2016-2017 University of Arizona - Tucson Application Thread

BU Medical Sciences
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Can anyone speak to the regional preference here? I am from the southeast and am considering applying, but did not see any matriculants from southeastern states on the MSAR.
 
doctah2be said:
I am having the same problem. I will also give them a call on Monday. If anyone hears anything before then, please let us know! I will do the same. Hope this gets resolved soon! 🙂
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Just called them this morning and apparently alot of people are having the same issue with getting to the payment page/submitting the payment. The lady told me that they have their best people on it and hopefully will sort everything out later today.+pissed+
 
is the 3rd question asking why you would want to go to this school? and is the 4th question a diversity one?

Also, for the 2nd question, I talked about a failure that I faced as a research assistant, would that be considered academic?
 
happily123 said:
is the 3rd question asking why you would want to go to this school? and is the 4th question a diversity one?
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"Please describe the role(s) you can play in helping the College of Medicine to achieve its mission."

It is not asking why you want to go to this school, or it would have asked that. No reading between the lines here. That is why the mission is listed clearly above it. Write how you fit in.


"Describe the effect that your experiences with engaging diversity have had on your own growth and development. Provide an example and describe how it will impact your career in the medical profession."

This is sort of a diversity statement but even better because of the key word "engaging diversity". The U of A and the state house a diverse population and they want to know how you have been involved in diversity and how it has lead to your growth.

No need to try to interpret the questions other than how they are written. Sometimes you will have to edit your essays that you have been submitting to all the other schools. Make an effort to truly answer the question.
 
tpow said:
Can anyone speak to the regional preference here? I am from the southeast and am considering applying, but did not see any matriculants from southeastern states on the MSAR.
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My guess is that there are fewer applying from that region and even fewer choosing to matriculate, rather than school preference. There are usually a good chunk of OOS students
 
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Nickerbocker said:
Just called them this morning and apparently alot of people are having the same issue with getting to the payment page/submitting the payment. The lady told me that they have their best people on it and hopefully will sort everything out later today.+pissed+
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Update - I was able to submit my payment just now!
 
Does anyone know if they are on a non-rolling basis? It says the priority deadline is November 7th. Does that mean everyone is equally reviewed as long as your app is complete by Nov 7, or are they like other med schools (earlier = better)? Thank you!
 
LordH said:
Does anyone know if they are on a non-rolling basis? It says the priority deadline is November 7th. Does that mean everyone is equally reviewed as long as your app is complete by Nov 7, or are they like other med schools (earlier = better)? Thank you!
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They're rolling but you are guaranteed one full review if you apply late. The earlier you apply the more your application will be seen by the ADCOM
 
I hope the communication with us is better than last year - reading the thread from last year and it seems wrong messages were sent several times. Worries me if a simple email can't be sent correctly!
 
happily123 said:
is the 3rd question asking why you would want to go to this school? and is the 4th question a diversity one?

Also, for the 2nd question, I talked about a failure that I faced as a research assistant, would that be considered academic?
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Another MS1 here checking in to answer questions and provide input. 🙂

I would not consider writing about being a research assistant to be academic. I interpret "not academic" to mean that the prompt is steering you away from "I scored poorly on a test and I learned to study more" and forcing you to write about a real problem that required critical thinking in the real world.
 
What is considered "early" when submitting secondaries to schools, anyone know?
 
canes_season said:
What is considered "early" when submitting secondaries to schools, anyone know?
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I remember last year when I was applying people were trying to get each secondary back within 2 weeks of receiving it, I'm not sure if that recommended amount of time has changed. So "early" is dependent on when you get them. UA Tucson has a priority deadline and I definitely recommend you at least try to meet that.
 
ifnotnowwren said:
Another MS1 here checking in to answer questions and provide input. 🙂

I would not consider writing about being a research assistant to be academic. I interpret "not academic" to mean that the prompt is steering you away from "I scored poorly on a test and I learned to study more" and forcing you to write about a real problem that required critical thinking in the real world.
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What do you think about writing about not getting into medical school the first time I applied (my solutions were increasing my clinical exposures and retaking my MCAT)?
 
ifnotnowwren said:
Another MS1 here checking in to answer questions and provide input. 🙂

