AZCOM Discussion Thread 2010-2011

[randomusername]

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For those of you expecting to hear something back from a recent interview and haven't had your portal updated yet, there's no harm in calling Admissions to check on your status. If you've been rejected, I wish you the best of luck next cycle if you don't have an acceptance elsewhere or anymore interviews this cycle. If you've been wait-listed, it's not the end of the world, especially not here. In the small group of people I keep up with in my class, I can think of at least three acquaintances accepted off of the wait-list during late summer. Plus, AZCOM historically has significant wait-list movement and the fact that just last week (I think) there were only 219/250 seats filled, it likely means the committee is going to finish interviewing this cycle with some seats still vacant, then there will be other people with acceptances that rescind them.

 

[pablowest]

New year, new life. New love life. 😀

 

[keepitREAL]

for all interviews conducted thus far all decisions have been made

 

[Sloo0]

How do you know so much KeepItREAL?!?!?!

 

[randomusername]

How do you know so much KeepItREAL?!?!?!

Earlier in the thread they stated they worked at MWU.

 

[BDancerDoc]

How do you know so much KeepItREAL?!?!?!

Earlier in the thread they stated they worked at MWU.

random, you gave it away! You should have let everyone think KeepItREAL has god-like psychic powers. hehe 😀

Congrats to the newly accepted students!

 

[randomusername]

random, you gave it away! You should have let everyone think KeepItREAL has god-like psychic powers. hehe 😀

Congrats to the newly accepted students!

It's the curse of being a people-helper and knowing this forum too well. 🙄

 

[keepitREAL]

almost all interviewees were either accepted or on alternate list, if your portal hasn't changed you can call to get status, letter will also be mailed

 

[Sloo0]

Random:

Your constant activity on the forums gives me hope that during my 1st year I will have some free-time. At least enough for constant web-browsing procrastination that I do so enjoy.

 

[randomusername]

Random question: Why is our white coat ceremony in october rather than august? My brothers won't be able to make it 🙁.

Because we share the ceremony with, quite literally, every other program on campus except the SMP program since, quite literally, every other field in healthcare wants to wear a white coat and the school has to wait on all of those white coats to be ordered and arrive. Also, you get a whopping two tickets to the ceremony (unless you manage to beg or buy your way into having some more) and the ceremony is an absolute joke the way the school does it.

 

[nfsonpowday]

Because we share the ceremony with, quite literally, every other program on campus except the SMP program since, quite literally, every other field in healthcare wants to wear a white coat and the school has to wait on all of those white coats to be ordered and arrive. Also, you get a whopping two tickets to the ceremony (unless you manage to beg or buy your way into having some more) and the ceremony is an absolute joke the way the school does it.

In what way is it a joke and is the ceremony literally for all of the professions -at the same time? Seems like it would make for a very crowded (an lengthy) cermony- sounds eerily familiar to graduation 🙁

 

[randomusername]

In what way is it a joke and is the ceremony literally for all of the professions -at the same time? Seems like it would make for a very crowded (an lengthy) cermony- sounds eerily familiar to graduation 🙁

Well, with all of the programs they have about 600-800 first year students in the various clinical programs each year getting white coats (so yes, you'll be receiving your white coat alongside Dental, PA, PT, CRNA, PsyD, CV sciences, etc). The school runs through all of those names in <2 hours. Essentially they assign a seating section in the auditorium to students of each program/college. They have presenters from each program/college stand on stage, rapid-fire-read 1-2 names at a time (the larger programs read 2 names, smaller read 1), have those students come up and get coated, and before that's even done, the next one or two programs in the cycle have already read their names. Hence, it's a total joke with the pomp and circumstance of ordering a burger and fries. Though, in my class's case the burger and fries would have been a better deal (since you at least get to eat them) because we didn't even get to keep our white coats because the vendor butchered the order, the school returned them after the ceremony, and we finally got our official white coats some time in January or early-February.

 

[Flushot]

Random:

Your constant activity on the forums gives me hope that during my 1st year I will have some free-time. At least enough for constant web-browsing procrastination that I do so enjoy.

SDN is like my 5-10min break in the library when words start to blur on the page and I need to stop. That said, I envy the amount of free time 1st year had and it wasn't even all that much. Just something to look forward too right?

