A.T. Still University Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) Discussion Thread 2012 - 2013

[Didierdrogba]

Hey everyone. I haven't posted yet on this thread, but I'm a long-time accepted student. I have been waiting on some other schools and trying to weigh my options. As far as competitiveness in getting into residencies, how competitive are SOMA students? I'm still trying to decide between MD and DO and have heard it is easier to get into better residencies going the MD route. Anyone have any advice?

SOMA's C/o 2013 has matched 100% of students into residency or rotating positions, meaning nobody graduated without a job. Only one other DO school has achieved this.

If you want top tier ACGME residencies, then i'd advice you do the MD route (Expect to face fierce competition for top residency programs though). Even if you are an MD, but coming from lower tiered schools, your odds are not favorable for top residency either

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[Jefe5]

SOMA's C/o 2013 has matched 100% of students into residency or rotating positions, meaning nobody graduated without a job. Only one other DO school has achieved this.

If you want top tier ACGME residencies, then i'd advice you do the MD route (Expect to face fierce competition for top residency programs though). Even if you are an MD, but coming from lower tiered schools, your odds are not favorable for top residency either

So they matched 100%, but what is the percentage of University residencies as opposed to community campuses? I'm not trying to cause controversy, I'm just still trying to learn the process and what the best options are. I am very interested in anesthesiology and it looks like DO is a good path for that. I just don't know much about residency placement and where is good and where isn't. Residencies put you into your real job. I know a doctor who couldn't find a job post residency.

 

[Didierdrogba]

So they matched 100%, but what is the percentage of University residencies as opposed to community campuses? I'm not trying to cause controversy, I'm just still trying to learn the process and what the best options are. I am very interested in anesthesiology and it looks like DO is a good path for that. I just don't know much about residency placement and where is good and where isn't. Residencies put you into your real job. I know a doctor who couldn't find a job post residency.

very valid concern. Im only a first year, so take my words with a grain of salt. DO programs generally do not match students into university programs, unless you go to Michigan state. However, they are usually VERY proficient at matching people into all sorts of anesthesiology slots, university programs included. DOs are very well represented in anesthesiology too. that said, I still think overall, MD is a better choice if you want to specialize.

 

[pinkstarr]

So they matched 100%, but what is the percentage of University residencies as opposed to community campuses? I'm not trying to cause controversy, I'm just still trying to learn the process and what the best options are. I am very interested in anesthesiology and it looks like DO is a good path for that. I just don't know much about residency placement and where is good and where isn't. Residencies put you into your real job. I know a doctor who couldn't find a job post residency.

Hey Jefe5! Campuslegend recently posted the residency matches here so I'll just copy and paste that for you...it should help you

"In case you wanted to know....
this is the match list from 2011...
it goes in the order of the residency program, specialty, DO or MD, the CHC of the student and the location of the residency program...

