This is my top choice school and I really hope I get moved up. It is very encouraging to see that some of you have been accepted off the pending seat list already! Any words of advice on how to get moved up quicker? I've already let Donna know KCOM is my first choice but that I've been accepted for this fall at other schools with upcoming due dates.
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Idk, but wishing you luck. Seems like you've had a pretty good app cycle! :thumbup:
 
redpurkinje said:
Hi everyone! I just got accepted pending an open seat! This is my top choice school and I really hope I get moved up. It is very encouraging to see that some of you have been accepted off the pending seat list already! Any words of advice on how to get moved up quicker? I've already let Donna know KCOM is my first choice but that I've been accepted for this fall at other schools with upcoming due dates.
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If you figure that one out, let the rest of us know, eh? :naughty:
 
gam1989 said:
Lol the wife and I are about to make the drive up to hunt for one. Wish us luck!
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Good luck! Still some good places left, for sure.

I actually only looked at two places out of my list of 17 because I showed up on the weekend and didn't give enough notice to the various companies. The two that showed me places definitely went above and beyond in the customer service arena.
 
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Below are links to reviews by KCOM students. Some are very thorough and answer a lot of questions! Some older ones will not be as applicable with things like curriculum and whatnot, but I felt these were very very useful. I hope you'll take the time to read them!

ATSU/KCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=13678730&postcount=1045 - 02/2013
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=12681123&postcount=1019 - 06/2012
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=12594002&postcount=1006 - 06/2012
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11872646&postcount=967 - 12/2011
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10492174&postcount=918 - 01/2011
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9055060&postcount=771 - 12/2009
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6381136&postcount=203 - 03/2008
 
Housing in Kirksville is really inexpensive, ranging from $425/ mo to $600/ mo, depending on the location, amenities and year of built. My apartment is $425/ mo with 2BD, 1BA, washer/ dryer included and only 5 min from campus. It also has a front porch, a nice place for chilling out in summer time. I'm moving in June, and as far as I know it's still available for showing. :)
 
coolingglasses said:
Good luck! Still some good places left, for sure.

I actually only looked at two places out of my list of 17 because I showed up on the weekend and didn't give enough notice to the various companies. The two that showed me places definitely went above and beyond in the customer service arena.
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I'm moving in June, and my apt will be available from July 1. It's only 5 min walk from campus. Rent is $425/ mo, which is a really good deal even for the inexpensive housing in KV. The apartment has 2 BD, 1BA and washer/ dryer inside. Just PM me if you're interested. :)
 
I just got a place Thursday. It's still being built at the moment. It's literally right across the street from the anatomy lab. Its only one bed one bath but they will be really nice. $600 a month, so a Lil on the high side. The up side is that the utility cost will help make up for it. If anyone is still wanting or needing a place, ken reade owns them.
 
gam1989 said:
I just got a place Thursday. It's still being built at the moment. It's literally right across the street from the anatomy lab. Its only one bed one bath but they will be really nice. $600 a month, so a Lil on the high side. The up side is that the utility cost will help make up for it. If anyone is still wanting or needing a place, ken reade owns them.
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Ouch... I'm paying less than that for a 3 bedroom that is less than a mile from campus...
 
abolt18 said:
Ouch... I'm paying less than that for a 3 bedroom that is less than a mile from campus...
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It's a Lil higher than what I originally expected to pay. However, trash is included and utilities should be significantly lower than an older place (talked to people living in exact same construction and cross referenced with older places we saw). So I am not too worried about the price tag. It brings it to only about a $75-100 difference from the places that were $400 to ~$450. That and like I said, it's literally right across the street from anatomy and brand new. Lol also the wife and I don't have the furniture to fill up more than a one bedroom as we are currently residing in a one bed one bath. That being said, we are excited about the location, quality, age, and mild price difference between an older apartment/duplex and the one we choose. :)
 
I'm having a hard time finding 2+ BR housing. We can't live in an apartment because my husband works from home, so we're restricted to townhomes/duplexes/rental houses and we have a dog. It's been a difficult search. We're going to Kirksville tmo to look, and so far I've only lined up 2 places...not exactly a wide selection. :)
 