 

[amolinari]

Current med students,

My plan for this summer was to do a half-ironman at some point. I have found one in flagstaff on Aug 14, the Mountain Man. Since classes start on Aug 8th, my question is what is that first week of classes like? I am trying to decide whether that first week of classes will be too much for me to give up the entire Sunday the 14th. Thanks for all the guidance you give us on these forums! I think the entire entering class owes you a case or two of beer 😀

 

[drgioiadds]

Current med students,

My plan for this summer was to do a half-ironman at some point. I have found one in flagstaff on Aug 14, the Mountain Man. Since classes start on Aug 8th, my question is what is that first week of classes like? I am trying to decide whether that first week of classes will be too much for me to give up the entire Sunday the 14th. Thanks for all the guidance you give us on these forums! I think the entire entering class owes you a case or two of beer 😀

I was going to do Racine 70.3 but haven't had the time to commit to the training. I think that one is July 15.

 

[randomusername]

Current med students,

My plan for this summer was to do a half-ironman at some point. I have found one in flagstaff on Aug 14, the Mountain Man. Since classes start on Aug 8th, my question is what is that first week of classes like? I am trying to decide whether that first week of classes will be too much for me to give up the entire Sunday the 14th. Thanks for all the guidance you give us on these forums! I think the entire entering class owes you a case or two of beer 😀

During the first week of classes you should only have histology and biochem and no exam for another week or two. So long as you keep up with the material through the week that first week, there really won't be a better time first quarter to do something like that. People in my class do runs, triathlons, cycling events, and whatnot all the time, so it's definitely doable if you really want to do it.

 

[Sassinator]

Congrats to those that have been accepted and keep your head up if you're still on the waitlist. I'm a 1st year currently here at AZCOM and love it. I live on campus if yall need any advice on that, or with clubs, time management, activities, curriculum, etc. feel free to ask or reach out. Looking forward to helping yall out.

 

[UBCvan]

I called the admissions and she said the last set of interviews are on the first week of may and when I asked her when should we expect any waitlist movement she said about mid-June. Haaaa?

mid-may makes more sense. don't you guys think mid-june is very late for any movement to begin??

 

[drgioiadds]

I think the first deposit is due may 31 - so mid june would make sense. It will seem like an eternity!!

 

[UBCvan]

I think the first deposit is due may 31 - so mid june would make sense. It will seem like an eternity!!

oo in that case she was right then... but eternity it is....eternity it is!!!!

 

[randomusername]

I know a lot of you are anxiously waiting on a bed of nails for more detailed data for this year's match. I was just reading on our student government board that the data is expected to be compiled and available by July. No clue why so late, but that's what I've got.

 

[Arcshot]

I was accepted a while back, but there is still something that I'm very worried about in the coming months: the debt.

How do you all who are in your 1st-4th years cope with the idea that you're going to be over a quarter-million dollars in debt when all is said and done (assuming you take out the maximum loan amount every year).

Do most of you plan on practicing in an underserved area? Having the state pay off the debt seems like a good idea if you plan on taking that route anyway, but I'm curious what other ways you all will cope with the debt.

 

[nfsonpowday]

I was accepted a while back, but there is still something that I'm very worried about in the coming months: the debt.

How do you all who are in your 1st-4th years cope with the idea that you're going to be over a quarter-million dollars in debt when all is said and done (assuming you take out the maximum loan amount every year).

Do most of you plan on practicing in an underserved area? Having the state pay off the debt seems like a good idea if you plan on taking that route anyway, but I'm curious what other ways you all will cope with the debt.

I am with you on the debt concerns! I am trying do do the military thing but am unsure if I will be accepted If I don't get the scholarship, I am definitely giong to do whatever I can to get some sort of debt relief -however I wonder if the "states" will be able to help us with that in the future. I know Arizona and Nevada are broke and it is probably just a matter of time before they begin to cut programs like that. I wonder if there are any other options out there 😕

 

[Sassinator]

I was accepted a while back, but there is still something that I'm very worried about in the coming months: the debt.

How do you all who are in your 1st-4th years cope with the idea that you're going to be over a quarter-million dollars in debt when all is said and done (assuming you take out the maximum loan amount every year).