i have the 2012 match lying around somewhere and will post that eventually


University at Buffalo SOM-NY* Medicine-Pediatrics* MD Flagstaff NY
U Kentucky Med Ctr* Internal Medicine* MD Alabama KY
Fam Med SW Washington* Family Medicine* MD Oregon WA
Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Chrisit, TX Family Med/Smileys* MD Alabama TX
Univ Medical and Dental, New Jersey Traditional MD Hawaii NJ
St Josephs Hospital-AZ* Family Medicine* MD New York AZ
MWU-CCOM, Normal, IL Neurological Surgery DO Flagstaff IL
U Nevada Affil Hosps-Las Vegas* Emergency Medicine* MD Tucson NV
Texas A&M-Bryan/College Station* Family Medicine* MD Oregon TX
NYP Hosp-Columbia Univ Med Ctr-NY* Family Medicine* MD New York NY
Scripps Mercy Hosp-Chula Vista-CA* Family Medicine* MD Washington CA
EW Sparrow Hospital, Lansing, MI Emergency Medicine* DO Alabama MI
MWU-AzCOM, Sierra Vista, AZ Internal Medicine* DO Tucson AZ
St James Hospital, Olympia Fields, IL Obstetrics-Gynecology* DO Tucson IL
U Arizona/UPHK GME Consortium* Psychiatry* MD Tucson AZ
OUCOM/Grandview Hospital, Dayton, OH Family Medicine* DO Ohio OH
Providence Sacred Heart Med Ctr-WA* Internal Medicine* MD Ohio WA
St Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, NY Diagnostic Radiology DO Hawaii NY
St Josephs Health Center, Warren, OH Orthopedic Surgery DO Washington OH
Mt Sinai Hosp Med Ctr-IL* Medicine-Preliminary* MD Oregon IL
University Hosp-Cincinnati-OH* Obstetrics-Gynecology* MD Ohio OH
Tufts Medical Center-MA* Peds/Psych/Child Psych* MD California MA
LECOM/Manatee Memorial, Bradenton, FL Family Medicine* MD So. Carolina FL
U Minnesota Med School* Family Med/Smileys* MD Washington MN
Scottsdale Healthcare-Osborn-AZ* Family Medicine* MD Phoenix AZ
Madigan Army Med Ctr, Tacoma, WA Internal Medicine* DO Flagstaff WA
MSUCOM/St Joseph Mercy, Brighton, MI Emergency Medicine* DO Ohio MI
NYCOM/Lutheran Med, Brooklyn, NY General Surgery DO New York NY
Contra Costa Reg Med Ctr-CA* Family Medicine* MD Oregon CA
Central WA Family Med* Family Medicine* MD Oregon WA
Hosp of St Raphael-CT* Internal Medicine* MD New York CT
WESTUCOMP/Riverside Cty, Morent Valley, CA Anesthesiology-3 yr* DO Hawaii CA
Tripler Amry Medical, Honolulu, HI Internal Medicine* DO Tucson HI
Oklahoma State UMC, Tulsa, OK Diagnostic Radiology DO Phoenix OK
Madigan Army Med Ctr, Tacoma, WA Neurology DO Hawaii WA
Sierra Vista, AZ Family Medicine* MD Tucson AZ
MWU-AzCOM, Cottonwood, AZ Internal Medicine* DO Flagstaff AZ
York Hospital-PA* Emergency Medicine* MD Washington PA
Resurrection MC, Chicago, IL Family Medicine* DO So. Carolina IL
U Tennessee COM-Chattanooga* Obstetrics-Gynecology* MD So. Carolina TN
Oklahoma State UMC, Tulsa, OK Anesthesiology-3 yr* DO Oregon OK
Banner Good Samaritan Med Ctr-AZ* Obstetrics-Gynecology* MD California AZ
MWU-CCOM, Hometown, IL Family Medicine* DO California IL
Chino Valley MC Traditional MD California AZ
Ingham RegMC, Lansing, MI Internal Medicine* DO Washington MI
UMDNJ-New Jersey Med-Newark* Traditional DO California NJ
University Hosps-Jackson-MS* Pediatrics* MD Alabama MS
Crozer-ChesterMC, Springfield, PA Internal Medicine* DO Hawaii PA
St Josephs Hospital-AZ* Pediatrics* MD Phoenix AZ
Danville Regional MC, Danville, VA Internal Medicine* MD So. Carolina VA
Pacific Hospital-Long Beach, CA Traditional MD Oregon CA
Cooper Green of Birminghan, AL Family Medicine* MD Alabama AL
Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, Wyandotte, MI General Surgery DO Phoenix MI
Sinai Hosp-Baltimore-MD* Obstetrics-Gynecology* MD California MD
U South Florida COM-Tampa* Internal Medicine* MD So. Carolina FL
OUCOM/St JohnMC, Westlake, OH Emergency Medicine* DO Alabama OH
Memorial Hospital, York, PA General Surgery DO Ohio PA
Summa Western Reserve Hosp, Cuyahoga Falls, OH Internal Medicine* DO Hawaii OH
UNTHSCTCOM/San Jacinto Methodist Hosp, Baytown, TX Family Medicine* DO Washington TX
UMDNJ-New Jersey Med-Newark* Internal Medicine* MD Tucson NJ
VCOM/Lewis Gale Hosp, Blacksburg, VA Traditional Rotating Int DO Tucson VA
York Hospital-PA* Family Medicine* MD California PA
NYCOM/Lutheran Med, Brooklyn, NY General Surgery DO New York NY
KCOM/UMKC/Truman Med, Kansas City, MO Family Medicine* DO Flagstaff MO
Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA Surgery - Preliminary MD Alabama VA
U Arizona Affil Hospitals* Psychiatry* MD Flagstaff AZ
Texas Tech U Affil-El Paso* Obstetrics-Gynecology* MD Phoenix TX
Baystate Med Ctr-MA*/Michigan State for Transitional Year Anesthesiology-3 yr* MD Washington MA
Columbia Hospital/St Lucie Medical Center Traditional DO California FL
U Texas Southwestern Med Sch-Dallas* Pediatrics/Austin* MD Ohio TX
MWU-AzCOM, Cottonwood, AZ Internal Medicine* DO Ohio AZ
LECOM/Manatee Memorial, Bradenton, FL Family Medicine* DO So. Carolina FL
Danville Regional MC, Danville, VA Traditional DO Flagstaff VA
NYU School Of Medicine* Phys Medicine & Rehab* MD New York NY
U Nevada Affil Hosps-Las Vegas* Pediatrics* MD Hawaii NV
UC San Francisco-Fresno-CA* Internal Medicine* MD Washington CA
Kaiser Permanente-Los Angeles-CA* Pediatrics* MD Hawaii CA
Milton S Hershey MC, Hershey, PA Surgery - Preliminary MD Phoenix PA
Naval Hospital, Bethesda, MD Transitional Year DO Tucson MD
MWU-AzCOM, Kingman, AZ Emergency Medicine* DO Flagstaff AZ
UNECOM/St Michael's Hosp, Newark, NJ Emergency Medicine* DO New York NJ
Capital Regional MC, Jefferson City, MO Family Medicine* DO California MO
Banner Good Samaritan Med Ctr-AZ* Psychiatry* MD Phoenix AZ
Spartanburg Reg Healthcare-SC* Family Medicine* MD So. Carolina SC
Oakwood Healthcare, Trenton, MI General Surgery DO Alabama MI
U Arizona/UPHK GME Consortium* Psychiatry* MD Phoenix AZ
Albany Medical Center-NY* Pediatrics-Primary* MD New York NY"

 

[Didierdrogba]

