2018-2019 Rocky Vista University (Ivins, Utah)

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Future Doctor Will said:
Just received an interview here. I'm from Missouri and have been accepted to A.T. Still University in Kirksville and ARCOM in Fort Smith, AR. Can anyone weigh in on if it is worth it for me to book a flight and interview at Rocky Vista even though I have other acceptances? What are the reasons students choose this school over others?
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Rocky Vista is one of the top three best DO schools if you are measuring it by:
1. Match rates
2. Board scores
3. Locations (my opinion)
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Future Doctor Will said:
Just received an interview here. I'm from Missouri and have been accepted to A.T. Still University in Kirksville and ARCOM in Fort Smith, AR. Can anyone weigh in on if it is worth it for me to book a flight and interview at Rocky Vista even though I have other acceptances? What are the reasons students choose this school over others?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I would choose this school over your acceptances. I withdrew my interview here that reason
 
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DoctorToBe23 said:
Rocky Vista is one of the top three best DO schools if you are measuring it by:
1. Match rates
2. Board scores
3. Locations (my opinion)
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I don't know much about their match rates and board scores, but A.T. Still (especially) has high board scores/good placement rates as well. Also is over 100 years older than Rocky Vista, so perhaps more established/recognized.

But the locations are what have me hesitating... you're definitely right about RVU having the best.
 
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Does anyone have any insight on attending RVU-UT vs Burrell (BCOM)?
 
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Future Doctor Will said:
I don't know much about their match rates and board scores, but A.T. Still (especially) has high board scores/good placement rates as well. Also is over 100 years older than Rocky Vista, so perhaps more established/recognized.

But the locations are what have me hesitating... you're definitely right about RVU having the best.
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RVU has the second best board scores and just look at their residency placements they are the best or second best.
 
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Interview for 10/31!

I'm flying in from Jersey to Vegas, taking a shuttle to St. George, ubering to the school in the morning, ubering back to St. George, then shuttling back to Vegas.

Is there a better way?

Also if anyone wants to hangout in Vegas after the interview, I'll be around and might have a few friends flying to spend a few days there as well.
 
Anyone have opinions of RVUCOM-UT vs PNWU? Feel free to pm me please, any help is appreciated!
 
tlccreepwaterfalls said:
Interview for 10/31!

I'm flying in from Jersey to Vegas, taking a shuttle to St. George, ubering to the school in the morning, ubering back to St. George, then shuttling back to Vegas.

Is there a better way?

Also if anyone wants to hangout in Vegas after the interview, I'll be around and might have a few friends flying to spend a few days there as well.
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I interview on the 1st, and decided to rent a car in Vegas for the three days I am there. Turned out to be cheaper overall for me.
 
I Interview on Nov. 1st, but I'm in town the day before and after. I have a car, so hit me up if anyone wants to hike a bit, grab a beer, or check out the area, let me know!
 
tby331 said:
The school itself really impressed me. From the time I stepped on campus I felt welcomed. Jennifer and Whitney are incredibly sweet and make sure you feel comfortable (they even made brownies for us!) You can really tell the faculty really cares about their students. From the interview experience, the deposit policy, and speaking with the dean, its clear they are willing to go the extra mile to make sure students succeed and are happy. I really appreciated that. They have established their rotation sites already and a ton of physician preceptors around Utah. Class attendance isn't required but they do require students to take COMLEX and USMLE since they are merging residency spots in the near future.
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Could you comment more on this based on the information that they presented at the interview? How do they determine which preceptor that you get matched with and will you have to move around frequently or just stay in one place? Where in Utah exactly? I cannot find any information regarding the core rotation sites on the website :/
 
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PickleRickelus said:
Could you comment more on this based on the information that they presented at the interview? How do they determine which preceptor that you get matched with and will you have to move around frequently or just stay in one place? Where in Utah exactly? I cannot find any information regarding the core rotation sites on the website :/
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yeah! When you go for an interview, Dean Park will sit down and talk with everyone about rotation sites. He will give you a set list of the hospitals around Utah he has established preceptor ships with. If i remember correctly you rank the sites and they will match you, I believe he said almost all students get their 1st or 2nd choice and rural track students get specific ones. I dont have the list with me right now but I can PM you later tonight with all of the sites and locations if you want!
 
