UNECOM: The most expensive COM in the known universe.

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Honestly I don't buy this- sure it sounds very logical, but the fact that LECOM has almost no research going on (I think there is one lab- correct me if I'm wrong), AND still has the ability to charge its students only 25,000 a year- a sum that is MUCH cheaper than the rest of other osteopathic schools just makes me question what's going on with these ridiculous tuition increases.
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SomeDoc said:
Honestly I don't buy this- sure it sounds very logical, but the fact that LECOM has almost no research going on (I think there is one lab- correct me if I'm wrong), AND still has the ability to charge its students only 25,000 a year- a sum that is MUCH cheaper than the rest of other osteopathic schools just makes me question what's going on with these ridiculous tuition increases.
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Research funding doesn't come from tuition. The University gives little if anything to the research. Also profs claim that they don't get payed well!!!

UNE is not in the middle of a city, so I can't imagine rent or land being expensive, maybe all the heating in the winter. I give credit to LECOM (25,000, say going up 2k/y =112K for 4 years) vs. other schools (starting with 40,000, up 2k/y=172K) difference of 60k, kind of payes for housing and food for 4 years.
 
Having all the medical programs on one campus.. and having rotations at MMC... Hmmmmmm!!!! what a thought!!!
 
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My (none expert) impression of Maine in general.. is not a mover and shaker state. This is where people don't like things being changed. Don't ROCK the BOAT... just sit there. I went to MMC research facilities.. and they don't seem too excited about doing major changes or a major impact on the world of research. Kind of got the impression that if you want to do grown breaking research, go down I95 and visit boston... Again this is just my opinion.
 
Jack Daniel said:
UNECOM has the wonderful opportunity to be in a state with no competing MD school and has the potential for great medical training opportunities at Maine Med--which is about 20 minutes away (for those of you not familiar with UNECOM). But who does Maine Med train? MD students from Vermont, 2 states away.
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I thought UNECOM students got to rotate at MMC for their 3rd and 4th year!? :confused:
 
MMC offers a few spots to those people that are in the southern maine rotation clinical training center... this coming year there are 15 people that are staying in southern maine. they go to sites all over southern maine, from Lewiston, down to York, and in between (including some rotations at portland, it all depends on the specific southern maine track you get)...

MMC has a long standing contractual obligations to UVM to train their students for 3rd year. The southern maine CTC students get what MMC can fit into their schedule. however like we've talked about on this board, it'd be nice to see more and more southern maine/MMC rotations.

There are 12 sites all over the North East United States for 3rd year (for next year we have Reading PA, Newerk NJ, Berkshires MA, Utica NY, Cooperstown NY, Watertown NY, Augusta ME, Bangor ME, Southern ME, Providence RI, Johnson City NY - again this is subject to change) - sites are chosen by a lottery system - too complicated to explain on here.
 
Land not expensive?? docbill... it's ON THE FREAKIN' COAST. Try looking at home prices on the freakin' coast of Maine -- million dollar properties on a postage stamp. I saw a LOT - no house, just a LOT - near UNE and it was going for a quarter million with no amenities. No electricity run to the property yet (that'll cost you an extra $15K). No sewer lines (that's another $20K including tap fees). No driveway. No potable water. You're looking at another $60K in expenses just to get it ready to build on.

Not expensive??? Aspen, CO is almost cheaper!!!!! What you been smokin' since you've been gone?
 
Regardless of neighborhood, in general, coastline property= ridiculously expensive
 
however, move away from the coast and you start to drop in price... go like into biddeford and it's not quite as expensive... farther in keeps dropping in price. (that's a very rough rule though)
 
theraball said:
Medical schools are expensive because they have rather expensive staff (scientists and physicians), expensive facilities (anatomy labs, histology labs, research labs, libraries), and a large bureaucracy to steer students through a complex four years of courses and clerkships. As someone pointed out above, the lack of endowments funded by wealthy alumni is a big problem.
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UNECOM professor salaries have not increased that much since the late 1970s (less thanthe rate of inflation) so paying the professors is not the reason. Addditionally, no new facilities have been built since 1996 and the tuition has consistently increased almost double the rate of inflation annually. Making the financial records available would be interesting as it may help shed some light on this opportunity for improvement.

I like the school and appreciate the opportunities it has given me, but wonder about the rate at which tuition has skyrocketed. I will continue to support the school, but hope it will take steps to address or explain the annual increases in tuition.


Wook
 
jonb12997 said:
MMC offers a few spots to those people that are in the southern maine rotation clinical training center... this coming year there are 15 people that are staying in southern maine. they go to sites all over southern maine, from Lewiston, down to York, and in between (including some rotations at portland, it all depends on the specific southern maine track you get)...
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When I did the southern Maine rotation thing, I never felt any of the DO vs MD thing. The attendings were excellent teachers and I enjoyed the UVM students.

