KCOM or AZCOM interview?

[FizbanZymogen]

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Here's an odd question,

I am running really low on funds. I was offered interviews recently at KCOM and AZCOM but can really only afford to attend one of them. I just want opinions and reasons from anyone and everyone on which I should attend. Any advice would be helpful. Oh, and I know there are going to be some of you who say, "you have to find out for yourself yada...yada...." look I just want opinions related to the schools between KCOM and AZCOM. I already know to take what everyone says with a grain of salt. Thanks everyone

 

[Doctor Bagel]

The hard thing is that it would be a pretty subjective call between the two schools. I didn't apply to KCOM last year because of their location, and I think that's a big issue with lots of people. Supposedly, it's in a very, very small town, which is probably okay if it's just you, but if you're bringing a spouse who might maybe want to find a job, it'll be an issue.

Other things -- KCOM is known as having really stable clinical rotations. Most students have to move away after their second year, but the setup is supposedly really organized. AZCOM in the past has had a lot of trouble securing local rotations, and their rotation schedule seemed a bit more on the chaotic side. I think something happened (don't remember what) that was supposed to make it easier to get local rotations, though.

Regarding the basic sciences, KCOM will have a much bigger emphasis on OMM, I think. AZCOM/CCOM (both Midwestern U. schools) are known for making OMM a relatively smaller part of the curriculum.

 

[LWestenhofer]

I don't know anything about KCOM, but I have heard good things from several MDs I know about their graduates being more than capable. It must be a goos school.

As for AZCOM, I have never beenthere- first trip coming up this week for interview. heard good things from DOs I know, but they sent me a DVD a few weeks ago with pre-interview info. Honestly, I was unimpressed. I know it is unfair to pass judgement on the DVD alone, but that is most of what I know about the school. It was a group of people talking about the "real world of med school."

 

[Testy McAterson]

i haven't interviewed at either so i can't offer suggestions based on curriculum, facilities, my own experience...but here's some of the basic stuff i've found/considered about the two:

location--suburb of big city vs. small town
*population size
---azcom: suburb population 218,812 with phx area 3.2+ million people
---kcom: town population 16,988
*diversity
---azcom: 64.7% White Non-Hispanic
---kcom: 93.5% White Non-Hispanic
*town size
---azcom: 55.7 sq. miles
---kcom: 10.5 sq. miles
*temp avg
---azcom: 68-115 F
---kcom: 22-78 F
founding year
-azcom: 1996 (i think?)
-kcom: 1892
tuition
-azcom: $40,492 (oos azcom from website)
-kcom: $36,045 (kcom from website)
if you are especially interested in rural medicine
-kcom: Top 10 Medical Schools for Rural Medicine by US News and World
Report, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
match lists
-kcom
- as far as i can tell azcom doesn't link theirs

 

[FizbanZymogen]

Thanks everyone for all the info. This is tough. Anymore input anyone?

 

[emeddo]

As a KCOM student I am very biased. I can say nothing about AZCOM. What I can say though is that I have loved KCOM. The size of the town has not been a large issue for me (your in medical school, how much are you going to spend outside of it?? anyone who thinks medical students have lots of free time is delusional, except physicians of course). Yes it is small, but not as small and rinky dink as everyone on studentdoctor makes it out to be (and yes I have lived in large towns Sacramento, LA, and Kansas City). The academics here are wonderful and they are really trying hard to make us well rounded doctors, but not only that, competetive ones as well. The OMM is superb and the teachers here are legends in their fields. The support for spouses is amazing if you are married (my wife stays busier than I) and the support for single students is just as amazing (clubs, intramurals, parties, you name it, how they keep up in their studies with all the social stuff going on I will never know). I know you don't want this answer, but you do just have to find out for yourself, that is what the interview process is for. You may be financially strapped now, but I promise it is nothing compared to what you will be when medical school starts. It is an invesment in your future, so I reccomend placing as high a value on it as you can. Don't sell yourself short. I didn't know KCOM was where I wanted to go till got here and interviewed. Similarly I didn't know other schools were where I didn't want to go till I got there. Hope this helps in some way

 

[MikeyLu2010]

AZCOM's match list is very impressive..im 95% confident that it can easily rival that of KCOMs...(applied there last year and got accepted so i did some research 🙂)