Do most of you plan on practicing in an underserved area? Having the state pay off the debt seems like a good idea if you plan on taking that route anyway, but I'm curious what other ways you all will cope with the debt.

I had 32K coming into med school already and im adding 75k x4 on top = 332,000 by the time im done....actually itll most likely be more because of interest....Im not doing military (but thats for a personal reason of not wanting someone else to tell me (and future family if I have one) where to live.) I have no plans yet on how to pay it back, but Im sure it will be slow to start (ive had thoughts about debt repayment programs definitely) through residency, but once I start practicing I'm confident that my earnings will be able to pay off the loan within 10 yrs.....trust me, after you throw a house and car, and family on top of it youll be in debt for quite some time. But if you manage your money correctly (save/invest properly) and work hard you should be able to overcome it a reasonable amount of time, pending winning the lottery or having a secrete uncle moneybags.

 

[randomusername]

I had 32K coming into med school already and im adding 75k x4 on top = 332,000 by the time im done....actually itll most likely be more because of interest....Im not doing military (but thats for a personal reason of not wanting someone else to tell me (and future family if I have one) where to live.) I have no plans yet on how to pay it back, but Im sure it will be slow to start (ive had thoughts about debt repayment programs definitely) through residency, but once I start practicing I'm confident that my earnings will be able to pay off the loan within 10 yrs.....trust me, after you throw a house and car, and family on top of it youll be in debt for quite some time. But if you manage your money correctly (save/invest properly) and work hard you should be able to overcome it a reasonable amount of time, pending winning the lottery or having a secrete uncle moneybags.

+1

Even if you enter a primary care field and practice in a non-underserved area and even with a family and all the expenses that entails, if you budget your money appropriately and make eliminating your debt a priority you should be able to payoff your debt within 10 years without any trouble. Best suggestion I can offer is to sit down and convince yourself of this by running some numbers. Just assume you finish residency with $320k in total debt (including the interest). You make $140k a year (very reasonable expectation as a pcp). Then assume you take home 60% of that pay after taxes, that leaves you with $84k. If you only pay $20k towards loans per year, you get that $320k paid off in 16 years. If you pay $40k in loans per year, that takes care of it in 8 years. Sure, you're living off of only $44k, but if you think about it, the majority of American families live off of that much or less. I'm also not taking into account the fact that a certain amount of money paid towards student loans every year is tax-deductible, that your annual income will most likely increase over that loan-repayment period as you become more effective at billing and acquire more patients, nor that you may very well have a spouse who also brings in an income.

If you want to only focus on how overwhelming the debt is now, when you have no income, then yeah, it will overwhelm the s#^& out of you. The key is to look at the big, long-term picture....at least that's how I've deluded myself into accepting it. 😉

 

[drgioiadds]

I had 32K coming into med school already and im adding 75k x4 on top = 332,000 by the time im done....actually itll most likely be more because of interest....Im not doing military (but thats for a personal reason of not wanting someone else to tell me (and future family if I have one) where to live.) I have no plans yet on how to pay it back, but Im sure it will be slow to start (ive had thoughts about debt repayment programs definitely) through residency, but once I start practicing I'm confident that my earnings will be able to pay off the loan within 10 yrs.....trust me, after you throw a house and car, and family on top of it youll be in debt for quite some time. But if you manage your money correctly (save/invest properly) and work hard you should be able to overcome it a reasonable amount of time, pending winning the lottery or having a secrete uncle moneybags.

I hear ya! I lived through it with dental school - and now may be doing it again. I chose to make large payments and live modestly to decrease my debt. I paid all bank loans in 8 years and now have some money owing to my parents (at least its interest free!)

 

[Asianboy]

Wow..now you have to repeat the whole cycle one more time!!! You definitely have to love medicine a lot. BTW, just curious, why do you choose medicine while you can now work and make reasonable amount of money? I read some threads on SDN about whether or not the current physicians would choose to go to medical school again, and tons of them say they rather go to dental school to have a better life.

Maybe they did not go through your path. Just admire your determination.

Good luck and hope to see you in AZCOM 2015 class!

I hear ya! I lived through it with dental school - and now may be doing it again. I chose to make large payments and live modestly to decrease my debt. I paid all bank loans in 8 years and now have some money owing to my parents (at least its interest free!)