It would be nice to have more slots over at Maine Med but I suspect that will be a slow process.


Wook
 
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WVSOM = 47,000 for out of state peoples
AZCOM = about 42,000 this year...they are working on a lot of projects I guess
 
SomeDoc said:
...In fact, UNE's webpage has MMC in Portland listed as a clinical training center for FP, IM, OBGYN, and PSY... can someone confirm if this is true? :confused:

http://www.une.edu/com/clinical/rotations.asp
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When I was at the school it is a site where the folks who got the southern Maine track do some of their rotations.

Have to defer to someone else to see if this is still the case.

Wook
 
Jack Daniel said:
I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but this is what's so annoying about UNECOM's status quo. Just 20 minutes up the road awaits a big medical center full of Vermont students. UNECOM has the potential to burst out of "quite the DO thing" and position itself as an extraordinary DO school. If a student has the chance to choose between a 25-30K DO school with no big medical center, or UNECOM at ~40K with a big medical center---UNECOM would be a bargain!
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This will never happen. UNE doesn't support their students enough in their clinical years to make it worth MMC's time to be a full-fledged clinical training site...at least this was the jist of a conversation I had with a 'higher-up' at MMC. Anyone who rotates through MMC will see all of the structure that UVM has worked to put in place: hospital orientations, daily/weekly didactics, specific requirements regarding H&P's, types of pts seen, etc... UNE students show up and our training consists going to lectures that are part of the UVM clinical program (which the faculty at MMC are kind enough to let UNE students attend). Honestly, it's embarrassing... While I do think that your clinical years are 'what you make of them', I'm hopeful that we'll eventually get a new Dean of COM who will work to strengthen the clinical side of UNECOM. I'm not sure if it's lacking structure, leadership or something else, but it definately needs some fine-tuning.
 
innominata said:
This will never happen. UNE doesn't support their students enough in their clinical years to make it worth MMC's time to be a full-fledged clinical training site...at least this was the jist of a conversation I had with a 'higher-up' at MMC. Anyone who rotates through MMC will see all of the structure that UVM has worked to put in place: hospital orientations, daily/weekly didactics, specific requirements regarding H&P's, types of pts seen, etc... UNE students show up and our training consists going to lectures that are part of the UVM clinical program (which the faculty at MMC are kind enough to let UNE students attend). Honestly, it's embarrassing...
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Interesting point.


Wook
 
innominata said:
This will never happen. UNE doesn't support their students enough in their clinical years to make it worth MMC's time to be a full-fledged clinical training site...at least this was the jist of a conversation I had with a 'higher-up' at MMC. Anyone who rotates through MMC will see all of the structure that UVM has worked to put in place: hospital orientations, daily/weekly didactics, specific requirements regarding H&P's, types of pts seen, etc... UNE students show up and our training consists going to lectures that are part of the UVM clinical program (which the faculty at MMC are kind enough to let UNE students attend). Honestly, it's embarrassing... While I do think that your clinical years are 'what you make of them', I'm hopeful that we'll eventually get a new Dean of COM who will work to strengthen the clinical side of UNECOM. I'm not sure if it's lacking structure, leadership or something else, but it definately needs some fine-tuning.
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The problems you wrote about seem like simple ones to address and correct. I think a dean would be in a good position to start the ball rolling.

I can see how you'd feel let down by the school in this situation. Does admin support students in other UNECOM affiliated training programs, just not MMC, or do you have the same perceptions across the board?
 
Jack Daniel said:
The problems you wrote about seem like simple ones to address and correct. I think a dean would be in a good position to start the ball rolling.

I can see how you'd feel let down by the school in this situation. Does admin support students in other UNECOM affiliated training programs, just not MMC, or do you have the same perceptions across the board?
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On the surface these seem like simple problems to rectify, but it takes a great deal of time, $ and committment to create a really strong core site at any given hospital. In addition to MMC attendings holding faculty appointments at UVM COM, UVM also has people in staff positions at the hospital to help facilitate the whole process. It really is a pretty finely tuned process. UNE may desire this for their own students, but no one i know has seen any progress toward this happening. In fact, this year some UNE students were originally scheduled to do sx core rotations at MMC, but at the last minute they all 'blew up'; the cause was never really explained. Seems like a step in the opposite direction to me.

Regarding your question of admin supporting clinical students, my experience is that this issue is a plague of sorts for UNECOM. I've seen substantial shortcomings in many of the core/selective sites that I've rotated through, as well as ones that have a UNECOM affiliation (others who are in our OPTI - I hope I'm using the right jargon...). Even in talking to attendings at Mercy hospital, another hospital in portland where UNE has a 1 year rotating internship program, I've heard talk of frustration and disappointment for the lack of support/structure that the school offers to it's residency program.

