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Hi everyone. Somehow, I managed to get accepted at these three schools. Does anyone have a compelling reason for going to one over the rest? Thanks for your thoughts....
SOMA vs AZCOM vs PNWU
- Thread starter allthewayfromAK
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I think others will be able to provide you with more input if we know more about what's important to YOU in a school. Curriculum? Board Preparation? Consider where you will do your rotations and whether or not they are on wards or with a preceptor. Do you want to be close to home? Tuition costs? Opportunities for research? Are you interested in a specialty or primary care? There are lots of things to consider.
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I would first consider AZCOM and SOMA before PNWU. I have a few friends that have been attending PNWU and they seem to still be smoothing out a few wrinkles from being a newer school. I don't think it will be a problem it the long run, but my friends big complaint at PNWU was related to the quality of their microbiology and other basic sciences. I wasn't there, so I can't speak too much about it. I do have friends at AZCOM and they love it.
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Sorry everybody for not searching before posting. Apparently, there are some similar threads. But, if you all would not mind humoring me....
Curriculum is definitely near/at the top of the list. I think the ward vs. preceptor issue is a double-edged sword in that if you have a good preceptor, you may have a more enlightening experience than you would on the wards. On the other hand, a bad preceptor would, well obviously, be bad. Board preparation is probably the most important since it seems to be the most important factor in getting a competitive residency. Location is not so important to me, mainly because I would not mind living in the cities any of these schools are located in. Going along with that, I don't need to be close to home (I need a good medical education!). I figure I'm going to be way in debt no matter what, so tuition costs are irrelevant to me. As for specialty vs. primary care, I simply want all the doors open at this point, so to speak.
My one major concern with PNWU is that they offer no research opportunities. I'm worried that without significant research experience, I would be crossing certain specialties off the list. Which is not to say I want to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. I'm simply very uncomfortable crossing off certain residencies at this point.
The students at each of these schools were very enthusiastic and most (if not all) said they would attend the same school if they had the chance to do it over again.
Bottom line: I want to be a a competitive graduate so I can enter into the residency of my choosing. Which school do you think would best facilitate that goal?????
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So I almost busted the OP's chops for this as others have done about redundant threads until I read more closely. The OP is asking for input about Pacific Northwest University, not Western University. There is more than one school up here in the Northwest, ya know. 
OP-if you could clarify which school you meant that would probably be helpful.
OP-if you could clarify which school you meant that would probably be helpful.
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So I almost busted the OP's chops for this as others have done about redundant threads until I read more closely. The OP is asking for input about Pacific Northwest University, not Western University. There is more than one school up here in the Northwest, ya know.
OP-if you could clarify which school you meant that would probably be helpful.
I am referring to Pacific Northwest University in Yakima, WA. Not Western University in Lebanon. Sorry for the confusion. Don't hate me.
I don't know much about PNWU, but I did interview at AZCOM and ATSU-SOMA and was accepted to both so I'll comment on that. Since curriculum is at the top of your list, I think you should consider which you prefer - a completely traditional curriculum (AZCOM) or something different like the clinical presentation curriculum at ATSU-SOMA where you will have a very packed first year. Personally, I'm choosing AZCOM because of the board preparation and frequent testing in their curriculum (helps you stay on top of the material and in my opinion, more testing opportunities will hopefully translate into higher grades). AZCOM consistently scores well above the national average on their boards, and even though this has much more to do with the amount of work a student puts in rather than the school they attend, I think AZCOM is definitely doing something right. Since you want to keep your options open to fields outside of primary care, I think AZCOM would be the better pick in that regard as well. ATSU-SOMA is very focused on producing primary care physicians that will work in underserved communities and overall seems to be much more focused on primary care. Of course there are those that will still match into specialties outside of PC though....attending ATSU doesn't necessarily mean you HAVE to be a PC physician. Moreover, in order to be a competitive graduate to enter the residency of your choice, a solid board score is an absolute must. So I would consider which school you think would best provide you with all the tools necessary to reach that goal. Good luck!
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