Applicants generally found the interview experience at the school to be welcoming, relaxed, and conversational. They appreciated the friendly faculty and students, the emphasis on community, and the focus on serving underserved populations in Appalachia. Some applicants mentioned concerns about the location of the school or the interview process, but overall, they had positive impressions of the program and the people at the institution.
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Don't be nervous, they want you there as much as you want to be there
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Very relaxed environment, down to earth faculty and students. Current students all seemed happy to be there
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I think it is a nice school and they are very welcoming, especially of people wanting to work in KY long term. They had really read my file (to the point where they wished me a happy early birthday) and were very kind and interested in me as a student, but there was definitely a strong preference for primary care and it did not seem like much support was in place for people interested in other specialties
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Student panel was awesome. They all seemed very interested and were so helpful
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The interviewers were nice and seemed genuine, they have a great mission and seem like they strive for a group facilitated learning environment
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Wholesome school that is not cutthroat and looks like they really care about their students.
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There is no reason to be nervous! I was nervous for no reason and was disappointed afterwards for no reason. Just look into your transcripts and be able to explain any low points.
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Really impressed by the welcoming staff and family nature of the school
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The interview process was very pleasant, I enjoyed the tour and meeting new people!
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Great school to focus on your studies, not a lot of distractions
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This is a strong program, and I enjoyed the experience.
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I was very impressed with KYCOM all around. Despite some of the bad comments you may see in the forums on this website, the school is great, faculty is great, and the city of Pikeville is great. Can't wait to start.
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Great school, great interview day
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All of the medical school students were very kind, along with the faculty. The interview was very causal and random. Interviewers did seem to have prepared questions to ask, they winged it
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Be yourself! This was the most laid back interview I had all season. Read about your faculty members and see if you can pull something out to connect with them about. The school, students, and faculty were amazing and extremely helpful and knowledgeable.
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I would recommend KYCOM to improve their website. It is hard to find information on it. They need to include more stats on the student population (types of students they accept ie. what region/state, activities that students matriculating participate in, the number of acceptances per interviews, number of students that participate in research etc) . The website is a chance to promote the school, and I don't think it does a good job selling KYCOM.
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Don't write off pikeville if you're looking for a good education.
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I enjoyed the overall experience and was impressed with the school.
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Accepted!
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Honestly, it felt like a set-up. I don't even know why they offered me an interview.
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Great program! The future of PCSOM is very exciting!
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The interviewers asked me what other medical schools did I apply. Then, they tried to sell me about their program. I consider this is a very good sign. At end of the interview, I was asked if I get accepted at Pikeville would I have any concerns. I was also asked if I get accepted at Pikeville and some other medical schools, where would I choose to go and why. Hug each other and strong hand shakes after the interview. If Pikeville is you top school, then you probably will get in. If it is your fall back school, then the chances are probably slim.
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I cant put in a lot of interveiw questions since the interviewers were more intent on selling me the school. I consider this a good sign.
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They really stress rural osteopathic medicines, but more serving the underprivileged. The best credential candidate does not mean success. They really stress Kentucky and Appalachian residents
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They just want to put a face with the name. Don't stress. If they weren't interested in you, then you wouldn't have been given an interview.
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This interview experience was quite different from the others I've been to. They're really mission focused which to me is a good thing. Clinical training seems to be moving in a positive direction with the addition of standardized patients and planned expansion of clinical training facilities. They like to throw around the word family here, but it didn't seem like they were blowing smoke. I really got that familial vibe from students and faculty.
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While PCSOM is located out in the country, they have fast food places, a few restaurants (Mexican and Chinese), Staples, Walmart, Lowe's, K-Mart, JCPenney's, a new local hospital, a YMCA, a movie theater, etc. Lexington is only about 2.5 hours away by car and the students go there on long weekends to unwind. The people are friendly. If you are from a big city, you may find Pikeville to be small, but if you are from any 'normal' community 30 minutes from a city of any decent size, you will be fine. You're there to study anyways, not party!
