pcom philly vs nova?

[mrjay]

hey guys - my deposit is due next week. i'm having a REALLY difficult time choosing between pcom philly and nova - they are both great schools. any thoughts? oh, and both schools are almost equally far from my hometown in texas...

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[nutcracker10]

PCOM has a reputation as being "better", but that's subjective and if you can't hack the cold, go for Nova.

 

[TerraMedicX]

Don't forget to think about other opportunities at the schools. I don't know about PCOM, but Nova offers these:

Research Fellowship: Complete work on a research project between your second and third years of school. You can either work on a project of your own, or work with faculty on their on-going projects. I believe that the school picks up your tuition for your last two years afterward, and you get first choice for rotation sites for your clinical years.

OMM Fellowship: Spend the year between your second and third year treating patients one-on-one with our OMM faculty. The OMM fellows do the bulk of the treatment in our OMM and sports medicine clinics, as well as assisting in teaching our OPP labs. In addition, afterward your third and fourth year tuition is payed for, and again you get priority in selecting your clinical site.

DO/MPH Program: Nova offers the opportunity to get concurrent degrees in DO and an MPH. Best part is, if you complete your MPH by the time you graduate, there is no cost to you! The classes are all in the evenings or online, and is very do-able in the schedule!

Other combined programs: There are programs for doing combined DO along with DMD, JD and MBA. I don't know much about any of those programs, but they're there.

There is also the "nice" weather... Although it probably DOES beat Philli!

I'm sure there's more...but I should probably be studying for finals and NOT fooling around on SDN!

Nate.

 

[ILikeFood]

hey guys - my deposit is due next week. i'm having a REALLY difficult time choosing between pcom philly and nova - they are both great schools. any thoughts? oh, and both schools are almost equally far from my hometown in texas...

Nova: Warm weather, hot women, huge campus.

PCOM: JPH and Bacchus' word.

If you don't go to Nova you hate children. You don't hate children, do you?

 

[Bacchus]

Since when is my word comparable to JPH's?

OP: PCOM, but I'm biased.

 

[MossPoh]

PCOM has the benefit of a ton of residency programs in a large variety of specialities within the same area. They also have a strong reputation and philly is a cool city. I can't say more than that about it since I haven't been there.

NSU has very nice facilities. Ties to an undergrad institution. Pretty strong rotation sites. Very diverse area (philly is diverse too but south florida beats it). Cheaper for instate. Required attendance and a dress code, albeit a relaxed dress code. Tons of other professional/health students. Much of the stuff is personal preference.

I'm willing to bet that PCOM will be favored. It gets a lot of love in these forums but it comes down to a gut feeling and where you can picture yourself living for a couple years. Philadelphia can be a little rough if you aren't used to the east coast personality. You'll learn that their sports fans take it to a whole new level if you're at a bar during an Eagles or Phils game.

 

[235750]

Don't forget to think about other opportunities at the schools. I don't know about PCOM, but Nova offers these:

Research Fellowship: Complete work on a research project between your second and third years of school. You can either work on a project of your own, or work with faculty on their on-going projects. I believe that the school picks up your tuition for your last two years afterward, and you get first choice for rotation sites for your clinical years.

OMM Fellowship: Spend the year between your second and third year treating patients one-on-one with our OMM faculty. The OMM fellows do the bulk of the treatment in our OMM and sports medicine clinics, as well as assisting in teaching our OPP labs. In addition, afterward your third and fourth year tuition is payed for, and again you get priority in selecting your clinical site.

DO/MPH Program: Nova offers the opportunity to get concurrent degrees in DO and an MPH. Best part is, if you complete your MPH by the time you graduate, there is no cost to you! The classes are all in the evenings or online, and is very do-able in the schedule!

Other combined programs: There are programs for doing combined DO along with DMD, JD and MBA. I don't know much about any of those programs, but they're there.

There is also the "nice" weather... Although it probably DOES beat Philli!

I'm sure there's more...but I should probably be studying for finals and NOT fooling around on SDN!

Nate.

