My interview with A.T. Still University - School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona was a bit different than my previous two interviews in that I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. I cannot disclose the questions that were asked. What I will tell you is how interviews normally are conducted at SOMA and how mine was conducted without giving up the questions.
Normally, SOMA uses the MMI format for interviews but due to COVID-19, MMIs were canceled. The school briefly replaced the MMI format with a virtual telemedicine session but this too was cancelled. In a typical year, students would have the MMI session followed by the interviews and my guess is that when things go back to ‘normal’, whatever that is, the MMIs will be reinstated. At the moment, the telemedicine sessions are officially canceled but I have heard from other SOMA applicants who have been initially denied an interview or denied an acceptance that if they are called back, they go through the virtual telemedicine session as part of their re-interview process. Again, because of the NDA, I can’t discuss more about this but you may be able to find out some info on Student Doctor Network.
My interview day at SOMA started at 9:30 AM CST. I entered the Zoom room and there were 9 to 12 other interviewees waiting. One of the admissions personal briefly described to us what was going to happen and then we were sent to another Zoom room where one of the current faculty who is also a member of the admissions committee described the history of osteopathic medicine and OMT and why SOMA would be a great choice of school for those who are interested in OMT.
After this session, ½ of us attended a session where we received more information about the community health centers and the rest of us started our interviews. The interviews consist of three 15-minute interviews with faculty and/or staff, some of whom may be members of the admissions committee. I knew two of my interviewers; I’d worked with one when I was faculty and managing a lab at Arizona State University-Downtown, and the other I knew by virtue of doing some research consulting work with her department at SOMA. The interviews were all very conversational but much more fast-paced than my previous interviews; 15 minutes isn’t a lot of time so you have to make sure that your answers are very concise and to the point. After the interviews, I attended the session regarding the community health centers.
A few days after the interview, I was notified of my acceptance. The acceptance was conditional upon a seat opening at a CHC on 12/16. Essentially, students who have been admitted, have to pay $1,000 to lock in their top CHC choice. If they don’t they lose their seat and it’s offered to another student. On the 16th, I received a second call from SOMA saying that seats were open and that my conditional acceptance was now a full acceptance pending receipt of the $1,000 to hold my seat. The coordinator asked what my top choice CHC was and I told her El Rio in Tucson, AZ and then I immediately paid my $1000 deposit to hold my seat. I have to pay another $1000 by 1-May but I am an officially accepted SOMA student and will get my contract that locks me into El Rio soon.
To prepare for the SOMA interview, my wife carried me through several mock interviews and I reviewed the mission and vision statement for SOMA. I also reviewed the curriculum and CHCs as well as the history of osteopathic medicine and A.T. Still and his namesake institution. Finally, I reviewed the 50 most common medical school interview questions on Princeton Review's website.
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