UACOM Tucson vs CMSRU

[MD-To-Be2022]

Hi guys, I am lucky enough to have been accepted at both of these schools. I identify with both of the school's missions and their commitment to the underserved but I'm having a hard time deciding between them.

UACOM Pros:
Relatively close to home (Southern CA)
Great program, over 50 years old and well known
Lots of new infrastructure

UACOM Cons:
Not much to do in Tucson
Very hot weather (Which im not fond of)

CMSRU Pros:
The students and staff made me feel very welcomed and I could really see myself here.
I like the weather (despite being from CA)
Right next to Philadelphia

CMSRU Cons:
Slightly newer program (2012), not as established as UofA

Please weigh in and provide insights or opinions. Thanks!

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[TRT7]

I really don't know anything about CMSRU, but I went to U of A COM more than a few years ago, and visit Tucson regularly.

Tucson now has lots of hospitals, and a nice, laid-back vibe. It may seem like a very small town compared to Philly, but there are more than a million inhabitants, and a large undergrad campus across the street from the med school, so there's PAC-12 sports, concerts, college bars and restaurants nearby. Tucson has clean air, relatively uncrowded roads, and lots of outdoor activities. It's a very pleasant place to go to school. Unlike the muggy summers in the east, it's a dry heat and is tolerable, especially if you have covered parking everywhere you go and access to a swimming pool. It's a great town for Mexican food, star watching, and lightning storms in the summer. Rent is cheap compared to SoCal and big eastern cities. The med school has grown and improved over time. Most people in the class are from Arizona, and choose to stay in Tucson or Phoenix for residencies.

 

[humblethinker]

do you know if matching in CA would be easier with either one of the schools? What is the name recognition like for both in CA?

 

[MD-To-Be2022]

do you know if matching in CA would be easier with either one of the schools? What is the name recognition like for both in CA?

I think UofA is a bit more well known, but I'm not sure how much that plays into being able to obtain residencies in CA later on. However, from looking at their Match data for this year UACOM had a substantially larger amount of people going into CA residencies.. But then again that could just be due to proximity, feasibility of having rotations in CA, or maybe a larger portion of the class originally being from CA (speculating). But still something to consider I suppose!

 

[MD-To-Be2022]

I really don't know anything about CMSRU, but I went to U of A COM more than a few years ago, and visit Tucson regularly.

Tucson now has lots of hospitals, and a nice, laid-back vibe. It may seem like a very small town compared to Philly, but there are more than a million inhabitants, and a large undergrad campus across the street from the med school, so there's PAC-12 sports, concerts, college bars and restaurants nearby. Tucson has clean air, relatively uncrowded roads, and lots of outdoor activities. It's a very pleasant place to go to school. Unlike the muggy summers in the east, it's a dry heat and is tolerable, especially if you have covered parking everywhere you go and access to a swimming pool. It's a great town for Mexican food, star watching, and lightning storms in the summer. Rent is cheap compared to SoCal and big eastern cities. The med school has grown and improved over time. Most people in the class are from Arizona, and choose to stay in Tucson or Phoenix for residencies.

Thanks for input! I'm going to try to take advantage of second look to find out more about the area and student body. Having never lived in a big city like Philly, nor in the east coast, I can hardly imagine the crowded roads and harsh winters/ muggy summers. The difference in cost of living is definitely something I'm considering.

 

[humblethinker]

I think UofA is a bit more well known, but I'm not sure how much that plays into being able to obtain residencies in CA later on. However, from looking at their Match data for this year UACOM had a substantially larger amount of people going into CA residencies.. But then again that could just be due to proximity, feasibility of having rotations in CA, or maybe a larger portion of the class originally being from CA (speculating). But still something to consider I suppose!

Have you gotten current student feedback from UACOM? Please share if you have, thank you.