BCOM (Burrell) vs ARCOM (Arkansas)

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NoDocWithoutDO

Class of 2024
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BCOM
Pros
  • Graduating first class this year
    • Last hurdle in securing COCA accreditation
  • Nice weather
  • Well-established graduate medical education
  • 5 different clerkship sites across NM (1 in AZ)
  • Work with unique population of underserved immigrants
    • To add to this, I'm pretty passionate on serving spanish-speaking populations. I'm white myself but I do want to expand my spanish skills.
  • Kaplan course for COMLEX 1
  • Non-mandatory attendance
  • No dress code
  • P/F starting this upcoming school year
Cons
  • Expensive. Tuition is $50,455
  • Far from home. I'm from the Midwest.
  • Lower first time pass rates. ~85% first-time pass rate for COMLEX Level 1 (although I do understand it's largely independent studying)
  • Less total time for dedicated

ARCOM
Pros
Cons
  • GME is not as clear as BCOM's. School seems to be working on GME but was not clear on number of spots.
  • No data on 1st time pass rates for COMLEX 1
  • Graduating 1st class in 2021
  • Location isn't the best. Rather secluded area of rural Arkansas.
    • I'm much more used to urban environments which is why I liked Las Cruces over Fort Smith
  • Also far from home.
  • Weather kinda sucks
  • Percentage-based grades
  • Strict business casual dress code
  • Mandatory attendance if you drop below 80% in biochem class

Similarities
  • Federal loans
  • State-of-the-art simulation labs
  • Numerous cadavers
  • Both have beautiful, new campus buildings
  • Both lack data on COMLEX 2 PE/CE and COMLEX 3

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Last edited:
BCOM, for the reasons above plus your own personal preference plus they actually have GME. Dedicated time beyond 4-6 weeks isn't very helpful imho.
 
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BCOM, for the reasons above plus your own personal preference plus they actually have GME. Dedicated time beyond 4-6 weeks isn't very helpful imho.
This one is tough, but I barely learn toward BCOM for reasons above.

Would you be able to provide insight based on my "EDIT" under ARCOM above? Would this sway your thoughts one way or the other?
 
Would you be able to provide insight based on my "EDIT" under ARCOM above? Would this sway your thoughts one way or the other?
I cannot speak to the strength of BCOM's rotation/clerkships in order to make a decision based on just that information. I think these are pretty comparable schools in general, but attendance policies, dress codes and grading schemes will definitely affect you. BCOM is for-profit and has had some questionable policy in the past based on previous threads, but I'm unsure if the kinks have been smoothened out, so to speak. Tough call. Go where you think you'd be happier.
 
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