Philadelphia COM - Georgia (GA-PCOM) Discussion Thread 2016-2017

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They have two interview dates left for the year as far as I know, one on March 10th and then on March 24th, so it isn't impossible. I know when I got my invite in Feb, I only had 4 days until the interview, so they tend to give you really short notice.
Thanks for your response. That leaves a little bit of hope for me. Thanks so much!

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Has anyone sent their final transcript in? If so, did you email or snail mail? Nucleus didn't specify.
 
Hey Would anyone happen to know if Pcom-ga Suwanee and surrounding areas have anything for $400-$600 a month that would include roommates?
 
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Hey Would anyone happen to know if Pcom-ga Suwanee and surrounding areas have anything for $400-$600 a month that would include roommates?
I know the area decently well and I know there might not be something for as low as $400, but def for maybe like $600+ with roommates.
 
II just now but declining. Hope it goes to one of you all!


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Declined my acceptance. One of you is about to get it!
 
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I actually looked at the laptop requirements on nucleus today and while im not an expert on electronics my laptop doesn't seem to match any of the requirements! +pissed+
 
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Well friends I am now officially flying home. So i thought I would post my thoughts about a couple apartments i found in the area. Anyone that has experience with specific apartments please feel free to comment.

Alterra Riverside Apartments : Popular spot among GA-PCOM students and very close to school. Staff is accustomed to dealing with us. Gate is open for most of the day (Suwannee County has a big problem with car-break ins so its important to be aware). Tenants have mentioned a big problem with getting in at certain times of the day. Apartments are basic with no fluff. Amenities (gym, pool, etc) are as basic as it comes. Utilities are group meter. Not a lot of extra fluff fees compared to other apartments (bug fee, renters insurance) which is good.

Heights at Old PeachTree: Popular spot among GA-PCOM Students and very close to school. Staff is accustomed to dealing with us. Locals have noted this is a "party" apartment so be aware if that isn't your thing. A lot of cool extra amenities here. Complimentary breakfast on weekdays. They offer free laundry service M/W/Fri. Amenities are pretty basic. This is gated community with two entrances. Manager has mentioned the 3Bd and 2Bd are popular because you have separate bathroom. This might be a good option for students that are rooming with multiple PCOM students. Very few single Beds so if you are living alone this is not a good option. Not a lot of extra fluff fees compared to other apartments (bug fee, renters insurance) which is good.

Madison at Riversound: Suggested by Ga-PCOM. Close to Ga-PCOM. Staff is NOT familiar with school. Staff was hesitant about renting out to someone that will not be working. I am sure theres a couple students that live here but be aware. Gate is frequently broken and it doesn't look like they are focused on fixing it anytime soon. There is a lot of extra fluff fees (valet trash service, required cable service, bug fee) compared to other apartments.

I had the chance to check out a couple other apartments and will edit post later. Haven't had a chance to compile all my notes yet.
 
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So I got here super early for the interview today but I'm not quite sure where the interview is... Is it right where you pull in- like the front of the campus?
 
So I got here super early for the interview today but I'm not quite sure where the interview is... Is it right where you pull in- like the front of the campus?
Yes friend; you will check in with that security guard at the front and sit in the furniture by the windows

Edit: Good luck on your interview!
 
Our official COA is visible on nucleus.

Anybody else getting really nervous looking at the numbers for room and board? It doesn't seem like its possible to get a 1Bdroom in the area with that amount of aid.
 
Our official COA is visible on nucleus.

Anybody else getting really nervous looking at the numbers for room and board? It doesn't seem like its possible to get a 1Bdroom in the area with that amount of aid.

Where do you see this? I'm on nucleus right now and don't see any changes or new notifications.
 
I interviewed last Friday. Am I able to login into Nucleus to review information or is that just once your admitted?
 
Our official COA is visible on nucleus.

Anybody else getting really nervous looking at the numbers for room and board? It doesn't seem like its possible to get a 1Bdroom in the area with that amount of aid.
The room and board amount is absolutely too low to stay close by without a roommate or without parent/spouse extra income. I went and looked at so many apartments in the area and I couldn't believe how much most of them were. I love the apartment I chose in buford near the mall of Georgia, but wow I am paying almost 1.5k a month for it. :hungover: If we were getting an income based scholarship from PCOM would we have already known by now?
 
