Pro's and Con's of your school

Punchap said:

Just curious what people have to say about OUCOM as far as pros and cons go. Thanks.

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Pros
Most updated and modern OMM lab I've seen
Beautiful campus and surrounding region
Definitely dedicated to education, not dollars
2 curricula tracks to choose from
Reasonable cost
Friendly environment
Lots of 3rd/4th year sites and you can stay in one place the entire time
Opportunities to take histories within your first month/early patient interaction
Small class size
Technologically appropriate
Good pass rates/scores and match lists
Decent school system if you are bringing kids down


Cons - most of these are things I've heard other students complain about
If you want a big city, this isn't it.
Loads of patient interaction, possibly at the expense of studying?
Rural medicine is the focus, family medicine is a secondary focus....
Out of state commitment thing
Frightfully small medical library, although you have access to the main campus library and OhioLINK
Pay to print in computer labs (is this common now?)


It would help to have some specific questions. I found that when I finished interviewing I knew that OUCOM was the place for me. You may find the same thing.

tkim said:

COMP:

Advantage: It's in California

Disadvantage: It's in California.

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anything else?

Just got done with my giant brachial plexus anat/embryo/histo test so I have time to tell you a little about AZCOM. Keep in mind I'm only an MS1, so take it with a grain of salt:

PROS
- nice campus, pretty nice area
- really good faculty for the most part (our anatomy profs in particular are excellent)
- testing schedule (this could really be a pro/con, but it is an important thing to note about AZCOM). We have a large test in either anatomy or biochem every Monday, along with supplementary tests for other classes on Thursdays or Fridays. This can be considered a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about spending every weekend of the semester studying hard for tests. The + would be that the tests probably have somewhat less info since they are more frequent.
- (the most important thing) great, great, great board pass rates. Very hard preclinical years, but they get us ready for Step I (99% or > pass rate each year). This was huge for me.

CONS
- loooooooong class day. Basically 8-5 MF. It makes it hard to study as much as you need to. A lot of people skip biochem so that frees up some time.
- not a lot of technology. We're not like DMU. Things that I wish we would have and don't: note pool, all powerpoints posted online, streaming video of lectures. These would all be extremely helpful.
- lots of questions about clinical issues still. Being an MS1, I honestly don't know the situation that well, but the Phoenix area doesn't seem to be that DO friendly. Our school is only 12 years old and I feel like a lot of people don't know what Midwestern is or that there is a second med school in AZ. Personally, I'm planning to travel to a lot of away rotations in the NW, so it doesn't bother me that much.

That's about it, any specific questions, PM me and I'll post when I get a minute.

I hope someone reviews CCOM soon!!

Since no one has done KCOM, I will do it.

Pros:
- Excelent board scores
- Great match list
- Well established clinical rotations, you just pick where you want to go and they have everything then set up for you. Rotations are all over the country.
- 2 Stans and 6 more when the new building is completed very soon (Stan is a full size dummy that will do anything a person will do, you can give it drugs and it will respond accordingly, you can shock it, it will die if you do things wrong, you have to do CPR, etc on it. You can even cath it and urine will come out)
- Top OTM program
- Founding School
- Extremely cheap living
- Excellent for families (spouses sometimes can be more busy then students)
- Because of the small town, everyone in the class becomes one tight nit community because there is not much else to do then hang out with each other.
- Top notch faculty
- Clinical classes start your first year. (You get people who act out cases and you have to come up with the diagnosis based on the symptoms they are describing to you or the lab results you are handed, or you get real people to perform pap smears and prostate exams on in your first year)

Cons:
- Small town
- Not the most modern facilities, except a new building is being built right now.

Not many Cons that I can think of. I feel that if you are offered an interview here, to come and find out if you like it first hand. I didn't plan on coming to KCOM until I had my interview here and absolutely loved it. The small town didn't matter to me because the school was so inviting.

Lindsay
Class of 2009

czanetti said:

pros vs con for TCOM, LECOM-Brandenton, UMDNJ-COM

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Since we're in between tests for at least the next couple days, I'll throw out a few thoughts about my experience at LECOM-Bradenton. People can decide for themselves what's a pro and what's a con.

