Midwestern-AZ SMP Discussion

[Flushot]

EDIT 2/15/10 - Made some updates based on the updates to the class of 2010.

After the 10th unique PM I have received about MWU's SMP in Glendale, AZ, I have decided to make a thread hopefully answering any initial and common questions future applicants may have. I don't go down here too often, so if you don't see an immediate response, feel free to PM me and drag me back to this thread.

Here's some basic info from their website:
http://www.midwestern.edu/
http://mwunet.midwestern.edu/

Master of Biomedical Science (MBS) - 2 years, thesis
Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences (MA) - 1 year, non-thesis

2009 will be the inaugural class for the MA program. I am currently a student in the MA program, so this will mainly be about the MA program.

Application process: Require Bachelors degree and professional school exam (GRE, MCAT, DAT, PCAT, OAT)

They take about 2 weeks to a month to respond to your application, depending on how early you sent it in. Earlier = faster response generally.

The response will either be rejection or a request to schedule a telephone interview. The interview lasts about 30 minutes and you will speak directly to the director of the program, Dr. Bell or another faculty member.

Questions they might ask are: What are your professional goals, why Midwestern, etc. Nothing too tricky. Make sure to have questions for the interviewer.

Following the interview, notices will generally be sent out 1 week later. Feel free to check up with the biomed office to find out.

Student body: They accept around 75 students to the MA program. There were about 120 applications for our year (c/o 2009), I believe. It seems that the number will increase each year by a small amount. Remember that this is only MA; there is also a two year MBS program that takes about 25 students each year that might also increase.

They want students who do plan to go on to professional school. They know that this program is a stepping stone to your real goal, so it will come up in the interview.

For our class (c/o 2009), the averages were: cGPA - 3.1 | sGPA - 2.9 | MCAT - 23
I don't know about the averages for the other tests. You're welcome to ask Dr. Bell to see how competitive you are. Also, note that they were pretty lenient this year to let people in because it was a brand new program and few people knew about it.

Tuition: $28,000 total - 10k paid per quarter (will most likely increase)

Living Costs: reasonable ($1000 for 2/2 at complex across from campus); it is nearly impossible to get on campus housing for us since it is reserved for professional students, so look up these places
http://www.mark-taylor.com/sanlagos/index.asp
http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/AZ-Glendale-Sage-Stone-at-Arrowhead.html

EDIT - My current roommate is in the MA program and I live on campus, so it is not as impossible as it seems. Just make sure to apply for housing as soon as you figure things out and be open to living arrangements. It helps to live on campus, trust me.

Duration (for our class): 1st week of September to mid May 2009
Quarter system - Fall, Winter and Spring

Linkage: Maintanance of a 3.0 at the end of Winter Quarter and 26 MCAT (for AZCOM) will guarantee an interview. No guaranteed acceptances.

Note that the linkage deal applies to ALL of MWU's professional programs, including dental, pharm, and optometry.

Grades: +/- system; there is no curve

Classes: Some with PA students, others just to biomed; none with professional school students

Examples include: Physio I and II, Micro, Anatomy w/ prosected lab (1 quarter), Biochem (1 quarter), Medical Ethics, and a Capstone/Research project non-thesis


My thoughts: There are a lot of kinks to work out and we are the guinea pig class for sure, but it has potential to attract those who want into MWU-AZ's schools. As for other schools, there's little recognition so far, so just be aware of that.

Cost is high but cost of living here is pretty reasonable so think about that before you come.

Students are pretty active here, but it's not like undergrad. It will be study, eat, sleep, study until you get the hang of the constant testing due to the quarter system (unless you're already used to it). I think this is good training for professional school so it's a nice way to ease into it.

The Capstone project is a little independent research project you have to do but it is non-thesis, so I question the reason for doing it at all. We haven't turned it in yet, so we'll see what happens next quarter.

Honestly, if you plan to apply for it and go, I would mainly do it if you want a very good chance at MWU-AZ programs. Other programs might like it, but investing time and money here gives you a good chance here and probably only here. That's just my thoughts on it.

EDIT - Here is last year's thread on the program. You might find it helpful.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=439628&

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[D3ntalDud3]

I am really hoping to gain admissions to this program if I do not get accepted to dental school for fall 2009. All of my letters, DAT scores, transcripts, and application (fee and all) were all sent last week.