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tby331 said:
yeah! When you go for an interview, Dean Park will sit down and talk with everyone about rotation sites. He will give you a set list of the hospitals around Utah he has established preceptor ships with. If i remember correctly you rank the sites and they will match you, I believe he said almost all students get their 1st or 2nd choice and rural track students get specific ones. I dont have the list with me right now but I can PM you later tonight with all of the sites and locations if you want!
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Wow this is very informative, thank you! If it's not too much trouble I would very much appreciate you doing that.
 
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tby331 said:
yeah! When you go for an interview, Dean Park will sit down and talk with everyone about rotation sites. He will give you a set list of the hospitals around Utah he has established preceptor ships with. If i remember correctly you rank the sites and they will match you, I believe he said almost all students get their 1st or 2nd choice and rural track students get specific ones. I dont have the list with me right now but I can PM you later tonight with all of the sites and locations if you want!
Click to expand...
Could you please send this to me too? :)
 
tby331 said:
yeah! When you go for an interview, Dean Park will sit down and talk with everyone about rotation sites. He will give you a set list of the hospitals around Utah he has established preceptor ships with. If i remember correctly you rank the sites and they will match you, I believe he said almost all students get their 1st or 2nd choice and rural track students get specific ones. I dont have the list with me right now but I can PM you later tonight with all of the sites and locations if you want!
Click to expand...
Could you send this to me too please?
 
tby331 said:
yeah! When you go for an interview, Dean Park will sit down and talk with everyone about rotation sites. He will give you a set list of the hospitals around Utah he has established preceptor ships with. If i remember correctly you rank the sites and they will match you, I believe he said almost all students get their 1st or 2nd choice and rural track students get specific ones. I dont have the list with me right now but I can PM you later tonight with all of the sites and locations if you want!
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He also sent out an email to all M1 and M2‘s this year letting them know that he has “Struck a deal” With Intermountain healthcare the largest hospital organization in Utah to be able to do rotations with. He has a friend who just took over the rotations at IMC so this is groundbreaking! I personally believe that everybody will be able to pick their general location of where they want to do rotations at and will likely not even need to do the lottery system.`
 

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Decided to post the site list on here since so many people are wanting it!

Hospital affiliations:
  • St. Marks Hospital
  • Ogden Regional Medical Center
  • Lakeview Hospital
  • Mountain View Hospital
  • Timpanogos Regional Hospital
  • Jordan Valley Medical Center
  • Jordan Valley West Campus
  • Mountain Point Medical Center
  • Davis Hospital and Medical Center
  • Salt Lake Regional Medical Center
  • Utah State Hospital
  • Moab Regional Hospital
  • Kane County Hospital
  • Ashley Regional Medical Center
  • Castleview Hospital
  • Dixie Regional Medical Center
  • Milford Regional Hospital
  • Mesa View Hospital
Regional Clinical Training Sites:
  • Southern Utah Region (St.George/Mesquite/Cedar City)
  • Utah Valley (Provo and surrounding areas)
  • Capital Region (Salt Lake City and surrounding areas)
  • Weber Region (Ogden and surrounding areas)
  • Rural sites (Moab, Price, Uintah Basin, Cache Valley, Sho-Lo, AZ, Casper, WY, Cheyenne, WY)
We were told that we will be in one of these areas for our entire 3rd year via lottery and all the rotations will be in the surrounding area so we wouldnt need to move for each rotation. 20-30 students at each site, students able to trade (even with students at the CO campus) and 2-4 students in the rural sites (rural track). Dean also said he has established 771 physician preceptors total.
 
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DoctorToBe23 said:
He also sent out an email to all M1 and M2‘s this year letting them know that he has “Struck a deal” With Intermountain healthcare the largest hospital organization in Utah to be able to do rotations with. He has a friend who just took over the rotations at IMC so this is groundbreaking! I personally believe that everybody will be able to pick their general location of where they want to do rotations at and will likely not even need to do the lottery system.
Click to expand...

So far the only IMC rotation I see is Dixie is that expected to change?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
As mentioned previously, RVUCOM Southern Utah does indeed have a formal association with Intermountain Health Care now, the largest network of hospitals and clinics in the state. We will be able to rotate at hospitals like Intermountain Medical Center (IMC), Utah Valley Regional (recently revamped and huge), McKay-Dee, Primary Children's, LDS Hospital, Dixie Regional, etc. I recently spoke with a couple friends at the University of Utah and they said somewhere around half their students spend all their time rotating at IHC hospitals around the state, away from the main University Hospital. Which leads me to believe our clinical education isn't going to be any worse than that of 50% of our state's only other (and well-ranked) medical school. I know that seems to be a big concern on these boards. I'd say RVUCOM-SU now has some pretty sweet hook ups as far as clinical education for 3rd and 4th year goes.
 
