Fort Smith, AR
Osteopathic Medical Schools | Public For-Profit
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.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
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.
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Who has the biggest influence on you?
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Why ARCOM?
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Why are you interested in medicine?
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How do you relate to ARCOM mission?
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What research have you done in the past and what type of research do you want to do in the future?
What was the most interesting question?
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.
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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 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.
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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 Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
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.
📍 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.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
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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XNA
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N/A
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Ft.Smith Regional
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Fort Smith regional
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Fort Smith Regional Airport
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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My car
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Marriott
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Home2Suites (provides shuttle to and from airport and to and from interview)
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Home2Suites
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Home2Suite
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 is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
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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!
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
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.
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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 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.
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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 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.
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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?
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.
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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 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.
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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 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.
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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!
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