Midwestern University Arizona (AZCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

[wzhang728]

Just got an II too, though my physician's LOR is still listed as pending. Second interview so far so pretty happy

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Gandyy]

Just got an II too, though my physician's LOR is still listed as pending. Second interview so far so pretty happy

II too!

Where did you get your first one?

 

[wzhang728]

II too!

Where did you get your first one?

Congratulations! My other was California Northstate, a new MD school accepting applicants for 2015. I'm sure you'll get many more interviews!

 

[eyesfeeltired]

II too!

Where did you get your first one?

you got an interview??? wow that was fast. mind sharing your stats?

 

[Gandyy]

Congratulations! My other was California Northstate, a new MD school accepting applicants for 2015. I'm sure you'll get many more interviews!

Grats to you too! Ah I see.

 

[Cawolf]

II! Ecstatic!

29 MCAT and 3.7+ gpa. I'm sure they you guys will get some too....

especially @Cawolf

Congrats guys!

Mind sharing the dates available and when your checklist was completed? I don't have an invite on the portal, but I was not complete until 7/4. I can hope.

 

[Mavs88]

Received II as well! Ecstatic as this is my first

 

[Gandyy]

Congrats guys!

Mind sharing the dates available and when your checklist was completed? I don't have an invite on the portal, but I was not complete until 7/4. I can hope.

Most of them are in late August it seems.. August 21, 24 etc.

I dont remember the others atm.

 

[Mavs88]

Anyone have stats on how many applicants, interviewees, and acceptances there are for AZCOM in a year? Just curious

 

[TheoryOfEverything]

Just got an II! ^I'd also be interested in knowing the interview to acceptance ratio.

 

[Gandyy]

Just got an II! ^I'd also be interested in knowing the interview to acceptance ratio.

nice! I dont know, Goro says that once you get an II, you have a pretty good shot of getting in though.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

when were you guys completed? I Just submitted my stuff yesterday and got the file complete email and now they're reviewing. Was your status updated on the portal or did you get an email?

 

[hyperDO]

Just got my secondary! For those of you who also applied to CCOM, did you use the same essay for the "Why should AZCOM accept you into this year's class?" question?

I used the same exact essays for both schools and just changed names accordingly. Ironically, I wrote my secondaries tailored to CCOM but was accepted to AZCOM and waitlisted to CCOM XD.

 

[Eggertdj22]

are you getting these via emails or checking your online portal?

 

[Intomidate]

I received the II via email to schedule using the portal. I was complete sometime the last week of June.

 

[0dee]

Good luck guys, AZCOM's IIs are pretty laid back and chill.

 

[tennerd]

ii today. what is everybody's earliest date to go? mine is aug 21

 

[BGMayagi]

Just got the complete email this morning, I hope for an II, I sent my letters through interfolio at the end of June. I seems interfolio is really slowing down the secondaries for me, looks like I'll be sending them to aacomas, they must have the bugs worked out by now.

 

[Cawolf]

II via portal this morning.

Very excited to go to Glendale and see AZCOM!!

 

[pmsltechnician]

For those of you who got interviews, do you mind sharing when you submitted your secondary?

 

[Cawolf]

For those of you who got interviews, do you mind sharing when you submitted your secondary?

7/4

 

[Gandyy]

Late June

 

[pmsltechnician]

Just submitted my secondary!

 

[BGMayagi]

Interview Invite, first one!

 

[Giovanotto]

Here you go man,

Why do you believe CCOM would provide you with the type of osteopathic medical education you are seeking? (1500 characters)

Why should CCOM accept you into this year's class? (1500 characters)

The secondary is the same for both schools? CCOM and AZCOM?

 

[drsmpc]

Does any one know if AZCOM screens your secondary and LORs prior to the interview or is the interview purely based on MCAT/GPA?

 

[swolebrah]

The secondary is the same for both schools? CCOM and AZCOM?

Yeah it's the same , just replace the school name for each one. 2 separate fees as well

 

[Cawolf]

Does any one know if AZCOM screens your secondary and LORs prior to the interview or is the interview purely based on MCAT/GPA?

"Upon receipt of the AACOMAS application from the application service, the Midwestern University Office of Admissions will e-mail the supplemental application to all applicants who have earned minimum cumulative GPAs and science GPAs of 2.75"

 

[drsmpc]

Sorry, I don't think I worded my question properly. What I meant to ask was, do they review the content of our secondary essays and resume when making a decision to extend an interview?

 

[Gandyy]

Sorry, I don't think I worded my question properly. What I meant to ask was, do they review the content of our secondary essays and resume when making a decision to extend an interview?

I believe schools usually review your entire application before extending II's. Interview II's are pretty rare.

 

[drsmpc]

I believe schools usually review your entire application before extending II's. Interview II's are pretty rare.

Ok, thank-you of your reply!