I'm sort of curious as to how I stand or what type of student is seriously considered. Could you maybe tell us a little bit about the admissions process? Time-line, interview, etc.?

I really want to get into this program to springboard me into dental school, and I absolutely would go to dental school in AZ. Sorry for being sort of vague on the questions, anything you have will help and your post has already been a big help, thank you!

 

[Flushot]

Oh right the application process

I'll add that to the first post. Take a look near the top for it.

 

[D3ntalDud3]

Thank you for the information, I really appreciate it. I hope to be hearing from them soon!

 

[lovemed]

I wondered when is the best time to apply? Do you think this program helps your chances of getting into medical school?

 

[Flushot]

The best time to apply would be for the same for all SMPs, which is around Jan to April of the entering year. So, right about now

Also, please read the first post about the chances and the make up of the study body. Like I said, this program is new and it is mostly for you to get into AZCOM if you're looking for a medical school. I don't know how other schools view it until it's a little more established.

 

[D3ntalDud3]

I just called them today and my application is complete. I asked for a timeline and they said someone should be getting ahold of me within a week or two. Has anyone else completed there app to MWU MA program? I would really like to get some more feedback from some of you. Has anyone had an interview yet for the 2009 incoming class? Anyone been accepted? Some other ppl post let's hear some more feedback!! haha

 

[drdolittle1]

I'm a pre-dent who will probably be reapplying this year, so I'm looking for programs to do over the next year. Is it me, or is the tuition at MU and these other programs a bit ridiculous? It seems you're paying $30K for something that doesn't guarantee you anything....basically the cost of a year of dental/med school.

 

[SBK]

I'm a pre-dent who will probably be reapplying this year, so I'm looking for programs to do over the next year. Is it me, or is the tuition at MU and these other programs a bit ridiculous? It seems you're paying $30K for something that doesn't guarantee you anything....basically the cost of a year of dental/med school.

Nothing like Spring Break to bring me back to SDN.....

It's true that 30K doesn't guarentee you anything, but it's not there fault you screwed up in UG or whatnot. You can always go somewhere else that is cheaper.

 

[drdolittle1]

You don't know what I did in UG or anything about me, so keep your comments to yourself.

This is merely an issue of cost. The problem is most of these programs cost between 20-30K. I know it's all a means to an end, but is this program really worth it? Seems you could do the same thing at your local university by enrolling in classes a-la-carte for much, much cheaper.

 

[SBK]

You don't know what I did in UG or anything about me, so keep your comments to yourself.

This is merely an issue of cost. The problem is most of these programs cost between 20-30K. I know it's all a means to an end, but is this program really worth it? Seems you could do the same thing at your local university by enrolling in classes a-la-carte for much, much cheaper.

Awwwww, a little sensitive, perhaps? [EDIT: And judging by your post history, you already admitted your UG GPA was 'not so great'.]

Just because you're the exception doesnt mean its any different, nearly everyone in the program has major UG problems. I personally had a 3.0 w/o an MCAT score to date. And yeah, the program was worth it to me. See ya in med school.

 

[bivvie]

Awwwww, a little sensitive, perhaps? [EDIT: And judging by your post history, you already admitted your UG GPA was 'not so great'.]

Just because you're the exception doesnt mean its any different, nearly everyone in the program has major UG problems. I personally had a 3.0 w/o an MCAT score to date. And yeah, the program was worth it to me. See ya in med school.

LoL...now now children...play nice.

I agree the tuition is hefty...but I will hopefully find out I got into AZCOM tomorrow and it will therefore have been very much worth it. If you have no intentions of going to Midwestern for whatever professional program you're looking to get accepted to...then perhaps going to a cheaper school somewhere you want to go is a better option.

We're all gonna be broke for awhile...so as far as I'm concerned it's more about the other factors than the $$ factor unless it's between an expensive institution and a cheap state school in which case the difference is substantial

 

[213965]

You don't know what I did in UG or anything about me, so keep your comments to yourself.

This is merely an issue of cost. The problem is most of these programs cost between 20-30K. I know it's all a means to an end, but is this program really worth it? Seems you could do the same thing at your local university by enrolling in classes a-la-carte for much, much cheaper.