 

[randomusername]

Wow..now you have to repeat the whole cycle one more time!!! You definitely have to love medicine a lot. BTW, just curious, why do you choose medicine while you can now work and make reasonable amount of money? I read some threads on SDN about whether or not the current physicians would choose to go to medical school again, and tons of them say they rather go to dental school to have a better life.

Maybe they did not go through your path. Just admire your determination.

Good luck and hope to see you in AZCOM 2015 class!

One thing you'll learn more and more the longer you're in the realm of medicine is that there are a lot of whiners in medicine and that they're the ones most vocal about answering questions regarding if they'd do medicine again. In my own experience, I've met way more physicians who are completely happy with their career decisions than those who wished they'd pursued another route. Also, you'll quickly realize that in medicine, the grass always seems greener if you're frustrated or unhappy with some aspect of what you're doing. As a med student you'll see this in anatomy lab when a lab group is struggling to dig out layer 2 stuff in the foot and nothing they've found is very textbook but the lab group next to them is already digging out layer 4 structures with everything in layers 1-3 classically-textbook and the former group starts complaining about how their cadaver "sucks" but then the next unit the latter group is making the same complaint because they can't find something. You'll also see it among attendings when members of one field/specialty start to complain about how they should've gone into another field/specialty because it's so much "cushier."

 

[RC Plane]

I interviewed at AZCOM on 4/7/11 and found out last last week that I was placed on the alternate list. I really wanted to go there and pretty bummed out. Does anyone have any advice? Since they do not rank the list, how do the admissions committee decide who to take off? I would appreciate your responses. Thanks!

 

[randomusername]

I interviewed at AZCOM on 4/7/11 and found out last last week that I was placed on the alternate list. I really wanted to go there and pretty bummed out. Does anyone have any advice? Since they do not rank the list, how do the admissions committee decide who to take off? I would appreciate your responses. Thanks!

Keep them updated with any significant updates to your application (new grades, MCAT, publications, awards, etc). Also, the WL isn't the end of the world at AZCOM. In normal years they've typically sent out more acceptances than seats by this point in time in the cycle and still draw a number of people off of the WL over the summer, and I suspect they'll draw as many if not more than usual from the WL this year because they've intentionally left a number of seats empty late in the cycle this year in case they have a slew of exceptional applicants interviewing late like they've had happen the past couple of years.

 

[RC Plane]

Thanks, randomusername!

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

So, I've got 'no items missing' on my Accepted Student Checklist, all the documents needed for my financial aid stuff (including MWU inst app, entrance interview, MPNs x 2 and FAFSA) and my housing situation sorted out (living in an off-campus apt). Is there anything else I need to do? When do we actually get the money for tuition, fees and stuff? How do we find out how much we'll be getting? Is there anything else I should be doing? Thanks a lot for your help! 🙂

 

[randomusername]

So, I've got 'no items missing' on my Accepted Student Checklist, all the documents needed for my financial aid stuff (including MWU inst app, entrance interview, MPNs x 2 and FAFSA) and my housing situation sorted out (living in an off-campus apt). Is there anything else I need to do? When do we actually get the money for tuition, fees and stuff? How do we find out how much we'll be getting? Is there anything else I should be doing? Thanks a lot for your help! 🙂

Essentially what PJ meowerton said. You won't get your award letter until this summer (and if you're a U.S. citizen, pretty much if you ask for the money, you get the money). Also, it's true that you won't get your first disbursement until about the first or second week of class (they'll eventually publish the 2011/12 tuition due dates and disbursement dates on the main MWU website).

 

[Compwarrior]

Essentially what PJ meowerton said. You won't get your award letter until this summer (and if you're a U.S. citizen, pretty much if you ask for the money, you get the money). Also, it's true that you won't get your first disbursement until about the first or second week of class (they'll eventually publish the 2011/12 tuition due dates and disbursement dates on the main MWU website).

How do you buy your books if you don't get the disbursement until two weeks in? Should I be saving up now so I can pay for them before classes start?

