AZCOM Class of 2009

sl12 · Jun 21, 2005

larke28 said:
So my med school friends have been telling me all along that the amount of info you're presented with is like trying to drink water from a fire hydrant. And then there are those who said they were practically failing until they "learned how to study." What does all of this mean exactly? Is there a different way I should be studying when it comes to med school? What are some of the changes the upperclassmen have made to help you focus/study better? And what are some of the things you wish you had known/done differently?

(can you sense the nervousness starting to kick in? )

My advice, at least for the first little while, is to just study a lot. During the first two quarters my study time was from 6:30 in the morning until 11:00 at night, only taking time out for class, lunch, and dinner. By the spring quarter I had figured things out a little better (which was fortunate because my wife had our second baby) and I was able to cut back a little bit and still maintain my grades. You'll learn to pick things out of the notes and lectures that the professors think are more important than others and are more likely to test on. The easy thing for us to say is that you will find out soon enough. I know that sucks to hear, but just relax, as long as you take school serious you will generally be OK.

bjay27 · Jun 22, 2005

Does anyone currently living in Glendale recommend any good banks for checking/saving. I have Bank of America, but am kinda sick of all their fees.
Is there a bank close to the school?

Any idea how much of a lag financial takes after completing all the loan FAFSA crap?

sl12 · Jun 22, 2005

bjay27 said:
Does anyone currently living in Glendale recommend any good banks for checking/saving. I have Bank of America, but am kinda sick of all their fees.
Is there a bank close to the school?

Any idea how much of a lag financial takes after completing all the loan FAFSA crap?

They just built (or are still building) a BankOne/Chase just a block or two down the road from the school, and there's a Wells Fargo just across the freeway. I don't know about Wells Fargo and fees, but I bank with BankOne and as far as I know I don't pay any fees.

rahulazcom · Jun 22, 2005

bjay27 said:
Does anyone currently living in Glendale recommend any good banks for checking/saving. I have Bank of America, but am kinda sick of all their fees.
Is there a bank close to the school?

Any idea how much of a lag financial takes after completing all the loan FAFSA crap?

That's funny that you mention that. I'm with Bank of America as well and I got them to drop their maintenance fees on my accounts just recently. How long have you been with B of A? I would try getting them to drop those fees first before you switch. I didn't do this over the phone. I went to the bank and spoke to someone in person. I told them the same thing you did. I told them I was considering switching because of these stupid fees. (well I didn't say it like that but you get the idea)

But if you must switch, there is also a brand new Compass bank they finished building on the Southwest corner of 67th avenue and the 101 in the shopping area that contains AJ's grocery, Pei Wei and North restaraunts.

Inquiringmind24 · Jun 22, 2005

To current students,

How many of you enrolled in the MWU plan and how many looked elsewhere? Using www.ehealthinsurance.com I found a student plan offered by Fortis with a $500 deductible for around $1140 per year as compared to the almost $2200 a year school plan. Has anyone used the Fortis plan? If so did it provide comprable care to the MWU Chickering group plan?

fozzy40 · Jun 22, 2005

Hygeian · Jun 23, 2005

I am also looking into alternatives to the Chickering plan, and I have found the health insurance offered by AMSA appears to be pretty good. They offer two plans (Plan 1 and Plan 2) with $250 and $200 deductibles, respectively. Their quarterly premiums, if you're under 30, are $254 and $429; $388 and $686 if you are over thirty (I think these prices apply only if you are an AMSA member). Three out of four of these premium numbers beats $555! For more info. I think the website is StudentResources.com (click on 'AMSA' on the drop-down menu, or call (800) 231-2672 for more info. If I'm off base on anything or if anyone finds out more, please let me know.

Hope this helps.

By the way, this is my first ever post to SDN, and I'm liking it.