Whether or not the program is really worth it depends on your individual case. I would say that if your undergrad GPA is below a 3.5, and you do well in the SMP, it could help. If, however, you come in like me with close to 3.8 and perform worse, it could really hurt you. What sucks about the program is that it's really expensive, it's really difficult, and if you drop out that looks even worse when you are applying. However, by staying in, my GPA took a severe hit from this program which I think ultimately led to my waitlists/rejections at schools I would have otherwise been competitive at.

If I could go back, I certainly wouldn't have thrown away 30k+ and instead put in the same hours I did studying here for an MCAT retake. If my GPA was the main issue, I would have enrolled in individual classes and taken advantage of the grade replacement option (at least for DO schools). Or if I knew what a DO was back during my junior year in undergrad I probably would have applied with the 27 MCAT and 3.8 GPA and be in my second year of medschool right now, maybe. The point is, any of those options would have either saved me lots of time, money, or both. Also, keep in mind that doing the SMP here has no guarantee of admission into the DO program -- plenty of extremely qualified people have been placed on the WL for no good reason.

Finally, I'm not sure if I can say I've really learned anything that valuable from being here. I originally thought it was a "shortened" master's program, meaning I'd have research opportunities and be able to graduate with a legitimate, employable master's degree. However, this is not the case. The research positions are generally reserved for the 2 year master's and DO students, and the heavy courseload doesn't really allow much time to much research anyway. The "capstone" we are required to do in lieu of a thesis can be completed in a day (I wrote my 45 pg undergrad thesis in 9 days... the "capstone" only requires a few 2 pg double spaced "papers" and some powerpoints). I will say that I met a lot of cool people here, and probably wouldn't have known what a DO was if I hadn't come, but I'd like to think I could have accomplished that without throwing away $30k+. There's a lot more I could write, so feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

*edit* I read further back in the thread and noticed you're pre-dent. I will say that plenty of pre-dents in our program have also been WL (so still no real guarantee of admission from being in the SMP).

 

[coolslugs]

Whether or not the program is really worth it depends on your individual case. I would say that if your undergrad GPA is below a 3.5, and you do well in the SMP, it could help. If, however, you come in like me with close to 3.8 and perform worse, it could really hurt you. What sucks about the program is that it's really expensive, it's really difficult, and if you drop out that looks even worse when you are applying. However, by staying in, my GPA took a severe hit from this program which I think ultimately led to my waitlists/rejections at schools I would have otherwise been competitive at.

If I could go back, I certainly wouldn't have thrown away 30k+ and instead put in the same hours I did studying here for an MCAT retake. If my GPA was the main issue, I would have enrolled in individual classes and taken advantage of the grade replacement option (at least for DO schools). Or if I knew what a DO was back during my junior year in undergrad I probably would have applied with the 27 MCAT and 3.8 GPA and be in my second year of medschool right now, maybe. The point is, any of those options would have either saved me lots of time, money, or both. Also, keep in mind that doing the SMP here has no guarantee of admission into the DO program -- plenty of extremely qualified people have been placed on the WL for no good reason.

Finally, I'm not sure if I can say I've really learned anything that valuable from being here. I originally thought it was a "shortened" master's program, meaning I'd have research opportunities and be able to graduate with a legitimate, employable master's degree. However, this is not the case. The research positions are generally reserved for the 2 year master's and DO students, and the heavy courseload doesn't really allow much time to much research anyway. The "capstone" we are required to do in lieu of a thesis can be completed in a day (I wrote my 45 pg undergrad thesis in 9 days... the "capstone" only requires a few 2 pg double spaced "papers" and some powerpoints). I will say that I met a lot of cool people here, and probably wouldn't have known what a DO was if I hadn't come, but I'd like to think I could have accomplished that without throwing away $30k+. There's a lot more I could write, so feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

*edit* I read further back in the thread and noticed you're pre-dent. I will say that plenty of pre-dents in our program have also been WL (so still no real guarantee of admission from being in the SMP).

How difficult/demanding is this program? Can you give an example in comparing to your undergrad classes?

