AZCOM class of 2017!

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
hey so whats the total amount to time off they give for board prep?

i understand that the final quarter ends at noon and classes get toned down a bit before the board exams. is that true?

I remember it being 8ish weeks, but I may be wrong. I do know that most people take boards during the first two weeks in June. Check the school calendar to cross reference that.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Got my #1 choice for rotation site preference!
 
I remember it being 8ish weeks, but I may be wrong. I do know that most people take boards during the first two weeks in June. Check the school calendar to cross reference that.

I was looking around AZCOM's website the other day trying to find the block schedule for the spring quarter. They only have the winter quarters schedule up. I would check back in February to see the spring quarter block schedule to get an exact answer. From talking with friends that have attended AZCOM most of them took the boards anywhere from middle to late june, some even into july. School ends the middle/end of May so getting 4 weeks of solid study after hitting it hard during spring quarter was sufficient enough for them.

Got my #1 choice for rotation site preference!

Same here! Got the Email this morning! :D :thumbup:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I was looking around AZCOM's website the other day trying to find the block schedule for the spring quarter. They only have the winter quarters schedule up. I would check back in February to see the spring quarter block schedule to get an exact answer. From talking with friends that have attended AZCOM most of them took the boards anywhere from middle to late june, some even into july. School ends the middle/end of May so getting 4 weeks of solid study after hitting it hard during spring quarter was sufficient enough for them.



Same here! Got the Email this morning! :D :thumbup:

Where are you going?
 
Los Angeles YEEEEEEEEEEUUUH
 
I was looking around AZCOM's website the other day trying to find the block schedule for the spring quarter. They only have the winter quarters schedule up. I would check back in February to see the spring quarter block schedule to get an exact answer. From talking with friends that have attended AZCOM most of them took the boards anywhere from middle to late june, some even into july. School ends the middle/end of May so getting 4 weeks of solid study after hitting it hard during spring quarter was sufficient enough for them.

Same here! Got the Email this morning! :D :thumbup:

yes 4 weeks confirmed by randomusername, but you are required to attend a lame class during one of the weeks (some kind of intro to rotations thing I would imagine...) so 1 week of semi-intense studying + 3 weeks intense studying.
 
Are there any off-campus housing options that folks would recommend?
 
I've heard San Lagos is popular, or I would recommend leasing from a home-owning student.
 
Cricket... Cricket....

CCOMs class thread energy level is throwing ours a beating....
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I am now facing the fact that I will be at LEAST $300,000 in debt at the end of the next 4 years. I am panicking. I'm looking into loan repayment options like HPSP, NHSC and programs specific to New York State. However, the thought of signing a contract that dictates where I live and work is also scary.


I guess I should get used to making huge decisions, if I'll eventually be making them with patients' lives! :oops:
 
I am now facing the fact that I will be at LEAST $300,000 in debt at the end of the next 4 years. I am panicking. I'm looking into loan repayment options like HPSP, NHSC and programs specific to New York State. However, the thought of signing a contract that dictates where I live and work is also scary.


I guess I should get used to making huge decisions, if I'll eventually be making them with patients' lives! :oops:

Haha me too...ugh. Its sssooo much cash. Luckily I'm certain I want to work rural....was thinking about specializing though so that kills NHSC...
 
I am now facing the fact that I will be at LEAST $300,000 in debt at the end of the next 4 years. I am panicking. I'm looking into loan repayment options like HPSP, NHSC and programs specific to New York State. However, the thought of signing a contract that dictates where I live and work is also scary.


I guess I should get used to making huge decisions, if I'll eventually be making them with patients' lives! :oops:

I'm in the same boat, with AZCOM my only acceptance this far, with modest living expenses factored in - after interest accrued over the full 4 years the total is about 309K. It's managable even on peds salary... but it's good to predict where your attending salary leaves you.

I agree it's scary, but honestly.... the job market out there right now and where I see the financial market for the "common man" is far more scary than my debt. We will soon possess one of the most sought after skill sets around, which economy or no, will always be in demand. That's worth the risk to me.
 
I'm in the same boat, with AZCOM my only acceptance this far, with modest living expenses factored in - after interest accrued over the full 4 years the total is about 309K. It's managable even on peds salary... but it's good to predict where your attending salary leaves you.

I agree it's scary, but honestly.... the job market out there right now and where I see the financial market for the "common man" is far more scary than my debt. We will soon possess one of the most sought after skill sets around, which economy or no, will always be in demand. That's worth the risk to me.

A very good way to look at it, thank you! Unfortunately, I don't think 300+K is manageable in current rural family practice, which is one of the things I'm considering. IF I end up choosing that path, NHSC makes sense. It would be ideal if I went the scholarship route (since it'd cover all my debt) instead of just post-hoc loan reimbursement which is capped at $60,000...obviously not enough to get me out of debt (but maybe enough to bridge the salary gap?)

Either way, the fact that I don't feel comfortable choosing my specialty/lack thereof right now, or signing 4+ years of my life away to the military is making me panic about the debt I'm facing.

