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ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!
WVSOM Discussion Thread 2010-2011
- Thread starter ShyRem
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Western's Oregon campus is brand new so it has no reputation at all. West Virginia has a very good reputation. It's one of the few DO schools that people have actually heard of. No one knows most of the private schools.
Here's a link to some match lists.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7635532&postcount=6
ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great to see you got accepted Catherine! I just found out today too!
WVSOM is very well known. In fact, many other osteopathic schools use the OMT book that our professors publish. Also, I've checked out the match list. There are a handful of students that went to top residency programs in the country. Most of them usually end up going somewhere near home.
And heck no not all lectures are NOT mandatory at WVSOM. Only a few OPP and Clinical skills lectures are mandatory (we've had maybe 3 this semester), however all labs are mandatory.
Wvsom is pretty awesome
As a current student, here are what I find as the Pro's and Cons of WVSOM:
Pro:
Great OPP department
Excellent facilities for students
Low cost of living
Free laptop pre-loaded with all the software you need
Administrators that really listen AND care
No distractions (ex: there aren't that many places to go party so you may be forced to study)
Open doors policy (you can show up to a professors office and they will be more than happy to help you out...even if they are totally swamped)
Beautiful location
Lots of outdoor activities
Candy everywhere!
Tons of opportunities for free food
Friendly environment
Cons:
Rural area
Expensive OOS tution
No variety in places to party (unless you are okay frequenting the pub and bar)
Lack of variety of fast food
No starbucks or tacobell unless you are willing to drive 30 minutes out
I can't think of anything else at the moment, but if anyone has questions feel free to message me!
As a current student, here are what I find as the Pro's and Cons of WVSOM:
Pro:
Great OPP department
Excellent facilities for students
Low cost of living
Free laptop pre-loaded with all the software you need
Administrators that really listen AND care
No distractions (ex: there aren't that many places to go party so you may be forced to study)
Open doors policy (you can show up to a professors office and they will be more than happy to help you out...even if they are totally swamped)
Beautiful location
Lots of outdoor activities
Candy everywhere!
Tons of opportunities for free food
Friendly environment
Cons:
Rural area
Expensive OOS tution
No variety in places to party (unless you are okay frequenting the pub and bar)
Lack of variety of fast food
No starbucks or tacobell unless you are willing to drive 30 minutes out
I can't think of anything else at the moment, but if anyone has questions feel free to message me!
how about lectures...are they recorded, how is their multimedia?
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I cannot be sure but I am like 90% sure they are recorded. I thought remembered hearing that at my interview. Being an A/V Nerd at my school for the last four years one thing I was blown away by at WVSOM was their technology. Everything was wired in so that learning could be maximized. It was really amazing IMO.
Yes, all lectures are recorded and posted almost immediately after classes have ended. On the media site you also have the option to listen to lectures from the previous years and even watch videos demonstrating techniques for clinical skill and opp labs. The resources provided are almost overwhelming!!
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They go up 30 min after the last class of the day.
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As a current student, here are what I find as the Pro's and Cons of WVSOM:
Pro:
Great OPP department
Excellent facilities for students
Low cost of living
Free laptop pre-loaded with all the software you need
Administrators that really listen AND care
No distractions (ex: there aren't that many places to go party so you may be forced to study)
Open doors policy (you can show up to a professors office and they will be more than happy to help you out...even if they are totally swamped)
Beautiful location
Lots of outdoor activities
Candy everywhere!
Tons of opportunities for free food
Friendly environment
Cons:
Rural area
Expensive OOS tution
No variety in places to party (unless you are okay frequenting the pub and bar)
Lack of variety of fast food
No starbucks or tacobell unless you are willing to drive 30 minutes out
I can't think of anything else at the moment, but if anyone has questions feel free to message me!
The trip to the taco bell is worth it! Its in charmco
We got lenovos with windows 7. They are actually quite nice and have an amazing battery life (6+ hours for most). Since this is from the school, you get a 4 year warranty as well. I dont know what next years class is getting though.
One more thing that may help future students that are flying into the Lewisburg airport. Lewisburg now has a cab service (yay!). Here is the information:
Call Cosmic Cab at (304) 646-8882. Cabs run Mon-Thurs 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Fri-Sat from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sundays by advance reservation only.
I have never used them, but this might be the only means of getting to and from the airport for some people so I thought it might be helpful. .
.
Call Cosmic Cab at (304) 646-8882. Cabs run Mon-Thurs 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Fri-Sat from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sundays by advance reservation only.
I have never used them, but this might be the only means of getting to and from the airport for some people so I thought it might be helpful. .
.
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Just e-mailed admissions and withdrew my acceptance! Good luck everyone!
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Accepted! -but likely will not attend
Congrats to whomever takes my spot!
Congrats to whomever takes my spot!
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Acccepted!
Grats. As they probably mentioned, WVSOM does have a housing resource on their website after you've made your initial payments that's fairly handy. This resource only has places listed that have contacted WVSOM directly, so there may be a few places available not on the list. Last year housing went fairly quickly, but there were lots of folks looking for roomates.
