I have recently been accepted to PCOM - South GA with a scholarship that covers nearly half of tuition costs. However, I also have four other interviews set up over the next couple months at : COMP - NW (Oregon), AZCOM, Marian, and ATSU - SOMA (Mesa). I understand that PCOM - SOGA is a brand new program, but its affiliation with PCOM stands out to me greatly in addition to the hefty scholarship. I was wondering which of these interviews would be worth attending given my current situation. Thank you for your input!
Deciding which DO School Interviews to Attend
- Thread starter Shade1111
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PCOM original campus affiliation with the South GA campus is gonna be minimal at best. Proof? Just take a look a the other GA campus. Outcome for students there is vastly different from the ones in PA. I would treat each campus as a different school. Now, it's great that you got that scholarship and all, but it's still gonna be a new school, and it's still gonna be subjected to the problems that new schools usually face. Unless you're very sure you're OK with primary care specialties, I wouldn't pass on your other interviews. Marian and COMP are great schools and would keep at least some doors open for you for other more competitive specialties. You should probably give them a look.
ATSU-SOMA? It's a little on the expensive side in terms of tuition, so I don't think it's worth it.
ATSU-SOMA? It's a little on the expensive side in terms of tuition, so I don't think it's worth it.
Thanks for your input. I'm actually positive that I want to do primary care specialties, such as Internal Med and Peds, because they fit my goals perfectly. Could you possibly touch on some of the problems you think a new school would face?
SkyloRen
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How much exactly is the scholarship you received? Because honestly, if you are 99% set on primary care-you absolutely can’t pass up on that cheap of tuition. Congrats on that scholarship! That’s huge.
Sure with new schools you will have to deal with the typical things like rotation quality uncertainty, lack of research opportunities, faculty turnover, etc., but the good thing about primary care is that these shortcomings aren’t as detrimental.
Money talks. Work hard, take that scholarship and run with it!
Sure with new schools you will have to deal with the typical things like rotation quality uncertainty, lack of research opportunities, faculty turnover, etc., but the good thing about primary care is that these shortcomings aren’t as detrimental.
Money talks. Work hard, take that scholarship and run with it!
It's a $25,000 scholarship and tuition is around $52,000 for PCOM - SOGA, so it's pretty significant. The scholarship is renewable every year as long as I'm on track to graduate and would amount to $100,000 over four years. I really don't mind the rural setting and think that it may even be beneficial in allowing me to concentrate on my studies. Travelling to these other interviews will set me back another $2,000-$3,000, so I am hesitant to attend. Another reason I am heavily considering this opportunity is that my ultimate goal in medicine does not include research or academia. I really appreciate your insight!
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If you were my own child, I'd suggest:
COMP - NW (Oregon) > Marian> AZCOM,
I rank AZCOM the last because of their really expensive tuition. I'm not a fano SOMA and their scattered rotations setup.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful suggestion! I will definitely be moving forward with the COMP - NW and Marian interviews. If I am able to gain acceptance to these schools, I think it will come down to the financial support each school is willing to provide. I really appreciate your insight and help in making this difficult decision easier to manage.
