Best DO school?

[roast]

haha DUDE CHILL. I was joking. I have no issues with your school. I would prefer to live in Philly over anywhere in the Peoples Republic of NJ...it really has little to do with my opinions of UNDMJ. I saw a neurologist when I had lyme disease at your school and he was a great doc. Does everyone at PCOM pass boards? No. Does everyone at UMDNJ pass boards? No. Who cares they are both excellent schools; and I am not going to engage in a pissing contest with you over which school is better.

does everyone at lecom bradenton pass boards? YES. 100 percent pass rate 3 years in a row

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[ShyRem]

The best school is the one you like best and that suits your style and needs at the time. Even people at a "crappy" school can and do score quite well on boards. It's all up to you.

 

[drctother]

The best school is the one you like best and that suits your style and needs at the time. Even people at a "crappy" school can and do score quite well on boards. It's all up to you.

well said. I wont start med school until this summer and I already know this. Schools vary slightly in education. What you put into it, as ShyRem said, is exactly what you get out of it. I dont imagine they will hold your hand and write your exams for you, no matter how "good" your school is

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

at the interview the chair of pre-clinical curriculum kept reminding us "you better stay on my good side because i'm THE ONE who decides if you get to take the boards."

Yeah.... I'm calling B.S.

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

The best school is the one you like best and that suits your style and needs at the time. Even people at a "crappy" school can and do score quite well on boards. It's all up to you.

I never thought that I would find myself disagreeing with a post by ShyRem, who is one of my favorite people on these boards, but I'm not sure that board scores tell the whole story. I'm pretty sure that I will do well on the boards, but I could probably have done just as well on the boards just studying on my own. I do feel that I could have been better prepared for my clinical years if I had had better H&P instruction, better anatomy, and a collegial atmosphere rather than a combative one. Perhaps it is my fault for choosing a new campus, for believing the admissions officers and their selected students, or for misunderstanding what accreditation implied. I can't take back my decision to attend my school, but I do hope that other prospective students do not make the same mistakes that I did. There can be HUGE differences in the education you can get at different osteopathic medical schools. Is it still possible to learn what you need to at a crappy school? Sure! For example, we never learned how to do a physical exam on a patient in school, but I have family who are physicians and I have learned from them over the holidays. When I go on rotations in June, I'll be ale to learn with everyone else instead of hanging back in fear. But there are people in my class who will be hanging back, who may never really feel comfortable with some parts of PE, etc. Those students might have been better served at a better school. Just an example, and maybe others disagree. I just want to put my words of caution out there - please don't be fooled by low price tags or blithe assurances by those paid to promote a school; not all schools are created equal.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, there might not be one best school, but the worst do exist.

 

[HockeyDr09]

I never thought that I would find myself disagreeing with a post by ShyRem, who is one of my favorite people on these boards, but I'm not sure that board scores tell the whole story. I'm pretty sure that I will do well on the boards, but I could probably have done just as well on the boards just studying on my own. I do feel that I could have been better prepared for my clinical years if I had had better H&P instruction, better anatomy, and a collegial atmosphere rather than a combative one. Perhaps it is my fault for choosing a new campus, for believing the admissions officers and their selected students, or for misunderstanding what accreditation implied. I can't take back my decision to attend my school, but I do hope that other prospective students do not make the same mistakes that I did. There can be HUGE differences in the education you can get at different osteopathic medical schools. Is it still possible to learn what you need to at a crappy school? Sure! For example, we never learned how to do a physical exam on a patient in school, but I have family who are physicians and I have learned from them over the holidays. When I go on rotations in June, I'll be ale to learn with everyone else instead of hanging back in fear. But there are people in my class who will be hanging back, who may never really feel comfortable with some parts of PE, etc. Those students might have been better served at a better school. Just an example, and maybe others disagree. I just want to put my words of caution out there - please don't be fooled by low price tags or blithe assurances by those paid to promote a school; not all schools are created equal.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, there might not be one best school, but the worst do exist.