Soarnfel said:
I'm moving in June, and my apt will be available from July 1. It's only 5 min walk from campus. Rent is $425/ mo, which is a really good deal even for the inexpensive housing in KV. The apartment has 2 BD, 1BA and washer/ dryer inside. Just PM me if you're interested. :)
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I would've bitten, but I signed for a place in Med Row! Thanks though!

gam1989 said:
I just got a place Thursday. It's still being built at the moment. It's literally right across the street from the anatomy lab. Its only one bed one bath but they will be really nice. $600 a month, so a Lil on the high side. The up side is that the utility cost will help make up for it. If anyone is still wanting or needing a place, ken reade owns them.
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The realtor showed me that lot. I bet it'll be worth what you pay.

DancinDoc17 said:
I'm having a hard time finding 2+ BR housing. We can't live in an apartment because my husband works from home, so we're restricted to townhomes/duplexes/rental houses and we have a dog. It's been a difficult search. We're going to Kirksville tmo to look, and so far I've only lined up 2 places...not exactly a wide selection. :)
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My friend was looking for a pet-friendly place. Depending on the animal/size, it can make things dicey! Good luck!
 
coolingglasses said:
I would've bitten, but I signed for a place in Med Row! Thanks though!



The realtor showed me that lot. I bet it'll be worth what you pay.



My friend was looking for a pet-friendly place. Depending on the animal/size, it can make things dicey! Good luck!
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Nice, I've heard that Med Row tenants seem to be in a social group cause of their proximity. So that should be fun.
 
coolingglasses said:
My friend was looking for a pet-friendly place. Depending on the animal/size, it can make things dicey! Good luck!
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I know Heritage House and Action Properties have pet-friendly units. You may want to look them up. I have to be honest that there aren't many pet-friendly units in KV, so you should contact them ASAP. Hope it helps! :)
 
gam1989 said:
Nice, I've heard that Med Row tenants seem to be in a social group cause of their proximity. So that should be fun.
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Oh nice! I hadn't heard much about the community other than it would be easy to get studying.

Soarnfel said:
I know Heritage House and Action Properties have pet-friendly units. You may want to look them up. I have to be honest that there aren't many pet-friendly units in KV, so you should contact them ASAP. Hope it helps! :)
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She did find a place closer to the outside of town (before I even started looking for myself, actually). It's a bigger dog, and I think HH was specific about having small dogs when I talked to them
 
I'm thinking of heading down very soon to look at places. I missed out on student housing, so I'm scrambling for a cheap (but well-maintained!) 1br very close/next to campus. The links from the KCOM site seem to mostly have 2brs left, with few right next to campus, so I hope I can nab something quickly.

gam1989 said:
Nice, I've heard that Med Row tenants seem to be in a social group cause of their proximity. So that should be fun.
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Oooo, what is this Med Row you speak of?! I'm half worried about not living with any med students next door. Never had any close friends in my major in college, so I've always wanted to have study groups and stuff ;D
 
spleencakes said:
I'm thinking of heading down very soon to look at places. I missed out on student housing, so I'm scrambling for a cheap (but well-maintained!) 1br very close/next to campus. The links from the KCOM site seem to mostly have 2brs left, with few right next to campus, so I hope I can nab something quickly.


Oooo, what is this Med Row you speak of?! I'm half worried about not living with any med students next door. Never had any close friends in my major in college, so I've always wanted to have study groups and stuff ;D
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Same here, i generally was a loner in undergrad. Med row is unfortunately full for this year. That was one of the places I inquired about with the realtor who showed us places. Last week when I went there were several two bedrooms close to campus available for around $425 a month. They were decent, some better than others. Talk to heritage reality for those. I do not believe there were any one bedrooms close left, but I may be wrong.
 
gam1989 said:
Same here, i generally was a loner in undergrad. Med row is unfortunately full for this year. That was one of the places I inquired about with the realtor who showed us places. Last week when I went there were several two bedrooms close to campus available for around $425 a month. They were decent, some better than others. Talk to heritage reality for those. I do not believe there were any one bedrooms close left, but I may be wrong.
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Wow, the realtor wasn't kidding. Those do go quick. When I was up there a few weeks ago there were 3-4 units left.

rcheech7 said:
So I'm waiting to hear from couple schools.

