Pros and Cons of your DO School

aspiringdoc09 · Jun 1, 2012

Thanks for posting this for me Dharma.

Superman DO · Jun 1, 2012

Curriculum: Wow, where do I begin? The class of 2014 had it rough. We were stuck in the middle of a vast curriculum overhaul as the school underwent a transformation to a systems-based curriculum. I think the school changed our testing style about three times over the course of a year; however, things are much more consistant now that everything is in order. I have not heard many complaints from the class of 2015.

As it stands now, all topics from every class have been integrated together depending on the particular body system topic; however, OMM is not integrated and does its own thing. There might be some minor adjustments in the future to work out the kinks since the systems-based curriculum is new, but it should not be nearly as drastic as the situation my class endevoured. The school is moving up its start date for first years starting this year I believe. Classes will begin either late July or early August. Currently, we are on a quarter system, but with an earlier start date, the school is trying to move towards a semester-style system. Attendance is not mandatory (except for a few lectures), and there is no dress code (except the events that require professional dress).

Currently, exams are every three weeks, on Mondays. Our exams are what is considered "block style". To elaborate, questions from every class that you are taking at the time are compiled into one big exam with the questions mixed up. So, for example, if you are taking Anatomy, Histology, Physiology, and Biochemistry during that three week block, then each department will write their own exam questions, and these questions will be compiled into one, mixed test. Tests are three hours long, divided into three sections. Each section is approx. one hour long, and you get a twenty minute break between each section. Each section is approx. 45 questions (so, about 135 questions for the entire 3 hour exam). Does it all make sense? lol. . .after the exam, the medical education people somehow seperate the exam questions to their respective departments, and you get a normal grade for each class. All grades are viewable online after grading which makes life very easy.

Now, for final exams. . .testing is performed in the exact same format except now it is an 8 hour exam broken into 8 sections of 45 questions each (very similar to the COMLEX). Questions are again mixed from pretty much every class you have taken in the quarter. If the class of 2015 stays with the quarter system, the will have in total 7, 8-hour final exam blocks during their two years in Kirksville; needless to say, they should be very prepared to take the 8-9 hour COMLEX beast when their time comes. However, if the school changes to more of a semester-system, there might be fewer finals.

Location: One word. . .rural. Now, I do not mind a rural, small town location. It actually fits my personality much better than big city life; however, Kirksville is about 1.5 hours away from a bigger city (Columbia), and it takes its toll on you after awhile. Sure, Kirksville has things to keep you busy, especially since most of the time you will be working your butt off in school; however, it doesn't have everything and by the time 2nd year rolls around, it sucks to keep driving to Columbia and back. The one reason I want to get out of Kirksville is the fact it takes me 3 hours to get out of Missouri when I drive back home for breaks (and 3 hours to get back to Kirksville once I reach St. Louis). I have a 15 hour drive between Kirksville and home and it absolutely sucks driving it. However, many people have homes closer to Kirksville or have homes to far that they have to fly, so maybe it is not so bad for them. So, location is ok during first year, but begins to be frustrating during second year.

Cost: I think we are about average compared to other private schools. I really do not try to think about all the loans I have taken out already, but our tuition is around 43-45 thousand. The cost of living is much cheaper than other cities, however, so that aspect is nice.

Faculty: I love the faculty here! There might be one or two bad apples, but for the most part, all the instructors and administrators are wonderful! We have a new dean, a local family doctor and professor, and I really do like her a lot. She is definitely for the students and she advocates nicely for us. All of the faculty wants to see the students succeed, and they are willing to do anything to help us achieve our goals. Everyone has an open door policy, and you can get help wherever you need it. The faculty listens intently to the student government and always takes into consideration the voice of the students. Everyone in the school has a great mutual relationship with one another. . .this adds to the family-like atmosphere here at KCOM.

Reputation: First DO school in the world. . .our reputation flies high! We have graduates everywhere, and a very established name in the medical world. Our dental school will also be opening up next year, so I think that will further push our reputation higher.

Clinical Rotations: We have many rotation sites throughout the country in which you do all of your core rotations. The most you will ever have to travel is at most maybe an hour for one of your rotations, depending on the site. The school works are to seek out hospitals that are going to train the students exceptionally. Some of the rotation sites are residency-based, others perceptorship-based. For me, my site will be a mixture of both styles which rocks! Rotation sites are determined on a lottery system. You will rank your top 6 spots, and a computer algoritham will determine your spot. For the class of 2014, I think we had a 100% match rate with greater than 95% percent recieving one of their top 3 choices.

Housing: Housing is plentiful and cheap here in Kirksville. Now, the houses and apartments are not the most glamorous that you will find; however, they are cozy and very livable. I live within walking distance to school, downtown, and Truman, and it is nice to rarely have to drive. Even if you decide to find a house/apt on the outskirts of town, getting to school will probably take you no more than 10 minutes (unless it is snowy). The school also has some on-campus housing, and these fill very fast.

Study Areas: If you want a place to study on campus, then you are going to find it. The library has numerous individual study spaces. We have numerous "break-out" rooms used for group studying. These break out rooms come equipped a plasma TV, white board, computer. . .the walls are even collapsible so that rooms can become bigger if you need the space. There are a few places downtown that you could probably study at if you wanted, or if you are like me, study and learn from the comfort of my apartment.