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purpleflower222 said:
Does anyone have any insight on attending RVU-UT vs Burrell (BCOM)?
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I personally think RVU>>>>>Burrell. I interviewed at both. RVU has federal loans Burrell does not (this may be changing soon as burrell should become eligible in the near future). RVU is in a far superior location (my opinion). The deposit policy at Burrell is ridiculous, the deposit policy at RVU is one of the most fair policies of all DO schools I have seen. Burrell does NOT use cadavers, RVU has a great cadaver lab and the dissection experience is invaluable (my opinion). The rotations sites at RVU are superior. Burrell is associated with a university (they are basically on the same campus), this is nice because there are more amenities like gyms and places to eat, etc. Burrell has a huge focus on serving rural locations in the southwest and helping out poor minority communities. This is an admirable mission and they love minority candidates, I think they have one of the most diverse student bodies of all DO schools. If that mission jives with you it might be a good school for you. For me, I don't plan on living in the southwest and I don't see myself practicing on the mexican border. Their mission didn't mesh with me and I thought RVU was a better school and offered better opportunities. Also I hated las cruces and I love St. George. In the end it was an easy decision for me. Hope my rambling helps!
 
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Those that have already interviewed, what was the interview day schedule like (specifically for the AM group). Do you interview right away in the morning? How did you feel about having two people interview you simultaneously? how long was it? any other feedback from the interview is greatly appreciated, type of questions and such :)
 
tby331 said:
Interview day here was great. Southern Utah is insanely beautiful and the people in St. George are so nice! I was able to explore the area a bit after my interview and I was blown away by the mountains. Even the campus was gorgeous! Lots of study rooms, huge simulation labs and widows everywhere!

The school itself really impressed me. From the time I stepped on campus I felt welcomed. Jennifer and Whitney are incredibly sweet and make sure you feel comfortable (they even made brownies for us!) You can really tell the faculty really cares about their students. From the interview experience, the deposit policy, and speaking with the dean, its clear they are willing to go the extra mile to make sure students succeed and are happy. I really appreciated that. They have established their rotation sites already and a ton of physician preceptors around Utah. Class attendance isn't required but they do require students to take COMLEX and USMLE since they are merging residency spots in the near future.

The thing that most surprised me was the students! Every single student that walked by made a point to sit down and say hi and answer all of our questions. Although they had just finished their MSK unit they seemed genuinely happy and excited to talk with us about literally anything. The interview itself was a conversation. We had lunch with our interviewers before the actual interview so we were able to meet them and talk with them in a casual environment. Overall I am high key impressed and genuinely enjoyed my time here.[/QUOTE

was your interview in the AM or PM? Do you know if the AM crew has interviews before lunch?
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futureprovider2.0 said:
Those that have already interviewed, what was the interview day schedule like (specifically for the AM group). Do you interview right away in the morning? How did you feel about having two people interview you simultaneously? how long was it? any other feedback from the interview is greatly appreciated, type of questions and such :)
Click to expand...

Hey! I was in the AM group. You start off with someone from admissions talking to you shortly about the day and then you have a talk for ~40 min to an hour about the school. Its very relaxed and the person talks about the school, curriculum, and rotations and you can bring up anything you want regarding the school. Then the group is split in half and half go on housing tours while the other half interviews then you switch. They let you try on white coats at one point. Then you eat and go on a campus tour after.

For the interview portion make sure to prepare. Everyone comments on how relaxed this interview was but actually this was my most tense interview. It honestly depends on who ends up interviewing you. Just to clarify everyone here is incredibly nice and welcoming, just during my interview it felt more tense and serious than conversational.

All in all I loved this school and atmosphere. Don't worry you will do great!!
 
Does getting a R from the Colorado campus also mean I’m gonna get an R from the Utah campus?
 
Backsideattacked said:
Does getting a R from the Colorado campus also mean I’m gonna get an R from the Utah campus?
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You are only considered for one location. If you selected the "no preference" option, you were assigned to Colorado and reviewed.
 
