BCOM vs PCOM-GA

[FloresMD]

So I've been accepted to BCOM and PCOM-GA and I am torn between the two. PCOM-GA is about 30 mins from my house while BCOM is about 22 hours from my house. I think the rotation sites at BCOM are better than PCOM-GA's rotation sites. However, PCOM-GA is well established and BCOM has not had a class yet. I would appreciate any input from current PCOM-GA students and anyone else. Thank you!

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[ToKingdomCome]

PCM GA

 

[IslandStyle808]

I think in this case PCOM-GA would have my vote since it is already established and you know what you are getting. However, BCOM does seem have its act together but a lot is yet to be seen.

 

[AM508]

Always better to go established when it comes to schools rather than ones that are brand new. There are too many unknowns with these new schools.

 

[mathnerd88]

Definitely PCOM-GA. Especially if tuition is around the same.

BCOM seems to make too many promises and not much to show for it just yet.

 

[FloresMD]

@Goro

 

[IslandStyle808]

Definitely PCOM-GA. Especially if tuition is around the same.

BCOM seems to make too many promises and not much to show for it just yet.

Just like politicians running for office and any new DO schools, pretty much a given.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I think in this case PCOM-GA would have my vote since it is already established and you know what you are getting. However, BCOM does seem have its act together but a lot is yet to be seen.

Definitely PCOM-GA. Especially if tuition is around the same.

BCOM seems to make too many promises and not much to show for it just yet.

Just like politicians running for office and any new DO schools, pretty much a given.

you guys throw this word "established" like PCOM-GA has been around for years. Yes, this is a branch campus from PCOM, but it is still being run by NEWER faculty. The only thing that is established about this school is the rules, regulations, and curriculum, which can be mimicked for new universities just as easily. BCOM is structuring their curriculum around that of RVU, which from what I have gathered is what is responsible for RVU having the highest COMLEX scores in the country (fact check this, not 100%). My point being, even though BCOM is brand new, the faculty are seasoned veterans in their respected fields and many of them have gone through this more than once. I would choose BCOM over PCOM-GA, however if I were you I would choose PCOM just because of how close to home it would be. It is your call in the end, just don't let the "newness" factor deter you from taking a spot somewhere less established.

 

[Mavs88]

you guys throw this word "established" like PCOM-GA has been around for years. Yes, this is a branch campus from PCOM, but it is still being run by NEWER faculty. The only thing that is established about this school is the rules, regulations, and curriculum, which can be mimicked for new universities just as easily. BCOM is structuring their curriculum around that of RVU, which from what I have gathered is what is responsible for RVU having the highest COMLEX scores in the country (fact check this, not 100%). My point being, even though BCOM is brand new, the faculty are seasoned veterans in their respected fields and many of them have gone through this more than once. I would choose BCOM over PCOM-GA, however if I were you I would choose PCOM just because of how close to home it would be. It is your call in the end, just don't let the "newness" factor deter you from taking a spot somewhere less established.

PCOM-GA hasn't been around 100 years, but it is backed by an institution that has. BCOM has a lot of potential, but seriously there's no track to go off of. There's so much administrative red tape and clinical education hurdles and implementation that have to be overcome by new schools. The question I'd ask myself is: do you want to bet on your future medical career based on something that has no track record? Of course if you don't have a better option, BCOM is excellent because more likely than not, everyone going there will be just fine. However, a school with students that have been through all 4 years, federal student loans, etc are not things to look over.

Considering OP has support system near PCOM-GA and the fact that yes, it is in fact established, this is a no brainer.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

PCOM-GA hasn't been around 100 years, but it is backed by an institution that has. BCOM has a lot of potential, but seriously there's no track to go off of. There's so much administrative red tape and clinical education hurdles and implementation that have to be overcome by new schools. The question I'd ask myself is: do you want to bet on your future medical career based on something that has no track record? Of course if you don't have a better option, BCOM is excellent because more likely than not, everyone going there will be just fine. However, a school with students that have been through all 4 years, federal student loans, etc are not things to look over.

Considering OP has support system near PCOM-GA and the fact that yes, it is in fact established, this is a no brainer.