I thought for this year we've got more anesthesiologies and rads, and we also got someone matching to tufts OB GYN

 

[thecampuslegend]

Emergency Medicine Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Portsmouth, VA Military
Emergency Medicine St James Health Chicago, IL AOA
Emergency Medicine OSU Tulsa, OK AOA
Emergency Medicine MSU St Joseph, MI AOA
Emergency Medicine Michigan State University COM Allegiance Health Jackson, MI AOA
Emergency Medicine Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI ACGME
Emergency Medicine Garden City Hospital Garden City, MI AOA
Emergency Medicine John Peter Smith Fort Worth, TX ACGME
Psychiatry Albany Medical Center Albany, NY ACGME (couples)
Psychiatry University of Nevada-SOM Las Vegas, NV ACGME
Psychiatry Baystate Med Ctr/Tufts Univ SOM Springfield, MA ACGME
Psychiatry Maricopa County Phoenix, AZ ACGME
Psychiatry Maricopa County Phoenix, AZ ACGME
Diagnostic Radiology Texas Tech University (Intern Year University of Nevada) El Paso, TX ACGME
Diagnostic Radiology Larkin Community Miami, FL AOA
Diagnostic Radiology University of New Mexico Alb., NM ACGME
Diagnostic Radiology Albany Medical Center (Prelim-Med U of OK) Albany, NY ACGME (couples)
General Surgery Arnot Ogden Medical Center Elmira, NY AOA
General Surgery Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Portsmouth, VA Military
General Surgery McLaren Greater Lansing- MSU Lansing, MI AOA (couples)
General Surgery OSU Tulsa, OK AOA
General Surgery Charleston Area Med Center Charleston, WV ACGME
General Surgery Brooke Army Med Center San Antonio, TX Military
General Surgery Danbury Hospital/Univ. of Vermont Danbury, CT ACGME (couples)
Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine Mercy Health Partners Muskegon, MI AOA
Ophthalmology PCOM Philadelphia, PA AOA
Transitional Year Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Portsmouth, VA Military
Traditional Rotating Internship Good Samaritan Hospital Corvallis, OR AOA
Traditional Rotating Internship St. Barnabas Hospital Bronx, NY AOA
Family Medicine University of Wyoming Casper Casper, WY ACGME
Family Medicine Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center Killeen, TX Military
Family Medicine Medical College of Wisconsin St. Joseph's Milwaukee, WI ACGME
Family Medicine LSU (University Medical Center) Lafayette, LA ACGME
Family Medicine MAHEC Hendersonville, NC ACGME
Family Medicine Bay Area Medical Center Corpus Christi, TX AOA
Family Medicine Utah Valley Regional Medical Center Provo, UT ACGME
Family Medicine ATSU/Wright Center Portland, OR AOA (Outside Match)
Family Medicine Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital - Nellis AFB Las Vegas, NV Military
Family Medicine University of California San Francisco-Fresno Fresno, CA ACGME
Family Medicine UW: Providence Sacred Heart Spokane, WA ACGME
Family Medicine White Memorial Medical Center Los Angeles, CA ACGME
Family Medicine Fam Med Res Idaho RTT - Magic Valley Boise/Twin Falls, ID ACGME
Family Medicine Providence St. Peter Hospital Olympia, WA ACGME
FM/Preventive Medicine Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA ACGME
Family Medicine University of Texas Austin, TX ACGME
Internal Medicine Kent Hospital Warwick, RI AOA
Internal Medicine UConn Hartford, CT AOA
Internal Medicine Good Samaritan Hospital Cincinnati, OH ACGME
Internal Medicine University of Arizona- UMC Tucson, AZ ACGME (couples)
Internal Medicine Stamford Hospital/Columbia University Stamford, CT ACGME
Internal Medicine Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA ACGME
Internal Medicine Broward Health Medical Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL AOA
Internal Medicine Bay Area Medical Center Corpus Christi, TX AOA
Internal Medicine UCSF Fresno Fresno, CA ACGME
Internal Medicine University of New Mexico Abq, NM ACGME
Internal Medicine University of New Mexico Abq, NM ACGME
Internal Medicine U of Az South campus Tucson, AZ ACGME
Internal Medicine Loyola University Chicago, IL ACGME
Internal Medicine University of Hawaii Honolulu, HI ACGME
Internal Medicine Aurora/MtSinai Milwaukee, WI ACGME
Internal Medicine Baystate Med Ctr/Tufts Univ SOM ACGME
Internal Medicine University of Washington Boise VA Boise, ID ACGME
OB GYN Wright State Boonshoft SOM Dayton, OH ACGME
OB/GYN Baystate Med Ctr/Tufts Univ SOM Springfield, MA ACGME
OB GYN Garden City Hospital Garden City, MI AOA
OB/GYN Mercy Hospital Chicago, IL ACGME
OB/GYN Danbury Hospital Danbury, CT ACGME (couples)
OB/GYN Medical College of Wisconsin Milwauke, WI ACGME
OB/GYN Texas Tech University Amarillo, TX ACGME
Pediatrics University of Hawaii Honolulu, HI ACGME
Pediatrics University of New Mexico Alb., NM ACGME
Pediatrics E W Sparrow Hospital (MSU) Lansing, MI AOA (couples)
Pediatrics Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA ACGME
Pediatrics Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA ACGME
Pediatrics Texas Tech University El Paso, TX ACGME
Pediatrics The Ohio State University Columbus, OH ACGME
Pediatrics University of Arizona Tucson, AZ ACGME (couples)
Pediatrics USC/LAC Hosptial Los Angeles, CA ACGME
Pediatrics Medical College of Georgia Augusta, GA ACGME

 

[thecampuslegend]

SOMA's C/o 2013 has matched 100% of students into residency or rotating positions, meaning nobody graduated without a job. Only one other DO school has achieved this.