 

[D3ntalDud3]

my app has been completed and in for awhile and I haven't heard anything yet...has anyone else?? starting to get nervous

 

[213965]

How difficult/demanding is this program? Can you give an example in comparing to your undergrad classes?

Yes, I can. For example, I was able to earn A's in my pre-med prereq classes (bio, chem, phys, ochem) with 50% lecture attendance and studying 4-5 hours per exam.

Here, I need to put in at least 15 hours of studying per exam to earn the A, which is difficult when we have multiple exams per week. I also found my grades suffered significantly (~5%) during interview season when I missed lecture once or twice a week, but I do know some people who still never attend lecture and are doing well, so everyone differs.

Thankfully, if you can make it past the first two quarters, third quarter isn't so bad. But I can't even tell you how many times I considered dropping out during those first two quarters, esp. when the acceptances started coming in. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

[Phoenixwillrise]

I am a 2-year biomed student and it seems like few people on the thread are interested in applying to the 2-year program so i'll give my two cents anyway. As the MA students have said this program is very difficult. As for my situation, I have done better than I have in undergrad but that is a novel in itself For us, we have in addition to course work, 15-20 page papers due at the end of the quarter and starting this Spring we have lab work and presenting our research to committee. So for us its hard work and then some but in all honesty there is some great research going on here that definitely surprised me. It's hard work that's for sure, but almost all of the work that we are doing will be published in major publications and what not and if you are like me and majored in a nonscience, gpa not so hot and little to none research then I feel this program will help. This program has its quirks thats for sure and nothing is perfect but I definitely feel that because of this program I will be better prepared to apply to med school, grad school whatever, than I was before. So if anyone has questions hit me up!!!

 

[Flushot]

Wow, it's a like a mini-reunuion on SDN from last year's thread. I feel nostalgic even though we can all see each other in person all the

my app has been completed and in for awhile and I haven't heard anything yet...has anyone else?? starting to get nervous

I'd give Deb, the admin for biomed, a call. Speaking of which, I think I'll include a list of phone numbers and emails to contact the program. If you find any ones that get you directly there, please post here and I'll add it to the first post.

 

[213965]

OK, so I was encouraged to clarify or elaborate upon my earlier, lengthier post, so I'll write what comes to mind for now.

First, in terms of what I wrote about the capstone project for the 1-year program (in leiu of the 2-year thesis), I did NOT mean to discredit it. What I meant to convey is that the workload is very managable and not nearly as demanding as what you would do for a normal master's research thesis, since the focus of the 1-year program is on science coursework and getting into professional school, and not on scientific publications.

Also, I did an official file review with the director of admissions at one of the schools I was wait-listed at, and while they did say that my poor performance here from fall quarter is what barred me from an acceptance, they added that if I finished strongly this year (GPA >3.5) they can remove me from the waitlist, so it's not like all hope is lost (yet). In addition, I wrote about my capstone project in my letter of interest/intent to that school, which they viewed postively, and I will probably end up forwarding a small copy of my finished poster in my final update letter to them as well. So again, I didn't meant to imply in my previous post that our capstone is worthless because it isn't.

Also, in terms of the value behind the one year MA degree itself, while it may not hold much weight in a traditional science career (where you are already competing with PhD's), I know that if I wanted to go back into high school teaching (my previous career), just having the master's degree (even though it was non-research based) will already put me in a different salary bracket as a co-worker coming in with just a bachelor's, for example. But since that obviously isn't my goal, the MA is pretty useless for my personal case.

Hope this helped clarify some things.

 

[tbone12373]

I'd also like to put my two cents in. I don't write on here that much but I think the program has been a great supplement to my undergraduate education. I also know each situation is different but overall I had 5 interviews in the fall and talking about the program in the interviews about our courseload etc impressed the interviewers (and I think helped me get into the programs). I think that the program was a great stepping point to getting into medical school.

 

[SBK]

I'd also like to put my two cents in. I don't write on here that much but I think the program has been a great supplement to my undergraduate education. I also know each situation is different but overall I had 5 interviews in the fall and talking about the program in the interviews about our courseload etc impressed the interviewers (and I think helped me get into the programs). I think that the program was a great stepping point to getting into medical school.

lollllll. I love the Tbone name

 

[D3ntalDud3]

had my phone interview on the 19th or so...now I'm just playing the waiting game...my specialty

 

[Flushot]

Yeah, they're probably getting all their apps in right now. If you want to gauge the timeline of when to hear back, check in the old thread around this time and you'll see a lot of activity.

