Consensus on NOVA

[e p i c]

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So what's the consensus on Nova? Reputation? Will I be limited? If you attend, how do you like it? Rotations?

You know what I'm getting at.

I know it's been discussed before, I just want to hear some new voices on the matter.

Thanks.

 

[e p i c]

sweet

 

[e p i c]

I see how it is.

 

[DrMidlife]

I see how it is.

Dude, all the current students are killing themselves in exams right now. Furthermore, the med student SDN population is LOW compared to the premed population: once you get into med school, you don't need SDN like when you're a premed. You have to do this the hard way: look through all the old threads here and in pre-osteo for people who have posted opinions. BravoTwoZero is my favorite. SingingFiFi is pretty active in pre-osteo - PM her. Find the NSUCOM facebook group and see if you can get folks to answer your questions. Look at the match lists for where residents placed, find one of these placement hospitals that lists its residents with their email addresses, cold-email them. Etc. I've been doing this from 3000 miles away; ie, cry me a river.

Stuff doesn't change that fast - Nova's been almost changing its curriculum to systems-based for several years, and it keeps getting postponed,and everything like that is slow to happen. The laptop requirement was about the only new thing for c/o 2012.

 

[e p i c]

Dude, all the current students are killing themselves in exams right now. Furthermore, the med student SDN population is LOW compared to the premed population: once you get into med school, you don't need SDN like when you're a premed. You have to do this the hard way: look through all the old threads here and in pre-osteo for people who have posted opinions. BravoTwoZero is my favorite. SingingFiFi is pretty active in pre-osteo - PM her. Find the NSUCOM facebook group and see if you can get folks to answer your questions. Look at the match lists for where residents placed, find one of these placement hospitals that lists its residents with their email addresses, cold-email them. Etc. I've been doing this from 3000 miles away; ie, cry me a river.

Stuff doesn't change that fast - Nova's been almost changing its curriculum to systems-based for several years, and it keeps getting postponed,and everything like that is slow to happen. The laptop requirement was about the only new thing for c/o 2012.

I hear you. I've been doing a lot of what you're talking about. It's just comforting to get people to reaffirm what I want to hear.

 

[MossPoh]

Everything is fine with nova. As of now, it is where I'll be attending. That may change depending on the outcome of a waitlist or the other interview I'm waiting to hear back from. The rotations are at some pretty bigtime hospitals. People match at all sorts of great places. Nova doesn't have a huge variety of its own residencies. If you are set on radiology, ophthalmology, ENT, urology, pm&r, or path (which no osteopathic school has) then you'll end up elsewhere. It is a very minor negative in the end. The reputation is fine. It has been around for long enough that there are a bunch of grads and it has built its reputation up.

There really isn't a "bad" medical school in the U.S...just ones that don't match for the students. Every place offers you the chance to succeed, it is whether you capitalize on it with your hard work.

 

[danzman]

Here is my take on NOVA… South Florida sucks. The people are awful, no one speaks English, and it costs about a billion dollars to rent a crummy apartment. Other than that, NOVA, as with all other medical schools, is just what you put into it. The school is nice and has a lot of new things on campus (gym, pool, shuttle service) that make life easy. The schedule is not too bad, I try to study three hours a day (usually only get two good hours), and have managed to keep up nicely. The student population is diverse, and there are lots of medically related things to do outside of class. Here is a short list of pros and cons

Pro
-Decent reputation (not that it means anything at all…)
-Campus is a lot nicer than other schools I interviewed at
-Good board prep
-Faculty is approachable and willing to work with you
-I feel that the course load is reasonable (IMHO)
-Just opened up a few new residencies, (a couple of ortho spots for you silly gunners….)
NOVA has a couple of competitive residencies so you can meet some faculty. (Gas, Ortho, ER, Gen Surg, Gi, Cards, Interventional Cards, and the almighty, Derm.)
-South Florida (I was in the ocean up until a week ago)
-The Dean is a cool guy.