If you want top tier ACGME residencies, then i'd advice you do the MD route (Expect to face fierce competition for top residency programs though). Even if you are an MD, but coming from lower tiered schools, your odds are not favorable for top residency either

im a 4th year...and just letting you know....matching 100% doesn't necessarily mean that our students didn't have to scramble in the SOAP....so understand that.

I posted the 2013 match list above and it's a myth that DOs can't get a university based residency. Half of my 16 interviews were at university based programs (for internal medicine) but that's not what I wanted in the end. You just have to do so some research to understand which University hospitals are more "DO friendly." Also, doing a sub-internship during your 4th year at a university hospital that you would want to attend will go to great lengths to help you.

 

[thecampuslegend]

very valid concern. Im only a first year, so take my words with a grain of salt. DO programs generally do not match students into university programs, unless you go to Michigan state. However, they are usually VERY proficient at matching people into all sorts of anesthesiology slots, university programs included. DOs are very well represented in anesthesiology too. that said, I still think overall, MD is a better choice if you want to specialize.

no one in 2013 matched anesthesia...but then again i don't know how many people wanted to do anesthesia and didn't match or whether or not there was any interest in anesthesia to begin with. with this being said, i don't think going DO will hold you back if you wanted to do ER, Rads or Anesthesia...but if you want specialize in any sort of surgery like neuro/uro/ortho or derm then yeah, definitely go MD.

 

[thecampuslegend]

I know that this school has a great curriculum for learning how to think like a physician but does that come at the expense of learning how to answer board questions? Do students feel less prepared or have to study harder to get used to 'classroom' type questions as opposed to hospital questions?

Studying for class in no way shape or form prepares you for boards....and it also doesn't matter what school you attend. Did undergrad help prepare you to take MCATs? Sure a little bit, but probably not enough to give you the score you wanted. Med school will give you the basic knowledge for the exam, but approaching USMLE and COMLEX is a different beast. When it comes down to studying, everyone uses USMLE World and First Aid. You have to do the questions and read the book over and over again until you are ready.

 

[Didierdrogba]

im a 4th year...and just letting you know....matching 100% doesn't necessarily mean that our students didn't have to scramble in the SOAP....so understand that.

I posted the 2013 match list above and it's a myth that DOs can't get a university based residency. Half of my 16 interviews were at university based programs (for internal medicine) but that's not what I wanted in the end. You just have to do so some research to understand which University hospitals are more "DO friendly." Also, doing a sub-internship during your 4th year at a university hospital that you would want to attend will go to great lengths to help you.

ha, yes, i understand, just recently my nightmare has been not being able to match after graduation, thus having to live out my life in debt and poverty. At this point, i'll take any position as long as i can get one, SOAP or otherwise.

btw, thecampuslegend, what does "(couples)" mean

 

[SLC]

ha, yes, i understand, just recently my nightmare has been not being able to match after graduation, thus having to live out my life in debt and poverty. At this point, i'll take any position as long as i can get one, SOAP or otherwise.

btw, thecampuslegend, what does "(couples)" mean

Couples matching is where a couple matches to the same location together, I don't know the specifics but it basically gives couples a better shot at not having to separate for residency.

Notice how there is a GenSurg and ObGyn at UConn Danbury and both say "couples"? That's a couple from the class of 2013 that used the couples matching system to stay together.

 

[JonnyQuiznos]

Who is interviewing on 4/12?

 

[3bamboo]

Studying for class in no way shape or form prepares you for boards....and it also doesn't matter what school you attend. Did undergrad help prepare you to take MCATs? Sure a little bit, but probably not enough to give you the score you wanted. Med school will give you the basic knowledge for the exam, but approaching USMLE and COMLEX is a different beast. When it comes down to studying, everyone uses USMLE World and First Aid. You have to do the questions and read the book over and over again until you are ready.

Interesting, I never realized that, good point

 

[Dream34]

Does anyone know when Financial Aid comes in? Im trying to figure out if im going to have to come up with the money to move in myself or if my FAFSA money will be there in time to pay for everything

 

[2013medapp]

Does anyone know when Financial Aid comes in? Im trying to figure out if im going to have to come up with the money to move in myself or if my FAFSA money will be there in time to pay for everything

I'm pretty sure they said we don't get it until after the first day of class, probably some time during the first week. So, we'll have to come up with some living-expenses money on our own for the first little bit.

 

[SLC]

Does anyone know when Financial Aid comes in? Im trying to figure out if im going to have to come up with the money to move in myself or if my FAFSA money will be there in time to pay for everything

Gotta do it yourself, financial aid can't be disbursed till after the first day of classes, even orientation doesn't count.