Hope to hear good news.

 

[D3ntalDud3]

called today and found out I was accepted!

now I just need to wait for the packet to come in the mail...is the financial aid portion in the packet much help as far as amount of info?

 

[Phoenixwillrise]

Congrats, see you next year!! I'll be TA'ing a few classes so i'll be around. If I remember but im not confident and one of the others can say if im wrong but the financial aid portion wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Please correct me if i'm wrong because for my program the financial aid really wasn't special in terms of grants and all that good stuff. For the most part you just choose your lender and they give you info on how to budget money and what loans do what stuff like that. For the most part, I just remember it being regular ole' info.

P.S. For current students. The Pharm exam was killer!!! I sure got ripped a new one. lol

called today and found out I was accepted!

now I just need to wait for the packet to come in the mail...is the financial aid portion in the packet much help as far as amount of info?

 

[OnDentalDuty]

Did Dr. Bell interview you? I got a phone call from him but will have one more interview with a faculty as he told me earlier.

Congrats on your acceptance. I hope we can see you there soon.

 

[D3ntalDud3]

Dr. Bell did not interview me, I believe his name started with an S (??) Anyway I had one interview on the 19th or so, then I called yesterday to make sure the email they had was correct because I had not been receiving emails I was told I would get. Thats when they told me I was accepted.

 

[OnDentalDuty]

When will you move to Glendale? I may look for roommate(s) soon.

 

[D3ntalDud3]

I could be down there as soon as June, my girlfriend and I are looking into houses because of the market for first time home owners...such a stressful process

 

[Thundercatz]

Hey Guys,

Is it too late to apply to this program? I have applied to a few but just found about this one.

Tuan

 

[213965]

Hey Guys,

Is it too late to apply to this program? I have applied to a few but just found about this one.

Tuan

One of my friends didn't apply until late April, was waitlisted, but eventually accepted in August (before orientation) and is doing very well in the program.

 

[Flushot]

Did Dr. Bell interview you? I got a phone call from him but will have one more interview with a faculty as he told me earlier.

Congrats on your acceptance. I hope we can see you there soon.

That's really interesting that they would do two interviews. Let us know how that goes.

Dr. Bell did not interview me, I believe his name started with an S (??) Anyway I had one interview on the 19th or so, then I called yesterday to make sure the email they had was correct because I had not been receiving emails I was told I would get. Thats when they told me I was accepted.

Congrats on the acceptance. Did Dr. Soby interview you? He's the only S that biomed has I believe.

 

[D3ntalDud3]

Yes, it was Dr. Soby

 

[OnDentalDuty]

I had an interview with 3 persons (Dr. Bell, Dr. Soby, and Dr. Kaiser), and they asked me if I would be interested in doing independent research with 2 yr program. Also, I had some questions regarding my academic performance and research projects which I have done before.
They will have a meeting tomorrow and make a final decision on my application.
For late applicants, I'd recommend you to call Dr. Bell ASAP so he will be able to give you how many spots are available so far.
Good luck to you all!

 

[OnDentalDuty]

That's really interesting that they would do two interviews. Let us know how that goes.



Congrats on the acceptance. Did Dr. Soby interview you? He's the only S that biomed has I believe.

I guess you live with Jong. Right? I wish he is okay with everything now.

 

[Flushot]

Oh you've talked with Jong before on here? Yeah, I currently live with him. Has he told what his plans are?

On the note about the interview, that's really interesting that they would trifecta interview. It must be getting more selective Well, good luck to you. Let us know how it goes.

 

[TheCloser]

Does anyone know how many seats are left in the program? My application was complete on the 9th of April (I waited until winter quarter grades were out to apply) and still no word. I am worried since I have already been accepted into BarryU's SMP and have to give them a decision in the next couple of weeks. I would prefer to go to Midwestern but I don't want to call and bug them since I am sure they are busy with interviews and reviewing applications. Any advice or do you guys have any idea when I will hear back?