CONS
-Expensive, (in all reality, its not more than any other private school MD/DO, but COL in S Florida is the nail in the coffin)
-Very unorganized administration, especially when it comes to the use of technology. Anyone who has applied has probably experienced this.
-Class size. Huge, around 240, tough to meet everyone. Lots of cliques.
-Still uses microscopes for histology (Again, poor with technology.)
-South Florida
-OPP. I have been really let down by this class. When I started, I was really interested in the OMM stuff. After spending a semester with it, I realize what a joke it is. Sad thing is, it is the same at all DO schools. NOVA, to their credit, does not spend much time on it. We have class once a week and lab once a week. OMM is their own department, and has nothing to do with the rest of the medical departments. You really get the feeling that most of the DOs in the anatomy dept just laugh about how silly OMM is.
-Ludicrous attendance policy


In the end, medical school is what you put into it. I currently have five friends in different medical schools all across the country, three MD’s and two DO’s; we like to compare our notes and brag about who has it the worst. The MD’s usually are in class less than we are, and their biochem seems to be harder. Our anatomy seems to be more difficult, and we have to take that stupid OMM class. Other than that, it’s the exact same stuff. As for my friends at other DO schools, we are all about in the same boat, our physiology seems to be a little more difficult, and their histo may be a little harder. Again, all medical schools in America are good, there are no bad ones. If I had to choose over again, this is what I would base my decision on…
1. Cost
2. Location
3. Class size
4. Board prep
5. Third year rotation options
6. Grading system (I prefer pass/fail)
7. Affiliated hospital/residencies
PM me if you have any Q’s

 

[e p i c]

Here is my take on NOVA… South Florida sucks. The people are awful, no one speaks English, and it costs about a billion dollars to rent a crummy apartment. Other than that, NOVA, as with all other medical schools, is just what you put into it. The school is nice and has a lot of new things on campus (gym, pool, shuttle service) that make life easy. The schedule is not too bad, I try to study three hours a day (usually only get two good hours), and have managed to keep up nicely. The student population is diverse, and there are lots of medically related things to do outside of class. Here is a short list of pros and cons

Pro
-Decent reputation (not that it means anything at all…)
-Campus is a lot nicer than other schools I interviewed at
-Good board prep
-Faculty is approachable and willing to work with you
-I feel that the course load is reasonable (IMHO)
-Just opened up a few new residencies, (a couple of ortho spots for you silly gunners….)
NOVA has a couple of competitive residencies so you can meet some faculty. (Gas, Ortho, ER, Gen Surg, Gi, Cards, Interventional Cards, and the almighty, Derm.)
-South Florida (I was in the ocean up until a week ago)
-The Dean is a cool guy.

CONS
-Expensive, (in all reality, its not more than any other private school MD/DO, but COL in S Florida is the nail in the coffin)
-Very unorganized administration, especially when it comes to the use of technology. Anyone who has applied has probably experienced this.
-Class size. Huge, around 240, tough to meet everyone. Lots of cliques.
-Still uses microscopes for histology (Again, poor with technology.)
-South Florida
-OPP. I have been really let down by this class. When I started, I was really interested in the OMM stuff. After spending a semester with it, I realize what a joke it is. Sad thing is, it is the same at all DO schools. NOVA, to their credit, does not spend much time on it. We have class once a week and lab once a week. OMM is their own department, and has nothing to do with the rest of the medical departments. You really get the feeling that most of the DOs in the anatomy dept just laugh about how silly OMM is.
-Ludicrous attendance policy


In the end, medical school is what you put into it. I currently have five friends in different medical schools all across the country, three MD’s and two DO’s; we like to compare our notes and brag about who has it the worst. The MD’s usually are in class less than we are, and their biochem seems to be harder. Our anatomy seems to be more difficult, and we have to take that stupid OMM class. Other than that, it’s the exact same stuff. As for my friends at other DO schools, we are all about in the same boat, our physiology seems to be a little more difficult, and their histo may be a little harder. Again, all medical schools in America are good, there are no bad ones. If I had to choose over again, this is what I would base my decision on…
1. Cost
2. Location
3. Class size
4. Board prep
5. Third year rotation options
6. Grading system (I prefer pass/fail)
7. Affiliated hospital/residencies
PM me if you have any Q’s

Wow, thanks for taking the time to write that.