Technology: I feel that the technology is first-rate here at KCOM. All lectures are recored and avaiable online for students to listen to. All lecture notes/powerpoints are also available through each departments website Lecture notes and powerpoints are also printed out for those who actually attend class and prefer hardcopies. Students have unlimited, free printing in the library. The library has about 20-30 desktops for student use. There is wireless internet access throughout the entire campus. The students now have access to Up-to-date through the library. The school has 6 rooms dedicated to human-patient simulation. . .basically, they are dummies that act like a real person, and the situtations closely mimic that of an ER or hospital room. There is also one birthing dummy that simulates a real neonatal delivery. During 2nd year, the students have access to our virtual colonoscopy simulator. . .this thing is really sweet, and I feel like I'm ready to do real colonoscopies on patients after this training. The schools has recently purchased ultrasound machines, and has integrated ultrasound in the curriculum. The anatomy lab now comes equipped with computers that allow for 3D dissections as you dissect your cadaver. Finally, we have a wing dedicated to standardized-patient exams. These rooms are identical to the rooms to the Step 2 CS exam, and all SP encounters are video-taped and posted online for the students to review and learn from their performance.

Social Scene: The students here are a very tight-knit group. There may not be an flashy clubs or bars like in a bigger city, but there is something to be said for gathering at a friend's place and having a bbq. We have one bar that the med students seem to flock to, and even have some clubs if you are ballsy enough to go in. Thousand Hills state park is a wonderful park to hang out with friends or take a boat out on the lake. People seem to always be traveling down to Columbia every weekend to find fun stuff to do, and there are local gems in the surrounding small towns that are worth exploring. The students get along very well with one another. . .again, this addes to the family-like atmosphere we have going on at this school.

Hospitals: Attached to the school is Northeast Regional Medical Center. It is made up of the hospital and numerous private clinics. There are also quite a few residency programs at the hospital. While the school does not own NRMC, we have the opportunity to have access to a number of different specialities should we wish to shadow some doctors or residents.

Board Prep: It is horrible here, but the school is working on making it better. The worst aspect of board prep is that the school only gives us a month of dedicated study time for the test. . .I think at many other schools, they get approx. two months. The school gives us study resources through Falcon. Personally, I did not find them to be helpful. The school is exploring other options to help the students, and with an early start date for first years, it might leave some extra time at the end of the year for board prep. That being said, the best board prep is doing good throughout your first two years, and KCOM does a fantastic job of providing a strong, basic science education. We will see how the class of 2014 fares in the next couple weeks. . .good luck everyone!!

Other: We have many, many active clubs on campus that help to keep you involved in affairs you find interesting. Clubs always have free food for members during meetings, or cheap food if you are not a member but want to attend a particular meeting. Intramurals are also big here, and there is a variety of sports for the students to become invovled. Our gym is on the smaller side, so it can get kind of crowded during peak hours; however, if you learn to avoid those hours, it really is quite pleasant. We have a weight room with free and machine weights, cardio equipment, full-sized basketball court, racquetball courts, aerobic room and hot tub. Allow the doctors in Kirksville are very welcoming and allow students to shadow when time allows. Our OMM department is wonderful, and this is the school to come to if you really want to learn OMM. Finally, the atomosphere is very conducive to learning at KCOM. I have never regrated making the decision to come recieve my education here!

Curriculum: A-
Location: B-
Cost: B
Faculty: A+
Reputation: A+
Rotations: A
Housing: A
Study Areas: A+
Technology: A+
Social Scene: A
Hospital: A
Board Prep: C+

Overall Grade: A

E Hartman DO · Jun 1, 2012

I'm also a 3rd year VCOM'er and I agree with the review above. Pretty much spot on. Loved the part about the rotation preceptors.

eimaise · Jun 2, 2012

maldabrroc777 said:
I posted in this thread a while back (I think I was a first year). Now that I've finished 3rd year rotations, I wanted to pop back in with some additional information.
__________

Attendance at lectures is "required" but never strictly enforced. Post-exam days, especially near the end of 2nd year when boards were looming, may have had 30-40% attendance. Overall, we all attended classes in high percentages because we are adults, and it is just polite.

I am a first year VCOM student and I'm sorry to say this is no longer true. I am a first year and lecture attendance was mandatory all year (your presence in the classroom was confirmed with a photo taken from the front every class). Just recently, med-ed clarified that only 85% of lecture attendance is required. If you miss more than 9 half-days throughout a block, you have to remediate the courses you skipped by sitting in the library during block break and re-watching all the lectures on VCOM TV.

Not a big deal for me really because I (almost) always go to class anyways. Just something to note.

tide11189 · Jun 2, 2012

Thanks for this evaluation. I will be at the Carolina campus this fall and I am very eager to get started!

aspDO · Jun 4, 2012

Somebody to prepare a index like first-page for this topic to click and go to each review's post directly? It's good to read all pages of the thread in order but takes a while to find where that particular school was to reread. Know what I'm sayin?

nebratu · Jun 4, 2012

aspDO said:
Somebody to prepare a index like first-page for this topic to click and go to each review's post directly? It's good to read all pages of the thread in order but takes a while to find where that particular school was to reread. Know what I'm sayin?

Someone did that, in this thread I believe, just go back a page or so. I'm on my mobile so I can't paste the link.

xBODOMx · Jun 4, 2012

avabio · Jun 5, 2012

Nice KCOM breakdown. Does anyone have an updated DMU?

zoner · Jun 6, 2012

Western DO said:
I'm a Western student! its right before our exams coming up this tuesday so i dont have a lot of time, but I remember using sdn back when I was applying and out of huge respect and all the help and information I've received, I'd thought I should post something about Western that may help someone else who is going through what i have.

