Noorda v TouroCOM-Montana

[dinucleotidecarl]

Noorda
Pros

• significant research opportunities integrated into curriculum
• lots of support from faculty
• students seem very happy
• love the mountains and it seems like there's an actual emphasis on wellness (not mandatory wellness lectures at 8 AM but rather, "upload a pic of you doing an activity you enjoy"
• local rotations within 40 min of campus
• no traditional lecture and the group pod sessions (I actually really enjoy this kind of unstructured team learning setting)
• not pushy about OPP/OMM - the dean said students will have an understanding of it all, of course, but there are additional extra-curricular opportunities for those who have more interest (meaning those with less interest do not have to take part)
• seems like the dean understands that many DO students want to go into competitive specialties and that's part of the reason they're so research-focused
• maybe I'm just getting got by their admissions team, but they keep sending cute things in the mail like positive affirmations, a nice acceptance package, etc. - the details really made me feel good (again, maybe I'm being pandered to but it seems to be working)
• college town so some affordable housing options, some culture and life in the area; also 1 hour from SLC

Cons

• hasn't graduated a class yet
• as such, no federal financial aid until 3rd or 4th year (but I have a good credit score and they have good partnerships with the private loaners they're working with right now)

TouroCOM-Montana
Pros

• Touro at least is established, though it's a new campus (kind of a pro, kind of a con)
• good match rates for other TouroCOM schools
• kind of see it as "the devil you know"
• Montana seems nice as well - beautiful mountains, national parks
• potential opportunity to do their MSTP via the McLaughlin Research Institute (though I would not know if I was accepted until after matriculation)
• interest in educating URMs - I liked the diversity I saw on interview day
• opportunities to work with Indigenous communities in Montana

Cons

• New campus - I'm not too, too worried about this since it's still an established school, but there will always be growing pains as part of the first class
• Great Falls is smaller than Provo and seems like there's even less going on in the area, less to do
• Likelihood of getting into the MSTP is low for me - I have a lot of research hours but nothing that has culminated in a pub thus far. The current research I'm working on may or may not result in a pub on my part - we're kind of stuck on a technicality right now and idk if it will be resolved in time. Also, kind of weird that it's half tuition. I don't know if there are other MSTPs like that.
• The faculty I interviewed this was a bit brusk
• Rotations could be quite a distance away
• Not sure about housing opportunities - a cursory search seems to show that housing may be a bit difficult, though they did say on interview day that they're building new housing by the school (so maybe after OMS-1 it would be an option)

Summary: I've been accepted to multiple schools but am currently deciding between Noorda and TouroCOM-Montana. Both schools are very far from home. Like I've seen with many others in this thread, Noorda was originally at the bottom of my list and has continued to surpass my other acceptances. I just don't want to make a decision based on feeling. TIA!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[drthedude]

Noorda at least has upper classmates you can speak to, Touro-Montana is still a new school, no upper classmates and not yet established (the Touro part is, not the Montana campus however)