AZCOM v. CCOM

[zcastle]

Okay, so I have narrowed my decision to either AZCOM or CCOM. I am having a very difficult time deciding between the two. Can anybody shed some light on the major differences between the two programs and locations (rotation sites, tuition, cost of living, weather- one really hot and one really cold, etc). Any information would be amazing...I never thought I would have such a hard time choosing. Thanks!

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[The Wild Wind]

Okay, so I have narrowed my decision to either AZCOM or CCOM. I am having a very difficult time deciding between the two. Can anybody shed some light on the major differences between the two programs and locations (rotation sites, tuition, cost of living, weather- one really hot and one really cold, etc). Any information would be amazing...I never thought I would have such a hard time choosing. Thanks!

I would go with CCOM. I don't know much about AZCOM but I hear they had pretty good match list. Tuition is probably very similar since they're under midwestern university. Chicago's cost of living probably higher than AZCOM's. When I did my research on school, CCOM had a decent rotation sites. You might find good answer on DO school's pro's/ con's thread in DO medical student forum.

 

[NSU14]

Ok CCOM Very cold??? Not even close, they hardly get any snow at all! What snow they do get doesn't stick around for too long. Chicago will get cold in the winter but not Very cold. Most of you time will be spent inside during school anyway.

 

[Dr Skeptismo]

CCOM, 3rd and 4th year rotations FTW. Chicago has summer too.

 

[herky010]

Ok CCOM Very cold??? Not even close, they hardly get any snow at all! What snow they do get doesn't stick around for too long. Chicago will get cold in the winter but not Very cold. Most of you time will be spent inside during school anyway.

Have you ever been to Chicago?

 

[NSU14]

Have you ever been to Chicago?

Yup, i'm from MN. Its way colder and snowier up here. Most of the year the weather is pretty good in Chicago I would say. Either way I would go to CCOM, been around for almost 100 years, very solid school, great city, the doc I shadowed went there and had nothing but great things to say.

 

[TeamZissou]

Just saw this thread and since I just answered the same question via PM I'll post what I wrote on here. If you have any more questions feel free to ask and again this is simply MY opinion.



I'm more than happy to give you my opinion on how the two compare. I feel like I have some background on both as I lived in AZ for 10 years prior to coming to CCOM and I was also accepted to AZCOM. First and foremost let me emphasize this is a PERSONAL decision. Ultimately what you achieve in med school is dependent on you. That being said I do believe the rotations here at CCOM are stronger than the ones in AZ. Does this mean you can't get good rotations at AZCOM, absolutely not, Primary Childrens in Phoenix is one of the better childrens hospitals out there, but how many AZCOM students actually get to do their peds rotation there? You can get good rotations in Phx but you will have to put in a lot more legwork to figure out which ones are good and how to approach the system. I did research the rotations they offer in Ohio and they are actually at good hospitals teaching hospitals that have osteopathic residencies, however I had no desire to move to Ohio for rotations.

My decision to come here was partly based on the fact they have more clinical faculty associated with the school. For some specialties this can be helpful. Also the fact that Chicago as a whole has much more medical education opportunities than Phoenix. Doing rotations in Chicago lets me expose myself to some of the residencies I otherwise wouldn't be able to. I don't know what your interests are but it's just something to consider. If you are interested in IM, FM and other specialties that aren't as competitive it is probably a non issue. Also of note is AZCOM's matchlist this year. While I don't advocate to choose a school based on a matchlist at all, I mention it as proof that some of their grads got some great residencies.

Regarding the weather here during the winter, this year it was mild and it really wasn't that bad. It's just like AZ in the summer but reversed. That said I prefer having seasons and ya it definitely took some getting use to not having sun 340 days a year but there aren't many places besides AZ and CA that you can have that.

Overall I think the clinical education is better at CCOM however our first two years have some amazing departments and some not so great departments. Our anatomy department is awesome, so is micro, physio and pathology. Our biochem department is severely lacking and in the process of revamping their curriculum, but that's the case for many DO schools.