Western was my number 1 choice when i was applying and it still is. the philosophy and the mission statement for creating humanistic and compassionate doctors are a reality that I am embued with everyday here at Western. i love the weather, although i must admit i'm a socal native, and I love the people at Western. Faculty and admin. are very friendly and they go out of their way to make themselves available for us. Although we are on a percentage system for our grades, there isn't much competition. its more like trying to survive our next exam is the feeling i get. not to say the material is hard or anything, but so much information that it just requires studying everyday. something i was never used to back in my undergrad days (i think this is true for any med. school though).

I didn't really understand it back when i was applying, other than the fact that rotations sites are set up really well at Western, but only after coming to this school, do i understand the huge influence Western carries to all its rotations sites and the legacy Western graduates carry to residency programs in the so.cal area. And we are still expanding everyday is the real cool thing! we just set up another rotation site and another medical center near school just within this past year. the school is everso expanding and i feel the tuition money at work here at Western. just check the matchlist for 2006 and 2007 graduates of Western, if you need to confirm the legacy Western carries in the residency programs.

there are drawbacks to Western as there are any schools. No cafeteria. for gyms, we get special discounts to bally's (1 yr membership is like 25 bucks), la fitness, and 24 hours. we don't have a nice lush green campus as I had back in undergrad, but issues like that will simply melt away once you start school and have to study everyday in rooms for hours at end. when we do need to unwind, we are always 30 mins away from LA (without traffic), 1 hr from skiing or the casino, whatever floats your boat.

the curriculum has changed drastically for the better since we got a new dean of medicine a couple of years ago. we are 4th in the nation for board score pass rate and above avg. compared to the national avg for board scores. you understand quickly that the grades that you get the first 2 years don't matter as much as your board scores, so even if we are based on percentage, we really just feel we need to pass. honestly, the percentage grades motivate me to always do better and try to attain an A, without getting stressed out, cuz in the end like I said, the board scores are what counts.

the OMM faculty are great here and the networking opportunities are endless, with OMM faculty and visiting physicians always holding workshops. many people are skeptical of OMM, esp. cranial, but understand that there will always be people who disagree with anything, and personally i feel its those that aren't very good at OMM, who complain the most about whether its effective or not. shadow a physician in your area who focuses only on OMM, and your skepticism will quickly disappear.

i know i'm biased, but at the rate we are expanding and the legacy we are building as the most competitive gpa/mcat DO school, on top of the rotations and residencies we are getting our hands on, I'm willing to say Western is headed towards the top sometime in the near future. hope that helps someone, and you guys may see me giving tours at Western for those applying. just mention sdn and I'm sure all the applicants eyes will all light up!

Can someone do an update?

walkerahl · Jun 8, 2012

Would someone care to do AZCOM

CpGisland · Jun 9, 2012

updated DMU?

CallMeDoctorLov · Jun 18, 2012

pleiades22 said:
updated pcom review?

+1

deleted336217 · Jun 18, 2012

pleiades22 said:
updated pcom review?

callmedoctorlov said:
+1

+2!

desijigga · Jun 20, 2012

Superman DO said:
Curriculum: Wow, where do I begin? The class of 2014 had it rough. We were stuck in the middle of a vast curriculum overhaul as the school underwent a transformation to a systems-based curriculum. I think the school changed our testing style about three times over the course of a year; however, things are much more consistant now that everything is in order. I have not heard many complaints from the class of 2015.

As it stands now, all topics from every class have been integrated together depending on the particular body system topic; however, OMM is not integrated and does its own thing. There might be some minor adjustments in the future to work out the kinks since the systems-based curriculum is new, but it should not be nearly as drastic as the situation my class endevoured. The school is moving up its start date for first years starting this year I believe. Classes will begin either late July or early August. Currently, we are on a quarter system, but with an earlier start date, the school is trying to move towards a semester-style system. Attendance is not mandatory (except for a few lectures), and there is no dress code (except the events that require professional dress).

Currently, exams are every three weeks, on Mondays. Our exams are what is considered "block style". To elaborate, questions from every class that you are taking at the time are compiled into one big exam with the questions mixed up. So, for example, if you are taking Anatomy, Histology, Physiology, and Biochemistry during that three week block, then each department will write their own exam questions, and these questions will be compiled into one, mixed test. Tests are three hours long, divided into three sections. Each section is approx. one hour long, and you get a twenty minute break between each section. Each section is approx. 45 questions (so, about 135 questions for the entire 3 hour exam). Does it all make sense? lol. . .after the exam, the medical education people somehow seperate the exam questions to their respective departments, and you get a normal grade for each class. All grades are viewable online after grading which makes life very easy.

Now, for final exams. . .testing is performed in the exact same format except now it is an 8 hour exam broken into 8 sections of 45 questions each (very similar to the COMLEX). Questions are again mixed from pretty much every class you have taken in the quarter. If the class of 2015 stays with the quarter system, the will have in total 7, 8-hour final exam blocks during their two years in Kirksville; needless to say, they should be very prepared to take the 8-9 hour COMLEX beast when their time comes. However, if the school changes to more of a semester-system, there might be fewer finals.

Location: One word. . .rural. Now, I do not mind a rural, small town location. It actually fits my personality much better than big city life; however, Kirksville is about 1.5 hours away from a bigger city (Columbia), and it takes its toll on you after awhile. Sure, Kirksville has things to keep you busy, especially since most of the time you will be working your butt off in school; however, it doesn't have everything and by the time 2nd year rolls around, it sucks to keep driving to Columbia and back. The one reason I want to get out of Kirksville is the fact it takes me 3 hours to get out of Missouri when I drive back home for breaks (and 3 hours to get back to Kirksville once I reach St. Louis). I have a 15 hour drive between Kirksville and home and it absolutely sucks driving it. However, many people have homes closer to Kirksville or have homes to far that they have to fly, so maybe it is not so bad for them. So, location is ok during first year, but begins to be frustrating during second year.

