Arcom vs Burrell vs NYITCOM (AK) vs WCUCOM vs KansasCOM

[MedSchoolHopeful56]

Please help me decide

ARCOM
Pros

• Only 5 hours from home
• New research center

Cons

• Graded
• Mandatory lectures
• Heard that 1/3 of the class failed their biochemistry class the last two years

BCOM (NM)
Pros

• Friendly people
• Heard there are opportunities for research
• Helping underserved
• Pass/Fail

Cons

• Far from family
• Newish school
• High tuition

KansasCOM
Pros

• Friendly faculty
• Students seemed to love it
• School seems open to feedback

Cons

• Brand new
• Unknown research/clinical opportunities

NYITCOM (AR)
Pros

• Chance to get rotations at Baptist system
• Heard there are opportunities for research
• Helping underserved
• Heard it was P/F with ranking but some sources said graded?? (does anyone know?)

Cons

• Mixed reviews about clinicals
• High tuition

WCUCOM
Pros

• Some opportunities for research
• Helping underserved region
• Heard it was P/F with ranking but some sources said graded?? (does anyone know?)
• Low tuition

Cons

• Far from family
• Not too well known?

The education and opportunities matter more to me than location as all are far. The COL is low for most of them with moderate-high tuitions for a couple but I want to pick the one who will give me the best chances of going into a competitive specialty. Please help! 🙂

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[DrStephenStrange]

Personally in order I’d say WCU ≈ ARCOM ≈ BCOM > NYIT-AR >>>>>>>>…>>>>>>KansasCOM

WCU had lots of issues in the past, but seems to be trying to do better now. Do not know much otherwise.

I graduated from ARCOM in 2022 (second class) there were lots of ups and downs, but from what I’ve heard and seen, they’re also trying to do better. And they have to in order to get full accreditation in 2026 (heightened monitoring now). During my time there, mandatory classes was only if you fall below 80% in any given class. But either way no one cared, not sure if still the same nowadays. Tuition is reasonably low which is a plus.

BCOM also had accreditation with heightened monitoring, but seems to be trying to do better as well. Do not know much otherwise.

NYIT-AR slightly below because of not great clinical rotation situation in Arkansas from what I’ve heard. ARCOM seemed to have gathered better rotation sites.

KansasCOM please do not become a guinea pig.

 

[drthedude]

I am an OMS-1 at WCU, preclinical is P/F and rotations are H/P/F! It's funny you say not well known bc I came back home (to a big city) wearing my school jacket and someone stopped me asking if I go to their med school, any other WCU questions please DM but I agree with above!

 

[FlaringRaynauds]

NYITCOM (AR)
Pros

• Chance to get rotations at Baptist system

The new BUCOM in Memphis will put some pressure on the Baptist clinical sites in Memphis.

 

[MedSchoolHopeful56]

Thank you for all of your inputs! I'm having trouble choosing between NYIT, WCU, and Burrell... I was looking at NYITCOM for the reputation but BCOM and WCU had less competition for rotation spots... Does reputation matter much?

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you for all of your inputs! I'm having trouble choosing between NYIT, WCU, and Burrell... I was looking at NYITCOM for the reputation but BCOM and WCU had less competition for rotation spots... Does reputation matter much?

The reputation does not extend to the AR campus. Compared to the other schools, WCU has had the least complaints and is not new like Kansas COM.

 

[Ellesandra319]

WCUCOM
Pros

• Some opportunities for research
• Helping underserved region
• Heard it was P/F with ranking but some sources said graded?? (does anyone know?)
• Low tuition

Cons

• Far from family
• Not too well known?

Current WCUCOM OMS2 here. Don't know where you're hearing graded hahahah but we're all pass / fail.
Out of like 88 last year, we matched 3 to ortho, a decent chunk to gen surg, an optho, some derms in past years... if you wanna match competitively WCUCOM isn't going to do anything to hold you back from doing so! you're gonna have to be proactive and network, but people match competitively from here all the time.

also, you mentioned something about "competition for rotation sites." There are application sites that you can apply to, but the majority of spots are in general lottery where you draw and number and people select their site in the order of the number. As someone going through the application process right now, the application sites I would say aren't necessarily "competitive" either... most of the app sites have 15-20 spots with maybe 20-30 applicants so not like highly competitive.

