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DoctorWannaBe

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Well, it's almost time for us to find out if we've been accepted. I was looking at U of A's website and it says that some acceptance letters will be mailed on January 31, or the next business day after. I wonder if we will have to wait until Feb. 2 for them to mail since Jan 31 is a Saturday. Does anyone know how the acceptances come (snail mail, email)? Is anyone as nervous as me about this? I've waited so long, I hope I get good news in a couple of weeks!
 
i'm right there with you! i would love to find out early on...it would really ease some of the stress of this waiting game.
i'm not sure if they do it the same way, but i had a friend who was waitlisted and then accepted, and she received a phone call from uofa. this may or may not be the norm...
good luck to you (and everyone else in the same boat)! 😀
 
I believe U of A sends out emails first, followed by certified letters. Anxious here also since U of A is one of my top choices (can't beat instate tuition!). Good luck to all U of A applicants next week (and on 2/15 and 3/15 also!).
 
Yes, I am in the same boat. My application has been complete with UofA for so long. The wait is driving me crazy. During our interviews, they did say that if you are wait-listed then you will receive a call if your status changes. My gut tells me that I am not going to get in though. I have already been accepted to Midwestern but UofA is definitely my first choice. My overall GPA is 3.52 and my MCAT was 30P. I think last years acceptance rate was about 29% of applicants. With these numbers, my guess is that I have a 50/50 shot. My weakness is that I have very little clinical experience since I am a non-traditional student with a family. How does everyone else feel about their chances?
 
I have a question...one of my friends mentioned that when he interviewed that they stated that rejections would not go out until March. Only acceptance letters are mailed out in January. The website states:

"January 2004, the Admissions Committee will begin to take action on applicants whose files are complete. Letters of acceptance will be mailed on or about January 31, February 15 and March 15, 2004, or the first working day thereafter. Notification of alternate or rejection status is sent on or before March 31 each year."

This statement could be interpreted in a few ways. Do we only receive letters if we are accepted? If we do not receive anything on the first wave, does that mean they are holding your application hoping for a better deal? This would suprise me since they do not accept any applicants after January 15th.

They did mention during the interview process that my group was very early in the process but that doesn't necessarily mean that we will be notified during the first wave.

Does anyone have any insight into this?

Scott





















January 2004, the Admissions Committee will begin to take action on applicants whose files are complete. Letters of acceptance will be mailed on or about January 31, February 15 and March 15, 2004, or the first working day thereafter. Notification of alternate or rejection status is sent on or before March 31 each year.
 
They only send out acceptances (email and snail mail) on 1/31, 2/15, and 3/15. 33 acceptances are mailed out on each date. If you are waitlisted or rejected, the message is sent on 3/30.

yeah, u of a is interesting in its selection process. We were told that the date of your interview doesn't affect your chances. Apparantly, the committee is comprised of about 30 people and teams of 3 (2 prof/phys/empl and 1 student) look through ALL the completed applications in their assigned alphabet and decide! I think they are doing the selection NOW!

Pretty much, applying early doesn't affect your chances at Arizona. However, I don't know if your application is continuosly reviewed for each batch or if it's a one shot deal. I guess only the committee knows for sure.

good luck to everyone next week
 
I really dislike that method. It puts applicants in a tough spot if they have been accepted at other schools. I have already put down a $250 deposit at Midwestern and have to send another $750 by March 4th. I guess my chances of being accepted are probably reduced if I do not hear from them in January or February. However, I could conceivably be accepted in March and then waste $750. Where did you find out all this informatio...like that they email you first etc...?
 
I have friends that are MS1 thru MS4 at the med school. Also, I have a friend that didn't get in last year and she spoke with Dr. Leadham about the process and how to strengthen her application...also, they have a pretty good exit interview system.

As you know, the waitlist moves pretty rapidly so if you get waitlisted, there is a good chance that you'll get in off the waitlist.