Cost: I think we are about average compared to other private schools. I really do not try to think about all the loans I have taken out already, but our tuition is around 43-45 thousand. The cost of living is much cheaper than other cities, however, so that aspect is nice.

Faculty: I love the faculty here! There might be one or two bad apples, but for the most part, all the instructors and administrators are wonderful! We have a new dean, a local family doctor and professor, and I really do like her a lot. She is definitely for the students and she advocates nicely for us. All of the faculty wants to see the students succeed, and they are willing to do anything to help us achieve our goals. Everyone has an open door policy, and you can get help wherever you need it. The faculty listens intently to the student government and always takes into consideration the voice of the students. Everyone in the school has a great mutual relationship with one another. . .this adds to the family-like atmosphere here at KCOM.

Reputation: First DO school in the world. . .our reputation flies high! We have graduates everywhere, and a very established name in the medical world. Our dental school will also be opening up next year, so I think that will further push our reputation higher.

Clinical Rotations: We have many rotation sites throughout the country in which you do all of your core rotations. The most you will ever have to travel is at most maybe an hour for one of your rotations, depending on the site. The school works are to seek out hospitals that are going to train the students exceptionally. Some of the rotation sites are residency-based, others perceptorship-based. For me, my site will be a mixture of both styles which rocks! Rotation sites are determined on a lottery system. You will rank your top 6 spots, and a computer algoritham will determine your spot. For the class of 2014, I think we had a 100% match rate with greater than 95% percent recieving one of their top 3 choices.

Housing: Housing is plentiful and cheap here in Kirksville. Now, the houses and apartments are not the most glamorous that you will find; however, they are cozy and very livable. I live within walking distance to school, downtown, and Truman, and it is nice to rarely have to drive. Even if you decide to find a house/apt on the outskirts of town, getting to school will probably take you no more than 10 minutes (unless it is snowy). The school also has some on-campus housing, and these fill very fast.

Study Areas: If you want a place to study on campus, then you are going to find it. The library has numerous individual study spaces. We have numerous "break-out" rooms used for group studying. These break out rooms come equipped a plasma TV, white board, computer. . .the walls are even collapsible so that rooms can become bigger if you need the space. There are a few places downtown that you could probably study at if you wanted, or if you are like me, study and learn from the comfort of my apartment.

Technology: I feel that the technology is first-rate here at KCOM. All lectures are recored and avaiable online for students to listen to. All lecture notes/powerpoints are also available through each departments website Lecture notes and powerpoints are also printed out for those who actually attend class and prefer hardcopies. Students have unlimited, free printing in the library. The library has about 20-30 desktops for student use. There is wireless internet access throughout the entire campus. The students now have access to Up-to-date through the library. The school has 6 rooms dedicated to human-patient simulation. . .basically, they are dummies that act like a real person, and the situtations closely mimic that of an ER or hospital room. There is also one birthing dummy that simulates a real neonatal delivery. During 2nd year, the students have access to our virtual colonoscopy simulator. . .this thing is really sweet, and I feel like I'm ready to do real colonoscopies on patients after this training. The schools has recently purchased ultrasound machines, and has integrated ultrasound in the curriculum. The anatomy lab now comes equipped with computers that allow for 3D dissections as you dissect your cadaver. Finally, we have a wing dedicated to standardized-patient exams. These rooms are identical to the rooms to the Step 2 CS exam, and all SP encounters are video-taped and posted online for the students to review and learn from their performance.

Social Scene: The students here are a very tight-knit group. There may not be an flashy clubs or bars like in a bigger city, but there is something to be said for gathering at a friend's place and having a bbq. We have one bar that the med students seem to flock to, and even have some clubs if you are ballsy enough to go in. Thousand Hills state park is a wonderful park to hang out with friends or take a boat out on the lake. People seem to always be traveling down to Columbia every weekend to find fun stuff to do, and there are local gems in the surrounding small towns that are worth exploring. The students get along very well with one another. . .again, this addes to the family-like atmosphere we have going on at this school.

Hospitals: Attached to the school is Northeast Regional Medical Center. It is made up of the hospital and numerous private clinics. There are also quite a few residency programs at the hospital. While the school does not own NRMC, we have the opportunity to have access to a number of different specialities should we wish to shadow some doctors or residents.

Board Prep: It is horrible here, but the school is working on making it better. The worst aspect of board prep is that the school only gives us a month of dedicated study time for the test. . .I think at many other schools, they get approx. two months. The school gives us study resources through Falcon. Personally, I did not find them to be helpful. The school is exploring other options to help the students, and with an early start date for first years, it might leave some extra time at the end of the year for board prep. That being said, the best board prep is doing good throughout your first two years, and KCOM does a fantastic job of providing a strong, basic science education. We will see how the class of 2014 fares in the next couple weeks. . .good luck everyone!!

Other: We have many, many active clubs on campus that help to keep you involved in affairs you find interesting. Clubs always have free food for members during meetings, or cheap food if you are not a member but want to attend a particular meeting. Intramurals are also big here, and there is a variety of sports for the students to become invovled. Our gym is on the smaller side, so it can get kind of crowded during peak hours; however, if you learn to avoid those hours, it really is quite pleasant. We have a weight room with free and machine weights, cardio equipment, full-sized basketball court, racquetball courts, aerobic room and hot tub. Allow the doctors in Kirksville are very welcoming and allow students to shadow when time allows. Our OMM department is wonderful, and this is the school to come to if you really want to learn OMM. Finally, the atomosphere is very conducive to learning at KCOM. I have never regrated making the decision to come recieve my education here!