 

[kristjac]

I'm sure this is answered somewhere in the previous 24 pages, but can someone help me out with what to wear to the social? I know it says business casual, but I am from a very cold climate and am unsure of what to wear in a warmer climate. Is a short-sleeved/ sleeveless dress ok? Are panty hose required? Hose are a must wear I am from, but I would love to not have to wear them! TIA

 

[MurphysLaww]

Gotta do it yourself, financial aid can't be disbursed till after the first day of classes, even orientation doesn't count.

If you have decent credit you can take out a signature loan from the bank and then pay it off with the aid money when it comes in. You will probably need money for your first month of bills too, so this may not be a bad thing to look at.

 

[2013medapp]

I'm sure this is answered somewhere in the previous 24 pages, but can someone help me out with what to wear to the social? I know it says business casual, but I am from a very cold climate and am unsure of what to wear in a warmer climate. Is a short-sleeved/ sleeveless dress ok? Are panty hose required? Hose are a must wear I am from, but I would love to not have to wear them! TIA

I don't know for sure, but this link (from ATSU-SOMA) has some pictures with examples of casual, business casual, professional, etc.:

http://www.atsu.edu/soma/admissions/accepted/dress.htm

Good luck!

 

[SLC]

If you have decent credit you can take out a signature loan from the bank and then pay it off with the aid money when it comes in. You will probably need money for your first month of bills too, so this may not be a bad thing to look at.

You probably could, and it's not a bad idea if you have no other options. I have excellent credit but hadn't worked the last year while finishing up school, I wasn't able to get a signature loan as a result, and I tried.

I ended up finding a temp job that paid pretty well, and let me work a ton of hours (lucky find I know), it was pretty easy to whip up a couple grand at that point.

 

[ostrich love]

I ended up finding a temp job that paid pretty well, and let me work a ton of hours (lucky fund I know), it was pretty easy to whip up a couple grand at that point.[/QUOTE]

We can't all be "performers"

 

[SLC]

We can't all be "performers"

 

[hopefulDO08]

I'm sure this is answered somewhere in the previous 24 pages, but can someone help me out with what to wear to the social? I know it says business casual, but I am from a very cold climate and am unsure of what to wear in a warmer climate. Is a short-sleeved/ sleeveless dress ok? Are panty hose required? Hose are a must wear I am from, but I would love to not have to wear them! TIA

Honestly, I wouldn't wear a sleeveless dress if I were you. Most people in my group were wearing slacks or a pencil skirt and a button down or a nice blouse. Even though its hot, you can't dress too casual. I would definitely suggest wearing pantyhose. Its only a few hours of discomfort, I think its worth it.

 

[Jefe5]

Hey everyone. Another question. Does A.T. Still set up your rotations for 3rd and 4th year, or do we have to set those up ourselves?

 

[pinkstarr]

Jefe5, I spoke to few students and they said that the faculty at the CHCs help you with your rotations during your second year. However I believe a lot of students pick their own rotations at hospitals too.
Current students can probably answer this questions better than me...

 

[Jefe5]

Jefe5, I spoke to few students and they said that the faculty at the CHCs help you with your rotations during your second year. However I believe a lot of students pick their own rotations at hospitals too.
Current students can probably answer this questions better than me...

Thanks. I looked on the website and it looks like there isn't a program at Arizona, but there is in Kirksville, but they are trying to get a program in Arizona to schedule rotations. I have heard it can be very stressful to set up your own rotations.

 

[SLC]

Thanks. I looked on the website and it looks like there isn't a program at Arizona, but there is in Kirksville, but they are trying to get a program in Arizona to schedule rotations. I have heard it can be very stressful to set up your own rotations.

There is definitely A system for getting your rotations, they are mostly based in CHC's and associated hospitals. Depending on the CHC you go to there may be some travel involved (Oregon CHC has rotations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho for example).

But you are not on your own in scheduling the rotations. (Speaking as someone who's in the process of scheduling rotations right now)

 

[Jefe5]

There is definitely A system for getting your rotations, they are mostly based in CHC's and associated hospitals. Depending on the CHC you go to there may be some travel involved (Oregon CHC has rotations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho for example).

But you are not on your own in scheduling the rotations. (Speaking as someone who's in the process of scheduling rotations right now)

Oh good! Okay, I was just taking it off of what the website was saying. Do you know what it is like for those going to Tucson? I would like to stay in Tucson for both years if possible.

 

[2013medapp]

There is definitely A system for getting your rotations, they are mostly based in CHC's and associated hospitals. Depending on the CHC you go to there may be some travel involved (Oregon CHC has rotations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho for example).

But you are not on your own in scheduling the rotations. (Speaking as someone who's in the process of scheduling rotations right now)

Thank you for saying this! I was getting worried for a second that my love for this school would be marred by it making us set up our own rotations. Good to know they have things set up (although I'll probably end up setting up a few different rotations than what they have due to personal preference).

 

[2013medapp]

To any current students: I realize that things vary from CHC to CHC, but does SOMA have any rotations set up with teaching hospitals? I'll be in Phoenix, if any of you know specifically about that location.

 

[Saf1]

I interviewed about 2 weeks ago. I loved SOMA and felt like I did pretty well, but still no word back from them. I'm getting worried and impatient :/

 

[SLC]

To any current students: I realize that things vary from CHC to CHC, but does SOMA have any rotations set up with teaching hospitals? I'll be in Phoenix, if any of you know specifically about that location.

