University of Arizona Questions

[Twiigg]

As an Arizona resident, I am very interest in attending the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Because it is public and not private, would my residency options be limited even if I performed well? Also, I have lived my entire life in Arizona; however, I am getting my undergraduate degree at a private university of another state. I know this is probably a stupid question, but am I just as competitive as students who got their undergraduate degrees at an Arizona university such as ASU or UofA? And just because I went to a college in another state doesn't mean I am not a resident of Arizona anymore does it? (Sorry, I'm new to all this... ) Anyway, if anyone has any answers or just general information on the University of Arizona College of Medicine, I'm all ears!

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[Spin]

Do your parent(s) still live in Arizona? If they do and you're still listed as a dependent on their taxes, I think you have the choice of being listed as a resident of either Arizona or the state where you've been living for the past year or so on your AMCAS. You can't do both though

 

[microbes]

Right. As long as you put that you're a AZ resident on your AMCAS app, then it should be ok. I'm in the same situation and the residency office was giving me trouble about living in another state, but as long as you're a dependent, you have an AZ licence, your car's plates are AZ, you've registered to vote in AZ, etc, you will have no issues with your residency. Did you have to fill out a domicile form with your secondary packet?

As far as being competitive as AZ college students, I think you have an advantage over the kids that didn't leave home. During my interviews, they were really curious to hear about me going to a university where I didn't know anyone and didn't have family close by. I think as long as you have a good explanation as to why you want to return to AZ for med school, then you're fine. Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[FootballFan14]

The most important thing about being a AZ resident who went OOS for undergrad especially if you are a competitive candidate with high numbers is: if you really want to go to U of A you need to really convince your interviewer that U of A is your top choice and you want to go there. U of A loves to reject really competitive candidates that they don't believe are going there (going to choose another school) because it boosts their statistics (Accepted/Applied % and Matriculated/Accepted %). If they ask you the "Why U of A?" question in your interview, really be prepared to answer it and be enthusiastic.

That being said, I highly recommend looking into the UA-Phoenix program. If you are used to a more OOS private university feel/culture/curriculum UA-Phoenix is it. U of A- Tucson has more of a big public university thing going on. For example, Phoenix is smaller and the curriculum includes a lot of the innovations coming out of Harvard, Stanford, and some of the top schools- a "scholarly project" with an academic focus, following a cohort of patients through their medical treatment, block scheduling, etc. So if you don't want to bother writing a thesis and you like the comforts of established buildings and programs- go Tucson. But I think Phoenix might ultimately end up being a more competitive program in terms of residencies.

 

[dogmod]

Go Cats! (Ignoring the fact that our football team is supremely depressing and basketball team is full of underachievers)

I am not sure I will end up at UofA but I know that if I did I wouldn't regret it for a moment. Where did you guys go out of state?

 

[Twiigg]

Go Cats! (Ignoring the fact that our football team is supremely depressing and basketball team is full of underachievers)

I am not sure I will end up at UofA but I know that if I did I wouldn't regret it for a moment. Where did you guys go out of state?

First of all, nice stats! You make people like me very, VERY scared But thanks for all the great responses guys--they helped a lot. But to answer your questions, I left Arizona to go to Utah. I wish I had stayed at ASU now, though I had the presidential and could live at home, but I still chose to go to Utah to live away from home... Overall, I think I have grown more independent because of the decision, but I still wish I had stayed with ASU! Would have been a LOT cheaper!

 

[carwreck]

Right. As long as you put that you're a AZ resident on your AMCAS app, then it should be ok. I'm in the same situation and the residency office was giving me trouble about living in another state, but as long as you're a dependent, you have an AZ licence, your car's plates are AZ, you've registered to vote in AZ, etc, you will have no issues with your residency. Did you have to fill out a domicile form with your secondary packet?

As far as being competitive as AZ college students, I think you have an advantage over the kids that didn't leave home. During my interviews, they were really curious to hear about me going to a university where I didn't know anyone and didn't have family close by. I think as long as you have a good explanation as to why you want to return to AZ for med school, then you're fine. Let me know if you have any other questions!

