AZCOM Class of 2008

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Immuno just plain sucked. That was a hard course. Just beware of those exams. You may think you know the material back and forth but make sure you have a crystal clear concept of the subject matter. This is one of those classes where conceptual understanding is as important as memorizing details. Leyva never asks a direct first order type of questions. Her questions are second and third order meaning you have to know information to know information to know information pertaining to the answer. So you have to understand how everything works like an engineer in Immuno. The same concept applies to biochem too.

Also, anatomy is a course I think one should attend and take great notes. Simple identification has very little to do with Walters tests. She has a lot of practical type of questions in her mulitple choice that can be tricky. For example, she will have a question that says something crazy like: Bob was shot in the shoulder and he fell backwards on to his left hip and then twirled and hit another car head on. Name the cranial nerve that was affected.That's why you can't skip anatomy because Linda will give scenarios like that in graphic examples like that during lecture and those type of scenarios are what she will put on the test. Most people worry about simple identification which requires a lot of time itself but you have to know that and then some.

Biochem...it depends. If you had significant exposure to biochem in undergrad then the notes are all you need. All of the information that is tested is in the lecture packets. However, if you didn't have previous exposure to biochem, you won't know it pieces together properly. Also, Dr. Mann and Dr. Gardener are notorious for putting topics they raise in lecture on the exam.

The best piece of advice I can tell you about Midwestern is to know it all. If you see some slight piece of detail that is 8 font in the right corner of the page, it's going to be on the test. This is true for ALL your classes. The professors will all tell you that they just want you to understand the concepts. That's the b.s. Memorize the tiniest details to the point that it is readily available off the top of your head. The good news is that textbooks are almost useless at AZCOM. All the info is in your lecture packets so you don't need to stress about reading assigned chapters in a textbook. Textbook reading is a waste of time at AZCOM unless it helps clarify a concept to you.
 
azcomdiddy said:
Also, anatomy is a course I think one should attend and take great notes. Simple identification has very little to do with Walters tests. She has a lot of practical type of questions in her mulitple choice that can be tricky. For example, she will have a question that says something crazy like: Bob was shot in the shoulder and he fell backwards on to his left hip and then twirled and hit another car head on. Name the cranial nerve that was affected.

:laugh:
Except the pt's name is "Spike" 😎
 
azcomdiddy said:
Flights are never canceled because of snow or ice on the tarmac at our airport.

No, but when I was there, Sky Harbor did have to shut down once or twice to wait for the temperature to drop below 120 so that the aircraft could achieve lift.

Again though, if all you can bitch about is the weather, life isn't too bad. Agreed that Phoenix winters are nice--and maybe I'll appreciate that when I'm 85 and want a place in Sun City--but I missed the variety of weather while I was out there.
 
Boomer said:
No, but when I was there, Sky Harbor did have to shut down once or twice to wait for the temperature to drop below 120 so that the aircraft could achieve lift.

Again though, if all you can bitch about is the weather, life isn't too bad. Agreed that Phoenix winters are nice--and maybe I'll appreciate that when I'm 85 and want a place in Sun City--but I missed the variety of weather while I was out there.

Yeah, but that is extremely rare. I used to be a consultant in Phoenix prior to switching careers and I would fly out every week. I never experienced a plane never taking off because of high temperatures. I heard it happening once and I'm not doubting that it did happen like you said, but it's not a frequent occurence like ice covering the wings of the plane at O'hare or Boston Logan airport and them having to delay your flight by an hour or two to clear it off. I can't tell you many times delays were due to weather in the upper midwest and east coast. It's just a part of their life there; we don't experience that.

Yeah, Phoenix isn't for everyone but then neither are cities like San Diego, Tampa, Miami and Houston which are warm all year round as well. You will never experience seasons in Phoenix just like you won't in those cities. I've become accustomed to year round warm weather and I would never want to experience those cold Chi town winters ever again. I was one of those people who grew to like the constant warmth but not everyone loves it like me and misses having seasons. I do miss fall weather but it's a tradeoff I guess.
 
