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Just sent letters to Dean Kemper and Dean Speicher
@randomusername and whoever else has given valuable information and would like to reply. I think a lot of us can thank you for letting us know what it's like on the inside at AZCOM, so thank you for feeding us with information.
AZCOM has great facilities and is in a nice and warm area of the country, which are both some things I like, however I am a little unsure of some of the other things. One, tuition. I realize that tuition is super expensive there, but do you feel like it goes as far as you might expect at another private medical school in the US?
I will never be convinced that our tuition is fully-justified when our PhD CEO makes over $800k in salary and over $200k in "other compensation" which includes paying for 1st class travel and social club dues; while we have more well-manicured grass than some golf courses in the middle of the desert; while we're only seeing $800-1200/student/month (of nearly $52k in tuition; no official word yet but I've heard through the grapevine that we're looking at another 5% tuition increase [for which they'll use some BS justification] which will place tuition at about $54.5k this upcoming year) going towards the few rotations we actually pay for; while we have to pay for our own gloves and scalpels in anatomy lab, etc.
Two, education. I called the dean's office and she is sending me a copy of the most updated match list, but that information doesn't necessarily mean much for now since even the most recent students would have gone through the basic science years two years previous. Page 1 of this thread I posted the match data FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS. The curriculum has undergone a few changes and class size increases a few times through those years and I think 11 years of that will be more valuable than 1 year, granted, I find them pretty valueless if we're being honest (por ejemplo: I know of at least two AZCOM valedictorians who are both FPs in the same office, which you can't pick up from a match list).
What is your opinion of the quality of education in these basic science years? Do the teachers seem like they know their stuff?
I think the quality of the education itself is fine. Our pre-clinical faculty is great and with a few of them, the problem is getting them to dumb down their material for our simple minds.
Three, happiness factor. Ha, I realize this is the most immeasurable factor, but how happy do your fellow students seem? Granted it is different for everyone, but are people generally happy? One other school I interviewed at really seemed to make an effort to make sure we are as happy as possible during medical school, but I didn't so much get that feeling at AZCOM. I realize this could have been the interview day though. Are students super stressed all the time or do most find time to take a breather during the day?
I feel like your experience during your interview day is pretty reflective of the attitude around here. Incessant weeks of 2-4 exams, week after week after week takes a toll. That being said, people all cope differently. While I'm mostly indifferent to the whole schedule, others I know get really down because of it, and yet others are seemingly unfazed by it all and still manage to "have a life." Some of them HAVE to (they have SOs/family/kids) or they place an increased emphasis on having a life outside of school still because they A) are in the "freakishly smart" category and don't need to study as much B) aren't gunning for anything competitive C) force themselves to because they just cannot give it up for the sake of their sanity.
Most people DO manage to find time for a breather at some point during the day, either by choice or exhaustion. For a lot of people, it's going to the gym. For others it's watching a favorite show, cooking, napping, etc.
Does the administration realize medical students are people too?
Meh.
And four, class size. This is definitely one of my main concerns. The class size seems huge! Add a couple handfuls of podiatry students and we could be going to class with almost 300 people. Do you think it would be beneficial to have the recorded lectures?
It would be.
That seems like a very standard thing for most medical schools. I am just worried about getting lost in the shuffle of trying to push 250+ people through medical school at a time.That brings up the issue of teacher accessibility. Honestly I don't know if this is a very necessary concern, but are the professors approachable and available when you need them?
The faculty are incredibly accessible and approachable. Virtually all of them are more than happy to talk to students in their offices for hours on end, answer emails on weekends (even if it's related to another professor's material), a number of them will ask how our week is going and will ask us personally what we liked/didn't like/were clear on/confused about from their material, our physio course director last year (I believe there's a new one this year but could be mistaken) would walk around the library on Sundays before a Monday exam and ask students if they had any last minute questions, our pharm course director has shown up on weekends to answer questions because they were going to miss their office hours on the Friday before an exam, etc. We even have faculty who, in spite of the massive class sizes, remember the names of students.
Sorry for so many questions but thanks ahead of time for the replies!
Just sent letters to Dean Kemper and Dean Speicher
Good luck to you. Although I don't know if you have a case for litigation (as they did not point anything inherent about you but rather what they perceived you thought), it is worth fighting for what you believe to be at best a misunderstanding and at worse, an injustice. It's incredible that they didn't ask you Why Osteopathic medicine.
You'll have to let us know how it goes but in the meantime, good luck on your other interviews.