Curriculum: A-
Location: B-
Cost: B
Faculty: A+
Reputation: A+
Rotations: A
Housing: A
Study Areas: A+
Technology: A+
Social Scene: A
Hospital: A
Board Prep: C+

Overall Grade: A

Student above did a good job, I am just going to touch a few areas they couldn't really elaborate on. Class of 2012 here..

Board Prep: My class got rocked on the boards, no way around it. Dont know how many people had to repeat on the Comlex, but I heard it was more than ever in the past. I think this was more due to the over confidence of people who took the boards only one or 2 weeks in from the end of school. I waited till the end to take it. I thought KCOM did a fairly decent job preparing us, and I ended up doing well on both Comlex and USMLE. I think boards are 80% self prep and 20% school. I heard the class below us did fairly well, and the school did an overhaul by providing students more resources. I think we just need more time, we only get like 3-4 weeks between school ending and start of rotations.

Rotations: Most sites are in MI, AZ, OH, MO. I have heard Michigan sites are scaling back due to MSUCOM pushing alot of other schools out. But so far we have like 50-60 spots in Michigan. Sites are mixture of hospital based vs preceptor based. KCOM students have a pretty good reputation on rotations. This is were KCOM does a very good job is preparing us for clinical years. I think the amount of time we spend on fake patient encounters in the first 2 years was what really put us ahead. Alot of Attendings will tell you KCOM kids always had a leg up when compared to other students.

Match: KCOM students always do decent in the match, its a mixture of 50/50 AOA and ACGME. A good amount of class goes into FM and IM like any other DO school. But we did have many go ENT, Ortho, Radiology, GAS, EM matches also.

Overall, I really liked my 4 years at KCOM. Ya it had its up and downs, and I kind of felt sometimes the school could do better, but that is how it will be at any other school. I am sure people that go to Harvard Medical School won't be happy with everything even if they are at one of the top schools in the nation.

If anyone has any specific question shoot me a PM.

Catman21 · Jul 1, 2012

johnjuan said:
Anybody looking at TCOM and need info?

+1 Pleaseeee! lol

rzoo14 · Jul 2, 2012

catman21 said:
+1 pleaseeee! Lol

+2

manubrium · Jul 2, 2012

johnjuan has long gone to residency . there have been tcom reviews posted in this thread after him.

CallMeDoctorLov · Jul 7, 2012

pleiades22 said:
updated pcom review?

Would appreciate this also

angldrps · Jul 17, 2012

Bumping this for updated reviews.

CallMeDoctorLov · Jul 20, 2012

Also bumping this for updates

THH · Jul 21, 2012

DrMaximus · Jul 21, 2012

THH said:
ATSU/KCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=12594002&postcount=1006
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=12681123&postcount=1019
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11872646&postcount=967
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10492174&postcount=918
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9055060&postcount=771
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6381136&postcount=203

ATSU/SOMA:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5220815&postcount=27

AZCOM/MWU:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6430883&postcount=207

CCOM/MWU:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10286358&postcount=895
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10286464&postcount=896
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7599427&postcount=369
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5258169&postcount=41
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5260181&postcount=45

COMP:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6438978&postcount=211
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6177154&postcount=173

DMUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10211652&postcount=890
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6125897&postcount=166
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6210706&postcount=178

GA-PCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7063643&postcount=265

KCUMBCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8987052&postcount=759
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10261815&postcount=893
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8201339&postcount=490
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8161159&postcount=43
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8164200&postcount=55

LECOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=12593292&postcount=1004
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11630901&postcount=953
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7459142&postcount=337

LECOM-BR:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11104482&postcount=936
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8766690&postcount=699
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7065614&postcount=267
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7066253&postcount=268
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5215294&postcount=12

LMU-DCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9279304&postcount=822
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9212778&postcount=799
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7205348&postcount=302

MSUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11950211&postcount=995
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6124538&postcount=164

NSUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9318520&postcount=825
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11571845&postcount=945
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11576469&postcount=948
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6464809&postcount=219
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7676710&postcount=380
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7281608&postcount=318
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6464809&postcount=219
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6644997&postcount=229

NYCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8842190&postcount=731
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9934568&postcount=854
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8144959&postcount=460
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7569872&postcount=357
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7115362&postcount=278
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6207706&postcount=176

OSUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5300974&postcount=101

OUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9150174&postcount=787
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6050014&postcount=152

PCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5210716
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5223288
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5273205
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=7590477
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7600584&postcount=370

PSCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7221777&postcount=304

PNWUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11909883&postcount=979

RVUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9185499&postcount=794

TOURO-NY:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11880967&postcount=970

TOURO-CA:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9738421&postcount=839
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7610885&postcount=371
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6986014&postcount=252

TOURO-NV:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=7717945#post7717945
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7582257&postcount=359
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7017840&postcount=255

UMDNJ-SOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9943651&postcount=858
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6246323&postcount=190
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6350212&postcount=196

UNE-COM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10572222&postcount=922
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=6246323
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=6350212
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8623506
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5269932&postcount=59

TCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6130672&postcount=169
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11558214&postcount=942
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11929337&postcount=986

VCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=12541409&postcount=1001
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8164971
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5310597
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8164971&postcount=468
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5310597&postcount=116

WCUCOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11613211&postcount=84
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11584395&postcount=72

WesternU COMP-NW:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11904604&postcount=976
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11945900&postcount=989
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6237800&postcount=185

WVSOM:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8054458&postcount=450
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6519743&postcount=224

Very nice.

zoner · Jul 25, 2012

infx diseaze said:
curriculum:

hope this helped. Sorry that it's so long.

amazing

FirefighterDoc · Jul 25, 2012

Would anyone be willing to write an updated CCOM? Thanks!

pdeco1 · Aug 13, 2012

Updated LECOM-Bradenton anyone?

toxicwombat · Aug 13, 2012

pdeco1 said:
updated lecom-bradenton anyone?

