CCOM vs. NYCOM

[Angelnite11]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have been accepted to both schools, but I don't know which one is a better match for me. I know there are older threads about this, but I just wanted more recent opinions. I am leaning towards pediatrics (but who knows at this point) and I want to be in the DC area in the future.

Any advice will be appreciated!! Thanks =)

 

[Longshanks]

I have been accepted to both schools, but I don't know which one is a better match for me. I know there are older threads about this, but I just wanted more recent opinions. I am leaning towards pediatrics (but who knows at this point) and I want to be in the DC area in the future.

Any advice will be appreciated!! Thanks =)

Well, based on what you have told us:
I don't think your interest in peds or wanting to be in DC will influence you one way or the other towards either school. You can get into peds from any school you go to, and there is no discernable regional benefit between Chicago or NY for DC. CCOM is very old though and has a large alumni base, so maybe there will be some connections in DC. Do you want to be in DC for residency or later in your career? Though I don't think that influences you're decision either.

IMHO, the main things you need to decide upon between NYCOM and CCOM are the tangible ones:
-Where are you from originally, and would you feel more comfortable in the mid-west or Long Island/NYC?
-NYCOM is systems-based and has a PBL option vs CCOM which is course disciplines and on a quarter schedule
-IIRC from the interview, CCOM does not have time off between 2nd year and board exams. Or at least my tour guides b----'ed about it.
-NYCOMEC is a larger graduate training system
-Both schools share sites with MD schools in the area. I believe both are strong with their rotations, but NYCOM is more diverse in their locations (urban, surburban, upstate NY)
-Both have steep tuitions, CCOM is a little bit more expensive IIRC
-NYCOM records/streams lectures
-NYCOM has simulated patient encounters and patient simulator robots, CCOM does not (or at least patient encounters were not emphasized on interview day/tour)

I think both have good reputations and their graduates do well. If you want to look into match lists, they both "appear good", but match lists are pointless since none of us know what the graduates' personal decisions and interests were (specialites, community vs. academic, aoa vs acgme) and as lay pre-meds we don't know what a "good" place to train is. The only major difference, in my opinion is their curriculum: systems (lecture vs pbl) vs traditional. Which would you be happier in or perform better? Are you interested in PBL (what NYCOM calls DPC)?

 

[Angelnite11]

Thanks for the reply Longshanks!. I am still so conflicted on which school to go to! If anyone from either school has more advice, please help!! =P

1. Location: I am born and raised in Queens, NY. I am quite conflicted on whether I want to stay in NY or go to a new places like Chicago. I feel like it might be fun to live in a new city for a few years. Do medical students even have time to go out and enjoy the place where there school is though?

2. I am worried about not having enough time to study for my boards at CCOM. Although, CCOM graduates seem to do well and match into good residencies despite not having enough time to study.

3. I am not really interested in pbl, but honestly do not know if systems or more traditional lectures would prepare me better for the boards. Any thoughts?

4. I really like that NYCOM posts its lectures online and I wished CCOM did. Come on CCOM!!! =)

5. I have heard from NYCOM students that during the first two years they do not get any clinical experience, while at CCOM it seemed like most students do. I like knowing that during my first two years at school I will be reminded of what I will be doing in the future and that all the hard work is worth it.

Anyways I am still conflicted. Any advice anyone has would be appreciated!

 

[NYEMMED]

Thanks for the reply Longshanks!. I am still so conflicted on which school to go to! If anyone from either school has more advice, please help!! =P

1. Location: I am born and raised in Queens, NY. I am quite conflicted on whether I want to stay in NY or go to a new places like Chicago. I feel like it might be fun to live in a new city for a few years. Do medical students even have time to go out and enjoy the place where there school is though?

2. I am worried about not having enough time to study for my boards at CCOM. Although, CCOM graduates seem to do well and match into good residencies despite not having enough time to study.

3. I am not really interested in pbl, but honestly do not know if systems or more traditional lectures would prepare me better for the boards. Any thoughts?