I'm unfamiliar with Phoenix's exact rotation setup, but I know there are multiple teaching hospitals in the area that SOMA students have rotated in. There's a user here "thecampuslegend" who is at Phoenix (a 4th year) that will hopefully see this and add his two cents.

But as far as teaching hospitals in general, yes SOMA does have affiliations with some teaching hospitals. NYC for example, all rotations can be done at Lutheran Medical Center, there are others at other sites as well. But in general, you'll have the opportunity to rotate in Teaching Hospitals, but most rotations provided by the school are at Community Health Centers and affiliated non-teaching community hospitals.

Oh good! Okay, I was just taking it off of what the website was saying. Do you know what it is like for those going to Tucson? I would like to stay in Tucson for both years if possible.

Tucson has all rotations within an hour of the city itself if I recall correctly, and the vast majority of those are in Tucson itself.

I think they even have an agreement with the U of A for at least one of the Core Rotations (Emergency Medicine I think).

 

[2013medapp]

I'm unfamiliar with Phoenix's exact rotation setup, but I know there are multiple teaching hospitals in the area that SOMA students have rotated in. There's a user here "thecampuslegend" who is at Phoenix (a 4th year) that will hopefully see this and add his two cents.

But as far as teaching hospitals in general, yes SOMA does have affiliations with some teaching hospitals. NYC for example, all rotations can be done at Lutheran Medical Center, there are others at other sites as well. But in general, you'll have the opportunity to rotate in Teaching Hospitals, but most rotations provided by the school are at Community Health Centers and affiliated non-teaching community hospitals.

Thanks!

 

[thecampuslegend]

To any current students: I realize that things vary from CHC to CHC, but does SOMA have any rotations set up with teaching hospitals? I'll be in Phoenix, if any of you know specifically about that location.

SLC dropping some knowledge left and right - thanks for all your contribution.

So here's the thing, I've been in AZ since 1992 and I am very familiar with the many hospitals in the Phoenix area. One of my main reasons for staying in Phoenix for my CHC was because I thought I would be able to do rotations at these hospitals that I grew up at and build connections...but that was not necessarily the way it went down.

Let's break up rotations into 3rd and 4th year. As a 3rd year, you cannot do a rotation at a teaching hospital unless your medical school specifically has a contract with that hospital. St. Joesph's has a contract with Creighton University School of Medicine (random, i know) and they did have a contract with A.T. Still - Kirksville. But although, ATSU-KCOM has a contract with them, SOMA has no such relationship. It's unfortunate in the sense that we do not get any of the benefits of being ATSU-KCOM's brother program. This year, St. Joe's is supposed to end their relationship with KCOM and the rotations will be strictly for 3rd year Creighton med students. There is Banner Hospital, but those rotations go to the University of Arizona med students (both from Tucson and PHX campuses), as well as Midwestern students. Then there is Phoenix Children's - I was lucky enough to do a rotation there, but now they are charging our med students $1200 to do a rotation there. Then there is Maricopa Medical Center which is basically the county hospital, and you are allowed to do a max of 2 rotations there during your 3rd year (typically they are your internal medicine and psych rotations). There are many other non-teaching hospitals in the area, such as John C. Lincoln where PHX students will be doing more rotations. It looks like if you are in PHX, the majority of your rotations are in non-teaching settings..so that is one thing to seriously consider. I tried very hard to find rotations at teaching hospitals during my 3rd year to fill elective times and it was pretty much impossible because of the whole no-contract issue. I could go off on this topic for a long time, but I think that is one area that our school has a huge deficit in. ...some CHC's have a good amount of teaching hospital experience, while other's don't....and if you want to end up at an academic program for residency - then getting letters of rec from an individual in a teaching hospital is an important element.

Now for 4th year rotations, I don't think people understand what 4th year entails. During your 4th year, you want to be doing Sub-Internships (during the beginning of the year) at programs that you may want to end up working at...and those Sub-I's are your responsibility to set up - which is fairly simple to do with the advent of the VSAS program. I set up EVERY SINGLE one of my 4th year rotations, but I know the PHX program would have set up the the 4 core rotations on my behalf if I had requested them to do so. I set up numerous rotations across the west coast at hospitals that I wanted to get a close look at and hopefully impress enough for them to extend an interview. Also, I wanted to get as much teaching hospital experience as I could since I felt like I missed out my 3rd year.

Your 3rd year is more rigid than you 4th year. For my 4th year I did rotations in portland, eugene, seattle, Fresno, Las Vegas, Tucson, and PHX. I did 4 rotations through the University of Arizona in Tucson and they were great experiences. I can't speak to other CHCs, but this is a brief overview of PHX rotations.

P.S. There will be even more change coming up as the administrative assistant for my class will not be present for the incoming class....and she made a world of a difference, she was on top of everything and made my life so much easier. I'm sure there will be a little bit of growing pains with the new administrative assistant as being in charge of 2nd, 3rd and 4th years is a huge responsibility and there are a lot of moving parts (setting up rotations, shelf exams, tracking down evaluations, etc).

 

[2013medapp]

SLC dropping some knowledge left and right - thanks for all your contribution.