I think it's still possible to get a decent clinical education at UNECOM...I just wish that the school was as eager to support their clinical students as they are to take our tuition money (now up to ~40k for the 2007-08 school year).
 
Its nice to see that other schools are at least putting the money back into their students. At KCUMB (UHS) that wasn't the case for my class...

Nearly 2 years ago, we showed up to check-in for our 2nd year & low and behold tuition had increased $3000 to nearly $37K! We didn't see any new technology or supplements to our education. Oh wait, I take that back- we did see a huge, new plasma TV in the OMM lab. This doen't count though, b/c it's facing opposite the students & sits 15 feet from the instructors, so that they can see themselves as they're being filmed! :confused:

What is most infuriating about this crazy tuition hike, is that during the prior year we had lost 5 EXCELLENT & extremely qualified instructors due to administrative politics. It was devastating to our quality of education... for example, we lost our ONLY immunology instructor who was replaced with a community college professor who tried, but had NO CLUE what to teach to med students. Needless to say, the education we received during our MSII year wasn't worth $37 let alone $37K. The $1500 I spent on a KAPLAN review course saved my hide that year! The class of 2008 was paying more and receiving less. FYI- They did build a fake-patient lab for classes below us to use, but why did WE pay for it? After all, they upped the 2009 class size to 250 & the 2010 class to 280+. They're getting plenty of money & squeezing people in like sardines (6-7 people at an anatomy tank)!

Sorry for the long rant- I guess I just thought it might make you all feel better if you saw how much worse it could be. :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
 
Its nice to see that other schools are at least putting the money back into their students. At KCUMB (UHS) that wasn't the case for my class...

Nearly 2 years ago, we showed up to check-in for our 2nd year & low and behold tuition had increased $3000 to nearly $37K! We didn't see any new technology or supplements to our education. Oh wait, I take that back- we did see a huge, new plasma TV in the OMM lab. This doen't count though, b/c it's facing opposite the students & sits 15 feet from the instructors, so that they can see themselves as they're being filmed! :confused:

What is most infuriating about this crazy tuition hike, is that during the prior year we had lost 5 EXCELLENT & extremely qualified instructors due to administrative politics. It was devastating to our quality of education... for example, we lost our ONLY immunology instructor who was replaced with a community college professor who tried, but had NO CLUE what to teach to med students. Needless to say, the education we received during our MSII year wasn't worth $37 let alone $37K. The $1500 I spent on a KAPLAN review course saved my hide that year! Sadly, it doesn't stop there. We recently lost ALL of our affiliated residency programs. I love explaining that one to my preceptors... Bottom line- the class of 2008 is paying more and receiving less.

FYI- They did build a fake-patient lab for classes below us to use, but why did WE pay for it? After all, they upped the 2009 class size to 250 & the 2010 class to 280+. They're getting plenty of money & squeezing people in like sardines (6-7 people at an anatomy tank)!

Sorry for the long rant- I guess I just thought it might make you all feel better if you saw how much worse it could be. :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:
 
I believe the TOURO's are around 60,000 a year, which is a lot cheaper than UNE.
I loved UNE (and Maine in general...) :love: when I was there, but I ultimately decided to go to NSU, which is about 34,000.
 
there is nothing wrong with paying good money for a good product.
That is all I got to say about that.... I am not saying anything more than that... maybe
 
simpleman said:
maybe you should go to WVSOM, where they charge $46,500 for out of state tuition. Tack on the other fees with room and boards per year, it reaches 72,900 a year according to their yellow sheet they gave out during the interviews. Four years, is almost $292,000. This is insance. I think your 39 is better compared to WVSOM, but i am not going to WVSOM just because of the tuition.
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Yeah, but you get to live in West Virginia. I think we'd all spend more money for that.
 
group_theory said:
I don't think the problem is strictly with osteopathic schools but with medical schools in general (except state-supported). Of course, some schools have more scholarships available to medical students.

For example, in the Philly area
PCOM tuition + fees - $35,298 (2006-2007)
http://www.pcom.edu/Administration/Administrative_Departments/Bursar_s_Office/do_tuition.html
Jefferson tuition - $40,701 (2007-2008)
http://www.jefferson.edu/registrar/tuition.cfm
Penn's tuition + required fees - $41163 (2006-2007)
http://www.med.upenn.edu/admiss/financial.html
Drexel tuition + fees - $39970 (2006-2007)
http://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/admissions/financialaid.asp
Temple tuition + fees - PA resident $36,220, $44,248 for non-state resident (2006-2007)
http://www.temple.edu/bursar/about/tuitionrates.htm


