CUSM
Pros
Cons
LECOM-B
Pros
Cons
Summary: I am leaning towards CUSM, but I am seriously off-put by the neighborhood, cooler annual climate (I like it hot), and tuition (though I have not received a financial aid package from either schools yet). Thanks in advance for any input you are willing to offer!
Pros
- Allopathic--no DO stigma
- California MD
- Innovative new curriculum
- Combination of: PBL (once weekly), daily ungraded quizzes based on that day's lecture, flipped classroom (either three or four times weekly--entirely optional), year-long anatomy (once weekly), clinical skills (once weekly), lectures are pre-recordedand viewed on our own time
- Everything is systems based and revolves around the same system at the same time
- Current M1 said she gets out of class most days by 8:30AM due to optional flipped classroom sessions
- If flipped classrooms are attended, students are exposed to upwards of 600 practice questions each block (one block = one or two months)
- Combination of: PBL (once weekly), daily ungraded quizzes based on that day's lecture, flipped classroom (either three or four times weekly--entirely optional), year-long anatomy (once weekly), clinical skills (once weekly), lectures are pre-recordedand viewed on our own time
- Associated with Arrowhead Medical Center (level 2, soon to be level 1 trauma center)
- Not much travel for clinicals
- Opportunity for clinical research here
- Given a laptop with all textbooks pre-installed at orientation
- 7 weeks of dedicated step 1 study time
- 3 months of UWorld paid for
- Lots of opportunity to begin a club/interest group, since this is a new school
- Highly responsive administration (according to current M1)
Cons
- Brand new medical school (I would be part of the second graduating class)
- The temporary building has everything needed for preclinical years--but it sure isn't winning any beauty awards
- New building will be finished in 2020 and should be available for my second year there
- No reputation with residency directors
- San Bernadino is a pretty sketchy area in SoCal (I was told not to go out at night by someone in the hotel I stayed in on interview day)
- Nearby housing is cheap, but feels unsafe
- $56k tuition
- Though I have heard on SDN of several people being awarded scholarship money, since this is a new school
- Nothing established for housing yet, despite orientation being mid-July (15)
- Traffic is atrocious
- Not always warm, but anything beats NY
LECOM-B
Pros
- Entirely PBL curriculum
- Opportunity to learn OMT
- All tests are composed of 200 "board-styled questions"
- More reasonable tuition (~$35K, off the top of my head)
- Lakewood Ranch is a substantially nicer neighborhood
- Already have housing ready (just waiting to sign a lease)
- Always warm (hot)
Cons
- Both clinical years require moving
- No association with a hospital
- Little research, volunteer, or clinical opportunities (as far as I'm aware)
- DO stigma with residency directors (and everybody who knows what DO is)
- Difficult to enter surgical specialties--but perhaps not any more difficult when compared with a new MD school?
Summary: I am leaning towards CUSM, but I am seriously off-put by the neighborhood, cooler annual climate (I like it hot), and tuition (though I have not received a financial aid package from either schools yet). Thanks in advance for any input you are willing to offer!
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