KCOM vs. MU-COM

[IUagd12]

So I'm having a pretty tough time deciding between my two acceptances at this point - KCOM and MU-COM. As of now I'm going to withdraw my applications from all but three schools I'm still waiting to hear from. In the meantime, I need to decide where to place a deposit before Dec. 15. I would love to get some insight from others who have had to make a similar choice (established vs. new school) or just get some general feedback.

As far as KCOM goes...what's not to love? My interview day here was fantastic. Everyone was extremely friendly and accommodating. I'm really impressed by the rotations, faculty, etc. A little more expensive than Marian but cost of living is cheap. Curriculum is mostly discipline-based as I understand it but they tried to organize it in systems. While I'm completely comfortable living in a small town, I'm not too crazy about living in the middle of MO.

Marian is making it really hard to say no to, though. I have strong ties to the state and I love Indianapolis - plus it's MUCH closer to home and family so I'll have a large support system in place. As far as new schools go, they seem to really have it together - state-of-the-art facilities/tech., rotations at strong hospitals in Indiana, support from the community, experienced faculty/staff.

Basically, does a strong support system in medical school trump attending a strong, established school?

I appreciate everyone's insights!

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[Mosonik]

In my HUMBLE opinion..
You are right, you can't go wrong with KCOM. You can expect a quality education from them.
However with your strong roots in Indiana I would say you should go with MU COM (especially
knowing first hand how well they are coming along). If you have any interest in doing residency/
establishing a career in Indiana, you will not network and make better relationships than if you attend
there (not that it's impossible if you go to KCOM).
I encourage you to put the SDN drama about new schools aside and consider all the facts for yourself. As a fellow 2017 who chose a new school over some of the oldest/established ones in the DO world, I
know there can be uncertainties with a new program. However, if you do your research and base everything on FACT you will see there isn't as much of a risk as some suggest.

There is no one right choice for everyone. You won't be crazy for choosing either, just count yourself blessed you have a choice to begin with

 

[IUagd12]

In my HUMBLE opinion..
You are right, you can't go wrong with KCOM. You can expect a quality education from them.
However with your strong roots in Indiana I would say you should go with MU COM (especially
knowing first hand how well they are coming along). If you have any interest in doing residency/
establishing a career in Indiana, you will not network and make better relationships than if you attend
there (not that it's impossible if you go to KCOM).
I encourage you to put the SDN drama about new schools aside and consider all the facts for yourself. As a fellow 2017 who chose a new school over some of the oldest/established ones in the DO world, I
know there can be uncertainties with a new program. However, if you do your research and base everything on FACT you will see there isn't as much of a risk as some suggest.

There is no one right choice for everyone. You won't be crazy for choosing either, just count yourself blessed you have a choice to begin with

Amen to having choices...I clearly didn't anticipate having this decision-making problem. I should clarify that while I do have strong ties to Indiana, it is my ultimate goal to complete residency/practice medicine in Ohio, specifically Cincinnati. Indy is definitely #2 on my list of places to practice but I don't want to limit myself to just one location by attending this school. I do like that KCOM has rotation sites in Ohio since they are partnered with OUHCOM, of which I have heard wonderful things about the CORE system.

Thanks for the input!

 

[GypsyHummus]

In my opinion:

From what it seems like, MUCOM is getting RAVE reviews, not only on SDN, but IRL lol. The people that I talked to absolutely cant wait to start there. Also, I have been to Indy b4, and there is a LOT of stuff to do lol.

Go where you can see yourself for the next 4 years.

If it was me personally? I would choose MUCOM. I love the midwest, I think it would be fun to live in indy, and it seems MUCOM really wants their students to succeed.

 

[cablackf]

I have the exact same dilemma in a different thread. I have to make a choice between ATSU and Marian. At the moment I am leaning toward Marian simply because it seems to be in high demand and is getting excellent reviews. Remember the faculty is well established and several of the professors came from ATSU-SOMA and other various colleges. It is the only DO school in the state so you would be a part of that development. Indiana is not great compared to Phoenix as it is my home state with all of my family and friends. PM me and let me know what you have decided since mail would have to be submitted today to make deposit.