I had all kinds of problems with my AZ residency because I am at school out of state. Even though I a) am registered to vote in AZ, b) have an AZ license, c) am a dependent under my parents who live in AZ, I am "out-of-state pending appeal" because I haven't been physically present in AZ for one whole continuous year. I was granted an interview, but the domicile officer told me that I would have to go through an in-state appeals process if I were accepted before I could matriculate.

It's crazy that there's all this red-tape over going to med school in AZ since AZ is crying for more doctors. U of A opened the PHX campus specifically to train more doctors, right?

 

[shadowclaws]

Should be fine as long as you dont claim yourself to be another state already. The residency sheet has all the suggested requirements on there. AZ driver's license, tax info, az high school, etc.

 

[elderjack21]

U of A loves to reject really competitive candidates that they don't believe are going there (going to choose another school) because it boosts their statistics (Accepted/Applied % and Matriculated/Accepted %).

Do any schools really care about those types of statistics? Seems like GPA/MCAT/Research/Volunteer type activities are the things they care about.

AZ probably is one of the easiest schools to get into when you look at just basic # applicants vs. # of slots. I think they will have something like 600 applicants this year for 155 slots (110 Tucson, 45 Phoenix), you won't find a better ratio than that anywhere in the country.

That being said, I highly recommend looking into the UA-Phoenix program. If you are used to a more OOS private university feel/culture/curriculum UA-Phoenix is it. U of A- Tucson has more of a big public university thing going on. For example, Phoenix is smaller and the curriculum includes a lot of the innovations coming out of Harvard, Stanford, and some of the top schools- a "scholarly project" with an academic focus, following a cohort of patients through their medical treatment, block scheduling, etc. So if you don't want to bother writing a thesis and you like the comforts of established buildings and programs- go Tucson. But I think Phoenix might ultimately end up being a more competitive program in terms of residencies.

2 things that make me nervous about UofA Phoenix. There is no hospital on the school grounds or even next to it. How many schools have you visited where that is the case? Second. Phoenix has no track record for residencies, USMLE scores, or anything. So although it looks like it is modeled after a "Harvard" program, that is a far cry from being a "Harvard."

They just lack the facilities right now and the established record of excellence. 5 to 10 years from now they will be great. I was however very impressed with their faculty, pretty much empty - but new lab facilities, and their vision of the future. I got the feeling that for a mature student who wanted to blaze their own path, this was the place to do it.

 

[chicksdigdocs]

I think they will have something like 600 applicants this year for 155 slots (110 Tucson, 45 Phoenix), you won't find a better ratio than that anywhere in the country.

I heard it was around 800 applicants this year, but you're right though. Good odds, but I wouldn't necessarily say its easy to get in to. I've heard some demoralizing stories.

 

[Twiigg]

I also heard it's a big plus if you can speak spanish, so I'm thinking of taking a class next semester. I have a few years of high school under my belt... (i know, i know... like that will help, right?) Anyway, U of A is definitely my first choice, no matter how my GPA or MCAT turn out... Cheap, in-state, and I love Arizona!

 

[elderjack21]

I heard it was around 800 applicants this year, but you're right though. Good odds, but I wouldn't necessarily say its easy to get in to. I've heard some demoralizing stories.

I've heard some stories as well, hopefully they are just that, stories.

I have noticed that many pre-meds fall into two categories. Most are in the "I am such a great applicant...I can't believe anyone would reject me" category...the others sell them self short and are in the ever anxious "I don't know if I will get in" category. For those in the first category, they are shocked at the rejection, I am guessing they are the ones that make up the stories.

I think if you are a solid applicant at the UofA (30+MCAT, 3.6-3.8 GPA, good volunteer ECs, maybe a research and/or leadership EC, interview well, write a good essay) with established state ties/residency, you shouldn't fret. Anything else you bring to the table...(spanish, disadvantaged race or background) would be a good boost to your application as well.

 

[sunny1]

I would contact the residency office by early summer at the latest to confirm your standing as a resident of AZ. I recently attended a talk by the chair of the admissions committee and it shed some light on both what they're looking for and also possibly why some of their decisions may at times seem random. Please note that I'm not construing this to be official policy of U of A, I'm merely relating what he said in his talk.

