AZCOM vs. KCUMB

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AZCOM or KCUMB?

  • AZCOM

    Votes: 23 41.8%

  • KCUMB

    Votes: 32 58.2%
  • Total voters
    55
K

ksmajmudar

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Hey guys! I hate to make another one of these threads, but...

I just got out of my interview at AZCOM less than an hour ago and they've already accepted me! I've been very lucky to be accepted to 2 of my top 3 schools, but now there's a decision to be made. Off the bat, I want to say that I absolutely loved KCUMB. I felt really attached to the school - but I want to make the smartest decision here, and take the most logical steps to do so. So here we go:

I really like both schools. Both are great schools, in my opinion. I would like to hear your opinions (especially from current students!). Specifically, I'm hoping someone can address the quality of 3rd and 4th year rotations. I know AZCOMs are done in Phoenix, which is a big city and offer lots of exposure but how are they? And what about KCUMB's? I know they're kind of variable, but overall, do they offer the same exposure that I would get in Phoenix?

Also, with regards to research... I can do research all 4 years at AZCOM - is this the case with KCUMB? My understanding is there's a summer fellowship opportunity after the 1st year - what about the rest of the time?

Anything else you guys can think of would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks a lot guys. I value your feedback, and I'm grateful to the entire community for giving me advice to help me get accepted! Underdogs all the way! 👍
 
Haven't seen either school (yet!), but I have a college colleague who goes to AZCOM and she loves it there, and has great things to say about the faculty, the student support system, DO-friendly area, and rotations. They use preceptors, but they give you access to a forum where all the past students get to rate the preceptors so you you know ahead of time which are the ones to avoid.
 
I would choose based on how you felt you would fit in at the school. Last year I interviewed at AZCOM (wait listed), this year I interviewed at KCUMB (still waiting for my letter) and cancelled AZCOM once I was accepted to MSU.

AZCOM is more expensive, and the rotations are not necessarily in phoenix. You can choose. I met students moving to Ohio for their rotations last year. KCUMB is basically the same, you can do them in Kansas or go somewhere else.

Curriculums are totally different. AZCOM is traditional, KCUMB is more progressive with the Genesis curriculum. Also, KCUMB does focus on some spiritual aspects of medicine which I would appreciate.

Snow in KC, no snow in Glendale. Personally, if I had the choice, I'd go to KCUMB.
 
I interviewed and was accepted to both. I personally like AZCOM better, but they are both great schools. Where did you feel like you fit in and could see yourself being happy?
 
I vote for AZCOM, but that is just because it's close to family for me. When I visited AZCOM's campus, I really got a good impression.
 
FrkyBgStok said:
Haha. 7-7 at this point, making the choice crystal clear.
Click to expand...

haha forreals.

Thanks for all the input guys! I appreciate the feedback, and I think I'm still leaning towards KCUMB. I'll be sure to let you all know my final decision 🙂
 
i say kcumb bc im waitlisted at azcom..ahahhah
 
I'm in a similar situation. In terms of the first two years I felt a little more at home at KCUMB and I think I slightly prefer genesis curriculum so if med school were 2 years long I'd choose KCUMB.

However I got the impression that AZCOM's rotation sites were a little more put together without requiring too much moving and having a mix of ward and preceptor based experiences. Except I had AZCOM last and was focused on clinical rotations more during the presentation so when I get a few hours I'm going to relook at KCUMB's clinicals.
 
KCUMB rotates with some of the best hospitals in the region. You don't have to worry about getting a great education, they are very well organized and maintained (read: the school has been developing connections since 1916). They should emphasize this more during interview day since so many people have questions about it coming out. These are the same sites that students from KU, UMKC, and the other top schools in the area work with.

That being said, if you're not interested in the midwest, we have core rotation sites all over the place, including at St. Barnabas (a trauma-1 center in New York), as well as sites in Florida, Michigan, etc. They've also been trying to set up rotations on the west coast which may happen in the next couple years.
 
Last edited:
I voted for AZCOM so you could study with me next year.... and it makes the poll 13/13.

Hahaha good luck in your decision 😉
 
megathunder said:
KCUMB rotates with some of the best hospitals in the region. You don't have to worry about getting a great education, they are very well organized and maintained (read: the school has been developing connections since 1916). They should emphasize this more during interview day since so many people have questions about it coming out. These are the same sites that students from KU, UMKC, and the other top schools in the area work with.

