TUCOM

[Sharky]

I had the opportunity to visit TUCOM's campus and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The city of Vallejo doens't look that exciting and the campus itself seems to be in a secluded part of the island. It's about an hour away from San Francisco by driving and you have to pay a toll to get to Vallejo. The buildings looked really old and worn down and there was absolutely no one on the campus (Perhaps because it was a Saturday, the sabbath day Jews.) I am sure the program is excellent but when deciding on where you will be spending your next 4 years, I think environment plays a big role. I hope AZCOM is nicer than TUCOM.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Macken]

Hey, Sharky....I hear ya!

I visited the campus the day before my interview and nearly puked. It looks awful. If rusted-out, abandoned navy shipyards are your thing, then TUCOM is the place for you. I was ready to go home without even interviewing.

BUT...by the end of the interview day I had changed my mind. I like TUCOM's program and curriculum approach. I'll be attending there in the fall.

So don't lose heart yet until after your interview! Good luck!

 

[sean]

It is an old naval base after all but as well as the warehouses it does have charm, no parking problems, easy access to San Fran and Berkeley, a golf course 5 min away, a new swimming pool, plenty of space to run/ bicycle, very friendly and supportive environment and lots more. Personally I can't wait until school starts as I also will be attending in the Fall. See you then, Sean.

 

[mcataz]

If you are going by pure location, AZCOM is way better in my opinion. I visited TUCOM's campus and it is FAR from SF. It's an hour from SF without traffic. But ask all those TUCOM people how long it took for them to get to SF at night and you will hear that it took them 1.5 -2 hours just to get there. It's insane.

AZCOM's basic sciences are amazing. I'm taking grad courses there right now which includes many DO classes. And their professors are amazing. I like the open door policy of their professors. They are very approachable and almost always in their office. AZCOM takes a hit when it comes to rotations because of their precept program. I think that's why some shy away from AZCOM.

But make no mistake, AZCOM's location is signficantly better with it being only 30 minutes away from Scottsdale and the nightlife. ANd Glendale, AZCOM's location, will host the new NHL and NFL stadium of the Coyotes and Cardinals respectively which means there will be a lot more restaraunts, bars and business sprouting in the West valley.

 

[save10]

The previous poster is nuts. 1) SF is 1/2 hour from TUCOM and dont let anyone tell you different 2) Nite life in Scottsdale better than SF? Are you kidding? 3) The weather in the Bay Area is nicer. none of this 110 degree bs. 4) The Arizona Cardinals. Only the Bengals are a bigger laughingstock. I suppose the Raiders and Niners chopped liver. If the cardinals are selling point for location, you gotta long way to go 6) Thats just SF. dont forget Napa, berkelely, tahoe, san jose, all of which are close.

TUCOM's campus location is funky. yes. buts its funky in a good way. and there is a sweet golf course, literally 30 seconds from the school. I hit many a bucket at the driving range during lunch. However this is no new pool. There is an old pool, but its more like a small ecosystem. its actually kinda cool.

Location is very important when choosing a school. I chose TUCOM over AZCOM in large because it was 100 degrees at 8am on the morning of my interview. Even though i liked the campus i knew before the first question was asked that i wasnt going there. Think about it, TUCOM is a medical school in the Bay Area, in California. Let me put it this way. Many Americans would like to visit Paris. When i was in paris, when i talked to parisians and told them i was from San Francisco, they would always say that thats where they wanted to visit. I've never heard anyone say they wanted to visit Phoenix.

 

[ez073323]

hello everyone...

I am a big time TUCOM proponent, but I just wanted to interject and ask that we all take a deep breath and be cool to each other...I smell tension in the air, and that usually doesnt help any situation.

The distance between TUCOM and SF can be argued... On Wednesdays at 11:17 AM, one could probably make it from Mare Island to Fisherman's Wharf in less than 25 min.. The same drive on Friday night could take three hours... The exterior of TUCOM isnt the prettiest, but once I stepped inside the tan and taupe buildings, I was pleasantly surprised.

I wish I could speak of AZCOM from personal experience, but I can't, although I have heard the the facilities are pretty nice...

Now that I am done interviewing at the schools that I applied to, maybe I will take a road trip to Phoenix...

Brian Enriquez
[email protected]

 

[Dr Sum Day]

Originally posted by ez073323
hello everyone...

I am a big time TUCOM proponent, but I just wanted to interject and ask that we all take a deep breath and be cool to each other...

Brian Enriquez
[email protected]

check your PM's Brian

 

[Nasim288]

First of all, you guys who are ragging on TUCOM are idiot. The campus is the old Naval base, Mare Island, and thus has a wide variety of housing, and a good position in the Bay Area to launch to Sacramento, Oakland, SF, San Jose, or Berkeley. If you are going to Med school for the looks of the campus and not the education, then you are a shallow child and you do not deserve the coveted rewards of a medical education.

Now, about the distance to SF....the city is an hour away via 101 without traffic and is 45 minutes away via I80 without traffic. If you know anything about Vallejo or the Bay Area, the foot of the maze, in oakland, where you turn off to go to the Bay bridge is always crowded as hell. The Bay is just extremely crowded and expensive.