This is where we disagree. Yes, BCOM is new, but just as you mention there are so many hurdles for new schools to get over and yada yada, there are just as many safety nets for students in the case of failure. All anyone notices with a new schools is what could POTENTIALLY go wrong and not what if everything went as planned. If everything at BCOM goes as planned, which in all honestly isn't unthinkable, then BCOM becomes a very appealing medical school. BCOM already has more than enough rotation and residency sites set up ahead of time, they have a strong affiliation with NMSU for research and other resources, and they have the backing of New Mexico legislature along with some very skilled physicians and policy makers. The dean of the school is very well respected in his work as well as his research. I just don't see how this is a "gamble," rather I see it as people looking for the prestige or reputation that goes with some of the names of other medical schools. In my honest opinion, in theory BCOM > PCOM-GA, that is MY opinion. I have other options at established schools, but I chose BCOM over those schools as did others. The loans can be an issue, but the BCOM staff have taken it upon themselves to set up a good private loan system with local banks and lenders that can actually give you a better deal than many of the federal loans. Once again, just my opinion, take this as you
Please.

 

[mathnerd88]

you guys throw this word "established" like PCOM-GA has been around for years. Yes, this is a branch campus from PCOM, but it is still being run by NEWER faculty. The only thing that is established about this school is the rules, regulations, and curriculum, which can be mimicked for new universities just as easily. BCOM is structuring their curriculum around that of RVU, which from what I have gathered is what is responsible for RVU having the highest COMLEX scores in the country (fact check this, not 100%). My point being, even though BCOM is brand new, the faculty are seasoned veterans in their respected fields and many of them have gone through this more than once. I would choose BCOM over PCOM-GA, however if I were you I would choose PCOM just because of how close to home it would be. It is your call in the end, just don't let the "newness" factor deter you from taking a spot somewhere less established.

PCOM-GA hasn't been around 100 years, but it is backed by an institution that has. BCOM has a lot of potential, but seriously there's no track to go off of. There's so much administrative red tape and clinical education hurdles and implementation that have to be overcome by new schools. The question I'd ask myself is: do you want to bet on your future medical career based on something that has no track record? Of course if you don't have a better option, BCOM is excellent because more likely than not, everyone going there will be just fine. However, a school with students that have been through all 4 years, federal student loans, etc are not things to look over.

Considering OP has support system near PCOM-GA and the fact that yes, it is in fact established, this is a no brainer.

Exactly my point here...even if OP had no support system in GA, I would still suggest PCOM-GA. They have ties into the rotations that PCOM offers.

Like I said before, BCOM shows promise, but does NOT have even ONE graduating class to show for it yet. It can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set, but nobody has paved the road for it yet. You're risking almost $200k doing so over a school with a well established backing system.

No federal loans for BCOM for the first two years is another huge negative.

Plus, you're just repeating what BCOM and all the staff is telling you. EVERY school will say how theirs is great. Unless you have students that actually point out NEGATIVES, I can't discount that. Every school has a negative. What do you think BCOM's negatives are then? There is way too much red tape for a new school. Even CUSOM, which is pretty good for a new medical school, still had some trouble with curriculum in the first two years, and is still changing them. They had students give suggestions on how to change its curriculum for the better.

 

[F#&$#^&&@theMCAT]

PCOM-GA 100% !!!

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Exactly my point here...even if OP had no support system in GA, I would still suggest PCOM-GA. They have ties into the rotations that PCOM offers.

Like I said before, BCOM shows promise, but does NOT have even ONE graduating class to show for it yet. It can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set, but nobody has paved the road for it yet. You're risking almost $200k doing so over a school with a well established backing system.

No federal loans for BCOM for the first two years is another huge negative.

You are abusing the word "risk." You aren't risking a single dollar with a new school. They have an escrow fund with $32million that is set aside for purposes such as failing in some way. If this schools failed you would come out with more money than you put in...so quit being misleading with that word. If anything you might lose a year of education MAYBE, but even then you will be relocated to another medical school to finish up your education. Where is the risk? These are simply your own opinions.

