CCOM or CUSOM, Pros and Cons

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UNCGrunner

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Hello everyone,

I am a bit confused in deciding between these two schools that I have received acceptance; CUSOM and CCOM. They seem very different in what they have to offer, but I loved both at my interviews. I made somewhat of a rough Pros and Cons list for each school. Can anyone offer some advice as to deciding between these two schools. The main concerns on my mind are: what are the quality of rotations? How important is a more established school versus relatively new school when it comes to matching into competitive residency? Is the high cost of attendance to CCOM really worth it? Will attending a new program such as CUSOM make it difficult to match into a competitive residency?

Looking at the variety of rotations that CCOM has to offer, it seems to have much more in opportunity. With being far out from how rotations influence residency and more, I am looking for some info on this topic. I am from NC and CUSOM would be only a couple hours drive. Any info would be greatly appreciated!


CUSOM
PROS:

  • More affordable - looking to apply for deans scholarship
  • Close to home
  • Very nice facilities
  • Tight knit and small community
CONS:
  • Unsure of rotations quality
  • Fairly new school, no stats on board scores or match lists
  • A little too rural for me
CCOM
PROS:

  • Variety of good rotations
  • Located in nice suburb outside of Chicago
  • Well established school
CONS:
  • Expensive tuition
  • Far away from home

Thanks for reading!

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From what I've read and experienced after interviewing at both schools, with CCOM, you'll get better rotation sites and some even in the actual city. You also get the advantage of participating in research with other schools in the area. A more established school will obviously be more well-known when you apply for residency and having connections is always great. Of course, tuition at the school is ridiculous.

I would definitely consider where you'd be happiest and how many opportunities you'd get. Personally, I would choose CCOM because I don't really enjoy the rural areas and like having the reassurance of an established school.
 
Ccom unless cost and being close to home are super important to you
 
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CCOM definitely appeals to me for the reasons that its an established school w/good rotations, connections etc. but I cannot fathom the idea of being 300K plus in debt when I graduate. It doesn't seem like a wise decision to me, but I'd love some feedback if someone could explain what I would expect for repaying my debt? I would be taking loans of course and I am too skeptical of how long or how much of a strain it would be to pay these back. Any idea what this looks like down the long road - 300 K debt versus 120K? Thanks!
 
CCOM definitely appeals to me for the reasons that its an established school w/good rotations, connections etc. but I cannot fathom the idea of being 300K plus in debt when I graduate. It doesn't seem like a wise decision to me, but I'd love some feedback if someone could explain what I would expect for repaying my debt? I would be taking loans of course and I am too skeptical of how long or how much of a strain it would be to pay these back. Any idea what this looks like down the long road - 300 K debt versus 120K? Thanks!

Hi! I applied this cycle too and was accepted to both CUSOM and CCOM. I'll be attending CCOM - but the big difference between you and me is that I'm from the Chicago area and you're from NC! Personally, if I were in your position, I think I would pick CUSOM. I know it's a bit of a leap of faith, since it's a new school, but I was honestly so impressed by CUSOM at my interview. The fact that they are an established university, with other successful graduate/professional programs, gives me more confidence that the medical school will also be successful. It's definitely rural, and they may have more of a focus on primary care for rotations, etc., but the fact is, as you have just mentioned, I don't think these things give you reason to accumulate so much debt. Do you see yourself wanting to stay in/near North Carolina? If so, I think CUSOM would be an especially good choice for you.

This is ultimately a very personal decision. CCOM may seem like the clear "better" choice to many people, since it is an established DO school that has a pretty good rep on SDN. But I can understand your dilemma, and I feel that CUSOM may be the better choice for YOU, especially when you consider the closeness to home and the possibility of a scholarship. As mentioned, I chose CCOM - but if I were from North Carolina I might have chosen differently!
 
Thank you ananasmed,
You described my situation perfectly! Thank you for your input, I've had lots of conflicting advice so far and this seems to be the most reasonable. I personally loved both schools at my interviews and I can definitely see why you have chosen CCOM. Both seem to be great schools; CCOM has been around a while and seems well respected, while CUSOM has promise to be a great medical school. I'm also thinking the 2 classes at CUSOM may work out some of the kinks along the way. Best of luck to you!
 
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No problem! Shoot me a PM if you want to discuss any pros/cons further :)
 
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