 

[med candidate]

No II from here yet...Gonna get off the site so I don't drive myself nuts...lol

 

[absie107]

oh man, congrats to all on the IIs... now, if aacomas could verify my app already... :-/

 

[tennerd]

are there any AZCOM students here to answer any questions? ill be going for interview really soon.

any current updates on rotations, research opportunities, and clinics that we can work in as medical students?
how is the crime in the area?
while i'm accustomed to somewhat hot weather, looking at phx's year-round weather, i'm haven't experienced anything that hot. how does the heat affect your studies?

 

[D4C]

are there any AZCOM students here to answer any questions? ill be going for interview really soon.

any current updates on rotations, research opportunities, and clinics that we can work in as medical students?
how is the crime in the area?
while i'm accustomed to somewhat hot weather, looking at phx's year-round weather, i'm haven't experienced anything that hot. how does the heat affect your studies?

They have something called the home clinic, which I hear is a free urgent care, or along those lines. You can do that at anytime it seems while you're at AZCOM, however there are finite spaces they say. If you want research, there are many basic science faculty around that are active in that area - the people I know who wanted research were able to get a filling of it. I'm unsure of what you're asking in regards to rotations though.

AZCOM is in a safe part of glendale, I don't believe crime will ever be a part of your life if you live around the school (unless you leave a bike unlocked outside or something near that). Phoenix has great weather 7-8 months out of the year. For when it's hot, you live in a air conditioned home, drive a air conditioned car to the air conditioned store/library/wherever. If it is harming your studies, it's because you don't have sense enough about you to study inside.

 

[tennerd]

They have something called the home clinic, which I hear is a free urgent care, or along those lines. You can do that at anytime it seems while you're at AZCOM, however there are finite spaces they say. If you want research, there are many basic science faculty around that are active in that area - the people I know who wanted research were able to get a filling of it. I'm unsure of what you're asking in regards to rotations though.

AZCOM is in a safe part of glendale, I don't believe crime will ever be a part of your life if you live around the school (unless you leave a bike unlocked outside or something near that). Phoenix has great weather 7-8 months out of the year. For when it's hot, you live in a air conditioned home, drive a air conditioned car to the air conditioned store/library/wherever. If it is harming your studies, it's because you don't have sense enough about you to study inside.

have there been any trouble getting quality rotation sites? how does it work for this school ie lottery? wards or preceptor based?

 

[pmsltechnician]

Got my first II! Hope to see some of you guys there! ^^

 

[D4C]

So far as I can tell, no, the school hasn't had problems getting good sites. Rotations are a tricky thing to judge, but the school has a database you can access on site of all the student reviews for certain preceptors / hospitals. With AZCOM, once you get accepted, you pick your rotation site which is divided up into east phoenix, west phoenix, LA, chicago, san diego, prescott AZ, and a handful can go to some boonies hospital if they so please. You can swap with another classmate during 1st / 2nd year so getting your ideal area isn't a problem. Most rotations are in Phoenix (180 / 250 or so). Late second year, you fill out preceptor / ward preferences, and a computer program attempts to match everyone to their first choice - so I'm told. There are ward rotations for pretty much all of the core 3rd year rotations if you want them, and every student is required to do a IM ward rotation.

 

[tennerd]

So far as I can tell, no, the school hasn't had problems getting good sites. Rotations are a tricky thing to judge, but the school has a database you can access on site of all the student reviews for certain preceptors / hospitals. With AZCOM, once you get accepted, you pick your rotation site which is divided up into east phoenix, west phoenix, LA, chicago, san diego, prescott AZ, and a handful can go to some boonies hospital if they so please. You can swap with another classmate during 1st / 2nd year so getting your ideal area isn't a problem. Most rotations are in Phoenix (180 / 250 or so). Late second year, you fill out preceptor / ward preferences, and a computer program attempts to match everyone to their first choice - so I'm told. There are ward rotations for pretty much all of the core 3rd year rotations if you want them, and every student is required to do a IM ward rotation.

do you feel there are too many students per class. some schools can handle the 200+ load, but it seems some can't.

 

[Gandyy]

So far as I can tell, no, the school hasn't had problems getting good sites. Rotations are a tricky thing to judge, but the school has a database you can access on site of all the student reviews for certain preceptors / hospitals. With AZCOM, once you get accepted, you pick your rotation site which is divided up into east phoenix, west phoenix, LA, chicago, san diego, prescott AZ, and a handful can go to some boonies hospital if they so please. You can swap with another classmate during 1st / 2nd year so getting your ideal area isn't a problem. Most rotations are in Phoenix (180 / 250 or so). Late second year, you fill out preceptor / ward preferences, and a computer program attempts to match everyone to their first choice - so I'm told. There are ward rotations for pretty much all of the core 3rd year rotations if you want them, and every student is required to do a IM ward rotation.

