2022-2023 Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM)

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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yozime said:
Just got a A!! this is so special, my first A, i am just so thrilled like i started balling my eyes, couldnt speak formally.
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U got a call right now???? This late ?
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Getting there said:
U got a call right now???? This late ?
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I got a message on my phone from the president of ARCOM and asked me that he has news and if i could give him a call, it was like 9:30pm but yeah at this time, which is honestly just a relief for me, ive been waiting for so long.
 
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yozime said:
I got a message on my phone from the president of ARCOM and asked me that he has news and if i could give him a call, it was like 9:30pm but yeah at this time, which is honestly just a relief for me, ive been waiting for so long.
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That dude is so wild loll.. congrats!!
 
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yozime said:
I got a message on my phone from the president of ARCOM and asked me that he has news and if i could give him a call, it was like 9:30pm but yeah at this time, which is honestly just a relief for me, ive been waiting for so long.
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Well my anxiety usually ended at 5pm ish CST everyday now it’s 24/7. Lol all the hair I’m gonna lose in a week
 
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yozime said:
Just got a A!! this is so special, my first A, i am just so thrilled like i started balling my eyes, couldnt speak formally.
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Right!!! I had to choke out every word on the phone 😭 congrats doctor! I know exactly how you feel!
 
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It feels amazing, ive been working hard at it in the past 3 years, from people telling me i cant or should change my path--- to youre never going to make it, never going to make enough, youre getting old etc all those negativity that i dealt with in my family made this wait so worth it, if you want it badly it will happen, its when you lose yourself to those negativities and believe in those statements and people that you fail yourself,

lmfao im getting all philosophical and emotional writing this, but i had to share and let you all know that those who are waiting, have been rejected, those are not the end, the opportunity will present itself just keep moving, keep your head high and believe in your ability and yourself even if the people you love doubt it and dont believe in you,
 
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yozime said:
It feels amazing, ive been working hard at it in the past 3 years, from people telling me i cant or should change my path--- to youre never going to make it, never going to make enough, youre getting old etc all those negativity that i dealt with in my family made this wait so worth it, if you want it badly it will happen, its when you lose yourself to those negativities and believe in those statements and people that you fail yourself,

lmfao im getting all philosophical and emotional writing this, but i had to share and let you all know that those who are waiting, have been rejected, those are not the end, the opportunity will present itself just keep moving, keep your head high and believe in your ability and yourself even if the people you love doubt it and dont believe in you,
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What a superstar! Congrats! :))
 
yozime said:
It feels amazing, ive been working hard at it in the past 3 years, from people telling me i cant or should change my path--- to youre never going to make it, never going to make enough, youre getting old etc all those negativity that i dealt with in my family made this wait so worth it, if you want it badly it will happen, its when you lose yourself to those negativities and believe in those statements and people that you fail yourself,

lmfao im getting all philosophical and emotional writing this, but i had to share and let you all know that those who are waiting, have been rejected, those are not the end, the opportunity will present itself just keep moving, keep your head high and believe in your ability and yourself even if the people you love doubt it and dont believe in you,
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Congrats! You deserve it!
 
anyone not get anything after submitting primary here? i literally only got primary received email from here over 2 months ago.

on another note, a friend of mine just got verified for aacomas and got a secondary right away! so she'll get an ii soon too i'm guessing
 
HopefulPremed. said:
anyone not get anything after submitting primary here? i literally only got primary received email from here over 2 months ago.

on another note, a friend of mine just got verified for aacomas and got a secondary right away! so she'll get an ii soon too i'm guessing
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+1
 
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HopefulPremed. said:
anyone not get anything after submitting primary here? i literally only got primary received email from here over 2 months ago.

on another note, a friend of mine just got verified for aacomas and got a secondary right away! so she'll get an ii soon too i'm guessing
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Maybe give them a call. They were nice when I called some months back.
 
