TouroCOM Middletown vs. LECOM Erie

[Medic133]

Hi All,
I couldn't find an exact thread comparing these 2 schools that wasn't over 5 years old, I was hoping for a fresh perspective. I have been accepted to both schools and am having a hard time deciding between the two. My thoughts:

Touro Middletown
Pros: Dorms (convenient, cheap, no commute), caring faculty and administration, new hospital/affiliated site nearby, genuine sense of community, great plastination lab and sim lab, liked the flipped curriculum style

Cons: New campus, the building with the school in it is still mostly vacant and the library/classrooms are all in the basement, heard about some of the "growing pains" while I was on the tour related to quality of meal plan and uncertainty about rotation sites/residency placement since this campus hasn't graduated a class yet, more expensive than LECOM.

LECOM Erie
Pros: Accepted to PBL (problem-based learning) which fits my learning style, much cheaper tuition, more established school/reputation

Cons: "Big brother" style administration, my student guide directly told me and another visitor to "not go there" because of some of the problems with the administration, much larger class size/lack of community feel.

Thank you to anyone who is able to provide comments or a new perspective.

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[AlteredScale]

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[ClassicJandT]

Hi All,
I couldn't find an exact thread comparing these 2 schools that wasn't over 5 years old, I was hoping for a fresh perspective. I have been accepted to both schools and am having a hard time deciding between the two. My thoughts:

Touro Middletown
Pros: Dorms (convenient, cheap, no commute), caring faculty and administration, new hospital/affiliated site nearby, genuine sense of community, great plastination lab and sim lab, liked the flipped curriculum style

Cons: New campus, the building with the school in it is still mostly vacant and the library/classrooms are all in the basement, heard about some of the "growing pains" while I was on the tour related to quality of meal plan and uncertainty about rotation sites/residency placement since this campus hasn't graduated a class yet, more expensive than LECOM.

LECOM Erie
Pros: Accepted to PBL (problem-based learning) which fits my learning style, much cheaper tuition, more established school/reputation

Cons: "Big brother" style administration, my student guide directly told me and another visitor to "not go there" because of some of the problems with the administration, much larger class size/lack of community feel.

Thank you to anyone who is able to provide comments or a new perspective.

I would select LECOM Erie because of the significant cost savings ($90- 100K over 4 years). There is no way that Touro Middletown is worth taking on that extra debt. As far as the cons that you listed for LECOM Erie, to be honest they don't really apply to you because as a PBL student you will be very limited in your day to day dealings with the administration (2-3 hrs/ day, 3 times a week). PBL is a great way to reap the benefits of LECOM while avoiding having to deal with a lot of their bs.

 

[DantheManimal]

If PBL fits your learning style, the I think you have your answer. Middletown couldn't be less PBL. In fact, you have to Learn most of it on your own through lecture videos. And like @ClassicJandT said, much cheaper to go to LECOM

 

[Medic133]

@ClassicJandT and @DantheManimal thank you both for your responses. If I could, can I ask for a few elaborations? Classic, can you describe more of the "LECOM bs" and what exactly that entails? Dan, I actually like the concept of Middletown's flipped classroom at face value as well, but what I have had a hard time grasping from multiple conversations with students at both schools is exactly what each learning style entails. Any ideas there? I agree cost is a big factor. One thing I forgot to mention is I was browsing the match lists and it appears Touro does quite well match-wise (of course this is using data from Harlem only...) but it seems there are more recognizable names on the Touro list and LECOM has a lot of placement to smaller and more rural centers (one of the aims of osteopathic medicine as a whole, but still...a factor). Any thoughts there?

http://lecom.edu/about-lecom/lecom-accreditation/post-graduate-match/

https://tourocom.touro.edu/academics/do-program/the-match/match-results/

 

[Medic133]

Also @DantheManimal couldn't help but notice you are active on the Touro Middletown thread, what were your thoughts on Touro?

 

[DantheManimal]

Also @DantheManimal couldn't help but notice you are active on the Touro Middletown thread, what were your thoughts on Touro?

Middletown puts you in rotations that are rural as well for the most part from what I was told. Orange County Regional, and then a few that are further out. Getting urban residencies in NY is tough with MD, DO, and especially Carribean saturation. A lot of schools from the Carrib have contracts with many of the hospitals so it's tough. Middletown obviously hasn't graduated a class yet, but I would expect more rural/upstate residency matching. I liked Touro a lot, being away from the city but not too far away for the times you get a chance to breathe (which from what I was told isn't very often lol) I like flipped classroom personally, so the idea of it works for me but I think it doesn't for a lot of people. I like to digest things individually and then converse with others and opposed to PBL which is pure teamwork learning.

 

[fuksalt]

I'm currently deciding between these two schools...do you mind saying which one you chose and why?