ACOM or Touro NY-Middletown?

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hopefullyafutureDOstudent

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was wondering if people could weigh in ... i absolutely loved touro-middletown when i went for the interview, honestly better than ACOM, but i've been reading horror stories about clinical rotations and i know ACOM is strong in that department.

thoughts? thank you! :)

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Touro is an older school, but like you said they've been having a lot of trouble lately.

I'd probably go for ACOM. Just my .02.

Edit: Also depends on where you're looking to match and work.

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From chatting with TouroCOM-NY Middletown students and administration, I think this school is really different from Harlem (from what I have read about Harlem). For example, Middletown just added new rotation sites for their students at a big hospital in Syracuse. Rotations here are definitely improving year after year, which is good since you will looking for those in ~ 2 years. I cannot speak for the Harlem Campus.

Also agree with the above poster. Where would you like to do a residency?
 
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From chatting with TouroCOM-NY Middletown students and administration, I think this school is really different from Harlem (from what I have read about Harlem). For example, Middletown just added new rotation sites for their students at a big hospital in Syracuse. Rotations here are definitely improving year after year, which is good since you will looking for those in ~ 2 years. I cannot speak for the Harlem Campus.

Also agree with the above poster. Where would you like to do a residency?

Don't we share share rotation sites? Harlem and Middletown are technically one school.
 
Can't speak for ACOM, but the area around Touro is boring af
 
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ideally i'd like to do residency on the west coast/ in california, but I'm not going to complain if i get the specialty i want (EM) in another state

also i liked the touro area because its close enough to NYC to go visit and have fun, but far enough to not be distracted daily. i really felt out of place in alabama because of how rural it was :/

the main thing i noticed was how acom really emphasized their clinical sites (since they're strong) and how touro glossed over it without saying anything.. is that a bad sign? i keep reading about the forums saying a majority of touro middletown's rotations are in small doctors clinics and that people don't do well on the relevant tests cause of clinicals

both schools were amazing though, i loved the facilities and i also liked how acom students can live at summer field (2 min walk away) and middletown can live in the dorms upstairs
 
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i know touro is technically older and more established which is why i was leaning towards them, but alabama seems really promising especially after their match results that they released AND the accreditation they just released too and i know they're a super solid school but i can't tell in this case
 
the main thing i noticed was how acom really emphasized their clinical sites (since they're strong) and how touro glossed over it without saying anything.. is that a bad sign? i keep reading about the forums saying a majority of touro middletown's rotations are in small doctors clinics and that people don't do well on the relevant tests cause of clinicals

both schools were amazing though, i loved the facilities and i also liked how acom students can live at summer field (2 min walk away) and middletown can live in the dorms upstairs

Be careful what you read. I know the post you are talking about and that student/person/troll is very questionable at best with his facts. Talk to some Middletown students about this.
 
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Be careful what you read. I know the post you are talking about and that student/person/troll is very questionable at best with his facts. Talk to some Middletown students about this.
i feel like the students are bias too in their own way, because they want to make their school look the best that it can. like i've never really heard a student say "ugh i hate this about my school" or "this part about my school sucks"
 
also idk how expensive it is to live at touro but I'm sure its wayyyyy more than the $650/month at summer field which is really freaking cheap. and acom's tuition is less than touro's 50k too which is another plus
 
i feel like the students are bias too in their own way, because they want to make their school look the best that it can. like i've never really heard a student say "ugh i hate this about my school" or "this part about my school sucks"

You obviously haven't talked to 2nd years that aren't your guides. Especially if you interview in the spring when they start board studying. I find that 1st years are still so happy to be here so they are the most vocal, but if you talk to an OMS2 they have already had the veil lifted from their eyes and are jaded
 
also idk how expensive it is to live at touro but I'm sure its wayyyyy more than the $650/month at summer field which is really freaking cheap. and acom's tuition is less than touro's 50k too which is another plus

Of course, it's Alabama (rural) and not New York (urban). Choice is yours. Just giving my thoughts.
 