10/4 interviewed, just got waitlisted. But I'm def hopeful 🤞🤞
 
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HopefulPremed. said:
anyone not get anything after submitting primary here? i literally only got primary received email from here over 2 months ago.

on another note, a friend of mine just got verified for aacomas and got a secondary right away! so she'll get an ii soon too i'm guessing
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ARCOM does things different than other schools. They only send out secondaries to those they're inviting to an interview! They review applicants over and over throughout the cycle, and they genuinely look over updates and stuff you send. I'm a first year student who was in the Master's program last year. Feel free to pm if you have questions. We have exams next week, but I am happy to help when I can :)
 
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Anybody else not hear back post 2º? I submitted mine and even asked if they needed anything else. They confirmed receiving everything but I’ve felt a little ghosted since 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
Schauzer said:
Anybody else not hear back post 2º? I submitted mine and even asked if they needed anything else. They confirmed receiving everything but I’ve felt a little ghosted since 🤷🏼‍♂️
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thats weird since i heard everyone who got secondary got ii
 
So who is planning on attending here?
I got WL at my top choice, so unless I hear back from one other school in my state by December, I will be putting down my very expensive deposit .
 
is there any huge red flag for this school that I missed? I’m holding an A and am feeling burnt out with IIs, would like to send in my deposit to a school and be done with it sooner rather than later. Thanks in advance!!
 
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omogedoctor said:
Ha. Yes that’s pricey. I’d like to avoid paying my $1K deposit at another school if I hear back from an MD school before Dec 14.
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That was my plan until I got WL by my top MD school. There is about one other school that I would choose over this one at this point and its my state DO school.
 
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Jsmith48483922 said:
is there any huge red flag for this school that I missed? I’m holding an A and am feeling burnt out with IIs, would like to send in my deposit to a school and be done with it sooner rather than later. Thanks in advance!!
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I think the biggest red flag is that its a new school. It hasn't had a lot of time to really build a reputation. From my research, it seems that most people like it. The faculty I met were friendly and supportive. Same thing for the community. Match and complex scores were good as well, but I do believe those are on you to do well and not the school.
 
Jsmith48483922 said:
is there any huge red flag for this school that I missed? I’m holding an A and am feeling burnt out with IIs, would like to send in my deposit to a school and be done with it sooner rather than later. Thanks in advance!!
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As mentioned before, we don't get to look at the exam questions that we missed, so we won't know what we got wrong. We have very limited boards resources, which means more money spent out of pocket by the students. I know students who go to MD schools and have access to Boards and Beyond, UWorld, etc; paid for by their tuition. Mandatory lectures (depending on the class and grade, but some classes are mandatory regardless of grades). Mandatory business casual attire; this was brought up to the CEO a few months ago, and he refuses to change it. The exams are curved heavily, which is good for us as students but also tells you that we weren't prepared well enough for our raw scores. Overall, if you have the option to go to a more established school--go there instead. If you go to a school without mandatory lectures, dress-code, and offers more board prep materials, it'll help you in the long run. I wouldn't say any of these are red flags, but definitely things to consider if you're deciding between more than one school.
 
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Got the A call! Loved the interview and campus. Feeling good
 
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EArlyBirdGetsTheWorm said:
Just submitted my secondary. FYI after you submit the app, a link appears on the microsite called LOR Acknowledgement that you have to submit.

it states:
Two letters of recommendation not written by a relative (by blood or through marriage) are required.

• One evaluation must be from an osteopathic physician (DO). A letter from an allopathic physician (MD) in lieu of a recommendation from an osteopathic physician is not accepted; however, a letter(s) of recommendation from an allopathic physician(s) in addition to a letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician is acceptable.

• The second required letter must be from a pre-medical or pre-health professions advisory committee, or instead, letters from two science faculty members familiar with the academic work of the applicant.

ARCOM welcomes additional letters recommendation from those who are acquainted with the student’s academic or professional ability. Letters of recommendation will be accepted via the AACOMAS application process, Virtual Evals, Interfolio, by email to [email protected], and/or by mail to:

ARCOM Director of Admissions PO Box 10366 Fort Smith, AR 72917
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If I look at the website correctly, now it is ok to have LOR from MD, because I can't find a DO doctor -_-
 
Secondary submitted 10/4. Missing DO letter waiver approved 10/24. Interview received yesterday, but I will be withdrawing my application. Hopefully it goes to one of you. Good luck!!
 
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Another thing about red flags. Please, please look into all your options before considering this school. Take a gap year, improve your stats, apply elsewhere if possible. This school’s accreditation is accredited but with heightened monitoring. This is, to say the least, not good.