+1

toxicwombat · Sep 18, 2012

Oh don't mind me. Just bumping the best thread on this forum.

Whiteshoes · Sep 25, 2012

firefighterdoc said:
would anyone be willing to write an updated ccom? Thanks!

+1

wooki · Oct 4, 2012

walkerahl said:
Would someone care to do AZCOM

also would like to read an updated AZCOM review. thanks!

BabyDoc86 · Oct 4, 2012

I would love an updated DMU review; the latest on the above post was still 2010 and I wonder how it has changed since then.

dfib slim · Oct 8, 2012

zoner · Oct 9, 2012

Update on ccom and western?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using SDN Mobile

mommy2three · Oct 16, 2012

FirefighterDoc said:
Would anyone be willing to write an updated CCOM? Thanks!

I will work on one this weekend.

zoner · Oct 16, 2012

mommy2three said:
I will work on one this weekend.

Go mommy! Ewie?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using SDN Mobile

Ravizzle · Oct 25, 2012

wooki said:
also would like to read an updated AZCOM review. thanks!

+1 the last review was 2008, would be awesome to get updated experiences.

Sent from my Galaxy S2

thepoopologist · Oct 25, 2012

You know what would be good is a separate sub-forum with the Pros and Cons of [Specific DO school], so like 20+ something threads pinned in alphabetical order that people could update.

toxicwombat · Oct 26, 2012

thepoopologist said:
You know what would be good is a separate sub-forum with the Pros and Cons of [Specific DO school], so like 20+ something threads pinned in alphabetical order that people could update.

Agreed. It's one of the most useful things on this forum so it deserves its own section.

ShyRem · Dec 7, 2012

An anonymous submission regarding WVSOM:

Curriculum: The first two years are primarily systems based (lecture oriented). The curriculum has changed drastically every year since I've been a student so it's hard to anticipate what lies ahead. Generally the first year will have some form of gross anatomy (either in an 8 week block at the beginning of the year or longitudinally throughout the year), histology, physiology, biochemistry, clinical skills and OPP. The second year will progress through the systems of skin, MSK, cardiovascular, etc. I heard they're trying to work in some small group, PBL type component in the curriculum. For your 3rd year clinical rotations, you choose between one of 12 "statewide campuses." You have the option of doing them at a large tertiary care center or a small community hospital. If the demand for spots exceeds spaces, they're assigned on a lottery basis but most people don't have a problem getting their top choice or two. You're left to fend for yourself for your fourth year. 3rd year students are given priority for rotations so it can be difficult to stay in your rotation if you want.

Location: Lewisburg WV is a small town of a population of 3,000-5,000 people. It's somewhat trendier than what you'd expect from a town in WV but is by no means a big city. Although it is small, it has pretty much everything you'd need including grocery stores, fast food, a couple of really nice restaurants, a small airport in town with direct flights to NYC, ATL and Cleveland (usually prices <$200 and quick boarding). People generally travel on the weekends either by flight or car (DC is 3-4 hours away).

Cost: 20k for in-state students. 50k for out-of-state students. Very cheap COL. Noone pays more than $500/mo for rent. I'm not really sure why the cost of attendance is so high. The school is very well funded from its tuition to a point where the multimillion dollar surplus may be used to construct a student center which may or may not be necessary. Tuition could easily be less but I don't think the school has any pressure to do so as long as there are people like me who are willing to pay it for an education.

Faculty: PhD's teach most of the classes for the first two years. I felt like the lecture-based education was very strong and presented well for the most part. An overwhelming majority of the faculty are friendly and receptive to student questions/input. There was a member of the administration that made student life miserable when I first began but she has since left for greener pastures. President is very invested in making sure you're happy.

Reputation: The largest medical school in WV. Many of the primary care physicians in the smaller/rural towns are former alumni. Reputation of the school varies widely depending on who you talk to. I've heard very bad things as often as positive remarks.

Clinical rotations: Students have the option of choosing between one of twelve statewide campuses. You have options ranging from bigger academic center to smaller community hospitals. Your experience can be very hit or miss depending on where you are and who your administrators are. I felt like I received a very good clinical education but I'm sure there are people that are dissatisfied. Realistically, if there's one thing I learned about third year it's that you'll become as good as you want to be. Regardless of which statewide campus you choose, the opportunities are there. 4th year students have to schedule your own rotations. The school tries to frame it as a positive by telling you that you can do rotations "at home." However, if you're like me and don't have any physicians in the family or extended friend circle, setting up rotations can be a real pain. 3rd year students get priority on rotations in your statewide campus so regardless of whether or not you want to, you'll probably have to move. Very little to no assistance in setting up your rotations during 4th year. Huge primary care focus in the requirements. At the very least you will have to do 8 weeks of family medicine in both your 3rd and 4th year. Considering that your statewide campus could have you doing IM/Geriatrics in outpatient and clinic type settings, you could end up basically doing family medicine for a year which severely limits the quality of your training.

Housing: Very affordable just about anywhere in WV. The only exception may be if you decide to do your 3rd year at a base site near the DC location.