I interviewed last Friday. Am I able to login into Nucleus to review information or is that just once your admitted?
Once you're admitted
 
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The room and board amount is absolutely too low to stay close by without a roommate or without parent/spouse extra income. I went and looked at so many apartments in the area and I couldn't believe how much most of them were. I love the apartment I chose in buford near the mall of Georgia, but wow I am paying almost 1.5k a month for it. :hungover: If we were getting an income based scholarship from PCOM would we have already known by now?
Looks like April 14th we will get our financial aid package and will have any idea if we qualified for any scholarship.
 
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Looks like April 14th we will get our financial aid package and will have any idea if we qualified for any scholarship.

I was reading the breakdown for how they distribute loan money and it seemed like they were only willing to allow us to borrow money up to the COA AFTER adding in any scholarship money which means that regardless of any scholarships you'd still get the same amount back for living expenses, less of it would just be borrowed money. I don't know though, guess I'll just wait to get the financial aid package to see what i'm really looking at.
 
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Our official COA is visible on nucleus.

Anybody else getting really nervous looking at the numbers for room and board? It doesn't seem like its possible to get a 1Bdroom in the area with that amount of aid.
To everyone panicking about not having enough aid, stop panicking! In addition to the unsubsidized federal loan, we are all eligible for an additional $32,000 per year. Rent is kinda high close to campus but definitely manageable with roommates. I'm a first year right now and I live alone and pay almost $1,500 without utilities because I was unable to find a roommate and I still haven't taken out the entire amount of loan that I'm eligible for. In addition, some of you may not get scholarships now, but like I did, I got a scholarship a few weeks into the first term and they just gave me the amount back as a refund check I believe.
 
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How long after the interview did most people hear back? They told me 3 weeks but wanted to validate.
 
How long after the interview did most people hear back? They told me 3 weeks but wanted to validate.
For me, it was 10 days. Interviewed on 2/17. Received the wait list letter 2/27.
 
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Received a wait list by snail mail today 3/22.
Interviewed 3/10
 
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sorry man! im sure youll get moved from the waitlist! has anyone been accepted from the 3/10 or the 3/17 interview so far?
Thanks, I hope it works out as well. I'm not sure if the class is full already or not, but based on what other people have said it seems like being wait listed may have been the best option for any of the March interview dates.
 
Thanks, I hope it works out as well. I'm not sure if the class is full already or not, but based on what other people have said it seems like being wait listed may have been the best option for any of the March interview dates.

Really, I think it's been the best for anyone since late January. There's always hope though!
 
Thanks, I hope it works out as well. I'm not sure if the class is full already or not, but based on what other people have said it seems like being wait listed may have been the best option for any of the March interview dates.
The admissions coordinator at my interview last Friday said the class was full and that we were all interviewing for waitlist spots :(
 
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Wait, nvm. What I saw was in reference to a criminal background check, not a drug screen. My mistakd
 
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Are interviews complete now? Really hoping to see some wait list movement soon!
 
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Is housing provided for rotations or do we have to constantly get new lease contracts for apartments?
What are research opportunities like and are they easily available for interested students to partake in?
Since rotations are away from the institution, is shadowing doctors here and there not possible during your first or second years?

Rotations are very individual, so there is a lot of variation from person to person, and you really need more of a survey if you want a general idea.

I can tell you that for us, they divided Georgia up into 6 or 7 regions, and we had a lottery to choose which region we would be rotating in. I chose the Northeast region, which includes Atlanta and everything NE. Some of my rotations have been incredible and others have been lame. A lot of that comes down to personal interest and how you get along with your preceptor. I have heard amazing things about rotations in Columbus, Macon, and Albany.. so definitely don't think for a second that rural Georgia has lower quality rotations. In some ways rural = more latitude for medical students to be involved.

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but hopefully it helps in some way.

No problem.