The above mentioned red flags are huge. The faculty and professors are great, especially the preclinical, anatomy and OMM professors. Especially OMM, I think they teach it exceptionally well here. The faculty are excellent and really care about their students success. But admin is a whole different story. They will sell you all this “community support” and “you’re special” stuff at interview day but the reality is, you’re just another $$bag$$ for them. Just look into the CEOs income (public info). The remediation policies at this school are also VERY questionable, with students having to remediate the whole year often instead of just the course(s) they fail. Not just a handful of students either.

There will be a lot of gunners and kiss-ups who will tell you that “it’s not so bad,” “work harder,” or whatever, but seriously consider all your options before attending this school. The professors are great but not being able to review exams to see what you’re messing up on, unnecessarily tedious policies, stubborn admin, and an incoherent and poorly structured curriculum, are some very important factors to consider in your medical education.

Congrats to all accepted, but please make sure it’s your absolute last choice if you’re not from the area. In my experience, I met amazing people here but ultimately regret ever choosing this school over the others I was accepted to. I was blinded by the somewhat lower tuition, but realize that going to a solid, established and fully accredited (with no risk of losing accreditation) is WAY more important than any of this school’s talking points at interview day. Med school is stressful af as it is, don’t go to one that is so stubborn/resistant to change that it makes it even more stressful.

I believe they’re trying to get it together as they barely filled their current first year class. Who knows, might get better. But again, make sure you really consider the quality of your medical school experience as it will definitely be stressful enough.

Not here to argue with anyone, just my unbiased 2 cents. Good luck to all of you!
 
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docstud11111 said:
Another thing about red flags. Please, please look into all your options before considering this school. Take a gap year, improve your stats, apply elsewhere if possible. This school’s accreditation is accredited but with heightened monitoring. This is, to say the least, not good.

The above mentioned red flags are huge. The faculty and professors are great, especially the preclinical, anatomy and OMM professors. Especially OMM, I think they teach it exceptionally well here. The faculty are excellent and really care about their students success. But admin is a whole different story. They will sell you all this “community support” and “you’re special” stuff at interview day but the reality is, you’re just another $$bag$$ for them. Just look into the CEOs income (public info). The remediation policies at this school are also VERY questionable, with students having to remediate the whole year often instead of just the course(s) they fail. Not just a handful of students either.

There will be a lot of gunners and kiss-ups who will tell you that “it’s not so bad,” “work harder,” or whatever, but seriously consider all your options before attending this school. The professors are great but not being able to review exams to see what you’re messing up on, unnecessarily tedious policies, stubborn admin, and an incoherent and poorly structured curriculum, are some very important factors to consider in your medical education.

Congrats to all accepted, but please make sure it’s your absolute last choice if you’re not from the area. In my experience, I met amazing people here but ultimately regret ever choosing this school over the others I was accepted to. I was blinded by the somewhat lower tuition, but realize that going to a solid, established and fully accredited (with no risk of losing accreditation) is WAY more important than any of this school’s talking points at interview day. Med school is stressful af as it is, don’t go to one that is so stubborn/resistant to change that it makes it even more stressful.

I believe they’re trying to get it together as they barely filled their current first year class. Who knows, might get better. But again, make sure you really consider the quality of your medical school experience as it will definitely be stressful enough.

Not here to argue with anyone, just my unbiased 2 cents. Good luck to all of you!
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Forgot to add one more thing, copied from another post. ARCOM only allows minimum 80% average or higher from participating in extracurricular leadership roles. This was brought up to admin as it made those at or above an 80 have a drastically different extracurricular experience than those below it, creating a bigger gap between students and basically a double whammy for those below. They acknowledged that they would look into it but literally did nothing about it. Many student who run for club positions and are elected have to resign, leaving empty roles instead of those passionate about them take charge. I understand the logic that grades come first, but allowing students to participate in roles they are passionate about can be very academically motivating. Not worth all the bs imo.
 
