VCOM vs KCU vs CUSOM vs NOVA

[hopefulERdoc251]

Hey guys, it's another one of those stupid threads. I have interviews at VCOM/NOVA and have already received acceptances from CUSOM and KCU-COM. I was wondering if you guys could pitch in on some pro's and con's for VCOM and NOVA as it might compare to KCU/CUSOM. My little list as is currently:

KCU

Pros
- Amazing (albeit hard) curriculum- has yielded high board scores since it's implementation, and it's implementation at TCOM/RVUCOM
- Great feel from faculty/students
- strong rotations with variety (can rotate in Denver, Orlando, Kansas City, Ohio, Michigan)
- great reputation
- great facilities and sim labs
- not as primary care oriented

Con's
- area is slightly sketchy
- sort of far from home (but this is not as big of a deal for me)

CUSOM

Pro's
- Amazing feel for the environment
- Curriculum seems pretty good
- first board scores were pretty good
- they have some good rotation sites (WakeMed, Fayettesville)
- facilities are absolutely gorgeous
- administration is set on improving the school- they have lot of donor $$ from the main school (Campbell univ), and are very open to student concerns

Con's
- New school
- no residency placements
- heavy focus on primary care

Feel free to pitch in Thanks guys!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Hey guys, it's another one of those stupid threads. I have interviews at VCOM/NOVA and have already received acceptances from CUSOM and KCU-COM. I was wondering if you guys could pitch in on some pro's and con's for VCOM and NOVA as it might compare to KCU/CUSOM. My little list as is currently:

KCU

Pros
- Amazing (albeit hard) curriculum- has yielded high board scores since it's implementation, and it's implementation at TCOM/RVUCOM
- Great feel from faculty/students
- strong rotations with variety (can rotate in Denver, Orlando, Kansas City, Ohio, Michigan)
- great reputation
- great facilities and sim labs
- not as primary care oriented

Con's
- area is slightly sketchy
- sort of far from home (but this is not as big of a deal for me)

CUSOM

Pro's
- Amazing feel for the environment
- Curriculum seems pretty good
- first board scores were pretty good
- they have some good rotation sites (WakeMed, Fayettesville)
- facilities are absolutely gorgeous
- administration is set on improving the school- they have lot of donor $$ from the main school (Campbell univ), and are very open to student concerns

Con's
- New school
- no residency placements
- heavy focus on primary care

Feel free to pitch in Thanks guys!

KCU or Nova would be my pick if location isn't a big deal. More opportunities from the older schools.

 

[AlteredScale]

Beach or BBQ is going to be the biggest issue here. NOVA is a great school, with the new MD school being built, idk how thatll work through but it may end with some great research opps. CUSOM is also awesome but it is new still. i like that you can rotate at WakeMed.

go wherever will give you the best clinical experience!

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Beach or BBQ is going to be the biggest issue here. NOVA is a great school, with the new MD school being built, idk how thatll work through but it may end with some great research opps. CUSOM is also awesome but it is new still. i like that you can rotate at WakeMed.

go wherever will give you the best clinical experience!

NSUCOM is building a research building so that should be good and is also building a small hospital (eventually!)

 

[0dee]

KCU >>>>>>>>>> NOVA > CUSOM > VCOM

 

[AlteredScale]

NSUCOM is building a research building so that should be good and is also building a small hospital (eventually!)

That is awesome! Was there a news update for this on their website?

 

[SlugMD]

Hey guys, it's another one of those stupid threads. I have interviews at VCOM/NOVA and have already received acceptances from CUSOM and KCU-COM. I was wondering if you guys could pitch in on some pro's and con's for VCOM and NOVA as it might compare to KCU/CUSOM. My little list as is currently:

KCU

Pros
- Amazing (albeit hard) curriculum- has yielded high board scores since it's implementation, and it's implementation at TCOM/RVUCOM
- Great feel from faculty/students
- strong rotations with variety (can rotate in Denver, Orlando, Kansas City, Ohio, Michigan)
- great reputation
- great facilities and sim labs
- not as primary care oriented

Con's
- area is slightly sketchy
- sort of far from home (but this is not as big of a deal for me)

CUSOM

Pro's
- Amazing feel for the environment
- Curriculum seems pretty good
- first board scores were pretty good
- they have some good rotation sites (WakeMed, Fayettesville)
- facilities are absolutely gorgeous
- administration is set on improving the school- they have lot of donor $$ from the main school (Campbell univ), and are very open to student concerns

Con's
- New school
- no residency placements
- heavy focus on primary care

Feel free to pitch in Thanks guys!