azcomdiddy said:
Just beware of those exams. You may think you know the material back and forth but make sure you have a crystal clear concept of the subject matter. This is one of those classes where conceptual understanding is as important as memorizing details. Leyva never asks a direct first order type of questions. Her questions are second and third order meaning you have to know information to know information to know information pertaining to the answer. So you have to understand how everything works like an engineer in Immuno. The same concept applies to biochem too.
Also, anatomy is a course I think one should attend and take great notes. Simple identification has very little to do with Walters tests. She has a lot of practical type of questions in her mulitple choice that can be tricky. For example, she will have a question that says something crazy like: Bob was shot in the shoulder and he fell backwards on to his left hip and then twirled and hit another car head on. Name the cranial nerve that was affected.That's why you can't skip anatomy because Linda will give scenarios like that in graphic examples like that during lecture and those type of scenarios are what she will put on the test. Most people worry about simple identification which requires a lot of time itself but you have to know that and then some.
Biochem...it depends. If you had significant exposure to biochem in undergrad then the notes are all you need. All of the information that is tested is in the lecture packets. Also, Dr. Mann and Dr. Gardener are notorious for putting topics they raise in lecture on the exam.
The best piece of advice I can tell you about Midwestern is to know it all. If you see some slight piece of detail that is 8 font in the right corner of the page, it's going to be on the test. This is true for ALL your classes. The professors will all tell you that they just want you to understand the concepts. That's the b.s. Memorize the tiniest details to the point that it is readily available off the top of your head. The good news is that textbooks are almost useless at AZCOM. All the info is in your lecture packets so you don't need to stress about reading assigned chapters in a textbook. Textbook reading is a waste of time at AZCOM unless it helps clarify a concept to you.

Thanks azcomdiddy! These little tid-bits are what I'm looking for....
It's those kind of specifics that are as good as gold. 👍
 
I agree about Immunology. That entire department needs to go. For some reason it literally annoyed me to go to that class. For Biochem, Gardner was great--but the BEST was Dr. Yueh!

So now that we have first year books/classes out of the way, what are the recommendations for second year? What classes suck (other than micro) and which are musts? I am assuming path and pharm are classes to go to. Also, do we not have Dr. Wagman (Wags) second year? I thought he often referred to things he would "teach" us second year, but I don't see his class on our schedule. What are your thoughts on topics/icm?

As for weather, I like the phoenix heat--especially with the VERY mild summer we have had thus far in Chicago. It feels like a Phoenix winter here (perhaps slightly cooler with MUCH more rain). And though it gets warm during the summer in PHX, it cannot compare to the cold of Chicago winters (as the pervious poster mentioned). As a sidenote, just because people live in Chicago doesn't mean they don't get up and put on shorts/sandals every day. I did go to school with some people (Chicago and Milwaukee) who, despite the weather, continued to wear shorts and sandals, even with below-zero temperatures. But, I'm not sure they were all there...so who knows.


:luck:
 
azcomdiddy said:
Yeah, but that is extremely rare. I used to be a consultant in Phoenix prior to switching careers and I would fly out every week. I never experienced a plane never taking off because of high temperatures. I heard it happening once and I'm not doubting that it did happen like you said, but it's not a frequent occurence like ice covering the wings of the plane at O'hare or Boston Logan airport and them having to delay your flight by an hour or two to clear it off. I can't tell you many times delays were due to weather in the upper midwest and east coast. It's just a part of their life there; we don't experience that.

Yeah, Phoenix isn't for everyone but then neither are cities like San Diego, Tampa, Miami and Houston which are warm all year round as well. You will never experience seasons in Phoenix just like you won't in those cities. I've become accustomed to year round warm weather and I would never want to experience those cold Chi town winters ever again. I was one of those people who grew to like the constant warmth but not everyone loves it like me and misses having seasons. I do miss fall weather but it's a tradeoff I guess.

Diff'rent strokes, man. Diff'rent strokes.

Of course, my wise ass was just making a point about the travelling issue.....

Personally, I like to be outside during the daytime, and it's damn hot in Phoenix to be outside at 2 pm for big chunks of the year....that's all.
 
i love the heat!!! golfing 18 holes (w/cart) for $5 to $15 between 10-2pm can't be beat!!! i don't think i've ever used my car ac...just open the sun-roof, roll down the windows...and don't touch anything metal
 
jhug said:
i love the heat!!! golfing 18 holes (w/cart) for $5 to $15 between 10-2pm can't be beat!!! i don't think i've ever used my car ac...just open the sun-roof, roll down the windows...and don't touch anything metal

I love it when AZ folks try to tell me about dry heat... try single digit humidity some time buddy. (Actually, this summer has been pretty cool here, about 85 avg.).