I would not consider writing about being a research assistant to be academic. I interpret "not academic" to mean that the prompt is steering you away from "I scored poorly on a test and I learned to study more" and forcing you to write about a real problem that required critical thinking in the real world.
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hey! i have a quick question about Q1 "Please share a meaningful experience you have had working or volunteering in the health professional field" could i answer this question using my time volunteering in a research lab at a med school? or is it more about clinical volunteering
 
medbunny56 said:
hey! i have a quick question about Q1 "Please share a meaningful experience you have had working or volunteering in the health professional field" could i answer this question using my time volunteering in a research lab at a med school? or is it more about clinical volunteering
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It's definitely for clinical work not research
 
WineLover777 said:
What do you think about writing about not getting into medical school the first time I applied (my solutions were increasing my clinical exposures and retaking my MCAT)?
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That does sound like it's erring on the side of academia. I think another reason they may be asking you not to do academic failures is because the solutions are easy - figure out why you failed and avoid that next time, study harder, don't procrastinate, go get help earlier, etc. I think the question is asking how you utilize critical thinking and problem solving in the real world. Did you ever disappoint a friend or family member? Did you ever apply for a job and not get it? Did you train for a marathon but fail to finish? (don't write about sports or hobbies unless they were/are a significant part of your life, missing a goal when you were a 7-year old soccer player is not significant) Did you intend to do something but lacked the courage? Did you mess up as an employee or volunteer? Make sure it is a meaningful, non-academic experience. This is an opportunity to NOT talk about your grades or the MCAT, relish it!
 
medbunny56 said:
hey! i have a quick question about Q1 "Please share a meaningful experience you have had working or volunteering in the health professional field" could i answer this question using my time volunteering in a research lab at a med school? or is it more about clinical volunteering
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Research is probably not what is being asked for unless it was clinical research that involved patients. If you lack clinical volunteering or employment, I think a shadowing experience would be a safer bet than a research experience.
 
Hey, boys and girls: I heard a rumor that applicants can't interview at both Tucson and Phoenix. Is there any truth to this? Sounds ridiculous, considering the schools have seperate applications. Feed me some info, please.
 
Oncadiller said:
Hey, boys and girls: I heard a rumor that applicants can't interview at both Tucson and Phoenix. Is there any truth to this? Sounds ridiculous, considering the schools have seperate applications. Feed me some info, please.
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Source? It sounds like some pre-med is trying to spin you on your head
 
By the way...has anyone out there ever interviewed at both Tucson & Phoenix? How did they compare?
 
Oncadiller said:
By the way...has anyone out there ever interviewed at both Tucson & Phoenix? How did they compare?
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I interviewed at both. Phx is a bit more 'corporate' than Tucson. But both are amazing schools


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Oncadiller said:
By the way...has anyone out there ever interviewed at both Tucson & Phoenix? How did they compare?
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I interviewed at, and received offers from both. I preferred Tucson (no contest in my book), but one of my buddies who also interviewed at both preferred Phoenix. Very different schools. Spend some time researching both of them and if you have the opportunity, tour both. Different flavors for different folks.
 
Just to throw it out there - I have received a number of PMs regarding the clubs, opportunities to serve under served populations, and general requests regarding distinction tracks and the demographics of the area.

All of this information is housed on the College of Medicine website. Spend some time exploring the link below if you're genuinely interested in attending this school. They offer quite a bit of detailed information on all of their programs and opportunities.

http://medicine.arizona.edu/education
 
groodles said:
I interviewed at, and received offers from both. I preferred Tucson (no contest in my book), but one of my buddies who also interviewed at both preferred Phoenix. Very different schools. Spend some time researching both of them and if you have the opportunity, tour both. Different flavors for different folks.
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Same here. I was accepted to both and originally strongly preferred the Phoenix campus but after considering the benefits of the Tucson campus (attached hospital and undergrad campus, established faculty and home programs, strong clinical training and super cheap cost of living) I decided to come here. I can say that after the first week of orientation I have no regrets and the people I've met here are amazing!

Also, as an added bonus the class of 2021 will especially get to take advantage of the new replacement hospital that's under construction and other research and educational facilities that are being built.
 
Has anyone heard anything about II from either Tuscon or Phoenix?
 
groodles said:
Just to throw it out there - I have received a number of PMs regarding the clubs, opportunities to serve under served populations, and general requests regarding distinction tracks and the demographics of the area.