I understand about the $750...I wish U of A gave out rolling acceptances. I have an interview in February that I would love to cancel as U of A is my top choice. I just hope I'm in the first batch...come to think of it, ANY acceptance would be nice!
 
Yes, I have to admit that it is nice to have the Midwestern acceptance. I'm not going to get into that tired DO vs MD debate. I just want to be a doctor and I will go wherever they accept me. Do you think you have a good chance of getting in? My numbers are right in line with the average accepted applicant but I can't help but think that my lack of clinical experience is going to kill me. I really want to be an MD because I am fairly certain that I do not want to go into the primary care fields like family medicine, peds, ob/gyn, etc. Midwestern is a great DO school but no one can argue that they stress primary care. But like you say...it is good to have at least one acceptance.
 
Like everyone here on SDN says, this whole process is a crapshoot...

I am also a nontraditional student in a sense since I've been here at the U of A finishing my graduate degree after undergrad. I've heard that U of A places a lot of emphasis on clinical experience but the entire application must be strong also.

I took the Aug. MCATs and waited for my scores to come back before I applied to med schools (yeah, I know, BIG mistake!) but I didn't know if I was going to be done with my grad degree by this summer. I have been lucky so far, I've interviewed or will interview at the 4 schools that I've applied to.

Can't wait for this whole process to be over with!
 
Originally posted by desertdr
I believe U of A sends out emails first, followed by certified letters.
Click to expand...

this is true
 
Originally posted by desertdr
33 acceptances are mailed out on each date.
Click to expand...

i don't remember this being true. at the "second look" day at the end of february i remember there were about 100 names on the acceptance list for those accepted in the first two (jan & feb) batches of acceptances. according to your theory there should have been only 66, and remember there are a few that are accepted here and end up not coming here (so that would be less than 66).
 
Thanks for the info. guys! My friend was only rejected once, but I think Dr. Leadham is VERY accomodating and she was able to speak to him about her application.
 
Just wanted to let you guys know it looks like they sent out the first round of acceptances this morning (1/28). Check your email! Good luck and I hope I'll see you in July!
 
YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

What an awesome way to start the day...."It is a distinct pleasure to inform you...."

How has everyone else faired?
 
Yeah Integra I did.

Congrats DrScott! It sure was a nice way to wake up this morning. Especially since I wasn't expecting the possibility of an email until next week!
 
Don't know if anyone would know this, but are they still sending out emails on the 31st, or was it all done on the 28th for this round? I'm trying to figure out the specifics of how they do all of this, ie are all the remaining apps reconsidered for rounds 2 and 3, or have they rejected many people, but won't send out letters regarding that until March? Oh well...I guess I'll just have to wait some more.
 
Originally posted by Integra96
Don't know if anyone would know this, but are they still sending out emails on the 31st, or was it all done on the 28th for this round? I'm trying to figure out the specifics of how they do all of this, ie are all the remaining apps reconsidered for rounds 2 and 3, or have they rejected many people, but won't send out letters regarding that until March? Oh well...I guess I'll just have to wait some more.
Click to expand...

I'm dying to know this too. I thought about calling the admissions office, but didn't because I figured their website says the 31st. I just hope we find out soon and don't have to wait until March. I've waited long enough.
 
Hehe, yeah the waiting is killing me. I figure I'm going to go out and drink either way - accepted or not. Each outcome has its own special reasons for testing out my liver. C'mon U of A people, who's in? 😀
 
Congrats to those who have been accepted so far! I am sure everyone will eventually matriculate at the right school.

For those of you who are close to the program at U of A (i.e., know medstudents, faculty, etc.), what are some of the Pros and Cons of the School of Medicine?

I appreciate any thoughts you guys might have to offer.

Congrats again and good luck to all!!!
 
