AZCOM Discussion Thread 2010-2011
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If they are taking votes, I think the yellow-bellied sapsuckers... or white-faced saki monkey... or pink fairy armadillo. 😕 There are too many crazy animal names out there.
Books: campus bookstore website will likely have the 2015 book list by mid-July, if not earlier. http://www.webmedbooks.com/azcom/content/browse.aspx/id=115759/
Medical supplies: don't even bother until you've had your first ICM class; the prof will tell you what you do and don't need.
General supplies: typical stuff you'd think you'll need; also, if you are going to invest in a new printer and like to have printed out lectures and/or study materials I'd suggest looking into a cheap laser printer instead of an inkjet, it'll be more expensive upfront but in the long-run you'll save money on ink. Most of the departments decided to change to an "electronic-only" format this school year to be more "eco-friendly" (and the dean is likely forcing most of, if not all of, the other departments to follow their lead this upcoming school year) and people's printers were hemorrhaging ink.
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I would highly recommend waiting until the 1st day of classes and previewing the books at the library before buying any of them. You may end up having a lot of nice paperweights at the end of the year.
Called today, there are 160 people on the alternate list. She said there won't be any more movement for at least a week, maybe two.
Have they accepted people off the list? When I called I was told that they wouldn't accept people until "middle of june" but a few people have dropped off the list.
So the real questions are,
1. Have people been taken off the list. (Are some accepted at AZCOM or did they just drop off due to other acceptances)
2. How many people that had acceptances ended up dropping off.
I can only hope for the best but seeing as how some schools go 30-50 deep into the wait list (With a 100-120 class size) one would assume with a class size of 250 you would go 60-80 into the wait list, especially with the high tuition cost.
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I just gave them a call and they told me that there are 163 people on the list and they would start movement in mid-June. I asked how many spaces were available, but the lady I spoke with said she was not given that info.
Good luck to all on the list!
Good luck to all on the list!
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The guess of 60-80 into the waitlist sounds appropriate. At least that is what I am hoping for. Someone earlier in this thread said that 30-40% is about how many they pull from the waitlist in a given year.
Good luck to everyone still waiting to hear.
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I've been doing a bit of looking and have found a few apps that seem like they'd be really helpful but I contacted Stanford U's medical program and asked what they recommend to their medical students now that they are giving each incoming MSI a new ipad. Here is the link they responded with in case anyone is interested.
http;//med.stanford.edu/medapps
There are a few tabs so check em out if you'd like.
http;//med.stanford.edu/medapps
There are a few tabs so check em out if you'd like.
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These apps look good, but at the end of the day, you will be tested on what is given to you in the seemingly endless handouts. There were times I wondered what part of the Amazon was sacrificed for our packets, but at the same time, I'm a bit old school in I need the tactile feel of hard paper to take notes on.
These things would be good for maybe the labs but beyond the exams, the notes tend to be what they use. For the sake of time, I'd go purely off of this rather than trying to incorporate as many sources as possible. You might be able to early on, but AZCOM moves too fast.
These things would be good for maybe the labs but beyond the exams, the notes tend to be what they use. For the sake of time, I'd go purely off of this rather than trying to incorporate as many sources as possible. You might be able to early on, but AZCOM moves too fast.
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Omg!!! I didn't check my webmail til now and I found out I have a missing doc for financial aid! Does this mean I won't get loans?? cause I do not have 60 grand to pay for tuition.. help! 🙁
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You should call them, but being that they release award letters next month, you might be in a bit of trouble. Let us know how it does.
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It's about $225, with the AZCOM discount. It's very close by school but the wait can be very long as it is a busy place.
You don't need to get it done right away. I put it off despite the emails until I literally had no choice (need for rotations). That said, give yourself a couple of months in the event your HepB turns up negative so you can get immunized in time.
I really hope I get into this school. Has anyone been accepted off of the waitlist here yet?
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Hey guys,
Just thought I'd weigh in on a few of your questions...
Re: Books and Supplies- You will definately need a good laptop and a decent printer although there are many of us who don't bother printing lecture handouts. MS OneNote or Preview for Mac will allow you to type directly onto the PDFs you download for class. DON'T BUY BOOKS! At least not yet. Some of my classmates had really great Big Sibs who let them borrow textbooks and anatomy atlases. The library also keeps copies of everything on reserve. The only things I bought a lot of were colored Sharpie Pens, highlighters and a few notebooks.