Avg rent varries, depending on your situation. If you are single, you can find a 2bd place and split rent with another, and pay less than $400 inc. utilities. 3bd+ houses ranged from 900-1200. That was my experience last year, this year could always be different.
You might be able to get a hard number for USMLE takers from WVSOM. I know some people have talked about taking COMLEX first, and if they don't do as well as they'd like, take the USMLE.
That sounds crazy-Using USMLE as a backup. I'd assume people would take USMLE because they're serious about it and prepare significantly for it. As I understand both tests have unique attributes and material to prepare from and are difficult in their separate ways.
I dont know much about how many took USMLE but you may want to look at the match list for 2010...and if you look at specialties that are competitive where students matched into MD then you'd know they took USMLE (ie gas, ortho, rads, etc.).
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Thanks dude! I guess after they accept my deposit I will be able to view that housing info. Thats not that bad for housing.
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Has anyone heard about the research opportunities at WVSOM? I see that on the site they have a few research projects that professors run. How can students become involved in that? Is there a selection criteria?
If you want to do research, your best bet is directly talking to professors (especially the biochemists). As far as I know, they do not have specific selection criteria, just that you are a current student. Also, if you are interested in international medical research, WVSOM is currently working on an opportunity for students to go to South Africa to work with Physicians or do HIV/TB research with leading researchers in that field.
This year we needed Clinically Oriented Anatomy by Moore, Dalley and Agur for Anatomy and Marks Essentials of Medical Biochemistry by Lieberman
But as a first year I'll be honest, don't start studying just yet. If you wanna get a leg up on one of the subjects, start with the "Back and Spinal Cord" from the Anatomy text or BRS book a few weeks before classes start--although I do recommend you take the time to relax instead seeing that you will probably be studying everyday until Christmas.
If you have not taken Biochem before, you should take it. Once you take it, you will be prepared for Med school Biochem. Also, we don't really use our book, it's just there as reference, so I wouldn't recommend that you buy it just yet.
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Hey thanks a lot honeyoats! Wow that sounds amazing, research in South Africa on HIV/TB. I would not mind going to do research there for a few of months.
Okay don't quote me on this, but from what I heard is that we get done at the end of May beginning of June and we don't take our boards until sometime in July. We are expected to start studying throughout our first year. The school will also provide books for you to study out of (Kaplan I think).
Are you in state or out of state.
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There are at least 2 in the current 1st year class that I know of for certain, probably closer to 10.
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I just wanted to clear up a few things:
Re USMLE vs. COMLEX:
The USMLE is typically administered before COMLEX, thus most students take USMLE and then spend a week or so going over Savarese in order to brush up on OMM. Most people do not just take COMLEX, see how they do, and then decide to take USMLE. These tests are huge undertakings are not to be taken lightly. The USMLE is especially not to be taken lightly since, for us as DOs, it opens up twice as many doors, considering we do well on it. If you just decide to take in on a whim and don't do well, it will actually close doors for you and will look worse than if you hadn't taken it.
Also, we are not expected to start studying during the first year. Close to 90% of what is tested on the COMLEX and USMLE is learned during second year, so it would almost be counterproductive to attempt to study for those board exams during the first year.
Re what to do between acceptance and matriculation:
Nothing! I wanted to get a leg up on things, but it's no use. The amount you will retain will be so low compared to the amount you are expected to know that it will literally be a complete waste of your time. You will be thrown to the wolves and you'll have to study so much so quickly that anything you did attempt to learn over the summer will probably be covered in a single lecture. If I were you, I would relax and enjoy your family, significant other, etc.
Re the laptops:
They aren't free. You don't pay for them out of your pocket, but your tuition does. Just to make sure you realized that. They aren't giving us anything, that's for sure.
Re USMLE vs. COMLEX:
The USMLE is typically administered before COMLEX, thus most students take USMLE and then spend a week or so going over Savarese in order to brush up on OMM. Most people do not just take COMLEX, see how they do, and then decide to take USMLE. These tests are huge undertakings are not to be taken lightly. The USMLE is especially not to be taken lightly since, for us as DOs, it opens up twice as many doors, considering we do well on it. If you just decide to take in on a whim and don't do well, it will actually close doors for you and will look worse than if you hadn't taken it.
Also, we are not expected to start studying during the first year. Close to 90% of what is tested on the COMLEX and USMLE is learned during second year, so it would almost be counterproductive to attempt to study for those board exams during the first year.
Re what to do between acceptance and matriculation:
Nothing! I wanted to get a leg up on things, but it's no use. The amount you will retain will be so low compared to the amount you are expected to know that it will literally be a complete waste of your time. You will be thrown to the wolves and you'll have to study so much so quickly that anything you did attempt to learn over the summer will probably be covered in a single lecture. If I were you, I would relax and enjoy your family, significant other, etc.
Re the laptops:
They aren't free. You don't pay for them out of your pocket, but your tuition does. Just to make sure you realized that. They aren't giving us anything, that's for sure.