If you have family that is within driving distance of one of the schools I think this is huge and can be a great support to you. Personally I've made close friends here and I love my class, I'm also an independent person so the distance from my family hasn't been that much of a factor but I think this is something you should consider above rotations and the other aspects. AZCOM and CCOM are both great schools and I don't think you can go wrong either way. Just go with whichever one you feel most comfortable with. Hope this helps.

The argument of there being too many students and not enough learning opportunities on the rotations in chicago is bogus. Each rotation has a limit on the number of students that can be there (from any school) to prevent such a thing. The difference is that Chicago has many more teaching hospitals (hospitals with residency programs) than phoenix does. This can be a good or bad thing depending on if the residents are good and help to teach you things that the attendings wouldn't otherwise have time to or if it detracts in that they do everything and you never get experience. To decide between this your best resource will be your classmates the year ahead of you and just see what they say about the individual rotations.


Here is a link to another thread where I answered some other specifics on CCOM.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8938976#post8938976

And here is a breakdown of what our fall schedule was like.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8993712#post8993712

 

[premed21]

Bump for a more current discussion of this topic.

Also, is CCOM still a better option for people who are looking to specialize? Or does AZCOM offer the same opportunities? Basically I want to compare the rotations between AZCOM and CCOM. Which one is better for rotations in 3rd and 4th year?

 

[TeamZissou]

Interesting, a lot of what I said still stands. It's just now that they have changed some of the things first year at CCOM someone who went through it this year might be better able to tell us how things are coming along, specifically with Biochem.

 

[cliquesh]

CCOM has better rotations and chicago has lots of medical opportunities (research, aoa and acgme residencies)

 

[premed21]

So for a person who wants to specialize, CCOM is the better option because it has more opportunities in rotations? I am on the west coast and might want to pursue a residency on west coast. Is CCOM still the better option?

 

[TeamZissou]

So for a person who wants to specialize, CCOM is the better option because it has more opportunities in rotations? I am on the west coast and might want to pursue a residency on west coast. Is CCOM still the better option?

Depends on if you could get the LA track for rotations at AZCOM. I'm not familiar with that though. Depending on where/what rotations it is may be useful.

Which specialties?

 

[wooki]

bumping thread to hear more feedback/input.

 

[corpsman33]

Ok CCOM Very cold??? Not even close, they hardly get any snow at all! What snow they do get doesn't stick around for too long. Chicago will get cold in the winter but not Very cold. Most of you time will be spent inside during school anyway.

Ok you have got to be kidding.......Chicago not cold and little snow???? When I lived in great lakes, Illinois (20 to 30 min from Chicago) it was freezing and always covered in snow in the winter. It was routinely 10 to 20 below zero (worse with wind chill factored in). The snow would stick on the ground for weeks at a time (I know because I was in the Navy and had "snow watch" where we had to shovel off the snow from the paths at the command). I have just never heard Chicago referred to as "not cold".

 

[zoner]

I would have to say CCOM for the chance to live in Chicago during the clinical years. Phoenix is phoenix and it's way too hot way too long

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[wooki]

location is like an iffy reason for me to choose a school. on one side, i know i will be happy in phoenix with the weather (except when it's burning). but on the other side, i also know 98% of my days will be spent indoors, so it really doesn't matter. i think i can hunker down for 4 years and disregard lifestyle...

i know ccom has a better reputation than azcom. also perhaps ccom has better rotation sites than azcom too. however, i want to get a gauge of how much better. if it's not by a great margin, id go to azcom. it's hard a hard decision. maybe i'll pick the school with the hotter girls in the facebook group . jkjk.

 

[zoner]

location is like an iffy reason for me to choose a school. on one side, i know i will be happy in phoenix with the weather (except when it's burning). but on the other side, i also know 98% of my days will be spent indoors, so it really doesn't matter. i think i can hunker down for 4 years and disregard lifestyle...

i know ccom has a better reputation than azcom. also perhaps ccom has better rotation sites than azcom too. however, i want to get a gauge of how much better. if it's not by a great margin, id go to azcom. it's hard a hard decision. maybe i'll pick the school with the hotter girls in the facebook group . jkjk.

