Questions and Answers about Osteopathic Medical Schools

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Charles Darnay

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Table of Contents

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Oklahoma State University COM
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
LECOM-Bradenton

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Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted?
2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?
3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?
4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?
5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?
6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?
7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?
9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?
11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors—faculty members, other students, or both?
12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).
14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?
15. What type of clinical sites—ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings—are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?
16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?
18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/medical school endowment aid available to students?
19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds?
20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?
21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?
22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?
24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?
25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?
Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?
27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?
28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?
Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?

Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of medicine (primary versus specialized care, urban versus rural practice environment, academic medicine versus private practice) that I will want to practice?
31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)?
 
We need volunteers!!
We would like one or more people from each medical school to take a few moments and answer as many of AAMC's 31 questions as they can. This questions are applicable to osteopathic as well as allopathic medical schools. When we all do this, we will have a tremendous resource for every student applying or thinking of applying to medical schools.

This is how this will work:

1. Examine the thread to see if your school has been added. If not, email the answers to as many of the questions as you'd like to [email protected] from your SCHOOL email account.

2. If your school is already listed, please complete whatever questions have not been answered by other students. Email your answers to [email protected] from your SCHOOL email account.

3. A moderator will post your answers to the thread.


Now let's see that school pride and help out the SDN members who are thinking of applying!


Can I participate in this thread anonymously?

Not completely. This IS a verified identity thread, after all. You will have to disclose your name and school affiliation to the Mentor Forum staff. But, if you'd still like to help out and protect your identity from general posters on this forum, we can accomodate that.

Email your answers to [email protected] and make sure you tell us NOT to reveal your name when we post your answers. Tell us how you'd like to be credited: by first name only, by initials, by a nickname, or as "anonymous student."


Can I download a copy of the questions?
Sure. One is attached.
 

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Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted? I hear the anatomy program is particularly well known. The OMM department is also well known with Dr. Carreiro heading it.
2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning? Hm. I have more to say on MSI having just finished that one, but I'll do my best. MSI is the usual lecture based format with the exception of the biochem class. The biochem class is a team-based approach that for me failed miserably (it could work, but in it's current state doesn't). I recommend a strong background in biochem before matriculation. Most classes are optional attendance with a few exceptions: pop health, nutrition, biochem to name a few. Pharm, anatomy, bacT are outstanding - the notable Dr. Richard Reese is our pharm and parasite prof. Anatomy lab is outstanding. There is a block exam schedule for MSI which allows some down-time between exam weeks (but don't you DARE fall behind!!).
MSII is systems-based in a block format. One course at a time. I hear it's quite popular and very different (and appreciated!) from MSI year. Clinical slant with case presentations in teams (so I hear).
MSIII and IV are at core rotation sites chosen by lottery.. some more desirable than others judging from the last lottery. No experience there for any insight (sorry).
3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research? There are opportunities, and several of my classmates have done so. UNECOM will be breaking ground for a medical research building in the near future. Right now, it's pretty much if you want to do research, find a professor in the field of interest and they'll fall over backwards to help you accomplish your goals.
4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run? Note service is student-run with mp3 available for almost all classes and word-for-word scribe for all classes (done by students). You do not have to subscribe if you don't want to, but I found it invaluable.
5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years? Several students decelerate - I believe the last MSI class has about 6 decelerating with approximately 8 joining our MSII class that decelerated from the previous year. I've heard of none accelerating (I don't think the curriculum is set up for that), but you can place out of classes if you have the qualifications and have a light load for that block. The clinical year schedule is done by lottery for core rotations within each site with flexibility for elective spots, interviews, etc.
6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked? Not to my knowledge.
7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass? This is a closely guarded secret, but it seems scores go up and down depending on the class. UNECOM has had a reasonable first time COMLEX pass rate (mid-90 %) until a couple classes had a mid-80% first time pass rate.. It's on the way back up currently. I haven't heard how c/o 2008 did nor any thoughts about c/o 2009. Each class has a representative group that works with the administration regarding board prep, so that may fluctuate from year to year. I do not have any knowledge about assistance to students who fail steps of the COMLEX - there may be lots of it. I just don't know.

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed? H, P, F grading policy. 90+ = H, 70-90 = P, <70 = F. You are allowed two retake exams in your didactic years in case you fail a course or two. Preceptor evaluations are lenient, just want to know if you are interested, how inquisitive you are, intelligent questions, professional, etc. No clue about rotation evaluations yet.
9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback? Every course has a survey regarding the course sent to all students for feedback. Several professors want feedback about the exams on the challenge sheet (was the exam fair? too hard? too easy?). All are approachable, and for the most part they really want to accomodate the students' wishes for learning as much as possible.

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children? Every student has a mentor whom they meet at a dinner. I haven't needed financial counseling, so no insight there. Every professor is available regarding career counseling, as well as the medical humanities physicians. All are extremely willing to discuss anything you have on your mind for academics and career counseling. There is counseling available to students and families through the university.
11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors—faculty members, other students, or both? Advisors are faculty members, and they try to match an MSII up to a group of MSI students to help them along. Some are better than others, most upperclassmen are more than happy to share pearls of wisdom, old notes, etc.
12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women? Difficult question. Depends on your background... If you're from the southwest, you'll find few hispanics but more African-americans. If you're from a neighborhood predominantly of color I think you'll believe the diversity lacking. I find our class wonderfully diverse, but I think in terms of background rather than skin color or native language. Not being a minority, I don't know about support services for specific minorities or women. Clubs such as Medical Students for Choice tend to be rather even men/women. There is a NOWPA club. Support services are available for all students having learning difficulties, and they will be happy to work with you to find your ideal learning style and assign tutors to whomever needs one.

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities). I find the library small, others find it large. The online references are AWESOME and easily accessible to anyone with a DSL connection at home. The gym I hear is nice. Housing: you can get a rented place right on the beach (does it get any better than that?). I purchased a home and found the home prices high compared to where I came from... most people find it cheap to purchase if you're a non-trad.
14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning? Computer terminals are in every building and on almost every floor. Wireless is abundant. Computers are integrated with powerpoints downloadable, extra resources linked on web pages, and most classes use WebCT extensively.
15. What type of clinical sites—ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings—are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally? Nothing to contribute here. Sorry. I'm just a rising MSII.
16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem? A car is necessary for rotations and for preceptorships during MSI and MSII years. I have not heard of parking being a problem on rotation or preceptorships, and parking is certainly not a problem on campus.