This comment makes me nervous .

 

[med10333]

I never thought that I would find myself disagreeing with a post by ShyRem, who is one of my favorite people on these boards, but I'm not sure that board scores tell the whole story. I'm pretty sure that I will do well on the boards, but I could probably have done just as well on the boards just studying on my own. I do feel that I could have been better prepared for my clinical years if I had had better H&P instruction, better anatomy, and a collegial atmosphere rather than a combative one. Perhaps it is my fault for choosing a new campus, for believing the admissions officers and their selected students, or for misunderstanding what accreditation implied. I can't take back my decision to attend my school, but I do hope that other prospective students do not make the same mistakes that I did. There can be HUGE differences in the education you can get at different osteopathic medical schools. Is it still possible to learn what you need to at a crappy school? Sure! For example, we never learned how to do a physical exam on a patient in school, but I have family who are physicians and I have learned from them over the holidays. When I go on rotations in June, I'll be ale to learn with everyone else instead of hanging back in fear. But there are people in my class who will be hanging back, who may never really feel comfortable with some parts of PE, etc. Those students might have been better served at a better school. Just an example, and maybe others disagree. I just want to put my words of caution out there - please don't be fooled by low price tags or blithe assurances by those paid to promote a school; not all schools are created equal.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, there might not be one best school, but the worst do exist.

Which would you say are the worst? Where did you go?

 

[MCAT guy]

I go to LECOM-Bradenton. We had a 100% pass rate on Step 1 COMLEX two years in a row,only have class 2 hours a day, and are located 25 min from one of the best beaches in the country.

Take what you will from that, but it was enough to get me to go there.

lolz!

So your whole class passes the board exam you're supposed to pass and has an easy schedule with good recreation?

Not exactly what I would put as criteria for an excellent school.

 

[SFO-IST]

does everyone at lecom bradenton pass boards? YES. 100 percent pass rate 3 years in a row

I think it's important to note here that NOT everyone passes the boards at LECOM-Bradenton. Everyone who passes their CLASSES passes the board. Since setting the bar to pass classes artificially high would result in those who are less likely to pass the boards not even qualifying to take the boards (and getting kicked out of school with a mountain of debt), a better measure than pass rate would be to measure the pass rate of all matriculated students.

 

[cliquesh]

For example, we never learned how to do a physical exam on a patient in school, but I have family who are physicians and I have learned from them over the holidays.

WTF. That is horrible. What school do you go to?

 

[ShyRem]

I would say that unfortunately the school you chose was not the best one for you. I would have been fine at such a school, having had significant clinical experience prior to medical school. My school did very well at teaching clinical exams, H&Ps, presenting a patient, but were terribly terribly lacking in things like biochemistry, cellular pathophysiology, etc.

Of course an ideal school would have the best of both worlds. I think such schools are rare gems indeed. Most schools are stronger in one or the other component. I do absolutely agree it is easy to be swayed by a smooth-talking administrator, pretty facilities, etc. The difficulty, of course, is choosing the school that best suits your needs without being unduly influenced by other factors such as cost, "newness", etc.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

This comment makes me nervous .

I think you're alright, even though the MDapps say LECOM-Erie I'm pretty sure that Dux is at LECOM-Seton Hill

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

I think it's important to note here that NOT everyone passes the boards at LECOM-Bradenton. Everyone who passes their CLASSES passes the board. Since setting the bar to pass classes artificially high would result in those who are less likely to pass the boards not even qualifying to take the boards (and getting kicked out of school with a mountain of debt), a better measure than pass rate would be to measure the pass rate of all matriculated students.

It is about the same for other DO schools, I've asked this question of the student ambassadors to nearly every interview I went, it has floated between 6-9%.