Study areas: Massive lecture halls that are well lit and with VERY comfortable seats. Outside of the lecture halls, there's a 24/7 section of the library. Generally not a problem if you're comfortable with either setting. If neither works for you, options are limited.

Social scene: Most people hang out at Del Sol or The Irish Pub, one of the two bars in town. They're not open all the time but the management well usually keep either place open after tests. Not too many other "hangout" scenes. House parties happen all throughout the year at various people's houses.

Local hospitals: GVMC is a small community hospital where students rotate if they decide they want to stay in the area for their 3rd year. Usually the people with families/SO's will opt for this route.

Preparation for boards: Since I have been at the institution, I have never seen a pass rate for the Step 1 higher than 86% with the most recent class sitting for Step 1 coming in at around 82%. That being said, I took USMLE for both Steps and did very well. The education provided is more than adequate for what you need to pass and score well. I think the problems with board pass rate may be due to the quality of student the school admits, lack of continuity in curriculum (changes every year), and events late in the year (OSCE's, ACLS training, etc.) that take away from independent study time.

Chances of specializing: I think most people do primary care because they generally want to. I'm planning on matching into a moderately competitive specialty through the ACGME match. Very little career counseling unless you want to do rural primary care. Faculty will never give you realistic advice about pursuing competitive allopathic residencies. One dean said to a classmate of mine: "WVSOM does not train ophthalmologists." Going here won't limit your chances of specializing but you'd probably have to try a little bit harder to make connections with people outside of the school.

Dress Code, Policies, Administration: Lecture attandence not required aside for a few throughout the year where there is no test (ie, Domestic Violence lectures, etc). No dress code…but I guess they might not allow you on campus if you came in the nude. Didn't really have too many problems administratively.

Report Card

Curriculum: C+, lacks continuity but will probably give you the education you need
Location: B, small but loveable town
Cost: F, out-of-state students subsidize the in-state students. School is under budget with huge surplus.
Financial Aid: B, maybe loans are too easy to get?
Faculty: B
Reputation: C
Technology: D, robot simulators are advertised very well…but only incorporated into the curriculum on 1-2 days.
Study Space/Library: C, enough to get the job down
Library technology/Resources: B+, uptodate, EBSCO, MDconsult and R2 are more enough
Rotations: C, very hit or miss depending on the statewide campus
Social: C-, 2 bars in town
Hospitals: C
Post Grad: C, sky's the limit if you're motivated enough…every year there will always be a handful of people that match ridiculously well
Cafeteria Food: D
Cafeteria Prices: D

Overall Grade: C-/D+
Not really regretful that I went here. If I were to advise others considering the school, I would encourage them to evaluate their other options more thoroughly but not feel remorseful about coming here if they had to get an education.

hallowmann · Feb 14, 2013

bocciball · Feb 14, 2013

desijigga said:
Student above did a good job, I am just going to touch a few areas they couldn't really elaborate on. Class of 2012 here..

Board Prep: My class got rocked on the boards, no way around it. Dont know how many people had to repeat on the Comlex, but I heard it was more than ever in the past. I think this was more due to the over confidence of people who took the boards only one or 2 weeks in from the end of school. I waited till the end to take it. I thought KCOM did a fairly decent job preparing us, and I ended up doing well on both Comlex and USMLE. I think boards are 80% self prep and 20% school. I heard the class below us did fairly well, and the school did an overhaul by providing students more resources. I think we just need more time, we only get like 3-4 weeks between school ending and start of rotations.

Rotations: Most sites are in MI, AZ, OH, MO. I have heard Michigan sites are scaling back due to MSUCOM pushing alot of other schools out. But so far we have like 50-60 spots in Michigan. Sites are mixture of hospital based vs preceptor based. KCOM students have a pretty good reputation on rotations. This is were KCOM does a very good job is preparing us for clinical years. I think the amount of time we spend on fake patient encounters in the first 2 years was what really put us ahead. Alot of Attendings will tell you KCOM kids always had a leg up when compared to other students.

Match: KCOM students always do decent in the match, its a mixture of 50/50 AOA and ACGME. A good amount of class goes into FM and IM like any other DO school. But we did have many go ENT, Ortho, Radiology, GAS, EM matches also.

Overall, I really liked my 4 years at KCOM. Ya it had its up and downs, and I kind of felt sometimes the school could do better, but that is how it will be at any other school. I am sure people that go to Harvard Medical School won't be happy with everything even if they are at one of the top schools in the nation.

If anyone has any specific question shoot me a PM.

I'm a student from the KCOM class of 2013 and just want to churp in on a couple of things that were not mentioned in previous posts. I agree with the previous postings from KCOM and have nothing to dispute.

In the 3rd/4th year curriculum regardless of rotation site each student is evaluated the same across the board. Each rotation grade is determined by the following factors: Preceptor Evaluation (50%), shelf examinations (25%), patient and procedure logs (10%), and a timed Blackboard OMM Quiz (15%). National Board of Medical Examinations (MD) shelf examinations are tested in the areas of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, OBGYN, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery. Post-rotation faculty prepared timed Blackboard examinations include Anesthesiology and Radiology. You must achieve at least a 70 on the NBME exam or you will have to retake it.

At first I thought this score breakdown was tedious and tiresome to keep up with after each rotation but I quickly learned to appreciate it. After talking with students from other schools I learned how much of a nightmare some of them had with personality issues between preceptors. In my opinion the KCOM grade composition provides adequate opportunity to generate a non-biased score reflective of your performance from several different components. Once all the components of your score are added together you are assigned an overall rotation grade-- Fail, Low Pass, Pass, High Pass, Honors. Each rotation has a different bar set for these grade categories and is provided to students prior to third year rotations. Generally >91% was considered honors.