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate? Tuition is running about $38.5K/yr. Fees around $600/yr with medical insurance $2660/yr. I have no information regarding planned increases.
18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/medical school endowment aid available to students? I have had no problems getting FA up to my cost of attendance. UNECOM has a very small endowment at this time with little school scholarship money available.
19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds? There are no unmet needs to my knowledge (I have a family and am doing fine).
20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget? No. Budget wisely or have your spouse get a job. Funds are available for daycare if necessary. Contact the FA office for the forms necessary for that one.
21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning? The FA office is happy to assist anyone with budgeting issues. Just ask them.
22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management? No idea. Sorry.

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation? There is a student on the Board of Trustees, the SGA is a large voice, and several other committees have student representation.
24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service? Students are actively involved in the local free medical clinic, raising funds for various charities, sports physicals, presentations to high schools, etc. All are voluntary.
25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations? The SGA is quite active. There are dozens of other med school clubs on campus.

Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure? Yes, and I believe so. OSHA certification is required on a yearly basis through the school (online course).
27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident? Provided free of charge in case of exposure. Vaccinations are a matriculation requirement.
28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved? There is an honor code, which you sign you will abide by on each exam. There is a grievance process (which I've never had to use). I am unclear as to other student involvement on the grievance process.

Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted? It is posted on the UNECOM website if you poke around for it. Also do a search on SDN. Most are linked in a thread or two.

Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of medicine (primary versus specialized care, urban versus rural practice environment, academic medicine versus private practice) that I will want to practice? DO schools are predominantly pushing primary care, and I think it's a good thing. Every physician starts with a broad education in the basics, and you can't tailor the curriculum for all specialties. I believe the basics of many specialties are well taught (cardio, pulmonary, renal, etc) in systems.
31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)? I am. And I came from a VERY different climate than New England. The people are very... different... but the lobster is cheap and plentiful, the students cohesive and more than willing to share knowledge, notes, and help each other out any way they can, the shopping at the outlet stores is fabulous. You can find little shops tucked away in nooks that are unexpected, and just about every hobby you could want has a little shop somewhere within 25 miles (heck Portland is only 20 miles away!!). This isn't a cutthroat kind of school, and like every educational institution has things it needs to work on, and things that are changing. But education itself and the medical profession in particular is a very fluid being and needs to be able to adapt. If you're looking for structure, you can find it here. If you're looking for freedom to come into the histo or anatomy lab at 1am, you can do that here too. UNECOM was tied for #1 with another school in my list, and I placed it far above more than a few other osteo schools and above several allo schools. I'm very happy with my choice.
 
Courtesy of MH:

Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted?
The current pathology professor, Dr. Friedlander, is well known in his line of work. He is an excellent teacher who will teach you everything you will ever need to know in the time he has with you. He even does little labs that help you learn the material better. He also holds small group sessions on certain topics he wants to make sure you know (groups of around 5-6 usually).
2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?
3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?
Yes, during the summer between the first and second year is the best time, but some do the work throughout their second year as well.
4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?
Yes. We have notepool, which is student-run.
5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?
As far as I have seen in pre-clinical years, you don't have much time off unless you just take it off on your own. You will have to catch up quickly if you fall behind.
6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?
7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?
My estimate is that around 95-100% pass the boards their first time around. For those that were not able to pass, they are given one month to study before 3rd year rotations. They are also given many school resources (professors/tutors) to help them succeed. This school is really good about trying to do everything they can to help you succeed.

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?
Academically, students are evaluated by exam scores from written exams and practicals. Sometimes there are some quizzes we do for completion points that help out the grades. We are graded on a scale.
9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?
There is a formal mechanism for evaluating your professors anonymously. Professors will receive the thoughts and adjust anything accordingly. They often ask for our advice on which order would be best for a lecture, and adjust the schedule for the next year if the majority say another way would be better.

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?
11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors*faculty members, other students, or both?
We do have advisors who we meet with at least 2-3 times a year (required). If a person ever needs to meet more frequently, this is always possible. We also have a big brother/sister program which matches incoming first years with a second year so that the second year can help them out accordingly.
12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?
Not extremely diverse. Most students are Caucasian, and there are some of other ethnicities. There is an SNMA group that helps minorities stick together in the school system. These people in this group often become close friends and help each other out in any time of need.

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).
No dorms are supplied by the school. However, many students live across the street at an apartment complex called Century Towers. There is a gym on campus. The library serves its purpose. We also have a study hall with individual rooms (with computer, table, chair, sometimes OMT tables, or TV that students can reserve and study in during the day (until 11pm or midnight).
14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?
There are a few computer labs available, but not that many computers each. Maybe 30 computers outside the individual study rooms. We do have wireless access now in certain parts of campus, including the classrooms and library. Some students will bring their laptops for this reason.
15. What type of clinical sites*ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings*are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?
The website has a list of these sites that are available: http://www.kcumb.edu/_occe/coresites.aspx
16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?
It matters where your clinical rotations are. There are plenty of parking spaces for students right now at the school. As for rotations, parking will depend where you land.

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?

Tuition for 2006-2007 was $36,460. This year it is around 38,000. Someone correct me if I am wrong. It does seem to increase yearly, but I don't know the rate.
18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/medical school endowment aid available to students?
19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds?
I know that I was allowed plenty of loan money to handle all my expenses throughout the year. I don't know about others, but I haven't heard about too many running out of money unless they aren't good at budgeting. (Can't go out to eat all the time or go clothes shopping frequently)
20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?
I know they allow a little extra for babysitting. Someone else may be able to better answer.
21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?
The financial aid office can assist students with this. They also have a meeting for the whole class at the beginning of the year over this topic.
22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?
Yes.

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?

24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?
Many students volunteer for community service activities (like giving physicals, or doing BPs after church at some places). All first years participate in a community service during orientation week.
25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?

Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?
27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?
The Hep B series is a requirement for matriculation. You at least have to have the series started before getting there. They do not help pay for it, but the Jackson County clinic offered them free to medical personnel (including students) when I went there. Students also need to prove a positive titer before going to do clinical anything.
28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?
There is an Honor Code. There is a specific process they follow in violations. This is all I know about it.

Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?

You can always ask the admissions office to see this. Also, if I remember correctly, they are posted somewhere else on SDN.

Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of medicine (primary versus specialized care, urban versus rural practice environment, academic medicine versus private practice) that I will want to practice?
I believe that anyone has been capable of doing whatever type of residency they wanted, primary or specialized. After graduation, the doctors are all over the country, most in the locations they put number one on the match (either MD or DO residencies).
31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)?
I believe you will be. I am.
 
Information provided by psychbender, a 2nd year VCOM student


Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted?
VCOM likes to talk about its systems-based blocks. It also likes to talk about its commitment to rural and underserved regions in Appalachia, yet seems to like to talk about international missions even more. Sometimes I have to wonder if the dean has lost sight of the stated mission of this school when trying to set up sites in Latin American nations. By putting bodies into the community hospitals of SW Virginia, we are helping the area re: medical care, but I think more could be accomplished if we focused on problems at home, rather than the looking to build more glamorous international medical mission sites.

We have a number of excellent faculty members, though I do not know if any are particularly well-known in their line of work (honestly, I don't care whether or not the professors are well known, so long as they can teach me what I need to know). There are also some not-so-stellar professors; but that's life, and why we have textbooks.

2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?
Pre-clinical: Divided into 12 blocks (6 each year), you hit each major organ system twice, going through the anatomy/physiology the first time around (yes, we do Anatomy and lab January through September), then doing pathology and pharmacology in second year. First block is filled with all the basic sciences&#8212;biochemistry, immunology, genetics, micro (I hear that's going to block 2, for future classes), and epidemiology (not sure where that's going). Histology was previously included in anatomy, but is now its own course. Principals of Primary Care (with OMM) and Clinical Case Correlations are also throughout each year. CCC delves into the various diseases/disorders from a clinician's standpoint (versus a pathologist's or pharmacist's standpoint). We usually go for 5-10 weeks on, one week off; lather, rinse, and repeat. Our summer after first year was three weeks long, but I think it's a whole month for class 2010. We also have five weeks between second and third year (for boards), and a month between third and fourth year (again, for boards). Spring of second year also sees the arrival of Early Clinical Experiences: we spend Fridays either doing clinical skills labs (IVs, sutures, casting/splinting, etc), or spending the day in some part of the hospital or outpatient setting (hospice, free clinic, IM, radiology, pharmacy, etc). These vary greatly in how much they are actually worth doing--but they're all required.

Clinical: All I can say is, each clinical year is divided into 9 one-month rotations. Third year is all core rotations: FM, EM, Surgery, Psych, OB/Gyn, Peds, Geriatrics, Rural PC, and IM. Fourth year is 2 surgical selectives, 3 medical selectives, 4 electives. Can't comment further about rotations, ask me again next year.

3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?
I'm sure there are, as with any medical school. It's just not laid out there with a big red sign saying "Student Research Here!" you have to go looking for the opportunity. I know of some classmates involved in faculty research projects (and several have presented original posters at some conferences), and we have a DO/PhD program, as well.

4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?
There is no note-taking service (since we're expected to all show up here with bright, shining faces, eager to learn), but all lectures are required to be made available in powerpoint or word document format (usually ppt) online before class. This usually happens. When it doesn't, those lectures are posted by the end of the day. These lectures then remain online throughout the block. Some people record lectures, and generally let others know that they have them, should anyone really want to listen, for that complete grey-box experience.

5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?
The extent of preclinical flexibility is that you aren't quite sure what's in the later blocks, as they may change on you (constantly trying to find the best fit). Though, I wouldn't call this &#8216;flexible' so much as &#8216;dynamic' (love those spin-words).

As far as the school being flexible, should life get out of hand, admin has been fairly reasonable. If you don't pass a course, you may be allowed to remediate during the break between classes (often consists of retaking the final, or doing some other coursework). If you pass the remediation, you are allowed to continue with the rest of the class. A few students from my class were allowed to remain at VCOM, but are now one class behind us (various reasons as to why). Two other notables were absent for prolonged periods of time due to medical issues, and have been allowed to stay in our class. They just had to make up all the missed work on their own, in addition to all the normal coursework&#8212;which can be extensive, as one of them missed an entire block.

In the clinical years, you don't have any electives 3rd year--9 core rotations at many different sites, but you get more than a fair bit of input into what region you go. Fourth year has 5 selectives (2 surgical, 3 medical), and 4 electives, so you can pretty much do as you wish, where you wish.

6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?
We just got started, and just got accreditation (first class graduated June 2007, so we are now fully accredited).

7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?
Too early to tell, as only 2 classes have taken COMLEX 1 so far, and the school won't give us the hard numbers (just gave us some fluffy statistics about them doing &#8216;well' and that there was a high-correlation between boards score and performance in pre-clinical years&#8230;Naw, you don't say?). There was, apparently, a substantial increase in scores (along the lines of 50 points) between the first and second class, though.

Not sure what they do to help those that don't pass (and I hope I never find out). This year, the school decided to give each of us $500 to put toward whatever board prep program we want (most of us chose one form or another of Boards Boot Camp), so that's pretty sweet.

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?
Preclinically: GPA based on 4-point scale (A = 4, B = 3, etc). This is based on exams, quizzes, pre and post cases, and/or practicals, depending on the class in question.

Clinically: At the end of each month, the preceptor is supposed to fill out an evaluation form for each student. This does not factor into GPA, but decide the whole Pass/Fail/Honor thing. There is also a "shelf" exam of VCOM's own creation that (as of this year) will be graded, and factor in to GPA&#8212;or so we've been told (previously, it was just graded as Pass/Fail). I have been told that in previous years, some of the questions on the exam were just plain ridiculous&#8230;like WTF was that?! kind of ridiculous. Now that they actually count, I really hope they fix this (let's all cross our fingers).