For Chicago
CCOM tuition - IL resident $38,211, non-state resident $42,517 (2007-2008)
http://www.midwestern.edu/content/lc401.asp
University of Chicago - $35,305 (2007-2008, MS1-MS2 years only)
http://pritzker.bsd.uchicago.edu/admissions/financialaid/budget.shtml
University of Illinois Chicago - IL resident $12,354, non-state resident $26,381 (2006-2007)
http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/rr/tuition_fees_2006_2007.html
Northwestern University - $38,613 (2006-2007)
http://www.northwestern.edu/sfs/feinberg/tuition.html
Loyola University Chicago - $36,600 (2007-2008)
http://www.meddean.luc.edu/admissions/finaid.htm
Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School - $36,740 (2007-2008 estimated)
http://66.99.255.20/osa/financialaid/0400_2008studentBudgets.cfm
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Tuition at CCOM is now 65,175. That is ~62% increase in 10 years. If this trend hold then by 2027 tuition will be $105,625. Med school costs will simply not be sustainable.
 
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Tufts for Maine residents is supppper cheap.
 
Very fortunate my school is only $22k a year and I live right down the road from it. I truly feel horrible for those who pay outrageous fees for a good education.
 
group_theory said:
For example, in the Philly area
PCOM tuition + fees - $35,298 (2006-2007)
http://www.pcom.edu/Administration/Administrative_Departments/Bursar_s_Office/do_tuition.html
Jefferson tuition - $40,701 (2007-2008)
http://www.jefferson.edu/registrar/tuition.cfm
Penn's tuition + required fees - $41163 (2006-2007)
http://www.med.upenn.edu/admiss/financial.html
Drexel tuition + fees - $39970 (2006-2007)
http://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/admissions/financialaid.asp
Temple tuition + fees - PA resident $36,220, $44,248 for non-state resident (2006-2007)
http://www.temple.edu/bursar/about/tuitionrates.htm


For Chicago
CCOM tuition - IL resident $38,211, non-state resident $42,517 (2007-2008)
http://www.midwestern.edu/content/lc401.asp
University of Chicago - $35,305 (2007-2008, MS1-MS2 years only)
http://pritzker.bsd.uchicago.edu/admissions/financialaid/budget.shtml
University of Illinois Chicago - IL resident $12,354, non-state resident $26,381 (2006-2007)
http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/rr/tuition_fees_2006_2007.html
Northwestern University - $38,613 (2006-2007)
http://www.northwestern.edu/sfs/feinberg/tuition.html
Loyola University Chicago - $36,600 (2007-2008)
http://www.meddean.luc.edu/admissions/finaid.htm
Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School - $36,740 (2007-2008 estimated)
http://66.99.255.20/osa/financialaid/0400_2008studentBudgets.cfm
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Oh wow. I was just looking at some of the current tuition and I can't believe the difference that 10 year makes

Let's do an update

In the Philly area
PCOM tuition + fees - $48774 (2016-2017)
http://www.pcom.edu/about/departmen...tor-of-osteopathic-medicine-philadelphia.html
Jefferson tuition - $55,247 (2016-2017)
https://w3.jefferson.edu/registrar/tuition/
Penn's tuition + required fees - $58809 (2016-2017)
http://www.med.upenn.edu/admissions/tuition-fees.html
Drexel tuition + fees - $56292 (2016-2017)
http://drexel.edu/drexelcentral/billing/billing/1617-rates/medicine/ (LISTED AS PER SEMESTER)
Temple tuition + fees - PA resident $50458, $54,358 for non-state resident (2016-2017)
https://bursar.temple.edu/tuition-and-fees/tuition-rates


For Chicago

CCOM tuition - $65175 (2016-2017)
https://www.midwestern.edu/course_c...services/downers_grove_tuition_and_fees_.html
University of Chicago - $68316
https://bursar.uchicago.edu/page/tuition-rates-0 (LISTED AS PER QUARTER)
University of Illinois Chicago - IL resident $40642, non-state resident $77,643 (2016-2027)
https://registrar.uic.edu/tuition/professional/professional-tuition-fall-2016-spring-2017.php
Northwestern University - $57468 (2016-2017)
http://www.feinberg.northwestern.ed...s/financial-aid/cost-of-attendance-16-17.html
Loyola University Chicago - $56481 (2016-2017)
http://ssom.luc.edu/finaid/financialaidbasics/
Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School - $53937 (2016-2017)
https://rosalindfranklin.edu/admission-aid/financial-services/costs-fees/
 
OrdinaryDO said:
Very fortunate my school is only $22k a year and I live right down the road from it. I truly feel horrible for those who pay outrageous fees for a good education.
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Wow what school only charges 22k??
 
swiftjab said:
47K is still below average though but you're right about The class size
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Class size isn't really an issue. Probably only 1/3 of the class shows up for lectures and you surprisingly get to know your professors quite well. 47k is the base tuition, with everything else added it's actually 77k.


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