Oshpodbgosh said:
Forgot to add one more thing, copied from another post. ARCOM only allows minimum 80% average or higher from participating in extracurricular leadership roles. This was brought up to admin as it made those at or above an 80 have a drastically different extracurricular experience than those below it, creating a bigger gap between students and basically a double whammy for those below. They acknowledged that they would look into it but literally did nothing about it. Many student who run for club positions and are elected have to resign, leaving empty roles instead of those passionate about them take charge. I understand the logic that grades come first, but allowing students to participate in roles they are passionate about can be very academically motivating. Not worth all the bs imo.
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Thank you for this! Very comprehensive list of things to be cautious of. The one thing you didn’t mention that I’m mostly concerned with is institutional effectiveness (a la board pass rates). Their first time pass rates are low compared to more established programs, that’s really the only thing making me hesitant
 
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Oshpodbgosh said:
Another thing about red flags. Please, please look into all your options before considering this school. Take a gap year, improve your stats, apply elsewhere if possible. This school’s accreditation is accredited but with heightened monitoring. This is, to say the least, not good.

The above mentioned red flags are huge. The faculty and professors are great, especially the preclinical, anatomy and OMM professors. Especially OMM, I think they teach it exceptionally well here. The faculty are excellent and really care about their students success. But admin is a whole different story. They will sell you all this “community support” and “you’re special” stuff at interview day but the reality is, you’re just another $$bag$$ for them. Just look into the CEOs income (public info). The remediation policies at this school are also VERY questionable, with students having to remediate the whole year often instead of just the course(s) they fail. Not just a handful of students either.

There will be a lot of gunners and kiss-ups who will tell you that “it’s not so bad,” “work harder,” or whatever, but seriously consider all your options before attending this school. The professors are great but not being able to review exams to see what you’re messing up on, unnecessarily tedious policies, stubborn admin, and an incoherent and poorly structured curriculum, are some very important factors to consider in your medical education.

Congrats to all accepted, but please make sure it’s your absolute last choice if you’re not from the area. In my experience, I met amazing people here but ultimately regret ever choosing this school over the others I was accepted to. I was blinded by the somewhat lower tuition, but realize that going to a solid, established and fully accredited (with no risk of losing accreditation) is WAY more important than any of this school’s talking points at interview day. Med school is stressful af as it is, don’t go to one that is so stubborn/resistant to change that it makes it even more stressful.

I believe they’re trying to get it together as they barely filled their current first year class. Who knows, might get better. But again, make sure you really consider the quality of your medical school experience as it will definitely be stressful enough.

Not here to argue with anyone, just my unbiased 2 cents. Good luck to all of you!
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Thanks for the feedback. I’ve heard admin sucks in a lot of schools. How involved are they with your daily school life? Do they generally leave you alone?
 
Accepted!!! Sub 500 Mcat! Also took community college classes for my prereq so I don’t think that would matter much! Interviewed 10/18!
 
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cong
ambro16 said:
Accepted!!! Sub 500 Mcat! Also took community college classes for my prereq so I don’t think that would matter much!
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congrats!! mind sharing if u are in state? or what state u are from if oos?
 
EArlyBirdGetsTheWorm said:
Thanks for the feedback. I’ve heard admin sucks in a lot of schools. How involved are they with your daily school life? Do they generally leave you alone?
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They do. But some schools have more sucky admin than others. In my experience the admin here is pretty sucky.

It really depends on your grades. If you’re above an 80, they’ll leave you alone. Below it, and they’ll be on your case and restrict you from extracurriculars, require mandatory attendance, etc.

My personal view is that medical school is hard as is. Crappy policies/admin don’t make it any better, and the tedious micromanagement only adds to the stress you will face. They won’t be involved daily with you but you will definitely feel them breathing down your neck if you’re not following their rules. For peace of mind, I really recommend viewing each school’s student handbook thoroughly and see if it is worth dealing with for you. Imo, a more established school is always the better option regardless of anything else.

Good luck!
 
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I will be turning down my seat. Recieved an acceptance closer to home. I hope it goes to one of you fine applicants!
 
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Oshpodbgosh said:
They do. But some schools have more sucky admin than others. In my experience the admin here is pretty sucky.

It really depends on your grades. If you’re above an 80, they’ll leave you alone. Below it, and they’ll be on your case and restrict you from extracurriculars, require mandatory attendance, etc.

