Midwestern University Arizona (AZCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

[Moist Pudding]

Woke up to pre-interview hold this morning....

Sorry to hear that. I'm still waiting to hear back. When was your application complete?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TUVIX]

better than nothing, i suppose. i honestly don't see the point of pre-interview holds.

I actually like that they sent me the hold. That way I know they have looked at my application and though I'm not their top choice at the moment that I wasn't bad enough to reject. It basically means you are good enough in their eyes but just not competitive at the moment. I'd rather know that then just have silence forever.

 

[Jobikenobi]

I actually like that they sent me the hold. That way I know they have looked at my application and though I'm not their top choice at the moment that I wasn't bad enough to reject. It basically means you are good enough in their eyes but just not competitive at the moment. I'd rather know that then just have silence forever.

That's a good way of looking at it. It's definitely better than nothing. Just not that much better.

 

[takis]

well, weather seems more sane in phoenix now. seriously though, 330 days/year of sunshine? there is no such thing as seasonal depression with the permanent summer over there.

 

[Im76at711]

this thread is barely moving. lol

 

[Jobikenobi]

Yeah, all the threads I've been following have really slowed to a trickle. I guess it's even gotten to the point where the lack of anything to talk about is all there is to talk about.

 

[takis]

there will probably be more to talk about when the next wave of people get accepted early next year.

 

[Jobikenobi]

there will probably be more to talk about when the next wave of people get accepted early next year.

So are they done interviewing until next year?

 

[takis]

So are they done interviewing until next year?

not sure, but there doesn't seem to be much discussion of interviewing recently. i also recall one person scheduling his interview for january next year.

 

[Wildcats1885]

(First time SDN post)
Complete 10/27, II 10/28, interviewing 11/10.
Lifelong Arizonan, super excited about AZCOM, congrats to those accepted and good luck everyone!!! Any more interview day advice is welcome!

 

[LazzleDoo]

II this week, no dates available to me until 2016. Is that what everybody else is seeing?

Looks like someone was able to schedule for Nov ^^^. I wonder how they are deciding who gets to interview sooner and who has to wait until January...

 

[Wildcats1885]

I'm not sure if it's the same for everyone but they gave me dates in Nov, Jan, and Feb to pick from.

 

[MedSchoolAdvice20]

Interesting, I'm curious as well!

 

[optimistsrock!]

Just got an II from AZCOM this early morning! (Also, this is my first post on SDN)
Complete 10/6. Interviewing 11/13. I am super excited to meet you guys at the interview.

 

[peship]

Looks like someone was able to schedule for Nov ^^^. I wonder how they are deciding who gets to interview sooner and who has to wait until January...

It is likely that as others are getting accepted elsewhere, they are canceling their interviews at AZCOM - freeing up additional interview spots. I got my II in late September and at the time, the only available dates were for mid-November. But I checked back on the portal each day and found a couple spots open up for the beginning of October. Keep an eye on the portal and you might be able to reschedule for much earlier!

 

[LazzleDoo]

It is likely that as others are getting accepted elsewhere, they are canceling their interviews at AZCOM - freeing up additional interview spots. I got my II in late September and at the time, the only available dates were for mid-November. But I checked back on the portal each day and found a couple spots open up for the beginning of October. Keep an eye on the portal and you might be able to reschedule for much earlier!

Thank you! I will do that!

 

[Americano12]

Does anyone know around what month or time frame people are historically taken off the wait list and accepted for AZCOM?

 

[zmh424]

Congrats! I agree with your advice and would add that interviewees should think about ethical situations too, because those are common questions here. Interviewers should be pretty stoic imo, its up to the applicant to show confidence in themselves. Mine were really friendly, except when asking me tough questions and listening to my response.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I moved my interview up to November when a spot opened up. Medical ethics are common questions at the interview? What kinds of medical ethics questions were you asked? I've never taken any ethics course before. Any tips preparing?
Would appreciate anyone else who have recently interviewed to share their interview experience!

 

[takis]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I moved my interview up to November 16th when a spot opened up. Medical ethics are common questions at the interview? What kinds of medical ethics questions were you asked? I've never taken any ethics course before. Any tips preparing?
Would appreciate anyone else who have recently interviewed to share their interview experience!

just look at websites that summarize medical ethics and review cases. but unless you have prior in depth health care experience like ICU nursing where you are in a position to make decisions, albeit minor compared to a physician, then they won't expect a perfect answer.

 

[member212121]

Complete on 11/4, II invitation on 11/6. Can anyone tell me how the interview invitation works? Do they decide that after they review the secondary or right after you submit it? I'm having troubles getting LORs in so it might be delayed.