9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?
Not anymore. We used to have an extensive online questionaire at the end of each block to evaluate each professor using several standard questions, and one large comment section at the end. In order to receive grades, 75% of the class had to submit the evals. Now, each course eval is reduced to just a few general questions about the course as a whole, and no comment section&#8230;this does not make me a happy camper. Also, questions from non-final exams may be challenged, and will be dropped if the challenge is accepted. I believe that there is still a student evaluation of each site and preceptor, but I cannot comment on this, as I have not yet started the third year.

There were huge changes made due to feedback (some professors no longer teaching as much, or changing lecture/exam styles). Students were required to sit on at least one Continuing Quality Improvement meeting, where they went through all the feedback for a given class, digested it, and summarized it for the administration. I believe this is still done, but I have not had to take part since the first time (was it something I said?). The biggest example of feedback in action is the change from multiple exams each block to a midterm week and finals week, to take effect 2007/2008 academic year. Gone will be the days of 3+ exams nearly every week. Now, there'll apparently be two weeks of nothing but exams. I'd rather be tested more frequently, but I don't have to put up with the new policy, anyway, so it matters not to me.

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?
I can't speak too much about this, as I haven't used any of them.

11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors&#8212;faculty members, other students, or both?
Each incoming student is assigned two &#8216;big siblings' in the class above, and two faculty advisors (one academic, one clinical). My big siblings really weren't involved with me, but I give old exams/notes/assignments to my little siblings, when I can. The extent of involvement varies between advisors/mentors. At the end of first year, you are reassigned a new advisor, and involvement varies again. They sometimes try to match you to a clinical advisor that matches your interests&#8212;example: most of the EM club officers and active members were assigned the head of the EM department.

12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?
Each class is hugely different. My class was a little bit older than the next, and had a lot of second-career/non-traditional students in addition to those straight from undergrad. I believe over half the class is women, and we have a good number of minorities. Yes, there are student organizations specifically for minorities and women.

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).
The library is small, but has access to a fair number of texts electronically, which you can access from anywhere. There is also a large room next to the library for study space, with individual computer cubicles (power outlets in each; wireless throughout the grounds). There is no local VCOM housing, and I cannot speak yet for VCOM housing for clinicals (which would vary by site, anyway). There are no VCOM-specific athletic/recreational facilities, though we have grad student privileges at Virginia Tech, and can use their facilities (and go to their games, do intramural sports, etc).

14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?
The library has a half-dozen desktop computers, but it is expected that you use your laptop on campus. Most people use these computers to quickly check email when stopping by, or to print something off in the library (used to be free, now they charge). Each table in the gross anatomy lab also has a computer with VH dissector installed, and instructions for the lab, so that those not involved in actually dissecting can follow along on the computer.

15. What type of clinical sites&#8212;ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings&#8212;are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?
VCOM currently has 6 different regions for rotations (each region having several hospitals), with sites varying from outpatient clinics, to VA hospitals, to private hospitals, to rural community hospitals. All students have one required month of rural primary care, but some regions end up having a lot more rural medicine. Fourth year rotations can be just about anywhere (including overseas), but it takes a lot to get third year rotations outside of the standard VCOM regions (can be done, though). However, if you are military, you can do up to 3 months each year at DoD sites which have an MOU with the school (such as Portsmouth, Womack, etc).

16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?
A car will be necessary for most rotations. For some, VCOM housing is apparently right next to the hospital, so you should be able to walk. Parking will, of course, vary based on the hospital in question.

Financial Aid
I really can't answer these questions. I sold my soul to the Army (HPSP).

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?
Some committees have student representation (Via Wellness Committee comes to mind), but I don't know about any curriculum committees, or anything of the sort. The Council of Presidents (the Presidents of each student organization) also meets regularly to discuss issues that pertain to more than one group.

24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?

Students can be involved in whatever they want, but no one is holding a gun saying "Sacrifice for the community, or this cute, little puppy gets it!" I volunteer 100+ hours per month serving the town of Blacksburg, but I'm weird, in case you can't already tell (this town has been my home for seven years, and I've been a medic with the rescue squad here since undergrad). Most students aren't heavily involved in community service (though community service of one form or another is common enough). There are a few other sick freaks, though, that can't seem to get enough to do at school, so pile on more and more (yeah, you know who you are&#8230;hard working bastards).

25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?
Not sure just how active our class officers are. They have a lot of meetings with admin that we are not privy to (but the report back to us fairly regularly). We have a plethora of student organizations, with activity level varying greatly from organization to organization, and year to year. There's an organization for most medical specialties, and others for major areas of interest (SOMA, military medicine, Virginia Rural Health Association, etc).

Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?
I'm sure there's a policy, most of us just don't know it off the top of our heads. As for insurance, we all have to have our own health and life insurance prior to matriculation, so I would assume that this comes under one of those headings. I have no idea if the school or hospitals have any additional coverage for exposure.

27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?
All students are required to have HepB immunization, along with many others, before coming to VCOM. The school does not pay for this (that I recall). I have no idea about post-exposure prophylaxis, and I really hope I never need to find out.

28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?
Oh yeah, there's an Honor Code, alright. Student-written, and student-run. There are also some peasants with pitchforks and torches ("she turned me into a newt"), but we try not to pay too much attention to those.

Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?
It's posted somewhere here on SDN, and I don't have a copy readily available, myself.
 
OSU-COM

________________________________________
Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted?


Our better known program would probably be Pathology. Having Dr Goljan as in instructor is an amazing asset to the school

2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?


For the most part, it has a traditional curriculum. Lecture based with lab for the usual classes.

Anatomy & Histo were solid. There was a high student/cadaver ratio, but I preferred that as it cut down on dissection time and increased learning time. Histo is extremely tough but you learn the material. Biochem isn’t bad, but probably could be a little more detail oriented. Neuro was the beast of 2nd semester, but well done.

Pharm, Micro, Immuno, psych, & epidemiology were tedious but manageable and you learned what you needed to learn

There were several busy work classes which I disliked and questioned their placement on the curriculum. Health promotion and Disease prevention was not very useful in my opinion. Multicultural studies basically consisted of reading the Spirit catches you and you fall down.