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

I think you're alright, even though the MDapps say LECOM-Erie I'm pretty sure that Dux is at LECOM-Seton Hill

Ha ha don't worry HockeyDr! I've heard that the H&P course in Erie is pretty good, plus SOMA has practice sessions with student volunteer "standardized patients". You'll be in good shape there - and Shy Rem is right that you can turn any bad situation into a good education. I wasn't naming my school because I don't know that my school is the only one with severe deficiencies that you don't find out about until you get there. And my school has good things too. For price and location and PBL, my school did seem like a good fit for me. If I had known about the other things, I would have gone somewhere else, even at twice the price. I don't mean to make it sound like my school is the worst ever, because I have only attended my school and I don't know about others. I'm sure that other schools have problems too. I just hope that everyone finds out as much as they can about the schools they are applying to, and assumes as little as possible.

 

[SFO-IST]

Ha ha don't worry HockeyDr! I've heard that the H&P course in Erie is pretty good, plus SOMA has practice sessions with student volunteer "standardized patients". You'll be in good shape there - and Shy Rem is right that you can turn any bad situation into a good education. I wasn't naming my school because I don't know that my school is the only one with severe deficiencies that you don't find out about until you get there. And my school has good things too. For price and location and PBL, my school did seem like a good fit for me. If I had known about the other things, I would have gone somewhere else, even at twice the price. I don't mean to make it sound like my school is the worst ever, because I have only attended my school and I don't know about others. I'm sure that other schools have problems too. I just hope that everyone finds out as much as they can about the schools they are applying to, and assumes as little as possible.

I think this is a very good post. any views about a school must be taken with a grain of salt because an objective comparison from school to school is difficult when we can only attend one school!

at the same time, I think that voicing room for improvement on threads like this is a force for change that will put pressure on the administration of all DO schools to adjust their curriculum for the benefit of their students.



It's a shame that the AOA doesn't force schools to divulge more statistics. knowing fail rates, pass rates, even board averages for schools will only help motivate schools to improve....

 

[zac16125]

lolz!

So your whole class passes the board exam you're supposed to pass and has an easy schedule with good recreation?

Not exactly what I would put as criteria for an excellent school.

Its certainly not easy, but the schedule allows you to do things your own way, which was important for me. If I had to sit in lectures 8 hours a day I would have been miserable, and why be miserable when you can be happy?

I think it's important to note here that NOT everyone passes the boards at LECOM-Bradenton. Everyone who passes their CLASSES passes the board. Since setting the bar to pass classes artificially high would result in those who are less likely to pass the boards not even qualifying to take the boards (and getting kicked out of school with a mountain of debt), a better measure than pass rate would be to measure the pass rate of all matriculated students.

You are grossly misinformed. Yes if you don't pass your classes you can't take boards, but obviously thats true everywhere. You are completely wrong with your statement about LECOM kicking people out with a mountain of debt. If a student fails a class there are multiple chances to remediate and the school helps you in that remediation. I don't know a single person who was "kicked out". I do know a few who left on their own volition, for a number of reasons (not wanting to remediate, not thinking they could handle the work, or just deciding med school wasn't for them even before they took their first anatomy test). Also, as I said above, I don't personally know a single person who wasn't allowed to take the boards this year. Some were required to take extra board prep, which they did through the school, and then passed on the first try (and before rotations started). Just wanted to get that out there so people aren't as misinformed as you.

 

[SFO-IST]

Its certainly not easy, but the schedule allows you to do things your own way, which was important for me. If I had to sit in lectures 8 hours a day I would have been miserable, and why be miserable when you can be happy?



You are grossly misinformed. Yes if you don't pass your classes you can't take boards, but obviously thats true everywhere. You are completely wrong with your statement about LECOM kicking people out with a mountain of debt. If a student fails a class there are multiple chances to remediate and the school helps you in that remediation. I don't know a single person who was "kicked out". I do know a few who left on their own volition, for a number of reasons (not wanting to remediate, not thinking they could handle the work, or just deciding med school wasn't for them even before they took their first anatomy test). Also, as I said above, I don't personally know a single person who wasn't allowed to take the boards this year. Some were required to take extra board prep, which they did through the school, and then passed on the first try (and before rotations started). Just wanted to get that out there so people aren't as misinformed as you.