 

[Buck Winters]

Complete on 11/4, II invitation on 11/6. Can anyone tell me how the interview invitation works? Do they decide that after they review the secondary or right after you submit it? I'm having troubles getting LORs in so it might be delayed.

What might be delayed? You've been invited to interview already, right?

 

[member212121]

What might be delayed? You've been invited to interview already, right?

The letters of recommendation. I haven't had a chance to fill out and submit the secondary application, I was wondering if the secondary/interview were bundled or not.

 

[takis]

The letters of recommendation. I haven't had a chance to fill out and submit the secondary application, I was wondering if the secondary/interview were bundled or not.

receiving an interview without a fully completed secondary is not possible from any school. you either finished the secondary which includes the required LORs or it was a mistake. the amount of time to get an interview after full completion of secondary varies from days to never.

 

[Buck Winters]

receiving an interview without a fully completed secondary is not possible from any school. you either finished the secondary which includes the required LORs or it was a mistake. the amount of time to get an interview after full completion of secondary varies from days to never.

This is true.

Regarding LORs, the portal might say that some letters are missing when they really have been received. If that's part of whatever is going on just contact them and ask.

 

[medicolegal]

Complete on 10/30. Received Interview Invitation 11/7.

Super excited! Goodluck to everyone applying!

 

[Misch Ievus]

Wow! Guys... is something wrong with my application?? I was complete September 17, but I haven't heard back ever since.

 

[pericardium]

Wow! Guys... is something wrong with my application?? I was complete September 17, but I haven't heard back ever since.

Similar situation here, been complete since early October and nothing yet. Not even a complete email, although the portal says I'm complete.

 

[medicolegal]

Similar situation here, been complete since early October and nothing yet. Not even a complete email, although the portal says I'm complete.

Actually, I never received a complete email from AZCOM either. This just leads me to believe that they do not send them out.

 

[pericardium]

Actually, I never received a complete email from AZCOM either. This just leads me to believe that they do not send them out.

Thanks for the info!

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I was complete here early august and just got placed on the pre-interview waitlist.
3.4 gpa and 35 mcat kinda confused where I went wrong...In any case I've got acceptances elsewhere so am not too upset. Hope someone else gets to enjoy that interview slot!

 

[echo87]

I was complete here early august and just got placed on the pre-interview waitlist.
3.4 gpa and 35 mcat kinda confused where I went wrong...In any case I've got acceptances elsewhere so am not too upset. Hope someone else gets to enjoy that interview slot!

Same exact stats and situation, though I've got a lot of bad grades from 2005-2007 and general GPA red flags from then so...

 

[Misch Ievus]

Similar situation here, been complete since early October and nothing yet. Not even a complete email, although the portal says I'm complete.

Actually, I never received a complete email from AZCOM either. This just leads me to believe that they do not send them out.

Oh, no. I did receive a complete email. I just never heard from them again. As I was typing this, I decided to just give them a call. Lo and behold, they recently made a decision. I was put on the interview waitlist. The lady said they will send an email with this decision. So...yeah.

 

[eaglesown]

Interview tomorrow morning for me. What kind of questions do they typically ask? Any additional tips?

 

[ste_0]

Interview tomorrow morning for me. What kind of questions do they typically ask? Any additional tips?

Use this: http://schools.studentdoctor.net/?reload=1&r=1447198852539

Search for AZCOM and look for the questions asked.

I'm interviewing on the 12th! Hope you best of luck : )

 

[zmh424]

It would be awesome if a current student here can help answer some of my Qs!:
1. What are the best and worst parts of AZCOM for you?
2. How do you find your curriculum?
3. How much time do you get for board prep (COMLEX/USMLE Step 1) between 2nd and 3rd year?
4. Do you have any mentorship/tutoring/big sibling programs (upper years helping first years)?
5. Does AZCOM offer international opportunities for electives or volunteering?
6. If you could go back in time, would you choose AZCOM again?

 

[readingrl]

1. I think the faculty overall has been amazing. They really do adhere to the open door policy they harp upon during the interview day. As for worst, I'd say some of the classes could be organized a bit better. I feel like i get so many emails about the same thing, just correcting one small thing, over and over again.
2. I like the curriculum. I find having tests this frequently really keeps me on top of the material and forces me to be studying every subject (or at least a couple of them) every day. I know, at least for me, if I was on a block schedule I'd be procrastinating until a couple of days before the exams.
3. I think it is 4 weeks dedicated prep time.
4. Every first year is assigned a Big Sib (a 2nd year) about a month before orientation. They are there for any questions before classes start or during the year. I still talk to mine and ask questions a couple months in!
5. There is a DOCare trip through Midwestern for 3rd/4th years every February to Guatemala. There is also usually a group of 1st years who go on the DOCare trip to Guatemala through Touro that is in June.
6. I'm fairly certain I would!