 

[Dyingduck]

So, I've got 'no items missing' on my Accepted Student Checklist, all the documents needed for my financial aid stuff (including MWU inst app, entrance interview, MPNs x 2 and FAFSA) and my housing situation sorted out (living in an off-campus apt). Is there anything else I need to do? When do we actually get the money for tuition, fees and stuff? How do we find out how much we'll be getting? Is there anything else I should be doing? Thanks a lot for your help! 🙂

I called MWU FAO last week, and they said for Fall, you'll get the award letter in June (for Summer, in April).

Disbursement isn't until the first day of class (not during orientation).

 

[Dyingduck]

How do you buy your books if you don't get the disbursement until two weeks in? Should I be saving up now so I can pay for them before classes start?

That or use a credit card.

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

have you gotten all your vaccinations checked and documented? The health forms done? I've been putting it off, but I noticed that you need to get 2 TB tests and I think they have to be a certain amount of time apart.

I bet the award notices will come soon, I've noticed other schools have started hearing back. I don't think we actually get any money in our accounts until we are at school, so probably during orientation or the first week of class. Thats why they always say to make sure you have your first months rent figured out before you get there.

Did you find a good apartment? My husband and I are going down the first weekend of may to look at some places

Oh, I had completely forgotten about the health forms/vaccinations, thanks for reminding us! And I decided to live in the same apartment complex as I did when I was in undergrad. Heh, I wouldn't call it "good" and it's actually not very close, but my friends are here, so I'll stay put. I would live across the street if I could afford it, those apartments are really nice!

And thanks for the above info randomusername and DyingDuck!

 

[DbDan]

So, I've got 'no items missing' on my Accepted Student Checklist, all the documents needed for my financial aid stuff (including MWU inst app, entrance interview, MPNs x 2 and FAFSA) and my housing situation sorted out (living in an off-campus apt). Is there anything else I need to do? When do we actually get the money for tuition, fees and stuff? How do we find out how much we'll be getting? Is there anything else I should be doing? Thanks a lot for your help! 🙂

How'd you manage that? I sent all the stuff in, etc. But they added on my Bachelors degree as missing after the fact. Despite the fact that it very clearly says on my main transcript that the BS was completed in March 2009. 🙄

I still have to send in my vaccination and stuff but I got it done back in January, hopefully they won't get mad that I took so long to send it in lol

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

They actually just started updating the Bachelor thing, probably because not everyone is graduated from undergrad yet. I don't think there's a rush to do it but I got an email in my MWU acct saying I'm missing that a week ago. Call them and ask for our counselor Mike, he'll do it manually.

 

[Dyingduck]

They actually just started updating the Bachelor thing, probably because not everyone is graduated from undergrad yet. I don't think there's a rush to do it but I got an email in my MWU acct saying I'm missing that a week ago. Call them and ask for our counselor Mike, he'll do it manually.

Yeah ^ I had to call my adviser to update it last week. Now, I need to go get my vaccination done x_X

 

[randomusername]

How do you buy your books if you don't get the disbursement until two weeks in? Should I be saving up now so I can pay for them before classes start?

Honestly, there aren't many books you'll actually need to buy first quarter. I think I spent <$200 on books that I actually used. After this quarter is over in about a month, myself or some other current students will try to put together a list of books we felt were worth purchasing for fall quarter. Plus, the fact that the only classes you have for the first two weeks are histology and biochemistry helps out too because having a book for either one isn't vital at all.

 

[BDancerDoc]

I called today too because they had given me the wrong bachelor degree beside my transcript (while there was still a big 'X' beside "Bachelor's Degree" line). Admissions said they're getting to us since they're trying to take care of the 4-5 programs that are starting in the summer first. We'll slowly see our list complete throughout the summer, she assured me there was nothing to worry about. 🙂

I called student services about the health forms and they said that everything need to be turned in within 1 mo of starting school (athought I read somewhere that we should have it on hand first day of orientation). There is at least a 1 week wait between step 1 and 2 of the TB tests (and 2-3 days between shot & reading per test), so give yourself a 2-3 weeks to complete the entire thing. Have fun! (although I hate those tests, my bump is always a lil' bit itchy 🙁)

 

[Asianboy]

What if I have a positive result, how soon can I get an X-ray film to clear my TB test? I think the X-ray is good for 12 months, but I'm not sure.