Don't worry, I'm still super pumped about my acceptance and fantasize about Glendale everyday lol. :clap:
 
For current students, paperwork from financial aid office puts cost of books & supplies at 5,094 for the first year. Do you think this is around what it ended up costing you?

Do any students at AZCOM use any sort of text book rentals or just used books that kept the cost down?

Do most classes have required materials? At other schools, students mentioned they did not have to buy most of the "required texts" for classes, but the school listed the texts as required because some students' loans or scholarships or whatever would not pay for them if they were not classified as required.


Thank you for your help!
 
What are ya'll doing for health insurance? I didn't see the school offering a plan....
 
For current students, paperwork from financial aid office puts cost of books & supplies at 5,094 for the first year. Do you think this is around what it ended up costing you?

Do any students at AZCOM use any sort of text book rentals or just used books that kept the cost down?

Do most classes have required materials? At other schools, students mentioned they did not have to buy most of the "required texts" for classes, but the school listed the texts as required because some students' loans or scholarships or whatever would not pay for them if they were not classified as required.


Thank you for your help!

The easy answer is no. For first year you only really need a Netter and maybe a Rohen atlas for anatomy. You aren't required to buy anything you don't want to. The notes are what you are tested off of.
 
Wow, I rarely venture into the med student forums, so I just discovered this thread! No wonder the AZCOM application thread is so slow! Anyway, I'll be joining y'all at AZCOM. I'm worried about the massive debt I'll be taking on as well, but I figure that if I end up going into a low-paying/primary care specialty, there will be plenty of loan-repayment deals out there; if I end up in a high-paying specialty, I'll be able to handle the debt. I'm more worried about the cost of living while in school. I have a wife and son, and we've done the math and it's going to be pretty tight, even if we take out the maximum amount allowed. Rent is not cheap in the are around the school, not by Arizona standards.

Still, I'm super excited to start. I've been working at this so long, it's hard to believe it's finally happening.
 
1) Are we required to get an AZ DL and register our cars in AZ if we're driving?
2) Is it possible to become an AZ permanent resident, and if so, what is required? (for personal reasons, obviously not tuition since AZCOM is a private school anyways)

3) If you are planning to live in off-campus housing and are looking for a reasonably normal guy to live with then pm me.
 
Last edited:
1) Are we required to get an AZ DL and register our cars in AZ if we're driving?
2) Is it possible to become an AZ permanent resident, and if so, what is required? (for personal reasons, obviously not tuition since AZCOM is a private school anyways)

3) If you are planning to live in off-campus housing and are looking for a reasonably normal guy to live with then pm me.

I think the AZ residency thing is up to you. http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/azwelcome.asp

It does say that 'out-of-state' students enrolled in 7 or more credits are not considered AZ residents regardless of employment. Even though that's from the Dept. of Transportation, I'm pretty sure they are referring to tuition at Arizona schools. You won't have any problems getting an AZ drivers license or registering to vote if that's what you want to do, as long as you have an AZ address. They don't ask you if you are a student when you go to the motor vehicles division to get a license and register your car. Then again, if you don't want to do those things, you won't have to because you are a student. So I guess it depends on what your reasons for getting AZ residency are.
 
East Valley. Are you and I the only SDNers that have been accepted to AZCOM that are actually going to AZCOM?

I am going to AZCOM, there seems to be more chatting on the Facebook page than on here.
 
Hey I am headed to AZCOM next year! Super excited!!I chose AZCOM over Western and KCOM...Super excited. Rotating in Tucson!!!
 
I'm wondering how good the internet in the on campus housing is....I'm a big xbox live geek and still want to be able to play online. Hahaha
 
East Valley. Are you and I the only SDNers that have been accepted to AZCOM that are actually going to AZCOM?
I'm kind of torn between AZCOM and one other school right now but am leaning towards AZCOM; I just wish it weren't so expensive. I recently realized that I would like to move to Arizona for at least a couple years at some point in my life and AZCOM has several solid selling points (solid board scores and simulation labs, among others).

But yeah I got San Diego! I'm excited about that.
 
Last edited:
Anyone else thinking of commuting to school? My wife and I both have family in Gilbert/Mesa and I am going to do clerkships in east valley, so we are considering living closer to Gilbert/Mesa to avoid moving during med school.
 
I'm going to AZCOM this year. Pretty excited to get started. Does anyone know what's in the student apartments? I was looking at a studio. What does it have in the way of kitchen stuff (stove/fridge/etc). I'm coming from the East Coast, and I'd prefer not to have to drive a moving truck out there.
 
I'm going to AZCOM this year. Pretty excited to get started. Does anyone know what's in the student apartments? I was looking at a studio. What does it have in the way of kitchen stuff (stove/fridge/etc). I'm coming from the East Coast, and I'd prefer not to have to drive a moving truck out there.

I'm coming from the east coast too!
 
Sweet! I was concerned that I might be the only person from east of the Mississippi based on who was there for my interview.
 
