OU-HCOM vs. UTRGV (waitlisted)

[total_tradegy22]

Hi! I am currently accepted to OU-HCOM at the Cleveland campus. I am waitlisted at several MD schools. I know I would choose any of the other MDs (Utah, Penn State, UT Austin, Ohio State) over OU-HCOM for several reasons, but UTRGV is the only one I'm not sure about were I to get off the waitlist. If anyone has input, I'd love to hear it. If I get the chance to get off a waitlist, I'd like to be able to make decisions quickly.

Relevant info: I am OOS for both Texas and Ohio, and both are not the easiest to travel home from. I am interested in primary care (leaning toward Peds, but maybe FM or OBGYN). My husband is a Pathologists Assistant and his field is very small. It's easier for him to find a job in more urban areas. I have a 6yr old and a 2yr old.


OU-HCOM - Cleveland (Accepted)
Pros

• Rotations through Cleveland Clinic sites
• Would have many options for away rotations in the area, in any specialty
• Cleveland would be significantly easier for my husband to find a job
• All my experience with the school so far has been great, they have been very clear and communicative
• Easier access to outdoor rec areas in the region

Cons

• DO program
• Technically I have signed an agreement as an OOS student to spend a certain number of years in Ohio after graduating (which can include residency). However, I have heard that for many people, this obligation gets waived.
• More expensive than UTRGV
• Sad, cold weather for a good chunk of the year

UT Rio Grande Valley (Waitlisted)
Pros

• MD program
• I have a strong interest and background in working with refugees and immigrants, so the proximity to the border would allow me to gain some really great experience with my preferred patient population
• I visited the school for my interview and really enjoyed my experience there
• I love warm and humid weather
• Texas tuition

Cons

• UTRGV is a newer program and currently has provisional accreditation.
• It would be significantly harder here for my husband to find a job in his field
• The McAllen area is pretty isolated - if I wanted to do away rotations I get the impression that I'd have to travel quite a bit
• UTRGV's GME program no longer has affiliation with the only Level I Trauma center in the RGV and it's unclear (to me, at least) how this will affect clinical rotations
• My husband is very outdoorsy (a classic Utah kid) and I'm worried he will be sad/bored if he can't easily access outdoor rec areas

Summary: My main concern is the DO/MD issue. Right now I am leaning toward pediatrics as a specialty, but in Utah there is only one pediatrics residency program and every single one of their 60+ residents is an MD. Those odds don't look good to me as a potential DO student. We're not 100% that we'd go back to Utah immediately anyway, but it would be nice to feel like I have the option.

Honestly, if I were single I think I'd choose UTRGV just for the MD and because of my personal interests, but that is not my situation. If UTRGV is the clear better choice, we could probably sort something out for his career, but I wanted to know if the choice is really as clear cut as MD vs DO or if there are other factors I need to consider. Thank you!

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[chilly_md]

Take the MD and the TX tuition if that ends up happening. I would not take my chances on getting out of the OH obligation, especially since they could theoretically start enforcing it more strictly once you have already started.

You are fine with peds in general as a DO student, but if it is very important you get it in Utah, those numbers do not bode well. Utah has 2 recent DO schools, so if they begin to take DO students, they likely would look to those applicants first.

 

[total_tradegy22]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your insight