I called today too because they had given me the wrong bachelor degree beside my transcript (while there was still a big 'X' beside "Bachelor's Degree" line). Admissions said they're getting to us since they're trying to take care of the 4-5 programs that are starting in the summer first. We'll slowly see our list complete throughout the summer, she assured me there was nothing to worry about. 🙂

I called student services about the health forms and they said that everything need to be turned in within 1 mo of starting school (athought I read somewhere that we should have it on hand first day of orientation). There is at least a 1 week wait between step 1 and 2 of the TB tests (and 2-3 days between shot & reading per test), so give yourself a 2-3 weeks to complete the entire thing. Have fun! (although I hate those tests, my bump is always a lil' bit itchy 🙁)

 

[randomusername]

What if I have a positive result, how soon can I get an X-ray film to clear my TB test? I think the X-ray is good for 12 months, but I'm not sure.

You can get one as soon as your doc schedules you one.

 

[USCTrojan11]

I'm curious as to where you guys are getting all this information for the stuff we need to turn in. I still don't know where I'm going next year but I have yet to receive any sort of acceptance package from AZCOM despite me putting down the deposit already. Was I supposed to receive one? Where can I find this information about TB tests, vaccinations and whatnot

 

[wudabum]

I'm curious as to where you guys are getting all this information for the stuff we need to turn in. I still don't know where I'm going next year but I have yet to receive any sort of acceptance package from AZCOM despite me putting down the deposit already. Was I supposed to receive one? Where can I find this information about TB tests, vaccinations and whatnot

should be located online in the "student services" tab.

 

[DbDan]

How are you guys planning on moving out to Arizona? Are you planning on buying all new stuff when you get there?

I don't have much to move and its not far (5 hour drive) but I can't really decide how to move. Unfortunately my bed (its only 2 years old) won't fit into my family's SUV and I'm not about to drive 5 hours with it on the roof of the car. Other than that, I think I could fit just about everything I'm bringing along with me into the back of a standard SUV, its the damn matress that is killing me. I've already got to buy a desk/table/bookshelf/couch/plates/utensils when I move out, I'd rather not have to buy a bed too.

I'm looking into Uhaul or one of those PODs things currently, any suggestions? How are you all planning on moving? Problem with Uhaul is I've got to convince a family member to drive out to help me move in, as I'm bringing my car with me too. Also, random do you know if they allow those PODs for moving into on campus housing?

 

[Colbare]

I got an email interview invite this morning! Scheduled for 5/2 🙂

 

[Sloo0]

How are you guys planning on moving out to Arizona? Are you planning on buying all new stuff when you get there?

I don't have much to move and its not far (5 hour drive) but I can't really decide how to move. Unfortunately my bed (its only 2 years old) won't fit into my family's SUV and I'm not about to drive 5 hours with it on the roof of the car. Other than that, I think I could fit just about everything I'm bringing along with me into the back of a standard SUV, its the damn matress that is killing me. I've already got to buy a desk/table/bookshelf/couch/plates/utensils when I move out, I'd rather not have to buy a bed too.

I'm looking into Uhaul or one of those PODs things currently, any suggestions? How are you all planning on moving? Problem with Uhaul is I've got to convince a family member to drive out to help me move in, as I'm bringing my car with me too. Also, random do you know if they allow those PODs for moving into on campus housing?

<---- Living alone. Going to drive up with all my clothes and some books, when I get there I am going to survey the on-campus room. Going to drive to IKEA and get a bed,desk,chair, maybe lamp. I dont watch TV so I wont need a TV or couch. And if the room's kitchen has kind of a bar type thing I will just get a stool instead of a table.

 

[Colbare]

For those of you expecting to hear something back from a recent interview and haven't had your portal updated yet, there's no harm in calling Admissions to check on your status. If you've been rejected, I wish you the best of luck next cycle if you don't have an acceptance elsewhere or anymore interviews this cycle. If you've been wait-listed, it's not the end of the world, especially not here. In the small group of people I keep up with in my class, I can think of at least three acquaintances accepted off of the wait-list during late summer. Plus, AZCOM historically has significant wait-list movement and the fact that just last week (I think) there were only 219/250 seats filled, it likely means the committee is going to finish interviewing this cycle with some seats still vacant, then there will be other people with acceptances that rescind them.

The schedule had appointments through May so I'd assume that'd be the end of AZCOM interview season.