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PCSOM, by far, has the most open and welcoming medical-school faculty I have met.
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I am glad that I got accepted here because this is where that I wanted to go.
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Great experience.
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Very easy going.. it was nice to get to spend time with the current students, and ask questions.
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Go to another school, this school seems to be the dump of all the osteopathic schools I've visited.
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Un-organized and not well prepaired
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LOVE IT ALL!
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This was a great interview. I wish I could have stayed longer and talked to more people. It seemed like they had quite a few graduates that have gone into high level residency programs in the past.
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Great, I got accepted!
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I greatly enjoyed my interview. The two faculty members that I spoke with were very friendly. The actual interview was 100% stress-free. It felt like a nice conversation with two professors, not an interview.
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The interview day starts with an introduction by the dean and then a short powerpoint about the school. Then the students kind of sit around with you and talk to you about the school and answer questions about the school. You are pulled individually out of the main room for the interview. After the interview, they take you on a tour. My experience was great and I hope to get accepted there because I will attend.
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Pleasant, comfortable, and warm.
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Great.
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PCSOM is a wonderful school. The faculty really want to make you the best doctor that you can possibly be. It takes more than grades to get in, they look deeper.
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The interviewers try to make you at ease, which I find admirable, because they don't have to. I really liked the sense of community there. Everyone so friendly.
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Very pleasant. Pikeville is not a town for everyone. I asked a few students what they don't like about the school and over and over the response had something to do with the town, not the school.
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I really enjoyed my time in Pikeville. Everyone was so nice and seemed to really love the school. If you're from Kentucky, Pikeville really isn't that small of a town.
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Overall, I was impressed & I thank PCSOM for accepting me into their medical school. I found out in 3 days!
I was surprised I did not get an ethical question.
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Great. Impressive. I can't wait to start this fall.
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The day began with the dean getting up and anoucing many of us would not be accepted. He was followed by a power point about the school. Then as we waited for our turn with our interviewers students hung out and spoke with us. My interviewers, were very professional, the interview was laid back, open file and actually enjoyable. I was surised about how short the day was. I remember driving home and being like I drove 4 hours round trip for a 1.5 hour interview
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My overall experience was very good. There are many things about PCSOM that are very appealing, such as the small class size, the open door policy of the staff (current students have home phone numbers of many of the staff!), and the commitment of the school to serving the people of Appalachia.
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Can't recommend it to my undergraduate classmates, it wasn't worth my time driving down there from Louisville.
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Could have spent my money on another interview location. My last choice of all DO schools. Someone said the Dean of the school is now the AOA president, but how does that help me as a potential student. So then who is really running the place? What does the school really have to offer?? Seemed like a bunch of smoke and mirrors and no substanance to the program at PCSOM.
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They tried to say they support the local community and osteopathy, but when I checked into it, they do what amounts to almost absolutely nothing for the community, except suck money from it...
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The day started with an introduction with the Dean. I was then taken to a small conference room for the interview. It was very conversational, and not confrontational at all. The interviewers probably talked more than I did. They even told me they knew a good church for me to attend while in school. They seemed to care for the students a great deal. The entire experience was perfect.
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What i found from faculty/students/staff, the school is held to military standars afar as dress code and attendence goes. it was mentioned that folks can get by missing class if they are passing, but most profs will send emails and send for you, even for one absence.....i heard of students who have family difficulty or are hard pressed are usulally pushed out insted of being helped or offered to take a leave of absence...what i heard make me refuse my offer to attend....I'm at another school....If you are military or if you can't shake your procrastinatin' this is the school that will shake it out of ya' good luck
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Overall, I would rate my interview experience at PCSOM as being very positive.
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I felt like the interview was more like a conversation therefore i was able to share more about myself without being so nervous
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My interview experience was very nice. Got there and met some students while eating breakfast. Heard a presentation, did an interview, and took a tour. I really have nothing negative to say about the school. I just didn't not like the idea of mandatory class attendance, but that is just me. You get so much for so little money at that school. You can tell that the teachers really care that everyone does well in their classes.