What do you think will happen to DO's with this new merger coming up as 2020 grads are going to be affected by it. I hear AZCOM is pretty good about getting their grads into specialties. Is this true? And how do you think the merger will affect AZCOM grads?

 

[D4C]

do you feel there are too many students per class. some schools can handle the 200+ load, but it seems some can't.

The class size has never once bothered me nor do I feel has any impact whatsoever.

What do you think will happen to DO's with this new merger coming up as 2020 grads are going to be affected by it. I hear AZCOM is pretty good about getting their grads into specialties. Is this true? And how do you think the merger will affect AZCOM grads?

I think it's premature to say what goes where with that merger, so for now you shouldn't worry. The 2015 grads had a 50/50 split for specialties / primary care, and the 2014 class was 60/40 specialties / primary care.

 

[tennerd]

The class size has never once bothered me nor do I feel has any impact whatsoever.


I think it's premature to say what goes where with that merger, so for now you shouldn't worry. The 2015 grads had a 50/50 split for specialties / primary care, and the 2014 class was 60/40 specialties / primary care.

how does the school (students/faculty) feel about OMM, especially cranialsacral? for some context, how do you feel about it?do you think the

how do people of the phoenix area feel about DOs?

i heard that there might be potential rotations in bay area, CA. is that true?

 

[hrbird]

II this morning! Secondary was complete on Monday 7/13. It seems like really fast turn around (3 Days). My interview day is 8/28.

 

[Tupaka]

II this morning! Secondary was complete on Monday 7/13. It seems like really fast turn around (3 Days). My interview day is 8/28.

Congrats! Just got my II this morning too. Sent just after midnight.

 

[indy92]

Congrats on the II's! I am an incoming first year, so cannot really advise on what it is like to be an MWU student, but can answer questions about the interview process. The interview was very informative and structured, yet not too intense. The day starts with information sessions about board scores, rotation sites, research opportunities, etc. so you will feel more prepared going into your interview knowing specifics about the program. The actual interview was standard; no questions really threw me off, and the panel was very interested in getting to know why I would make a good DO and how my experiences have shaped that. They were friendly and genuine, which is the feedback I got from interviewees who had other interviewers as well. I interviewed the first week of January and was accepted 2 weeks later. (3.1 science GPA, 3.3 GPA, 29MCAT and strong EC's (1 year as medical assistant, 2 years as EMT, clinical research, volunteering abroad in hospitals, strong LORs from supervisors))

As for how DO's are viewed in Arizona, from my experience growing up in Scottsdale, they are highly regarded. Almost everybody in my family has a DO as their PCP, and those who I have spoken with (my parents friends, mostly) who are either in the medical field or connected closely to it have great things to say about Midwestern graduates. I personally know surgeons who are DO's, so specializing and getting a job here in AZ is quite possible.

To add to a previous comment, AZCOM also offers rotations in Chicago and Kankakee, a small town in Illinois, in addition to the CA and AZ sites.

Lastly, I wanted to offer that if anybody needs a place to stay during interview weekend, my boyfriend and I have an extra room in our apartment that we rent out, way more affordable than a hotel. It is about a 7 min drive from campus, and I'd be happy to drive you to and from the interview. Feel free to PM me or email me at [email protected] if you are interested in more details.

Best of luck!

 

[hyperDO]

i heard that there might be potential rotations in bay area, CA. is that true?

Rotation site options currently include Chicago, Kankakee IL, LA, East valley AZ, West valley AZ, Prescott AZ, San Diego, and Tuscon AZ. We did receive an email stating that they also added rotation spots in Modesto CA.

Did not hear anything about the bay area.

 

[D4C]

how does the school (students/faculty) feel about OMM, especially cranialsacral? for some context, how do you feel about it?do you think the

how do people of the phoenix area feel about DOs?

i heard that there might be potential rotations in bay area, CA. is that true?

Some students like OMM, others don't. Cranial isn't given more than it needs - it's on the comlex so you need to be familiar with it. If you're asking me how I feel about cranial/OMM, it's just what it is - it's what makes it a DO school.

I can't claim to know the overall consensus in phoenix about DOs, I haven't met a single person yet that gave a **** or could even tell. No word of the bay area thing has reached me at least.

 

[goldy490]

With II's already going out, Is it bad if my AACOMAS this isn't verified? I probably wont be verified until early august, and this school seems to do their IIs really early?

 

[Mavs88]

Does anyone with a II have a MCAT lower than 29? Goro always says they won't interview below that...or something along those lines.

 

[tennerd]

Does anyone with a II have a MCAT lower than 29? Goro always says they won't interview below that...or something along those lines.

i also read something that admissions from azcom and ccom don't give interviews to people roughly below their respective median MCAT (29 and 29.5) until january. of course, they have to have some people matriculating with less than that.