Originally posted by Integra96
Don't know if anyone would know this, but are they still sending out emails on the 31st, or was it all done on the 28th for this round? I'm trying to figure out the specifics of how they do all of this, ie are all the remaining apps reconsidered for rounds 2 and 3, or have they rejected many people, but won't send out letters regarding that until March? Oh well...I guess I'll just have to wait some more.
Click to expand...

they won't be sending any out jan 31. they say they send acceptances on or about the 31st, thus the first round this week was about the 31st. same goes for the second and third rounds of acceptances. those dates they give are just target dates for them...ie. it's three rounds no matter what. everybody that did not get an acceptance is reconsidered for rounds 2 and 3 and then the waitlist. i think those dates are around mid february and mid march, respectively. then those that didn't get in but UA strongly considers get the waitlist. and the rest are rejected. when i was applying i remember admissions people saying that everybody the year before got in off the waitlist. i don't know how it worked out for our class though...but i do believe a number got in from the list.

don't be afraid to call the admissions office if you have questions. all those people there are very friendly and in a sense are working for you.
 
Originally posted by gbear97
Congrats to those who have been accepted so far! I am sure everyone will eventually matriculate at the right school.

For those of you who are close to the program at U of A (i.e., know medstudents, faculty, etc.), what are some of the Pros and Cons of the School of Medicine?

I appreciate any thoughts you guys might have to offer.

Congrats again and good luck to all!!!
Click to expand...

i'm only a first year so i can only comment on my experience after 1+ semesters.

pros: supportive faculty and staff, lots of resources, great library and services, cool class (for the most part, this will vary from year to year), CHEAP tuition (although it's going up again), cheap housing, great teaching hospital, student lounge with foosball and ping pong tables 🙂 , opportunites for clinical exposure 1st year, they give you a syllabus with ALL the class notes for every basic science class, cool dean...i'm sure there are others but i can't think of any more right now.

cons: tucson's an alright city, the massive construction effort for the new pharmacy and biomed engineering buildings (not that bad though)...again i'm sure there are others.

pros far outweigh the cons...i'm happy with my decision.
 
Originally posted by lattimer13

CHEAP tuition (although it's going up again)
Click to expand...

Do you know what it is going up to?

Also, since some people have already been accepted earlier this week, do you think the rest of us won't hear back until the Feb or March round?
 
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by lattimer13
i'm only a first year so i can only comment on my experience after 1+ semesters.

pros: supportive faculty and staff, lots of resources, great library and services, cool class (for the most part, this will vary from year to year), CHEAP tuition (although it's going up again), cheap housing, great teaching hospital, student lounge with foosball and ping pong tables , opportunites for clinical exposure 1st year, they give you a syllabus with ALL the class notes for every basic science class, cool dean...i'm sure there are others but i can't think of any more right now.

cons: tucson's an alright city, the massive construction effort for the new pharmacy and biomed engineering buildings (not that bad though)...again i'm sure there are others.

pros far outweigh the cons...i'm happy with my decision.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Great comments, sounds like there are many positive aspects to attending U of A! I have a few other questions:

What is your opinion on the current grading system?

Is parking available for medstudents that commute?

Are lectures videotaped (or are transcripts available)?

Is the curricula a block system or year-long format?

How well does the school incorporate tech into training (e.g., simulation robots for clinical training, pda's, laptops, etc.)?

Thanks for giving us the lowdown!
 
Originally posted by DoctorWannaBe
Do you know what it is going up to?

Also, since some people have already been accepted earlier this week, do you think the rest of us won't hear back until the Feb or March round?
Click to expand...

it's $11,500 right now and will go up 10.9% next year...so that will be about $12,753.50, right? they say they will adjust financial aid to cover it though. UA has this big thing about providing a great public education at low cost, but not too low cost. so they say they strive to be at the top of the lower 1/3 of public universities when it comes to tuition. also, a nice bonus is that they give med students an arizona resident set aside grant for about $1200 if i remember correctly. so that means free money. also be sure to fill out all that application for need based scholarships that they send to you. i think basically everbody gets some money and they determine how much to give you up to $750 or so. i was delighted to find $500 in my bank account from the UA. they'll guide you through everything. even with the tuition increase, it's still a great deal. nothing like being under $80K in debt after 4 years instead of $150K+

oh, and one other thing...no matter what, do not buy your books unitl after school starts. they recommend a bunch of books that come out to about $500 new, but you really only need a handful of them and some you can even get at the student book sale a bit after classes begin. just ask some of us and we'll let you know what is absolutely required when you get here.
 