Tom Acton
Soon-to-be MSI

melmc · Jun 23, 2005

Inquiringmind24 said:
Does anyone have any suggestions for student insurance plans aside from the one the school offers? My current insurance expires at the end of this month and I want to make sure I can find a plan cheaper than the one Midwestern offers.

I was exactly in this spot a year ago, and I'll tell you what worked well for me:
Go ahead and research plans and making yourself a little list showing deductible/copay/premium/max payout, etc for each of the plans you find that look promising. Then, either call student services and ask them about the details of the school's coverage or wait till orientation when you get the little presentation so that you can compare your plans to the school's plan.

The key here is that the school will require you to have "comparable" coverage to what they are providing, or they will not accept your plan. There are a variety of reasons for this, all of which they will tell you at orientation, but mainly its important because many of the cheaper plans out there do not provide the depth of coverage that they consider to be adequate.

In the end, I ended up going with the school's coverage until my husband got a job with benefits/insurance that was even better than the school's and I switched at the end of the 2nd quarter.

Inquiringmind24 · Jun 23, 2005

Thanks for the info. I'll call student services today and see if some of these alternative plans are "comparable" to the school's. I just can't see paying $2200 per year for health insurance.

rkamp · Jun 24, 2005

For upcoming 1st years or anyone looking for furniture...I have a dresser, TV stand and kitchen table from IKEA that I'm trying to get rid of. PM if you're interested.

rkamp

Boomer · Jun 24, 2005

larke28 said:
So my med school friends have been telling me all along that the amount of info you're presented with is like trying to drink water from a fire hydrant. And then there are those who said they were practically failing until they "learned how to study." What does all of this mean exactly? Is there a different way I should be studying when it comes to med school? What are some of the changes the upperclassmen have made to help you focus/study better? And what are some of the things you wish you had known/done differently?

(can you sense the nervousness starting to kick in? )

Study the same way you did in undergrad. It worked to get you there, it will work to keep you there.

I tried to be anal compulsive and study every day, went to every class, study right after lecture--all the crap that anal people do. After the first round of tests, I had some of the worst grades I'd ever seen. My response? Back to the bar, the golf course. Screw going to class. Study when I wanted to. From that point on I did fine.

Summary: If you go to every class in undergrad, and you study 30 minutes every day right after lecture, etc.....keep that up. If you crammed all through undergrad, cram. Just remember cramming in med school will take longer....

hylacinerea · Jun 24, 2005

I've heard that the school will really be pushing everyone to sign on with the university's insurance plan at orientation (something about more people = cheaper premiums). Anyway I don't want to pay anywhere close to 550 per quarter for health insurance that I probably won't even use. Does anyone out there have SOMA, AMSA, or Bluecross/Blueshield? Are any of these plans good enough for MWU standards? What is the cheapest health care plan one can get by with that still passes muster with the school? Thanks for any info!

hylacinerea · Jun 25, 2005

anyone?

fozzy40 · Jun 27, 2005

the phil · Jun 27, 2005

I was planning on getting a new cell phone and considering a PDA-phone like a Palm Treo. Do any current students have one and would recommend me getting one for running medical software and staying organized? Also, what software would you recommend getting? Thanks.

jgrady · Jun 27, 2005

the phil said:
I was planning on getting a new cell phone and considering a PDA-phone like a Palm Treo. Do any current students have one and would recommend me getting one for running medical software and staying organized? Also, what software would you recommend getting? Thanks.

My wife is on her second Treo. I looked at getting one for myself but prefer the larger screens of the dedicated PDAs. Palms are great. I purchased a used Pocket PC on Ebay because I thought the wireless would be useful. Turned out to be a waste, and now Palm has the software graffiti freeing up the whole screen for medical software. So it's a toss up.