 

[psy]

Wow. nice post. Cost, location, and class size (in this order) were also my main concern when choosing a school.

 

[MikeyLu2010]

i guarantee you..no matter which med school in the country you go to..big or small..there will be cliques...this applies to dental/pharm and any other graduate school in the health professions.

 

[MossPoh]

South florida isn't THAT bad. Some people love it and other people hate it. It has lots to offer, but there is a large foreign population there. There is a large foreign population in nearly every city I go to now, so it doesn't really phase me that much personally. My biggest issue with south florida is that I HATE driving there. If you learn the tricks and shortcuts it isn't as bad, but it is one of the single worst experiences of my life. I've driven in nearly every single major US city and many world cities and it is in my top 5 for crappiest time ever. Because of that, I tend to blame every crappy driver where I am now as a person from south florida.

Cost, yes it is expensive but if you are willing to concede a bit then it isn't that bad. I've seen rather nice apartments for reasonable amounts as long as you are willing to have a roommate. I don't intend on buying a house down there, so the real estate value isn't that much of an issue. It also depends on instate versus out of state. While there isnt THAT much of a difference, the amount recommended for loans at NSU is the second lowest by all the DO schools I've visited and third lowest overall (out of 8 schools).

 

[danzman]

South florida isn't THAT bad. Some people love it and other people hate it. It has lots to offer, but there is a large foreign population there. There is a large foreign population in nearly every city I go to now, so it doesn't really phase me that much personally. My biggest issue with south florida is that I HATE driving there. If you learn the tricks and shortcuts it isn't as bad, but it is one of the single worst experiences of my life. I've driven in nearly every single major US city and many world cities and it is in my top 5 for crappiest time ever. Because of that, I tend to blame every crappy driver where I am now as a person from south florida.

Cost, yes it is expensive but if you are willing to concede a bit then it isn't that bad. I've seen rather nice apartments for reasonable amounts as long as you are willing to have a roommate. I don't intend on buying a house down there, so the real estate value isn't that much of an issue. It also depends on instate versus out of state. While there isnt THAT much of a difference, the amount recommended for loans at NSU is the second lowest by all the DO schools I've visited and third lowest overall (out of 8 schools).

No, you are right. FL is not that bad, I just like to complain...
Driving is really a pain however, I will agree that it is on my top 5 "worst places to drive" list. And it is getting cheaper to rent now that the economy is in the tank. Also, NOVA changed the way they give out the loans and will be giving out more next semester. They upped the amount by two months worth of cost of living (a couple of grand I think.)

 

[trag08]

South Florida sucks? I've grown up here my entire life and love it. As for Nova, I have many friends that attended their medical and dental school and they are now all very successful. Couple are derms, surgeons, and peds. Nova is in Davie which is 5-7 minutes from downtown Ft. Lauderdale and 20 minutes from Miami. If you want to have fun then it doesnt get better than Mia. Noone speaks English? I highly doubt it unless you live in Little Havana in Miami. Driving is not bad when compared to Atl, NY, LA. The reason why people complain is bc there are many immigrants here and they still think they're abiding by their foreign traffic laws. Other than that there are quite a bit of snow birds that drive below the speed limit. But near the campus and in South Florida in general the driving is relaxing with large, spread out highways and roads. Its not expensive to rent down here anymore bc of the real estate market and financial crisis. There are plenty of great deals. Keep in mind you are in a very desirable place, unlike the Midwest or a rural community. The only places with better weather are those in the Southwestern US and South California. And if you're single, you'll love it. Facilities are also new and up to par.

 

[beachblonde]

Pro
-Decent reputation (not that it means anything at all…)
-Campus is a lot nicer than other schools I interviewed at
-Good board prep
-Faculty is approachable and willing to work with you
-I feel that the course load is reasonable (IMHO)
-Just opened up a few new residencies, (a couple of ortho spots for you silly gunners….)
NOVA has a couple of competitive residencies so you can meet some faculty. (Gas, Ortho, ER, Gen Surg, Gi, Cards, Interventional Cards, and the almighty, Derm.)
-South Florida (I was in the ocean up until a week ago)
-The Dean is a cool guy.