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Not much BBQ here just chain restaurants and tradition southern food

Yeah when at the interview someone asked where the best BBQ place in town was, the answer was Dickies.... I mean Dickies is good for a chain but if I'm in the south I want a place with styrofoam, tinfoil, and sauce that runs all over my face.
 
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Yeah when at the interview someone asked where the best BBQ place in town was, the answer was Dickies.... I mean Dickies is good for a chain but if I'm in the south I want a place with styrofoam, tinfoil, and sauce that runs all over my face.

Should have went to zacks resturant. It's a meat and 3 place guaranteed to clog your arteries
 
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Should have went to zacks resturant. It's a meat and 3 place guaranteed to clog your arteries
is that the dankest place in dothan?
 
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Look I'm just a hopeful future applicant, but I've spent a lot of time reading on here and it seems like most of the adcoms who frequent this site have a pretty high opinion of ACOM thus far. The facilities, the efforts to find good clinical rotation partners, it seems like ACOM isnt just trying to make money.

There's obviously been a lot of negative things on here about touro NY recently, from a few (or one) dejected students currently there. I just feel if it were me, I would be more comfortable with ACOM because they are not relying on their location to make their school attractive. They built top facilities, they got good faculty, they are gunning to be a respected med school in their own right in the fashion of more rural DO schools. With Touro NY, I feel like part of their shtick is that they are in NYC, and thus let their location do a lot fo the talkign for them. Me personally, I'd rather go to the school in the middle of nowehre that is trying to become a destination, rather than the other way around.

Not sure any of that makes sense, congrats on getting in. I'm sure wherever you go that if you handle your business you will get a residency you want and become a successful doc.


Also, cost of living. Go with the more affordable option, or at least I would. That debt stacks up
 
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Look I'm just a hopeful future applicant, but I've spent a lot of time reading on here and it seems like most of the adcoms who frequent this site have a pretty high opinion of ACOM thus far. The facilities, the efforts to find good clinical rotation partners, it seems like ACOM isnt just trying to make money.

There's obviously been a lot of negative things on here about touro NY recently, from a few (or one) dejected students currently there. I just feel if it were me, I would be more comfortable with ACOM because they are not relying on their location to make their school attractive. They built top facilities, they got good faculty, they are gunning to be a respected med school in their own right in the fashion of more rural DO schools. With Touro NY, I feel like part of their shtick is that they are in NYC, and thus let their location do a lot fo the talkign for them. Me personally, I'd rather go to the school in the middle of nowehre that is trying to become a destination, rather than the other way around.

Not sure any of that makes sense, congrats on getting in. I'm sure wherever you go that if you handle your business you will get a residency you want and become a successful doc.


Also, cost of living. Go with the more affordable option, or at least I would. That debt stacks up

honestly everything you said has been my thought process exactly and I completely agree. I was really impressed with ACOM's facilities, staff, clinical rotations, etc. but the area was kind of a shock for me since I'm from the west coast & used to the city. and the NYC part of touro was a big thing I liked about it but the whole clinical rotations thing is concerning. and everything about touro is pricier including tuition, cost of living, etc
 
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honestly everything you said has been my thought process exactly and I completely agree. I was really impressed with ACOM's facilities, staff, clinical rotations, etc. but the area was kind of a shock for me since I'm from the west coast & used to the city. and the NYC part of touro was a big thing I liked about it but the whole clinical rotations thing is concerning. and everything about touro is pricier including tuition, cost of living, etc

I'm from the east coast too, and I also would prefer to stay in a major city for med school, but I would still choose ACOM. The money is a huge and tangible factor in this when you consider how that debt will compound. I get the area isnt ideal, but how much time do you really think you're going to have free to do anything, regardless where you end up? Just my two cents. I'd go with the school that is cheaper and with better clinical rotations, which seems to be ACOM.

It's four years of your life. Who knows, maybe you will end up enjoying living down there is some capacity.

either way man good luck and congrats on whatever you decide.
 