That being said, if you're not interested in the midwest, we have core rotation sites all over the place, including at St. Barnabas (a trauma-1 center in New York), as well as sites in Florida, Michigan, etc. They've also been trying to set up rotations on the west coast which may happen in the next couple years.
Click to expand...

Oh I didn't mean to imply I thought KCUMB had substandard rotations at all. I am positive it would be great. I just had a slightly better impression at AZCOM.
 
Janet6 said:
Oh I didn't mean to imply I thought KCUMB had substandard rotations at all. I am positive it would be great. I just had a slightly better impression at AZCOM.
Click to expand...


So.. you = Spatula. Why do you have two different login names?
 
DrWily said:
So.. you = Spatula. Why do you have two different login names?
Click to expand...

Oh, one is attached to an expiring school email address, had one logged on phone, other on the computer.
 
One school has been around for 100 years and has a huge alumni base and the other has only graduated a few classes.

I chose KCUMB over AZCOM and I don't regret it. I think KCUMB set me up better for the match and is a better school. However, in retrospect it would have been totally awesome to have lived in phoenix for the past 4 years. If I could go back I would choose location + weather + potential for fun over any sort of educational superiority.

Also, when I was going through med school applications there was a big deal about AZCOM not having enough rotation spots for their students. There were students complaining about basically living out of their car third year and having to be in a new city every month. This was the year they increased their class size by a ton though I think. I would imagine they've corrected the problem by now.
 
WDeagle said:
Also, when I was going through med school applications there was a big deal about AZCOM not having enough rotation spots for their students. There were students complaining about basically living out of their car third year and having to be in a new city every month. This was the year they increased their class size by a ton though I think. I would imagine they've corrected the problem by now.
Click to expand...

That's the reason why AZCOM was not even on the radar for me. But that was class of 2011/2012. That's not the case anymore. I go to AZCOM.

Also, I had the same choices as you last year amongst others. I know KCUMB is badass but I have no regrets. I honestly don't like the concept of block exams. I got a friend at an MD school who finished their msk block for anatomy (upper and lower extremity). They knew the main, main stuff but when it came to specifics (which anterior rami provide cutaneous innervation to the lateral forearm, for example), they were all over the place. Yeah, they could tell me the same stuff that was in BRS/First Aid for the USMLE. But so can I. And I can tell you much more. You might call it minutia. I think it's a well-rounded education that I'm getting. It's not his fault that his school just focuses on stuff to do well on boards. But what about being a good doctor? AZCOM does that and more, I think. I think it's the weekly tests that make us more resilient and capable of learning something challenging and picking it up FAST. Next year, I get two tests per week. Yay! (sarcasm). Whatever, bring it.

You got a good choice to make though. Good schools to pick from.
 
Also, I know exactly where I'm rotating in my 3rd and 4th year. Other people have to get their names picked out of a hat/lottery system. Screw that. I am not going to uproot myself from a place I've lived pretty much my entire life. Hope I can land a residency here too and be a doctor in this community.
 
Haha this poll is really interesting. I wonder how many of the votes are purely AZCOM students or KCUMB students? Maybe if I research it, I can post my results on SDN, and count is as a publication :laugh:

In all seriousness: Spatula hit the nail on the head. KCUMB sold me on the first 2 years (SO interested in the Genesis curriculum), but AZCOM sold me on the second 2 years (their rotations sound like they're done at better sites, because Phoenix is one of the biggest cities in the US).

AZCOM is more expensive, and plus, I'm a huge fan of jazz (I'm a tenor saxophonist), so Kansas City has a lot of appeal to me in that sense.

As of now, I'm reasonably sure I will be attending KCUMB. I appreciate all of your input everybody! I love the pre-DO community 😀

(I'll hear back from UMDNJ-SOM tomorrow/monday. That could change my plans entirely, lol)
 
I unfortunately counted my chickens before they hatched, got rejected from KCUMB so it looks like my decision is made for me.
 
I will add this. If you are strongly interested in competitive subspecialties (Ortho,ENT, Uro, Derm) where you're only choice is the Osteopathic match then KCUMB is probably a better choice. One of the reasons I chose KCUMB is because they have affiliations with several osteopathic hospitals in MI, OH, NJ, and PA where are the DO subspecialty residency programs are. This allowed me to expose myself to more of these programs during third year(hopefully it works to my advantage).

Even still I would still choose AZ weather over anything right now.
 
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