Suwanee, GA
Osteopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 31% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.9
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 428 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (80%)
Negatively (9%)
No change (11%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (34%)
Good (50%)
Average (12%)
Poor (3%)
Bad (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally provided positive feedback about the school's atmosphere, staff, and interview process, with some mentioning the high cost of tuition and concerns about administrative aspects. Many applicants appreciated the friendly environment, conversational interviews, and student engagement, while others highlighted the need for improvements in areas like facilities and organization during interview days.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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As a private DO school, PCOM-GA in Suwanee's tuition is expensive, though if you have a exceptionally high GPA and MCAT, PCOM randomly offers generous full-tuition scholarships which is an incentive to get a high GPA and MCAT. The affiliated hospitals aren't that great compared to other established med schools in Georgia. One nice thing that they are improving on is that they are transitioning to pass/fail grading.
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Had a great experience with this school.
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I really want to go to this school after that amazing interview!
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Great campus and good student vibe, but things don't seem great on the administration side.
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Good school, good campus, good students, good professors
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
29 Minutes Average
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Number:
1.7 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
83% One-on-One
17% Group Interview
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File Type:
67% Open-File
33% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
40% Virtual
60% In-Person
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Interview Location (for In-Person):
100% At the School
0% Other Location
PCOM-Georgia-COMP interviews are an average of 29 minutes, with an average of 1.7 interviews. 83% of interviews are one-on-one, 60% are in-person, and 33% are closed-file. Of the in-person interviews, 100% are held at the school.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the motivation to pursue osteopathic medicine, studying techniques, backup plans if not accepted to medical school, leadership qualities, reasons for choosing a specific medical school, and understanding of current healthcare issues. Some respondents mentioned being asked questions related to the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format and possible nondisclosure agreements during their interviews.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Tell me about yourself
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Why DO?
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Why do you want to pursue an Osteopathic Medical Education to become a physician?
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Why DO and not MD?
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Why DO.
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting questions asked at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus discussed a wide range of topics, including ethical dilemmas like disclosing prognosis, explaining complex concepts to different audiences, addressing healthcare issues, evaluating personal experiences, handling teamwork challenges, and assessing individual values and motivations for pursuing medicine. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) as some responses hinted at non-disclosure agreements, while other questions probed applicants' perspectives on healthcare, personal experiences, and problem-solving skills.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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If you were reincarnated as an animal, what would you want to be and why?
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What field of study do you want to learn more about to develop as a future physician that you think is lacking in current medical education?
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If a patient only had a certain amount of time to live (eg. 8 months), would you tell them? If the patient told you that they didn't want to know, would you still tell them?
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Have you ever dealt with a very sick or dying patient, how did you handle it.
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How would you describe DNA to a 4th or 5th grader?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by practicing with mock interviews, studying common interview questions on SDN, reviewing their applications, researching the school's website and mission, and seeking feedback from friends or family. They also emphasized the importance of being themselves, deep thinking the night before, and being well-informed about their personal experiences and application materials.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Reddit, their school website, mock interview practice
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Went over common questions and SDN.
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I already had 7 interviews before I had my interview with PCOM-GA, so I didn't do anything further than 1 mock interview with a friend.
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Practiced answering questions with friends and family
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2 mock interviews, practiced with family.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus discussed a wide range of topics including overcoming challenges, describing DNA to kids, handling non-compliant patients, identifying healthcare issues, and ethical dilemmas. While some mentioned conversational interviews, others faced questions about their application, reasons for pursuing medicine, and unique personal attributes. Notably, there were references to MMI format, nondisclosure agreements, and questions related to compassion, problem-solving skills, and challenging ethical scenarios.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Talk about a time when you overcame a challenge with someone who did not like you.
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What do you think makes a great physician.
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How would you describe DNA to a 4th or 5th grader?
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How would you react in a situation with a non-compliant patient who is persistently seeing you, but refusing to make any lifestyle changes?
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What would you do if one of your patients was non-compliant with their medications?
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the school, including the friendly staff, faculty, and students, as well as the sense of community and camaraderie. They also appreciated the modern facilities, use of technology, and the school's commitment to student success through resources and support.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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How easy the interviewers were to talk to.
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The community of the school
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All the students and faculty seemed very happy to be there and all spoke highly of the community at the school.
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I live in Suwanee, so how close this campus is to my hometown is a compelling convenience factor for the school. They are very welcoming of non-traditional applicants. They also do a lot of community outreach activities for the Lawrenceville-Suwanee area like teaching students about healthcare careers at local high schools and doing mobile clinics in malls and public squares.
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The amount of resources available to students, everyone I interacted with from the school was genuinely kind
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were commonly unimpressed negatively by the lack of transparency about clinical rotations, disorganization during the interview day, unenthusiastic staff, limited campus facilities, converted warehouse location, and the overall feeling of disorganization and lack of professionalism. Suggestions for improvement include providing more detailed information about the curriculum, program outcomes, and facilities, as well as enhancing the organization and professionalism of the admissions process and staff interactions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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N/A
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Lack of windows
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The campus looks a lot like a warehouse and the facilities and architecture seem industrial. PCOM's affiliated hospitals aren't great relative to the MD schools in Georgia. They do in-house exams rather than NBME style exams. The tuition is expensive.
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School location/building; it is a converted warehouse in the middle of a suburban neighborhood and the space felt cramped
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Nothing.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the emphasis on medical ethics questions, the closed-file interview format, the potential for delays in the interview process, and the relaxed atmosphere of the interview. Many also mentioned the need to prepare for a shorter interview than expected and the importance of attending an Open House event to gather more information about the program.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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They offer an Open House that prospective applicants can register for, I advise attending one of them to get some info on the DO program they offer.
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I wish I had known that I would be sitting in a room for two hours watching Ratatouille while waiting for my interview
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One of my interviewers was switched out last minute without me knowing.
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That its not as stressful as I would have thought!
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The amount of medical ethics questions.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
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.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office should improve communication, organization, and transparency, especially regarding interview schedules and decision notifications. They also recommended updating interview invitation emails, enhancing the interview experience, and being more responsive to inquiries and updates via phone or email.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I didn't get a clear sense of the interview schedule and I wish they were more transparent about that in advance through interview Invite email correspondence .
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Better organization, communication, and dissemination of information. There was no follow up or detailed information regarding the interview day, transportation, etc.
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N/a
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It would be VERY nice if, in addition to the snail mail decision letter, Banner updates could be made frequently.
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The wording of the emails sent out by the admissions staff is truly unlike anything I've ever seen from a professional institution. Abrasive language and disclaimers stating that the staff won't entertain phone calls regarding receipt of materials is simply baffling, given the fact that PCOM-GA requires a more than standard fee for processing the secondary application submission. That said, I was impressed by location of the facilities and the friendliness of the students. A net-positive impression. But I do think they could drastically improve their appeal with minimal effort.
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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ATL
73% interviewees used ATL (ATL), with 9% using Atlanta (Atlanta) and 9% using Hartsfiled Jackson (Hartsfiled Jackson) and 9% using Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson (Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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18% Airplane
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79% Automobile
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0% Train or Subway
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3% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Courtyard Marriott (average ranking 8/10), with some staying at Marriott (average rating 9/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Courtyard Marriott
8/10
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Marriott
9/10
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Courtyard
8/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (6%)
Other (1%)
Student (93%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Discouraging (3%)
Enthusiastic (88%)
Neutral (9%)
All Responses
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