I don't mean to misrepresent what the stats at LECOM-Bradenton are; these numbers were given to us by the dean on interview day. He said that they keep the classes tough, that they have no qualms about cutting you loose if you can't hack the workload, and that about 9-10% of the class doesn't make it. Perhaps the dean neglected to mention that despite talking about not hacking the workload and 10% not making it in the same breath, that all those who don't make it voluntarily left as you are implying.

I'm not out on a mission to badmouth LECOM; the numbers (attrition and board pass rate) just seemed high to me on interview day. This got me thinking that all schools should disclose attrition rate as well as board rate to be a more meaningful measure of student success. While I used LECOM as the example based on my own experience, most schools probably don't disclose a number like attrition rate. I'm trying to make the point that not counting attrition when quoting board pass rates is a bad thing overall for medical schools. I'm not saying it's something unique to LECOM - a school which produces outstanding physicians.

 

[willen101383]

I don't mean to misrepresent what the stats at LECOM-Bradenton are; these numbers were given to us by the dean on interview day. He said that they keep the classes tough, that they have no qualms about cutting you loose if you can't hack the workload, and that about 9-10% of the class doesn't make it. Perhaps the dean neglected to mention that despite talking about not hacking the workload and 10% not making it in the same breath, that all those who don't make it voluntarily left as you are implying.

I'm not out on a mission to badmouth LECOM; the numbers (attrition and board pass rate) just seemed high to me on interview day. This got me thinking that all schools should disclose attrition rate as well as board rate to be a more meaningful measure of student success. While I used LECOM as the example based on my own experience, most schools probably don't disclose a number like attrition rate. I'm trying to make the point that not counting attrition when quoting board pass rates is a bad thing overall for medical schools. I'm not saying it's something unique to LECOM - a school which produces outstanding physicians.

I wouldnt worry about it. I think he has a bit of superiority complex when it comes to LECOM considering he jumped on me for no reason as well. Zac...chill man we are in it together....esp us PA med students.

 

[Bacchus]

I wouldnt worry about it. I think he has a bit of superiority complex when it comes to LECOM considering he jumped on me for no reason as well. Zac...chill man we are in it together....esp us PA med students.

Exactly, especially if we can't practice in the damn state.

 

[TXKnight]

even though ccom is older, azcom has a good reputation as well. The above posters are all correct. While personal fit is important, it's also a good thing to look at previous match histories. Here's a random comparison of azcom's 2010 match results with that of a well-known md school (northwestern's feinberg school of medicine):

Azcom:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=u...d=116169576940585216338.00047cc35353e511098cf

northwestern:

http://www.feinberg.northwestern.ed...esidency/residency_match/allmatchresults.html

what you'll find is that just like in the do school, there are many people going into fm and im over in northwestern. Try to see if students from these schools went into similar fields. Then try to see how many students went into these fields and what residency programs they actually got into. The kicker will be found in the success students have had going into the more sought after/competitive fields. For example, derm. Two people from northwestern got into derm, one went to ri the other went to yale in ct. Two people from azcom also got into derm, one went to henry ford in mi and the other went to mayo in mn. Two individuals went into rad onc from northwestern. They matched into programs at northwestern and stayed there (and why? Possibly because of family reasons, fell in love with the program there, couldn't get into anywhere else - who can really say for sure?). One individual went into rad onc at azcom. That person is now at baylor. Anesthesiology is also sought after. 8 people went on to graduate into anesthesiology residencies from northwestern. Good for them! only 5 got in from azcom and they all went to allopathic residencies (btw, that was sarcasm for you all). Pathology... To each his own, i guess. But yes, one from northwestern at the university of chicago. One from azcom at baylor.