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you're also in dothan for 2 years if you wish. About 1/3 of the class goes to mobile for rotations. Other cities include birmingham, Huntsville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Panama City. I would agree none of these are true "cities" outside of perhaps the Birmingham area but all are desirable locations. All of them besides Panama City and Pensacola have over 200k people with colleges. These cities have some pretty good stuff to do
 
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I'm from the east coast too, and I also would prefer to stay in a major city for med school, but I would still choose ACOM. The money is a huge and tangible factor in this when you consider how that debt will compound. I get the area isnt ideal, but how much time do you really think you're going to have free to do anything, regardless where you end up? Just my two cents. I'd go with the school that is cheaper and with better clinical rotations, which seems to be ACOM.

It's four years of your life. Who knows, maybe you will end up enjoying living down there is some capacity.

either way man good luck and congrats on whatever you decide.
you're definitely right about the whole big city thing, I guess it's good I wont be as distracted at acom since theres literally nothing to do there haha.
I think the only thing holding me back is the location and the fact that touro is more established/a bigger name since acom is so new but theyre doing well enough to the point where that doesn't matter right?
and thank you!! good luck with applying and everything :)
 
you're also in dothan for 2 years if you wish. About 1/3 of the class goes to mobile for rotations. Other cities include birmingham, Huntsville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Panama City. I would agree none of these are true "cities" outside of perhaps the Birmingham area but all are desirable locations. All of them besides Panama City and Pensacola have over 200k people with colleges. These cities have some pretty good stuff to do

that's very true, panama city beach looks amazinggggg. are you a current student?
also for clinical rotations how many people end up at each (except the 1/3 in mobile), that seems like it would be pretty isolating since everyone splits up so much and youre pretty much on your own right?
 
that's very true, panama city beach looks amazinggggg. are you a current student?
also for clinical rotations how many people end up at each (except the 1/3 in mobile), that seems like it would be pretty isolating since everyone splits up so much and youre pretty much on your own right?

Don't worry you will be ready to not see anyone anymore. Not that you'll dislike them but rather you spent night and day together for 2 years.

Depends on the core site. Anywhere from 4-12 people.
 
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Don't worry you will be ready to not see anyone anymore. Not that you'll dislike them but rather you spent night and day together for 2 years.

Depends on the core site. Anywhere from 4-12 people.
How good of a clinical site is Gulf Coast Hospital at PCB? What's the best clinical site?
 
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How good of a clinical site is Gulf Coast Hospital at PCB? What's the best clinical site?
I have only heard good things from the PCB area. The toughest part I heard of was finding a place to live. Homes are expensive to rent, so unless you room with other people Apartments will be your cheapest option.

As far as the best place to go, it really depends on what you are looking for, there really is no consensus on which site is best. Everyone has their own opinion.
 
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How good of a clinical site is Gulf Coast Hospital at PCB? What's the best clinical site?

PCB is a great site especially if you are interested in peds. They have a Peds ER and multiple subspecialty preceptors. You can't really says a "best clinical site" because it depends on your goals. AMEC works extremely hard for the sites to be great educational experiences. My best site isn't going to be another's because we aren't interested in the same things. Dothan has a very good surgery experience (they're also starting a gen surg residency within the next few years), PCB is great for peds, birmingham is great for FM since they have a FM residency at that hospital, mobile is great because the psych preceptor is on the board with USA psych residency. All sites will educate their students well, it just depends on the extras you want in order to consider which one is the best for you.
 