Re: Late stage student loans and waitlist- I got in off the waitlist on June 22 of last year and was able to take out all the student loans I needed for school. Don't loose sleep over getting the money (or paying it back;-) It will all work out.
I know it sounds silly but try not to sweat too much over your transition to med school. You are all really bright, hardworking people (otherwise you wouldn't be here). You'll figure it out🙂
Congrats to those accepted and best of luck to those still waiting! I know exactly how you feel
Just thought I'd weigh in on a few of your questions...
Re: Books and Supplies- You will definately need a good laptop and a decent printer although there are many of us who don't bother printing lecture handouts. MS OneNote or Preview for Mac will allow you to type directly onto the PDFs you download for class. DON'T BUY BOOKS! At least not yet. Some of my classmates had really great Big Sibs who let them borrow textbooks and anatomy atlases. The library also keeps copies of everything on reserve. The only things I bought a lot of were colored Sharpie Pens, highlighters and a few notebooks.
Re: Late stage student loans and waitlist- I got in off the waitlist on June 22 of last year and was able to take out all the student loans I needed for school. Don't loose sleep over getting the money (or paying it back;-) It will all work out.
I know it sounds silly but try not to sweat too much over your transition to med school. You are all really bright, hardworking people (otherwise you wouldn't be here). You'll figure it out🙂
Congrats to those accepted and best of luck to those still waiting! I know exactly how you feel
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Oh, okay, sorry about the confusion. You have to get new titers drawn in preparation for rotations. I called up for my immunization records from my PCP and they took that. I've only had to do this titer thing once and that was 6 months ago.
If you have records, they'll let you slide but it's not enough for 3rd year I suppose. If you're afraid the school might make you do it again in 2nd year, I would just get it done through the school since the lab will send the results directly to student services and there won't be a problem.
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Haven't checked in here in a while but I'm still floating around every once in a while. Can't wait to meet you all Aug 2nd.
In other news, the nurses on my floor surprised me with food and cake and a brand new Littmann Cardio III Black Edition today. I turned in my 2 weeks notice this afternoon. Was a pretty awesome gift.
In other news, the nurses on my floor surprised me with food and cake and a brand new Littmann Cardio III Black Edition today. I turned in my 2 weeks notice this afternoon. Was a pretty awesome gift.
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Can you recycle your LORs? I thought you had to gather new ones or have the same professors/letter writers submit again? Please clarify
You can. If you can get some new ones, great, but you're not going to be blacklisted by schools because you're using the same LORs from a different cycle.
Just got accepted via phone call today so there is wait-list movement for those who were wondering.
Congrats! Hopefully I will get one of those phone calls soon
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Thank you both.
Does anyone know the school's policy on deferment? I've been accepted to a Masters program as well and I really didn't expect an acceptance so late. Now will have to debate on what to do... Good luck to all those waiting!
I will be calling them also, but if anyone has experience I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
Perusing through this thread and I found this (thanks randomusername):
Search "Deferred Admissions" in the catalog.
http://www.midwestern.edu/Documents/Catalog/AZCatalog2010-2011(1).pdf
Also, as noted by Flushot, there is NOT a wait-list deferred admissions policy for AZCOM such as exists at some other schools.
So, my reason is far from a medical disability, but I would still like to do both the Masters and DO if possible.
Does anyone know the school's policy on deferment? I've been accepted to a Masters program as well and I really didn't expect an acceptance so late. Now will have to debate on what to do... Good luck to all those waiting!
I will be calling them also, but if anyone has experience I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
Perusing through this thread and I found this (thanks randomusername):
Search "Deferred Admissions" in the catalog.
http://www.midwestern.edu/Documents/Catalog/AZCatalog2010-2011(1).pdf
Also, as noted by Flushot, there is NOT a wait-list deferred admissions policy for AZCOM such as exists at some other schools.
So, my reason is far from a medical disability, but I would still like to do both the Masters and DO if possible.
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Hi guys,
I'm currently accepted and I am still in total shock about tuition/debt. However, reading through the thread has helped calm me somewhat. I am planning on specializing most definitely out of necessity 😉
Also, I'm probably too late to apply to HPSP?
Sorry to go off on a tangent, my tour guide told me that a lot of AZCOM students are non-traditional ones. As in, they have families, etc. I am a single parent and I am going to be coming with my son (10 years old). Would it be okay for us to stay in the on-campus housing? Any current parents on here? I am also looking into some schools in the area as well as some after school programs. I am hoping that there might be some current students with kids in his same age group.