 

[mathnerd88]

You are abusing the word "risk." You aren't risking a single dollar with a new school. They have an escrow fund with $32million that is set aside for purposes such as failing in some way. If this schools failed you would come out with more money than you put in...so quit being misleading with that word. If anything you might lose a year of education MAYBE, but even then you will be relocated to another medical school to finish up your education. Where is the risk? These are simply your own opinions.

You're also making it sound like we all believe BCOM is going to fail. Nobody is saying that.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Exactly my point here...even if OP had no support system in GA, I would still suggest PCOM-GA. They have ties into the rotations that PCOM offers.

Like I said before, BCOM shows promise, but does NOT have even ONE graduating class to show for it yet. It can keep promising that things will happen and rotations/residencies are set, but nobody has paved the road for it yet. You're risking almost $200k doing so over a school with a well established backing system.

No federal loans for BCOM for the first two years is another huge negative.

Plus, you're just repeating what BCOM and all the staff is telling you. EVERY school will say how theirs is great. Unless you have students that actually point out NEGATIVES, I can't discount that. Every school has a negative. What do you think BCOM's negatives are then? There is way too much red tape for a new school. Even CUSOM, which is pretty good for a new medical school, still had some trouble with curriculum in the first two years, and is still changing them. They had students give suggestions on how to change its curriculum for the better.

Also, these rotations aren't "promises" they are contract agreements between the schools and hospitals, if you went to the interview session at BCOM then you will know exactly what I mean when I say that their residency and rotation sites are pretty solid.

 

[mathnerd88]

Also, these rotations aren't "promises" they are contract agreements between the schools and hospitals, if you went to the interview session at BCOM then you will know exactly what I mean when I say that their residency and rotation sites are pretty solid.

Contracts don't mean anything. They can change easily, as even Goro have said.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

You're also making it sound like we all believe BCOM is going to fail. Nobody is saying that.

We. You certainly haven't been installing a lot of faith into the BCOM system, by the sounds of it you are taking the approach to BCOM from a stand-off perspective as if everyone should be weary until BCOM has proven themselves, which is fine, but be realistic about it.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Contracts don't mean anything. They can change easily, as even Goro have said.

Sure, but what are the odds that nearly 200 sites are going to deplete all at once? Have you looked into their rotation sites?

 

[mathnerd88]

We. You certainly haven't been installing a lot of faith into the BCOM system, by the sounds of it you are taking the approach to BCOM from a stand-off perspective as if everyone should be weary until BCOM has proven themselves, which is fine, but be realistic about it.

Of course not. They're a new school. I still have some slight doubts about CUSOM, even though it looks to be very promising.

 

[mathnerd88]

Sure, but what are the odds that nearly 200 sites are going to deplete all at once? Have you looked into their rotation sites?

Look, it isn't just about rotation sites. I am wary of the other things posted on BCOM's forum that may raise potential red flags, and I'm not the only one to point this out.

Again, nobody is saying BCOM will fail. Just know that there are limitations/cons for each school, and BCOM's seems to have more thus far compared to other DO schools.

For the OP, the choice is easy between the two schools.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Look, it isn't just about rotation sites. I am wary of the other things posted on BCOM's forum that may raise potential red flags, and I'm not the only one to point this out.

Again, nobody is saying BCOM will fail. Just know that there are limitations/cons for each school, and BCOM's seems to have more so far.

Please name specifics when you say they have some red flags. Now only for my sake, but for anyone else who may read these posts. Maybe I can address some of these issues and help make light of some things others might not know. What exactly are the red flags of BCOM, and please leave statistics out of this since we have no real basis for what the class will look like. We have ~20 SDN members going to BCOM out of the 162 seats. Other than stats what are the red flags?

 

[mathnerd88]

Please name specifics when you say they have some red flags. Now only for my sake, but for anyone else who may read these posts. Maybe I can address some of these issues and help make light of some things others might not know. What exactly are the red flags of BCOM, and please leave statistics out of this since we have no real basis for what the class will look like. We have ~20 SDN members going to BCOM out of the 162 seats. Other than stats what are the red flags?

