BCOM vs Touro-NY Middletown

[sunflwr]

Hi everyone! I need some help deciding on which school to potentially attend. For some context, I am a Californian resident hoping to practice Family Medicine or Internal medicine in California or Texas. I have a deep love and appreciation for the West Coast due to its diversity, climate, and being that my entire support system resides here. Wherever I attend medical school, my goal would be to practice medicine here. Some pros and cons I've listed out for both schools:

Touro-NY Middletown
Pros

• More established (2014), has a pretty solid method of teaching students to yield high results
• Good match rate (95% last yr) and okay board exams pass rate (94% last yr)
• Seems they are more well known and have a higher reputation

Cons

• Weather. Even during the California winter season, my mood slips often and I have fallen into seasonal depression. I can only imagine what that would look like in an area that experiences snow storms quite often. (I've also never seen or been near snow lol).
• Cost of living is extremely expensive in the Middletown area
• Area, seems a bit bleak beyond nice hiking spots.

BCOM
Pros

• Noted that they have a GME Placement rate of 100% as of last yr.
• Affordable living, nice area, good climate
• Several and a diverse set of research opportunities
• Many CA students attend
• High residency placements in CA & TX

Cons

• Newer school, students have expressed that admin and staff are still navigating grounding the most optimal teaching style for students
• Not as well known
• Facility looks small and has most campus amenities on the New Mexico State Campus.

Thanks in advance!

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[chilly_md]

Touro. I don’t recommend BCOM

 

[smarie912]

If you go to Touro Middletown, you will be living in a pretty bleak area in the winter. I am from New England and somewhat accustomed to the cold at this point, but I visited Middletown recently and was surprised at how depressing the area seemed in the winter. That is definitely something to keep in mind, as your mental health is surely important while you're studying for your full time job.
I interviewed for both schools as well, and I both definitely has their perks. Based on what you said, you would probably have a much better time and "fit" more fluidly at BCOM. They are a newer school and you have to accept that they will have their bumps, but they seem to have it together as far as rotation sites and board prep. Prepping for your boards and even matching is a highly personal feat, and will definitely depend on you as a student more than the school you're in. So, I would pick the environment that suits you the best! Withdrawing my acceptance from BCOM was heartbreaking to be honest, because studying in New Mexico does sound like it would shape one into an excellent physician. Good luck!

 

[sunflwr]

Thank you for this well rounded answer!

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you for this well rounded answer!

BCOM is on heightened monitoring for their accreditation:

https://osteopathic.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/colleges-of-osteopathic-medicine.pdf

You have probably already tried it, but if you haven’t, maybe see if there is a good UV lamp that might help you get through the winters. It isn’t the same as having sunshine over snow and cold though.