So here's the thing, I've been in AZ since 1992 and I am very familiar with the many hospitals in the Phoenix area. One of my main reasons for staying in Phoenix for my CHC was because I thought I would be able to do rotations at these hospitals that I grew up at and build connections...but that was not necessarily the way it went down.

Let's break up rotations into 3rd and 4th year. As a 3rd year, you cannot do a rotation at a teaching hospital unless your medical school specifically has a contract with that hospital. St. Joesph's has a contract with Creighton University School of Medicine (random, i know) and they did have a contract with A.T. Still - Kirksville. But although, ATSU-KCOM has a contract with them, SOMA has no such relationship. It's unfortunate in the sense that we do not get any of the benefits of being ATSU-KCOM's brother program. This year, St. Joe's is supposed to end their relationship with KCOM and the rotations will be strictly for 3rd year Creighton med students. There is Banner Hospital, but those rotations go to the University of Arizona med students (both from Tucson and PHX campuses), as well as Midwestern students. Then there is Phoenix Children's - I was lucky enough to do a rotation there, but now they are charging our med students $1200 to do a rotation there. Then there is Maricopa Medical Center which is basically the county hospital, and you are allowed to do a max of 2 rotations there during your 3rd year (typically they are your internal medicine and psych rotations). There are many other non-teaching hospitals in the area, such as John C. Lincoln where PHX students will be doing more rotations. It looks like if you are in PHX, the majority of your rotations are in non-teaching settings..so that is one thing to seriously consider. I tried very hard to find rotations at teaching hospitals during my 3rd year to fill elective times and it was pretty much impossible because of the whole no-contract issue. I could go off on this topic for a long time, but I think that is one area that our school has a huge deficit in. ...some CHC's have a good amount of teaching hospital experience, while other's don't....and if you want to end up at an academic program for residency - then getting letters of rec from an individual in a teaching hospital is an important element.

Now for 4th year rotations, I don't think people understand what 4th year entails. During your 4th year, you want to be doing Sub-Internships (during the beginning of the year) at programs that you may want to end up working at...and those Sub-I's are your responsibility to set up - which is fairly simple to do with the advent of the VSAS program. I set up EVERY SINGLE one of my 4th year rotations, but I know the PHX program would have set up the the 4 core rotations on my behalf if I had requested them to do so. I set up numerous rotations across the west coast at hospitals that I wanted to get a close look at and hopefully impress enough for them to extend an interview. Also, I wanted to get as much teaching hospital experience as I could since I felt like I missed out my 3rd year.

Your 3rd year is more rigid than you 4th year. For my 4th year I did rotations in portland, eugene, seattle, Fresno, Las Vegas, Tucson, and PHX. I did 4 rotations through the University of Arizona in Tucson and they were great experiences. I can't speak to other CHCs, but this is a brief overview of PHX rotations.

P.S. There will be even more change coming up as the administrative assistant for my class will not be present for the incoming class....and she made a world of a difference, she was on top of everything and made my life so much easier. I'm sure there will be a little bit of growing pains with the new administrative assistant as being in charge of 2nd, 3rd and 4th years is a huge responsibility and there are a lot of moving parts (setting up rotations, shelf exams, tracking down evaluations, etc).

Thanks for the detailed response! It sounds like rotations still need some improvement, but it's good that they at least have rotations set up for you unless you choose to do them somewhere else (which I probably will for a few during 4th year). Looking forward to it.

 

[thecampuslegend]

Thanks for the detailed response! It sounds like rotations still need some improvement, but it's good that they at least have rotations set up for you unless you choose to do them somewhere else (which I probably will for a few during 4th year). Looking forward to it.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't need every rotation my 3rd year to be at a teaching hospital. For example, I did my OBGYN rotation at the community health center and i got to dozens of pelvic exams and delivered about a dozen babies all by myself. If I had been in a teaching hospital, the residents would have done all of that. So in all, I had a good mix of rotations my 3rd year, but I do think the school is genuinely trying to secure better rotations as they become better established.

 

[Jefe5]

Hey everyone, this forum has been a bit slow. Again, I just got on to the AT Still forum, so sorry if these questions have already been addressed. I was wondering what information people had on the Unified Accreditation system going into effect July 1, 2015? If I am interpreting this right, DOs will only have to take the COMLEX to get into an AOA or ACGME residency.

 

[SLC]

Hey everyone, this forum has been a bit slow. Again, I just got on to the AT Still forum, so sorry if these questions have already been addressed. I was wondering what information people had on the Unified Accreditation system going into effect July 1, 2015? If I am interpreting this right, DOs will only have to take the COMLEX to get into an AOA or ACGME residency.

I'm not sure if that's been discussed or not, but even if it were true there's nothing to say that certain program directors won't prefer those who've taken the USMLE. In fact, I'd almost count on that being the case.

And the 7-1-15 date seems sorta up in the air right now.

 

[thecampuslegend]

I'm not sure if that's been discussed or not, but even if it were true there's nothing to say that certain program directors won't prefer those who've taken the USMLE. In fact, I'd almost count on that being the case.

And the 7-1-15 date seems sorta up in the air right now.

this is exactly right. as of now, just attend medical school as if this WILL NOT happen - highly unlikely that this will come to fruition. no matter what, if you want an MD residency, just take the USMLE. i had interviews where program directors told me they were glad that I took the Usmle 1 and 2 because they had no idea how to use the comlex as a measuring tool. as it stands right now, you can still only take the COMLEX and get into an MD residency, but its just harder.