Btw, the newer Treos have high resolution screens (320 x 320) so if you decide to get one, go with the 610 or 650, not the 600s.

larke28 · Jun 28, 2005

was wondering what the difference is with the regular apt and the ones with the "dishwasher & added upgrades" --not sure what kind of upgrades they're talking about?

fozzy40 · Jun 28, 2005

Harrison's Internal Medicine 15th Edition
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-glance/Y03Y0588530Y4780167

Also, I have some other items for sale:

-sofa with futon
-breakfast table with stools
-large study desk
-2 folding chairs
-2 microwaves
-HP Deskjet 612C deskjet
-vacuum cleaner
-bed

Please PM me if you are interested in any of the items.

CaliDO · Jul 5, 2005

I was wondering if anyone has received the financial aid award letter yet. I thought it was suppossed to come in June and I thought I recalled someone earlier in the thread mentioning they received it already. Just curious because I haven't received mine yet and I'm starting to worry a bit. Thanks.

Inquiringmind24 · Jul 6, 2005

My award letter was sent to the MWU e-mail account last Thursday. I would assume that from now through the middle of the month, award letters should be sent to '09ers. Now that I have recieved the initial loan amounts, I am planning to take out a private loan to cover the rest. For those loans I am considering CitiAssist,Medloan, and THE loan. Does anyone who took out private loans recommend any of these lenders? They all seem pretty comparable from what I can tell.

bjay27 · Jul 6, 2005

CaliDO said:
I was wondering if anyone has received the financial aid award letter yet. I thought it was suppossed to come in June and I thought I recalled someone earlier in the thread mentioning they received it already. Just curious because I haven't received mine yet and I'm starting to worry a bit. Thanks.

Talked to Financial Aid yesterday (7/5/05) . Letters will be sent out to MWU e-mails these next 2 weeks.

jgrady · Jul 6, 2005

I also just received my award letter via e-mail this morning. And I'll be looking at private loans from T.H.E. whom I used last year. I can't compare them to anyone else, but I'm happy with T.H.E. (http://www.northstar.org/) so far.

bjay27 · Jul 6, 2005

Just posted a message on the MWU team forums. :idea:

We gotta have a party the wknd before orientation! I know a few will be moving in this wknd, but drop your stuff and hang out for a bit. Im thinking the evening of the 20th or 21st (Sat, Sun?) Thought it would be nice to meet outside of school, and possibly get to know people before we get zombitized.
HUGE FREAKIN PROBLEM!! WE NEED A HOUSE!! my little 1bdrm apt will hardly suffice. Any takers? As a backup, we could rent out Arrowhead or San Prado, maybe even the campus housing clubhouse but that costs $$. A house sounds like way more fun!
If peeps are interested or have any input RSVP to this!

Inquiringmind24 · Jul 6, 2005

I'll be arriving in Glendale either the night of the 20th or the morning of the 21st. So I vote for having the party on the Sunday night (21st). As far as a house to host the party goes.....I don't think the house I'm moving into will be big enough. But lets continue to ask around and hopefully we can find a good place. It should be a blast and I look forward to meeting everyone!

Inquiringmind24 · Jul 6, 2005

jgrady said:
I also just received my award letter via e-mail this morning. And I'll be looking at private loans from T.H.E. whom I used last year. I can't compare them to anyone else, but I'm happy with T.H.E. (http://www.northstar.org/) so far.

Those T.H.E loans look pretty good and it's cool they don't charge any fees. I'm just curious to know if repayment can start after residency. They seem to be the best private loans I've seen thus far.

jgrady · Jul 6, 2005

As a suggestion you might to ask Student Services about using the gazeebo on campus. It's got misters and a large B-que. The price has got to be cheap if not free. The downside is that the alcohol policy on campus is pretty strict and there's not a lot of things for kids to do if it's a family event.