I looked and there weren't any neurosurg people from azcom while two had managed to get in from northwestern. There were 9 people who went into general surgery from northwestern. 8 went into it from azcom. 10 people went into radiology from northwestern and only 2 went in from azcom. Keep in mind that azcom doubled it's class size, so it's possible to see these numbers increase but it at least defeats the notion that dos can't compete for positions in these fields. I didn't compare emergency medicine because it almost seems like em is pretty receptive to dos and mds alike. Also, i did a quick search on saem.org to see what em residencies around the country are like. Surprisingly, for a handful of allopathic em residencies, the program directors running the show are dos.

+1

 

[ShyRem]

Be careful looking at match lists. They are only a good tool if you know what people originally try to match into. If no one WANTS derm, then no one APPLIES for derm, and then... NO ONE GETS INTO DERM.

A better point would be if you could ever answer the question "what percentage of the class gets their #1 choice of residency?" Unfortunately, administrations will lie about that statistic and without actually seeing the match lists you have no way of knowing the true answer.

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

Be careful looking at match lists. They are only a good tool if you know what people originally try to match into. If no one WANTS derm, then no one APPLIES for derm, and then... NO ONE GETS INTO DERM.

A better point would be if you could ever answer the question "what percentage of the class gets their #1 choice of residency?" Unfortunately, administrations will lie about that statistic and without actually seeing the match lists you have no way of knowing the true answer.

Yeah, I'll agree that posting up a match list isn't as helpful in the defense of a school or a batch of students since we have no way of knowing what these individuals originally wanted to go into. I guess my post was probably better suited in a "What kind of specialties are DOs allowed to go into" blah blah blah threads created by very uninformed OPs/trolls. I was tiring of everyone citing ridiculous statistics like almost half of DO grads go into FM and IM simply because that was all that was available to them. Maybe they wanted to go into those fields? But like you said, a match list won't give us that information. My post was more to show that there are individuals in both types of schools that go after extremely competitive fields and it's an exceptional few that get in, whether they are MD or DO. The few that do; however, get in from MD schools - the number of individuals didn't far exceed the number of DO grads that got into the same specialties. I didn't compare quality of residencies that they matched into as that would have taken forever to look up and what the hell do I really know about that at this point, anyway? All I can do is look at the stats and after doing so, I feel safe in saying DOs have a very good chance of getting into whatever they wish in numbers that resemble MD grads going into those same fields from very fine institutions like Feinberg.

 

[cliquesh]

Azcom has like 250 students per class, whereas NorthWestern has 170.

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

Azcom has like 250 students per class, whereas NorthWestern has 170.

Right, now it does. However, the class of 2010 did not.

 

[cliquesh]

Right, now it does. However, the class of 2010 did not.

You are right. There were 137 in the class of 2010 at AZCOM. I'm dumb.

 

[wiscRD]

I never thought that I would find myself disagreeing with a post by ShyRem, who is one of my favorite people on these boards, but I'm not sure that board scores tell the whole story. I'm pretty sure that I will do well on the boards, but I could probably have done just as well on the boards just studying on my own. I do feel that I could have been better prepared for my clinical years if I had had better H&P instruction, better anatomy, and a collegial atmosphere rather than a combative one. Perhaps it is my fault for choosing a new campus, for believing the admissions officers and their selected students, or for misunderstanding what accreditation implied. I can't take back my decision to attend my school, but I do hope that other prospective students do not make the same mistakes that I did. There can be HUGE differences in the education you can get at different osteopathic medical schools. Is it still possible to learn what you need to at a crappy school? Sure! For example, we never learned how to do a physical exam on a patient in school, but I have family who are physicians and I have learned from them over the holidays. When I go on rotations in June, I'll be ale to learn with everyone else instead of hanging back in fear. But there are people in my class who will be hanging back, who may never really feel comfortable with some parts of PE, etc. Those students might have been better served at a better school. Just an example, and maybe others disagree. I just want to put my words of caution out there - please don't be fooled by low price tags or blithe assurances by those paid to promote a school; not all schools are created equal.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, there might not be one best school, but the worst do exist.