 

[213965]

Does anyone know how many seats are left in the program? My application was complete on the 9th of April (I waited until winter quarter grades were out to apply) and still no word. I am worried since I have already been accepted into BarryU's SMP and have to give them a decision in the next couple of weeks. I would prefer to go to Midwestern but I don't want to call and bug them since I am sure they are busy with interviews and reviewing applications. Any advice or do you guys have any idea when I will hear back?

I think you should call. I also remember emailing Dr. Bell several times and getting really fast responses that way too.

 

[TheCloser]

I emailed Dr. Bell and one of his assistants got back to me and said my application was still not checked as complete. I then called the admissions office and they said they are missing my MCAT scores but they have everything else. Funny thing is, I sent everything (letters or rec, resume, transcripts..etc) in the same envelope so I know they must have had them and misplaced them. So, I had to send my scores again so it looks like these last 3 weeks have been kinda pointless since my app was not even considered complete. Hopefully they give me word soon if I get an interview or else I am going to have to dish out some cash to reserve a spot at Barry.

If anyone was interested Dr. Bell's assistant said there are still seats left in the program but did not specify how many.

For the people in the program: Would you recommend re-taking the mcat before the program starts? I noticed they have a mcat prep course but is that actually doable with the demand from the other classes?

 

[pPKB]

I emailed Dr. Bell and one of his assistants got back to me and said my application was still not checked as complete. I then called the admissions office and they said they are missing my MCAT scores but they have everything else. Funny thing is, I sent everything (letters or rec, resume, transcripts..etc) in the same envelope so I know they must have had them and misplaced them. So, I had to send my scores again so it looks like these last 3 weeks have been kinda pointless since my app was not even considered complete. Hopefully they give me word soon if I get an interview or else I am going to have to dish out some cash to reserve a spot at Barry.

If anyone was interested Dr. Bell's assistant said there are still seats left in the program but did not specify how many.

For the people in the program: Would you recommend re-taking the mcat before the program starts? I noticed they have a mcat prep course but is that actually doable with the demand from the other classes?

I didn't take the MCAT prep class but I heard its pretty intense. My suggestion would be study hard this summer and retake it in August or September if you're looking at getting in for the 2014 class. You can still take it in January and AZCOM will accept it.

 

[Flushot]

I receive this list of questions privately, so I'll answer them here and integrate them into the first post.

1. Will "parallel applying" to MWU's SMP hinder my chances for the DO program this year? (will they secretly overlook my name on AZCOM's alt list bc I am simultaneously trying to get into another program at their school?) Do you know of anyone who got accepted off the waitlist to AZCOM while applying/accepted to the SMP?
I can't say for sure, but my guess is that parallel applying will not hurt you in this case because of the nature of the MA program. It's a different story than say, applying med and dental, in which that would look poorly.

I do not know of anyone who was waitlisted at AZCOM who got off the waitlist while applying or getting accepted to this program. There is one person who was waitlisted and got into this program. If they want, they can share their story.

2. Were you on the alt list before applying?
I was not on the alt list before applying. This is my second time applying however.

3. How would you rate this program right now?
My thoughts on the program are above.

4. How has it helped your AACOMAS application be more successful?
I think so, but I can't vouch for that. It seemed that during my interviews, they were glad I was doing something academic to strengthen my application during interview season.

In terms of AZCOM, I think the program helped a lot. Again, this might change as more people hear about the program and it gains notoriety, but that's not for years.

5. How does it help improve the AMCAS (MD) app?
I don't think it will. The program is fairly new and it is a DO SMP. Furthermore, like I said in the first post, if you go to this program, it'll help you more for AZCOM (maybe CCOM) than any other school. Go here if you want a high chance for AZCOM or one of their other professional programs.

 

[TheCloser]

For those of you in the one year MA program and that have applied to med school to start this fall: Has everyone mainly just gotten into AZCOM or have other schools popped up. Also has anyone gotten into an MD or is everyone mainly shooting for a DO school?

Had my interview for the MA program yesterday with Dr. Hull and it went pretty well so I guess I will know for sure if I got in by the end of next week. From what you guys have heard would you guys recommend this program over Barry University's Master of Biomed Science program? I know the Midwestern 1 year program is really intense but it is really hard to do well (like over a 3.5?). Thanks for the input, I guess I will be trying to decide between Barry and Midwestern.