Originally posted by gbear97



Great comments, sounds like there are many positive aspects to attending U of A! I have a few other questions:

What is your opinion on the current grading system?

Is parking available for medstudents that commute?

Are lectures videotaped (or are transcripts available)?

Is the curricula a block system or year-long format?

How well does the school incorporate tech into training (e.g., simulation robots for clinical training, pda's, laptops, etc.)?

Thanks for giving us the lowdown!
Click to expand...

A. current grading system is honors/pass/fail. i love it. makes it much less stressful. but don't forget that they do keep track of your grades overall and you are assigned a class rank based on these when it comes time for the dean's letter and residency. most classes require 90% for honors and anything below to a 70% is passing and below 70% is failing. few people fail and they give you the boot after 3 failures or 2 failures in the same class.

B. the med school sets aside zone 1 parking permits for all med students. they cost around $260 for the year. zone 1 is the most prevalent parking around the med school and the rest of the university.

C. lectures are not videotaped. but for every class we are given the entire set of lecture notes for the semester and the learning objectives from which we are tested on. ie., if it's not in the objectives then it can't be on a test...although some professors do like to give very broad objectives which can cover pretty much the entire lecture...but it helps us to know what they want us to understand. some people don't even go to class since they give us everything we need...they can learn just by reading. some go to every lecture. i basically just read the notes quickly the night before and determine if i need to go to lecture to listen to it explained. professors are very accomadating to the med students as well and make every effort (for the most part) to make things clear.

D. the curriculum is by semester.

semester 1: anatomy + lab, histology and cell bio + lab, neuroscience, behavioral science, and prep for clinical med

semester 2: physiology, biochem, genetics, behavioral sci., prep for clinical med.

semesters 3 & 4 i'm not exactly sure on, but are something like this: pharm, micro & immunology, pathology, preceptorship, behavioral sci, and prep for clincial med.

semesters 5-8: required and elective rotations

E. as far as tech...we are not required to purchase pdas, laptops or any other tech stuff. the school isn't big on that stuff, but there has been talk of it. we'll have to wait and see.

okay, time to go sleepy. i just got done driving 4hrs after a day at the mountain.
 
I just wanted to let you guys know some more stuff about the admissions process that lattimer didn't touch on and from my personal experience.

Just like lattimer said, the dates they list are goals and I would say, based on the past, that they are usually early. So, you can have the fun of getting nervous a whole week before that listed date. Also, for those that were not accepted this round, it really doesn't mean anything as far as your chances go.
From the meeting they had for students who were interested in being on the admissions committee, the way the process goes is the three groups have meetings where they review so many files and then they vote on the file right then and there. So, whether or not you get your acceptance on the a certain round just depends on whether or not they have gotten to your file and voted on it. However, even if they voted on your file in Jan. and decided not to admit you, they won't tell you that until March. There are some people put in an undecided category that then gets reevaluated for either waitlist or acceptance once they have gone through the rest of the files.
When the final round goes out, they also send emails to those put on the waiting list. However, they do not let you know what number you are on the waiting list until a few weeks after that initial email goes out. This last year, movement off the waiting list went pretty fast through the first 30 people and then slowed a bit after that. I was 27 and had my acceptance by May 20 and I know the person who was 31 got her's just a few days after I got mine. However, my other friend who was 37 didn't get her acceptance until nearly a month later. I think they accepted something like 39 out of a waiting list of 50. So anyway, moral of story, if you get on the waiting list and are at least 30 or below...I would say your chances of getting in are pretty good.
Oh and just in case you don't know, the day that everyone has to let go of their multiple acceptances is May 15 or it might even be the first....movement off the waitlists goes really fast.
Also, just so you know, if you have not gotten an email on the day of the last mailing either letting you know acceptance or waitlist than you are not accepted. I know last year some people were holding on to false hope only to be disappointed.
 