Each rotation site also has a designated Regional Dean who students meet with on a monthly basis for 4-5 hours. Each visit consists of student presentations of either a journal club, case discussion, evidence based medicine review of literature, and always an opportunity to discuss any problems you may be having with a particular rotation. These meetings are a great opportunity to ask your Regional Dean's help on setting up a difficult rotation with one of their colleagues, residency advise, etc.

Another nice thing to know about KCOM is that each rotation site also has an assigned regional site coordinator. This coordinator is responsible for grade tabulation, sending out your insurance/etc when setting up away rotations for you, and doing all the ERAS uploads for residency applications. They also collect your letters of recommendation and hold onto them until they need to be uploaded, and administer shelf exams. This person is a VALUABLE RESOURCE that not all schools provide.

Third year scheduling is mostly set in stone for the core rotations. The 3rd year rotations are the standard ones that every medical school requires. There are two 2-month blocks of electives at the end of third year in which you can do whatever interests you. Fourth year scheduling is totally on the student and can be scheduled any way you like. There are several requirements but you can stack the rotations anyway you like to allow for an easier interview schedule. Fourth year requirements include 4 weeks of the following: Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care/ICU, Internal Medicine Selective, Surgery Selective, Pediatric Selective, and one of the following Ortho/Neuro/Physiatry/OMM. There are 14 weeks of electives in addition to the 8 weeks of electives placed strategically at the end of third year. There are also four weeks of vacation and an additional week of designated board study during fourth year.

For USMLE and COMLEX preparation we were provided FALCON live (in person 1-week review) and online review as well as a 90 days subscription to USMLE world. There were five weeks between the end of class and the beginning of rotations for third year. This was enough time for students that were prepared in my opinion. I scored >650 on COMLEX Step I and >240 USMLE Step I simply by going to class, studying diligently, and beginning board preparation in January the summer before taking boards. Many of my friends scored similarly. According to my class rank I was within the top 25% of the class but not close to the top 10%. Of note I would like to say that I was part of the "social crew" and regularly went out to the bars/bbq a couple times a month---so somewhat of a social life is still possible. I know of many people that performed better than me and a few that performed poorly. Performance really is effort driven and KCOM provides all the tools you need to do well.

COMLEX II/USMLE II written examination preparation was all on the student. The only resource they did provide was a pre-paid COMSAE exam for Step 2 to determine preparedness. I did not take this exam as it was not required. Throughout 3rd year we had access to Case Review books through the online digital library that we could go along with on rotations. What I did and most others did was split a 9 month (400/4 ~ 100 per person) USMLE World subscription and use it along with rotations to study for shelfs. This is what I would recommend doing. The school required all students to take COMLEX by the end of August but most students took it before the July 4 holiday.

Step II PE was also required to be taken by the end of August and most students seemed to take it in May/June. Students perform exceptionally well on this exam and I did not hear of anyone failing it from Kirksville. In April KCOM brings all the 3rd year students back to the main campus for a week and provided a mock timed 8-patient simulation to what the real PE was like. They provide some money for travel expenses as well. I felt this was very valuable and was the only studying I did for the PE besides looking at a few musculoskeletal diagnostic tests the evening before.

I will say that Kirksville will not baby you. They are not afraid to hold you for an extra year ("5th year") or kick you out for failing more than one class. This happens to about 5-7 people out of the 175 person class every year it seems but never to anyone after completing the second year of school.

If you have additional questions please feel free to message me. I would recommend KCOM to anyone. The only downside of my experience was the cost of tuition but what can you do.

Overall Grade: A

Dr Dazzle · Feb 14, 2013

Anyone have insight on WVSOM?

DrEnderW · Feb 14, 2013

Updated Touro COM - NY would be great too!

Zico181 · Feb 14, 2013

Deleted

darklabel · Feb 14, 2013

Would love an NSU and LECOM-B update (my top two schools).

DrBumblebee · Feb 14, 2013

Need an updated view of GA-PCOM. (where's TexasTriathlete!?)

Also, about WesternU/COMP, although there's a bunch of negative thread campaigns are going on about it.

Ost3oclast · Feb 14, 2013

Would love to hear another full review on AZCOM! It only has one.

113 · Feb 15, 2013

I wouldn't mind if this thread were closed, and everyone was referred to SDN's existing school survey tool. There are pre-made charts and aggregation tools that would make this run a lot smoother. I think a lot of people are just unaware that the school surveys even exist.

For example, TUCOM-CA: http://studentdoctor.net/schools/school/tucom-ca/survey/35

DrBumblebee · Feb 15, 2013

I wouldn't mind above poster's posts be deleted from this thread and any other DO school related threads.

113 · Feb 15, 2013

DrBumblebee said:
I wouldn't mind above poster's posts be deleted from this thread and any other DO school related threads.

Hey there Bumbles. I see you've returned from your mandatory vacation. Welcome back. I look forward to reading your posts!

Pros and Cons of your DO School

Full Member

Oh crap, I'm really a doctor?

New Member

eimaise

Full Member

Full Member

New Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

deleted336217

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

CA-4

Full Member

MS-4

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Member

Full Member

Neonatologist, Clinical Bioethicist

Full Member

Full Member

PGY-1

Full Member

Full Member

Ph.D in Clinical Meconium

Full Member

I need more coffee.

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

IAmCostanza

PCP

MS-0

It's Teh Internetz Dood!

Membership Revoked

MS-0

Membership Revoked

Similar threads