Belmont vs PCOM-PA

[throwawaybabyitsokay]

Belmont Thomas F. Frist COM
Pros

• Nashville is a sick place to live
• Offered half tuition for my first year at the school (not a lot but still something)
• Weather is not as cold as PA
• MD > DO at the end of the day for match purposes
• One set of boards instead of two.
• Potential research connections with Vanderbilt faculty
• Non-profit, federal loans available.

Cons

• Very new school, I believe this is their second or third class, so no one has gone through match. Still no data on their board pass rates. Kind of a big question mark to see how they do with their first cohort. Growing pains expected with new school.
• HCA affiliated rotations, and definitely not interested in attending an HCA affiliated residency.
• Further away from any family or friends.
• Graded pre-clinical, tiered clerkships.

PCOM-PA
Pros

• PA is a pretty cool urban place, change of scenary from growing up in the suburbs.
• Closer to some family and friends in NJ/NY
• One of the most well established DO schools with good reputation and match list historically.
• In house residency offered.
• Vast medical network with many avenues for research from other medical schools.
• I heard they are lighter on the emphasis for OMM compared to other DO schools.
• Non-profit, federal loans available

Cons

• DO stigma that unfortunately still exists for matching certain specialties even if it is less than before.
• Slightly more expensive than Belmont since no financial aid.
• Slightly worse winters.
• 2 sets of boards.
• Still have to learn OMM
• Graded pre-clinical

Summary: Very torn between the two. Always have heard take MD over DO purely for match purposes, but I feel like this one is close. A completely new MD school with an HCA affiliation that is not established but slightly cheaper or a well established DO with a historically good match list but have to deal with the additional hoops going to a DO school brings as well as slightly more expensive. I would appreciate any analysis or opinion you guys may have!

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[CheeesyBoi]

What specialties are you interested in? What is the CoA difference between the two schools?

 

[wysdoc]

Don't make assumptions about the Vanderbilt research possibilities, these 2 medical schools are separate

 

[throwawaybabyitsokay]

Don't make assumptions about the Vanderbilt research possibilities, these 2 medical schools are separate

I’ve spoken to students going to Belmont and they’ve said they have peers who found research at Vanderbilt.

 

[throwawaybabyitsokay]

What specialties are you interested in? What is the CoA difference between the two schools?

I am interested in EM, Anesthesia, some surgery specialties, but overall open minded. I am scared of limiting my options which is why i’m hesitant to go to PCOM, even though their match list is good the whole DO vs MD match mess is stressing me out. The COA listed on the websites is almost identical, around 110k per year. Belmont gave me 32k off the first year.

 

[wysdoc]

I’ve spoken to students going to Belmont and they’ve said they have peers who found research at Vanderbilt.

Probably more important you talk to them about the profs, teaching, how things are going at this new MD school

 

[throwawaybabyitsokay]

Probably more important you talk to them about the profs, teaching, how things are going at this new MD school

Yes I do need to. I got into Belmont recently so I need to see how the first class’s MS1 year went since when I interviewed they just were starting out. Got this information about research then, so gotta follow up and see what they have to say now.