Midwestern vs Western

[TreadLightly]

Sorry to bring up another one of these, but since it's getting close to the time where people are making decisions, I think a thread on two similar schools will be useful to myself and others.

I live in CA and would like to practice here one day, so Western may be a plus in that regard. Midwestern felt like the better school academically (board scores, match list) and definitely has a nice campus in a slightly better area. Western is my local school and is a bit cheaper though. My personal reasons aside, which is the better school in terms of rotations and preparation for a competitive residency?

I should note that I have interviews coming up at SOMA and LECOM-B, but besides cost I can't see many reasons to pick those over Western/MW

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Elevencents]

Which Midwestern? 😉

 

[TreadLightly]

Which Midwestern? 😉

Wow I must be ******ed. AZCOM!!

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Match lists mean nothing. You should look at the opportunities each school present and how each one will help you reach your career goals. Both schools have great reputation and strong hospital affiliations. I realize that the general concensus on SDN is that AZCOM is better than WesternU (I don't believe it's true). However, it is what you make of it. Matching into a residency spot has little to do with what school you attend. It mainly depends on your boards and audition rotations.

The journey of medical education is long and brutal. Attending a school that you like in a place where you have your family's and friends' support makes the road more bearable.

For me, I love SoCal. I've lived in SoCal since I immigrated to the U.S. I don't plan on living anywhere else. Besides, my family and my wife's family are all residing in SoCal. I have a network of friends who attend WesternU. Therefore, this school is a perfect fit for me.

 

[Elevencents]

Both will allow you the opportunity to do residency and practice in CA. Both are good schools from what I've read. I'd simply go with your gut and which you feel is the better fit for you and what allows you to be close to family if that is important to you.

 

[bvo21]

I think the cost between schools are a wash when you consider living costs.

 

[Isha2018]

They are both good schools (Of course, I was wait-listed pre-interview at AZCOM and accepted to WesternU-COMP). My friend just graduated from AZCOM this year and highly praises the school. He matched into IM at an allopathic program in Texas.

As a praying person, I would recommend praying to God about which school is right for you. If you're not interested in praying to God, pray to science by continuing to research the pros and cons of each school to help you decide. 🙂

 

[TreadLightly]

If you're not interested in praying to God, pray to science by continuing to research the pros and cons of each school to help you decide. 🙂

Haha thanks for that. Both are great schools and I would be completely happy at either. I'll continue to look into it. Congrats on Western!

Thanks for the responses everyone, it looks like a decision that needs to be made based on preference.

 

[Isha2018]

Haha thanks for that. Both are great schools and I would be completely happy at either. I'll continue to look into it. Congrats on Western!

Thanks for the responses everyone, it looks like a decision that needs to be made based on preference.

Good luck to you, and thanks! BTW, your quote attributes my quote to bvo21....Glitch in the new SDN?

 

[Spindrift11B4]

Match lists mean nothing.

I disagree with this opinion to a certain extent. Match lists may not ultimately mean a whole lot but they certainly mean more than nothing. To elaborate, if you see a school that has students consistently placing into quality residencies, and perhaps a bit more specialty heavy than most D.O. schools, it is reasonable to conclude that there is some aspect of that school that contributes to such a result.

I completely agree that whatever residency you get is the one that you earned, and it is ultimately up to the individual. However, your school can help or hinder your progress toward that goal. I say "help or hinder," not "make all of the difference in the world." There is no doubt that some schools have consistently more graduates place into relatively higher quality residencies and specialties than other schools. There must be some reason for that, and it may be something as simple as the type of student attracted to said school.

So to say that, "match lists mean nothing," is a bit of an over generalization in my opinion. I think it is foolish to base your selection solely off of the match list of course, but it can still be a good indicator of certain aspects of the school. It's good to see what previous generations of students have achieved, and the match list is one way of doing that. Unfortunately at our pre-med level we usually don't know enough about the process or individual programs to really be able to make a solid judgement on the matter without input from someone farther along in the process.

 

[GUH]

I had to make this decision last year and chose Western. I really did like AZCOM. Location and Honors/Pass/Fail were factors in the decision.
One thing that I like about COMP now that I'm here is the standardized patient program. Not sure whether or not they have one a AZCOM, but I've really enjoyed getting to practice some of the skills we're learning on live people (albeit actors) from the get-go.

I'm mostly interested in traditionally less-competitive specialties so match lists were not a major concern for me.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Hey @GUH,
I believe midwestern has weekly tests, like monday morning at 7:30 or 8:00 am, how does western compare in this regard? Thanks 😀

 

[GUH]

Hey @GUH,
I believe midwestern has weekly tests, like monday morning at 7:30 or 8:00 am, how does western compare in this regard? Thanks 😀

Tests roughly every other week at this point. Academic exams typically start at 9:30; ECM and OPP exams are usually scheduled in the afternoon. Class usually starts at 8 AM, but often starts later.

 

[thumbz]

MWU also doesn't have mandatory lectures, and we do have the standardized patients as well (majority of them in 2nd year)

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Some more differences/comparisons for you guys.

