To be honest, I've only heard the 'ACOM has stronger affiliations' line from two places: speculation on SDN forums and ACOM themselves, during my interview. That statement is not meant to diminish these concerns, mind you, but noticing this fact provided me with some reassurance in the bigger picture.
AFAIK, there are at least 50 hospitals in the state that are currently unused for medical training. The clinical faculty and related administration were one of the first people hired by VCOM-Auburn and for good reason: For almost a year now, they have been contacting and organizing both major and minor clinical rotations in state. Preceptors are still being lined up, yes, but my guess is that the core rotation sites are already set. I will try to find that information for you as soon as I can and post it here.
I was waitlisted for 3 weeks after my ACOM interview. I had previously been accepted by VCOM. After giving it some thought (and receiving a few thoughtful PMs from SDN forum users) I decided that my concerns about being in the inaugural class carried less weight than my concerns about Dothan being a bit too 'out in the sticks' for my taste. Their on-campus housing situation was a little odd in my mind, and I also got a bad taste in my mouth when myself and other interviewees were 'pimped' about causes of chest pain during a post-interview summary by the dean. A little weird and slightly off-putting.
ACOM definitely won major points with their dress code though (business casual OR scrubs allowed in lecture, compared to VCOM's business casual only) but it hasn't proven to be a hindrance for anyone so far. Personally, khakis pants and an untucked polo work fine and haven't raised any dress code violations yet. Also, ACOM's building is open 24-7 while VCOM's isn't. Again, this hasn't proven to be a problem. If you're studying past midnight, you probably aren't retaining much anyway (and you shouldn't be cramming anything). If you do want to be a study-all-night kind of student, the Auburn campus library is open 24-7 and is less than a mile away and has adequate parking.
In the 6 weeks we've had here so far, I've found two things that make me really glad I chose VCOM:
1) During our first week (and random subsequent weeks to follow) my studies were interrupted by a professor as personally doled out high-fives and reassurances to everyone who was occupying the library and study rooms. It was a big confidence booster, to be honest, and it made me smile. Also, you will run across your professors in the halls throughout the day and, assuming they're not busy, it's common for them to ask how you're doing with your classes. It seems that these questions aren't asked flippantly, as I've been given the chance to speak my mind. Combined with the mentor system, where every student is assigned to two different professors who will coordinate with you about your grades, study habits, and can offer guidance as needed, I feel like we really have a solid safety net around us as we continue with our studies.
2) I got sick this week. It sucked. Fortunately, VCOM has coordinated with the
Auburn University Health Clinic and allows us to be seen as students. I made my 4pm appointment during my lunch break. I was in and out in an hour - including a CBC and flu test - and picked up my prescription at the in-house pharmacy. Everyone was polite, helpful, and extremely professional. I felt like crap when I left, but I was very happy with the service that I received. To top it off, you can make and change appointments easily online. It's just nice to not have to worry about this kind of thing when you have so much studying to do...
On the subject of clinical rotations, I'm going to make an effort to talk to administration and find out the most correct and up-to-date data for you all. The VCOM website isn't notorious for updating information (similar to every academic institution I've attended), so I'll try to post that up here as soon as I can find out, as mentioned above. Also, if you're itching to know immediately, you could also call the school and ask for that information.
In terms of assignments, I'm not sure about how in-state assignments will work, but my class will be going through that before you will. I do know that the 3 VCOM campuses allow you to change out with students at other campuses. This is more of a need-based assignment, however, and would likely favor those who have strong ties (family, significant other, etc.) to an area that is covered by either the Carolinas or Virginia clinical network. You literally have two years to talk to the administration about this once you start classes, so IMO, I don't think this should be a deciding factor for most of the current applicants.
Finally, let me reiterate: I fully believe that 95% of any and all clinical hiccups (and I do believe they will only be hiccups) will be sorted out by my class, at least a year before you have to worry about it. We all 'signed up' to be guinea pigs as members of the first class. So far, only insignificant issues (IMO) have arisen. Of these issues, the administration has gone out of their way to discuss and address the concerns we've had as a class. I do not doubt that this same level of attentiveness (or better) will be applied during our collective forray into the clinical aspect of our education.
My class will be going through this process before you will. I'm not worried. I don't think you should be either.
P.S. The best way to get a response from me is to quote one of my posts for a public response or to send me a PM. I don't want to miss out on some helpful information for you guys just because I didn't get a notification.