As a fairly new resident of AZ (at least, I will be officially by the time I apply), I have been concerned about someone possibly questioning my "dedication to the state." I asked him about that and he said it's not an issue. You either are or are not a resident. Guess I'll see whether everyone else feels the same way next year .

His reasoning for why some people may or may not get in at times when they should have is that there are 4 subcommittees who each look at 1/4 of the applicants and make decisions on acceptance or waitlist. While there is a scoring system, you might accidentally get "stuck" into a group of more competitive applicants within whichever subcommittee you get put into. So comparatively you might not be as good as the other applicants in your subcommittee regardless of what the other 3/4 of the applicant pool are like. Also, they don't take notes on the thinking behind their decision.

He felt that on the MCAT, your Bio score ranked most importantly followed by Physical and then Verbal. I'm not saying that is how the ADCOM views things; this merely is what he said his opinion was.

He said your PS is your chance to prove that you deserve to be in medical school, be factual not philosophical... He loves the closed interview and said that whatever you say, be able to back it up. Share what you've done to show you want to help people. Have different questions ready depending on the kind of person interviewing you (basic scientist vs. clinician, etc.).

Hope this helps!

 

[Tamburlaine]

No offense intended here, sunny1.

I'm sure you're interested in getting into medical school anyway possible. But why shouldn't they take residency into account? I think it's a bit overly optimistic to assume they wouldn't. Why do you think U of A is such a sweet deal--I mean financially, though it's a great school as well? State subsidized--AZ Taxpayers foot the bill. So wouldn't it make sense for them to at least devote a Calorie or two of thought to the question of whether the student will have any intention of giving the state taxpayers a return on their investment?

What good is a state medical school that runs on taxes and then fields people who have a limited interest in the state housing the school?

A month or two ago, I talked with someone in the admissions dept. at Oregon Health Sciences. She said they basically use out-of-staters, and a very few of them, to boost stats. It's basically a business transaction: school stats in exchange for a med education.

Maybe false, but something to consider in that decidedly bizarre land of the premed psyche--mine being a (the?) quintessential example.

 

[sunny1]

No offense intended here, sunny1.

I'm sure you're interested in getting into medical school anyway possible. But why shouldn't they take residency into account? I think it's a bit overly optimistic to assume they wouldn't. Why do you think U of A is such a sweet deal--I mean financially, though it's a great school as well? State subsidized--AZ Taxpayers foot the bill. So wouldn't it make sense for them to at least devote a Calorie or two of thought to the question of whether the student will have any intention of giving the state taxpayers a return on their investment?

What good is a state medical school that runs on taxes and then fields people who have a limited interest in the state housing the school?

A month or two ago, I talked with someone in the admissions dept. at Oregon Health Sciences. She said they basically use out-of-staters, and a very few of them, to boost stats. It's basically a business transaction: school stats in exchange for a med education.

Maybe false, but something to consider in that decidedly bizarre land of the premed psyche--mine being a (the?) quintessential example.

I wasn't giving my opinion; I was merely stating the answer to a question I had asked. Do you think I moved all the way across the country just to get into this med school? Please people, can we stop with all the accusatory comments against each other?? I am fully aware that I will need to demonstrate a commitment to staying in Arizona; I was just conveying information to others that had been given to me.

 

[elderjack21]

No offense intended here, sunny1.

I'm sure you're interested in getting into medical school anyway possible. But why shouldn't they take residency into account? I think it's a bit overly optimistic to assume they wouldn't. Why do you think U of A is such a sweet deal--I mean financially, though it's a great school as well? State subsidized--AZ Taxpayers foot the bill. So wouldn't it make sense for them to at least devote a Calorie or two of thought to the question of whether the student will have any intention of giving the state taxpayers a return on their investment?

AZ does more than take residency into account, you can't get accepted without being a resident of the state. Not only do you have to show that you are registered to vote, drivers license, etc. You need to show where you filed taxes, where your parents are residents, your spouse etc. Very detailed stuff. So, right now, they don't even interview you if you don't meet the residency criteria.

