2023-2024 Western University of Health Sciences (Pomona, California)

[Doingmybest1]

Got a call from 909 Pomona area code and it was a scam call 😭

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[chipeachi]

Got a call from 909 Pomona area code and it was a scam call 😭

my heart would drop so fast 😭

 

[yourmom123]

yall im getting so ANXIOUS i feel like there should really be movement now, esp with fin aid coming out for other schools, like am I moving or not? PLSS LMKKK

 

[gateopener]

has anyone heard back from 4/26? today is the day right?

 

[gateopener]

was rejected post II

 

[Joshua Fong]

Alternate listed IS! Interviewed week of 4/23

 

[FuturePhysician2024]

Waitlist IS. Interviewed week of 4/23

 

[xtmgmr]

Got off the waitlist. I was waitlisted 2/1

 

[cgol18]

Got off waitlist today! Interviewed 4/2, waitlisted 4/17

 

[perrito]

Got off waitlist today! Interviewed 4/2, waitlisted 4/17

Congratulations!! 🎉🎊 I had the same interview and waitlist date. Do you mind sharing your stats?

 

[monkeym8]

Post-II R today

 

[cgol18]

Congratulations!! 🎉🎊 I had the same interview and waitlist date. Do you mind sharing your stats?

Sure! 3.7 undergrad GPA (I think like 3.6 sGPA), 3.98 Master’s GPA, 508 MCAT

 

[xtmgmr]

Is there a page or group chat for accepted students?

 

[emtaco98]

Is there a page or group chat for accepted students?

wondering this too!

 

[Osteopanda]

wondering this too!

Yes there is a group on fb it’s called “WesternU COMP Class of 2028”

 

[morrowind]

Hey yall, OMS1 here again. more FAQs from another applicant

can you give me a sample schedule of what to expect first year (a screen shot will be ok too). I just wanted to get an idea of what a typical week looks like. I really I don't want to have to commute into school more than 2 days a week.

-So the first thing to note for the schedule is that it varies every week to some degree. There are weeks where you only have one in person day, and there are weeks where you have 3 or rarely 4. I would say the average number of in person days per week is 2. On the in person days you typically have 2 hours of OMM and 2 hours of CMR lab. You also have one 4 hour block of anatomy lab which is either on the 3rd in person day, or you have a long 8 hour day with 4 hours of anatomy in the morning and 4 hours of OMM and CMR in the evening on one of your in person days. The anatomy varies per block, some blocks you have anatomy every week and some much less often.

The rest of the curriculum is composed of zoom, pre recorded, or in person lectures all of which are highly recommended to be viewed but are not strictly "mandatory" as they have no way of verifying that you viewed them. Id say you get an average of 15-20 hours of lecture per week in addition to your in person labs. You do occasionally have required in person lectures or work shops but these are somewhat rare and usually account for the 3rd or 4th in person day.

Do we choose our classes (hence can decide what days we come in) or are they assigned to us and we have no control of how the classes are assigned?

-You do not choose classes. The curriculum is the same for every person and is completed sequentially. Its not like undergrad where you pick and choose. You have to take the same classes in the same order as everyone else. And pass every class. Zero control. You are also assigned to either group A or group B at the beginning of the year which will vary your schedule and make it so you really only see half of the 230 person class on a regular basis. They do this so that the labs dont get overwhelmed with 230 people in them each in person day.

During anatomy lab are we allowed to take pics of the cadever for studying ? (during undergrad we were not allowed).

-No. Big no no and people have gotten dismissed for doing this. Its out of respect for the donors. The rare exception is if you have a rare anatomical variation that the professors want to study but you would only take a picture with faculty permission. They do offer powerpoints that have real anatomy images that you can study off of which is nice.

Are there some professors you would recommend over others for certain classes?

-You dont choose your classes so you dont choose your professors. There are some truly incredible and dedicated professors and some... not so good ones haha you will quickly realize who these people are.

What apps/ software/study decks like Anki etc do you recommend a new student should have up and running?

-The school provides you with most of what you will need automatically downloaded on your ipad except for anki. I personally dont use anki but many many people do. So I would prob recommend downloading anki and getting familiar with it a bit but dont stress too much about it. There will be plenty of time to get your resources in order during welcome week and ISOM which is your first block that is comparatively chiller than the rest as it is a lot of review from undergrad.

will we be provided all books or will we get a list and can purchase from other places (like used copies)?
-So there are technically recommended text books for the courses, most of which have readily available in an e version and linked to the lecture slides or in elentra. But nobody I know uses textbooks lol. Everyone either studies the slides and faculty provided notes or uses anki.