PCOM also offers MPH, MBA, MS (biosciences) and PhD (health policy) joint degrees with the DO program. But, the classes are through St. Joseph's or USP. If anyone wants to see what schools offer joint degrees check this out. It's from AACOM so it's offical

That's crazy that NOVA offers an MPH joint program free of charge! Can you post evidence for that?? I looked on their site and couldn't find anything

PS- The Nicholas brothers (and really the whole line of Nicholas physicians) from PCOM literally wrote the book on OMM. PCOM has a fellowship and residency in OMM

 

[singinfifi]

That's crazy that NOVA offers an MPH joint program free of charge! Can you post evidence for that??

...do you...not believe him?

 

[235750]

...do you...not believe him?

Look, I am not saying that I don't trust him. But- if you claim that a program offers a free degree, I think I have the right to be sceptical! Wouldn't you agree?

 

[mrjay]

thanks for all of the input - it is boiling down to gut feeling and weather i guess. my undergraduate degree is from the northern east coast, so i do know what snow is like. yes, at nova you can earn a MPH free, concurrently with the DO degree and graduate in 4 yrs. that is not something i'm super interested in. can anyone shed any light on housing at either school?

 

[Bacchus]

There is no lack of housing around PCOM.

 

[mrjay]

hey bacchus - you seem to know a lot about pcom! have you lived around the area before? when i visited both campuses, i didn't rent a car and check out housing - now i'm kicking myself a little. i've searced online - it's seems like most places are high-rise older buildings - do most students live in center city? i know we get more info AFTER we turn in the deposit!! also, do you have any info on pass rates for the comlex? i didn't get that info for either place...

 

[Bacchus]

I'd assume the passrate for the comlex is in the 90s. Meaning, if you give a damn you should atleast pass it.

Check out this thead I found last night for housing info: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=501068

 

[mrjay]

haha. thanks bacchus - i'm going to check out some of those apts later!

 

[cliquesh]

I didn't look at that thread, but my tour guide said there was this cool, young professional, area about 10 mins from PCOM where a lot of the post-exam parties are and where a lot of second years live. I'm probably going try to live there, hah.

 

[Bacchus]

Manayunk is expensive, but that's the place you're talking about. Once you get into Montgomery County pricing goes up.

 

[singinfifi]

Look, I am not saying that I don't trust him. But- if you claim that a program offers a free degree, I think I have the right to be sceptical! Wouldn't you agree?

...Since Nate is a student at Nova, and has absolutely no reason whatsoever to lie to you....not really. But, whatever floats your boat!

I did some digging for you and unfortunately, I can't provide you with a link to anything that says that it's free for DO students. I just e-mailed the asst. dean about it and he said that it wasn't written online, but as we just had a speaker on it, and a meeting about it...I can say with absolute 100% confidence that it is in fact a free degree.

As for housing at nova, I don't live in student housing, but we have graduate dorms (that are about 650 a month I *think*) as well as a ton of apartments around school that are geared towards students. I'm the wrong person to talk to about housing though, I own a house about 5 miles from school. There are (from what I can see) lots of places to live near school and normally it's so nice out, you can walk/bike to school from any of them.

PCOM is a school a great reputation. Unfortunately, that's all I really know about it. What I know about Nova is that it's an absolutely wonderful place to be (I'm especially impressed with our faculty and my fellow students)

Good luck in your decision! Deciding between PCOM and WVSOM was hard for me, so I totally feel you (then, I finally made THAT choice and had to decided between WVSOM and Nova!) But hey, look at it this way: if this is the worst problem you have right now, life is freakin sweet!

 

[235750]

...Since Nate is a student at Nova, and has absolutely no reason whatsoever to lie to you....not really. But, whatever floats your boat!
I did some digging for you and unfortunately, I can't provide you with a link to anything that says that it's free for DO students. I just e-mailed the asst. dean about it and he said that it wasn't written online, but as we just had a speaker on it, and a meeting about it...I can say with absolute 100% confidence that it is in fact a free degree..

I think you misunderstand.

SDN should not be used as a fact-checking, or fact-gathering, tool. It is a great source of subjective opinions. It is also a good base to start your own research, much like wikipedia. The only thinkg I know about you singinfifi and TerraMedicX is what you know about me: that we all have valid email addresses and can use a keyboard and mouse. There are people on the internet that are less than 100% truthful (this includes SDN). What 'floats my boat' is concrete evidence for what is an amazing and incredible claim. If you truly are pursuing a career in the evidence-based science that is medicine, then you'll understand.