1. Stats (accepting students with low MCAT <20 and also in the low 20's)- Will give benefit of the doubt because all new schools traditionally accept students with lower stats.
2. No federal loans for the first two years.
3. Giving only 30 days to put in a nonrefundable $3000 deposit, started giving II in the last week of June, acceptances in first week of August, before applicants get a choice of other schools.
4. New school/curriculum not tested/no graduates/no match list/not even a first class yet/ no students in rotations yet
5. Building not even finished yet
6. Implementing a $200 refund a couple of weeks ago in hopes of making students who decided to go elsewhere withdraw earlier, suggesting that administration is not as experienced as other schools and not . (This is okay, but other schools may have more experience in the application process, and time will fix this)
7. Provisional Accreditation (not a big deal)
8. Got some negative feedback by some members who interviewed there, but perhaps every school has this issue.

These are potential red flags I see so far, but then again, these reasons won't make BCOM fail. It just seems like many hurdles to go through for $47k tuition per year (matching PCOM's tuition.) There's still a lot of red tape BCOM has to go through. The biggest concern for me is how new the school is. No matter how much convincing you can give, there will always be a sense of uncertainty like IslandStyle is saying. That's something that me personally, (and understandably, many others) don't want to go through.

In ten years, this school will probably be just as good as all the other established schools out there, with graduates who already paved the way for future physicians.

 

[llamallamafiesta]

What's the anatomy lab situation like at BCOM?

 

[IslandStyle808]

you guys throw this word "established" like PCOM-GA has been around for years. Yes, this is a branch campus from PCOM, but it is still being run by NEWER faculty. The only thing that is established about this school is the rules, regulations, and curriculum, which can be mimicked for new universities just as easily. BCOM is structuring their curriculum around that of RVU, which from what I have gathered is what is responsible for RVU having the highest COMLEX scores in the country (fact check this, not 100%). My point being, even though BCOM is brand new, the faculty are seasoned veterans in their respected fields and many of them have gone through this more than once. I would choose BCOM over PCOM-GA, however if I were you I would choose PCOM just because of how close to home it would be. It is your call in the end, just don't let the "newness" factor deter you from taking a spot somewhere less established.

I think you might have misinterpreted a few things in my post. You have read my posts in the past so you already know my stance for BCOM. I will give you an example of a school I would go to over even some of the mid-tier ones.

I interviewed at MU-COM before they had their students even doing rotations. At that time, I would hear about the smoke and mirrors from other SDNers. However, there will always be a few with any DO school. I didn't let it bother me, because I knew they have an established OPTI with MSU and a vast array of clinical faculty who taught the MD students. Now, so far, I have not heard of one complaint about MU-COMs rotations. I knew they were doing things right even before the students started rotations. It is the same with BCOM. I can see its potential, but there are things that still to be seen (even MU-COM is having its pre-clinical curriculum being modified, its not perfect). I think it will have the same potential that MU-COM has, but there will be that sense of uncertainty. It is not something that will go away no matter how much research is done on the school.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

1. Stats (accepting students with low MCAT <20 and also in the low 20's)- Will give benefit of the doubt because all new schools traditionally accept students with lower stats.
2. No federal loans for the first two years.
3. Giving only 30 days to put in a nonrefundable $3000 deposit, started giving II in the last week of June, acceptances in first week of August, before applicants get a choice of other schools.
4. New school/curriculum not tested/no graduates/no match list/not even a first class yet/ no students in rotations yet
5. Building not even finished yet
6. Implementing a $200 refund a couple of weeks ago in hopes of making students who decided to go elsewhere withdraw earlier, suggesting that administration is not as experienced as other schools and not . (This is okay, but other schools may have more experience in the application process, and time will fix this)
7. Provisional Accreditation (not a big deal)
8. Got some negative feedback by some members who interviewed there, but perhaps every school has this issue.

These are potential red flags I see so far, but then again, these reasons won't make BCOM fail. It just seems like many hurdles to go through for $47k tuition per year (matching PCOM's tuition.) There's still a lot of red tape BCOM has to go through. The biggest concern for me is how new the school is. No matter how much convincing you can give, there will always be a sense of uncertainty like IslandStyle is saying. That's something that me personally, (and understandably, many others) don't want to go through.