How did you find out about CUSOM's board averages? Are they posted somewhere?

I would go KCU then Nova over CUSOM or VCOM.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

Hmm this is all interesting stuff! Thanks guys! Right now I'm leaning towards KCU because I personally think I'll be extremely distracted at Fort Lauderdale with the constantly warm weather hahah. Also I like the atmosphere of the midwest more from my experience so far. KCU's rotations are extremely strong, and other than the ones in Kansas City, I don't think you're really competing against other students. KCU does have research opportunities at their own little building and at the nearby research consortium with other students. Also I do like that they have the masters of bioethics that we can do as well. IDK #firstworldproblems.

 

[AlteredScale]

Hmm this is all interesting stuff! Thanks guys! Right now I'm leaning towards KCU because I personally think I'll be extremely distracted at Fort Lauderdale with the constantly warm weather hahah. Also I like the atmosphere of the midwest more from my experience so far. KCU's rotations are extremely strong, and other than the ones in Kansas City, I don't think you're really competing against other students. KCU does have research opportunities at their own little building and at the nearby research consortium with other students. Also I do like that they have the masters of bioethics that we can do as well. IDK #firstworldproblems.

KCU has a few active investigator's right now. They took one from Rush Medical Center doing ALS work in animal models. Planning to expand their research rapidly as well!

 

[austintr]

Second what AlteredScale has noted...and he is a pretty good source of info for KCU-related inquiries. KC actually has a great biomed/research community and I work for a CRO doing research for both KCUMB and UMKC right now. If you end up in the KC area, make sure you go to How's KC BBQ (formerly Oklahoma Joe's). Next to the red-hot Royals right now, it's the best thing in town! Good luck with your decision, even worst case scenario for you is pretty good at this point!

 

[austintr]

Edit: Joe's KC BBQ, not How's. Another casualty of autocorrect, I'm afraid...

 

[asdf123g]

KCU >>>>>>>>>> NOVA > CUSOM > VCOM

why do you say CUSOM>VCOM-VC??

How did you find out about CUSOM's board averages? Are they posted somewhere?

No official source that anyone is aware of. Word of mouth (posted by supposed CUSOM students, who knows if any of it is true) is that, "94.1% pass rate with 23% scoring above 600 (5% scoring above 700) and 61% scoring above 500. Only 9 students scored below 400." Source CUSOM thread.

 

[I-said-doctor]

KCU >>>>>>>>>> NOVA > CUSOM > VCOM

Could you expand a bit on the "KCU >>>>>>>>>> NOVA" part, please? I have been accepted at both and now have to choose between the two!

 

[0dee]

why do you say CUSOM>VCOM-VC?? .

Although I like the semi affiliation between VCOM and VTech, but I don't like how they emphasize primary medicine, with the lack of support for MS4 students.

CUSOM has a strong affiliation with wakemed and another regional hospital that i forgot its name. Also, imo CUSOM has better rotation sites and opportunities for their students.

 

[0dee]

Could you expand a bit on the "KCU >>>>>>>>>> NOVA" part, please? I have been accepted at both and now have to choose between the two!

The way their curriculum is set up, their board scores, and their rotations. I prefer downtown KC over fort Lauderdale as well. But you would be better off asking current students as I am just a pre med.

 

[Henry101]

Nova isn't building the hospital. They canceled the plans a year ago because the other nearby hospitals protested the city that there was no need for a new hospital.
Also, the new research building isn't directly affiliated with the Health professional department. The majority will be dedicated to marine ecology and technology. But, it's still pretty cool!

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

That is awesome! Was there a news update for this on their website?