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PCB is a great site especially if you are interested in peds. They have a Peds ER and multiple subspecialty preceptors. You can't really says a "best clinical site" because it depends on your goals. AMEC works extremely hard for the sites to be great educational experiences. My best site isn't going to be another's because we aren't interested in the same things. Dothan has a very good surgery experience (they're also starting a gen surg residency within the next few years), PCB is great for peds, birmingham is great for FM since they have a FM residency at that hospital, mobile is great because the psych preceptor is on the board with USA psych residency. All sites will educate their students well, it just depends on the extras you want in order to consider which one is the best for you.
which site is best for students who are clueless about what they want to do
 
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which site is best for students who are clueless about what they want to do
you can go to a site that has one of the bigger hospitals. During the first semester of second year we have a day where all the core rotation sites come down and give a presentation, then you have a couple hours to go to the conference space and meet with core site directors and coordinators to ask them specific questions you have regarding the sites.
IF you were put in a smaller town, you won't be limited to what you have available at that site. If you are interested in a specialty that your core site doesn't have a preceptor in, you can go to another site for that month.
 
which site is best for students who are clueless about what they want to do

Any of them. You will not be hurt by any site, but there are just some that will have connections to help you look better for that specialty's residency. Obviously if you are interested in peds you'll benefit from a place with tons of peds specialties because you will see more, ability to join in on peds specific research, and more specialty specific preceptors = more potential connections.

you'll learn the skills from any of the sites.
 
I'm going to ACOM. Whoo! And if you're worried about the rural aspect of it, they have clinical rotations in Mobile, Birmingham, and Talahassee, which are all mid-sized cities. I thought the faculty was awesome and it overall was a great school. I'm not thrilled about going to Dothan, but it'll only be for two years and if it gives me a chance at a solid future, two years in peanut central will be worth it.
 
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I'm going to ACOM. Whoo! And if you're worried about the rural aspect of it, they have clinical rotations in Mobile, Birmingham, and Talahassee, which are all mid-sized cities. I thought the faculty was awesome and it overall was a great school. I'm not thrilled about going to Dothan, but it'll only be for two years and if it gives me a chance at a solid future, two years in peanut central will be worth it.

Peanut butter is cheap too...
 
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I'm going to ACOM. Whoo! And if you're worried about the rural aspect of it, they have clinical rotations in Mobile, Birmingham, and Talahassee, which are all mid-sized cities. I thought the faculty was awesome and it overall was a great school. I'm not thrilled about going to Dothan, but it'll only be for two years and if it gives me a chance at a solid future, two years in peanut central will be worth it.

You'll survive dothan. Everyone does. It's 2 years. People are crazy not going to a school just because it's in the middle of no where (60k population isn't rural) but in reality there are a few good drinking establishments and you'll be studying otherwise. Also some of the most beautiful beaches are 1.5 hours away. If someone says they can't make it 2 years they're just being cry babies
 
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are there good ER rotation sites? how about Pensacola is that a good site too? what are its strong points? thanks again for all the info I appreciate it a lot :)
 
also is it just me or did it seem like 90% of the class is married/has kids... are there not very many younger people?
 
also is it just me or did it seem like 90% of the class is married/has kids... are there not very many younger people?

No. Must've met the ones that were.

No one knows about Pensacola because it's brand new but they have educated FSU students so I'm assuming they are good.

Florence, Aniston, and dothan all have level 2 trauma centers with good numbers and case variety.
 
No. Must've met the ones that were.

No one knows about Pensacola because it's brand new but they have educated FSU students so I'm assuming they are good.

Florence, Aniston, and dothan all have level 2 trauma centers with good numbers and case variety.
is pcb's level 2 also or is it just those 3 ?
 
Idk. I wasn't interested in that site so I didn't look into it. I'm guessing it is since it also has a peds only ER
thanks :) also for budgeting purposes how much did you need? I got $75k in loans but I feel like it's too much $$, im living in summerfield for $650/month too
 
thanks :) also for budgeting purposes how much did you need? I got $75k in loans but I feel like it's too much $$, im living in summerfield for $650/month too
For me, I take everything and save up. If I save enough, I should be able to borrow less next year. You know, just in case something happen, you always have a saving rather than not
 
ACOM. Touro has a bad rep.

What reputation? The one on SDN from premeds and Goro? Their opinions don't matter. Picking a school from an anonymous forums opinion is a poor way to go about life.
 
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