 

[Jefe5]

Thanks for the responses. That is very helpful. I read one person's opinion that the USMLE was harder than the COMLEX. For those who have taken both, any different opinions?

 

[SLC]

Thanks for the responses. That is very helpful. I read one person's opinion that the USMLE was harder than the COMLEX. For those who have taken both, any different opinions?

I haven't taken either yet, but I'm prepping to take them both next month. Right now I'd say USMLE seems easier. But that's only because COMLEX practice Q's (and I've heard the real thing too) can be very vague. The USMLE questions on Uworld are a thing of beauty in comparison.

 

[Jefe5]

I haven't taken either yet, but I'm prepping to take them both next month. Right now I'd say USMLE seems easier. But that's only because COMLEX practice Q's (and I've heard the real thing too) can be very vague. The USMLE questions on Uworld are a thing of beauty in comparison.

Good luck! What score are you shooting for on each test? And what kind of doctor are you going for?

 

[Didierdrogba]

I'm not sure if that's been discussed or not, but even if it were true there's nothing to say that certain program directors won't prefer those who've taken the USMLE. In fact, I'd almost count on that being the case.

And the 7-1-15 date seems sorta up in the air right now.

Dr. Normal Gevitz came to our school to deliver a speech one day, and he said our class (2016) will most likely have to take both.

 

[thecampuslegend]

Thanks for the responses. That is very helpful. I read one person's opinion that the USMLE was harder than the COMLEX. For those who have taken both, any different opinions?

Hands down the USMLE step 1 is much harder than comlex, hell, USMLE Step 1 is one of the top 10 hardest exams in the united states. The comlex wasand always will be a joke. Let me break it down real quick on what should matter to you. If you want to do an MD residency, take both USMLE step 1 and 2. Your comlex scores will mean nothing, it doesn't matter if you get a 450 or 650, they are literally worthless if you are aiming for a MD residency.

Now, if you are applying for both DO and MD or DO only residencies, then yeah, definitely take the comlex seriously. But if there is one thing that I could have done differently, I would not have put as much effort into the COMLEX. It was never brought up on any of my interviews, and as long as you don't fail - your score will not not help you.

The USMLE is set up to give you an overload of information and you need to use 2nd and 3rd branches of decision making to be successful, while the COMLEX has shorter questions with buzz words and don't require as much deductive reasoning as the USMLE. Also as long as you know your chapman's points and sympathetic reflexes, you already have 20% of the exam handed to you.

Obviously, I feel like the comlex exam is a substandard exam and I whole-heartedly understand why ACGME program directors put very little weight on it.

 

[JWP07]

How much time off, if any, do you guys get at SOMA to study for your USMLE/COMLEX exams? And during that time, are you required to show up at your CHC weekly?

 

[SLC]

How much time off, if any, do you guys get at SOMA to study for your USMLE/COMLEX exams? And during that time, are you required to show up at your CHC weekly?

2nd year classes are pretty much wrapped up now, but officially by the end of the month. Clinic goes till 1st or 2nd week of may. 3rd year starts 2nd week of July.

So we've got nearly 3 months, with 2 months completely free.

 

[Sparty12]

3rd year will start at different times depending on your CHC. The orientation at our CHC is the last week of June and we start rotations July 1. It's up to each site as to how they go about scheduling 3rd year.

 

[thecampuslegend]

How much time off, if any, do you guys get at SOMA to study for your USMLE/COMLEX exams? And during that time, are you required to show up at your CHC weekly?

ideally, you should have your USMLE and COMLEX all wrapped up no later than the end of june. The majority of my class aimed for the June 14-24th time period. If you rotations start on July 1st, you don't want to be taking your board exams on June 30th and then starting the grind all over again the next day. Your body and mind need a week off to recover, recuperate and to be merry. You should be studying for about 6 months prior to the exam, but really hardcore studying for 6-8 weeks before. Usually those 6-8 weeks prior to rotations are dedicated free time. Do UWorld, do First Aid, and take a practice exam....spending too much time on other resources (in my opinion) is basically overkill.

 

[hopefulDO08]

Can anyone tell me what the white coat ceremony is like? Is there a reception after, do they take class pictures, etc?

Also, is it worth it for my family to fly from the east coast for it? My mom said she wants to go, but money isn't exactly falling from the sky so I feel bad asking her to go if it isn't that big of a deal. I guess I'm asking if most people have their families travel for it

 

[SLC]

Can anyone tell me what the white coat ceremony is like? Is there a reception after, do they take class pictures, etc?

Also, is it worth it for my family to fly from the east coast for it? My mom said she wants to go, but money isn't exactly falling from the sky so I feel bad asking her to go if it isn't that big of a deal. I guess I'm asking if most people have their families travel for it

No reception after (at least not in my classes case) but it is a fairly big deal. They'll have some speaker come from outside the school system, you'll enter the room and sit with your classmates sort of like a graduation procession. People will speak about what being a doctor is all about. Then, one by one you'll go on stage, receive your coat, and shake hands with the Dean. Then you all recite the oath and take a class picture.

I think it's something a parent would be disappointed about missing, so if she can make it, she won't regret it.