Thanks everyone and good luck to those still on the waitlist!
I'm currently accepted and I am still in total shock about tuition/debt. However, reading through the thread has helped calm me somewhat. I am planning on specializing most definitely out of necessity 😉
Also, I'm probably too late to apply to HPSP?
Sorry to go off on a tangent, my tour guide told me that a lot of AZCOM students are non-traditional ones. As in, they have families, etc. I am a single parent and I am going to be coming with my son (10 years old). Would it be okay for us to stay in the on-campus housing? Any current parents on here? I am also looking into some schools in the area as well as some after school programs. I am hoping that there might be some current students with kids in his same age group.
Thanks everyone and good luck to those still on the waitlist!
There are a ton of students with kids, so there's likely going to be somebody with children around the same age as your son. I don't see why living in the on-campus apartments would be any different from living in an apartment complex elsewhere, and there are definitely a number of students with children that live on-campus. I'd definitely suggest emailing Jose (apartment manager; I believe I've posted his email address here somewhere...if not, just pm me) about any questions though, as he likely has a better idea about how people manage on-campus with children.
It is likely too late to apply for the four-year HPSP this year. You can contact recruiters now to see if it's too late to get a four-year (typically, if one does have space it's the Navy because it's a large recruitment allotment and people aren't too keen on potentially being stuck on a ship or deploying with marines, but they all pretty much fill-up every year) and if it is, you can always get the process started for a three-year.
I'd suggest taking the DO over the master's. If you still want the master's afterward, it's likely a lot easier to get a second acceptance to that program (or a similar one) than it would be to get a second acceptance to medical school; this is also assuming you're not talking about an SMP. If you're talking about an SMP, there shouldn't even be a debate.
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I just wanted to mention something about the Master's: I wouldn't do it. I am an alumnus of AZCOM's SMP and honestly, it really is only a stepping stone to a professional degree. There is little to nothing the Master's will give you that a professional doctorate cannot. Save your money and time.
It is not too late to apply to HPSP. Orientation will have more info on it as well. I know of classmates who got into it halfway through their 1st year as well, so there's always time.
That said, the debt is not impossible; it will just delay things. I had a bit of a tirade going in the EM forums about living frugally as a resident and even an attending to wipe out debt a fast as possible. I hope I got my point across there, but it's a different perspective when the docs on SDN had interest rates of 1.6 and 2.5%.
So by that note, get the residency in the field you want to do. It will pay you back as long as you play your cards right. I think we all have to do that anyway, whether you are FM or Derm.
About the kids, I lived on campus last year (moving out to Tucson for 3rd year) and there were lots of families in my building. We're talking babies and toddlers. Many families live on campus so there's nothing to worry about.
There is also a library and park that is sort of tucked in the back on 57th avenue. It is easy access from on campus housing and has a lot of activities. Down one more street is an aquatic center that MWU often sets up group discounts for. I don't know about schools, but there's lots of afterschool programs that are very close by.
It is not too late to apply to HPSP. Orientation will have more info on it as well. I know of classmates who got into it halfway through their 1st year as well, so there's always time.
That said, the debt is not impossible; it will just delay things. I had a bit of a tirade going in the EM forums about living frugally as a resident and even an attending to wipe out debt a fast as possible. I hope I got my point across there, but it's a different perspective when the docs on SDN had interest rates of 1.6 and 2.5%.
So by that note, get the residency in the field you want to do. It will pay you back as long as you play your cards right. I think we all have to do that anyway, whether you are FM or Derm.
About the kids, I lived on campus last year (moving out to Tucson for 3rd year) and there were lots of families in my building. We're talking babies and toddlers. Many families live on campus so there's nothing to worry about.
There is also a library and park that is sort of tucked in the back on 57th avenue. It is easy access from on campus housing and has a lot of activities. Down one more street is an aquatic center that MWU often sets up group discounts for. I don't know about schools, but there's lots of afterschool programs that are very close by.