Pathology: Goljan. Nothing else needs to be said.

CPS: A small group PBL based learning with 5 hours of lecture and 2 2hour sessions of small group learning. The lectures followed the organ systems along with pathology and often had practicing specialized physicians come in and give the lectures. One of the better classes to actually integrates everything in and very useful since they follow the same basic schedule of topics as Goljan.

OMM: Lectures are highly variable based on who gives them. Testing was inconsistent and often of poor quality. They frequently had duplicate questions, questions with no correct answer, or questions with multiple correct answers. Lab was better, but again, practical testing was inconsistent and frequently consisted of -1 point for “student being too tall” or other fictitious deductions. I personally felt that this department was less than stellar in addressing our concerns and issues with the classes. And on several occasions students were accused of being “hostile” when calmly asking for clarification of offering suggestions on how one might improve the quality of the course.

Clinical skills: Dr Eddy absolutely loves to teach, he might be a little too lenient, but we still learn a lot in the class and lab.

Overall, the quality of the first 2 years at OSU-COM is great. There is room for improvement, but show me any school that doesn’t have areas which could be improved.


3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?


OSU is trying to build their research programs. There are several Phd and Masters Programs, and there are some summer research opportunities. But there really wasn’t much of a push to research and the infrastructure to do such is still being built. Give it a few years, but they’ll get there.

4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?


All of the classes are good about having notes pre-prepared for classes to study. There is the opportunity to exchange student created study guides, but it is highly dependent on the class you are in.

5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?


The current set up for the clinical years was fairly nice. Currently they allow up to 6 electives with one of those being a research month. You have about 2 electives during 3rd year, and the rest in 4th year. They require that 2 electives are carried out in a primary care field. There is an emphasis on Primary care as this is the mandate the school was given by the state when it became a state school. The FM clinic is ok, the IM program is strong, and there is plenty of time for electives. They mandate 1 month of vacation, but you can take two. And they also allow you to take a month for “research”. They mandate 2 months of medicine (1 Teaching svc, 1 specialty) 1 month of surgery, 1 month of obgyn. 2 months of FM (1 clinic, 1 rural) 2 months of community hospital, 1/2 month of OMM, 1 EM, 1 Psych. Then they mandate that 2 of your electives be primary care.

6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?


Not to my knowledge. The OB/Gyn program has gone through several department chairs recently and the Peds program seems to be hiring nobody but graduates of their program. EM has recently gone through some staffing changes, but the new attendings came from another EM program and are assets to the program in my opinion. The IM program is extremely strong and consistently has the highest in-service exam scores in the nation. I do not know much about the rest of the programs.

7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?

OSU-COM tends to do very well on COMLEX. The current system is set up as such. If you fail the first time on COMLEX, you are removed from clinical rotations and are to retake it after a period of sometime. I do not know if they give any remediation during this time. If you fail the 2nd time, you repeat much of 2nd year and then attempt a 3rd time next July.


Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?


Pre-clinical evaluations are on a A-F system.

Clinical evals vary from rotation to rotation. But generally, you can expect a department written test accounting for 10-25% of your grade, and the rest coming from performance on the rotation.

9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?


Yes, you are required to complete a site eval for every rotation. I am not aware of any changes that have been made due to feedback. In fact, there was one attending which I went to the school and voiced my concerns about the illegal and potentially deadly actions he took in his “supervision” of me during a rotation. The attending in question did not show up one weekend and left me as a 4th year student to round, write notes, write orders, and manage without any supervision.

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?


They have now hired a financial aid councilor, but I’m not sure about how in-depth he gets with students.

Around March of 2007, they introduced a career development specialist. So I’m unaware of how this will impact or help students.

11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors—faculty members, other students, or both?

Not to my knowledge

12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?

Oklahoma is a state school, so it is 80% Oklahomans, the class tends to be made up of a 50/50 mix of male/female. And I do not know the ethnicity representation percentages off the top of my head.

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).


They are currently adding a gym facility on campus after years of students requesting to have one built.

The library has multiple study carols, but they are assigned to those who apply for them. There are several “break out rooms” which can hold 10 or so people. And there are several areas with couches, tables, chairs. I never could study at school, so I can not get more detailed than that. I enjoy the library and the library staff. They are a great resource and will help in any way they can.


14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?


Yes they are available. I’ve heard they have done away with microscopes for the histology portion and are mandating that students have laptops. They do have an online student website where instructors can post lectures, quizzes, etc.

15. What type of clinical sites—ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings—are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?


The following is the list of required rotations. The core rotations will be either at OSU-MC, or in OKC at St Anthony’s. The rest required rotations have a small choice for location, but they are set up for us.

CORE Rotation - 4 Months
• Medicine I & II
• Surgery
• Obstetrics & Gynecology
Two 1-Month Rotations
• Community Hospital I & II
1-Month Rotations
• Pediatrics
• Emergency Room
• Family Medicine Clinic
• Rural Clinic
• Community Clinic
• Psychiatry
• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
We may use our electives internationally and in other intuitions provided we set the rotation up.
16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?


Yes, a car is necessary for many rotations, but parking is rarely a problem and I never had to pay for parking as a student.

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?


I do not know of the projections for or if there are any planned tuition increases.

Out of State Tuition: $32,158
Instate Tuition: $16,938

18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/medical school endowment aid available to students?


Yes.

19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds?


I do not know. I was always able to get the money I required.

20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?


No, but you can increase your budget to cover them.

21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?


There wasn’t when I started, but they do have a new financial aid councilor. But again, I’m unaware as to the level of service he will provide.

22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?

Minimal levels guidance are provided.

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?


I’m not entirely sure.

24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?


There is a strong base for voluntary CS. The schools has partnered to help with the local elementary down the street, which also is one of the poorest and worst performing elementary school in the state.

25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?


Moderately to very. There is a plethora of student organizations and clubs.

Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposur
e?

There is an established protocol, and the school has a fee they charge every semester to purportedly cover the insurance for this expense.

27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?


They require proof of immunization for Hep A/B and other prior to starting. And I’m unaware of the AZT prophylaxis policy and payment.

28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?