13 inch or 15inch mac book? Does the glossy screen hurt your eyes?
I may be mistaken, but when I interviewed at AZCOM, several people seemed to imply that the school isn't very mac friendly. Is that true? Because I was getting ready to replace my mac with something else for med school...
13 inch or 15inch mac book? Does the glossy screen hurt your eyes?
13 inch or 15inch mac book? Does the glossy screen hurt your eyes?
For those of you that spend most of the day studying, where do you go? Are there enough places on campus to study or do you find that studying at home is generally a better option?
So how important is having a car at AZCOM?
I currently have a car, but thinking about selling it and buying a beater. If I could get away with no car though, that would be awesome. I'll be living on campus housing and I have a bicycle. One thing though, I'd like to get to the airport once in a while to fly home to see my wife.
Any advice?
You need a car. Yes, you can survive without a car during MS1-2 by bumming rides off people, but you don't want to have the hassle of tracking down a ride to the grocery store or anything (yes, there are two within walking distance but I can't think of a single person who wants to walk or ride a bike to go get groceries in Phoenix when it's 100+F outside) because it would be a major inconvenience having to do your schedule around that of somebody else. Then, when rotations start you'll definitely need a vehicle because you will be all over the place. That being said, you'll most likely prefer having something dependable once rotations start as well, so I'd perhaps reconsider trading down to a beater if you think you can afford the non-beater you currently have.
Hi everyone. This is my first time posting on SDN and I'm hoping you can offer me some advice. I am currently in the Masters program at Midwestern in IL. My first choice school is CCOM, but I am still waiting on an interview. I was given an interview for AZCOM in April. However, I am not as familiar with the AZ campus and the program as I am with CCOM. The trip will cost me about $650+. I am wondering if any current students have any advice for me if I should make the trip or not. Does anyone know if they are currently only interviewing for alternate list spots? Do you like going to AZCOM? How are the rotation sites? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!
I like going to AZCOM, though I'll like it a lot more when I'm done with classrooms and boards in a few months. As for rotation sites...I can only hope they're decent. I've not heard of any major complaints and most third and fourth years we hear from seem happy overall, but they could just be the school's "Stepford Wives."
interview invite today kind of late in the game....but i'll still try and be hopeful!
Congrats! What dates do you see as available?
Just remember that everything at AZCOM is first come first serve. Even if you are accepted, you will have the last pick at rotations and on-campus housing (if you decide to stay on campus).
Bumped the interview up to April 2nd from May 7th today looks like there is a good amount of turnover!
Students pick their rotation sites immediately after their acceptance. At this point, all of the desirable sites have probably been filled.
Congrats on that. I've been trying to bump up for a month with no luck!
I'm sorry It seriously popped up on like my 30th try today hahaha. When are you interviewing?
You can contact the admissions office and try to talk to the person in charge of rotation sites. But honestly, I'd worry more about getting in before worrying about rotation site preferences.
I agree. Here's the list for you: LA, West Valley, East Valley, Tucson, and Chicago. I'm sure Phoenix rotations will be solid due to connections. Not sure about Chicago since it is new and there's only 1 hospital associated with it. I wonder what happens if all 3 of your top preferences are full; do they assign you to any remaining spots? Man, I wouldn't want thatValid point.
My thought process was more that if the rotation sites are "undesirable" as listed above, the question becomes if there is value in waiting a year for better rotations, since rotations have an impact on where you get residency. Of course, I need a better understanding of "undesirable" first.
I agree. Here's the list for you: LA, West Valley, East Valley, Tucson, and Chicago. I'm sure Phoenix rotations will be solid due to connections. Not sure about Chicago since it is new and there's only 1 hospital associated with it. I wonder what happens if all 3 of your top preferences are full; do they assign you to any remaining spots? Man, I wouldn't want that
Does anyone know which hospital the Chicago rotation is at? I have an interview at AZCOM in April and I live in Chicago right now and I would definitely want to move back here.
Thank you!
I guess I'll learn more at interview day...maybe I'll get lucky and some spots at the best places will open as people withdraw from MD programs and the effect trickles down.
Does anyone know when the last interviews are, and when adcom starts pulling off the alternate list?
i was told they are interviewing into may, so probably after that
Hello All! I am first on the wait-list for the LA rotations, so please if your thinking of switching or dropping please let me know. I would be very much indebted to you!
Does anyone know when the last interviews are, and when adcom starts pulling off the alternate list?