In ten years, this school will probably be just as good as all the other established schools out there, with graduates who already paved the way for future physicians.

1. You have no idea how many students were actually accepted with these low stats. n =~20...
2.None of the new schools get federal loans for the first two years, but as stated before, private loans are sometimes better than federal loans if you know what you're doing.
3. Sounds more like a blessing than a curse. If you don't want to pay it then don't, people make it seem like BCOM is the bad guy by giving them a choice early in the game and only giving them so long to make a decision. It is an acceptance...either accept it or leave it, it is just as much of a competition for schools to get students as it is for students to get schools so make it or leave it, but don't complain about an acceptance.
4. New school, yes, curriculum not tested? No...the curriculum is brought directly from Rocky Vista which has been used for the past few years to produce the nations top COMLEX scores. They even say this during your interview orientation.
5. Building to finished is a con? That building is way ahead of scheduled construction time, this should not even be on the list...it will be done for sure.
6. Contrary to what you may have heard, this is not because they weren't skilled in the admissions process, they did this as an incentive because they would rather give people who were going to leave anyway an incentive to leave now so they can bring in people who really want to be there. It is very common for people to sit on multiple acceptances until near the end of the cycle before deciding on which school to attend. Since BCOM is still under provisional accreditation they cannon extend more invitations than seats in their class. This is the reason that AACOMAS has implemented the applications trafficking systems that allows schools to see which students are holding multiple acceptances around February or so. It gives them the option to tell the students they need to either choose or move on with the process and let someone else in.
7. I think only one school in the history of provisionals has actually failed in all of history. This won't be an issue.
8. The only negative feedback I have seen has been senseless and targeted towards the school for reasons specific to each individual person. I have heard and overwhelming amount of positive feedback from interviewees.

The tuition is $44k , not $47k.

 

[mathnerd88]

The tuition is $44k , not $47k.

http://bcomnm.org/admissions/prospective-students/tuition-fees/

If it is $44k, then BCOM needs to fix that on its website.

As for all your other points, it honestly depends on the individual and how he/she feels about the school. Some like the excitement of a new school, while others don't. Some will think $3000 deposit due in 30 days is fair, while others don't early in the application process. I can tell you that LECOM used to do this, until it got complaints from AACOM and stopped. CUSOM allows deposits to be due by Nov 15 (still is provisionally accredited,) which gives applicants plenty of time to see if they get other acceptances. To applicants who can have multiple acceptances for medical school, it would be a curse. I believe our opinions differ on the matter, but it is always nice to see different perspective.

I don't want to bring stats on here, but if you look at the underdog thread as well as BCOM's thread, you can get a sense of the applicant stats BCOM is looking for/willing to accept. Even if n=20, it is still about 12% of the class. Again, it is a new school, so traditionally, its average stats are lower than that of more established schools.

As for curriculum, although it matches RVU's, it still might not be exactly alike. No two schools have the same exact curriculum/grading scheme/professors/staff support, etc.

I prefer to take the more cautious route because medical education is not something I would want to take with some uncertainty involved.

 

[68PGunner]

No brainer Pcom-GA unless that $3,000 deposit is too much for you.

 

[IslandStyle808]

2.None of the new schools get federal loans for the first two years, but as stated before, private loans are sometimes better than federal loans if you know what you're doing.

The tuition is $44k , not $47k.

http://bcomnm.org/admissions/prospective-students/tuition-fees/

If it is $44k, then BCOM needs to fix that on its website.

I believe Campbell and Marian had federal loans their first year. The tuition on the website is correct, it was $44k and it is now $46k.

 

[mathnerd88]

I believe Campbell and Marian had federal loans their first year. The tuition on the website is correct, it was $44k and it is now $46k.

So BCOM increased tuition recently even though class hasn't started?

 

[Bubbab]

http://bcomnm.org/admissions/prospective-students/tuition-fees/

If it is $44k, then BCOM needs to fix that on its website.