Golf in 110 degree heat is great, if you have a gallon of water with you. Speaking of which jhug, check your PMs.
 
MDmiracle said:
Are the notes and syllabus that good that you can know where the class is and what you need to be studying without going to class? I know it's kinda a newb question but I have never had a class where the teachers notes and syllabus were that good.


yea but when notes and teacher is bad u jsut take the lesser of the 2 evils and go with the notes i say.... :meanie:


i hate when bad teachers have tenure....many really really bad teachers tend to have tenure...sigh
 
hmmmm....those on HPSP...do you buy the books...i mean they are paid for and everything....wonder, wonder
 
oh yea....i almsst forgot.....can u get A's withough going to the abovementioned classes?? i am hoping 2 aim for a competative residency....if i can make the grades that is.... :laugh: :laugh:
 
doc jkrue said:
U2---New York

but don't know the album....the new one

Very good! It's from "All that you can't leave behind"
 
I'm a gal who goes to all classes, but with that said, I recommend pham and path. Path for sure, pharm maybe. I can guarantee there will be things said by instructors in pharm that will make it clear what to know, so it is beneficial to attend. And once again, you can do fine in all of the classes, first or second year without going, since the notes are all there for you, if you are good at reading and absorbing from reading.

Path notes are not very clear, in their layout,m generally, unless you go. It is the most well attended class, and you will be pulling stuff out of the deep recesses of your mind on rotations that you learned in path,it is so well taught. Beware, though, Devine goes very very very fast.

I dig on most of the micro/immuno department (I know I'm a freak and in the total minority)- and although this is the worst attended class, besides Collins, you will glean things from class that will ehlp you on tests. Most people did not go, and most people passed (maybe everyone passed?). Collins reads straight from his notes, though, and his lectures drag and drag.

Wagman's class comes back in full force 3rd quarter. You must attend this class. He makes your life hell if you don't. It's got more applicable material, though.

That being said, the classes that prepped me best for the boards were Lovecchio's and Field's (I don't know who teaches Fields classes now). They are total board prep classes and will help you A LOT on the boards. My COMLEX score is at least 20 points higher, percentile wise than my rank in the class, and I attribute it to those classes (and my memorization of the sympathetic/parasympathetic tables in Savarese).

Good luck, all!
 
exia80 said:
oh yea....i almsst forgot.....can u get A's withough going to the abovementioned classes??

Yes...It it very possible

For some...like Behavior, you can not go, study (actually read over the notes a few times) just the day before, and still pull off an A.
 
k i have a solution....to buy a laptop and do my MHA stuff in class.....that is multitasking and therefore always good....


though i doubt i'll make it to classes very religiously...i find teachers who read from notes a total waste of my money,....good thing that i pay for the degree and not the teachers huh???<insert more sarcasm here>
 
Be careful about people telling you that all you need is the notes to get an A. I think if you are perfectly happy with B's, then skip class for the most part. If you want A's, I think going to class is essential. No, you won't receive better instruction but the professors at AZCOM will give hints about what will be on the exam. This is especially true for Dr. Mann. It's not obvious or anything like that and you need to pay attention which can be difficult but they will keep talking about points in class that will show up on the exam.

I know many people who never attend class and get A's. But what people don't realize is that these people are really talented. They have this crazy intuition and they just know what's going to be tested. They also have a pretty good background in the sciences so a lot of stuff is second nature to them and the notes are a review for the,. But for most people in the class, getting an A requires attendance due to those hints that are being offerred in the class.

The hardest part for me was not attending class; it was paying attention in class. It's a skill. It takes about 2 weeks to develop attendance stamina. It's like running. At first, I would doze off after 20 minutes. You get better at it but it can be mentally exhausting to full concentrate 5 hours each day. But if you can manage this, it's basically like studying once for the subject. So when you review the material for the first time, it's like you have studied this stuff for the second time. That's the great thing about attending class but yeah it requires some stamina.