Lattimer,

So, are you saying that they give all Arizona residents approximately $1200 in grant money every year? This is "automatic"? I'm sure the amount differs every year but I was just curious on that. I will definitely fill out the need-based scholarship form too...just in case they "throw me a bone".
 
I got my acceptance email last friday...but it said that it was contigent on WICHE funding. Does anyone know how much tuition is for WICHE students at UA?
 
Originally posted by DrScott
Lattimer,

So, are you saying that they give all Arizona residents approximately $1200 in grant money every year? This is "automatic"? I'm sure the amount differs every year but I was just curious on that. I will definitely fill out the need-based scholarship form too...just in case they "throw me a bone".
Click to expand...

i checked and it's actually $1250...and the need-based scholarship was actually $500 per semester. so that knocks $2250 right off the tab. the grant is officially called "Resident Set Aside Grant," so it means all residents get the money.
 
Originally posted by breski
I got my acceptance email last friday...but it said that it was contigent on WICHE funding. Does anyone know how much tuition is for WICHE students at UA?
Click to expand...

try checking out this website http://www.medicine.arizona.edu/financial-aid/

it has the phone number of the financial aid office also.
 
It looks like the second round has gone out! Check your emails...
 
Me neither.........still waiting in the dark......maybe only WICHE students today?


fing10.gif
 
That would make me feel a little better if only WICHE students got stuff today, and they were still going to send out a round in the next day or two...
 
I don't want to burst any bubbles, but a friend of mine who is from Arizona was accepted today. Don't give up hope yet! There is still plenty of time!
 
I was accepted a few days ago and am also an Arizona resident! Anyone else for the second round?
 
Doh. Well, good job guys and gals. Hopefully I'll hear next time around or at least get on the waitlist. Now I have a 3+ week neurotic waiting process to look forward to. 🙁
 
My sympathies are with you guys. I am so glad I was nieve about the whole process. I wasn't expecting a letter until March 15 and then on March 7 I got the shocking waitlist email. I didn't even know they sent out emails!
It saved me from at least three months of craziness...though I definitly got my fair share waiting to get off the dreaded waitlist 🙂

Good luck everyone!
 
Yeah, unfortunately, I knew...I was really hoping to get in on the first two rounds. I think it's pretty likely at this point that I'll be waitlisted. I've decided it's not really that bad to be waitlisted, especially considering that more that 35% of this year's class was off of the waitlist.

Oh well, just another few weeks.

Congrats to all who are in! Hopefully I'll see you in July!
 
Hey guys, Congrat to y'all. I hope the ones that didn't hear anything yet do get in eventually.
I am gonna go through this whole process of torture next year.
By the way, did anyone ever attend the SMEP/mmep? Any thought or advise? I will attend the one offer at yale this summer.
 
I have a question for current U of A medical students. How many hours per week are you in class, and how many hours a week do you study? I've been looking at U of A's website that lists the weekly schedule for MS1's, and it looks like you are in class from 8-5:30 every day. If this is true, how do you find time to study or do anything else?
 
Is it possible to commute from Phoenix or do you need to live in Tucson? i won't be applying for 2 more years but am curious. I am a non trad student and my husband's job is in Phoenix. I also have 3 kids so I would really hate to uproot everyone. My husband will be able to keep his current job and move to Tucson but our mortgage is just so cheap here. Do you have to go to every class or can you skip some?

For those who were accepted already what was your gpa/mcat?