As for all your other points, it honestly depends on the individual and how he/she feels about the school. Some like the excitement of a new school, while others don't. Some will think $3000 deposit due in 30 days is fair, while others don't early in the application process. I can tell you that LECOM used to do this, until it got complaints from AACOM and stopped. CUSOM allows deposits to be due by Nov 15 (still is provisionally accredited,) which gives applicants plenty of time to see if they get other acceptances. To applicants who can have multiple acceptances for medical school, it would be a curse. I believe our opinions differ on the matter, but it is always nice to see different perspective.

I don't want to bring stats on here, but if you look at the underdog thread as well as BCOM's thread, you can get a sense of the applicant stats BCOM is looking for/willing to accept. Even if n=20, it is still about 12% of the class. Again, it is a new school, so traditionally, its average stats are lower than that of more established schools.

As for curriculum, although it matches RVU's, it still might not be exactly alike. No two schools have the same exact curriculum/grading scheme/professors/staff support, etc.

I prefer to take the more cautious route because medical education is not something I would want to take with some uncertainty involved.

There are therapy, support groups and medication that can help with your BCOM obsession. You don't have to suffer alone.

 

[mathnerd88]

There are therapy, support groups and medication that can help with your BCOM obsession. You don't have to suffer alone.

Now that's just uncalled for. OP asked a question and we answered it.

Shall I remind you that insulting others is against tos?

Again, you're going to BCOM so I would expect some bias here. There are people on here who are not going to either school who can give a fair assessment.

 

[IslandStyle808]

So BCOM increased tuition recently even though class hasn't started?

Seems like it, but it is tough to say if it will go up, down, or stay the same.

 

[Songon12play]

Seems like it, but it is tough to say if it will go up, down, or stay the same.

. Seriously?! You can bet anything they're gonna keep raising because:
1) They're BCOM
2) Gotta get that money money money. Every school has a trend of raising tuition. DO schools are just way more blatant with it.

 

[IslandStyle808]

. Seriously?! You can bet anything they're gonna keep raising because:
1) They're BCOM
2) Gotta get that money money money. Every school has a trend of raising tuition. DO schools are just way more blatant with it.

Except KCU, their tuition actually went down slightly.

 

[RurouniKarly]

. Seriously?! You can bet anything they're gonna keep raising because:
1) They're BCOM
2) Gotta get that money money money. Every school has a trend of raising tuition. DO schools are just way more blatant with it.

What does "they're BCOM" have to do with it? Unlike most MD schools, DO schools aren't typically backed by large universities or federal grants. At MD schools, tuition covers very little of the operating costs of the school and is fairly superfluous to the overall budget. Most DO schools don't have that kind of financial backing or support and actually rely on student tuition to maintain themselves and cover operating costs. Which is why DO schools seem more "blatant" with raising tuition, they actually need it.

 

[Songon12play]

What does "they're BCOM" have to do with it? Unlike most MD schools, DO schools aren't typically backed by large universities or federal grants. At MD schools, tuition covers very little of the operating costs of the school and is fairly superfluous to the overall budget. Most DO schools don't have that kind of financial backing or support and actually rely on student tuition to maintain themselves and cover operating costs. Which is why DO schools seem more "blatant" with raising tuition, they actually need it.

Because BCOM is especially greedy. They're backed by the burrells (super rich), but still need to extort students a ton by cranking up the costs before classes ever start. how much more blatant can you get?

 

[mathnerd88]

What does "they're BCOM" have to do with it? Unlike most MD schools, DO schools aren't typically backed by large universities or federal grants. At MD schools, tuition covers very little of the operating costs of the school and is fairly superfluous to the overall budget. Most DO schools don't have that kind of financial backing or support and actually rely on student tuition to maintain themselves and cover operating costs. Which is why DO schools seem more "blatant" with raising tuition, they actually need it.

I thought according to BCOM forum, that BCOM is also backed by NMSU, which is a large public university.

 

[Songon12play]

I thought according to BCOM forum, that BCOM is also backed by NMSU, which is a large public university.

It is backed by NMSU. The board/share holders of DOs are generally wealthy land owners who want to make even more money. That's a main reason for the raise. Gotta cash out on their investments.