At the interview they said that students do tons of PEs on each other before going into clinicals - is that just at Erie? I have read that SH is making many changes each year to improve the campus - would you agree? Are there talks about increasing the the PE practice? I hope you and the other frustrated students voiced your opinions so they know they need to make changes.

I just got into SH but haven't paid the deposit yet - I really want to get some current student opinions first. If you have some time, feel free to PM me with any additional insight on the school that you may have

 

[cliquesh]

Which schools have actually standardized patients? Like trained actors (not students) come in with a chief complaint. I thought every school was like this, but I guess that is incorrect?

I guess when you interview, it would be good to find out:
1) if the school uses standardized patients
2) how the school teaches you to write a note
3) how the school prepares you to present a case, like in a grand round setting

Those are random things I never thought about when applying.

 

[ShyRem]

UNE.
1. yes
2. yes
3. yes

And UNE has pseudo-level 2 PE exams during first and second year to prepare you for that particular board exam.

 

[scpod]

We had the same at Lecom-Bradenton. Actually, I got a little tired of all the times we were tested on physical exams. We started the first semester with practice histories. We were videotaped and graded on the encounters and write-ups. Then, we started learning physical exams and had weekly labs where we practiced on each other at first. Then, we had standardized patients and were graded on exams. We were tested at the beginning and end of each semester. We had to come back to school at the end of third year and have a practice PE. We did it over and over and over and over until I was nearly sick of it.

But, it was very helpful in the end because we were a lot better prepared than some other students who are just beginning clinicals.

 

[TeamZissou]

Which schools have actually standardized patients? Like trained actors (not students) come in with a chief complaint. I thought every school was like this, but I guess that is incorrect?

I guess when you interview, it would be good to find out:
1) if the school uses standardized patients
2) how the school teaches you to write a note
3) how the school prepares you to present a case, like in a grand round setting

Those are random things I never thought about when applying.

Each school will have it structured differently. CCOM has standardized patients during the first two years as well. However more of our SOAP note writing instruction has been gaged in a different course with a less hands on type of instruction. Does this mean we don't learn the SOAP note as well as others? Does it mean we learn it better than others?

There is no difference between the two. Bottom line is it is still up to YOU the individual to learn the SOAP note whether it be in a lecture based class or on clinical rotations it better happen sometime.

 

[TeamZissou]

For what it's worth if I were choosing an osteopathic school as a pre-med right now I would scrutinize the:

Rotations

Technological ability of the school- to deliver resources to you (ie video lectures), as well as the

Political climate at the school- (How long have the professors been in their said positions? Is there stability within the administration of the school?)

Ironically to the best of my current knowledge these things are what med students should be looking for in residencies, who woulda thought

 

[Longshanks]

For what it's worth if I were choosing an osteopathic school as a pre-med right now I would scrutinize the:

Rotations

Technological ability of the school- to deliver resources to you (ie video lectures), as well as the

Political climate at the school- (How long have the professors been in their said positions? Is there stability within the administration of the school?)

Ironically to the best of my current knowledge these things are what med students should be looking for in residencies, who woulda thought

I agree with this whole heartedly and it makes perfect sense. We're training to be physicians so one should look for a school which will give them the best clinical experience to learn and also prepare them for residency. Curriculum for the most part is standardized and from interviews and my own investigation, it appears the difference is mainly in personal learning style and what works best for the individual as a student, rather than quality per se, but knowing there is stable faculty who are active is important.

 

[zac16125]

I wouldnt worry about it. I think he has a bit of superiority complex when it comes to LECOM considering he jumped on me for no reason as well. Zac...chill man we are in it together....esp us PA med students.

I certainly don't have a superiority complex, or I wouldn't be at LECOM. I think LECOM bradenton has a bad name on here and wanted to clarify things, because I think it has been a really good option for me. It prepares you very well for step 1 boards, and the class schedule allows you to be somewhat flexible in your lifestyle. I just wanted to give my perspective, as a 3rd year student, and to clarify a number of misconceptions that I saw.

