Kcom 2007!!

[medneuro]

Hello all!
I've decided that we need to get this class chat thing going again because I?m feeling sad that our previous get-to-know-you thread just sort of died out.
Has everyone checked out the Stillnet page?
What is everyone doing about housing? I?m stressing out a little because I haven?t been paying much attention to all of that since I was planning to defer a year (to go teach in China) but the ?committee? won?t let me! What?s that all about?
All well, everything happens for a reason right?
So, who?s coming to KCOM? I?m Erin, I wrote a little about myself of the Stillnet page?

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[bones]

Originally posted by medneuro
Hello all!
I've decided that we need to get this class chat thing going again because I?m feeling sad that our previous get-to-know-you thread just sort of died out.
Has everyone checked out the Stillnet page?
What is everyone doing about housing? I?m stressing out a little because I haven?t been paying much attention to all of that since I was planning to defer a year (to go teach in China) but the ?committee? won?t let me! What?s that all about?
All well, everything happens for a reason right?
So, who?s coming to KCOM? I?m Erin, I wrote a little about myself of the Stillnet page?

hey there, I'm class of 2005- and they denied my defer request as well back when I applied. guess they want to be sure to fill their class with their first choice folk rather than recruit more. They probably only grant deferrals for emergencies and the like(?). dunno.

anyhow, congrats on getting in. I'll see you during your second year as one of your OMM fellows. mwahaha

bones

 

[BiochemMan]

Hey there!!! I have been accepted into the class of 2007 at KCOM as well!!!

Over the past few years, I thought that once I was accepted somewhere, things would be easier. But, lately, it has been very stressful. I am still not 100% sure where I will be going, but I think it will be KCOM. My problem is that where I am from, all of the DO's are grads from another DO program, and I really don't know much about KCOM graduates. (FYI, I have been accepted to another program along with KCOM).

If you, Bones or anyone else, can offer advice/information on the quality of education (how you feel about it, length of the school year, amount/depth of material covered), how KCOM compares to other DO schools in residencies/rotations, what made you decide to attend/apply to KCOM, some insight into the rotations, and etc. I would greatly appreciate it. I am 99% sure KCOM is where I will be going, but I just want some reassurance that I am making the right decision.


Thanks!!!

 

[dctrben]

BioChemMan,

KCOM is considered by many to be the 'Harvard' of DO schools. The reputation that the school has for turning out quality physicians is a proud tradition that the current faculty and staff are determined to uphold. When I (or my family and friends) have told others I am a student here, the responses (while varied) were unanamously positive. This is from both DOs and MDs. The school has such a reputation because it only accepts high quality applicants.

Now, a lot of what people present are very subjective opinions and biases (I love this school, so naturally I am biased), but one thing to remember is the national system for evaluating the quality of training received during your medical education, namely the COMLEX. No other school has a higher first time pass rate on COMLEX I than KCOM. Bear in mind that all DO schools have seen a drop in their COMLEX I 1st time pass rates over the past few years (KCOM included). Most schools saw drops of about 4-5%, some saw drops in the double digits, KCOM's dropped less than 1%.

The curriculum is very in depth and long. I would be surprised if any other school spends as much time with their butts in the classroom seats as we do, but the dividends are worth it. The faculty and staff are excellent at what they do and I have yet to run into a KCOM student/graduate that did not feel well prepared in the basic sciences before heading out to their rotations.

The rotations, vary from mainly hospital-based to mainly preceptor-based. To learn about their rotations sites go to kcom.edu. I used to know where a residency list was, but have since forgotten. I do know that many of our graduates have gotten into programs like: the Mayo Clinic, Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins(I think), UCLA and others of that calibre.

I decided to come to KCOM because it felt comfortable for my wife and me. We both like small towns, so it was a great choice. However, if I had not been impressed with my interviewers, the stats presented at the interview and the students, there is no way I would have come. I am only in my third quarter, but it is great to hear things in the news or on tv that are medically related and know exactly what they are talking about.

Ultimately, of course the choice is yours. Choose which ever place you feel would best fit your goals about what you want out of your medical school education.

Ben

 

[aallaei]

do you know anyone that has that residency list?
the school didn't send it to me

thanx

 

[ramsestiger]

Hey guys and gals, this is Amit who started the profile thread at Stillnet. I think a reason why KCOM 2007 doesn't have a strong showing here is that we already have our own forum.

As some community service for the people that are interested, I'll post the information I got for the 2002 Postgraduate Positions on interview day. Overall, it's 54 already focused on a specialization, 23 that will likely specialize after the 1 year of a rotating internship, 33 family practice, 24 internal medicine, and 10 pediatrics. Of course, my math could be off, but it seems like 77 that will specialize and 67 that will go into the traditional primary care (family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics) . I won't post it in full detail (because it would take forever), but here are the general numbers:

3 Anesthesiology (including 1 at Georgetown)

4 Dermatology (including 1 at Cleveland Clinic - that's fairly famous)

2 Diag. Radiology

15 Emergency Med. (including 1 Maryland Univ. and 2 in NY city)

1 ENT

33 Family Practice (including Ivy League Dartmouth, 5 in Cali, and 1 each at Univ. of Illinois and Wisconsin)

2 General Surgery

24 Internal Medicine (including 1 at Johns Hopkins, 1 at Cleveland Clinic, 1 at Mayo Clinic, 1 at UConn, and 1 at Univ. of Hawaii!)

1 Neurology

5 OB/GYN

3 Orthopedic Surgery

1 Otolaryn - Facial Plastic Surgery

2 Pathology

10 Pediatrics (including UC-Davis)

1 Surgery

The rest did 1 year of Traditional with a specialty:

1 Anesthesiology

5 Emergency Medicine

1 ENT

1 Flight Surgery

2 Internal Medicine

3 Orthopedic Surgery

2 Radiology

23 Rotating

1 Urology

 

[ramsestiger]

BAH! I found this link at Stillnet after counting up all of that stuff!

http://www.kcom.edu/admissns/pdfs/Residency_Info_2002.pdf

This is also helpful for the notables:

http://www.kcom.edu/admissns/about/intern_residency.htm

Georgetown, Hopkins, Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, and many other impressive allopathic spots... not too shabby at all.

I'm really excited about starting school - I almost want to skip the summer to get there so I can meet my new friends and start that new phase in my life. ALMOST!

 

[docslytherin]

i am excited as well... i've signed up for the student apartments across the street from school and have been told that i've gotten one. that's a relief!! the only downside is that i can't move in until the 13th (we start on the 16th) and i have to drive from alabama. it's going to end up requiring two trips within only a couple of days.

i'm really looking forward to starting though and excited about meeting some new people. it should be great. after working for a couple years, i'm a little nervous about being cutoff from a paycheck. i suppose i'll survive.