 

[213965]

For those of you in the one year MA program and that have applied to med school to start this fall: Has everyone mainly just gotten into AZCOM or have other schools popped up. Also has anyone gotten into an MD or is everyone mainly shooting for a DO school?

Had my interview for the MA program yesterday with Dr. Hull and it went pretty well so I guess I will know for sure if I got in by the end of next week. From what you guys have heard would you guys recommend this program over Barry University's Master of Biomed Science program? I know the Midwestern 1 year program is really intense but it is really hard to do well (like over a 3.5?). Thanks for the input, I guess I will be trying to decide between Barry and Midwestern.

I'm not sure about Barry, but I could speak from my personal experience here. I had 3 MD interviews this season and several DO. Currently WL at the MD schools and accepted to AZCOM. I know a couple people who also interviewed at MD programs and got acceptances. A lot of us in the program who applied did get interviews/acceptances here at AZCOM, but some didn't. So there's definitely no 'guarantee' interview/acceptance. I think the program is really intense, and my not doing well here (below 3.5 GPA) during first quarter is actually what got me WL at one of the MD schools. So be careful and really watch your grades during interview season! Thankfully, with lots of hard work, I was able to somewhat recover the GPA by the end of the year but you're right in that it is very difficult. I will also add that I really like the LOR service here because they use a committee and are very fast with Interfolio. I hope this helps and good luck.

 

[TheCloser]

So after a long application cycle I ended up getting into the MA program and have decided to withdraw at BarryU. From the first post: do any students live in the Arrowhead Highlands Apartments? I noticed it is really close to campus and pretty much looks like a resort. Is there anything else around the area? Like grocery stores...etc? Could you guys recommend any other apartments that are near campus and pretty nice. Thanks for all your guy's input.

 

[xaznxcountx]

I was also accepted to the MA program last Thursday. I'm waiting on the acceptance packet that will be sent that should hopefully clarify some logistics with transitioning into the program. So are the apartment complexes walkable or bikeable distance to campus? I am also looking forward to paying less for housing. I'm from UC Irvine and pay almost $500 to share a room . If anyone has experience with the Housing situation please share your expertise. Also for financial aid, will I be able to borrow enough money for personal expenses and what not? Or will I needa get a part time job? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Crisco]

I myself moved over from the MA to the MBS during my interview, because I felt the two year one was better for me.

The MA accepts about 100 people and the MBS accepts about 20. However, I am probably going to give up my acceptance to the MBS to go to BU.

 

[TheCloser]

I was also accepted to the MA program last Thursday. I'm waiting on the acceptance packet that will be sent that should hopefully clarify some logistics with transitioning into the program. So are the apartment complexes walkable or bikeable distance to campus? I am also looking forward to paying less for housing. I'm from UC Irvine and pay almost $500 to share a room . If anyone has experience with the Housing situation please share your expertise. Also for financial aid, will I be able to borrow enough money for personal expenses and what not? Or will I needa get a part time job? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

I go to UCDavis so I can attest to the high rent prices. However, I was paying like 600 for my own room up here which is not quite 500 to share a room. If you go to the very first post flushot gives some links to some apartments. I have found that they are all really close to campus (like .5 miles). Here is the link http://www.mark-taylor.com/sanlagos/index.asp. The link is for the San Lagos apts but I believe the San Prado apts ones are closer to campus. Rent looks really reasonable. Like around 1000 for a 2/2.

There seems to be a lot of financial aid stuff to do but I still have not gotten my packet yet so I am sure that will clear some things up.

 

[xaznxcountx]

Is anyone looking for a roommate? I'm a male looking for another male roommate to rent at San Lagos Apartments. Please PM me if you are interested. I'm looking into the 2 bed 2 bathroom. I think its around $1000

 

[michaeld]

just had a phone interview the other night! talked for about 30 min he said i should hear something wiithin 2 weeks, whats the likelyhood i get accepted/waitlisted after getting an interview or does everyone get an interview?

 

[TheCloser]

Just a quick question: How cold does it get in Glendale in the winter? And do you guys run your AC 24/7 since its over 100 all the time?