What does the student kit consist of (the one that's $1500)?
-all your required medical equipment. White coat, otoscope, opthalmoscope, tuning forks, stethescope etc etc you can waive out of some of the equipment. Like I had a litman cardiology IV which is the required stethescope and saved like 250 bucks of whatever it is.

Is there a dress code for OMM?
Yes. Gym shorts for men. gym shorts and sports bra for women. For CMR you are also required to wear your OMM attire underneath navy blue scrubs and white coat.

 

[JW4Gdud]

This is such a good article for incoming students. You should be nominated for WesternU DO of the month.

 

[yourmom123]

Hey yall, OMS1 here again. more FAQs from another applicant

can you give me a sample schedule of what to expect first year (a screen shot will be ok too). I just wanted to get an idea of what a typical week looks like. I really I don't want to have to commute into school more than 2 days a week.

-So the first thing to note for the schedule is that it varies every week to some degree. There are weeks where you only have one in person day, and there are weeks where you have 3 or rarely 4. I would say the average number of in person days per week is 2. On the in person days you typically have 2 hours of OMM and 2 hours of CMR lab. You also have one 4 hour block of anatomy lab which is either on the 3rd in person day, or you have a long 8 hour day with 4 hours of anatomy in the morning and 4 hours of OMM and CMR in the evening on one of your in person days. The anatomy varies per block, some blocks you have anatomy every week and some much less often.

The rest of the curriculum is composed of zoom, pre recorded, or in person lectures all of which are highly recommended to be viewed but are not strictly "mandatory" as they have no way of verifying that you viewed them. Id say you get an average of 15-20 hours of lecture per week in addition to your in person labs. You do occasionally have required in person lectures or work shops but these are somewhat rare and usually account for the 3rd or 4th in person day.

Do we choose our classes (hence can decide what days we come in) or are they assigned to us and we have no control of how the classes are assigned?

-You do not choose classes. The curriculum is the same for every person and is completed sequentially. Its not like undergrad where you pick and choose. You have to take the same classes in the same order as everyone else. And pass every class. Zero control. You are also assigned to either group A or group B at the beginning of the year which will vary your schedule and make it so you really only see half of the 230 person class on a regular basis. They do this so that the labs dont get overwhelmed with 230 people in them each in person day.

During anatomy lab are we allowed to take pics of the cadever for studying ? (during undergrad we were not allowed).

-No. Big no no and people have gotten dismissed for doing this. Its out of respect for the donors. The rare exception is if you have a rare anatomical variation that the professors want to study but you would only take a picture with faculty permission. They do offer powerpoints that have real anatomy images that you can study off of which is nice.

Are there some professors you would recommend over others for certain classes?

-You dont choose your classes so you dont choose your professors. There are some truly incredible and dedicated professors and some... not so good ones haha you will quickly realize who these people are.

What apps/ software/study decks like Anki etc do you recommend a new student should have up and running?

-The school provides you with most of what you will need automatically downloaded on your ipad except for anki. I personally dont use anki but many many people do. So I would prob recommend downloading anki and getting familiar with it a bit but dont stress too much about it. There will be plenty of time to get your resources in order during welcome week and ISOM which is your first block that is comparatively chiller than the rest as it is a lot of review from undergrad.

will we be provided all books or will we get a list and can purchase from other places (like used copies)?
-So there are technically recommended text books for the courses, most of which have readily available in an e version and linked to the lecture slides or in elentra. But nobody I know uses textbooks lol. Everyone either studies the slides and faculty provided notes or uses anki.


What does the student kit consist of (the one that's $1500)?
-all your required medical equipment. White coat, otoscope, opthalmoscope, tuning forks, stethescope etc etc you can waive out of some of the equipment. Like I had a litman cardiology IV which is the required stethescope and saved like 250 bucks of whatever it is.

Is there a dress code for OMM?
Yes. Gym shorts for men. gym shorts and sports bra for women. For CMR you are also required to wear your OMM attire underneath navy blue scrubs and white coat.

is the school usually open to OMM accommodations for ppl who have religious beliefs regarding dressing/touching etc.

 

[FuturePhysician2024]

Question… I was wondering if everyone on the WL was told in the letter they were placed on the WL d/t the class being full and they’d be the first call if a seat gets free?

 

[mak081]

Question… I was wondering if everyone on the WL was told in the letter they were placed on the WL d/t the class being full and they’d be the first call if a seat gets free?

Mine did not say i would be the first call. When were u WL btw?

