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DrThanos said:
Sent you a PM.
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I'm in the second class at a new school, so I know the struggle associated with being at a new med school. Added to that the fact that you have to take private loans. I have federal loans and I still wish I had better options 3 years ago. Then, you have SGU which has at least 20% attrition rate and ~60% match rate. These are not good odds for anyone paying over 70 grand a year. If you can't wait to reapply, then go Noorda and know that you will probably have a lot to deal with for the next 4 years and most likely will end up in a primary care field, but if you can afford to wait another year, then I'd say apply very broadly DO as soon as app opens in June. Good luck!
 
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I will say my opinion of Noorda using Sims to supplement the 1st and last week of rotations seems like a red flag. Spending 2 weeks less on certain services seems like a problem, maybe they do not have enough rotation sites ( i do know UofU is very protective of any of their sites). Also they are trying a new what seems like PBL curriculum where you have no real classes and just watch videos, it just seems like they are trying to hard to be cutting edge and I worry how that will turn out with their first class.
 
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I don't really understand your point here: "2nd cycle (current) I applied early with better MCAT & post-bacc but COVID turned it into a high-stats hoarding interviews game." If you applied early with an MCAT of at least 511, I don't see how "hoarding" would affect you. If anything, you are high stats for DO and stats suggest you probably should've been more successful. The average DO MCAT is like several points lower. Unless there's is something you are leaving out in terms of school list or your application in general.

Your other point "Schools will have a better idea of who/how to interview post-COVID and may not waste as much time on high-stats people who won't attend lower-tier schools." ADCOMS have been doing this for a long time. I don't think COVID magically changed the DO interviewing process. I don't see how a "post-COVID" application cycle will be any different from a "pre-COVID" cycle other than the fact that the application process gets more competitive by the year. If they feel you're competitive, they will interview you. They have the waitlist to deal with the fact that they won't get all the high-stats people they interview.

I empathize with your situation, but definitely be honest with myself in regards to why the cycle panned out the way it did. Don't rely on these "PROS" you have laid out here. You don't want to forgo an acceptance, apply the 3rd time with the same outcome. Add in with the fact that you might have to reveal you let go of an prior acceptance.

All things considered, I say reapply if you are confident you've made significant improvements since the last app. Good luck with whatever decision you make!
 
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Have you been accepted to Noorda? I wanted to reapply but was advised against turning down an acceptance, even if it's not your favorite school.
 
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wanderingshamans said:
Hello everyone!

Browsing this forum has helped me immensely and I want to thank you all for that. I now need your wisdom once more as I make a big decision in my life.

I am debating my options and it's a no-brainer that US MD> US DO >> Caribbean but being a new school without federal loans makes things difficult. If this was any other accredited school even "low-tier" like LMU I'd bite right away.

I see myself in Rads > Anesthesia > PM&R > Psych > EM

Noorda-COM
PROS:
  • US school status & small class size
  • Enthusiastic faculty & curriculum seems promising
CONS:
  • Private loans - the rate I received is similar to federal but without all the perks & benefits
  • New(er) DO schools tend to have ~75-80% of the inaugural class match - similar to SGU after the second year COMP exam "squeeze" (71% match and 29% SOAP) AFTER 30%+ attrition
    • No upper classmen for guidance
    • Newer schools tend to have harsher remediation standards and would rather expel a student to maximize their match rates
  • I'm interested in longer specialties/fellowships (5-6 years) and would like to utilize REPAYE (save me ~60k interest) and PSLF (forgive the remainder). Can't do that with private loans
  • Kinda.... expensive ~76k/year. I'm very frugal but I need my own apartment and the ~3-4k I'd save with roommates would cause me more headaches (and I've had friends remediate a year at other schools due to roommate drama/stress)
  • 600k w/my current debt by the time I become an attending
SGU
PROS:
  • Rotations can be hit or miss but there are some high-quality locations for those who are lucky
  • Large alumni network (the hospital I work at is practically all SGU grads - and yes it was easier to match 10+ years ago but it's still something)
  • Federal loans and therefore I can pursue a longer specialty and do REPAYE & PSLF
  • Mostly IM/FM matches but many go on to do competitive fellowships (GI/CCM/Cardio/Heme-onc) and some anesthesia/rads.
CONS:
  • High attrition rate "the squeeze" during the second year for those who fail COMP (NBME like exam to go onto 3rd year) - these people should never have attended in the first place so it doesn't concern me (avg is 3.2/498 and I'm guessing those who flunk out are at/or below those numbers).
    • I have a fairly high MCAT ( >510, but lower GPA with an upward trend) so I'm confident about my ability to make it to the match. I've seen some grads with <495 make it there and I'm much much higher than that so that's reassuring
  • ~500k w/my current debt but options for PSLF & REPAYE
Reapplying
1st cycle I applied with a lower MCAT and pretty late
2nd cycle (current) I applied early with better MCAT & post-bacc but COVID turned it into a high-stats hoarding interviews game