So medical school in general is tough. There is no sugar coating it, but PCOM does a great job on several levels:
1. They truly want you to succeed. This couldn't be more evident with the majority of the professors here. If you are struggling, they will take as much time as you need to help. If you happen to be doing not so hot in class, they will schedule a meeting to sit down with you and talk about what can be changed to help - not to scare you, but just to guarantee you're on the path to success.
2. The material that you will learn is more than enough to be prepared for boards. I'm only in the beginnings of year 1 so I'm hoping this will remain constant. But so far so good (anatomy apparently is low yield on boards and thats what we started with so I may be able to offer more insight on this after we finished this term of CMBM). Like any medical school, you will have to learn some extra detail for class that won't necessarily be needed for boards, but otherwise they got it all covered.
3. There is no babying you. I guess this can be looked at as good or bad. From day one its off to the races and they expect you to keep up. This forces you to put the pedal to the metal and learn 'how to med school' and fast. Although this was extremely difficult (in my own personal experience) it honestly made me become a better student/ a better learner/studier a lot faster.
4. THE PEOPLE ARE GREAT. From professors, to fellows helping in OMM, and most importantly, your peers... this school is filled with genuinely good people who want nothing but the best for every student at PCOM. My class constantly offers assistance to others (we post helpful youtube links, self drawn figures, material from previous classes, and other helpful tools/materials on our Facebook group). And the second year class comes to our aid constantly. They put together google drives of study guides, practice tests, helpful material, drives for ebooks etc. We also have a mentor program that pairs you with a second year that can act as your own personal liason (if you so choose to be apart of the program). I have personally used this mentor on countless occasions not only to receive helpful information for various topics, but to just talk and vent. There has been several occasions when I thought I was going to lose my mind and my second year talked me through it. I can't say enough about them. And lastly, the OMM fellows/professors who take time out of their days to hold a thing called "crunch bunch" to walk through manipulations or OMM topics with us after we have already learned the material to guarantee were will be ready for the practical.
5. The material and exams are fair. Medical school is tough. I have only been through 1 full term and currently am underway on the second, and there is no "easy" part. With that being said, the material given to you if fairly reflected on exams (both written and practicals). There have been a few occasions where we have been given a dense topic very close to the day of the exam and most times in these cases the professors have done an excellent job of really emphasizing what we needed to know not only for the exams, but what would be most relevant for boards.
6. The community loves GA-PCOM. Its a well known name and we, as a school, as very well known in the community. This is probably because of all the outreach we do in a variety of settings. Anytime people ask me about where I go to school as soon as I say "PCOM" they already know and have positive things to say. I have only heard the same in relation to rotations. PCOM students are typically well known to be excellent at their rotations.

As for negatives...
I honestly can't really point out and huge, overarching negatives that would make me turn this school down. I guess if you don't like nice weather 90% of the time (I'm originally from the north so GA weather has been glorious) or if you're an Alabama fan (they get a lot of taunting here). Like any school, there may be litter personal things you're not a fan of some of which I'll list:
1. Some classes are mandatory (guest lectures, PCBM, labs of any sort, flipped classrooms). I know some people aren't a fan of having to come to class. Other than these specifics (which are a smaller subset of your weekly classes), class is not mandatory and there is a thing called tegrity which records the lecture for you to listen to at your convenience. On a positive, we never have to dress up for lecture (I literally wear gym clothes everyday), unless its a guest lecture (and these are rarer, especially first year).
2. Some professors are better at conveying material than others. Again, this is kind of a normalcy in any institution. As a whole, PCOM has a great teaching staff who truly wants to teach and who does it well.

Those are the only 2 big problems I can think of in relation to complaints I have heard.

To be honest this school is great. The building isn't grand, but I try to spend the least amount of time in that building anyways (anytime I can get away I do!) GA-PCOM will give you everything you need to succeed, you just need to take it and run with it.

Any other specifics, just tag me or message me!!
Hope this helped :)
 
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is there a way we can check if they recieved the wait list sheet if we sent one back to them?
 
is there a way we can check if they recieved the wait list sheet if we sent one back to them?

Yes, log into the PCOM application portal and it should say "Wait List Form" and a received date to the right of it.


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I interviewed 2 weeks ago. I only have access to the secondary app portal, not Nucleus (I don't think). Is there anywhere to tell what the status may be online?
 
I interviewed 2 weeks ago. I only have access to the secondary app portal, not Nucleus (I don't think). Is there anywhere to tell what the status may be online?
There would be a deposit option at the top of the secondary page if you got accepted.

Edit: I mean summary page.
 
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