NYCPM or AzPOD

[Abyss123]

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Hello,

I just found out I was accepted into AzPOD & NYCPM. After visiting both campuses and seeing their facilities, I realized I really liked both EQUALLY! Can anyone that attend these schools list some pros & cons in terms of facilities, curriculum, professors? Thank you in advance. I'm secretly wanting to go to New York, just because of the city, but I don't think that's a justified reason? 🙂

 

[SuperFeisty]

Arizona, DMU, and Chicago have, reputedly, the best "basic sciences" educations... But i'm pretty sure, if you work hard, you succeed anywhere.

 

[ldsrmdude]

Hello,

I just found out I was accepted into AzPOD & NYCPM. After visiting both campuses and seeing their facilities, I realized I really liked both EQUALLY! Can anyone that attend these schools list some pros & cons in terms of facilities, curriculum, professors? Thank you in advance. I'm secretly wanting to go to New York, just because of the city, but I don't think that's a justified reason? 🙂

I don't think that wanting to go to NYC because it's a great city is a bad reason.

I am a 4th year AZPod student, but I have met really smart students from NYCPM. Here is my biased opinion: I've been to NYCPM for a tour, and wasn't too impressed with the campus (but that was admittedly 5 or 6 years ago), and AZPod has a fairly new campus that is really nice. In terms of facilities, I would have to give the advantage to AZPod. For curriculum, I personally like the integration with DO students, but bear in mind that I haven't experienced the curriculum firsthand at NYCPM. Same with professors. AZPod has it's strong and weaker professors. I would say that I see more research (both from students and professors) come out of NYCPM. Choosing a school is a tough decision, best of luck! You can PM me if you have any more specific questions about AZPod.

 

[studentdpm31]

I'm a second year student at NYCPM, as yes, the city does have its perks! It's definitely a lot of fun and there are so many things out there to explore when you have time!

I've been very happy with my decision to go to NYCPM for a couple of reasons. First of all, I truly love that the clinic is literally right downstairs from our school - like your saw in your tour. There are so many benefits of having that available to you. I've had the opportunity to shadow in the clinic a couple of times on a day when I don't have class or once I went down there in between classes, that way I could orient myself to how the clinic is set up. Many of research projects that students do are based right in the clinic.

And that leads me to the second reason why I chose NYCPM, the research opportunities for students. There are bunches and so many of our professors are willing to take on students - which, if you did research in college, you know can be half the battle. Many students do anatomical or surgical projects via the clinics and anatomy labs. I'm hoping to be starting a project soon in the pathology department!

The academics are the academics - everyone has to take the same classes. We have some AMAZING professors (our lower extremity anatomy professor, pharmacology professor, and biochemistry professors are some of the students favorites!) and then we have some weaker professors just like every school. We do not have block scheduling, so sometimes you end up taking a bunch of classes at once that can be pretty spread out throughout the semester. It can be draining, but we make it work.

Unfortunately, I cannot give any input on AZPod, as I offered an interview but wanted to stay a little closer to home so I ended up not seeing the school. I have heard nothing but fantastic things about it though! You really have to see where you personally would feel the most comfortable. It's the next four years and a lot of money so you want to be somewhere you like as well as somewhere you're getting a top notch education.

Of course, I have more reasons as to why I chose NYCPM, one being that I am from Connecticut so it was a little closer to my family. Please let me know if you have any questions!

 

[fivescrew]

Isn't rent in NYC for 4 years equal to a medical education in itself?

 

[frankcfromny]

Isn't rent in NYC for 4 years equal to a medical education in itself?

Yes, can someone elaborate on the living arrangements for NYCPM students?

 

[studentdpm31]

Living in NYC is very expensive - there's no way to get around that. Whether or not it's equivalent to an entire medical school education... Well, when I graduate I'll post my total debt and see how it compares to others 😉 I'm pretty sure we're all comparable!

However, you do have a lot of options. NYCPM does offer student housing and a lot of students choose that option because not only is it a cost-effective option but also it's easier than trying to find housing on your own. NYC apartment hunting is just another beast in and of itself!

Most students live in a complex called The Heritage - it's on 110th & 5th right along Central Park. The monthly price of student housing depends on how many people are in your apartment (naturally). The more people you room with the cheaper the rent - the highest number of students per apartment is five. So, if you want to live in student housing, replying earlier will increase your chances of being in a 5-person apartment.

There are a lot of students (like me!) who live outside of student housing. When I was offered housing, I was offered a three person room (I was late to reply) which was more expensive so I chose to venture into the world of NYC apartment hunting. Not going to lie, it's crazy. But, I was able to find a less expensive option.

Also, some students live in neighboring states like New Jersey and commute into school. Neighboring boroughs are always an option like Queens and Brooklyn - they offer some cheaper living arrangements than Manhattan - only at the expense of the commute which really isn't bad considering the ease of NYC public transportation. We absolutely have students that take advantage of all possible options when it comes to living expenses.

So, it's up to you - student housing is closer to school, definitely easier to plan and execute, and depending on how many people are in the apartment with you, it can be the most cost-effective option.