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Withdrew my interview here. Hopefully it goes to one of you still waiting to hear back!
 
merlin_the_white said:
I'm in the same boat, better than a rejection I guess. I interviewed 10/24.
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Hopefully there is some waitlist movement. If there is, I just hope it's not really late in the cycle after I've already made plans to move and the whole bit. Really like Rocky Vista.
 
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Does anyone know if there was much waitlist movement last year? Or how many were accepted off the waitlist?
 
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Future Doctor Will said:
Hopefully there is some waitlist movement. If there is, I just hope it's not really late in the cycle after I've already made plans to move and the whole bit. Really like Rocky Vista.
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Same here. Waitlisted after my 9/28 interview.
 
Just got an acceptance call! Interviewed on 10/29. Woo!
 
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I received an interview here the other day. I'm from New York and have been accepted to University of New England and have a few other schools, much closer to where I'm from, that I am waiting to hear from post-interview. Can anyone weigh in on if it is worth it for me to interview here even though I have another acceptance? What are the reasons students choose this school over others? I really don't know much about the school/area and anything can help!
 
To current students, do most of you live off campus? What do you like and not like about living off campus? same to those that live on campus, what do you like and dislike? Seems like you would kind of be stuck in one area if you lived feet away from the school but also it would be kinda nice.. Just looking for thoughts and opinions!
 
rayrayben1 said:
I received an interview here the other day. I'm from New York and have been accepted to University of New England and have a few other schools, much closer to where I'm from, that I am waiting to hear from post-interview. Can anyone weigh in on if it is worth it for me to interview here even though I have another acceptance? What are the reasons students choose this school over others? I really don't know much about the school/area and anything can help!
Click to expand...
I also got into unecom. I did interview here at rvu-ut, and i’m glad I did. I was just accepted. It’s going to be a TOUGH decisions. The school has its own great strengths, so you might end up liking it. I make it a nice Vegas trip too! Feel free to message me with any questions
 
futureprovider2.0 said:
To current students, do most of you live off campus? What do you like and not like about living off campus? same to those that live on campus, what do you like and dislike? Seems like you would kind of be stuck in one area if you lived feet away from the school but also it would be kinda nice.. Just looking for thoughts and opinions!
Click to expand...

Most live off campus, the original price for on campus was crazy high. But they have since lowered it and it might be a good option because it does include utilities and internet and everything.

I live 1 mile away from campus and I think that the closer the better but that's just me. Some people like being a little further or closer to things in St George. There isn't much out here in Ivins but it is a great place and some really nice people. There are great places for hiking, biking, climbing and walks. There are parks nearby for pickle ball and you can go shooting if your into that. There is even a pond not too far away that is fun in the summer because it has a little beach.

Cons is that Ivins is expensive. St george has cheaper electricity bills. Santa Clara can be a good option because that is still close and might be on the cheaper side for utilities (i'm not positive about that). Also you are far from a lot of the stuff in St. George. There are closer options for restaurants and shopping but most of them are further.
 
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rayrayben1 said:
I received an interview here the other day. I'm from New York and have been accepted to University of New England and...
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I advocate going to all possible interviews. You applied right? So why wouldn't you go? It may seem like an extra expense now, but going gives you more opportunities to find what "suits" you best. Unless you know 100% unequivocally that UNECOM (your only guarantee at this point) is the BEST for you - attending more interviews is never a waste. Did you research the school before you applied? Based off of your post it seems not. The only person who can determine if it is "worth" it to interview is you.

I matriculated here over another DO school. I basically weighed the pros/cons of both schools out and decided on RVU based upon what I thought was the best fit for me. As a new school (even with CO affiliation) it's a risk, there are still unknowns. I was and still am comfortable taking this risk. Having lived here now for almost 15 months here are my thoughts:

Pros:

  • strong and challenging curriculum
    • systems based works well for me and I like it
  • strong faculty, many with several decades of teaching experience, very supportive
  • on average students at RVU score competitively on the boards
    • ultimately this is on the individual student, but it does reflect somewhat on the school's ability to prepare you for boards
    • students are required to to sit for USMLE step 1 (exam that will open the most residency doors for you)
  • great environment/climate (easily 300+ days of sun/year)
    • rock climbing - 10 min drive
    • mountain biking - 10 min ride
    • hiking - 10 min drive
    • skiing - 1.5 hrs
    • golfing - 15 min drive
    • city run (and competitive) softball/soccer/volleyball leagues - 10-20 min drive
    • school run intramural flag football (started this year)
    • if you are an outdoors person, you really can't find many schools in a spot better than this
  • cost of living is very low, not sure where my classmate above was before, but my expenses are easily half what they were before I came here
  • awesome people
    • my class (2021) is awesome, very supportive atmosphere/people
  • new building with nice facilities/grounds
  • administration overall responsive, listens to concerns and acts when appropriate, some policies are obtuse but thats par for the course anywhere
Cons:

  • significant lack of "social" culture
    • LDS dominates and thus state/area is socially conservative
      • 3.2% beer sucks, there is no comparison to a nice double, stout, or sour (side note yes you can buy "full strength" at state liquor stores but its pricey, talking $13+ for a 6 pack)
      • female friends in my class are often immediately assumed to be going to "nursing school" when people in the community find out they are in "medical school"
      • public schools still teach abstinence only education. this in no way directly affects me, just using it an example of how religious indoctrination affects policy at the state and local levels
      • dating is a significant challenge here if non-LDS, but flip side is I can focus on school
    • big focus on "family culture" in community
      • I'm always asked "are you married? do you have kids? why not??"
      • where I lived previously it was more "what do you do for work/school? what are your aspirations/interests? etc
    • medical marijuana and expanded medicaid just passed at state level, so appears change is slowly happening
  • Lack of early and consistent clinical experiences
    • I have a friend who is a 1st year at another DO school who has been on day long "shadowing/rotation" with ortho surg, family med, peds, and gen surg in the hospital 3 months into first year. I'm a second year that has never done this. Pre-clinical experiences here are essentially nonexistent which stinks (we've had one at a SNF this semester). I haven't stepped inside a hospital since I left to come here for school.
  • research is growing but far from established
    • opportunities are there if you really work hard and seek them out
    • faculty is definitely supportive, the infrastructure just isn't there yet
  • rotations remain a big question
    • yes there is a contract with IHC which will definitely help to make things solid but we still have no idea how they will go
      • will you rotate with residents if hospital has a GME program or strictly preceptors?
      • have preceptors taken students before?
      • how much of our time will be in/outpatient?
      • what will the volume/types of patients we'll see?
  • sim labs that were "promised" at my interview in 2016-7 yet to exist, ya its a "sim" lab and not the real thing, but lack of follow through is disappointing
Overall this school was the best fit for me given my options and I know this because I went to all of my interviews. I'm happy and have no regrets coming here.



 
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futureprovider2.0 said:
To current students, do most of you live off campus? What do you like and not like about living off campus? same to those that live on campus, what do you like and dislike? Seems like you would kind of be stuck in one area if you lived feet away from the school but also it would be kinda nice.. Just looking for thoughts and opinions!
Click to expand...

As my classmate above said many of us in the 2021 class are off campus, prices were highway robbery when we first got here (like SF/NY/LA prices, just crazy). They are much more inline with market prices now. I was able to score a sweet house close to campus off craigslist and live in Ivins.

I like being "off-campus" for the following reasons:
  • Low COL
    • Split 2 bed house w/ 2 car garage for $1200/month
    • utilities ~$75/month each
    • still pay less than the cheapest on campus rental (or maybe the same now with lowered prices)
  • More autonomy/room
    • A lot easier to host friends/parties/BBQ (I don't think you can have a grill at school)
    • I didn't like the idea of having to adhere to any more "policies" by living AT school
    • 2 bed apt seems cramped
    • I get my own mattress that I like
    • Room to do stuff in my garage (oil changes, ski/bike tuning)
  • 4 min drive, 7 min bike, or 15 min walk to campus
    • being closer than that is a non-issue
  • Nice to "escape" home that is, if I'm on campus for 10-12 hours, I don't want to go home and look out my window at the building I was just sitting in.
I'm not sure what the rental market is like now, I have a feeling with 300 new individuals (not including family members) coming to the area a lot of things soaked up pretty quick. They are building like crazy in this area so there is likely to be something on the market. I would not want to live in St. George, Santa Clara would be my max distance away (not worth it otherwise for gas/travel times).

My advice for off campus is aggressively check craigslist/facebook marketplace (or housing, if thats a thing). I would try to avoid going through a property management company. I'm short $60 for them to do absolutely nothing (3 separate apps to 3 different companies and I had to call them and follow up, total waste). I prefer to deal direct with landlord but thats becoming more and more rare due to (lazy) landlords/owners sourcing out their property to management companies, but I digress.
 
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