There is, and there is a mandated non-cognitive portion of all evaluations filled out by preceptors. There is also a peer-review board made up of students, but it seemed to be utilized improperly and in cases where it was more to appease the mob than actually address anything.

Residency

29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?


http://centernet.okstate.edu/commencement2005/graduates-prs.cfm
http://centernet.okstate.edu/commencement2006/graduates-prs.cfm
http://centernet.okstate.edu/commencement2007/graduates-1.cfm

Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of medicine (primary versus specialized care, urban versus rural practice environment, academic medicine versus private practice) that I will want to practice?


The schools mandate from the State is to train primary care physicians who will stay in state and help with the underserved areas. But the school is strong and has put students in some very competitive specialty programs.

31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)?


No school is perfect, but given my choices of the other schools I was accepted to, I know I choose the right school to attend.
 
Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted?

It's the first school, as far as I know, that is totally Problem Based Learning (PBL). While there are some lecture courses, most of the basic sciences (Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, etc.) are learned in a small group environment and based on actual patient cases. There is a LOT of independent study. You don't spend a whole lot of time in classes but you need to spend an enormous amount of your own time studying in order to excel.

2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?

Pre-clinical is all PBL. The good points are that you have tons of clinical background before you ever enter your third year. For example, you've already seen tons of CBCs, ECGs, UAs...virtually every lab test available and you already know the normal values. You know lots about diagnosing and treatements...but it is not for everybody. You have to be very self motivated because there are no lectures or powerpoints to study-- you read the textbooks over and over.

Clinical gives you a chance to stay in Florida or to go elsewhere. Since the school is relatively young things are continually changing and new opportunities are opening every day. In the summer after your first year you will be placed in a small group and the order of your rotations is determined. You have the option to pick either the area of the country you want to be in or the month you want off for vacation. You will have to periodically return to the campus (once or twice) during your 3rd and 4th years, but you are not required to stay in Florida. The current student body has students from 30 to 40 different states. Many of them choose to go elsewhere.

3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?

It's a new school, so research is limited. Actually, the reseacrch labs are just opening this summer (2007) as all of the equipment and furniture has finally arrived. Several professors have grant money in hand and have solicited help from students. You probably won't get to do your own project but you do have research opportunities.

4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?

All of the lectures are available on the server but, with PBL, most of the courses are not taught with lectures.

5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?

Flexibility and Lecom-B are not often used in the same sentence. They feel that they have designed a pretty good program and expect you to try to follow it. That said, you have 6 years to finish the program from the time you begin. Some student have had legitimate reasons for a leave of abscence and have been granted them.

6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?

No.

7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?

Since it's so new, only the first class has taken step one. It met the national average as far as passing goes...but that figure is expected to increase as new classes take the test. Should you fail step one, you are taken off the rotation schedule and must take remedial classes in Florida for about 6 weeks before you are allowed to re-take the test. You must pass step one before you are allowed to continue on rotations. For those who failed in the first class, they averaged scoring 80 points higher on their second attempt (after the remediation classes).

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?

You must make 70 or higher in all pre-clinical classes to continue. There is a system available for remediation should you fail a class, however.

9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?

You are REQUIRED to evaluate every course and instructor. The administration has been very good about responding to students' feedback. Quite a few changes have been made based on student comments and one assistant professor will not be back next year (2007-2008) because of student comments.

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?

For academics, you are required to meet with your advisor once a month. If you are doing poorly, you will have to meet with him/her more often-- depending on your status.

You have the option to see a school psychologist for personal problems if you like, but there is also a program that is run by the county that the school pays for. You can visit anonymously for any problems that you have.

11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors&#8212;faculty members, other students, or both?

Each new student is assigned a voluntary big sibling before they matriculate. This is a student-run program. You have a faculty-member advisor with whom you must meet monthly.

12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?

There are students from 30 to 40 states and many races and backgrounds typically represented in each class. There are tons of women (50% or more) and if I must say so...they are probably the most attractive osteopathic students around (of course, I am biased) but you'll have to make that judgement on your own.

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).

There are lots of volumes being added each month, but electronic resources are really the key to the library. You can access them all from school or from home. The administration has been trying for years to get approval for on-campus housing. It may be a few years yet, but an agreement has been reached for housing to be built adjacent to the school for both new students and students on local rotations. Keep in mind that this is still probably a few years away. There are lots of recreational activities going on because the high school is right next door. There are basketball and soccer games (for instance) going on all the time for LECOM students.

14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?

You are required to purchase a laptop but you are given a pretty generous amount on your budget to cover it. It's a brand new school so everything is electronic. You are EXPECTED to have a laptop because it is extensively used. Yet, there are terminals in the library in case you don't bring your own for the day.

15. What type of clinical sites&#8212;ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings&#8212;are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?

LECOM has been great with international rotations. There are requirements, though. You have to have a 3.0 GPA, for instance, to qualify for one. There are roatations of all types avalable across the country. Will you be guaranteed of getting the one you want? No. But, if you work hard and have good grades you will have the chance to go where you desire.

16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?

Ummm...yeah. You need a car for the most part. There are some students who will have all of there rotations in one spot and won't need one at all-- but that's not the norm.

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?

LECOM-Bradenton has incredibly good tuition for a private school. Last year (2006-2007) in-state students paid $25,000 and OOS students paid $26,000. The tuition rose this coming year (2007-2008) by $100 for in-state students and $250 for OOS students. That's a less than one percent increase. Can you find that anywhere else?


18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/medical school endowment aid available to students?

The endowment is small so there is not a great level of scholarships available but the school does a pretty good job with what they have. They have a program within the community to raise scholarships and the community has responded well. All federal financial aid is available.

19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds?


20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?

No.

21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?

The financial aid department does a really good job of helping each individual determine what they need.

22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?

The curriculum committee does.

24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?

There is not a requirement for community service but there are many clubs and organizations that have community service projects-- most of them do.

25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?

There is a club or organization for pretty much anybody. Most students belong to several clubs. Some are national organizations but many are local, student-run clubs that focus on specific interests. there is a "Club Day" for 1st years where you get a chance to look at all the clubs and see what you would like. Some have dues and some are free. LECOM-Bradenton is good about giving money to clubs because they realize that extracurricular activities are a big part of a student's life.


Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?

Students are required to purchase disability insurance. It comes out of your first disbursement of each year.

27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?

You are required to have Hep-B vaccinations done at your own expense prior to matriculating. However, you are given some leeway on time if you are accepted later in the cycle.


28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?

Yes, yes, and more yes. The details can be found in the student handbook


Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?

They have not yet graduated a class. Come back later :)

Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of medicine (primary versus specialized care, urban versus rural practice environment, academic medicine versus private practice) that I will want to practice?

There is no particular focus for any student. While the state of Florida would prefer that you stay here-- due to the rising number of geriatric patients in the state-- there is no reqirement or even any influence to remain here.

31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)?

If you are a self-motivated student then you have the chance to do well. The number of lectures is very limited so you will spend a lot of time studying on your own, but you will be well-prepared for the clinical years due to the PBL curriculum. The school also spends a good bit of time on board prep at the end of your 2nd year. They used Kaplan in the past but have gone "in-house" in order to controll the process a little better. The students are incredibly friendly and the administration already has a track record of listening to student requests and ideas. Plus, it's in sunny Florida. The location is hard to beat if you like warm weather.
 
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Anonymous Submission

Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted?

Special programs include organized yearly trips to Ecuador to conduct infectious diseases research, a geriatrics rotation in Edinburgh (Scotland) available only to MS-IV students, and a Kenya research rotation. There are also opportunities to become an OMM fellow or Family Practice fellow, which adds an additional year to the training, but tuition for MS-III and IV is waived and a stipend provided. The school also has the first and only Diabetes Fellowship for Osteopathic Family Medicine graduates.

2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?
For the pre-clinical years, there are two choices. The Clinical Presentation Continuum (CPC) is a traditional lecture-based curriculum with scheduled lectures almost daily (most are not mandatory to attend). The Patient-Centered Continuum (PCC) is a problem-based learning curriculum available to approximately 20 entering students. To participate in the PCC is not automatic but students interested in the curriculum must provide a short application form with an essay as to why they believe the PCC style of learning is better suited for them. Anyone enrolled in the PCC curriculum has a two-week window in which to switch to the more traditional CPC curriculum if he/she finds that the PCC style is not conducive to their learning. Both curricula include lab sessions, clinical experiences with doctors in the community, and small group sessions.

3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?
Absolutely! There is a ton of research being conducted at OU-COM. There’s even a new building that’s planned that will be mainly for research labs. There are plenty of opportunities to be involved in formal, ongoing research as well as design your own. During the clinical years, students can design a research elective as well. Every year there’s a research fair that includes student-conducted research with prizes awarded to the top three posters. There are also opportunities to present research at the Ohio Osteopathic Convention every year.

4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?
There is no note-taking service to my knowledge. However, all powerpoint slides and lecture mp3 files are available on the school’s intranet. You can skip a lecture and “attend” the lecture later online.

5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?
The only flexibility with electives is mainly in the 4th year. There are opportunities to conduct research or do clinical work the summer after 1st year. There is no accelerated curriculum. There is no decelerated curriculum either. Students that take 5 years to complete the curriculum either failed one year or are clinical fellows completing their OMM or Family Practice fellowship.

6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?
No.

7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?
For the Class of 2008, the pass rate was 96%, which was the highest pass rate in the last decade (according to the Dean). The school, to my knowledge, has no formal assistance to students that do not pass. However, student government at OU-COM every year organizes a Kaplan review, with live lectures, taped lectures, and online availability of practice questions (Qbank).

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?

Students receive a percentage score after every test (one test per block) with a 70% required to pass. Students in the top 10% of their class have a letter placed in their file. After the block is over, the final grade in the transcript is either “pass” or “fail.” Students that fail a test can retake the exam via a remediation exam. A failed remediation exam usually means the student must repeat the year. Clinical evaluations are in the form of a subjective evaluation by the preceptor with the possibility of earning a fail, marginal, pass or honors. A fail or a marginal will require a retake of the clinical rotation. There is also an end of rotation exam consisting of 50 questions. The exams are only for required rotations and not electives.

9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?
Students evaluate every rotation they complete including their preceptor, whether it’s a required rotation at their base hospital or electives at an outside hospital.

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?

The Office of Student Affairs has personnel that can counsel students on academic or financial matters, although it’s an informal system. These services are usually not available to spouses or dependents.

11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors—faculty members, other students, or both?
There is a student-to-student mentoring system where students in the top of the class are asked to volunteer their time tutoring students. There is a mentor system where incoming students are paired with a 2nd year student (the “COMrade”). The COMrade is available to help the student transition from civilian life to medical school life. Also, students have the opportunity to choose a formal mentor who is a member of the faculty (either a D.O. or a Ph.D. or an administration member).

12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?
OU-COM is one of the few medical schools in the country (MD or DO) that has a large number of minority students. It also has a commitment to helping minority students achieve their goals via the Center of Excellence for Multicultural Medicine. The Center has numerous programs for high school minority students interested in a career in medicine as well as minorities ready to enter medicine and also those that attempted to enter medicine but failed. OU-COM has a post-baccalaureate program that allows minority students that successfully complete the courses to be directly admitted to the Osteopathic medical program.

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).

The medical library (Learning Resources Center) is located in the main building of the Osteopathic college and contains an extensive collection including all required books in the curriculum. Books can only be checked overnight so that everyone has a chance at using the materials. The library also has several small meeting rooms with audiovisual equipment (computer, flat screen TV, VCR, DVD player) and a dry erase board. The meeting rooms are first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved. This, again, is so that everyone has a fair chance at using the facilities. In addition to the book collection and small meeting rooms, there is a common study area, a quiet study area, and computer room. Thanks to the fact that OU-COM is part of Ohio University, students also have access to Alden Library, the large Ohio U. library (and are able to borrow books for an extended period of time via the OhioLink statewide system), and to the Ping Recreation Center (a state of the art gymnasium and sports facility), the Ohio U. swimming pools, tennis courts, and golf course.

14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?
The medical library (“Learning Resources Center”) has many state of the art computers for student use. They’re integrated into the curriculum via the intranet, which contains study materials, syllabi, lecture slides, and lecture voice recordings. Students are also required to own laptop computers and the school has a wireless network.