My personal view is that medical school is hard as is. Crappy policies/admin don’t make it any better, and the tedious micromanagement only adds to the stress you will face. They won’t be involved daily with you but you will definitely feel them breathing down your neck if you’re not following their rules. For peace of mind, I really recommend viewing each school’s student handbook thoroughly and see if it is worth dealing with for you. Imo, a more established school is always the better option regardless of anything else.

Good luck!
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I’m just gonna reply to this persons last comment because I feel they’re “unbiased” review of the schools seems to be more from the aspect of someone complaining they can’t do extra circulars while failing classes. Here’s the thing about ARCOM do they’re admin have some flaws? Yes. But find me on medical school that doesn’t have flaws in the admin seeing as for the entirety of medicine it has been dominated by straight Rich white men. Also for them to say the teachers don’t teach correctly is flat out a lie. The faculty all have an open door policy and will meet with you at any time. The anatomy and BECOM departments especially do a lot to help you pass, especially first year. The 80% average to run for office only accounts for the first semester because don’t actually have GPAs yet. After the first semester to run for office of a club you need a 2.70 and to run for Student Government you needed a 3.0. Again I don’t know why this is a problem when our focus should be school.

And before anyone thinks I’m like #1 in the class my gpa is not a 2.70. I just think a fair assessment of the school is needed. Also ARCOM will have full accreditation and l the red flag of being at heightened monitoring should not be of importance. The school has too much money invested for them to ever let themselves lose accreditation.


Also for Board resources the school is open to feedback and has provided additional resources. Also all the textbooks are online and free for students to use digitally.

If you’re truly considering ARCOM it is definitely worth it. The school faculty and staff are so supportive of everyone. Also to mention that some classes are mandatory. The only ones constantly mandatory are: OMM/OPP and FOPC (the class where you learn how to do vitals, physical exams, etc.) both of which make sense to be required? Like how do you expect to learn the physical skills to be a doctor if you’re not actually doing them? Also for these two classes you get 3 free absences a semester.

Just my two cents take it as you will. But to completely **** on ARCOM for some of the requirements is a little bit extreme. It’s not perfect but no school is going to be.
 
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Also a 99.3% match rate as a second year school with matches into derm, neurosurgery, anesthesia, ortho surgery, etc. is pretty great. And no I don’t kiss ass of the admin. I very much do not like them either but to **** in some of the faculty is just annoying. Also ****ting on a school that for some may have been their only option is equally as annoying.
 
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user17656392048572 said:
Also a 99.3% match rate as a second year school with matches into derm, neurosurgery, anesthesia, ortho surgery, etc. is pretty great. And no I don’t kiss ass of the admin. I very much do not like them either but to **** in some of the faculty is just annoying. Also ****ting on a school that for some may have been their only option is equally as annoying.
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It’s like every mf on this site has it out for new schools tbh
 
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drthedude said:
It’s like every mf on this site has it out for new schools tbh
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If they're not accredited or if their accreditation status is in question, I do think some concern is reasonable though, right? Obviously, not completely dismissing them... Every school was new once upon a time. But I suppose some level of concern is warranted?
 
TiramisuLover99 said:
If they're not accredited or if their accreditation status is in question, I do think some concern is reasonable though, right? Obviously, not completely dismissing them... Every school was new once upon a time. But I suppose some level of concern is warranted?
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Completely agree, I think just writing them off completely bc they are new is the issue
 
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I agree about ppl knocking schools down for one little thing.

I just spoke to someone from my public state DO school and basically told me the same things about admin that they didn't like that sounded like ARCOM to me. Admin doesn't listen, mandatory classes, business casual dress code etc.
The grass isn't greener on the other side folks and if this is your only acceptance, take it and dont look back.
 
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I know "heightened monitoring" sounds awful to a prospective med student, but if you look at the osteopathic accreditation standard document, a school can be marked off for not submitting the Dean's current CV by the deadline or because of issues related to the school's floor plan. There is not necessarily a correlation between the quality of education the school provides and its accreditation status.

The only statuses that are concerning no matter the context are "Accreditation with warning" or "Accreditation with probation" and "Withdrawal of Accreditation." The others are merely administrative or technical in nature.

For anyone who's genuinely interested, you can read it yourself. The majority of the "standards" have little to do with the actual didadtic or clinical education quality of the school.

 
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