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It was a really relaxed atmosphere, and all of the current students were a great help in calming nerves before the interview. It was VERY friendly and they really seemed to love going to school there.
I think I was only asked a few questions the whole interview. Mostly the interviewers spent time trying to sell the school to me and comparing it to the other schools I applied to. If you come from a larger more urban school make sure you can defend why you want to go to a smaller rural school, and why you think you would do well in that setting. I interviewed on a Sat. morning and was called the following Monday afternoon by the dean to let me know I was accepted =)
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Like everyone else said, very laid back and conversational. I think I ended up asking more questions than I was asked. It was a 2 on 1 interview with two faculty and one interviewee but it was really stress free.
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It lasted longer then I though it would, however it was a great experience. The most stressful part was the waiting before the intrview. I felt prepared and that I really was myself. I think I left with them having a good idea of the kind of person I am, and I felt more familiar with the school and program.
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They stressed their goal of educating well-rounded physicians... They said that they were looking more for character than just grades... The whole experience was extremely laid-back and I knew I was in before I even left the building
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Low stress, conversational, the interviewers take your lead. How you respond to them is how they treat you...
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It was great
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I interviewed with Dr. Betz and Fitzovich. They asked me to give some info about myself (since I've graduated college, I had to tell a little about the work I'm doing now). They asked about the DO that referred me (he's on the clinical faculty at PCSOM). There was a question about my MCAT score, my trip to Haiti, and the ethical question.
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I've been on 4 interviews and this was the first were I felt as if I was a commodity. All of the professors/staff seemed to be very genuine and willing to go out of their way to help students. During the interview they told me that I could call them at 2am during exam week w/any questions.
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I was only asked 2 questions: "Why do you want to be a D.O" and "Why do you want to come to Pikeville"... I was caught off-guard by how laid back it was... basically after I answered those questions, they were just selling the school to me.. At the end, the interviewers all but told me that I was in... probably the best interview experience I've ever had
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They kept asking me how prepared I was to enter med school and my academic history.
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In the morning you meet in a room with current med students and then you get called for your interview. The interview is with 2 faculty and lasts from 1/2 an hour to more than that. Afterwards you take a tour and then you are free to go by noon or so. The day starts at 7:45 am.
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Don't stress out about your Pikeville interview.
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I read this website before attending my interview, but nothing could have prepared the city of Pikeville. I am coming from a relatively large city and moving to Pikeville will be quite a change. While I was very hesitant about the location going into the interview, all of my fears were calmed by talking to current students. Pikeville seams to be the ideal place to study medicine. The facilities are limited and small, but adequate. Overall, it was a great experience and you should not be worried going into it.
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Overall was a great experience. Extremely friendly atmosphere with southern hospitality. Right off the bat, both professors explained to me how "laid-back" this meeting will be. They wanted to know in words what my profile couldn't do on paper. The interview went a LOT longer than anticipated (80 minutes), but the discussion was open and courteous with much to learn. Not at one point did they look down or become impatient. One should really consider researching more into this place. Lastly, thought it was very kind for the Dean to contact my family only 2 days later to let me know I was accepted.
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Great interview and great overall experience. Highly recommend looking into PCSOM.
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Faculty and students very friendly and although students were honest that there was not an awesome social seen in Pikeville they all like the school, and believe they are getting a better education by having attended PCSOM.
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Nice, but I'm glad I used deoderant!!!
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It was really easy going. We watched a video and then had interviews. They said they would call us Monday if we got in (interview on a Sat.) and they were true to their word. I got a call Monday afternoon. The school is nice and well kept, the medical students I talked seemed happy and without any real gripes agnist the school or town. The town itself is small but has a lot to offer. All and all it seems like the perfect place to study medicine without distraction.
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Overall I was pleased with the experience. The students were very open and very helpful. They are truely proud of the school and are ready and willing to lead the school to national notoriety. The faculty was very friendly also, they made themselves available to speak to students on tour, and were familiar with all of the students giving the tour on a first name basis. They are not kidding about the call in 3 days, I got one in 2.