 

[goobears]

For what it's worth if I were choosing an osteopathic school as a pre-med right now I would scrutinize the:

Rotations

Technological ability of the school- to deliver resources to you (ie video lectures), as well as the

Political climate at the school- (How long have the professors been in their said positions? Is there stability within the administration of the school?)

Ironically to the best of my current knowledge these things are what med students should be looking for in residencies, who woulda thought

How would you evaluate CCOM in terms of technological ability and political climate? I guess, more specifically, are there video lectures and professors who've been there/teaching for a while?

Sorry if you've made this information clear somewhere else already. Thanks!

 

[TeamZissou]

How would you evaluate CCOM in terms of technological ability and political climate? I guess, more specifically, are there video lectures and professors who've been there/teaching for a while?

Sorry if you've made this information clear somewhere else already. Thanks!

Sorry for the delayed response, I didn't check the forums much over the holidays.

Technological ability- they are able but unwilling. Now don't quote me on this because maybe I don't know the whole picture but basically the administration is not willing to throw more money at copyrights to be able to allow our professors to use and provide us with the resources we would ideally use. We don't have any video lectures, not because they don't have the equipment but more so because it is something that has been passed from the top down.

Political Climate- the school is extremely stable and many of the faculty have been there for a long time ie ~10 yrs. With this noted the school seems to have a very closed minded mentality to suggestions placed by our student government representatives. It's not that they won't listen to us but they are unwilling to dish out the money to provide what we want. Medical education is a business and until future pre-meds start demanding these kind of resources why would the school pay out more money to make them available.

Now having said this let me say it is NOT the professors or department heads fault. They truly care about us students and would do ANYTHING in their power to help us, but their hands are tied.

Over all out of the options I had I would pick CCOM again due to the rotations and the people who make up the administration at the school. I just disagree with some of the decisions that come down from the top.

 

[rtm903]

a

Sorry for the delayed response, I didn't check the forums much over the holidays.

Technological ability- they are able but unwilling. Now don't quote me on this because maybe I don't know the whole picture but basically the administration is not willing to throw more money at copyrights to be able to allow our professors to use and provide us with the resources we would ideally use. We don't have any video lectures, not because they don't have the equipment but more so because it is something that has been passed from the top down.

Political Climate- the school is extremely stable and many of the faculty have been there for a long time ie ~10 yrs. With this noted the school seems to have a very closed minded mentality to suggestions placed by our student government representatives. It's not that they won't listen to us but they are unwilling to dish out the money to provide what we want. Medical education is a business and until future pre-meds start demanding these kind of resources why would the school pay out more money to make them available.

Now having said this let me say it is NOT the professors or department heads fault. They truly care about us students and would do ANYTHING in their power to help us, but their hands are tied.

Over all out of the options I had I would pick CCOM again due to the rotations and the people who make up the administration at the school. I just disagree with some of the decisions that come down from the top.

 

[TeamZissou]

a

Ok?

Edit- When I said the administration was "unwilling" what I meant is the powers that be. Not necessarily the faculty working day to day at the school. There is a difference between the CCOM admin and the MWU admin. An important distinction I should have made.

 

[peweee17]

**Just to preface I have not thoroughly read this thread and will do so tonight when I have some time**

What is you guys (& girls) opinion on the ranking of NYCOM Vs LECOM-Erie?

 

[OwlsGK30]

I hear a lot of people talk about PCOM in philly being one of the best osteopathic schools. Does anyone have any input as to how PCOM compares to GA-PCOM?

 

[TeamZissou]

I hear a lot of people talk about PCOM in philly being one of the best osteopathic schools. Does anyone have any input as to how PCOM compares to GA-PCOM?

If it's like the two Midwestern schools they will probably share resources so the difference will be mainly in the rotation sites during 3rd year.

Texastriathelete goes to GA-PCOM

 

[Longshanks]

**Just to preface I have not thoroughly read this thread and will do so tonight when I have some time**

What is you guys (& girls) opinion on the ranking of NYCOM Vs LECOM-Erie?