Once you pass that test, the topic of "ties to the state" and "intention" of staying doesn't even come up. Since they don't really have a secondary, you don't write anything there. If your interviewer doesn't ask you, which both of mine didn't, then they will never know about you staying or not.

 

[elderjack21]

I have been concerned about someone possibly questioning my "dedication to the state." I asked him about that and he said it's not an issue. You either are or are not a resident. Guess I'll see whether everyone else feels the same way next year .

With the quickly expanding Phoenix program, I was told at my interview that they are considering opening up the school to out of staters...no timeline yet on when that would happen. But, if their stats start to drop as a result of the small applicant pool not being able to provide enough outstanding applicants, that may happen next year on a limited basis. At that point in time, they would probably reserve a few seats for out of staters who have "ties" to the state. This is all speculation and rumor, though it makes sense since they are explaning the seats in their incoming classes so quickly.

His reasoning for why some people may or may not get in at times when they should have is that there are 4 subcommittees who each look at 1/4 of the applicants and make decisions on acceptance or waitlist. While there is a scoring system, you might accidentally get "stuck" into a group of more competitive applicants within whichever subcommittee you get put into. So comparatively you might not be as good as the other applicants in your subcommittee regardless of what the other 3/4 of the applicant pool are like. Also, they don't take notes on the thinking behind their decision.

If there is an applicant pool of "800" as was previously mentioned, that is a pretty good sample size in each of the four pools. 200 people in each would make it pretty unilkely that you get "stuck" in a group of more competitive applicants. Unless of course they don't put people into groups on a random basis, which wouldn't make sense either.

He said your PS is your chance to prove that you deserve to be in medical school, be factual not philosophical... He loves the closed interview and said that whatever you say, be able to back it up. Share what you've done to show you want to help people.

Tucson did a closed interview, Phoenix did an open one for me. Be prepared for both.

I have done both several times (closed and open) and prefer the open (most open only include essays and ECs). This gives the interviewer time to actually prepare good questions and allows the limited time during the interview to go over information not found on the application that can then be considered by the ADCOM. I suppose the closed interview is supposed to take some of the bias out of the process.

 

[Tamburlaine]

AZ does more than take residency into account, you can't get accepted without being a resident of the state. Not only do you have to show that you are registered to vote, drivers license, etc. You need to show where you filed taxes, where your parents are residents, your spouse etc. Very detailed stuff. So, right now, they don't even interview you if you don't meet the residency criteria.

Once you pass that test, the topic of "ties to the state" and "intention" of staying doesn't even come up. Since they don't really have a secondary, you don't write anything there. If your interviewer doesn't ask you, which both of mine didn't, then they will never know about you staying or not.

My interviewer asked me where I wanted to practice and what I knew about practicing in AZ. I didn't provide voter registration in declaring residency--as far as I know, I'm an entirely valid resident. At the end of the day, there's no way to know what they really look for, beyond AVG grades and MCATs. My only point is that it's hard for me to believe that they don't notice people who've never been in AZ their entire life and suddenly pop up in the app pool. Hey, maybe I'm wrong. But there's nothing I've heard here that definitively establishes what the committee does. That's the joke about SDN. None of us really knows. "Points for dedication to our state" might be worth some miniscule number of points in a system, which is selectively used by certain COM-members or by all COM-members; or they may not care at all. In fact, I would lean towards the latter. If you check the recently released AAMC shortage report by state, AZ has a relatively small precentage of home-grown docs. Another well known stat about U of A is--and they are evidently comfortable with the fact--that half the class heads for greener pastures come graduation. I think that's really unfair to the AZ populace, many of whom are elderly, poor, and are immigrants, and are deeply in need of care.

Two cents.

 

[elderjack21]

If you check the recently released AAMC shortage report by state, AZ has a relatively small precentage of home-grown docs. Another well known stat about U of A is--and they are evidently comfortable with the fact--that half the class heads for greener pastures come graduation. I think that's really unfair to the AZ populace, many of whom are elderly, poor, and are immigrants, and are deeply in need of care.

Two cents.

Just want to make sure we are looking at the same data.

Under this category: Retention of Medical Students: Proportion of Physicians Active in US That Graduated from Medical School in a State That are Practicing in that State

AZ ranks pretty high. #13 in the country


And this category: Active Physicians In-State: Proportion That Attended In-State Medical Schools

AZ ranks poorly.

