where to get the "inside scoop", so to speak

[shale]

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hi there. i am in a bit of a weird spot... between a rock and a hard place, if you will.

we are looking at moving to (most likely) arizona, (probably) tucson within the next 2 or 3 years or so. is it completely stupid to only apply to arizona? yes. i want to go to medical school, but if we make the move, i don't want to uproot my family to move again. after lots of research, we've decided on arizona for a variety of reasons... weather being a HUGE factor for medical reasons... we need low humidity, sunny and very little snow/rain, but especially snow.

this post is sort of multi-faceted. if anyone knows anything about AZ-tucson, i'd appreciate the insight... or, how do i go about getting the inside scoop, as far as how non-trad friendly they are (yeah, i know that is a bad phrase around these parts, but i can't think of a better way to describe it)

also, if anyone has any ideas on states that suit our needs that are near med schools, let me know!!! 😉

as an aside, note that i am NOT saying that my path is the smartest way to get into med school. nor am i saying that it is even a remotely decent way to get into med school. in fact, i am severely limiting my chances and quite possibly locking myself out of med school. but, it is the path i've decided to follow, and we shall see where it leads me. however, i don't suggest that ANYONE follow me. i'm like those big construction trucks that you see on the highway... i need to put a big "DO NOT FOLLOW...STAY BACK 500 FEET" sign on my arse!

 

[MSgtLou]

I used to live in Tucson, and currently live in Yuma. I have also lived in SoCal for many years.

Many people have migrated to AZ because they have medical conditions, such as respiritory illnesses. I guess it all started with Doc Holiday. For this reason, Tucson is a great place. It is a higher elevation, so remains a bit cooler than Yuma or Phoenix. Phoenix tends to have a tad more humidity than Tucson because of the massive amount of agriculture and irrigation.

The U of A is one hell of a great school. I don't know that they are "Non-Trad Friendly", though legally, they cannot be one way or the other, however, I have known a few non-trads who have made it in. State residents have priority, almost exclusively, while they admit students from other states like Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and Idaho because I don't think that they have Med schools. You will have to check on this.

In Phoenix, there is a DO school that is apparently one of the best, AZCOM, or Midwestern U. There is another DO school there, I think, called Kirksville, Stills, ASHS, or ATHS. The name seems to change every 6 months, or perhaps it has only changed a few times, but everyone refers to it as the name they first learned.

SoCal might be an option, but you would have to avoid schools right on the coast. Unfortunately, California is a lot like Japan, in that most of the population is on a thin band along the seashore! Schools In Pomona (Western U) might be good choices, along with Scramento area(? I don't know if there is one). I know there is a PA School in Loma Linda, perhaps they share a DO school campus? Generally, if there is a mountain range, or 50 miles seperating the coast from the inland area, it is desert area and not much different than AZ. Look in these areas, and the same goes for Oregon and Washington State. Most people think of these places as vast forests, but the Eastern half is really desert like, perhaps not as bad as AZ, but a lot worse than Missouri!

You could also look into New Mexico. And I do want to point out that in New Mexico, and the eastern area of AZ., it does snow, maybe not often, but I know that it snowed 3 times when I lived in Tucson from 1970 to 1975. it snowed in Yuma twice in the 18 years I have lived here, but the snow was gone in a few hours. Having spent the past 33 years living in the Desert Southwest, except for the years I spent living abroad like Japan, PI, China, etc... I can't see living anywhere else. Hope that helps

 

[Born2BMD]

hi there. i am in a bit of a weird spot... between a rock and a hard place, if you will.

we are looking at moving to (most likely) arizona, (probably) tucson within the next 2 or 3 years or so. is it completely stupid to only apply to arizona? yes. i want to go to medical school, but if we make the move, i don't want to uproot my family to move again. after lots of research, we've decided on arizona for a variety of reasons... weather being a HUGE factor for medical reasons... we need low humidity, sunny and very little snow/rain, but especially snow.

this post is sort of multi-faceted. if anyone knows anything about AZ-tucson, i'd appreciate the insight... or, how do i go about getting the inside scoop, as far as how non-trad friendly they are (yeah, i know that is a bad phrase around these parts, but i can't think of a better way to describe it)

also, if anyone has any ideas on states that suit our needs that are near med schools, let me know!!! 😉

as an aside, note that i am NOT saying that my path is the smartest way to get into med school. nor am i saying that it is even a remotely decent way to get into med school. in fact, i am severely limiting my chances and quite possibly locking myself out of med school. but, it is the path i've decided to follow, and we shall see where it leads me. however, i don't suggest that ANYONE follow me. i'm like those big construction trucks that you see on the highway... i need to put a big "DO NOT FOLLOW...STAY BACK 500 FEET" sign on my arse!

Hi there!! I am currently residing in Tucson. I just finished up my BS at U of A this past May and I have applied to the medical school there! I am interviewing on Tuesday and really looking forward to it. My husband, 3 yr old daughter & I relocated here from Maryland and so far don't have too many complaints with the exception of how brown it is out here (MD is very, very green!!) Anyway, there are many benefits to Tucson & the U of A. My impression is they are quite non-trad friendly. Many of the professors were very receptive, supportive and encouraging as I pursued my undergrad. In fact, they are one of the reasons I bit the bullet and decided to follow my dream of becoming an MD. On the downside, there is no school sponsored childcare on campus and that has been an issue for many student parents but it is something that is currently receiving a lot of attention from the administration at this time. (UA is the only Pac-10 school without childcare!) I don't know if childcare/family friendly environment is an issue for you, but if it is PM me and I can fill you in on all the current stuff in the works, I was president of BabyCats last year, a student organization dedicated to supporting the needs of student parents and advocating for additional services sponsored by the University~Current developments have included having diaper changing stations installed, the opening of a child friendly play area in the Student Union, and 2 private lactation rooms in the Union (lockable and equipped for breastfeeding/pumping). Anyway other than that, Tucson in itself is economically much more affordable than where we were living in Maryland and many families are home owners as opposed to renters because of the housing market. The weather is divine for the better part of the year, but becomes a bit much in the heat of the summer months June-August. But currently it is November and we are in the 80s in the daytime but 50's at night, so it is very pleasant when you have the windows open. You certainly master the fine art of layering as the mornings can be quite brisk. I could go on and on, but why don't you PM me with specific areas of interest that you would like more information about and I will be happy to share what I know! Good luck with everything!

 

[medworm]

I've heard from an AZ-raised classmate of mine that the in-state rules are very strict. He even got rejected b/c somehow he didn't fully meet those requirements.

Not to scare you, but make sure you explore those before you finalize your plans.

Good luck!