yeah 🙃🙃 a week into May and no one’s heard anything? it feels like no one’s coming off the WL. and I know it’s totally separate, but Tucson is seeing movement. at least i know Im surrounded but everyone else here as I refresh this page 10 times a day!!
Current student and I would say a good amount of classmates got accepted in June off the WL (If I had to say a number I know of 5 people getting of the WL in June and this doesnt account for individuals that also received an offer and declined it, and others I just dont know about). I think one of the last acceptance I heard about, was a student getting an offer in the third week of June in a past cycle.
UACOMP aims for students with high stats, so there is a decent amount of fluctuation as the school is competing with the med schools that accept students with similar stats, which does cause a lot of movement on our WL (this can always change year to year but this is my general perception). While the school has grown a lot over the past years and I believe it will become a power house one day, its hard to compete with the ivys and UCs, who can provide better financial aid packages or just have a stronger name recognition (even though our in state tuition is pretty cheap compared to a decent amount of schools). I do want to highlight that our classmates match into pretty amazing programs and there is a diverse distribution of matching across specialities, even with not having some speciality home programs (They keep telling us they are close to starting many of the programs we dont have yet in the next couple years, but doubt current students will benefit)
For students who genuinely consider UACOMP their top choice, you really have to emphasize on why specifically you want to come here in your letter of intent or even a follow up letter. I know this is the same old info you probably hear, but its so true. Talk about the impact you aspire to make as a student here, talk about the CHIP programs you want to be apart of (and why), what COD do you want to be apart of (and why), what Student gov positions do you see yourself applying for, If you're interested in primary or rural medicine, talk about the new three year program or the LICs. Talk about what faculty would you like to work with and why, and emphasize what experiences have you had with current or previous students (if you have ANY connections to the school, even at COM-T, reach out to them for guidance NOW and if they dont know how, make them find out, how they can help you). For my peers from underrepresented backgrounds or who are first-generation, especially those still waiting on their first acceptance or who consider UACOMP their top choice, I know you may feel overwhelmed/scared to be this persistent about reaching out for help, but you have to utilize the network you have built and earned to get this far. Its not too late and networking is everything, especially in medical school. You are in the end game now and are so close to your dreams. You have to give it your all.
Additionally, If you're an AZ resident or went to undergrad in phoenix emphasize the underrepresented communities you have worked with throughout your premed years and why those experiences were so important to you. If you see yourself wanting to practice in AZ and raise a family emphasize that in the letter (esp for my peeps with a family or non-trads), so many graduates are leaving out of state and UACOMP (the state in general) is really trying to keep students here for residency here (Like many states there is a major physician shortage). While the school has recently been really focused with high stats, they do review applications holistically in order to ensure students from underrepresented backgrounds, students with many gap years, and/or especially those with strong ties to the state are also prioritized even if you have lower stats. Ensure you have explained your situation as well as for any set backs and why that experience has further prepared you for medical school. While you might have shared all of the things I have highlighted already, share it again if you are serious about coming here (maybe add a new a perspective just to change it up lol). I might sound like a broken record, but give the person on the waitlist committee who's fighting for you one more reason to show the rest of the team why you belong here and why you'd be a perfect fit for our school.
My last note is altruism and servant leadership are key aspects of a successful UACOM-P student. While I aligned with these values myself prior to med school, I was kind of curious to see how these values would actually translate into the culture at the school. It was very quickly once I was surrounded by my amazing classmates who are truly there to support each other at a moments notice personally or academically did I truly understand what servant leadership meant. I do believe this also translate to a majority of the teaching faculty and especially the staff who manage all the day to day task who keep our school running. As stated earlier, the school is constantly striving to grow and evolve. They seek students who will not only be strong medical students but also bring diverse perspectives to continuously improve the experience for future classes and better serve the local community. If any of this resonates with you, I hope what I shared helps you either get off the waitlist or make the decision to come here, and I truly hope to see you as a classmate in a few months.