The reason AZ is so low in the latter cateogry is this, the demographics in AZ are such that much of the 30+ crowd have moved to the state from somewhere else, this would include many doctors who were trained at other schools our of state. AZ has been one of the fastest growing states for a couple decades which accounts for the low total number of home grown docs.

http://aamc.org/workforce/statedata.pdf

 

[167649]

Just want to make sure we are looking at the same data.

Under this category: Retention of Medical Students: Proportion of Physicians Active in US That Graduated from Medical School in a State That are Practicing in that State

AZ ranks pretty high. #13 in the country


And this category: Active Physicians In-State: Proportion That Attended In-State Medical Schools

AZ ranks poorly.

The reason AZ is so low in the latter cateogry is this, the demographics in AZ are such that much of the 30+ crowd have moved to the state from somewhere else, this would include many doctors who were trained at other schools our of state. AZ has been one of the fastest growing states for a couple decades which accounts for the low total number of home grown docs.

http://aamc.org/workforce/statedata.pdf

Its not just the age demographics, but part of the problem was that Arizona has been very slow to respond to it's exploding population, and despite being a fairly large state now (6million people), until a few years ago UofA Tucson was the only med school in the state. (As someone who grew up there, in general I think Arizona's government is pretty conservative and tries to ignore the fact that it isn't a mining and ranching state anymore, which is why it has taken so long to respond to the problem). A lot of those students did stay in state (explaining the first statistic), but for 6 million people, 110 new doctors a year just isn't enough. Now, two osteopathic schools are cranking out 100 each, and UofA Phoenix is expected to put out 150 a year soon. So eventually they will have something like just under 500 new docs a year in state, and this will help the catch up.

2 things that make me nervous about UofA Phoenix. There is no hospital on the school grounds or even next to it. How many schools have you visited where that is the case? Second. Phoenix has no track record for residencies, USMLE scores, or anything. So although it looks like it is modeled after a "Harvard" program, that is a far cry from being a "Harvard."

They just lack the facilities right now and the established record of excellence. 5 to 10 years from now they will be great. I was however very impressed with their faculty, pretty much empty - but new lab facilities, and their vision of the future. I got the feeling that for a mature student who wanted to blaze their own path, this was the place to do it.

Just keep in mind this school is less than one year old. And actually, Maricopa medical center is supposed to be relocated there in a few years in a brand new teaching hospital. But it was recently stalled because some private health companies wanted in (which means some patients would be turned away) and the county obviously doesn't like that. I think if it remained a true county hospital UAPhx has the potential be a really good school, maybe one day one of the best of the publics. (Tgen and lots of research + county hospital for phx area + solid hospital network.)

 

[167649]

AZ probably is one of the easiest schools to get into

Be careful now.....

 

[elderjack21]

Be careful now.....

Don't forget to add the rest of my sentence....AZ probably is one of the easiest schools to get into when you look at just basic # applicants vs. # of slots. I think they will have something like 600 applicants this year for 155 slots (110 Tucson, 45 Phoenix), you won't find a better ratio than that anywhere in the country.


I agree with you about the government being slow to react...but they aren't the only one which, is why AAMC has been pushing so hard for schools/states all across the country to increase enrollment and build more schools.

Just keep in mind this school is less than one year old. And actually, Maricopa medical center is supposed to be relocated there in a few years in a brand new teaching hospital. But it was recently stalled because some private health companies wanted in (which means some patients would be turned away) and the county obviously doesn't like that. I think if it remained a true county hospital UAPhx has the potential be a really good school, maybe one day one of the best of the publics. (Tgen and lots of research + county hospital for phx area + solid hospital network.)

Which is exactly why I said in 5-10 years they will be great. Supposed to be relocated and has already been relocated are two very different things. No doubt, UofA Phoenix has great potential, but if you are applying in the next couple years you should be totally aware of where it is at now. I mean heck, most schools don't even let you go on the floors much your first two years anyway, so having a teaching hospital connected to the campus may not even be such a big deal for many.