As for the city of Vallejo, DO NOT TALK ABOUT A CITY THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING OF>>>if you go into Vallejo with that attitude, people will screw with you all day long and they can get very violent. I know, I was raised in that city and ran with many gangs. Not to say I do that anymore, that was my younger more stupid days, but I know how the people of the city are. You are about 1/2 mile(s) away from Hillcrest, one of the roughest parts of towns, about a mile from the Crest, the roughest part of town and one of the toughest parts of the Bay Area, and, Vallejo is a town that never sleeps. I had many of good times in Vallejo and in the Bay. The golf course is a little more then 30 seconds away, it is one the fair grounds off the I80 freeway and Marine World is across the street.

Just have fun and get a quality education....Dr. Haight is a great man, my personal physician for years, and the faculty has great experience. Just remeber this, Vallejo has 15 gangs, the 4th highest murder rate in the West Coast, and lots of wanna be gangbangers. So, you will get plenty of medical experience that will prepare you for the real world: drungs, poor people trying to make it, and kids trying to support their families in a violent manner but with great intentions.

Hope this helps and if you have real intelligent questions, do not hesitate to contact me via email or msn messenger: [email protected].

 

[DrZippy2b]

Originally posted by Nasim288
Just have fun and get a quality education....Dr. Haight is a great man, my personal physician for years, and the faculty has great experience[/B]

Um... Are you SURE that Dr. HAIGHT was your personal physician for years? He is a Ed. D., not medical doctor.

Sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, you just discounted everything else you said.

 

[Nasim288]

Man, you are about the most ridiculous person that has ever posted. First of all, I was extremely tired lastnight and was thinking in the frame of mind of physician and not mentor. What I meant to say was mentor and you can email him or call him and ask him about Curtis. He will tell you who I am and what are relationship is.

Second of all, discounting everything else I said...man are you ******ed!!!! I advise you to drive from Vallejo to SF via 101 or I80 and you can time it yourself. If you ask anyone about the CITY, that is SF to you, they will tell you exactly how far it is from Vallejo.

Moreover, I do not recommend that you go to the bad parts of town. If you go to the Crest or Hillcrest or even Beverely hills, that is south Vallejo for those that don't know, you might get in some serious trouble. This goes for white people. I am not a racist but for your own good, white folks can travel through but will get hard prest to find friendly people in those areas. Now, you can say I am full of BS if you want to, then go a walk in the above mentioned areas...I am not responsible for what happens to you. All crazy posts and responses aside, I would not go to those areas unless you know someone from Vallejo or you are the bravest person in the world.

Now, about the golf course, just ask anyone in vallejo, benecia, concord, napa etc, where the golf course is and everyone will tell you the Solano county fair grounds across the street from Marine World. Sorry to say but I know every place in Vallejo and I am NOT WRONG about any of this. In addition, I know Mare Island, I used to live across the water, in Marina Vista on Maine and Marin downtown, and worked over there off of the Tennessee street entrance. Now, you tell me if I was full of BS, then why do I know landmarks and streets. More proof? Ok, there is a Napoli's pizza across from the Tennessee street entrance of Mare Island, I used to own Blanche's Hot Dog Cafe on Broadway for 5 years down the street from Vallejo Sr. High Shcool, where I graduated from, and the Theatre behind the Jack in the Box where my cousin has turned it into a church. Let's see, JFK library and the city hall is down the street from Mare Island entrance and the old Mare Island credit union is across the street from that along with a BofA or used to be one. ANy more proof needed? Oh yeah, ask anyone in ther 20's, about 25 and up, about the most feared man ont he streets and you will get my name. Now I am not proud of that but it is a reputation that I got from my younger crazier days.

But, believe what you want about Vallejo..I love that city and it is trying to change. The reason for the bad rep and place is because of PG&E shutting down and Mare Islane in 1991 shutting down. No jobs, no money, increased poverty, increased crime.

So Dr.Zippy, zip your mouth before you speak about something you know nothing of. And call Dr. Haight, and ask him about me.

 

[maysqrd]

I think the golf course that students are refering to is the one on Mare Island itself. It is a well known course in the golfing community and can be found in many golfing magazines for the Northern California area. The one that is next to the fairgrounds is a different course.

 

[RalphMacchio]

I have been coming to this web site for a while and I never bothered to get a user name because I never thought I had anything to contribute, until now... I have read a lot of posts, but the second to last poster was unbelievably disrespectful and inapproriate.

Nasim288:

#1 Zippy never said that (s)he disagreed with what you were saying. (S)he never once said you are wrong.

#2 I don't think Zippy was at all ******ed or ridiculous. (S)he was just pointing out that discrepancies do, in fact, discredit a good point.

#3 Just a thought, but perhaps an alternate response to Zippy's post could have went something like this :

Nasim288: Sorry about that. I was really tired last night when I wrote that. I thought mentor and typed physician.

DrZippy2b: Oh. Sorry to hear you had a late night. You are right. Vallejo does have it's scary/violent sections. And, yes, Dr. Haight is awesome. Are you applying to TUCOM?


chill out, because we are all aiming for the same goal, right?

 

[Macken]

Nasim288:

Please show some respect for other people and their opinions. Referring to people as an "idiot" or "******ed" is, simply put, extremely rude. I don't think that Dr. Haight would very impressed either, frankly.

It's nice you can offer your insight to Vallejo and the surrounding areas and I'm sure we'd all like to hear about it. Would you please address your fellow colleagues in a respectful manner?

Thanks.