PROS:
  • Schools will have a better idea of who/how to interview post-COVID and may not waste as much time on high-stats people who won't attend lower-tier schools
  • I will be a first-time applicant at many schools like CCOM etc. - I didn't apply there due to high COA but I'd gladly pay the extra $250k if it means higher likelihood of matching whether PSLF is still around or not 5 years from now
CONS:
  • It's possible that I don't get accepted but I'm in no rush to get started. Don't care about "1 less year of attending salary" and I'd rather be an attending in a specialty I chose and not one I was forced into.
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SGU has no pros, period.

Reapply, as brand new DO schools, especially for profit ones, can be very problematic .
 
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drstranger said:
Just out of curiosity does this curriculum sound strange to you?
Clinical
Year 1-2 Curriculum
It seems like a new school + trying to teach med school in a new way is a dangerous combo
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Strange? Know this is a TBL curriculum, as pioneered by University of Vermont. I am still very leery of them trying this out on their inaugural class
 
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Goro said:
Strange? Know this is a TBL curriculum, as pioneered by University of Vermont. I am still very leery of them trying this out on their inaugural class
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I guess I am familiar with TBLs but did not know of any school that taught exclusively through TBLs. Also, TBLs being prerecorded not live sessions seems like a bad idea, but yes I agree it will be difficult for their first class.
 
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drstranger said:
I guess I am familiar with TBLs but did not know of any school that taught exclusively through TBLs. Also, TBLs being prerecorded not live sessions seems like a bad idea, but yes I agree it will be difficult for their first class.
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I think LECOM does that.
 
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drstranger said:
I guess I am familiar with TBLs but did not know of any school that taught exclusively through TBLs. Also, TBLs being prerecorded not live sessions seems like a bad idea, but yes I agree it will be difficult for their first class.
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The more I think about it, the leery I am of their approach. It seems like the Faculty will literally be phoning in thier oversight of the TBLs.

I have yet to see any real data about how TBL affects Board scores, and so this is a school that I can't recommend for at least two years. Keep in mind that they are going to have a weaker Class given that it's a new school, and the Faculty are doing this for the first time. I suspect a lot of people will get lost in this.
 
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With step 1 going pass/ fail, you don’t want to go to the Caribbean. That was one of the very few ways you could stand out for residencies at Caribbean schools. US MD students and faculties are still not sure what will take the place of that determinator. You don’t want to be the Guinea pig for Caribbean match with P/F step 1.
It sounds like your gpa is screening you out. Either take undergrad classes again to boast your GPA and apply again or attend this DO. Just don’t go to SGU.

Also, I would be surprised if interviews are in-person next cycle. So you might see the same level of "high-stat hoarding" when it comes to II.
 
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Personally, I would go to Noorda. Even though it's their first year I don't know if it's worth a full year of reapplying and doing all the hoops again, plus there is a risk you wouldn't get a better offer anyway. Don't go to SGU though, that shouldn't be in the conversation when you have an acceptance to a US school, even if they just opened. Good luck.
 
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