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I enjoyed the interview. It was the most pleasant experience that I have been part of. I found out 3 days later that I was accepted. The administration is very nice.
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Very enjoyable, the interaction with the faculty and students was above par. The interview was informative and they seem to like that I had prepared some detailed questions in advance and that I was aware of the overall program, history of osteopathic medicine and philosophies of Dr. A.T. Still.
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I had a great interview experience. The facilities were great, the students and staff were really nice, and I found out in only 3 days that I had been accepted!
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The interview experience canceled out any negatives. The interviewers were attentive and communicative. They wanted to know all about my file but asked nothing about grades or MCATS. They wanted to sell themselves as much as I wanted to sell myself as an applicant.
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Make sure you dress nicely. The school is big on students acting/dressing like professionals. As I said before, just look over the questions on this site and there is nothing to worry about.
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The town is pretty, quaint, but not too small (like Lewisburg). The staff and professors seem very nice and willing to accomodate. The students are very friendly. I had a good interview (one of the interviewers was Dr. Murphy--whom I had heard about-which was wrong). I found out today that I got accepted, and I will definitely take them up on their offer.
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It was a terrible experience and I left with a feeling of relief that it was over and that I would not have to go to this school for 4 years.
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It was a relaxed environment and everyone was very helpful. Any interview will include a little nervous jitters, but once I got past that I felt no stress. The interviewers smiled and were very friendly.
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The day began with the Dean telling everyone that many of us would not be accepted (I felt this was inappropriate). The day was unorganized and there were not as many interviewers present as they had expected, so many interviewers had to give more interviews than they would have liked. The two people who interviewed me did not smile once and one of them did not look me in the eye at any point. I felt I had to defend myself from the moment they began my interview. They began it with a question like, " So, you aren't good in chemistry, are you?" This after reading other interview feedbacks saying how relaxed it was, caught me off guard. I would have to say, do not believe everything you read (referring to previous interview experiences)...Pikeville IS a great school, but the interview is a little more stressful than I had anticipated.
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My interview was very conversational, and low stress. There were no ethical questions (which I had prepared for), and nothing from left field. They wanted me to convince them that I was capable of handling the rigors of med school.
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It was an overall good experience. The interview itself was very relaxed and was also the longest one I had sat in on. The overall day was short, they told you what you needed to know, and let you go.
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I had a great experience at Pikeville! The faculty is all very nice and willing to help you succeed. The school is relatively new with state-of-the-art technology and new classrooms. The town is very friendly and everyone seems so willing to help you out. Because there are not many distractions in Pikeville, it seems like a great place to study medicine.
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The day started with a nice buffet of b'fast foods, juices, and coffees. the dean spoke for about five min. and then gave a presentation on power-point. The interviews began and the tour followed. Pray you don't interview with Dr. Murphy. I heard he was tough!
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The Appalachians are very underserved. If you want to go into medicine to work with people that have very little medical care, this is the place to go. It may take some time to get used to the town (small), but the students I met seemed well adjusted. This is the perfect place to study medicine, because there are very few distractions.
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It was a very laid back interview. The interviewers tried their best to keep it very casual and stress free. The facilities there are all brand new and they have state of the art technology. I was much more impressed with this school after visiting it.
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It was an experience that I won't forget, but when compared to other interviews that I have done it didn't quite compare.
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Make sure you have questions ready. They really make every attempt to make it a conversation and not an interrogation. This is obvious, but be honest with everything. If they ask you what field you want to enter, and you don't know, say "I don't know" . I said i hadn't been exposed to enough to make that decision but i was debating family medicine, and they really seemed to not only appreciate the honesty, but sort of criticized those who already think they know what they are going to do.
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It was very stress-free. One interviewer was a clinician (adjunct faculty) and the other two were PhD faculty members. Even this late in the interview process, it was not stressful.