4. I really like that NYCOM posts its lectures online and I wished CCOM did. Come on CCOM!!! =)

5. I have heard from NYCOM students that during the first two years they do not get any clinical experience, while at CCOM it seemed like most students do. I like knowing that during my first two years at school I will be reminded of what I will be doing in the future and that all the hard work is worth it.

Anyways I am still conflicted. Any advice anyone has would be appreciated!

#5 Depends on what you consider clinical experience... once a month at least we must do a physical exam and history on a standardized patient, In 2nd year you will be working on one of our 3 multimillion dollar robots in an emergency room setting, at least once a month also. We also have the option (not required) to ride along with paramedics on ambulances in the area and take histories/physicals/vitals/place IVs, etc...NYCOM also has the summer preceptor program, where you help in doctors office's during the OMS-1 summer if you wish...

Would you want to do a residency in NY or near Chicago? Than go to NYCOM or CCOM

Personally I like Systems based better- everything is integrated meshes well, and flows well. I find it easier to remember things this way than having to piece it all together from various classes..

Both are good schools, I would make a pro and cons list, then go to wherever has more pros for YOU...

 

[laur10]

I have been accepted to both schools, but I don't know which one is a better match for me. I know there are older threads about this, but I just wanted more recent opinions. I am leaning towards pediatrics (but who knows at this point) and I want to be in the DC area in the future.

Any advice will be appreciated!! Thanks =)

Hi!

I seem to find myself in the same situation!

I'm from Long Island and was also accepted to both CCOM and NYCOM, and when it came down to choosing I just had to go with my gut feeling. I don't know if this is much help, but I wound up choosing CCOM because when I visited the school I felt that I could see myself being happy there...and since the schools are very similar I decided to go where I could see myself living for the next few years. Also, most of my friends live in Manhattan, so I realized that going to school so close to the city and to my friends would be a huge distraction for me. I have lived in New York my whole life and I am kind of nervous about leaving, but I feel like I can't pass up the opportunity to live in a new city!

I've heard nothing but good things about both schools, good luck with your decision! 😀

 

[patel2]

don't know anything about ccom, but the whole no time to study for step I seems brutal. What is their reasoning behinid that?

My impressions of NYCOM were
a. kind of a lackluster campus with older buildings, average facilities, a small library and a huge class. I feel like I would be claustrophobic studying there. But everyone was boasting that anatomy and many depts are really well taught. Also, living in LI is NOT like living in NYC.
b. rotations seem really good actually. I like that they are largely in NYC, have regional centers where you can do them all in, and while I'm sure some are of lesser quality, many are probably real good.
c. Match lists were really good. 190/280 matched into MD residencies last year, with lots of specialties represented. I think only 50% went into primary care. Vast majority matched into greater NYC area, if location is a concern for you. If you enter the DO match, they have something like 7 affiliated NYCOM hospitals that give primary preference to nycom students, which is huge.

 

[donkeykong1]

Thanks for the reply Longshanks!. I am still so conflicted on which school to go to! If anyone from either school has more advice, please help!! =P

1. Location: I am born and raised in Queens, NY. I am quite conflicted on whether I want to stay in NY or go to a new places like Chicago. I feel like it might be fun to live in a new city for a few years. Do medical students even have time to go out and enjoy the place where there school is though?

2. I am worried about not having enough time to study for my boards at CCOM. Although, CCOM graduates seem to do well and match into good residencies despite not having enough time to study.

3. I am not really interested in pbl, but honestly do not know if systems or more traditional lectures would prepare me better for the boards. Any thoughts?

4. I really like that NYCOM posts its lectures online and I wished CCOM did. Come on CCOM!!! =)

5. I have heard from NYCOM students that during the first two years they do not get any clinical experience, while at CCOM it seemed like most students do. I like knowing that during my first two years at school I will be reminded of what I will be doing in the future and that all the hard work is worth it.

Anyways I am still conflicted. Any advice anyone has would be appreciated!

As a fellow NYC native, I would be hesitant to underestimate the advantages gained from being close to home. Nycom is about 25-30min up northern blvd from queens.