CaliDO · Jul 8, 2005

I think we should have it on Sunday the 21st. I think most people are moving in on the 20th. And I don't know about everyone else, but I would like to settle in a little and plus I am having my family help me move out so that gives time for them to catch their plane home. Does it really cost money to do something in the on campus housing main room? That sucks. With all the money we give them, you would think it shouldn't cost any money. Does anyone know if the school sponsers any evening get-together during orientation? I remember my undergrad housing did. In any case, I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone. I can't believe it is almost August.
See you soon, Audrey

bjay27 · Jul 8, 2005

Ok the evening of the 21st it is. I dont think reserving anything through the school costs money, but Id have to check into it. I still think using the campus housing club house or the schools facility should be a last resort. The alcohol issue does arise if we are on campus. Hey, while were on the subject, how many kegs do you think we'll need? :laugh:

I still think we should find a house so the get together can stay a bit more laid back and people can be a bit more lenient in there arrivals.

OK, I know threes a bunch of peeps here with houses! I saw your posts for roommates! Man up (or Women up) and take one for the team! Its hard to get an idea of how many might show, but by the looks of it now Id say under 30 at best. If word gets out to the 08ers it could be much worse? (Thats right, the 08ers keep their noses high, but guess who comes knockin when theres a party?

joking!)

sl12 · Jul 9, 2005

CaliDO said:
Does anyone know if the school sponsers any evening get-together during orientation? I remember my undergrad housing did. In any case, I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone. I can't believe it is almost August.
See you soon, Audrey

Yes, the school does have a first year BBQ a day or two before your first day. I think ours was sunday evening, the night before orientation began. It'll be just for the first years, though, but it kind of sounds like that's how you want it

. During the first week or two, there will actually be more school BBQ's than you'll probably care to go to. Trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities to get together. I think we actually had a couple of different parties at students' houses during the first week or two. It seems like there's about three weeks or so until your first big anatomy test, then everybody starts to get a little more serious.

sl12 · Jul 9, 2005

By the way, just in case any of you didn't already know it your block schedules are posted on the registrar's page. You can get to it here http://mwunet.midwestern.edu/administrative/Registrar/regAZ.htm It kind of helps knowing what you can expect on a day to day basis.

fozzy40 · Jul 12, 2005

I'm going to be moving out of on-campus housing by this Saturday and I need to get rid of some stuff. The big items I have are:

-full size futon mattress with frame
-32" TV
-Queen Size mattress and springs

I also have small household items that you may need i.e. iron, ironing board...etc. If you are interested in any of these times please PM me.

fozzy40

Erica_Moyer · Jul 14, 2005

Let's do it for sure! We've gotta live it up a little before school starts, plus I can't wait to meet all of my classmates! I'm in, so keep me posted if you find somewhere. I'd offer my place but I'm living on campus

so that's probably a no go! Anyway, can't wait!

azcom2009 · Jul 18, 2005

For the students graduating in the AZCOM class of 2009, a Friendster profile has been set up for the class. A lot of medical school classes are doing this now. It's like an on-line yearbook of the class.

If you are a member of the class of 2009 and you want to join, you can sign up in one of three ways.

1. If you already have a friendster account, look up AZCOM and invite it as your friend.

2. If you don't have an account on friendster but would like to be on there, e-mail [email protected]. I will send an invitation to the e-maill address from which you write to me.

3. Go to www.friendster.com, register and then look up AZCOM in the search function. Invite AZCOM as your friend.

Burly B · Jul 20, 2005

Hi AZCOM 2009ers,
I am moving out of a house about 5 minutes from school next month 18th. That may be too late for many of you. It is a 3/2 house, 2 car garage, fenced yd (dirt). It worked well for my family at $820/month. PM me if you want the contact info. I have no gain in the deal. We are moving to a friend's house. Just thought if anyone is looking for a decent house, it is worth checking out. I was happy there.

Out,
B (Class of 2008)

robbaums · Jul 22, 2005

Hello all.
I've just recently been asked to become a member of the 2009 class, and have accepted the invite. So, is there anyone out there that is looking for a roommate? I have secured a one bedroom apt. at Sagestone already, but would like to have someone to split the bills with. I haven't signed a lease or sent any money in yet, so I am not locked in. They are just holding the apt. until tommorrow for me. Thanks, and I look forward to meeting all of you.