It's called the center for collaborative research.

http://www.nova.edu/research/ccr/

It's part of the universities vision 2020

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflo...ans-to-move-plantation-hospital-near-nsu.html

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Nova isn't building the hospital. They canceled the plans a year ago because the other nearby hospitals protested the city that there was no need for a new hospital.
Also, the new research building isn't directly affiliated with the Health professional department. The majority will be dedicated to marine ecology and technology. But, it's still pretty cool!

Last time I spoke with hanbury there was some hiccups and plantation was causing some problems but they were lobbying for it but last I heard they managed to work this out. The emergency facility has already been built.


The center of collaborative research will focus on many things but medicine will be apart of it. The newely built oceanographic research center (completely different building not on the main campus) will be where must marine bio research will be going on.


http://www.nova.edu/president/initiatives.html

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

The way their curriculum is set up, their board scores, and their rotations. I prefer downtown KC over fort Lauderdale as well. But you would be better off asking current students as I am just a pre med.

Fort Lauderdale is nice if you like the beach,weather, and can look past some of the floridaness. By Nova is nice also. Devolping area.

 

[cliquesh]

Kcu or nova.

 

[Henry101]

Last time I spoke with hanbury there was some hiccups and plantation was causing some problems but they were lobbying for it but last I heard they managed to work this out. The emergency facility has already been built.

That's interesting. I don't have any friends there that could give me firsthand information but when I was researching schools, I found out that there was big friction against getting the hospital up and running and the city was refusing to subsidize it because there are already 2 hospitals in the vicinity that aren't fully occupied. Even if they start building a hospital, I doubt it would be up and running for this cycle's students to take advantage of.
Texas and Florida are the two strictest states when it comes to the state government regulating medical facilities, licensures, and education.

 

[Henry101]

Oh, and, to the OP, check each school's attendance policy and testing schedules. Nova has mandatory attendance and weekly testing. I'm not sure about the rest but it's a really important distinction between the schools.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

I know NSU has required classes with the weekly exams. KCU i've heard like inconsistent things and was wondering if anybody could pitch in. Is it that classes are not mandatory and that lectures are recorded if like >50% of people attend lecture or indicated o/w by the professor? I know KCU has the weekly exams also and literally every doc/resident/med student i've talked to told me that lecture is quite possibly the biggest waste of time on the planet.

 

[I-said-doctor]

Oh, and, to the OP, check each school's attendance policy and testing schedules. Nova has mandatory attendance and weekly testing. I'm not sure about the rest but it's a really important distinction between the schools.

For Nova, I think it's weekly testing for first year and then switches to a block schedule for second year, no?

 

[Henry101]

For Nova, I think it's weekly testing for first year and then switches to a block schedule for second year, no?

I believe so. I know Nova has a lot of mandatory stuff for 1st year students which, when added to the attendance schedule, students are usually in class/at clinic from 8AM to 6PM almost every weekday. It's like the total opposite of LECOM haha.

Here's what a first year had to say about her time at Nova so far. Hope it helps.

I'm a first year at Nova so can write a brief review, but can't add too much detail. I would say that EVERYTHING that ILoveFood (think that was the name) said in her review still holds true. That review is gold. Read it carefully!

There are certain things I love and hate about Nova.

In the love category:
1) The campus. Honestly, it's one of the most beautiful I've seen.
2) The fact that we get early access to Standardized Patients.
3) My classmates. So far they've been great.
4) The OPP professor is exceptional and I like the course more than I expected.
5) The new dean is great and I generally like her lectures when she gives them.
6) The upper classmen will do their best to help you (they have study tables and such to help you along).

In the hate/dislike category:
1) I'm not a big fan of Davie. It's a hard transition from a big city. It varies from hot/humid to downpours and there are mosquitos and lizards and the like.
2) With a few exceptions, the first year professors have been weak overall imho (I agree with the earlier review that the first year is hell and (based on seeing the second years at least) the second year seems much better (they have a block schedule and not weekly tests).
3) Extra classes / requirements. We have a lot of these. I had to go to a museum the day before my immunology exam, do physician shadowing the day before my physiology exam and the like. I wish, at least for the first semester, they'd cut down on these till people can adapt to the med school workload (especially for non-trad students).
4) I hate the schedule of test after test after test week in and week out. I actually thought I would really like this (less material per test) and it was a large reason I chose Nova, but the problem is if you realize at the time of the first test you aren't studying right or (worse) aren't studying enough, there is little time to troubleshoot.
5) There have been a lot of problems with lectures not recording properly or at all this year. It truly sucks. They are switching systems so this may get better.
6) There are quite a number of students that are remediating first year. With all the requirements it's not too surprising that passing becomes very hard. I feel that often times I'm not given enough time to study. If I were to do it again, I would look for a school with the least extra classes and make sure schools focus on board relevant material.