Your right. I think the general consensus is that ccom does have a better rep and rotation sites. But at azcom you are pretty much gyarateed rotation in socal which is a huge plus for lots of people

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[wooki]

Your right. I think the general consensus is that ccom does have a better rep and rotation sites. But at azcom you are pretty much gyarateed rotation in socal which is a huge plus for lots of people

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having grown up in socal, that's my other dilemma. i am not sure how the LA track rotations compare to the CCOM rotations.

 

[zoner]

having grown up in socal, that's my other dilemma. i am not sure how the LA track rotations compare to the CCOM rotations.

That will be my sweet dilemma as well if the buddah will be so kind to let me into western

One thing I do know for sure is thay lots of ccom students live right in the city during their clinical years because of its centrality. And you know how la is... In terms of other things, la has the weather and chicago has the best house music

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[zipnogg]

Okay, so I have narrowed my decision to either AZCOM or CCOM. I am having a very difficult time deciding between the two. Can anybody shed some light on the major differences between the two programs and locations (rotation sites, tuition, cost of living, weather- one really hot and one really cold, etc). Any information would be amazing...I never thought I would have such a hard time choosing. Thanks!

I've visited both AZCOM and CCOM for interviews. One of the biggest reasons why I applied to Midwestern in the first place was because I shadowed a general surgeon who's an AZCOM alum for almost a year. The kind of a person and a physician that he is made me want to go to a school that he attended.

I liked them both, but CCOM had an edge on AZCOM mainly because of the weather. I am from Southern California (and I have spent some time in Texas), but I guess I'm not much of a heat person after all. Granted we'll probably be spending a lot of time inside as students, but I'd personally like the opportunity to be able to take a stroll around campus (CCOM has a gorgeous one by the way) if need be.

And as many others mentioned, I was very impressed with the sites that CCOM had to show for itself. The student interaction that I had there was also a tad better than the one at AZCOM.

Fortunately, I've been waitlisted at AZCOM but have been offered admission to CCOM, so my decision is not going to be a terribly difficult one.

 

[wooki]

I've visited both AZCOM and CCOM for interviews. One of the biggest reasons why I applied to Midwestern in the first place was because I shadowed a general surgeon who's an AZCOM alum for almost a year. The kind of a person and a physician that he is made me want to go to a school that he attended.

I liked them both, but CCOM had an edge on AZCOM mainly because of the weather. I am from Southern California (and I have spent some time in Texas), but I guess I'm not much of a heat person after all. Granted we'll probably be spending a lot of time inside as students, but I'd personally like the opportunity to be able to take a stroll around campus (CCOM has a gorgeous one by the way) if need be.

And as many others mentioned, I was very impressed with the sites that CCOM had to show for itself. The student interaction that I had there was also a tad better than the one at AZCOM.

Fortunately, I've been waitlisted at AZCOM but have been offered admission to CCOM, so my decision is not going to be a terribly difficult one.

if we go to CCOM together, ill put on everything in my closet and "take a stroll around campus" with you in the dead of winter. then you will post a follow-up here. okay?

 

[zipnogg]

if we go to CCOM together, ill put on everything in my closet and "take a stroll around campus" with you in the dead of winter. then you will post a follow-up here. okay?

didn't have an issue with that in Spokane. Don't expect to have any trouble at CCOM either. but all right. we'll get all bundled up together and roll around in the snow.

 

[zoner]

didn't have an issue with that in Spokane. Don't expect to have any trouble at CCOM either. but all right. we'll get all bundled up together and roll around in the snow.

that sounded sexy,,, hey nogg, did you interview at Western as well?

 

[zipnogg]

that sounded sexy,,, hey nogg, did you interview at Western as well?

Yes, I did. Oct. 4th.

 

[wooki]

didn't have an issue with that in Spokane. Don't expect to have any trouble at CCOM either. but all right. we'll get all bundled up together and roll around in the snow.

where did you get the part that i was going to roll around in the snow with you?! i have boundaries!