BCOM vs. WCUCOM

[SodaApplePeel]

Hello,

I received my acceptance to WCUCOM a few days ago and think I will be attending. I really, really liked my interview and the atmosphere from the students at BCOM, and after seeing that they just received Accreditation with Exceptional Outcome, while WCUCOM still has Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring I am a little less sure of my decision. The pros and cons for each school are below:

WCUCOM
Pros

• Cheaper tuition (46,000 vs 66,000)
• Cost of living is cheaper (Hattiesburg, MS)
• More support for research

Cons

• Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring
• Christian university
• Rotations seem on the weaker side
• Not very interested in rural medicine (am interested in Radiology , Anesthesiology and EDM)
• Requires scrubs/business casual

BCOM (New Mexico campus)
Pros

• Familiar with the Las Cruces, NM area and would much rather live there
• Match list for 2024 looks slightly better (more competitive specialty matches)
• Stronger clinical rotations (most likely as there are only 2 medical schools in NM)
• Recent Accreditation with Exceptional Outcome
• Environment seems much chiller

Cons

• Cost, with tuition and higher COL, I'll probably end up spending 80-120k more over 4 years.
• Lack of research, they made it clear that research is not a big focus for them
• For profit school

Both schools are P/F and do not have mandatory class.

To me the reason to pick WCUCOM boils down to cheaper COA (and not being for-profit) and more research opportunities. But I can't just help but feeling I would be overall happier and have a better experience during medical school at BCOM.

Any opinions?

@Faha @Ellesandra319 @Mr.Smile12

Thank you!

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[Ellesandra319]

Hello,

I received my acceptance to WCUCOM a few days ago and think I will be attending. I really, really liked my interview and the atmosphere from the students at BCOM, and after seeing that they just received Accreditation with Exceptional Outcome, while WCUCOM still has Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring I am a little less sure of my decision. The pros and cons for each school are below:




To me the reason to pick WCUCOM boils down to cheaper COA (and not being for-profit) and more research opportunities. But I can't just help but feeling I would be overall happier and have a better experience during medical school at BCOM.

Any opinions?

@Faha @Ellesandra319 @Mr.Smile12

Thank you!

Hey! Here's how I make any decision in life:

1) Scout the decision
2) Make the Decision
3) Don't look back.

Seems simple, but at the end of the day you can only make the best decision you can with the information you at the time. You have to do everything you can to get all the accurate information, then make the decision, and decide you are going to be present where your feet are, wherever you decide to go. As Goro has always said, the med school makes the school, the school doesn't make the med student.

That said, lets put some accurate information in your hands! First, Carey is no longer on heightened monitoring. They were up until Fall 2022 because of lack of research opportunity, but they addressed that and by my best knowledge are in full standing now as of 1/11/24 Accreditation Decisions for Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine

I can't speak to BCOM other than what I know from SDN and their match lists. I listened to 100% of the advice I got from Goro during my app cycle and he said he didn't reccomend BCOM (and by my understanding that's still the case) so I didn't go there, cause i was certain he knew more than me hahaha. They are also much younger than Carey which would be a red flag, at least for me.

But at the end of the day you have to make the best decision you can make, and if your gut is telling you you would be able to succeed more easily at BCOM than WCUCOM, you should go there. Even with all of BCOM's issues, if you feel like you would be depressed, sad, and unhappy at WCUCOM, it is MUCH better than you go to BCOM and succeed there, than come to WCUCOM and fail because your so sad and depressed.

That said, happiness is nearly impossible to predict yet fully possible to create. Regardless of where you decide to go to med school, you have to decide *today* that you will show up and give 115% with the best attitude you can muster, while creating the happiness you want to experience!