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Thanks for the responses guys! 🙂 I am going to look into a good school nearby and hopefully find an afterschool program that will help tutor him/help him with homework. Its a tough age to move as a child and I want the adjustment to be easy on him, but its nice to know that there are families that can offer company! 🙂
With regards to the whole SMP vs. DO debate, randomusername, you might want to check out this thread:
http://206.82.221.137/showthread.php?p=11120320
With regards to the whole SMP vs. DO debate, randomusername, you might want to check out this thread:
http://206.82.221.137/showthread.php?p=11120320
Certainly you'll find people suggesting the SMP route, but the funny thing is the people that actually follow that advice will: lose out on a minimum of one year of an attending's income, pay more in tuition for their four years (not even including the cost of the SMP and reapplying at least one more time) barring they get into a school significantly cheaper (one of the few instances in which, financially, this might make sense is if they only have an acceptance to a school like MWU and also have a very high likelihood of getting into a school with tuition comparable to the Texas schools because then the overall saving difference between the four years of tuition would be ~equivalent to an FP's salary for a year), have increased residency competition due to increasing numbers of graduates from both MD and DO schools with stagnated residency program slots (and, therefore, decreased chances of matching into the field of their choice unless it happens to be primary care), etc, etc all because they can't swallow two little letters that mean nothing once you're in practice.
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took about 20 off alternate list yesterday
I know that not too many upper classmen hang out on this forum but I'm just curious as to how 3rd and 4th year work once we're in our respective rotation sites. Say I'm assigned to the EV. Do I have to return to Glendale for didactic work, etc., and how often? Thanks.
Im curious if anyone here was accepted to both AZCOM and Touro-Ca, and what made them choose 1 over the other.
I have been accepted to AZCOM for this fall and am on the High-Waitlist at Touro-Ca. Touro has been my top choice and I am hoping I am offered a seat soon, but if not, I really loved AZCOM as well and would be happy there.
AZCOM is crazy expensive for 1 thing. But the campus is certainly nicer at AZCOM and I believe their rotations are stronger than Touro's. Anyhow, I was just wondering if anyone was faced with this choice and what swayed them in a particular direction.
I have been accepted to AZCOM for this fall and am on the High-Waitlist at Touro-Ca. Touro has been my top choice and I am hoping I am offered a seat soon, but if not, I really loved AZCOM as well and would be happy there.
AZCOM is crazy expensive for 1 thing. But the campus is certainly nicer at AZCOM and I believe their rotations are stronger than Touro's. Anyhow, I was just wondering if anyone was faced with this choice and what swayed them in a particular direction.
Do you have an idea of how many more might be pulled from the alternate list?
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Just five minutes away, there's an elementary school (Copper Creek), that's less than two minutes away from a middle school (Hillcrest) which shares a fence with a high school (Mountain Ridge) - all in the Deer Valley Unified School District. They're all great schools. Glendale is perfect for raising a ten year old.
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As someone who did an SMP, you must understand it is essentially an academic hail mary. It can be a long shot for some and can be curtains if that cycle does not end well. It should be considered a last resort in every way possible.
Random also brings up the good point that you do lose out a year of salary and push it to another competitive year of residencies. It is only going to get worse as time goes on with school expansions from both sides.
I won't lie that the degree can hold you back in certain areas, but can enable you in others. Remember there are many ROAD residencies available only to DOs if you're down with that, not to mention the many other choices you have, like Gen Surg and EM. Don't discount the benefits in the face of the hardships we will face.
For example, despite what people will tell you, USMLE and COMLEX are fairly different from each other, not just in terms of question style and OMM, but what they deem to be important/high yield. I'm learning the hard way now doing COMBANK questions and seeing the massive difference from UWorld. But, if it is what you want, you'll have to suck it up and roll with it.
It's your call, but I would look into Touro's 3rd and 4th year before making this decision. AZCOM's campus may look nice but it really depends on the clinical years. AZCOM controls most of Phoenix (Banner network) and as someone going to Tucson, I will be able to train at UofA so that is the benefit I perceived. We'll see how it turns out.
Touro-CA has access to many more Cali hospitals than AZCOM of course, one namely being Arrowhead in Colton, CA. This is a great hospital, but their students have to compete with not just AZCOM 4th years on audition but Western students (since Western is directly affiliated with it). This is as far as I know, so you'll have to see out some grads on SDN and get their 2 cents.
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no idea
Thanks for the input regarding the masters. It's a one year program that supplements my degree and I would most likely be able to finish my research that I've done throughout my senior year which will most likely result in some kind of publication. I think it would help with residency apps as well since I believe there are very limited opportunities for research at MWU (as far as I know). I would definitely not want to reapply if I went the masters route, which is why I was asking about the deferment option if possible. I'll most likely drop a call tomorrow to discuss with someone to see if this is possible or not.