 

[167649]

I agree with you about the government being slow to react...but they aren't the only one which, is why AAMC has been pushing so hard for schools/states all across the country to increase enrollment and build more schools.

Which is exactly why I said in 5-10 years they will be great. Supposed to be relocated and has already been relocated are two very different things. No doubt, UofA Phoenix has great potential, but if you are applying in the next couple years you should be totally aware of where it is at now. I mean heck, most schools don't even let you go on the floors much your first two years anyway, so having a teaching hospital connected to the campus may not even be such a big deal for many.

Agreed!

 

[Inquiry]

Just want to make sure we are looking at the same data.

Under this category: Retention of Medical Students: Proportion of Physicians Active in US That Graduated from Medical School in a State That are Practicing in that State

AZ ranks pretty high. #13 in the country

The 2007 study shows that U of A, the only public medical school in the state, ranks slightly above average insofar as graduating doctors that stay in the state. (This is the among physicians graduating from a public medical school category. http://www.aamc.org/workforce/statedatabooknov2007.pdf) And considering that they've graduated so few to begin with, as you point out, this does little to aid the rapidly growing AZ population. In other words, as AZ ranks very low in terms of primary care physicians per population-- http://www.aamc.org/workforce/statedatabooknov2007.pdf--you'd think it would have been noticed by somebody that AZ needs as many of the few U of A Docs that are put out. The only get the ave. percentage.

Slightly above average stat in response to a shortage crisis that is of above average seriousness--pardon the clunky expression.

I, too, like the school. And who is rooter? Are you med student? Or a friendly civic sage?

 

[buffdoc]

The data on the state's relatively low number of physicians per capita has been a major justification point for the huge public funding of the new med school in Phoenix. It is also the major justification point for the additional funding that is needed to expand the program and campus in the future. But all the money hasn't been doled out yet and the state legislature, governor, and board of regents probably looks at and considers retention data very closely before releasing more cash.

I would suspect that in knowing this, the admit committees at both schools do care if the applicants are likely to stay in state once they become licensed.

 

[elderjack21]

The data on the state's relatively low number of physicians per capita has been a major justification point for the huge public funding of the new med school in Phoenix. It is also the major justification point for the additional funding that is needed to expand the program and campus in the future. But all the money hasn't been doled out yet and the state legislature, governor, and board of regents probably looks at and considers retention data very closely before releasing more cash.

Although it was a rather odd question to ask while I was touring the campus at my interview, I asked them about the funding issue. They had a great brief in the morning about the expansion of the campus and such. Having some experience in project management and the expansion of facilities etc, I wondered how they would pay for all of it. And you hit it on the head, they have some money approved, but not all of it yet. Hopefully the economy stays strong, the people behind the program stay politically engaged and savvy and get their money for the future. They should get it though, they have already invested plenty into the program, so it would be tough to just stop so short now.

 

[Disinence2]

I did my undergrad at U of A. And I have to admit, going out of state for med school could be one of the best decisions of my life.

As much as I didn't buy into the whole "Diversity makes you a better doctor thing" Experiencing life in a different town, and making a whole new set of friends really enriches your interpersonal skills. Getting grouped with all AZ people again kinda works against that. Not to mention, there really are better programs out there. For example, one of the reason I liked phoenix campus was its "longitudinal patient care experience" and its small PBL based learning. Both of those programs are at MSU, plus many other great opportunities and interesting classes, such as integrated clinical correlates (seeing patients with the disease your learning about starting year 1), real patient interviewing and physician shadowing starting first semester and so on.. PM me for more info... but keep in mind....as an undergrad I always heard "how great U of A's med school is"...but remember theres some programs that are way better out there.

I was one of the "I have no idea why U of A rejected me" people, so I sent an e-mail to a friend involved with admissions. Their exact quote was "It may in fact be a compliment that you were not accepted" So just keep that in mind.. U of A's admissions are one of the most "screwed" up in the country, and eventually its going to catch up with them.

So... thats what i think

 

[167649]

I was one of the "I have no idea why U of A rejected me" people, so I sent an e-mail to a friend involved with admissions. Their exact quote was "It may in fact be a compliment that you were not accepted" So just keep that in mind.. U of A's admissions are one of the most "screwed" up in the country, and eventually its going to catch up with them.