All of this information is housed on the College of Medicine website. Spend some time exploring the link below if you're genuinely interested in attending this school. They offer quite a bit of detailed information on all of their programs and opportunities.

http://medicine.arizona.edu/education
Click to expand...

Emphasizing this. They were the only school where I could easily see the courses, research, special programs, volunteer outreach, electives offered, and more. Take advantage of this! When you are asked why you want to go there, be SPECIFIC. During my interview, I named the PI of the lab I wanted to work in. Seriously, as you go through the process and answer "why this school", you are going to have some schools that make it so difficult to answer that question beyond "Uhhhh...your location is nice and your...mission statement....and I assume you have some research somewhere". Really dig deep into UA's website and materials, there is certainly no excuse for not answering this question thoroughly for them.
 
ifnotnowwren said:
Emphasizing this. They were the only school where I could easily see the courses, research, special programs, volunteer outreach, electives offered, and more. Take advantage of this! When you are asked why you want to go there, be SPECIFIC. During my interview, I named the PI of the lab I wanted to work in. Seriously, as you go through the process and answer "why this school", you are going to have some schools that make it so difficult to answer that question beyond "Uhhhh...your location is nice and your...mission statement....and I assume you have some research somewhere". Really dig deep into UA's website and materials, there is certainly no excuse for not answering this question thoroughly for them.
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Just out of curiosity, where in your interview did you say this? Isn't the entire interview an MMI?
 
order66.exe said:
Hi all!

I'm an incoming MS1 and a native Tucsonan (who attended UA for undergrad). Feel free to ask me any questions about the school, city and application process!
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Hey! I'm an applicant from Oklahoma and I am looking to go to this school! However, I was also interested in the Phoenix campus so, I by mistake, sent the AMCAS-Primary to both campuses. Does this mean I will not be considered at all? I just saw on the UofA medicine website that "Make sure to designate the specific college you wish to attend." I'm kinda nervous that this might just ruin the game for me. Please give me your input.
 
harshpaggi said:
Hey! I'm an applicant from Oklahoma and I am looking to go to this school! However, I was also interested in the Phoenix campus so, I by mistake, sent the AMCAS-Primary to both campuses. Does this mean I will not be considered at all? I just saw on the UofA medicine website that "Make sure to designate the specific college you wish to attend." I'm kinda nervous that this might just ruin the game for me. Please give me your input.
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You were correct to send the application to both campuses. You can apply to both. It won't hurt your chances at either. They're two different schools instead of like some states where it's the same application, but different locations, so you have to apply to both to be considered at that specific campus.
 
harshpaggi said:
Hey! I'm an applicant from Oklahoma and I am looking to go to this school! However, I was also interested in the Phoenix campus so, I by mistake, sent the AMCAS-Primary to both campuses. Does this mean I will not be considered at all? I just saw on the UofA medicine website that "Make sure to designate the specific college you wish to attend." I'm kinda nervous that this might just ruin the game for me. Please give me your input.
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For all intents and purposes they're separate medical schools so no you haven't hurt your chances
 
wildcat2015az said:
You were correct to send the application to both campuses. You can apply to both. It won't hurt your chances at either. They're two different schools instead of like some states where it's the same application, but different locations, so you have to apply to both to be considered at that specific campus.
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Thank you so much!! Damn this application season is quiet hectic. One moment you're pumped to take over the world and the next you're googling your chances of getting accepted!

In addition, I am from a rural city (where my university is located), so I only had the opportunity to follow a Physicians Assistant for the longest time, so for the Clinical LOR requirement, It should suffice right? This PA basically oversees the whole department during evening time which is when I had time to do clinical rotations with him. THanks!!
 
futuresomething22 said:
Just out of curiosity, where in your interview did you say this? Isn't the entire interview an MMI?
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The entire interview is an MMI. Remember that MMI questions can range from ethics questions to acting scenarios to "traditional" interview questions.
 
Submitted 2nd today. I hope to hear back from this school soon


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
For the Meaningful Experience Prompt (Prompt #1), I already included the most meaningful experience I had working with patients in my primary application under the Work/Activities section. Would it be okay to expand upon this experience? Or should I just write about a different experience?
 
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