Western COMP NW vs AZCOM

[WannaBADOctor]

I know this has been discussed some in previous posts and I have read through most of them, but I think getting some more feedback would be helpful. I've been accepted to Western COMP NW and I have an upcoming interview for AZCOM, but I am trying to decide if I want to attend this one or just cancel it and be set on going to Western.

This is what is going on in my head right now:
Western
Pros:
1) Brand new facilities
2) relatively small class size (compared to AZCOM)
3) great anatomy classes, due to the department head
Cons:
1) Are rotations well established? High competition with OHSU?
2) Web lectures from Pomona
3) Having read through a very lengthy complaint about Western U on SDN kind of freaked me out even though many people posted refuting or elaborating on that person's sentiments.

AZCOM
Pros:
1) has been around since late 90's, well established in the area
2) great facilities and campus (from what I have read)
3) opportunity for research and "Traditional" format for lecture material
Cons:
1) more expensive than Western
2) much larger class size
3) competition with more schools for rotation sites and from each other because of large class size

These are just some of the things that I am thinking about and would appreciate any insight. I just want to make sure there isn't an obvious choice as to why I should choose one over the other. Thanks in advance.

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[LawlasaurusRex]

The WesternU rant thread was by a 1st year from the Pomona campus. Overall, there are two very different atmospheres between the southern and northern campuses, meaning that the NW students don't deal with some of the issues that our counterparts gripe with. We have our own set of issues as no school is perfect.

I too have my concerns about rotations. They keep pushing back the date of the lottery and it's now set to go down early January versus next week for Pomona. From a student's point of view, our relationship to OHSU has been fairly civil. Our student groups sometime hosts events to stream down seminars given at OHSU. Can't really comment on the competition for rotations between the two schools. The school has been trying to reduce the amount of streaming that goes on, but I don't expect this to drastically change until the 1st year class graduates and we obtain our own accreditation. For the meantime, the Lebanon campus is piggy-backing on Pomona's accreditation and thus the mandate to "mirror" the Pomona class's curriculum. Just note that in 2nd year, you do spend more time in small groups (with facilitators walking around) to work on cases. I would estimate about 25% of each block is spent in small groups, with the rest being lectures. Most is streamed, some are given live. Some people don't care about the streaming, some put up with it, and some hate it. It's hard to judge which lot you fall in until you're in it (sadly).

As for my experiences, I'm pretty happy with the school and where I'm at. I like the family atmosphere a lot and many of my classmates are very enthusiastic, passionate individuals who go above and beyond in terms of service to the community. I fall into the lot of those who don't really care that lectures are streamed. I don't attend most lectures anyways (for the systems). I'm also pretty impressed that our faculty are genuinely excited to be where they are at, and care a lot about teaching us to become great physicians. There are certainly things that still annoy me too on the flip side of things, so things aren't always sunshine and daisy's.

My advice is to go to the AZCOM interview. You never know if the school is the right fit for you unless you at least expose yourself to that possibility. This also gives you a backup plan, so that you can see how rotation selection plays out for the 1st class this coming January. If things seem to go smoothly, hopefully that will alleviate some of your concerns. If things go southward, then you can (hopefully) choose to attend another institution. There is nothing worse than a student who drags their feet with the constant thought of "what if".

 

[as1212559]

Go to AZCOM interview so long as you can afford it. You never know until you see it first hand. Bring your questions about rotations with you, and make sure they get addressed.

 

[racerwad]

I agree with posters suggesting that you should go. One thing you really need to compare is the academic schedules. I have a friend at AZCOM and the way the two different schools do things is pretty substantial. You might find that you'll benefit from one method more than another.