PBL Curriculum: First and perhaps most importantly, the curriculum at LECOM is >90% PBL. If you are thinking about coming here, you need to do some research and ask yourself realistically if this learning style will work for you. PBL doesn't mean that you only have class 6 hours a week. Believe me, when Dr. Krueuger tells you during the interview that you will be studying 8 hours a day, he means it; many days more than 8 hours. To me, PBL is much more interesting and interactive than a lecture; it allows you the freedom to approach the material in your own way. PBL is probably going to work best if you are self motivated and know how to go about finding answers to your questions. One of the best parts about PBL is that basic science knowledge is integrated into a clinical context from day one.

Anatomy: Great staff, Prosected cadavers save lots of time, intensive ten week course gives a solid base in anatomy in a short time, with the opportunity to cover clinically relevant/ high yield anatomy topics again in PBL,

Administration: In general, I would say the staff and faculty are extremely helpful and very committed to the sucess of the students. The professional standards which students are held to are high, but if you work hard, everyone will work hard to help you. The administration is serious about enforcing a few rules, so if you come here you should be prepared for that. Personally, I'm an older student, and I've already gotten the "rebel without a cause" thing out of my system, so personally I have no problem understanding and respecting the rules.

1. Honor Code - Don't cheat
2. Attire (dress policy) - Shirt and Tie for guys, professional attire? for women is required during school hours, don't have to wear a tie after 5 or on weekends, or OMM days
3. Meet with faculty advisor monthly
4. Drink/eat in the cafeteria only - yes, they mean it. yes, even water.
5. Attend all classes

Facilities: The building is brand new, ultra modern. Adjustable OMM tables in lab, wireless everywhere in building. Nice picnic tables in back face pond and fountains. Library has lots of room to study, not that many books, lots of electronic resources. It might be nice to have some more casual places to study on campus or a rec area - maybe some couches, pool table, etc. The cafeteria or PBL rooms are pretty much it in that regard.

Board scores: Per the preclinical dean, about 85% of students in the class which just took their boards passed. Folks were hoping for a lot better than this, but as this is the first class at a new school, those numbers will likely rise as the curriculum is ironed out. Board review is provided during second year.

Area: Weather is great, beautiful beaches, traffic can be heavy in certain areas so look for an apartment close to campus, look for housing early, real estate market can be lucrative if you decide to buy a house or condo,

Finances: LECOM -B is among the most resonable private DO schools at ~26000. Cost of living in the area isn't bad, unless you are looking to buy a house...although actually this might be a good time to buy around here...

All in all, I couldn't be happier with my decision to attend LECOM-B. It's a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. Drop a PM if you have any questions and I'll try to answer. As a first year, I can't really address too many issues about rotations and match.

Personally I'd encourage people to follow Steven Cobert's advice and use their gut when picking a school - some schools look good on paper, but if it just doesn't click for you, you probably won't be happy or succesful there.

"That's where the truth lies, right down here in the gut. Do you know you have more nerve endings in your gut than you have in your head? You can look it up. Now, I know some of you are going to say, "I did look it up, and that's not true." That's 'cause you looked it up in a book. Next time, look it up in your gut. I did. My gut tells me that's how our nervous system works."
- Steven Cobert

Well, I've seen him at school when he pops in.
As to the pros, cons and yeehaw's, we have about half students from OU undergraduate background, so they balance it out.

OSU has a dual degree DO/MBA program, and I'm currently in the MBA part. We can do it after 4th year or between 2nd and 3rd.

I had no business background, and face it, someone has to pay the bills and not get sued doing it.

Anyway, I'm sure you're focused on just getting in at this point, and we are competitive. Keep your grades, chin, and MCAT scores up.

For the letters, it helps to get one from a graduate of the school you're applying to, regardless of the institution.

I moved to Tulsa from OKC/Edmond. I think it's a pretty good place to live and go to school. Got kids? We have some really nice schools, both private and public, especially in the 'burbs.

This school understands that part of being a med student is staying sane, not just making the grade. We tend to be social and help one another.

Enough PR, got questions?

Christine
DO MBA 2009

LECOM-Erie from the perspective of an MS-1.