 

[RurouniKarly]

1. You have no idea how many students were actually accepted with these low stats. n =~20...
2.None of the new schools get federal loans for the first two years, but as stated before, private loans are sometimes better than federal loans if you know what you're doing.
3. Sounds more like a blessing than a curse. If you don't want to pay it then don't, people make it seem like BCOM is the bad guy by giving them a choice early in the game and only giving them so long to make a decision. It is an acceptance...either accept it or leave it, it is just as much of a competition for schools to get students as it is for students to get schools so make it or leave it, but don't complain about an acceptance.
4. New school, yes, curriculum not tested? No...the curriculum is brought directly from Rocky Vista which has been used for the past few years to produce the nations top COMLEX scores. They even say this during your interview orientation.
5. Building to finished is a con? That building is way ahead of scheduled construction time, this should not even be on the list...it will be done for sure.
6. Contrary to what you may have heard, this is not because they weren't skilled in the admissions process, they did this as an incentive because they would rather give people who were going to leave anyway an incentive to leave now so they can bring in people who really want to be there. It is very common for people to sit on multiple acceptances until near the end of the cycle before deciding on which school to attend. Since BCOM is still under provisional accreditation they cannon extend more invitations than seats in their class. This is the reason that AACOMAS has implemented the applications trafficking systems that allows schools to see which students are holding multiple acceptances around February or so. It gives them the option to tell the students they need to either choose or move on with the process and let someone else in.
7. I think only one school in the history of provisionals has actually failed in all of history. This won't be an issue.
8. The only negative feedback I have seen has been senseless and targeted towards the school for reasons specific to each individual person. I have heard and overwhelming amount of positive feedback from interviewees.

The tuition is $44k , not $47k.

At the end of the day, we're better off encouraging people to attend BCOM if they love the region and really identify with the school's mission. I think a lot of the concerns people have with the school will turn out to be non-issues, and in a couple years everyone will be harping on the latest new school while BCOM proves itself. If someone doesn't really feel a connection with BCOM, they'll be more likely to give the newness of the school more weight than it probably deserves given how well planned and thought out the program is. What that means though is that the people who become our eventual classmates will be the ones who are really excited for what the school has to offer, and those are the kinds of people I look forward to spending the next 4 years with.

 

[RurouniKarly]

I thought according to BCOM forum, that BCOM is also backed by NMSU, which is a large public university.

It's a little different in that the relationship between BCOM and NMSU isn't a financial one. Really, the only reason BCOM wasn't opened as the state funded New Mexico State University College of Osteopathic Medicine is that New Mexico can't afford to fund another medical school. So instead they're offering support and assistance that comes from having access to the facilities of a large state university. However, none of this impacts the tuition of BCOM students or the funding logistics of BCOM because New Mexico isn't giving the school any money.

 

[mathnerd88]

At the end of the day, we're better off encouraging people to attend BCOM if they love the region and really identify with the school's mission. I think a lot of the concerns people have with the school will turn out to be non-issues, and in a couple years everyone will be harping on the latest new school while BCOM proves itself. If someone doesn't really feel a connection with BCOM, they'll be more likely to give the newness of the school more weight than it probably deserves given how well planned and thought out the program is. What that means though is that the people who become our eventual classmates will be the ones who are really excited for what the school has to offer, and those are the kinds of people I look forward to spending the next 4 years with.

This is absolutely true. It really depends on the OP how he/she feels about the school.

 

[Dustbowl12]

Both good choices, go with whatever fits better with you. I chose BCOM over some more established schools and a newer one for the following reasons, maybe they will resonate with you

1. They have promised the creation of 300 residency positions, they have delivered on over 100 already, 5 years before a class graduates
2. These residency positions are all/will be ACGME.
3. Students will be rotating at residency affiliated hospitals during core rotations.
4. The residency spots are specialty spots as well as primary care.
5. There are not stringent primary care core rotation requirements, so you can schedule your speciality rotations and don't have to waste rotations on something you aren't interested in
6. The dean and dr hayes clinical director are well established and connected, that will go a long long way when scheduling audition rotations
7. Research requirement isn't hot air, BCOM isn't simply called BCOM its actually "BCOM at NMSU. Full access to their facilities and resources


This was enough to override the "new school issues" with the school. I have an inteview scheduled at another school and will attend because I love the area, but it will be tough to beat BCOM for me

Consider location, your family, distance, etc also.