But if you absolutely detest class, you don't have to go. This is not one of those schools where class attendance is essential. My point is that class attendance can help a little but if you missed class for a week, you aren't screwed either. What you will find is that most people will skip class eventually.
 
azcomdiddy said:
But if you absolutely detest class, you don't have to go. This is not one of those schools where class attendance is essential. My point is that class attendance can help a little but if you missed class for a week, you aren't screwed either. What you will find is that most people will skip class eventually.

I would agree with this. But I'd just like to emphasize once more for everybody: Go for 2-3 weeks AT LEAST before you skip class. In fact, I'd even go until after your first exams are over.

You have little to lose. If you skip class to go outside and play, you'll melt anyways. 🙂
 
sjs...i'm up for either any time!!!
i went golfing with the fam back home and thought i was going to injure someone...i played terrible!!!
 
well i am really bored right now trying 2 wrap up my grad school papers...and hating accounting class....

there is a LIZARD living in my washing machine behind the drum and i dunno how 2 get it out...

it is how all all h*ll...

and stupid finential aid does not wanna increase my budget 2 include my grad school until i give them some papers that they did not specify...

and i seriously think i am developing some sort of weird ADD thing cause i cant freaking concentrate on studying for more than 20 mins.....

k that is th end of my rant....just thought that would make me feel better 😀
 
If any of you are into poker a group of us like to play every now and then...and hope to play more. Let us know!
 
Hey all, I was just curious how many of you have heard from your big brother or sister yet? And if they've given you any really great tips/advice for the up-and-comming year that are share-worthy.

I spoke with my big bro on the phone once, but I didn't come away with much highly valuable. Other than the only book to worry about getting up front is a Netter's atlas, and that he has some old notes to share with me from a couple classes. But he was pretty vague about that part.

Anyways, any valuable tid bits from others?
 
my two cents...netter and rohen (plus the medical dictionary you get when you join the AMA🙂 i had to throw that in)
i've emailed my little bro a few times but havn't heard back yet...
as far as tips...enjoy this part of your summer...try not to get too caught up in the stress and preparation stuff (i know that is much easier said than done) i would try and get to school and settled in as early as possible...the last thing you want is to be worrying about is misc stuff (mail, phone,moving) start out organized and it will help you a lot. i'll post more as they come...or pm me with specifics
 
Who is going to teach Histo this next year? I would give recommendations regarding this class (e.g. I liked the Wheater atlas), but I'm not sure if they will change it any (with Dr. P leaving--or did she decide not to?).

You will have lots of time to talk to / ask questions of 2nd years. Last year there was a party a 2nd year had where I was able to talk to some of them. We will all be around too--just stop us and ask us (don't be shy). I also spent a lot of time on the 2nd floor of the library last year and I had the opportunity to ask the 2nd years hanging out there. The most important thing is what Jason said--JUST RELAX. Have some fun and enjoy yourself. You will have pleanty of time to worry about the other details--don't start developing an anxiety d/o just yet (that will come soon enough). On that note, keep asking any questions you have and we will all be more than happy to answer them.

One week and I'll be out of the COLD Midwest and back to Arizona. I hope my golf clubs aren't TOO rusty...

Matt
 
yea i have not heard anything from by big bro/sis....that jsut figures 2...oh well
 
exia80 said:
yea i have not heard anything from by big bro/sis....that jsut figures 2...oh well


Hi Exia!

I have another little sis', but I would be glad to adopt you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. BTW, did you get the pm?

Cyndi
 
dr p left!!! all the rumors that she was starting with us/with 2008...all for not! i guess she starts in ann harbor, mi tomorrow. I really liked he as a professor and person...too bad.
 
Dumb question... Who's Dr. P?
 
theags said:
Dumb question... Who's Dr. P?

Dr Poznanski. She taught Embryology. Great professor!
 
figures that a good professor would leave and bad ones woudl stay...sigh
 
irish79 said:
Who is going to teach Histo this next year?

Dr Walter is going to be doing the bulk of the Histo...so she makes it sound. Although Dr P. was the $#@$5 at Histo/Embryo, it will NEVER hurt to have Dr. Walters teach you.

I think that Dr. Walters and Nydam are splitting embryo.
 
There is also a new anatomy professor (I forgot her name) on the faculty as of now too. She is from Johns Hopkins too (like Dr. Z.)
 