Well, if it is true that they bunch you into four subcommitees at random as previously described, I could see how it would be counterproductive for them. Very easily could a highly qualified applicant who wants to go there be rejected, while a less qualified applicant who doesn't necessarily like it get in, just because the committee they were clumped in was less competitive.

 

[Disinence2]

Definitely, not to mention the vast number of community interviews they use. Who do you think is more likely to take the time to fill out a great recommendation for an applicant they like? A new peds attending, or a busy anesthesiologist?


Theres just so much variability.

Lets just say based on personal experience with "friends" I've made throughout the process I am absolutely astounded that U of A took some of the people it did.

 

[FootballFan14]

Do any schools really care about those types of statistics? Seems like GPA/MCAT/Research/Volunteer type activities are the things they care about.

They do care about those stats. Stats like Matriculated/Accepted and Accepted/Applied are indicators of how good a school is. (not perfect ones or even great ones but they are one of many criteria that boosts your school's ranking.) Those stats are in a completely different category than GPA/MCAT/Essays/ETC those are all about how the applicant looks to the medical school, not how the med school looks good to applicants. Harvard is such a great school that something like 80% of the accepted applicants matriculate. That's a good number to have. It doesn't make the med school good, its a consequence of a good med school. However such numbers make your med school appear to be better than a school where less accepted students actually matriculate. The reason less accepted students are going to your school is because they are choosing better schools over your school. U of A is a great med school, but they aren't Harvard, Stanford, whereever. If you march into your interview with a 40+ MCAT, a 4.0 GPA, great recs, great essays, and lots of good ECs, but you don't make it appear as if you considering U of A as one of your top choices, they will assume you are going to matriculate to a better school and they will not accept you. Why waste their time on you if you don't show significant interest? I've heard stories of great applicants getting into all these private schools and then getting rejected from their state school. When asked "Why do you want to go here" at their state school interview they responded "I am applying to a lot of great schools and I'd be happy to go to any one of them including this one." When the person asked why they were rejected this response was cited along with "We didn't think you'd come here." Lesson learned: No matter how great a candidate you are, show strong interest at all schools. AND just cause you get into a school ranked above U of A, doesn't mean U of A won't reject you.

 

[microbes]

I also heard it's a big plus if you can speak spanish, so I'm thinking of taking a class next semester. I have a few years of high school under my belt... (i know, i know... like that will help, right?) Anyway, U of A is definitely my first choice, no matter how my GPA or MCAT turn out... Cheap, in-state, and I love Arizona!

Yes! They loved that I spoke Spanish and have done a lot of volunteering in Latin America. So, you might want to consider that option because you will learn Spanish quicker and better if you're in another country where you have to speak it (It worked for me) Good luck everyone!

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

hey guys - man I'd really, really love to attend UofA..I even made sure my interviews knew this at both campuses. My big worry is my stats. My EC's involve work with the underserved, loads of service work, and I speak Spanish.

I just hear SO many stories about people getting shafted from there. I had a friend, last year, with 3.7/34 get no love even after demonstrating his commitment to AZ.

You guys think I have a fighting chance?

 

[elderjack21]

hey guys - man I'd really, really love to attend UofA..I even made sure my interviews knew this at both campuses. My big worry is my stats. My EC's involve work with the underserved, loads of service work, and I speak Spanish.

I just hear SO many stories about people getting shafted from there. I had a friend, last year, with 3.7/34 get no love even after demonstrating his commitment to AZ.

You guys think I have a fighting chance?

Your stats aren't so bad. And like you said, some people get shafted there and some people are probably getting in with much lower stats than yours.

It seems like forever ago that I interviewed. It will be great to know their decision on who is in and who is out. Do they only notify snail mail or do they send out emails?

 

[dogmod]

I heard something about only one acceptance round this year? When are they sending out letters?

 

[swim2006]

Acceptance emails go out on March 3rd. Emails for waitlist and letters for rejections go out a couple of weeks after that.