It seems to me that a free master's degree normally worth around $50,000 is (a) unheard of and (b), if true, is kind of a big selling point. It would seem odd...well, more like idiotic, if a school did not advertise that outstanding benefit. NOVA's school of public health is an accredited program which is huge. I accepted an invite to interview at NOVA, but I was not planning on going. But if what you say is true, then I'll pay the $600 for a ticket/hotel. I won't use you or Nate as my only reference point. I have emailed the admissions and I hope they get back to me.

In the mean time if someone else has some helpful information, please post! Thanks.

 

[m015094]

I think you misunderstand.

SDN should not be used as a fact-checking, or fact-gathering, tool. It is a great source of subjective opinions. It is also a good base to start your own research, much like wikipedia. The only thinkg I know about you singinfifi and TerraMedicX is what you know about me: that we all have valid email addresses and can use a keyboard and mouse. There are people on the internet that are less than 100% truthful (this includes SDN). What 'floats my boat' is concrete evidence for what is an amazing and incredible claim. If you truly are pursuing a career in the evidence-based science that is medicine, then you'll understand.

It seems to me that a free master's degree normally worth around $50,000 is (a) unheard of and (b), if true, is kind of a big selling point. It would seem odd...well, more like idiotic, if a school did not advertise that outstanding benefit. NOVA's school of public health is an accredited program which is huge. I accepted an invite to interview at NOVA, but I was not planning on going. But if what you say is true, then I'll pay the $600 for a ticket/hotel. I won't use you or Nate as my only reference point. I have emailed the admissions and I hope they get back to me.

In the mean time if someone else has some helpful information, please post! Thanks.

http://hpd.nova.edu/catalog/forms/college_of_osteopathic_medicine_catalog.pdf

page 64.

The MPH isn't "free" but it's doesn't cost the student anything. Yeah, that's what the Dean said.

 

[235750]

http://hpd.nova.edu/catalog/forms/college_of_osteopathic_medicine_catalog.pdf

page 64.

The MPH isn't "free" but it's doesn't cost the student anything. Yeah, that's what the Dean said.

Nice, thank you m015094!

So there is a scholarship available...that is a far cray from being a free program as others had claimed. I guess my next question is, how competitive is it and how many awards do they give out per applicant? I will copy/paste the response I get from NOVA.

Regardless of the number of awards they give, kudos to NOVA for funding public health education!

 

[m015094]

Nice, thank you m015094!

So there is a scholarship available...that is a far cray from being a free program as others had claimed. I guess my next question is, how competitive is it and how many awards do they give out per applicant? I will copy/paste the response I get from NOVA.

Regardless of the number of awards they give, kudos to NOVA for funding public health education!

When we talked to the Assistant Dean and the Dean they made it sound like it was available to all the people who wanted it and were in good academic standing. Usually ~20-30 per class (out of 230) want it.

 

[MossPoh]

Nice, thank you m015094!

So there is a scholarship available...that is a far cray from being a free program as others had claimed. I guess my next question is, how competitive is it and how many awards do they give out per applicant? I will copy/paste the response I get from NOVA.

Regardless of the number of awards they give, kudos to NOVA for funding public health education!

Its free. You get it if you want it. I haven't met one person that was rejected from it. They have it laid out nicely with the regular curriculum unlike the other master's programs they have. Its just that it is more work on an already busy schedule. It isn't a far cry from anything. It really is a free MPH if you want it. I won't pursue it because I have no interest in it and it won't do anything for my career goals. They might call it a "scholarship" but if you are accepted into the DO program and want it then you get it. It isn't like there are knife fights and competitions for 5 spots. I understand your hesitancy to believe it but its true. They made a big fuss about it during my interview. Any information you find on a school's website isn't any better many times. It could be 5 years old or just wrong in general.


