Fort Smith, AR
Osteopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 27% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about influences, personal background, alignment with school mission, concerns about medical school, leadership experience, ethical dilemmas like cheating, study habits, clinical experience, and motivation for pursuing medicine, particularly osteopathic medicine. Some respondents mentioned questions related to the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, indicating a structured interview style possibly involving a nondisclosure agreement.
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Who has the biggest influence on you?
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Why DO?
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Tell us about yourself.
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How do you relate to the mission of the school?
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What am I most worried about for Medical School
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting questions asked at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed various topics such as reasons for choosing osteopathic medicine, gap year activities, handling ethical dilemmas like cheating, community service involvement, personal hobbies, leadership experiences, and coping mechanisms for stress. The interviews may have been in an MMI format, as some responses indicated a closed-file setting and potential non-disclosure agreements, with a focus on getting to know the applicants on a deeper level through diverse situational inquiries.
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Why osteopathic medicine?
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What did you do during your gap year?
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what would you do if your classmate cheated?
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How have you served your community that you grew up in and what do you want to do in the future to continue serving them (I discussed wanting to give back to my community as they have given to me)?
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Ethics
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including personal strengths and weaknesses, ethical dilemmas like handling cheating, facing failures, and cultural competency. Some respondents mentioned MMI or Multiple Mini Interview format, indicating a structured interview with potentially non-disclosure agreements in place.
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What was something worth highlighting from your application and something not worth highlighting.
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What was the most proud moment you had in life?
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Referred to the topic of addiction from another question
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What are you the most excited for about medical school and what are you least enthusiastic about medical school?
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Hardest thing you’ve had to go through
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as SDN, mock interviews, researching the school and surrounding area, reviewing their application materials, and practicing common interview questions. They also sought advice from current students, spoke with friends who had previously interviewed at the school, and made sure to understand the school's mission and values.
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SDN and mock interviews.
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SDN, watching mock interviews on youtube, and having a mock interview
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SDN, and practice.
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Read prompts on SDN, they were very helpful
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Answered the questions written on SDN and rehearsed them day before
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and welcoming atmosphere of the staff, faculty, and students at the school. They also appreciated the state-of-the-art facilities, commitment to community service, and the personalized attention they received during the interview process. Some suggestions for improvement included enhancing the organization of the interview day and providing more details on the curriculum.
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the school's presentations
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The research building and the faculty being very nice
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Everyone was super friendly
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Amazing and super nice staff. Absolutely beautiful campus.
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Laid back yet very professional interview.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the lengthy presentations and interview day, high professor turnover rate, lack of student activities, limited nearby affordable shopping options, and being required to travel for interviews. Suggestions included improving engagement for virtual guests, providing more information on historical data, addressing technical difficulties promptly, and ensuring interviewer preparedness. It was also recommended to offer more campus visits, enhance campus safety, and establish a more established track record for the school.
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how long the presentations were (with cameras on)
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The length of the day of the interview
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None
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the shops built nearby aren't all necessarily in the student budget, it is a bit of a drive to get to stores but not bad
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High professor turnover rate
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Most applicants wished they had known ahead of time that the interview process would involve two people, that the interviews would be immediate upon arriving on campus, and that they should not stress as the interviewers are there to help. Suggestions included practicing interview skills, being prepared for unexpected writing prompts, and learning more about financial aid options.
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That the interviews would be with two people.
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During my interview, they had a writing prompt for us to fill out about situations and how to handle them
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not to stress
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I did know thankfully but the interview portion is right when you get to campus
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Not to stress, everyone genuinely wants to get to know you and wants you to succeed.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally expressed positive impressions of the school, its staff, and the interview experience, highlighting the friendly atmosphere, faculty commitment, and community-oriented approach. Some feedback mentioned the need for quicker interview processes, technical improvements, and more organized scheduling, but overall, applicants were enthusiastic about the school and its potential for producing excellent doctors.
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Overall, it was a good day and I liked learning about the school. I just wish it didn't take as long as it did.
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just be yourself and practice the questions on SDN.
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the students I talked to seemed genuinely happy there, there is a somewhat business casual dress code but not incredibly strict, the students mentioned a lot that the faculty change things around since they are a new school and are trying to get everything to function well but hear the students out, the cadaver lab is 6 to a table
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Be yourself and don't stress, it's inevitable to not be nervous but settle into your interview and carry on the conversation.
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Awesome school
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally praised the admissions office for being personable, accommodating, and transparent, suggesting that they continue their strong work. Some feedback included providing refreshments, updating websites for user-friendliness, allowing for more student interaction, and incorporating more breaks during the admissions process.
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None they did a really great job and were very personable!
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None, super nice and accommodating staff.
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NA
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Please keep up the good work.
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Keep being so great! You made the admissions and interview process so convenient and easy. Thank you for what you do!
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by Admissions staff personnel
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent between $101 and $200.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM)
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Dallas to Fort Smith
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FSR
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Fort Smith
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Fort Smith Regional Airport
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Fort Smith regional
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
The most commonly mentioned hotel that users stayed in is "Home2 Suites" by Hilton.
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Courtyard Marriott
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Courtyard Marriott in downtown Fort Smith
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DoubleTree
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Fairfield Inn
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Hampton Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What are your comments on where you stayed?
1. Home
2. N/A
3. Air conditioner loud, cookies and hot chocolate available
4. Discount for interviewing, $89 a night, breakfast, shuttle, clean
5. Discount for interviewing, Hampton Inn, nice, great continental breakfast
Based on the responses, it seems that the user stayed at the Hampton Inn due to the discounted price for interviewing and the positive comments about the hotel.
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It was virtual, so I stayed at home.
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Free shuttle to school and airport
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It was nice, air conditioner was loud, they have cookies and hot chocolate in the lobby.
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there was a discount for people interviewing $89 a night, had breakfast and a shuttle available to get to ARCOM (it left earlier than they told me however so I just drove over) - it was the cheapest I found but still nice and clean
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The school gives you a list of hotels that have reduced prices for interviewing, Hampton Inn was the cheapest (with the reduced price) on the list but was still super nice and had great continental breakfast!
All Responses
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