 

[FuturePhysician2024]

4/23. I just didn’t know did they say the same thing to everyone bc that first call message gives me hope 😭

 

[garnmonster]

4/23. I just didn’t know did they say the same thing to everyone bc that first call message gives me hope 😭

my understanding is that there is an “alternate list” and a “waitlist.” alternates are ranked higher than waitlists and are given that first call note in the letter. you should have also seen something like “reply to offer of alternate status” in your portal

 

[FuturePhysician2024]

I did see that. Thank you for the info!

 

[EveningChocolate28]

Question, for those that were WL did you still accept the “alternate list” offer on the portal?
I also thought that waiting list was priority before alternate list?

 

[cwy666]

Question, for those that were WL did you still accept the “alternate list” offer on the portal?
I also thought that waiting list was priority before alternate list?

Yes, you accept the alternate list. That terminology is weird but it means you accept the waitlist. I also thought waitlist was priority before the alternate list.

 

[Doingmybest1]

Question… I was wondering if everyone on the WL was told in the letter they were placed on the WL d/t the class being full and they’d be the first call if a seat gets free?

Mine said the same thing

 

[yourmom123]

is WL ranked??

 

[morrowind]

is the school usually open to OMM accommodations for ppl who have religious beliefs regarding dressing/touching etc.

To my knowledge, they are not. But you should reach out to the school to verify this as I am not 100% sure. It is an essential part of our education as DOs to become very familiar and comfortable with palpating landmarks all over the body in their relation to diagnosing and treating using OMM. This can include quite sensitive regions. I know some people get accomodations due to medical issues that contradict receiving certain OMM treatments like HVLA (or "joint cracking" colloquially). But these students are still required to be competent in administering the treatments themselves.

 

[chipeachi]

is WL ranked??

I read somewhere that it is ranked

 

[Osteopanda]

There is a “waitlist” and an “alternate list”. The waitlist gets priority, and they begin offering admissions to the alternate list only after the waitlist is empty. Based on the threads from the previous cycle, there was some movement from the alternate list in ~July.

 

[bakerbarbara]

does anyone know how many people are typically put on the waitlist and alternate list each year?

 

[chipeachi]

does anyone know how many people are typically put on the waitlist and alternate list each year?

I saw on their website around 60 per year for alternate

 

[vietlove]

just received a pre-II R. I think this cycle is closed

 

[UncompetitiveInhibitor]

IS Pre II R

 

[vietlove]

IS Pre II R

but you already have an MD acceptance! congrats

 

[UncompetitiveInhibitor]

but you already have an MD acceptance! congrats

lol thank you! 🙏 just wanted to provide information for people in the future.

 

[h_lt00]

Finally got the pre- II R after 9 months of waiting :’)

 

[UncompetitiveInhibitor]

Finally got the pre- II R after 9 months of waiting :’)

Just needed some closure after receiving those monthly “Application Still with Admissions Committee - Pomona Campus”

 

[Esky27]

Damn also got the pre-ii R in-state. I’m hurt lol

 

[chipeachi]

Honestly how likely is it to get off the WL here? I'm currently faced with a decision of acceptance at another school but WesternU is my top choice and I'm currently WL

 

[vietlove]

Honestly how likely is it to get off the WL here? I'm currently faced with a decision of acceptance at another school but WesternU is my top choice and I'm currently WL

I don't know for sure but from what I gathered on here people do get pulled from the alternate list in July and the alternate list is used only after the waitlist have been exhausted, so don't loose hope!

 

[chipeachi]

I don't know for sure but from what I gathered on here people do get pulled from the alternate list in July and the alternate list is used only after the waitlist have been exhausted, so don't loose hope!

Thank you

 

[SOtheProdigy]

just received a pre-II R. I think this cycle is closed

+1 but OOS

 

[kristaps]

Called yesterday morning and left a voicemail to express my interest, got the A later in the evening! Was on the alternate list since the end of Feb

 

[Doingmybest1]

Called yesterday morning and left a voicemail to express my interest, got the A later in the evening! Was on the alternate list since the end of Feb

Were you on waitlist or alternate list? "Reply to alternate status" doesn't mean alternate list. Just curious didn't know they'd take people off AL this early.

 

[yourmom123]

I thought WL ppl get off first

 

[yourmom123]

But congratulations!!

 

[kristaps]

Were you on waitlist or alternate list? "Reply to alternate status" doesn't mean alternate list. Just curious didn't know they'd take people off AL this early.

I was on the alterante list at first but I remember checking my status one day and it changed to wait list, so I'm not sure.

 

[chipeachi]

Do any current students remember what the first day of school was like for first year? Were there required classes all day or was it more relaxed/intro to everything?