Anything that is "Free" education wise is considered a scholarship. The funds have to come from somewhere. Its not like the teachers or administration are doing it for free. Much of it is online, so the cost is reduced quite a bit. There really is no reason or benefit to lie about it. It isn't for random people walking off the street. You have to be accepted into the DO (maybe DMD?) school. It'd be a pretty grand scheme to have you fly out, book a hotel, and interview if it were a lie. South Florida isn't hurting for tourism that much.

 

[235750]

Its free. You get it if you want it. I haven't met one person that was rejected from it. They have it laid out nicely with the regular curriculum unlike the other master's programs they have. Its just that it is more work on an already busy schedule. It isn't a far cry from anything. It really is a free MPH if you want it. I won't pursue it because I have no interest in it and it won't do anything for my career goals. They might call it a "scholarship" but if you are accepted into the DO program and want it then you get it. It isn't like there are knife fights and competitions for 5 spots. I understand your hesitancy to believe it but its true. They made a big fuss about it during my interview. Any information you find on a school's website isn't any better many times. It could be 5 years old or just wrong in general.


Anything that is "Free" education wise is considered a scholarship. The funds have to come from somewhere. Its not like the teachers or administration are doing it for free. Much of it is online, so the cost is reduced quite a bit. There really is no reason or benefit to lie about it. It isn't for random people walking off the street. You have to be accepted into the DO (maybe DMD?) school. It'd be a pretty grand scheme to have you fly out, book a hotel, and interview if it were a lie. South Florida isn't hurting for tourism that much.

Thanks for the information! So from your post, it sounds like it is easy to get.

Again, I think some people are taking me the wrong way. Information on the internet (including SDN forums) should not to be taken at face value. I don't go to places like this for facts to make life-altering decisions. You say there's no reason or benefit to lie: but look at previous posts!! There are people with vested interests, liars, and above all: trolls (the trouble makers, not the imaginary creatures). For goodness sake, my name here is IloveDrStill and yours is MossPoh! Laugh out loud! There is a certain amount of deception expected here, the internet is like one big single's bar or something. Also, dispite best intentions, people get things wrong all the time by either mishearing or misquoting, again with no malice involved.

By the way, I trust what the administration says to me directly and the content on their website. I don't think they, the administration from NOVA, are scheming at all, and I never implied that. All I was saying is that even if this MPH scholarship is a new, that seems like a poor excuse for not putting it on their website. Again, if it's this easy to get, they should be shouting it from the top of their lungs on the internet.

Also, if something is free it does not mean it's automatically a scholarship. I went to university abroad and my undergraduate degree was free as it is in most places in Europe. In many places education is considered a right. Also, I currently take classes in the US for free at the university I work at and it's most definitely not considered a scholarship. Again, it's considered a right, in this case, of all employees. To me, a scholarship denotes competitive spaces that are subsidized. Getting a scholarship is never guaranteed and involves a vetting process which connotes that it is a privilege and not a right.

And yes, I realize that it's not free for the school, but that's not really my concern! As I said in my previous post, I think it's great that they (NOVA) are funding this campaign.

 

[CuttinEmUp]

NSU-COM, of course

 

[Animus]

I'm a second year at pcom. Living is easy to find, do not live in Manayunk unless you have a driveway or guaranteed parking, there is no parking anywhere to be found in that sub. Lots of other places to go, sometimes a bit more expensive just depends, i live in beekman its a bit higher price but I pay only cable, no utils and i can walk to school in 5 mins.

Schools is good, I think the academics are a bit under what I hoped, they let people pass with grades I find lower than they should be. We have a lot of great affiliations though and your rotations, chance of residency are higher than average in philly as a DO because the school is so well known.

Need any more specifics or etc's let me know.

 

[pietachok]

NOVA's MPH is funded by public health funds from the state of Florida. When I was interviewed at NOVA, Dr. Blavo who runs the MPH program was my interviewer, and he was really pressing me to attend NOVA based on the FREE MPH program

NOVA is not the only institution that offers free Master's programs along with an M.D., so it is not "unheard of." The most common offering is a free M.Sc., and the one school I know offers that off the top of my head is Brown U.'s med school. Keep in mind that this is not usually that costly because these are schools that are already running the courses for tuition-paying Master's students...even cheaper in the case of NOVA where some of the courses are evidently online.