CCOM vs LECOM Elmira

[Dreamdr123]

Just got accepted to both CCOM and LECOM-elmira! I'm so torn on which school I should put a deposit down (LECOM is asking for one so soon). If any students can give any insight to these schools.

Overall from my research it seems like CCOM is a better and more established school however LECOM is also a great school with a good match rate and is significantly cheaper. I'm wondering how much does the status of DO schools matter, especially if I'm thinking about specialties like psychiatry or anesthesiology?

The location doesn't matter because I live far away from both, after medical school I hope to go to either Boston or San Diego.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

Save your money and go to LECOM. Would you rather be $250,000 in debt after a 3 year residency or $600,000 in debt? It's been stated ad nauseum on this board that attending LECOM is like going to a 1950s Catholic high school but the cost savings are compelling. It's not just the tuition difference. Think about the difference in living expenses. Chicago vs. Elmira. That's probably a $10,000 annual savings right there.

 

[drthedude]

Save your money and go to LECOM. Would you rather be $250,000 in debt after a 3 year residency or $600,000 in debt? It's been stated ad nauseum on this board that attending LECOM is like going to a 1950s Catholic high school but the cost savings are compelling. It's not just the tuition difference. Think about the difference in living expenses. Chicago vs. Elmira. That's probably a $10,000 annual savings right there.

CCOM is not in Chicago, it's in Downer's Grove which is much much cheaper than living in chicago!

 

[drthedude]

I would choose CCOM in a heartbeat, I've had the opportunity to shadow their twice and see the backend and it really was amazing! Plus you can drink water in lecture

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

CCOM is not in Chicago, it's in Downer's Grove which is much much cheaper than living in chicago!

Are you even suggesting that the cost of living in the Chicago suburbs is comparable to the cost of living in Elmira? Please.

https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/downers-grove-il/elmira-ny/70000

There is one other reason to go to Elmira and that is the God awful traffic in Chicago. It's just a nightmare.

 

[drthedude]

Are you even suggesting that the cost of living in the Chicago suburbs is comparable to the cost of living in Elmira? Please.

https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/downers-grove-il/elmira-ny/70000

There is one other reason to go to Elmira and that is the God awful traffic in Chicago. It's just a nightmare.

Not sure where you’re driving in Chicago but I-294 and I-290 really isn’t that bad

 

[Dreamdr123]

Thank you all for your responses! I'm really still torn by the decision but you've all given me a lot to think about.

 

[chilly_md]

Students often have said they don’t feel they got anything more for the extra they paid at CCOM.

Downers Grove is absolutely not going to come close to the low rent price in Elmira.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Status doesn’t matter for DO schools.

You’ll have to be top of your class if you want to match psych or gas AND be in Boston/San Diego (two areas that are not DO friendly), great scores, etc.

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

Not sure where you’re driving in Chicago but I-294 and I-290 really isn’t that bad

I've driven through that mess at least 100 times. I've gone through the loop, 294/290/, 80 to 355, you name it. It's awful. There is basically no law enforcement on the roads from Hammond, Indiana to Beloit, Wisconsin. People drive 25 over the limit, change lanes constantly, honk and shake their fists.

 

[drthedude]

I've driven through that mess at least 100 times. I've gone through the loop, 294/290/, 80 to 355, you name it. It's awful. There is basically no law enforcement on the roads from Hammond, Indiana to Beloit, Wisconsin. People drive 25 over the limit, change lanes constantly, honk and shake their fists.

now that I can agree with, that one is AWFUL

 

[Dreamdr123]

Status doesn’t matter for DO schools.

You’ll have to be top of your class if you want to match psych or gas AND be in Boston/San Diego (two areas that are not DO friendly), great scores, etc.

I thought psych and anesthesiology are both DO friendly specialties?

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I thought psych and anesthesiology are both DO friendly specialties?

In San Diego and Boston? These aren’t DO friendly cities

 

[SuperSally]

I thought psych and anesthesiology are both DO friendly specialties?

I think I found this on Reddit (I saved it to my phone a while ago). What is considered DO-friendly is subjective. These numbers change every year, but this paints a good picture. This doesn't include anything about how competitive certain cities are. Matching is ultimately up to you and what you do during med school.

 

[EssentialOil123]

You may have made your decision already, but I would avoid any LECOM campuses. Even the PBL at LECOM Elmira involves a good amount of mandatory attendance for various things that are not helpful to our learning. Plus there are tons of BS you have to put up with, overall chaos in the admin and our schedule, and I can honestly say no one really likes it here. Your quality of life will be better at other places.
Your first three months are going to be lecture based and our lectures were streamed from Erie via Zoom, but we still had to dress up to go to class just to watch a zoom lecture. And a good amount of dropped out during those first 3 months since Anatomy was brutal and we were taking a bunch of other courses including PBL Lite. The cheaper tuition isn't worth it since they jack it up during rotations and force you to be on the school health insurance even if you have perfectly good insurance of your own.