Hi folks,
I'm currently an MS-I at COMP and I wanted to hopefully provide my opinions on your experiences at the school. Personally, when I had my interview experience last year with COMP, I thought it was extremely laid-back, mostly positive, and just a comfortable atmosphere for me. From what I gather, it makes a big difference what students you happen to encounter on campus because often times, there are going to be students here and there that are not happy with the school or their situation for one reason or another, but sometimes that can set the tone for the entire interview experience.
I invite you to read some of the COMP message threads in the Osteopathic forum (this is the pre-osteopathic forum) as they may provide another perspective on the school for you to consider. Also, I should mention that from reading other message threads on SDN, other schools have their problems as well and where you will find a group of students who are content with where they are, there will be a few students who are not. In the end, however, I do feel I will have the education necessary to perform well on rotations and attain a residency that I'd like.. I'm sure many of my classmates would feel the same as well as the MS-II, MS-III, and MS-IV COMP students too.
I think whenever I had an interview experience, if I heard too much of an extreme opinion towards one side (whether it be negative or positive), I would always try to find a student or talk to someone else who had a slightly different opinion because that would help me get a wider range of opinions than taking the first few responses I got as the absolute truth of the matter about a school. (This is just how I went about my interview)
You're completely right though, if you truly don't feel comfortable in an environment, it is probably the best idea to not pursue an education there, but getting into medical school is a huge process as I'm sure you're aware.. and it will be a long and arduous task once you're in school no matter where you attend.
Wow, I don't know how someone came up with the exorbitant living expenses unless a single person decided to rent out a double bedroom for him/herself. Even an expensive single bedroom will cost around $900/month, which will amount to about 10k/year with money leftover for gas and food. Tution should be roughly the same as other private schools... tuition is usually going to be greater at a private school anyway.
Regarding trueblue2k1's experience with the tour guide student, every DO school will have students who entered but were unhappy for some reason.. and perhaps they don't ever intend on using OMM once they pass their boards. This is a reality among all the DO schools in the U.S. unfortunately. COMP may not be among the top DO schools mentioned whenever OMM is brought up, but I feel I am learning it adequately enough where if I put forth the effort to improve my skills and use them, I will be able to be treat patients and those around me much better.
As for the strip mall appearance, they are working on building dorms in the next few years I believe. Personally, I'd rather be in this "strip mall" where 9 out of 12 months of the year, it is basically sunny, breezy, and 60-80 degrees outside consistently without rain. Some of the best med schools in the U.S. are in much more dangerous areas so although location is something to consider, I haven't felt like my personal safety was in danger yet as long as I had some common sense. Plus, you don't have to live around here.. there are plenty of safe and wonderful areas within 10-15 minutes to live in.
On the subject of competitive students, what medical school doesn't have its share of those? By nature, medical students are relatively competitive.. I'm sure it can vary from school to school a little bit, but for the most part, that's just life as a professional student. Personally, I thought it was pretty laid-back although it does get stressful a lot.. and you will figure out which classmates tend to be more on the competitive side, but I know quite a few of my classmates would help me out if I ever needed anything.
Sorry this has been sort of long, but again, I hope that the opinions of certain students has not formed this absolutely negative vision of COMP.. that would be a shame. Please feel free to visit the message threads in the Osteopathic forums and ask more questions.. thanks alot!