The curriculum isn't so different, unless you really love PBL, since I like how LECOM's PBL exams sounded compared to NYCOM's DPC exams. Lecture will be lecture. NYCOM has streaming for lectures, LECOM has attendance and a professional dress code.

I prefer NYCOM's rotation sites by far. I don't think you can go wrong with Northshore/LIJ, Nassau University, Brookdale, St. Barnabas, Maimonides, etc. (though they do share two upstate sites in Buffalo and Binghamton with LECOM). Also NYCOMEC trains the most osteopathic residents, and has the greatest diversity of specialties for AOA GME training, so you will already have some "homefield" in that regard. NYCOM has many alumni in the greater metropolitan area, making it a stronger brand for networking opportunities if you wish to stay in this area. I think its more of a personal choice, as it gets to the point of splitting hairs sometimes with the DO schools, but I got the impression NYCOM was more supportive than LECOM when it came to your 3rd & 4th year and also had better core sites. However, LECOM is significantly less expensive.

Again, its mainly personal preference, as others may disagree but at least for me, NYCOM, PCOM, and CCOM would be my at the top of my list if I were ranking DO schools, and I'd throw KCOM and Western there too but I wouldn't go to KCOM or Western for my own personal reasons (I prefer urban areas or the northeast).

 

[peweee17]

The curriculum isn't so different, unless you really love PBL, since I like how LECOM's PBL exams sounded compared to NYCOM's DPC exams. Lecture will be lecture. NYCOM has streaming for lectures, LECOM has attendance and a professional dress code.

I prefer NYCOM's rotation sites by far. I don't think you can go wrong with Northshore/LIJ, Nassau University, Brookdale, St. Barnabas, Maimonides, etc. (though they do share two upstate sites in Buffalo and Binghamton with LECOM). Also NYCOMEC trains the most osteopathic residents, and has the greatest diversity of specialties for AOA GME training, so you will already have some "homefield" in that regard. NYCOM has many alumni in the greater metropolitan area, making it a stronger brand for networking opportunities if you wish to stay in this area. I think its more of a personal choice, as it gets to the point of splitting hairs sometimes with the DO schools, but I got the impression NYCOM was more supportive than LECOM when it came to your 3rd & 4th year and also had better core sites. However, LECOM is significantly less expensive.

Again, its mainly personal preference, as others may disagree but at least for me, NYCOM, PCOM, and CCOM would be my at the top of my list if I were ranking DO schools, and I'd throw KCOM and Western there too but I wouldn't go to KCOM or Western for my own personal reasons (I prefer urban areas or the northeast).

I agree with you totally about it being a personal choice. I may be jumping the gun because I actually haven't been offered an acceptance to NYCOM yet, but felt I did pretty well at the interview. I love both NYCOM and LECOM..but I am leaning towards NYCOM. I'm trying to figure out how rotations work both schools in an effort to make a better decision. The price tag is playing a semi-big factor..but not a deal breaker.

 

[Longshanks]

I agree with you totally about it being a personal choice. I may be jumping the gun because I actually haven't been offered an acceptance to NYCOM yet, but felt I did pretty well at the interview. I love both NYCOM and LECOM..but I am leaning towards NYCOM. I'm trying to figure out how rotations work both schools in an effort to make a better decision. The price tag is playing a semi-big factor..but not a deal breaker.

I was accepted to both. My NYCOM interview was a nightmare. However, it has all the things I was looking for in a school and very similar to a place I ranked higher on my list (which I'm waiting to hear back from), so I will be putting my deposit down next week unless a significant change in plans occur between now and then.

 

[peweee17]

I was accepted to both. My NYCOM interview was a nightmare. However, it has all the things I was looking for in a school and very similar to a place I ranked higher on my list (which I'm waiting to hear back from), so I will be putting my deposit down next week unless a significant change in plans occur between now and then.

Once again, thanks for you insight and I wish you luck on the school you are waiting for. Maybe I'll see you next you or maybe not.