CONS
-Expensive, (in all reality, its not more than any other private school MD/DO, but COL in S Florida is the nail in the coffin)
-Very unorganized administration, especially when it comes to the use of technology. Anyone who has applied has probably experienced this.
-Class size. Huge, around 240, tough to meet everyone. Lots of cliques.
-Still uses microscopes for histology (Again, poor with technology.)
-South Florida
-OPP. I have been really let down by this class. When I started, I was really interested in the OMM stuff. After spending a semester with it, I realize what a joke it is. Sad thing is, it is the same at all DO schools. NOVA, to their credit, does not spend much time on it. We have class once a week and lab once a week. OMM is their own department, and has nothing to do with the rest of the medical departments. You really get the feeling that most of the DOs in the anatomy dept just laugh about how silly OMM is.
-Ludicrous attendance policy

First off, I want to say thank you for taking the time to type that up.

I just wanted to put my thoughts out there regarding a few things you said: (although I'm not in med school yet, I've got a good perspective on a few of these things)
First, cost: like many things, it's all relative. I'm from DC, so looking at the COL in southern FL, it looks reasonable. Certainly apartments are cheaper down there. So, yes it definitely has a higher COL than the middle of nowhere, Iowa, but it's not absolutely horrendous. As for tuition (OOS, in my case), NSU is pretty reasonable compared to a lot of other schools, both DO and MD. In fact, it's cheaper than almost every other school I applied to. I do think that med school is ridiculously expensive in general, but that's another topic for another day.

And microscopes for histo: it's really not that uncommon. I've used them in graduate school for histology. It's how people learn how to use microscopes, because there's no pre-req that they know necessarily how to use them. So long as the slides are available either online or on a DVD, using microscopes is not so much an issue.

I do agree with you about the rather ridiculous attendance policy. And I have gotten the sense about the unorganized administration. My question is, are they simply unorganized, or are they just apathetic and don't care? There is a huge difference, and I'm curious which way they tend to fall. After dealing with some piss-poor administrations in the past (the schools shall go unnamed) I appreciate having people who aren't total jackasses being involved. Just curious.

 

[danzman]

IMHO, the problem with the admin’ is that there are so many things going on at one time. NOVA has a million graduate programs that are all interviewing at the same time, and it makes the process a mess. Also, I doubt that any school really gives a rats *** about anyone at all, that said, NOVA will work with you if you give them some time. They have been accommodating to me, and anyone else I have heard of. The attendance policy is just silly though. We have to scan in for each class and as stated in the student handbook, scanning in and leaving, or scanning someone else in who is not in attendance in punishable by immediate dismissal. Personally, I disagree with it, but everyone knew what they were getting into…
As For Florida, obviously, everyone will have a different opinion, and its not really that bad. I come from a smaller town in the Midwest so it was quite a culture shock. But, as with all things in life, there are good and bad. The same can be said for the cost of living. When compared to NY city, it looks pretty good, however if your from west Texas, it is astronomical. The weather is nicer in Florida than in both however.
The tuition is on par with any private MD/DO school in the country (too expensive).

As for microscopes. Many schools are going to an all digital format; which I feel is vastly superior. Histology as a whole is, IMHO, somewhat of a filler class. Its not that its not important, as it is, but it can be learned very quickly. The reason you have to learn histology is so you can understand pathology later. Just like the reason you have to learn biochem is so that you can understand pharm later, it all builds, and it’s all important. But histology, (I can’t stress enough, IMHO) is not as complex as physiology or biochem and can be learned quicker, especially the visual part. I feel that our time could be better spent looking at slides on-line that were diagramed. The same arguments come up when you talk about dissecting cadavers verses prosected ones. Again, in the interest of time, I think hunting around for the brachial plexus for two hours is a waste of time when you could learn the exact location by playing with a prosected one for ten minutes.