Pros
-Have three different learning style or pathways to choose from: problem based learning, lecture dependent learning, and independent studies (make sure you know which one you like when you go to interview, they will ask you).
-The faculty here really does care about your education and is always available to meet with you, schedule reviews, and answer questions via e-mail.
-Prosections for anatomy saves you tons of time while not ruining any learning experience. I originally thought that this was a con, but you still dissect on occasion, you just don’t have to deal with the skin or some of the fat.
-Lectures are in 50 minute blocks with ten minute breaks. I love my breaks.
-The facility is very nice, there are skeletons and equipment everywhere. The library has books, videos, bone boxes with skeletons, and white boards, you can’t beat that. Great rooms for group studying and tons of quiet areas for solo efforts. There are OPP rooms and group study rooms also available in the building. The cafeteria is also a place to hang and study if you don’t mind a slight hum on occasion.
-They mention high yield stuff a lot in classes. They have tutors available for free for any topic. They are committed to helping students. If you really screw up, they have a post-bach program that you can drop down into, kind of nice knowing there’s a safety net, even though there is no way that you want to use it.
-Boards are heavily emphasized throughout classes and review by Kaplan is brought in for free.
-Being next to a great lake is, well, great. They have beaches, volleyball, running paths…Canada is just a hop, skip, and jump away. Pittsburgh and Buffalo are within driving distance for a weekend escape.
-If you’re not quite ready to let go of the whole undergrad thing, there is a bar scene and people do take advantage of it.
-It’s a cheaper school comparatively speaking and Erie is pretty inexpensive.

Cons
-OMM department is disorganized which is frustrating, but they’re working on it.
-You’re in Erie and who knows anyone in Erie? A great place to stay but I wouldn’t want to live here.
-Dress code and strict rules with regards to food. Why on earth would an osteopathic school dedicated to whole body health deprive you of H2O all day long unless you make a frantic run to that cafeteria to gulp some down in between classes.
-The dress code is a pain because you may have to change clothes a billion times a day. Example: Wake up, put on dress clothes, go to school, change into OMM clothes. Change back into dress clothes, go to lecture. Change into anatomy clothes, go to anatomy lab. Change back into dress clothes to leave school. Go home, change into PJs because you hate dress clothes.
-They are enforcers, so its kind of disheartening that they don’t care that we hate the dress code and want to get rid of it. They just show us the form we signed to get in saying that we would follow it.
-Wireless in most, but not all parts of the building. Ethernet type hook-ups available everywhere there’s no wireless.
-They block websites that they deem inappropriate like MySpace, facebook, and lots of fun sites, but thankfully not SDN. Instant messenger and the like are also blocked. They say its because of limited available bandwidth.
-Have not had any actual experience with rotations yet, but they seem like somewhat inflexible about some of the ways that you get placed in rotations. Would look more into this if this is a concern for you.


A day in the life of a LECOM LDPer. Wake up 0700. Realize that you should have woken up earlier. Rush to shove cereal in face before rolling up the street to school (tons of apartments near school) at 0750. Scan your id to get in, rush into the lecture hall, and boot up your computer just in time for the professor to start the lecture at 0800. I record the lectures, so sometimes I play some solitaire or write posts like this while half-listening to lectures about joints of the lower limb. Wait patiently for the 1000 break which is called the granola bar break by many. Eat granola bar, then go back to class. Wait patiently for lunch at 1200. Go to class for a few more hours. Then change for anatomy lab so only one set of clothes smell like ick, and spend the next few hours in anatomy lab. Head home around 1600 and go for a run before making a crappy microwave dinner and hitting the books by 1800. Pretending to study and really watching a lot of TV until 2300. Attempting to go to sleep, as long as there’s nothing good on TV, to wake up and do it all again tomorrow.

So, in general you are out of school by 4pm, but sometimes you get out at noon and others not until 5pm. It depends on the day’s schedule.

any info would be a great help.

Just movin' this one up... Anyone who's actually AT DMU now want to chime in??!
😀

anything on WVSOM? just curious.

kcumb?

n0chi said:

kcumb?

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Good thoughts...curious if anyone will give their opinion.

bumping so i can find it easier 🙂