Just FYI. I was poking around on the intranet site and found out that it looks like the white coat ceremony will be December 3rd. Someone asked this awhile ago. It was on the master calender of the mwunet site.
 
cdreed said:
Dr Poznanski. She taught Embryology. Great professor!

I didn't think Dr. P was great. She is really a cool person but I thought she was a terrible lecturer. She covered things entirely too quickly. I think Walters is much better.
 
Hey, I just got accepted and I'm looking for a big bro or big sis if someone doesn't mind having a little brother. 😀
 
azcomhopeful said:
Hey, I just got accepted and I'm looking for a big bro or big sis if someone doesn't mind having a little brother. 😀


Welcome to the club! See you in about 3weeks... Yikes! Congratulations
 
azcomhopeful said:
Hey, I just got accepted and I'm looking for a big bro or big sis if someone doesn't mind having a little brother. 😀
I think we'll probably hear from our big bro/sis sometime during orientation. I haven't heard from mine yet, but apparently we have all been assigned one.
 
azcomdiddy said:
I didn't think Dr. P was great. She is really a cool person but I thought she was a terrible lecturer. She covered things entirely too quickly. I think Walters is much better.


Dr P was great, but Dr Walters was outstanding. And I felt that all of the Anatomy/Embryo/Histo went by rather quickly. But aren't all the classes we take lectured at top speed?
 
Hey guys i am working on a book list for the MS-1's. I'll post it in about an hour
 
Here's some info for you all. The results from this year's COMLEX 1 boards came in and the Dean sent an email to all 3rd years stating that the AZCOM pass rate was 96% and the pass rate average at other schools was 88%. This won't mean alot to you incoming people just yet, but AZCOM consistently has a very high pass rate on boards (2 also).
 
Hey guys,
I don't know if this will help anyone, but I'll post it anyway. I spent acouple of hours getting information about books today at the bookstore. Since no one has a comprehensive book list I made my own from the books available at the bookstore and in speaking with Nancy. Also, I did some research on prices that is included with the attachment.
Speaking for myself I won't be able to by textbooks when the first week of school roles around because I'll be getting low on funds until FA comes. So while I have a bit of money I thought I'd pick up some of the essentials. Any thoughts from previous MS-1's would help.

Oh, and Lippincott's biochem, mentioned earlier,is printing a new edition so the bookstore won't have them until at earliest the second week of aug. I hope this info helps those itching to get going like myself. If their is an error anywhere in the list let me know and I'll try and fix it quickly.


I just had a thought that if you order books from either of the websites I listed in the attachment, Order them in the lowest monetary block that still is eligable for the coupon that way you can use the coupon multiple times. and save yourself a few extra bucks.
 

Attachments

You guys should definitely buy a Netters, at least one OMM book (I liked DiGiovanna and Schiowitz, others preferred Hoppenfeld), and the histo text w/ one atlas. The embryo text will help clarify lecture notes, as well. We used Langman's last year... not sure what you'll need since Dr P is gone. The rest is not necessary. Besides, all of the books are in the library if you need them. And if you check the bulletin boards at school, you will find reasonably priced used texts. Another option is to borrow from a MSII. I plan on lending my books to my little sis' if she needs them.

You will probably get a lot of different advice on this topic. I would suggest that you wait until school begins to decide which books you want. A huge portion of the decision will be based on personal preference and study habits.
 
Histology: I would recommend Wheater's Basic Histopathology: A Colour Atlas & Text By H. George Burkitt. I really liked that atlas (and so does Dr. Walters).

Embryology: I don't think these two are necessary; I don't even remember them!
Moore 6th Before We are Born 072169408x No Price
Moore 7th The Developing Human 0721694128 No Price

Human Behavior: DO NOT BUY ANYTHING. You will not need any of the books. I got 100% on every test (midterms and finals) for all three quarters and I never ONCE read any book. The notes are sufficient.

OMM: I bought the big, green Foundations book--but never once opened it. I guess it is good to have some kind of OMM reference book, but if you need to save the money, skip this one.

ICM: I liked Mosby's, it is a good book. I guess if you read all that is required it would be good, but I never had the time to do so. It is still a good book for reference of physical diagnosis.