I can't comment much beyond the above as a first year, but the earlier NSU review is great.

Disclaimer: Everyone is going to have something they like or don't like about their DO school. I chose Nova based on location (didn't get into any of my state schools which I would have gone to in a heartbeat over Nova) and the weekly test schedule (thought it would make things easier). Ironically, both things I actually don't like about the school. I will say this: think long and hard about what you are capable of handling. I liked the idea of many things (classes outside of science... physician shadowing and the like), but now that I am in the midst of it the reality is that we have so little time, I'd rather dedicate it toward core science.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Not all classes at Nova are mandatory. During the week the required classes are OPP lecture, OPP lab, histology lab, Humanism (which lasts half the semester) and a class called FACR (for the first half of the year... you'll be asking yourself... what is FACR... then suddenly you'll see it has an exam show up on your schedule and you realize you don't know what it stands for or what you learned... Foundations and Applications of Clinical Reasoning apparently, and magically you'll end up with a very high grade on this exam).

That said, we had problems with recorded lectures this year so skipping class wasn't ideal. It was theoretically possible that you skip class and then there is no recording of that class (happened to me). They are changing systems so hopefully this gets better (can't say). The profs hand out note packets, but they are too detailed... I really wish we had a note-taking service.

I think Nova is a great school is you fall into the falling category:
- Have a strong recent science background. You are going to struggle tremendously here if you do not as you aren't given time to study class material, let alone build currency in course knowledge. With test after test after test after test, you don't have much time to correct things.
- You don't rely on strong teaching. This might only be for the first year, but our faculty is part of the health professions and not specific to COM. That means your science profs also teach dentistry, optometry etc. As such, some classes don't follow the BRS book as closely as I have seen at some other schools (this varies from class to class... some classes follow them better than others).
- You have the ability to take on a lot of extra activities. There are several miscellaneous activities week in and week out.
- You like the suburbs and can deal with the heat and humidity. Ideally, you are from FL or have spent time here. While South Beach isn't far, med school and the town of Davie have absolutely no resemblance to that lifestyle. Davie is not a real city, but has the basics (Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and the like).
- You are ok with passing classes via curves. The exam avgs so far here have been lower than what my friends at other schools are reporting. I personally would rather see easier tests, but that's my own preference.

I was offered interviews at both Campbell and VCOM-CC which I turned down. I think Nova is a better pick, but KCU might be a better pick than Nova given they have fewer outside requirements. Don't get hung up on location (I did and regret it), you'll basically only have time to know the med school and the library... you could go to med school on the moon and it wouldn't matter. The exception of course is if you have a spouse or kids that can't re-locate out of a certain area.

I believe so. I know Nova has a lot of mandatory stuff for 1st year students which, when added to the attendance schedule, students are usually in class/at clinic from 8AM to 6PM almost every weekday. It's like the total opposite of LECOM haha.

Here's what a first year had to say about her time at Nova so far. Hope it helps.

 

[Oh_Gee]

I know NSU has required classes with the weekly exams. KCU i've heard like inconsistent things and was wondering if anybody could pitch in. Is it that classes are not mandatory and that lectures are recorded if like >50% of people attend lecture or indicated o/w by the professor? I know KCU has the weekly exams also and literally every doc/resident/med student i've talked to told me that lecture is quite possibly the biggest waste of time on the planet.

@AlteredScale ?

 

[AlteredScale]

@AlteredScale ?

The rule is there needs to be attendance that is greater than 50%, however that's really based on the attendance they take sporadically. So you never know when they'll take attendance with the clickers.

Honestly I try to show up because my study schedule calls for it.