WVSOM vs Western COMP-NW Lebanon

[mrttihw]

Hey everyone!

The time has come to make a final decision, and open up a seat for one of our fellow applicants out there! I have received a great amount of feedback from some current students regarding both WVSOM and Western COMP-NW but would like to see if I can get any additional feedback from SDNer's who have some experience with both schools.

Both WVSOM and COMP-NW are about the same tuition for me as I am OOS. Each institution seemed to have a solid curriculum with 3rd year rotations in a regional setting, and 4th year OOS optional. Students at both schools seemed very content and had close interactions with their faculty on site. This is going to be a tough decision for me, as I want to make sure that I will have the necessary training and resources where I choose to matriculate. My initial deposit is due this evening, and any insight in the meantime would be great!

Any feedback/pros/cons would be much appreciated! Thank you!

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[gocougs339]

Unless you are from WV or have family nearby, COMP-NW hands down

 

[GopherFan14]

I have been agonizing over the same decision for the past 2 weeks. I will give you my pros/cons list:

Pros:
West Virginia: Robots, Early patient interaction, Standardized Patients, High COMLEX pass rate, Awesome anatomy lab, Free Gym, More than one building, Really cute town (Lewisburg)
COMP-NW: Lots of standardized patient contact, Anatomy faculty that have edited and had input in Anatomy books, More to do for a SO (my husband wants to get his PhD in engineering or physics...), closer to larger cities, higher COMLEX scores (I realize most of the stats are from the Pomona campus but I doubt they are going to be that different since they are the same class)

Cons:
West Virginia: Majority of Grads go into rural Med (Just seems to limit options), Alumni seem to be mostly in WV
COMP-NW: No robots, Only one building, No gym, Lebanon has very little to offer

Both have a low cost of living in the area and both have a lot of outdoor activities in close proximity.

For me, the opportunities later and the opportunity for my husband made COMP-NW the better decision. Again this is just my input and the things I thought about when I was making my decision. I hope this helps a little bit.

 

[mrttihw]

I have been agonizing over the same decision for the past 2 weeks. I will give you my pros/cons list:

Pros:
West Virginia: Robots, Early patient interaction, Standardized Patients, High COMLEX pass rate, Awesome anatomy lab, Free Gym, More than one building, Really cute town (Lewisburg)
COMP-NW: Lots of standardized patient contact, Anatomy faculty that have edited and had input in Anatomy books, More to do for a SO (my husband wants to get his PhD in engineering or physics...), closer to larger cities, higher COMLEX scores (I realize most of the stats are from the Pomona campus but I doubt they are going to be that different since they are the same class)

Cons:
West Virginia: Majority of Grads go into rural Med (Just seems to limit options), Alumni seem to be mostly in WV
COMP-NW: No robots, Only one building, No gym, Lebanon has very little to offer

Both have a low cost of living in the area and both have a lot of outdoor activities in close proximity.

For me, the opportunities later and the opportunity for my husband made COMP-NW the better decision. Again this is just my input and the things I thought about when I was making my decision. I hope this helps a little bit.

Thank you so much for your feedback! I have gone back and forth as well. They both seem like wonderful schools have their own unique advantages. Did you happen to see the difference in scores between 1st attempt and overall attempts for the COMLEX? I believe the first attempt at COMP-NW might be a little higher. I know it is not largely relevant, but it would be interesting to see.

I did actually hear that there is access to SIM robots at COMP-NW via the hospital across from campus. I know that it might not be the caliber of the facilities at WVSOM, but I also see the standardized patient experience as something that is more beneficial in regards to COMP-NW's curriculum. Additionally, although it is not 'free', COMP-NW does have a gym on campus, so that is a plus as well!


WVSOM:

Pros- Helpful faculty, extensive SIM lab training, patient encounters, early clinical involvement on campus, new facilities, tech support, low cost of living, gym, beautiful town, student satisfaction, wonderful anatomy facilities with special ventilation system, well-established curriculum, and an overall homey feel to the campus/town

Cons- Very desolate, large class size (200+), mandatory state-wide 3rd year clinical rotations, accessibility to/from larger towns

*I must say I really enjoyed WVSOM, and there is not much 'negative' that can be said about it

COMP-NW:

Pros- Rigorous standardized patient interactions, faculty/staff, low cost of living, proximity to hospital training site, streaming options, community involvement, strong rotation sites throughout NW, location/accessibility, small class size with individualized assistance, friendly community and staff

Cons- Streaming, factors that accompany distance learning/online office hours, smaller facilities, relatively newer program

I really appreciate your insight. You touched on a lot of the points I have been focusing on in the decision making process. I fell in love with WVSOM for their faculty and quality of lifestyle for their students. COMP-NW had just as wonderful leaders, and seemed to present a well-rounded curriculum that would provide a great educational background. This is going to be a tough decision, but I know it will pay off if I follow my instincts! I look forward to seeing you in the fall. Thank you again for your help!