I hope that answers some questions! Feel free to ask more 🙂

 

[Abyss123]

Thanks all for your replies!
To the Arizona students:

I was wondering what is there to do outside of campus. If I were to go to Midwestern, do I need a car? When I visited the campus, it seemed very isolated. Where do you go on the weekends (if not too busy with school)? Thanks!

 

[Sig Savant]

I never considered this as a prepod, but looking back now, but Alumni Associations. NY has so many alumni across the country, which helps to develop connections with different doctors. Most jobs are found by word of mouth, so by meeting as many people as you can, you can maximize your chances of finding a place to practice.

 

[ldsrmdude]

Thanks all for your replies!
To the Arizona students:

I was wondering what is there to do outside of campus. If I were to go to Midwestern, do I need a car? When I visited the campus, it seemed very isolated. Where do you go on the weekends (if not too busy with school)? Thanks!

Having a car is probably a good idea. The public transportation system is not nearly as good as NYC where you could take the subway and get wherever you need to go. There are some buses, but I don't think I would want to take them every day since I think there is only 1 bus route that goes by the school, and I don't know how often it is. The school is in a relatively residential area, so if you are looking for stuff to do on the weekends, there are a few things by the school, but you would want a car. Besides, walking in the 115 degree heat is not a lot fun, even if it is just a short walk.

 

[josebiwasabi]

Hey there,

I'll give you my perspective as 1st year student at NYCPM.

Facilities:
The school is in Harlem, and it isn't really a true campus. While the location itself may not be the most desirable for you personally, it allows the you to see a lot of interesting pathology. Also, being located in Manhattan gives us access to a lot of large, busy hospitals for our rotations during our clinical years. The school is compact, as one would expect in the city. It's kind of nice because you get a lot of interaction with the 2nd year students and I have been able to meet 3rd year students since all of the lockers are in the same general area. If you get tired of stay in the same building all day, just remember that the city is your campus.

Curriculum:
Every school has a similar curriculum, but the courses may be in a slightly different order. There are some classes I disliked more than others but I'm not going to complain because I realize how much more I know right now compared to last August. It's pretty amazing, actually. The class schedule and exam schedule is pretty packed. Personally, I was pretty stressed out but it helped me stay on top of the material and really forced me to study every day. For me, the pros outweighed the cons.

Professors:
The professors overall are good. Sometimes I think that the reason why I didn't like some professors is that I wasn't as interested in the subject they taught. Dr. Barbosa (who came from CSPM) is pretty much everyone's favorite professor. Most professors are very approachable and I've been able to chat with many of them outside of class. Sometimes it's a challenge because every professor's teaching/lecturing style varies, so it makes it tough to figure out how to best study for each class. You get the hang of it soon after the first round or so of exams though and after that it isn't so bad.



With regards to housing, yeah the rent isn't cheap. However, as a student who wasn't from the tri-state area, it was convenient for me to find housing that was completely furnished and close to school (about a 10-15 minute walk). Unless you choose to live in a very nice place, you won't be spending anywhere near a year's worth of tuition on rent though, lol.

Let me know if you have any further questions!

 

[Abyss123]

I was looking at the curriculums for AzPod and New York, and it seemed that they are a bit different in that New York has Genetics, Bacteriology. Doesn't Arizona have those subjects? (whew~) On the other hand, AzPod had interdisciplinary subjects. (I'm assuming their "Clinical Ethics " is equivalent to New york's "the art of doctoring?" ) Is this right or does Arizona also touch upon genetics, or bacteriology?

For Arizona, do we get the first summer off- months/weeks? Thanks so much guys! I appreciate your replies 😀 I'm really excited to start attending podiatry med school in the fall!

 

[amaprez]

As much as I hate those topics too, I'm afraid you'll have to learn genetics and microbiology at either school you go to. Sorry to disappoint 🙂

 

[ldsrmdude]

I was looking at the curriculums for AzPod and New York, and it seemed that they are a bit different in that New York has Genetics, Bacteriology. Doesn't Arizona have those subjects? (whew~) On the other hand, AzPod had interdisciplinary subjects. (I'm assuming their "Clinical Ethics " is equivalent to New york's "the art of doctoring?" ) Is this right or does Arizona also touch upon genetics, or bacteriology?

For Arizona, do we get the first summer off- months/weeks? Thanks so much guys! I appreciate your replies 😀 I'm really excited to start attending podiatry med school in the fall!

Genetics and bacteriology are combined in biochemistry, microbiology, and immunology, so they are definitely learned, just not as seperate classes. For the summer in between 1st and 2nd year, there isn't much time off (unless things have changed). I think we had 2 weeks in between quarters. The summer session is just podiatry, since the DO students have the summer off.

 

[Abyss123]

I see, I see Thanks!

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

Something else to consider: I remember there being a thread a few months ago that said NYCPM students could only apply to the number of clerkships they could receive. So you would have no "back up" or "safety" programs. This would make me nervous, especially based on number of clerkships to students ratio. If a third of fourth year could comment, that'd be great. Otherwise, I know the thread was in the student section and I think it was called clerkships or something - I think airbud started it.