Biochem: No need to buy "The Cell" unless you really struggle with molecular cell biology. My major was molecular biology, so maybe it just seemed very simplistic. However, for the amount that most would use it, you can just check it out of the library, or come use mine (it has never been opened).
 
atlases are great...but buy them from a second year (or borrow) the bookstore is quite $$...i had the hist book/atlas and didn't really use it much at all (not enough to merit the $$), wheater's (i bought off a second year) and the coveted erlandsen (again from a second year) my little bro is getting all these. I bought the biochem book and used it maybe three or four times (not enough to merit the $$) a classmate bought a neat book off the internet for metabolism that really helped...i'll get back to you on what it's called. I bought the OMM review book and really liked it (worth the $$, imo), didn't buy anything for icm/human behavior...i can't imagine reading all they assign on top of everything else. Netter & Rohen helped me a ton!!!

oh, and don't buy a medical dictionary (which is VERY helpful with the lingo) because you'll get one FREE when you join the AMA!!!!!🙂
 
WOW, really pushing the AMA Jason...are we trying to win the prize for most new members or something? Although, I think you should all join the AMA too, its a great club AND you get JAMA to read (you know, in your spare time :luck: ).
 
jhug said:
atlases are great...but buy them from a second year (or borrow) the bookstore is quite $$...i had the hist book/atlas and didn't really use it much at all (not enough to merit the $$), wheater's (i bought off a second year) and the coveted erlandsen (again from a second year) my little bro is getting all these. I bought the biochem book and used it maybe three or four times (not enough to merit the $$) a classmate bought a neat book off the internet for metabolism that really helped...i'll get back to you on what it's called. I bought the OMM review book and really liked it (worth the $$, imo), didn't buy anything for icm/human behavior...i can't imagine reading all they assign on top of everything else. Netter & Rohen helped me a ton!!!

oh, and don't buy a medical dictionary (which is VERY helpful with the lingo) because you'll get one FREE when you join the AMA!!!!!🙂

You Know if you put that in Your signature. You won't have to keep typing it. :laugh: 😀
 
FYI from the registrar's office:

Concerning OCM I/ICM 1511 (Community Medicine, aka 1st and 2nd year clinical experience) for our incomming class...

"It was dropped from the MS I fall quarter curriculum to allow students more time to study the basic science curriculum. It resumes in the winter and spring.
"It was also dropped from the MS II spring curriculum to allow more time to study for the NBOME board exam."


I'm not exactly sure at this point how big an impact this will make on our week-to-week schedules, but I didn't realize that they were doing this. I don't remember any mention of it during interview info sessions or anything. 😕
 
Where did you get this information? That is kind of strange. I would think for first year, it would be better to drop it in the winter quarter when you have WAY TOO MUCH to do anyway. Fall quarter wasn't bad at all. I am glad we don't have it for spring quarter 2nd year. All the studying I can do for boards, the better...
 
irish79 said:
Where did you get this information? That is kind of strange. I would think for first year, it would be better to drop it in the winter quarter when you have WAY TOO MUCH to do anyway. Fall quarter wasn't bad at all. I am glad we don't have it for spring quarter 2nd year. All the studying I can do for boards, the better...

I emailed Christy Schenk in the Registrar's Office after I noticed the difference between our new MS1 Fall 2004 schedule and the copy of the MS1 Fall 2003 schedule they gave us in our interview packet.

Does this impact our free time dramatically during those quarters?
 
melmc said:
I emailed Christy Schenk in the Registrar's Office after I noticed the difference between our new MS1 Fall 2004 schedule and the copy of the MS1 Fall 2003 schedule they gave us in our interview packet.

Does this impact our free time dramatically during those quarters?

We had it for 3 hours every Thursday morning. It was a cool class at first (made you feel like you were actually learning medicine), but it sort of got old, and the notes were kind of crappy. Then, there was a big fiasco about the final, and so the class structure/exams were going to see a major overhaul. (For us, all you had to do was study old practice tests, but then a lot of people complained and ..... well, you get the picture).

So how will it be this year? I have no idea. I'd imagine that they'll move something into the Thursday morning slot, but however it shakes out, you'll likely get a few more hours in the week.

Strange thing about medical schol, the days are long, but the weeks fly by.
 
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