Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus Interview Feedback Summary
Spartanburg, SC
Osteopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 33% 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 the applicant's motivations for pursuing medicine, osteopathic medicine, and specific programs like VCOM, as well as their experiences, challenges faced by physicians, and readiness for the academic rigor. Additionally, respondents mentioned that the interviews often revolved around personal experiences listed in their applications, such as mission trips, past employment, and observations in osteopathic medicine, leading to conversational discussions during the interviews. Some responses indicated a focus on questions related to the MMI format, with mentions of nondisclosure agreements.
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What do you know about VCOM?
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What do you think are the greatest challenges for physicians currently?
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Are you 100% certain you are ready to start medical school? How will you handle the rigor?
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What made you go into medicine?
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What is your learning style?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus discussed various topics such as defining success for a physician, reflecting on personal struggles, discussing the role of a doctor as a community leader, and ethical scenarios like handling a parent refusing a blood transfusion for their child. These questions reflect a range of personal values, ethical considerations, and qualities sought in future physicians, providing insight into the interview process at the institution.
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What are your favorite musical artists?
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What is your definition of success for a physician?
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I see where you struggled in your freshman year, can you explain that?
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What are your hobbies?
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What was the most memorable thing that has happened in the past couple of months?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus discussed a range of topics including the impact of AI on medicine, history of osteopathic medicine, reasons for choosing to be a physician over other healthcare professions, handling unethical behavior observed during shadowing, and societal expectations of physicians. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on some responses, potentially involving a nondisclosure agreement as mentioned by participants.
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Really specific questions about your writing in activities section-- was asked to elaborate on some sentences/phrases. Very conversational IMO, questions were not too difficult
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How do you think AI will impact medicine and the job of physicians?
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History regarding DO
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Why do you want to be a physician (and not a nurse, PA, etc.)?
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I saw where you talked about _____ program with our school on your secondary application. I am not familiar with it, can you explain what it did? Are you sure it's with our school (I later reviewed my secondary and it was a program the school did and I recalled it correctly)
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 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 an open 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?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by utilizing resources such as SDN and Reddit, participating in mock interviews, and practicing common interview questions. They also emphasized reviewing their application materials, researching the school's website, and aligning their personal experiences with the program's mission.
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SDN, mock interviews
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mock interviews with others and recording myself answering practice questions
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SDN, reddit, mock interviews, recorded myself answering common questions
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Read over primary and secondary, prepared for common questions, looked on website for more information about program
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SDN, prepped common questions, read over primary/secondary
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the welcoming and friendly atmosphere at the campus, with staff, faculty, and students being described as supportive and creating a close-knit community. Many highlighted the emphasis on getting to know applicants as individuals during interviews, the low-stress environment, and the modern facilities, which contributed to a positive experience overall.
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Campus is beautiful and everyone was really friendly, even the fellow applicants
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the friendliness of the staff
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Staff, faculty and students seem very happy! The environment seems very friendly and laidback. Overall I had a great interview day.
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You can immediately sense how close knit the community is. Everyone is super supportive of each other, and there is virtually no competition between students. The interviewers genuinely want to get to know you as a person, not how you perform as a student. I would say for 75% of my interview time, I was talking about my hobbies and what I do outside of medicine. The interviewers are easy to talk to, and they are very personable. They share their own experiences with you from the time they were medical students to where they are now. I genuinely loved talking to them!
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How welcoming and friendly everyone was
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about feeling scrutinized during the application process, especially when defending their grades and experiences. Suggestions included providing more personalized questions during interviews and offering constructive feedback to applicants.
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N/A
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There was a moment where I felt like my application was being torn apart and I had defend and explain my grades/mcat. It wasn't terrible, but just prepared to explain bad grades or any red flags. I think it was more a good cop/bad cop situation to try to see how you react under stress.
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No pass/fail grading and multiple exams every week (totaling to 160 exams by the end of the first year). However, they have very good support services such as peer support, student success center, and academic advising to help you.
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Most of my questions were critically analyzing my application and not about me or what I contributed as a person. I felt that I had to defend my answers and experiences section moreso than them asking me new questions or asking why I wanted to go to this school. I also got minimal feedback on my answers and my interviewers didn't show much emotion.
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I wish the tour could have been in person, but I completely understand why it wasn't.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Most applicants wished they had known ahead of time that the interviews are relaxed and conversational, with an emphasis on getting to know them as a person. They advised future applicants to be prepared to discuss their application, stay calm, and treat the interview as a friendly conversation.
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It's really relaxed and conversational!
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The interview is super laidback & conversational + dont stress! Know your application & be prepared to talk about any bad grades/low mcat.
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Relax! The interviewers aren't going to grill you. They just want to learn who you are as a human being and what you like to do in your free time.
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Relax, they truly want to get to know you as a person
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To review my secondary application responses and be familiar with my previous answers.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally had positive experiences during their interviews, appreciating the welcoming atmosphere, conversational nature of the interviews, and the efforts made by the staff to make them feel comfortable. Some mentioned the length and intensity of the interview process, but overall felt supported and impressed by the school's offerings and resources.
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I had a very positive experience
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I overall loved the interview day! They provided lunch for us, took us on a bus tour which was super fun. The staff and faculty made sure that we had everything we needed. Everyone was super nice and welcoming overall.
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They do a good job of welcoming you and showing what their school has to offer. I had two open file one-on-one interviews that each lasted 40 minutes. However, by the end of the interview, it felt like not as much time had passed. I had genuine conversation with my interviewers. We shared laughs and stories about our own lives. It felt like talking to a friend!
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Overall it was a nice process, with a good tour and a great student discussion section but the interview itself was long and taxing. Three, independent, open file interviews that each last 30 mins was an exhausting process.
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I really liked how warm and welcoming everyone was. They really try their best to make you feel comfortable!
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
The most common feedback and suggestions from applicants to the admissions office include reducing non-admissions related emails, providing more flexibility in interview scheduling with additional dates or advanced notice, and maintaining a high level of professionalism and warmth in interactions with applicants.
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I was very impressed by the professionalism of the admissions office. I don't have any suggestions. It was great!
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Way too many emails are sent from school in regard to non-admissions related information.
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N/A
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Give more dates to choose from for the interview, or give more time between invite and the interview, like at least 2-3 weeks advanced
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None
📍 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 0-1 hour 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 Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)
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GSP
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GSP - Greenville/Greer/Spartanburg
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SGP
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 among the responses is Best Western.
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AC Hotel
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AC Hotel by Mariott
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Best Western
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Best Western Plus
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Days 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?
N/A
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Kind of far, if you stay here definitely schedule an Uber or prepare to leave early because of traffic. Breakfast was included though!
All Responses
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Positively 🙂 | Great | In Person |
| 2024-25 | Positively 🙂 | Great | In Person |
| 2024-25 | Positively 🙂 | Great | In Person |
| 2023-24 | Positively 🙂 | Great | In Person |
| 2021-22 | Positively 🙂 | Great | Virtual |
| 2020-21 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2019-20 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2019-20 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2018-19 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2018-19 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2018-19 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2017-18 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2017-18 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2017-18 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2017-18 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2017-18 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2016-17 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2015-16 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2015-16 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
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