Are you guys ready to deal with this heat? I love the cold.... :(
 
I mean in Virginia we have hot humid summers... with Climate Change they've only been getting hotter it seems. Usually no more than 102-103 though. Not Phoenix. I plan on doing most of my outdoor running at night. At least from March - November :laugh:
 
Last edited:
I mean in Virginia we have hot humid summers... with Climate Change they've only been getting hotter it seems. Usually no more than 102-103 though. Not Phoenix. I plan on doing most of my outdoor running at night. At least from March - November :laugh:

Exactly. My cycling workouts will have to come in the late afternoon or super early morning for most of the year.
 
I'm coming from Florida so that won't be a problem for me. I hate the cold, lol.

Lucky lucky. I hear Florida can be worse because of the heat AND humidity. Phoenix is hot, but also dry which isn't absolutely horrible.

On another note, do you guys know if azcom does any kind of "second look" day? I know it is common for a lot of schools to do this but I didnt know. I really want my wife to see where we are gonna be and meet some of my fellow classmates before we move but dont feel like going to Phoenix just to take the typical tour and not meet anybody.
 
Last edited:
I'm coming from upstate New York and I really hate the cold and miss the sun this time of year. I think about Arizona everyday and can't wait to not have to bundle up to walk outside! July can't come soon enough.

I am faced with the puzzle of moving my stuff out there and have come up with this solution: I'm not driving my car or a moving truck across the country. I'm going to rent the student package ($100/mo) from CORT furniture rentals for the 2 years I'm in AZ. I am hoping to get on campus housing and will sacrifice having a car to save money. This was the hardest decision but I'm single, young and flexible so I'll make it work for 24 months.

Any tips for us northeasterners? Do students wear shorts all the time? Are all the buildings over air conditioned? Should I ship out my humidifier? How about an air filter? I noticed everything was covered with dust out there.
 
I'm coming from upstate New York and I really hate the cold and miss the sun this time of year. I think about Arizona everyday and can't wait to not have to bundle up to walk outside! July can't come soon enough.

I am faced with the puzzle of moving my stuff out there and have come up with this solution: I'm not driving my car or a moving truck across the country. I'm going to rent the student package ($100/mo) from CORT furniture rentals for the 2 years I'm in AZ. I am hoping to get on campus housing and will sacrifice having a car to save money. This was the hardest decision but I'm single, young and flexible so I'll make it work for 24 months.

Any tips for us northeasterners? Do students wear shorts all the time? Are all the buildings over air conditioned? Should I ship out my humidifier? How about an air filter? I noticed everything was covered with dust out there.

What why the heck would you rent furniture for 100/month that is an absurd rip off. You could get a full set of furniture off craigslist for like 200...

Also you probably should have a car in AZ.
 
I'm coming from upstate New York and I really hate the cold and miss the sun this time of year. I think about Arizona everyday and can't wait to not have to bundle up to walk outside! July can't come soon enough.

I am faced with the puzzle of moving my stuff out there and have come up with this solution: I'm not driving my car or a moving truck across the country. I'm going to rent the student package ($100/mo) from CORT furniture rentals for the 2 years I'm in AZ. I am hoping to get on campus housing and will sacrifice having a car to save money. This was the hardest decision but I'm single, young and flexible so I'll make it work for 24 months.

Any tips for us northeasterners? Do students wear shorts all the time? Are all the buildings over air conditioned? Should I ship out my humidifier? How about an air filter? I noticed everything was covered with dust out there.

You can get to the grocery store/fast food/campus/housing without a car, but to get anywhere else- any entertainment, etc, it's going to be a pain. Especially in the summer.
 
I think I'll try to make it without a car starting out. If I decide I really need a car, I can transport it out later. Considering my car already has 137k on it, I don't think I'll be driving it from VA to AZ. I figure I can get around on the Bus for my essential trips (food, etc). My G-ma lives in Apache Junction, which isn't all that close, but I could borrow her car for a period of time if I really needed it for a week/weekend. We'll see how it goes.

I'm super stoked though... especially given the snowy/rainy/cold weather today..and my boring desk job which I look forward to giving up :D
 
I think I'll try to make it without a car starting out. If I decide I really need a car, I can transport it out later. Considering my car already has 137k on it, I don't think I'll be driving it from VA to AZ. I figure I can get around on the Bus for my essential trips (food, etc). My G-ma lives in Apache Junction, which isn't all that close, but I could borrow her car for a period of time if I really needed it for a week/weekend. We'll see how it goes.

I'm super stoked though... especially given the snowy/rainy/cold weather today..and my boring desk job which I look forward to giving up :D

I hear ya there... I have a call center sales job. It pays ok for an in between thing, but sales is just so far from who I am and want to be... then again it paid for a good part of my application and deposit, so I'm grateful.
 
I hear ya there... I have a call center sales job. It pays ok for an in between thing, but sales is just so far from who I am and want to be... then again it paid for a good part of my application and deposit, so I'm grateful.


I work in a call center as well. It hasn't been too bad. They pay is decent and its sort of interesting. Its an Medical Review Office, so we basically talk to people who have failed their drug test. Learned a bunch of medications and their metabolites (yay benzos). But yeah, it helped finance my interview trips, deposit, and housing deposit, so I am grateful.
 
I cant wait to get out of my current job. Its super toxic there. Its nice to know that I got accepted and only have to be there for a few more months!
 
Top