AZCOM or Western

[elektroshok]

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So I am deciding between AZCOM and Western should I not get in to my state school.

Which school would you choose and why?
Thanks!

 

[SolanoDoc]

Western is a solid choice. I have been trying to get into contact with AZCOM about clinical rotations and could not get a straight answer from them.

 

[elektroshok]

Western is a solid choice. I have been trying to get into contact with AZCOM about clinical rotations and could not get a straight answer from them.

I am leaning towards western because of that reason mostly as well as having good residency connections..

 

[SolanoDoc]

Well I picked Touro CA since its 30 minutes from my house. Touro does well on residency placement too, about third of the class stayed in California for residency this year.

 

[bainrd]

I am leaning towards western because of that reason mostly as well as having good residency connections..

+1. I also like the systems-based and interprofessional curriculum better, and am planning on doing the summer anatomy program. I also prefer the clinical clerkship schedule at Western (although it could of course change by the time we get there.) AZCOM has 8 weeks of primary/rural, and no elective third year. Western has 4 weeks family med with an extra block of special internal med (neuro, cardio, GI, etc.), an elective third year, and a little more flexibility fourth year.

There's been a lot of talk about the big class at AZCOM. I don't think the number is the issue, because Western has over 200, but more specifically the increase of 100 students. I'm sure it will be handled, but I like the idea of Western being established enough that it has a track record of meeting the needs of its students in California, rather than "outsourcing" half the class third year.

______________________________
Class of 2014

 

[Thomas Hearns]

Western, for me, based on the solid core rotations for third year in the area, as well as the age and reputation of the school...

AZCOM sends people to Ohio and somewhere else, I believe. I'd hate to have to move around for 3rd year rotations.

I'd also prefer LA, but AZ probably wouldn't be too bad either. =)

 

[lentilfarm]

Western, for me, based on the solid core rotations for third year in the area, as well as the age and reputation of the school...

AZCOM sends people to Ohio and somewhere else, I believe. I'd hate to have to move around for 3rd year rotations.

I'd also prefer LA, but AZ probably wouldn't be too bad either. =)

Have you checked out the AZCOM 2009-2010 discussion? In the attachments there is a PowerPoint presentation about the clinical rotations. It looks like only a few (20-25) people go to Ohio, and it's probably selected by people who want to move back to the Midwest for residency. Most of the spots are in the Phoenix metro area.

I don't know much about Western, but I just wanted to let you know that there is some good info about AZCOM's clinicals on SDN.

 

[Thomas Hearns]

Have you checked out the AZCOM 2009-2010 discussion? In the attachments there is a PowerPoint presentation about the clinical rotations. It looks like only a few (20-25) people go to Ohio, and it's probably selected by people who want to move back to the Midwest for residency. Most of the spots are in the Phoenix metro area.

I don't know much about Western, but I just wanted to let you know that there is some good info about AZCOM's clinicals on SDN.

I just checked it out... there seems to be a good amount of rotations in CA and OH.

They also don't list the tracks or give example tracks, so it could end up that you have to go to OH for a month and then to CA for a month and in AZ the rest of the time or something... I don't know much about it, but someone that is considering going to AZCOM should definitely talk to some third and fourth years about it get some first-hand information!

 

[lentilfarm]

I just checked it out... there seems to be a good amount of rotations in CA and OH.

They also don't list the tracks or give example tracks, so it could end up that you have to go to OH for a month and then to CA for a month and in AZ the rest of the time or something... I don't know much about it, but someone that is considering going to AZCOM should definitely talk to some third and fourth years about it get some first-hand information!

From what I could tell, once you get your region, that's your region. Then you get a track within your region. You don't move around until you do some electives during 4th year and set up audition rotations.

 

[elektroshok]

Even with their presentation of the 3/4 year rotations it seemed a lot more unorganized than western. I'm not worried about the class size, nor the increase as far as 1/2 years go - what really worries me is the extra 100 students having to rotate all of the sudden. Western just seems to have better established rotation and residencies, even though i like azcoms 1/2 year setup better.

 

[Thomas Hearns]

From what I could tell, once you get your region, that's your region. Then you get a track within your region. You don't move around until you do some electives during 4th year and set up audition rotations.

If that were the case that would be much more convenient, but I'd ask around and not go off of a power point. Easy to write stuff on one of those things, much harder to make it happen!

 

[slim78]

From what I could tell, once you get your region, that's your region. Then you get a track within your region. You don't move around until you do some electives during 4th year and set up audition rotations.

Correct. You wouldn't be moving from OH to CA etc...

This year they are having us rank our preferred locations and then they will do a lottery to find out who gets that region.

 

[Flushot]

Western is a solid choice. I have been trying to get into contact with AZCOM about clinical rotations and could not get a straight answer from them.

Well, as Lentil already pointed out, I posted all available information to us about it, not the mention the fact that 2012 and 2013 will resolve many issues before 2014 steps up. I even spoken with you about this, so I'm pretty confused as to why you believe you don't have the information you need.

That said, I'm happy that you've settled on your decision. It also appears that the OP also has made a decision from the posts about western, so I'm not sure what more to add.