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Thanks for the heads up about the scholarship and kids question!
Another quick question, since I got my iPhone recently. Any apps you would suggest having?
Thanks
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You certainly do not need to get your masters to get published and if you're doing the MA program (1 year), you will have to start a new project for this degree. It's more of a poster presentation project as opposed to hard research, which is reserved for the MBS students (2 year). In other words, it's essentially useless beyond the Masters.
I think you're envisioning a situation that is not likely, especially since you want to carry over your senior research. I honestly don't believe you can do this, since whatever PI you work with is going to have their own projects or want you to start anew. To bring stuff to the table is almost unheard of, at least among my classmates.
I also have never heard of anyone deferring med school acceptance to complete the MA program, or any SMP for that matter (which is what you are proposing), so you are on new ground here. I can only strongly recommend that you not do this for the myriad of reasons I and others have said, but it is up to you I guess. Call them up and see what they say.
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I'm dreading the thought of buying a car especially if I get on-campus housing. How is the bus system around the area right outside of campus? I want to put of getting a car as long as possible due to my financial situation right now.
Also, with regards to the car issue, do you think it is absolutely necessary to get shaded parking (I've heard its hard to get a spot anyways). I'm considering getting a tint on a used car if I decide to go that route.
If you don't mind my asking, if you guys live on campus, do you cook? Or do you eat out a lot? My cooking skills aren't the best. 😀
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A car simplifies things a lot, especially since you have a child. There is a bus that runs right in front of the school and appears to be empty 99% of the time, so you could run with that if you prefer.
Covered parking is $30 a quarter. It's up to you whether you want it, but considering our loans, it's a drop in the bucket.
I lived on campus for the past two years and almost exclusively cooked. I only went out when others went out. I lived without a car 1st year and depended on my roommate for all of the grocery runs.
I'm a pretty bad cook, but then again, I don't really have variety to what I cook. It usually ends up being a pathetic sandwich, ramen (although, use the fancy korean kind with fresh veggies and meat; works well), and basic asian dishes, from stir fry to pho. Having a rice cooker helps a lot, especially if you're really busy, because then you can just chuck everything in there and it'll cook for you, to a degree.
That said, I have never purchased salt or sugar since moving to AZ. My old roommate would tell me my cooking is utterly tasteless, just the way I like it. Helps keep the BP below 95 too 😉
Aside from the points Flushot's made, I'd also like to let you know that virtually every basic science professor is engaged in research and students can do research electives and/or summer research between MS1 and MS2. Also, I can't tell you how many emails I've received from a professor in the pharmacy program trying to recruit med students to do research. It might not be research exactly like what you've been working on, but if you're qualified to do it and really want to do research, there's not really anything keeping you from doing it at AZCOM.
As Flushot's mentioned, it is possible to live on-campus without a vehicle, but it sure does complicate your life unnecessarily (especially since you'll have your son with you). Shaded parking isn't all that necessary unless you have a car you're really concerned about protecting from freak hailstorms that strike out of nowhere like this past year. 🙄 It's really more of a luxury than anything else and it all depends on if you can deal with a really hot car for a few minutes during the summer while the A/C cools it down.
As far as cooking goes, the more time I have, the more cooking I do. I'm actually a pretty good cook, so during first quarter I would typically make a nice, large meal on Monday nights (for the most part, you only have Monday exams that quarter) and eat that for a few days until it was gone. So one week I'd find myself eating ribs and cornbread all week, the next week pot roast (invest in a cheap crock-pot and you can fix a great pot-roast while you're in class or asleep at night by just throwing in some chopped vegetables and enough water or broth to keep the roast covered) , another week enchiladas, etc. I also ate (and still do eat) A LOT of PB&Js, homemade burritos, and cereal. Then, during winter and fall quarters as the schedule got crazier I cooked fewer meals and invested in more frozen and "easy" foods like stir-fry mixes, popcorn chicken, pre-made pasta sauces (just chop up some fresh vegetables and/or throw in some type of meat and it's not that bad), and whatnot, and I'd also go grab more take-out and fast-food just to get out of my apartment (this is also when having a 24/7 Jack-in-the-Crack just down the street was both a blessing and a curse). Also, if you don't have one already, a Costco or Sam's Club membership might not be a bad investment; I purchase a ton of frozen stuff there along with other things I think I can cram into my freezer and cupboards.
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