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You can get a slight leg up by going over anatomy, since it's the first 9 weeks at WVSOM and reportedly the hardest course you will take there. Netter's flash cards, or Netter's for the iphone is sufficient prep. This is how they had it set up this year:
Week 1-3 Somatic
Week 1: True Back
Week 2: Arms
Week 3: Legs (Test 1 covers Week 1-3)
The test includes not only muscles/bones but nerves, embryology, lymphatics, circulation... It is different from undergrad where everything was seperated into systems, this is everything. For muscles, you'll need to know origin/insertion/action/innervation.
Week 4-6 Visceral
Week 4: Thorax
Week 5: Abdomen
Week 6: Pelvis
Week 7-9 Head & Neck
As MrBeauregard said, you will be studying more than you thought you could. 4 hours every weeknight, 16 hours on the weekend.
That actually does not sound like a lot at all-unless you mean along with this class you study for other classes at the same time??
I'm pretty sure to get an A in any of my undergrad science classes we needed to study that much...
Are they muslim for sure or Indian also? LOL you can't be assuming every brown skinned person is Muslim.
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Overconfidence tends to get people into trouble in the beginning. You do have 2 other classes that you are learning atthe same time, but the tests for those don't happen until after the first test in anatomy. You may have spent time studying for undergrad, but nothing compares to the sheer volume you are expected to learn.
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Yes. I know the difference. There are also quite a few Jewish students as well. I couldn't get you hard numbers because the class is fairly big and diverse.
lol. I figured I'd get a comment like that. I forgot that the quality of those hours would be different between undergrad and med school!
So when we started this year I didn't start studying during summer, did you find that early studying helped you, in any way, with your first Medical school class (not counting Med term, but as you already know that was quite easy)?
Hi all. I'm interested in WVSOM and was wondering if you guys could give me feedback specifically related to my situation.
I am currently a post-bacc premedical student at La Salle University in Philadelphia. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the George Washington University with a GPA of 2.8. After deciding to pursue a career in medicine, I retook several of my lowest undergraduate grades. Having never taken any premedical Science courses as an undergraduate, my Science GPA should be approximately 3.8 after completion of the program. However, my cumulative GPA will be approximately 3.3 with repeated coursework. In terms of extracurricular activities, I have a good deal of shadowing experience and have gained a lot of direct patient contact through a previous job as an ER scribe. I also play sports and am a musician. I have not yet taken the MCAT.
I'm interested in knowing where I stand as far as applicants go. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
I am currently a post-bacc premedical student at La Salle University in Philadelphia. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the George Washington University with a GPA of 2.8. After deciding to pursue a career in medicine, I retook several of my lowest undergraduate grades. Having never taken any premedical Science courses as an undergraduate, my Science GPA should be approximately 3.8 after completion of the program. However, my cumulative GPA will be approximately 3.3 with repeated coursework. In terms of extracurricular activities, I have a good deal of shadowing experience and have gained a lot of direct patient contact through a previous job as an ER scribe. I also play sports and am a musician. I have not yet taken the MCAT.
I'm interested in knowing where I stand as far as applicants go. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Does it really matter how many Muslims there are in a student body? I feel your religion shouldn't matter. I don't walk around school asking people what religion they are and I wouldn't treat anyone differently based on religion. We are all equal. Plus, aren't most people pretty busy off studying to worry about the diversity of the student body? I hear med school is a lot more individualized work compared to the type of group atmosphere you see at undergrad universities.
Well I go to a school that is 96% White, conservative Christians, so I would say I don't get exposure as well. But I wouldn't say nor think minorities are lazy. Plus, it isn't always easy to tell who is Muslim and who isn't. Not every Middle Eastern is Muslim. Heck, some people who are white as day are, but you can't actually tell.
Unfortunately, I think the people you need to persuade more that diversity is good, are the patients, especially in some rural areas. I spent a month shadowing in Lexington, KY this summer, and I saw many people from rural parts of Kentucky (not terribly far from this school). It was sad to see how many people were biased against doctors from India. Most complained that they couldn't understand them and because of this, they felt their treatment methods inadequate. Now, whether they couldn't understand and didnt know how they were being treated, or if they just did not want to deal with a minority, Im not sure. Some people seemed like it was the later, which was sad to see.
In case anyone was wondering, you shouldn't really worry about being targeted or discriminated against. This school is very accepting and so is the town of Lewisburg. Although I am sure there are students that are not as accepting, but I haven't seen any blatant discrimination.
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For clarification, my wife is the student, I'm just an involved spouse. She knew anatomy was first, but not the order. She studied head and neck, and while it didn't help immediately, come weeks 7-9 she didn't have to learn bones/muscles which gave her plenty of time to focus on CNs and vessels. She says it helped, and she ended up doing very well.
Some people advised her to enjoy her last summer of freedom, but that's just not her. I got the impression most incoming students underestimate med school because hey, they're all really smart and did good in undergrad. Most are used to getting A's, and the first anatomy test can really demoralize. Study true back and limbs, and make sure you start off on a strong foot is my recommendation.
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