Will it be a problem finding housing towards the end of May?
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From what other students tell me... things tend to dry up in April. I'm sure you'd be able to find -something- though, especially if you post in the Facebook group and see who's still looking for roommates.
 
gam1989 said:
I just got a place Thursday. It's still being built at the moment. It's literally right across the street from the anatomy lab. Its only one bed one bath but they will be really nice. $600 a month, so a Lil on the high side. The up side is that the utility cost will help make up for it. If anyone is still wanting or needing a place, ken reade owns them.
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Heritage House/Ken makes things seem awesome, but in reality they aren't. Myself and other med students live in the brand new buildings off of Franklin that Ken built. He said he would fill them with med students, false... There is a building that he just built (which we weren't told he was going to put up) next to us that he filled with Truman students who are very loud. In addition we have had quite a few issues with our brand new units and the maintenance has been hit or miss. Oh, and make sure you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, your parking lot won't be plowed.

Rant over.
 
I rented from 4 Horizons realty. I lived across the street from campus in a super affordable 2 bedroom. Check them out for those of you still looking.

Also, just a word about Med Row. When my class was in Kirksville I wouldn't say it was really a "study group" type area. More than anything it was a central place we all met up on the weekends because a lot of us lived near there. But perhaps that has changed...
 
rcheech7 said:
So I'm waiting to hear from couple schools.

Will it be a problem finding housing towards the end of May?
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I am in the same boat as you. Was accepted to KCOM a while ago (and most likely going here), but am waiting on my state school's decision. I would be happy to go to KCOM, but in-state tuition is also attractive. Hopefully there is some housing left in the Kirksville area!
 
VinceViegel said:
Can anyone tell me what my chances are at KCOM?

Illinois resident

3.7 cGPA, 3.5-3.6 sGPA
25 MCAT (9PS 7VR 9BS)

Lots of volunteering, EMT, shadowing, tennis coach, some clubs, research, DO letter

applying early this coming cycle
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I would say you have a pretty good shot, especially if you apply early. I've seen people with worse stats get an acceptance.
 
Regardless, don't dwell on stats. Be confident that you are solid enough to succeed and show that confidence. Focus on letting them get to know you, the person. If they like you, those stats won't hold you back. I got in with way worse grades but a better MCAT. If there are red flags, just be ready to clear those up during interviews. You can pull this off.
 
Ooo thanks for the heads up! I'm heading down on Friday to snoop around.


rcheech7 said:
So I'm waiting to hear from couple schools.

Will it be a problem finding housing towards the end of May?
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Ditto on what coolingglasses said! I heard it won't be impossible, but most of the better spots will be unavailable, so you'll have to dig around more and perhaps be willing to pay a little more.
 
dntke1518 said:
Heritage House/Ken makes things seem awesome, but in reality they aren't. Myself and other med students live in the brand new buildings off of Franklin that Ken built. He said he would fill them with med students, false... There is a building that he just built (which we weren't told he was going to put up) next to us that he filled with Truman students who are very loud. In addition we have had quite a few issues with our brand new units and the maintenance has been hit or miss. Oh, and make sure you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, your parking lot won't be plowed.

Rant over.
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Two years ago I lived in a building filled with rowdy undergrads (should've expected this though), so the bar is set pretty low for me as far as study environment and neighbors.
 
dntke1518 said:
Heritage House/Ken makes things seem awesome, but in reality they aren't. Myself and other med students live in the brand new buildings off of Franklin that Ken built. He said he would fill them with med students, false... There is a building that he just built (which we weren't told he was going to put up) next to us that he filled with Truman students who are very loud. In addition we have had quite a few issues with our brand new units and the maintenance has been hit or miss. Oh, and make sure you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, your parking lot won't be plowed.

Rant over.
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Great...I just put a deposit down on a new construction place with them. Luckily it's a condo, so there's a driveway/garage...maybe plowing won't be an issue. You've got me concerned about them as landlords for maintenance issues, though. What kind of issues have you had with new construction?
 
coolingglasses said:
Two years ago I lived in a building filled with rowdy undergrads (should've expected this though), so the bar is set pretty low for me as far as study environment and neighbors.
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Ouuuchh :laugh:
 
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