Erica_Moyer · Jul 28, 2005

does anyone know when we'll get a list of books for first year?

hylacinerea · Jul 28, 2005

Erica_Moyer said:
does anyone know when we'll get a list of books for first year?

Check your pm box.

Erica_Moyer · Jul 29, 2005

I'm sorry but I don't know what my pm box is?

hylacinerea said:
Check your pm box.

hylacinerea · Jul 29, 2005

Erica_Moyer said:
I'm sorry but I don't know what my pm box is?

Private Message box. It's on the upper right hand corner of this window. Or, you can access it through the "quick links" menu above. Good luck!

CaliDO · Jul 30, 2005

hylacinerea said:
Check your pm box.

Can you leave a list for all of us? I'm curious too. Or give the link. Thanks alot!!

thegringoman · Aug 1, 2005

'prolly a little late but i was wondering if anyone still needs a roomate. On campus housing just fell through for me

. email me at [email protected] before the 10th if so.

evolve · Aug 7, 2005

How much is everyone is taking out in private loans for MSI. I was talking with financial aid and they said that 99% of students at AZCOM take out the full $18,000...that's $18,000 above the $38,000 that we are taking out in federal loans. That seems a bit high...any thoughts?

Purple23 · Aug 8, 2005

I'm taking out almost the full amount : $40,000 in federal stafford and perkins loans, plus 15,000 in private loans. This amount does seem high, but if you go to the financial aid website https://online.midwestern.edu/ they list the amounts budgeted for living expenses. I hope we don't really need to spend 3,000 in books and supplies, but its what the school suggests.

thegringoman · Aug 9, 2005

I am taking 10,000 'cause I want to keep my lifetime maximum total educational debt under the limit of my private loan (250,000) and keep interest rates low. Also, car and medical insurance are already covered for me.

Ive been looking at the texts recommended on this forum and all the Books but the OMM can be bought on Amazon used for about 150 total, add 150 for the OMM and Physiology book and another 130 for a littman Cardio III stethoscope and it sounds like books and basic equips can be taken care of for less than $500.

If any upperclassman have any input into this it would be greatly appreciated

HPsiEPsi · Aug 14, 2005

Got accepted into AZCOM only a few weeks ago and it looks like on-campus housing is all gone. The closest off-campus housing are the San Lagos apartments. Only prob is they start at $800/mo which is expensive. Anybody still looking for a roommate?

melmc · Aug 14, 2005

HPsiEPsi said:
Got accepted into AZCOM only a few weeks ago and it looks like on-campus housing is all gone. The closest off-campus housing are the San Lagos apartments. Only prob is they start at $800/mo which is expensive. Anybody still looking for a roommate?

FYI:
Sage Stone apartments are right next door to San Lagos and a bit cheaper than San Lagos (~$800/mo minus discount and prorated leasing specials = ~$750 or so) with nearly the same exact amenities. They are still within walking distance and offer a Midwestern student discount.

If you want more info, feel free to PM me.

Inquiringmind24 · Aug 15, 2005

I'm just curious to see when the '09ers not currently in AZ will be arriving. Early on Sunday morning I should be arriving with my car and U-haul trailer full of stuff. It's hard to believe that classes start in just two weeks.....

CaliDO · Aug 15, 2005

I'm doing the big drive from San Diego this Friday with my moving truck, car, and family helpers. We're staying in a hotel that night so we can have a fresh start saturday morning to move in on campus...before it gets too hot.

i still can't believe it is this saturday. i still don't feel like i'm going to medical school yet. i guess i'm in denial. is anyone else feeling this way?

Inquiringmind24 · Aug 15, 2005

Absolutely!

Tonloc08 · Aug 15, 2005

Did anyone ever come up with a list of books we need? Of those books we're supposed to have, does anyone have any insight into which ones we really need?

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