Current MS-II as well, throwaway.
I dont have an organized list, but just some thoughts I want to share with you all:
1. Compare to other DO schools, we really are pretty solid in terms of scores, facility, faculty, and most importantly - matching. We consistently have some of the most competitive matches coming out of the DO world, and that's all it counts in the end.
2. They break you down here and build you back up into a doctor, and that's what medical school should be. I met some students from newer schools and they praise how much they love their dean and the school makes them feel so welcome etc... so what? The process of making a doctor is like making a sausage, everyone likes a nice sausage but they should not look at how it's made. Students from PCOM, KCU, CCOM all come to hate school during their MS-II, AZCOM included, that's the sign of a school that really pushes their students and breaking their limits. This really pays off during rotations, when we are being compared to MD kids.
3. This year we had people who matched into MGH anesthesia, Vanderbilt anesthesia, ~30 EMs, 6+ orthos, multiple people into the UC system - and not just in primary care. My point is that when you look at a school, look at where the graduates are going, then look at your own goals, and see if they align. If you want something competitive, in a competitive location, but cannot get into an MD school, AZCOM is a pretty good bet - the only thing is that you have to work your ass off here, you will succeed if you put in the work because we do not have a culture of holding people back.
4. I want to go back to LA, so I'm in LA for rotations, I will be smack dab in the middle of the city. Even though I won't be rotating in UCLA or USC, I am close enough to those places where I can go out and make my own connections, that's something not easily done by Touro-CA or even Western students. Everyone in LA automatically get 2 electives in 3rd year, everyone else only gets 1.
5. Good mix of preceptor-based rotations and ward based rotations. Why would anyone want preceptor based rotation over ward-based? There is a reason, For example, if I want to do IM, I would want to do as many ward-based IM rotations as I can. I don't really care for OB, so I can just do a preceptor based OBGYN to get hands on experience with delivering babies and learn everyday practice of an OB, while having time to read for shelf exams. If I am on OB wards, I will be tired as hell trying to impress residents and attendings for a good eval, working my ass off and MAYBE get to do a procedure with someone, and I am still expected to read and study for shelf. Well I think my grade with a preceptor based will be better if I just have to impress 1 person, have more time to study for my test, and have less stress. Life is a game and I'm already playing on hard mode as a DO, I'm not gonna screw myself over trying to do ward-based everything.
6. I have friends at other DO schools, and I think as a whole, we're not as brain-washed as some other schools. Our students are pretty realistic about the disadvantages of DO vs. MD than other schools, which sounds pessimistic, but being a realist also means we are good at gauging our abilities and not sounding like an idiot when working with doctors in the real world.
7. Campus is nice and safe, I would've gone to Western if they didn't have bullet holes in their building....
9. Yes, some professors get vindictive, they are older and it's harder to change their point of view. I think our student council people are constantly working with them to improve that. It has gotten better already since they start to do reviews for exams now that cover just about 90% of the material on the test in 2 hours, we usually study for boards and cram of exams on the weekends at this point so that helps.
10. I hate that the school charges so freaking much for tuition, but midwestern is not alone, tuition is up everywhere in the country.
11. The admins don't communicate with students enough, they were essentially silent for 3/4 of the year, now they've started to ramp up their communication with us since we are taking boards soon and will be going on rotations.
12. Cafeteria sends more emails than anyone informing us of their soup of the day.
13. I hear from alumni that they do not wish to have any communication with the school, although they will help azcom students who reach out to them, just not the school itself.
14. Research - we have some okay bench work research, more so than other DO schools. I think the school is expanding on the research efforts, our research facility just got upgraded to do clinical trials as well. Research is crucial for matching, especially when you guys match.
These are just some thoughts from my fried brain, I have an exam in the morning. Good luck guys