It would be awesome if a current student here can help answer some of my Qs!:
1. What are the best and worst parts of AZCOM for you?
2. How do you find your curriculum?
3. How much time do you get for board prep (COMLEX/USMLE Step 1) between 2nd and 3rd year?
4. Do you have any mentorship/tutoring/big sibling programs (upper years helping first years)?
5. Does AZCOM offer international opportunities for electives or volunteering?
6. If you could go back in time, would you choose AZCOM again?

 

[TheSunMovieCanada]

Guys has there been any movement on the interview wait list at all?
I got put on it this morning but I'm not sure what it even means, should I be hearing back soon or not for a while?
Thanks

 

[Cawolf]

A lot of people will be withdrawing in a month, so I imagine that after the holidays is when movement will start.

 

[Rambler16]

Got an email this morning saying I'm on the interview waitlist. This is my first response after submitting all my secondaries so I'm a little bummed, but I'll just have to keep waiting it out!

 

[TheSunMovieCanada]

I can understand why I got a hold, honestly my GPA is horrible (had a rough 5 years) but my MCAT score was fairly decent (509, with Verbal being my highest) so I really hope I can get an interview

 

[CaffeinatedForLife]

1. I think the faculty overall has been amazing. They really do adhere to the open door policy they harp upon during the interview day. As for worst, I'd say some of the classes could be organized a bit better. I feel like i get so many emails about the same thing, just correcting one small thing, over and over again.
2. I like the curriculum. I find having tests this frequently really keeps me on top of the material and forces me to be studying every subject (or at least a couple of them) every day. I know, at least for me, if I was on a block schedule I'd be procrastinating until a couple of days before the exams.
3. I think it is 4 weeks dedicated prep time.
4. Every first year is assigned a Big Sib (a 2nd year) about a month before orientation. They are there for any questions before classes start or during the year. I still talk to mine and ask questions a couple months in!
5. There is a DOCare trip through Midwestern for 3rd/4th years every February to Guatemala. There is also usually a group of 1st years who go on the DOCare trip to Guatemala through Touro that is in June.
6. I'm fairly certain I would!

I seem to remember during interview day the Dean saying something about this being reduced for the upcoming class? I honestly don't remember how long she said it would be and don't want to spread false rumors...does anyone else remember what she said?

 

[sparos]

.

 

[Cawolf]

Anyone who was accepted seriously considering going here? I have been interviewing at multiple other osteopathic schools and this one continues to stand out as my favorite, but I'd be interested to hear why other may or may not be thinking of attending.

 

[relmanka]

It is very expensive but I think students there get what they pay for and also the cost of living in Arizona is relatively less compared to for example California. I think AZCOM is a great school and one of the best DO schools out there with an average MCAT similar like some MD schools and great residency matching!

I would definitely pick it if I got accepted.

 

[yellowbluegreen]

So I was placed on a waitlist for the interview....how bad is this? does anyone know if they ever got an interview after being waitlisted? how long did it take approx?

 

[customx]

Just putting this out there for anyone else that has an upcoming interview. If you need a place to stay with transportation from/to the airport and the school, please PM me. I'm a current student with a house nearby. Thanks

 

[readingrl]

I seem to remember during interview day the Dean saying something about this being reduced for the upcoming class? I honestly don't remember how long she said it would be and don't want to spread false rumors...does anyone else remember what she said?

I couldn't tell you if they are reducing it again, but I doubt it. The 4 weeks is new this year for the MS2s, reduced from 6 weeks. Apparently previous classes had said that was too much time for dedicated studying, ehen most people had already been studying for months.

So far, from what I've seen, the administration has been really good about listening to stydent concerns and actually enacting student suggestions. For example, we had an anatomy exam scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving break. When the class pointed out that a lot of people were out of town and wouldnt be able to get to lab to study (also the lab is closed Thurs/Fri), they started working on a plan to switch the exam with another class.

 

[bakr89]

Oh, no. I did receive a complete email. I just never heard from them again. As I was typing this, I decided to just give them a call. Lo and behold, they recently made a decision. I was put on the interview waitlist. The lady said they will send an email with this decision. So...yeah.

Ahh, I also had the same fate. They sent me an email really late that day stating how it could be a good sign. Good luck to you!

 

[Misch Ievus]

Ahh, I also had the same fate. They sent me an email really late that day stating how it could be a good sign. Good luck to you!

Lol, yeah. I love how they added that on there. Good luck to us all...

 

[Dohnut]

Complete in August, got put on pre-II wait list. What do y'all think my best course of action is? Thanks in advance.