Any info is appreciated.
 
ayndim,

I have recently been accepted to UofA and will start this year. I am in a similar situation. My wife works in Phoenix and we have 2 kids with another one on the way. We are going to live in Tucson and she is going to commute to Phoenix. However, she only works 2 days a week so she is going to drive up spend the night at her mom's and then drive back the next day. So, she only drives up once a week. If you are thinking of doing this 5 days a week I would say NO WAY. My kids are young so I would rather uproot them and spend time with them rather than be away from them while you commute 20+ hours a week(assuming a 2 hour commute both ways for 5 days).

If your husband can keep his job and move to Tucson, I would definitely go that route. Your mortgage should not be a consideration. If you have a cheap payment now, you will have a cheap payment when you move(assuming you roll the equity you have now into a similar priced home in Tucson). We are downsizing so our mortgage will be substatially lower in Tucson because of this.

My overall GPA was slightly below 3.5 and my science GPA was 3.52. I got a 30P on the MCAT. You can send me an email at [email protected] if you want to talk in detail. I spent the last 2 years doing just what you are about to do so I have some lessons learned.

As far as not going to class, I think that really depends on how you learn. The class structure slows me down a little bit so I have every intention of skipping some classes. However, I do not know how many classes I will skip until I get into the thick of things.

Keep in mind too that you can do the last two years of med school in Phoenix...

Scott
 
hey guys.

congrats to all of you who have been accepted so far! :clap:

question - how many of you who have been accepted are definitely going to be there in the fall? if you've decided to go somewhere else, why? i realize that the $ factor probably plays a HUGE role for wanting to go there...i'm just kind of curious as to what the downsides are (if there are any!) of going to uofa.

thanks!
😀
 
Originally posted by DoctorWannaBe
I have a question for current U of A medical students. How many hours per week are you in class, and how many hours a week do you study? I've been looking at U of A's website that lists the weekly schedule for MS1's, and it looks like you are in class from 8-5:30 every day. If this is true, how do you find time to study or do anything else?
Click to expand...

yes we do have a ton of lecture time scheduled. first semester is pretty time consuming especially with anatomy lab and histo lab. first semester is also about learning how the whole med school thing works which adds to it. all the second years say 2nd semester "you'll have so much free time." maybe they just meant that we aren't in class as much as first semester...but that's compensated by what i think is more material covered in those classes.

it all comes down to priorities and time management. i've learned that i really don't get much out of lecture and just go to the library and read the notes that they give us and answer the objectives instead of wasting my time in class...and i'll go to some classes if i feel that i need to (ie clinical presentations and group discussions).

needless to say, even though there is much work to be done i still do find time to spend with my significant other, work out, rock climb, and hit the slopes lately. i would say about 15-20 hours a week when no exams and then i shift into high gear to almost living at the library the few weeks before midterms and finals, but that's nice because it's only 2 times a semester whereas other medical schools have an exam every week. remember that everyone's different when it comes to learning, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

the schedule that you are referring to can also be a bit deceptive because not all people have to show up to certain events on there. for example, some people have PCM on mondays and get fridays off, and vice versa, and everything shaded gray is optional, like the review sessions.

you'll learn how to play the game after a bit and it won't seem all that difficult after you do it.

hope this helps.
 
Originally posted by ayndim
Is it possible to commute from Phoenix or do you need to live in Tucson? i won't be applying for 2 more years but am curious. I am a non trad student and my husband's job is in Phoenix. I also have 3 kids so I would really hate to uproot everyone. My husband will be able to keep his current job and move to Tucson but our mortgage is just so cheap here. Do you have to go to every class or can you skip some?

For those who were accepted already what was your gpa/mcat?

Any info is appreciated.
Click to expand...

a couple of ladies in our class have their families in Phx and stay at their apartment in tucson during the week and go back to Phx on the weekends. they're actually both non-trads as well and their husbands live and work in Phx. i think cost of housing in tucson might be cheaper too. you can skip most if you keep up on your own. there are some classes that require you to attend small group discussions, etc.

i can't remember what the avgs are for UA. any of you recently accepted or that applied remember what they told you at the interview? i know they handed out a sheet with that info when i interviewed.
 
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