Otherwise, there aren't any glaring differences between ccom and nycom other than the strict failure policy enforced by nycom.

 

[NYDOC112]

don't know anything about ccom, but the whole no time to study for step I seems brutal. What is their reasoning behinid that?

My impressions of NYCOM were
a. kind of a lackluster campus with older buildings, average facilities, a small library and a huge class. I feel like I would be claustrophobic studying there. But everyone was boasting that anatomy and many depts are really well taught. Also, living in LI is NOT like living in NYC.
b. rotations seem really good actually. I like that they are largely in NYC, have regional centers where you can do them all in, and while I'm sure some are of lesser quality, many are probably real good.
c. Match lists were really good. 190/280 matched into MD residencies last year, with lots of specialties represented. I think only 50% went into primary care. Vast majority matched into greater NYC area, if location is a concern for you. If you enter the DO match, they have something like 7 affiliated NYCOM hospitals that give primary preference to nycom students, which is huge.

Serota (the main building, and lecture building) was opened in 2001, the other buildings are a bit older but got renovated within the past 5 years. Such as the ICC it was a multi million dollar renovation. NYCOM also owns 3 STAN patient simulators, A few million each. (very advanced and actually one of the few schools in the area with them, other schools and all EM residencies in the area come to NYCOM to train on them) The library is 3 floors and takes up half a building in width, I think its big enough, and its never crowed.

NYCOM is affiliated with 46 hospitals, in long island, NYC, NJ, CT and upstate NY. 36 are major affiliates and 26 have residencies with priority given to NYCOM students (many of these are actually dual accredited). There are a few hospitals that are more of a community hospital, but many of the hospitals are actually very good (shared with NYU, Cornell, stonybrook, and the upcoming Hofstra)...

 

[christina30]

don't know anything about ccom, but the whole no time to study for step I seems brutal. What is their reasoning behinid that?

My impressions of NYCOM were
a. kind of a lackluster campus with older buildings, average facilities, a small library and a huge class. I feel like I would be claustrophobic studying there. But everyone was boasting that anatomy and many depts are really well taught. Also, living in LI is NOT like living in NYC.
b. rotations seem really good actually. I like that they are largely in NYC, have regional centers where you can do them all in, and while I'm sure some are of lesser quality, many are probably real good.
c. Match lists were really good. 190/280 matched into MD residencies last year, with lots of specialties represented. I think only 50% went into primary care. Vast majority matched into greater NYC area, if location is a concern for you. If you enter the DO match, they have something like 7 affiliated NYCOM hospitals that give primary preference to nycom students, which is huge.

I've never had this problem - there are so many places to study! The library, the silent-study room, the lecture hall, the cafeteria, the NYIT library, and the list goes on. I'm partial to the lecture hall during the non-class hours, but I don't do silence very well.

Also, the campus itself is super pretty! We have a pond full of wildlife, damnit!!

But seriously, Riland is "old" but recently renovated, and someone mentioned the ICC & the STAN robots earlier - that business is high tech & expensive.

As for clinical experience, we have DPR labs (Doctor-Patient relations) that start in the beginning of first year & we have regularly throughout both pre-clinical years. We started writing SOAP notes & learning special tests/phys exams during our 1st systems - seems like decent clinical experience to me. I just recently had an ICC encounter with a standardized patient doing a one-on-one history. This stuff is super-helpful and I think anybody that chooses NYCOM will be seriously thankful once 3rd & 4th year roll around.

That being said - go with your gut, make a list of pros & cons, think about location, cost, etc. We can't really choose for you, unfortunately!

 

[cbrons]

I have been accepted to both schools, but I don't know which one is a better match for me. I know there are older threads about this, but I just wanted more recent opinions. I am leaning towards pediatrics (but who knows at this point) and I want to be in the DC area in the future.

Any advice will be appreciated!! Thanks =)

Never been to NYCOM but Chicago is probably the best city in the country to get a medical education owing to all of the institutions circling the city and the high quality hospitals that CCOM students rotate at with all of the MD students from Loyola, UIC, NW, Rush, UC, RFU