Des Moines University vs. Midwestern Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

[Rainbows&Waterfalls]

I was recently accepted to both DMU and CCOM and am struggling to decide where to go. Therefore, I am asking for input!

Background: I am a Wisconsin resident and narrowed down my interests to either primary care or emergency medicine. I have a strong interest in working with diverse populations, and would like to get involved with either research or global health projects.

Des Moines University

Pros

• Tuition is ~$20,000 less than CCOM
• Housing is very affordable ($400-$1000 per month for rent from what I found online)
• La clinica de la Esperanza (I have a Spanish background + my main motivation for medicine is to address health disparities and this will give me ample opportunity)
• Dual DO/MPH degree available (MPH has crossed my mind, not necessarily adamant about it)

Cons

• Small campus (not many trees or room for outdoor studying)
• ~7 hour drive from home (not the end of the world, but worth noting since I have a boyfriend)
• IA doesn't necessarily have the best clinical rotations and residency programs (my opinion, please persuade me otherwise if you have more information)
• Concerned about non-academic activities (having a music scene is important to me, night life, etc.)

Midwestern Chicago

Pros

• Bigger campus (beautiful trees and lots of room for outdoor studying)
• ~3 hour drive from home
• Many clinical rotation and residency opportunities in the Chicago-land area. Closer to home, so better chance to rotate/be placed in Wisconsin
• Close to the city, opportunities for music scene and night life are endless
• Spanish healthcare class is available (+ diverse Chicago population will allow me to work with people of many different demographics and address health disparities)
• One Health Focus curriculum (lots of collaboration with other medical professions, opportunity to combine my interest with environmental health)

Cons

• Most expensive tuition ever (I come from a low-income and first-generation family so an additional $80,000 for medical education is huge)
• Expensive housing ($1,500-$3,000 per month)
• No MPH option for dual degree
• Being near the city may be distracting? Too much going on?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Yes, that tuition difference is significant. I feel that the utility of an additional MPH is minimal especially when you consider it may take away a year you would otherwise be a physician (edit: consider if you did the MPH at DMU and set back your potential to earn an attending salary for one year -- plus adding more tuition. In this one year you could have paid off the majority of tuition difference between the schools. This assumes that the MPH does not add much to your earning potential as an attending, which I do not believe it does).

Personally, however, I would choose CCOM. Your lists would lead me to believe it has more going for you as well.

 

[TheNobleDoctor]

I live in Iowa and can speak to Des Moines. It is a great city that is sprawling and growing rapidly. There is always lots to do there, however, that and Iowa City are really the only cities to do things in. Omaha and Kansas City are also close by. But Des Moines will give you plenty of options when you do have free time in the Medical School world. For rotations, you can rotate through many programs in and out of state. I know a few people there that went to Chicago and Minnesota for rotations with one placing into a residency program in Minnesota. So, it wouldn't be out of the question to be able to rotate in Wisconsin down the road if that is what you want. Albeit CCOM will probably give you more options to rotate closer to or in Wisconsin, but that's what you are paying for.