You will be fine either way, PCOM Ga is associated with the "Harvard of DOs" aka PCOM, a unanimous top 3 DO school. How that translates to PCOM GA, who knows? But the prestige of that PCOM title is extremely sexy.

 

[68PGunner]

BCOM is already planning a sister school in Montana despite working on its building construction at New Mexico. You know where I'll probably be going with this. Again, I only decrypt intentions based on actions instead of pamphlet propaganda.

 

[mathnerd88]

BCOM is already planning a sister school in Montana despite working on its building construction at New Mexico. You know where I'll probably be going with this. Again, I only decrypt intentions based on actions instead of pamphlet propaganda.

Well, they are a for-profit school, so they want room for aggressive expansion!

Don't a lot of schools do this, like LECOM, PCOM, Touro, ATSU, Midwestern, VCOM etc.?

 

[mj1988]

I wanted to add to our earlier conversation .... I would rank these in order of preference and answer them to help you decide
1. Consider how important is the location and support network you have in GA currently to you vs. NM without that (I prefer living far enough away so like 3-6 hrs from my family that I have space to think even though they mean a lot to me unless I get into my state school in Tn so that's a non issue - I will have to move and all my friends are in other states anyways).
2. What about the costs of moving since the tuition is relatively the same, travel costs
3. Do you intend to specialize - if so look for the school with more flexibility for audition rotations in the 4th yr and contrast that with core rotation sites and if there is a strong push for primary care in one vs. the other. Also rural sites offer more chances for 1st assists in terms of learning while urban sites usually allow for traditional work with residents but maybe less time with hands-on training
4. Finally what kind of preclinical curriculum do you prefer...pcom ga's integrated traditional vs. bcom/rvucom's block systems with normal physio M1, and pathophys M2 plus time for board study if any
those are only questions you can answer for yourself.
**then consider if you can stomach the newness and uncertainty of bcom (ironing out the curriculum hiccups, going for the private loans) if all else is equal - keep in mind that pcom ga is mostly suburban/rural ga and in some instances alabama not city like the parent org pcom in philly but the reputation should still follow even if the rotation sites don't translate as much (I used to live in Philly and PCOM had great clinical rotations even if the students weren't hyped about the preclinicals)
***and if you had a gut feeling / reaction to fit that should make a difference as well if not just consider the above

 

[FloresMD]

Thank you guys for all the input. After thinking about it, I think I will stick with BCOM. Though it is a brand new school, it has a lot to offer and I am excited about establishing a culture and a "feel" for future medical students. I am also very in line with the mission of the school and I believe I would have more of impact in the community in Las Cruces than here in GA. I also like all the board prep material that we will get (Firecracker, Q banks, Last block dedicated for Board Review). Lastly, I didn't really get the gut feeling I got at BCOM at the PCOM interview.

 

[F#&$#^&&@theMCAT]

Thank you guys for all the input. After thinking about it, I think I will stick with BCOM. Though it is a brand new school, it has a lot to offer and I am excited about establishing a culture and a "feel" for future medical students. I am also very in line with the mission of the school and I believe I would have more of impact in the community in Las Cruces than here in GA. I also like all the board prep material that we will get (Firecracker, Q banks, Last block dedicated for Board Review). Lastly, I didn't really get the gut feeling I got at BCOM at the PCOM interview.

Well, ya better change your username to FloresDO!

 

[FloresMD]

Well, ya better change your username to FloresDO!

I want to but SDN wants to charge me $20

 

[RurouniKarly]

Thank you guys for all the input. After thinking about it, I think I will stick with BCOM. Though it is a brand new school, it has a lot to offer and I am excited about establishing a culture and a "feel" for future medical students. I am also very in line with the mission of the school and I believe I would have more of impact in the community in Las Cruces than here in GA. I also like all the board prep material that we will get (Firecracker, Q banks, Last block dedicated for Board Review). Lastly, I didn't really get the gut feeling I got at BCOM at the PCOM interview.

Whoohoo! Welcome!

 

[mathnerd88]

Congrats on your decision!