 

[Bananana]

I would LOVE to come back to AZ for med school too! I don't know if I have many extracurriculars that show interest in staying in AZ besides being a Spanish minor and working with undeserved populations. Do you think it's really important to express interest in your primary/secondary app or moreso during the interview?

 

[arwilli3]

There is no secondary application.....at least no essays. You have to fill out residency information and itemize the required pre-req's, but you don't have a chance to write anything. I would save talk about why you want to go there for the interview (pretty much auto-interview in state).

 

[Crixivan]

AZ probably is one of the easiest schools to get into when you look at just basic # applicants vs. # of slots. I think they will have something like 600 applicants this year for 155 slots (110 Tucson, 45 Phoenix), you won't find a better ratio than that anywhere in the country.

I think that this chart was before they opened Phoenix, but AZ used to have the fewest spots per capita in the country...

If you look at the number of seats vs. the state population, here's the top ten:

State..#schools..#seats..state.pop..%of.pop.served
VT.......1.........107.....623908......0.0171%
NE.......2.........244....1768331......0.0138%
LA.......3.........452....4287768......0.0105%
ND.......1..........62.....635867......0.0098%
MA.......4.........618....6437193......0.0096%
WV.......2.........173....1818470......0.0095%
PA.......6........1135...12440621......0.0091%
NY......12........1738...19306183......0.0090%
IL.......7........1141...12831970......0.0089%

14.OH....6.........911...11478006......0.0079%
25.TX....7........1296...23507783......0.0055%
42.CA....8........1065...36457549......0.0029%

And worst with a state school:
AZ.......1.........110....6166318......0.0018%

I think I heard one time that Mississippi accepts half of its resident applicants.

Do they still throw your application in the trash if you don't mark AZ residency on your AMCAS?

 

[elderjack21]

Less than a month left until the emails...hopefully.

 

[167649]

Less than a month left until the emails...hopefully.

Good luck!

 

[buffdoc]

Two more weeks! Good luck to everybody.

 

[randomized1df374d41]

I know! im planning on doing some "time traveling" from march 1st to the 3rd

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

I'm being unnecessarily pessimistic about UofA. While I want to go there so badly, I wrote strong letters of intent, I spoke fluent Spanish with an interviewer to demonstrate my skills, etc, etc...at the end of the day, I hear they're really random and GPA happy.

For some reason, I hear UofA is really obsessed with high gpa's. Loads of other schools claim an average of 3.5-3.6ish because they look at overall apps and while UofA claims this as well, most of the acceptances I hear about are from only huge gpas. And often times, low as hell MCATs.

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

I'm just panicking b/c this is my 2nd time applying to UofA. I raised my MCAT 7 points (!!) from last application season and did some EC's to improve it. I'm not sure what more I could do if rejected.

If I don't get good news of March 3, I have absolutely no clue what I'm going to do.

 

[elderjack21]

I'm just panicking b/c this is my 2nd time applying to UofA. I raised my MCAT 7 points (!!) from last application season and did some EC's to improve it. I'm not sure what more I could do if rejected.

If I don't get good news of March 3, I have absolutely no clue what I'm going to do.

Looks like you have a pretty solid profile and a few other interviews. Any results from the other schools yet?

Where are you shooting for AZ-Tucson or AZ-Phoenix? Or does it just not matter at this point?

13 more days....

 

[elderjack21]

So...still waiting for the 3rd of March.

Where did everyone pick as their top campus choice for AZ?

PHX or TUC?

PHX for me.

 

[167649]

So...still waiting for the 3rd of March.

Where did everyone pick as their top campus choice for AZ?

PHX or TUC?

PHX for me.

It's gonna be a long two weeks...

I picked PHX. But either would be fine for me!

 

[dogmod]

Good luck everyone! I picked Phoenix but we shall see what happens.

 

[JSB235]

So I interviewed back in september, and they weren't sure how many they were going to accept for this next class, as well as how many interviews they were going to hold.
Anybody know?

 

[167649]

So I interviewed back in september, and they weren't sure how many they were going to accept for this next class, as well as how many interviews they were going to hold.
Anybody know?

PHX will double to ~48 people this year. I thought they interviewed everyone who is in-state at Tucson, and almost everybody in Phoenix?