AZCOM doesnt have streaming or recorded lectures while Western does, that's another difference.
The AZCOM is a nicer and feels more like a self contained campus with gym while Western has deals for discounts with LA Fitness.
People seem to complain about rotations with both schools, AZCOM has some sort of first-come-first-lottery system not sure how Western does it.
AZCOM has a nice cafeteria while Western does not (I believe).
I dont know how to compare the match lists and board scores, can someone give a link or something and possibly compare?

 

[bvo21]

Some more differences/comparisons for you guys.

AZCOM doesnt have streaming or recorded lectures while Western does, that's another difference.
The AZCOM is a nicer and feels more like a self contained campus with gym while Western has deals for discounts with LA Fitness.
People seem to complain about rotations with both schools, AZCOM has some sort of first-come-first-lottery system not sure how Western does it.
AZCOM has a nice cafeteria while Western does not (I believe).
I dont know how to compare the match lists and board scores, can someone give a link or something and possibly compare?

I was told this past week that AZCOM will begin recording their lectures next year.

 

[ChineseKid]

Some more differences/comparisons for you guys.

AZCOM doesnt have streaming or recorded lectures while Western does, that's another difference.
The AZCOM is a nicer and feels more like a self contained campus with gym while Western has deals for discounts with LA Fitness.
People seem to complain about rotations with both schools, AZCOM has some sort of first-come-first-lottery system not sure how Western does it.
AZCOM has a nice cafeteria while Western does not (I believe).
I dont know how to compare the match lists and board scores, can someone give a link or something and possibly compare?

Thanks, really useful!


During my tour of AZCOM, we were told lectures were/will be recorded. Not 100% certain if it will happens though.

 

[JediZero]

OP, someone started a similar thread in School-Specific discussions, so you can find a little more info over there.

Bottom line, if staying in California is a priority, go with Western. You will make direct connections with residency programs at Arrowhead and on other rotations, and more indirect connections through networking, local alumni, Western's OPTI, etc.

If you're open to spending four years/7-10 years/most of your life in a different area, then feel free to weigh whatever other factors you find more important. Good luck!

Some more differences/comparisons for you guys.

AZCOM doesnt have streaming or recorded lectures while Western does, that's another difference.
The AZCOM is a nicer and feels more like a self contained campus with gym while Western has deals for discounts with LA Fitness.
People seem to complain about rotations with both schools, AZCOM has some sort of first-come-first-lottery system not sure how Western does it.
AZCOM has a nice cafeteria while Western does not (I believe).
I dont know how to compare the match lists and board scores, can someone give a link or something and possibly compare?

Western does a lottery system for rotations, followed by a multi-step trading system that lets you move things around a little bit. Works well for most people.
Western does not have a cafeteria, just a small cafe in one of the buildings. There are a handful of restaurants within walking distance. Was never a big deal, though.
There's not much reliable info out there about match lists or board scores. Looking at an individual match list isn't really helpful, to be honest. Board scores are also more individual-dependent. I know Western's students usually do well on boards, but we also did well on the MCAT, so maybe it's just us? Given that most of my class gave up on paying attention to the lecturers and just focused on independently studying for COMLEX/USMLE, that's kind of what I'm thinking.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

OP, someone started a similar thread in School-Specific discussions, so you can find a little more info over there.

I think I found a couple:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ind...a-vs-wvsom-vs-touro-nv.1039146/#post-14566798
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/index.php?threads/western-comp-vs-azcom.1016049/

Thanks for all the info, JediZero! 😀

 

[Postictal Raiden]

OP, someone started a similar thread in School-Specific discussions, so you can find a little more info over there.

Bottom line, if staying in California is a priority, go with Western. You will make direct connections with residency programs at Arrowhead and on other rotations, and more indirect connections through networking, local alumni, Western's OPTI, etc.

If you're open to spending four years/7-10 years/most of your life in a different area, then feel free to weigh whatever other factors you find more important. Good luck!



Western does a lottery system for rotations, followed by a multi-step trading system that lets you move things around a little bit. Works well for most people.
Western does not have a cafeteria, just a small cafe in one of the buildings. There are a handful of restaurants within walking distance. Was never a big deal, though.
There's not much reliable info out there about match lists or board scores. Looking at an individual match list isn't really helpful, to be honest. Board scores are also more individual-dependent. I know Western's students usually do well on boards, but we also did well on the MCAT, so maybe it's just us? Given that most of my class gave up on paying attention to the lecturers and just focused on independently studying for COMLEX/USMLE, that's kind of what I'm thinking.

Thank you.

I know that Western students rotate at Arrowhead, Riverside Regional, Downy Regional, and Chino. Are there other hospitals where students do their core rotations? Which of these sites is considered good/bad?

 

[JediZero]

Thank you.

I know that Western students rotate at Arrowhead, Riverside Regional, Downy Regional, and Chino. Are there other hospitals where students do their core rotations? Which of these sites is considered good/bad?

Those are the big hospitals where students rotate (along with Pomona Valley Hospital), but there are a whole bunch of others that take a few students. I don't think there are any others with multiple residency programs, but some of them have other perks like easy hours or desireable locations (OMM in Hawaii, for the lucky few that landed that one in the lottery).

Arrowhead can be brutal in terms of the workload, but you get to do a lot and people who want to go into a particular specialty usually try to do that rotation there. I've heard good things about Riverside, too. I've heard... less pleasant things about Downey and Chino.