 

[MedSchoolHopeful56]

Thank you so much! Would you mind me DMing you with a couple questions? If so, can you start a conversation with me because it won't let me message you 😅

Current WCUCOM OMS2 here. Don't know where you're hearing graded hahahah but we're all pass / fail.
Out of like 88 last year, we matched 3 to ortho, a decent chunk to gen surg, an optho, some derms in past years... if you wanna match competitively WCUCOM isn't going to do anything to hold you back from doing so! you're gonna have to be proactive and network, but people match competitively from here all the time.

also, you mentioned something about "competition for rotation sites." There are application sites that you can apply to, but the majority of spots are in general lottery where you draw and number and people select their site in the order of the number. As someone going through the application process right now, the application sites I would say aren't necessarily "competitive" either... most of the app sites have 15-20 spots with maybe 20-30 applicants so not like highly competitive.

 

[Ellesandra319]

Thank you so much! Would you mind me DMing you with a couple questions? If so, can you start a conversation with me because it won't let me message you 😅

absolutely but change your settings so i can message you! hahah 😉

 

[MedSchoolHopeful56]

absolutely but change your settings so i can message you! hahah 😉

Done😅

 

[OMSstudent1234]

Another current OMS2 WCU Student here. I'd agree with everything everyone else said. I'd also add though that I really like the research opportunities here- you just have to ask the professors and they're totally down to include you and help you out for the most part. I feel like if you want to be competitive for residency here, you totally can. The atmosphere amongst students is pretty positive and people try to support each other. I also got accepted to BCOM and ARCOM, chose WCU because of lower tuission and the anatomy lab is pretty great- I think they have in total something like 80 cadavers in there. I'd ask students from those other schools what their anatomy experience was like- did they get to dissect cadavers? If so, how many are in their lab... What is their research experience like? I know several people in my class who have gotten 1 or more publications already from things they have worked on with professors. From what I understand that's a pretty big deal from what goes on at other DO schools.

 

[MedSchoolHopeful56]

Another current OMS2 WCU Student here. I'd agree with everything everyone else said. I'd also add though that I really like the research opportunities here- you just have to ask the professors and they're totally down to include you and help you out for the most part. I feel like if you want to be competitive for residency here, you totally can. The atmosphere amongst students is pretty positive and people try to support each other. I also got accepted to BCOM and ARCOM, chose WCU because of lower tuission and the anatomy lab is pretty great- I think they have in total something like 80 cadavers in there. I'd ask students from those other schools what their anatomy experience was like- did they get to dissect cadavers? If so, how many are in their lab... What is their research experience like? I know several people in my class who have gotten 1 or more publications already from things they have worked on with professors. From what I understand that's a pretty big deal from what goes on at other DO schools.

Can I message you?

 

[Ellesandra319]

Another current OMS2 WCU Student here. I'd agree with everything everyone else said. I'd also add though that I really like the research opportunities here- you just have to ask the professors and they're totally down to include you and help you out for the most part. I feel like if you want to be competitive for residency here, you totally can. The atmosphere amongst students is pretty positive and people try to support each other. I also got accepted to BCOM and ARCOM, chose WCU because of lower tuission and the anatomy lab is pretty great- I think they have in total something like 80 cadavers in there. I'd ask students from those other schools what their anatomy experience was like- did they get to dissect cadavers? If so, how many are in their lab... What is their research experience like? I know several people in my class who have gotten 1 or more publications already from things they have worked on with professors. From what I understand that's a pretty big deal from what goes on at other DO schools.

Yeah this is huge. A ton of DO programs are going away from cadaver dissection which is a real shame, cause there is really no other quality way to learn relevant surgical anatomy without it.