Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 27% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did well.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
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.
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
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
Commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the applicant's motivations for pursuing medicine, experiences in the field, study habits, ability to handle stress, ethical dilemmas (such as cheating), and their fit for the school's mission. Responses also touch on personal attributes, influences, failures, community service, and the choice between osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) medicine. Additionally, there are prevalent questions about the applicant's readiness for medical school, their impact on the community, and scenarios involving cheating among peers, showcasing a mix of personal, ethical, and situational inquiries.
Students said the most interesting questions asked at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed various topics including reasons for choosing osteopathic medicine, community service involvement, ethical scenarios like dealing with cheating classmates, personal hobbies, de-stressing methods, and future plans post-medical education. The interviews may have followed an MMI format, with some respondents mentioning nondisclosure agreements, while other questions focused on leadership experiences, favorite movies, and research techniques used in labs.
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)?
Students said most difficult question asked at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including personal strengths and weaknesses, ethical dilemmas such as handling cheating, cultural competency, dealing with failure, and future career considerations. Some responses hinted at an MMI format, with questions about nondisclosure scenarios and challenging ethical situations, suggesting a structured interview approach with potential confidentiality agreements in place.
What was something worth highlighting from your application and something not worth highlighting.
What's the last book you read? (I had difficulty with this because I don't really read for pleasure, so they let me answer with a documentary instead).
Do you think government funded healthcare is a right for all Americans? If a program like this was put in place, how would it effect the medical community?
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
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!
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources like Student Doctor Network (SDN), practicing with mock interviews, reviewing common interview questions, and researching the school thoroughly. Additionally, many applicants focused on understanding their own application, connecting their values to the school's mission, and identifying key points they wanted to convey during the interview.
I researched the most commonly asked questions, visited every part of their website, looked into the school's history, formulated questions to ask the interviewer, spoke to a student that attends the school, and wrote down points that I wanted to make sure I discussed during the interview.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the welcoming and friendly atmosphere created by the staff, faculty, and students, as well as the beautiful campus and state-of-the-art facilities. They also appreciated the school's commitment to community service and the opportunities for growth and development within the institution.
New facilities, everyone was so genuine, great service opportunities including international relations, Ft. Smith and ARCOM community is rapidly growing.
The facilities (especially the student housing options) and their growth plans in terms of increasing the class size and expanding the school's real estate footprint with more student housing, facilities, and research facility.
both people in my interview were very friendly. Multiple times, my interviewers asked me follow up questions that simply were looking for more details on something I had said in a very conversational manner. It was very low stress overall. everyone there felt very sincere.
The incredibly welcoming and friendly staff. The southern hospitality vibe rings through out the school. I was also impressed by the cutting edge building and sheer attention to detail to help create the most refined learning environment possible for the students. They are developing the entire 220-acre property to cater to the students that will be attending the school.
Amazingly friendly and enthusiastic staff. More so than any of the other 4 schools I interviewed at. Staff greeted you at the door, knew your name, seemed incredibly genuine and relaxed.
They make you feel so welcome here from the second you get there. You can tell they do everything they can to help their students succeed. The building is also beautiful!
Applicants were negatively impressed by factors such as the length of the interview day, high professor turnover rate, lack of engagement with virtual guests, technical difficulties during the interview process, and the school's newness without a full graduating class yet. Suggestions included addressing these issues, providing more information on historical data, improving engagement with virtual attendees, and offering more opportunities to interact with current students.
We encountered some technical difficulties, but I wouldn't necessarily say that impressed me negatively. In this day and age, it is pretty well guaranteed you may encounter some type of tech problem. It delayed the day a little, but I was not impressed negatively about it because they were flexible with the situation and things still flowed smoothly.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time that the interviews would be with two people, to not stress during the interview, and that the interview might include unexpected elements like a writing prompt. They also emphasized the importance of practicing interview skills and being prepared for different interview experiences, while highlighting the overall relaxed and supportive nature of the process.
that I was unable to connect to the Microsoft team and that because that wasn't working I had to do a phone interview and the interviewers couldn't even see me
That I could have submitted a letter on intent as well as a list of updated activities before the admissions committee had gathered for their meeting to accept or deny applicants.
Applicants generally found the interview day positive, enjoying the school's environment and staff enthusiasm. Some noted concerns about the interview process or technical difficulties, but overall, they expressed interest in attending the school if accepted.
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.
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
ARCOM seems to have their stuff together. Strong faculty and administration appears to care, albeit there is some of that Southern-style swagger that can be off-putting to those of us not from the area. Even with that attitude, they were quite kind and generous with their time. I would be happy to spend four-years or longer here. Fort Smith is fantastic in my opinion. Enough to do but not too much to be overwhelming.
I don't think ARCOM had a good backup for technical difficulties. They mentioned multiple people had issues with Microsoft team and instead of being able to use Zoom or Skype my interview time was cut short and I couldn't even see my interviewers face to face. They were very nice but that aspect was extremely frustrating when I was forced to stay home because of COVID.
I highly recommend accepting an interview here! Stay at the Home2Suites because they will shuttle you everywhere for free (Uber/Lyft are not really a thing and very expensive if a driver is available). I also recommend eating a big breakfast, as no breakfast was served and lunch was gross.
This was THE MOST laid back interview ever. They just wanted to get to know me and why I wanted to go to ARCOM. I actually ENJOYED my time talking to the interviewers.
This is a wonderful school with a great staff. The small hometown feel will help students who look for a more "one on one" setting with their professors. The staff are always available and will go out of their way to help you succeed. The levels of kindness and respect are unparalleled and will ensure a learning environment where anyone can excel and reach their goals.
It was a beautiful school with a very kind staff. Since the school was so new I was concerned and this was made worse by the fact that the interview felt disorganized.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally praised the admissions office for their friendliness and organization, with suggestions including providing refreshments, updating the website for better usability, incorporating more student interactions, and allowing for more breaks during the interview day to improve the overall experience.
None they did a really great job and were very personable!
I wish they had a suitable back up in case of technical difficulties. I feel like I didn't get the chance that others got because they risked going in person.
Provide a light breakfast (coffee, juice, bagels, yogurt, etc.) and a more simple lunch option. Temperature was uncomfortably cold. Conducting interviews in a room large enough to be further than 6 feet from interviewers would allow masks to come off (it was hard to hear/ talk with masks on and so close to each other in a tiny office). Presentations and tour were helpful!
During the interview day we were constantly asked after every presentation how the presentation could be improved. Though feedback is useful it made it seem like they did not know what they were doing.