15. What type of clinical sites—ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings—are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?
All of the above. Depending on student preference, students can spend time during their 1st and 2nd year with preceptors either in a hospital or outpatient setting, either rural or not. For required 3rd year clerkships, students have the option of requesting a particular type of preceptor for their primary care rotation (such as “rural family physician that performs OMT”). There are many international rotations possible, in countries such as China, Ecuador, Africa, and Scotland. Custom international rotations can also be designed if applied to in advance and the proper forms completed and approved.
16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?
A car is necessary for clinical rotations. Some rotations can be as far as 30 minutes away. Parking at OU-COM can be a problem sometimes, but usually lectures start at 7 or 8AM which means that there’s ample parking available before the undergraduate student body wakes up.

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?

According the OU-COM Financial Aid website, the tuition for an entering Freshman would be $23,169 for in-state and $33,768 for out-of-state. An out-of-state student could apply for in-state tuition after 12 months of residency in Ohio if certain stringent criteria are met. The tuition can be expected to increase yearly, the rate is difficult to predict.

18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/medical school endowment aid available to students?

19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds?

20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?
No. However, there are some special forms that one can fill out to get some increases in financial aid for things such as Day Care expenses.

21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?
The office of Financial Aid has personnel always available to answer questions and guide students through the difficult process of federal and private loan aid.
22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?
The school sponsors sessions where debt management and other important career issues are discussed. The sessions are free and open to all students, and many times take place during the lunch hour (with lunch provided).

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?

The curriculum committee and the Honor Code committee have both Year 1 and Year 2 student representation.
24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?
There is no required community service. However, students are “encouraged” to complete some community service as part of their education and if so, a letter is placed in their file stating the nature of the service and the hours. Also, as part of the clinical exposure during the first two years in Athens, students are regularly scheduled to spend some hours every week in many different community public services (AA, WIC, etc.). Finally, students regularly schedule community service events as part of organizational club activities, but those are voluntary and not required.

25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?
The Student Government is very active! There are many events sponsored by SG every quarter (Business of Medicine, Policy Puzzle, Board review, Medical Jeopardy!). Also, there have been many changes in the college that have been initiated by SG requests, such as study space, audiovisual equipment, etc. There are many student organizations to choose from, many with no dues. The list is too extensive to repeat here, so OU-COM’s website is the best place to find out which organizations have chapters on campus.

Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?

27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?

28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?

Yes, there is an Honor Code in which students pledge not to cheat or to tolerate cheating in others. Students sit in the Honor Code committee so that if a complaint is raised against a student, there is student representation in addition to faculty and staff. There is also a grievance process in place for anything from complaints about professors to appeals about bad grades or failures. I believe students are not part of this committee (the Committee on Student Progress).

Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?
I know the Office of Admissions at OU-COM used to provide copies of the latest match lists. I’m not sure if they still do that. The Office of Student Affairs probably has updated lists available for those who ask for them.

Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of medicine (primary versus specialized care, urban versus rural practice environment, academic medicine versus private practice) that I will want to practice?

The school’s strength is in producing primare care physicians that not only are competent, but also that stay in Ohio to practice. Of all medical schools in Ohio, OU-COM has the highest percentage of graduates that (1) choose a primary care career and (2) that stay in Ohio for practice. OU-COM also is very strong in diabetes and diabetes research. There is a diabetes fellowship available for graduates of Family Medicine programs and a Diabetes Research Center that conducts state-of-the art research in the pathophysiology of diabetes and diabetes treatments.

31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)?
Absolutely! The school is what I like to call a “best-kept secret” in osteopathic education. You don’t hear about it much, but the school produces excellent clinicians that go on to complete all specialties in medicine, many at prestigious institutions both allopathic and osteopathic. The CORE system of hospitals available for OU-COM students is one of the best in the country, boasting a wide range of hospitals, from small community hospitals to large academic medical centers, many of which are yearly rated as “Top 50” by USNews. The CORE system is so great that students from other schools (Des Moines and Kansas City for example) choose to complete their clinical years in the Ohio CORE system.
 
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Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this medical school is noted?
The OMM department is great & our Anatomy course is among the toughest
2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?
1st yr - traditional Anatomy,Physiology,Biochem,Histology,Neuro,OMM
3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?
Yes, we have a research lab & are building more research labs. The research is in Neuro/OMM & Immunology
4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?
Yes, it is student run
5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?
No flexibility in the preclinical years. The 3rd yr rotations are done in Las Vegas & the 4th yr can be done in Vegas or anywhere else
6. Has this medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?
no
7. How do students from this medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?
Our 1st innagural class had an 88% 1st time pass rate, which is really good for an innagural class. We also had about 15 students (out of 80) from the innagural class that scored in the top 10% on the USMLE

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?
Percent grades for preclinical & the traditional Pass/Highpass/Honors for clinical
9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?
Yes. There have been many changes as a result

Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?
Full support to student & family
11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors&#8212;faculty members, other students, or both?
you get a mentor (faculty physician) & a sibling (med student)
12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?
student body consists of mostly mormans.

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).
the gym is amazing but the library is tiny & sucks
14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?
we have a computer lab
15. What type of clinical sites&#8212;ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings&#8212;are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?
our rotation sites are amazing & all in las vegas. This is why I chose this school
16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?
yes, yes

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?
34k/yr
18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/medical school endowment aid available to students?
yes
19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds?
yes/yes
20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?
yes, touro has the best budget for students, allowing $35,000 for living expenses
21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?
yes
22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?
yes

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?
committees for all medical specialties & other stuff
24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?
yes
25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?
very active
Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?
yes
27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?
student pays
28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?
big time
Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?
look it up

Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of medicine (primary versus specialized care, urban versus rural practice environment, academic medicine versus private practice) that I will want to practice?
the school has strengths in orthopedics & specialties
31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)?
yes, henderson/vegas is a wonderful place to live, especially if you have a family. Henderson is one of the nicest/safest communities in this country
 
How about one for LMU-DCOM:D
 
Is there anyone here that can answer these questions about UNTHSC/TCOM? :)
 
Seems as if this thread is completely worthless now?
 
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