Did debt play a role in your decision?

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I am currently in LECOM's post bacc program and doing very well, so chances are I will have a spot there for me (though I'm not sure what pathway) when I finish the program. I have been fortunate enough to receive other acceptances, however, my favorite being KCU. So far, LECOM is ok. I don't think it's deserving of the hate it receives, but as a current student, I'm not impressed either.

As an Erie native, I would save both on tuition and living expenses (generous parents letting me live with them) if I attended LECOM. The difference over four years would probably add up to at least $75,000 maybe more like 100,000, depending on how much living expenses are estimated and where I ended up doing years 3&4. To me, that's a huge number. I'll be 25 when I start my first year and nearly thirty when I get my first paycheck, a resident's paycheck, mind you. I'm certain I'd be fine at either school, but having ~100 grand less to pay off sounds pretty good to me.


TL;DR At this point in your career, looking back, would you choose to save ~100 grand or go to your top choice school? (if there are any current residents out there please weigh in!)

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That's a lot of money saved in addition to whatever loan % accrues if you take any. We all learn the same material. I would vote for saving $100k+.
 
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If it was saving 100k versus going to a high tier MD school in a competitive location along with current substantiated aspirations for competitive surgical sub-specialties then we'd have something to talk about here.
 
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Don't choose based on money. KCU >>>>>> LECOM. That money is a drop in the bucket of your total physician earnings AND there are TONS of ways to get loans re-paid. You can't replace a good education.
 
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That is a really tough decision. If you were non-local, I'd take KCU instantly. With that being said, there is a big KCU bias on this forum with lots of circle jerking about it, but anytime their rotations are brought up, it gets pretty quiet. They suffer just like all the DO schools, although KC does have some good ones if you're lucky enough to stay there.

Take the 100k saving to be honest. Being close to your family is a plus as well.
 
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Even before I clicked on the thread, I thought "I rather go to KCU than LECOM." Surprisingly, that was the question.
 
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That is a really tough decision. If you were non-local, I'd take KCU instantly. With that being said, there is a big KCU bias on this forum with lots of circle jerking about it, but anytime their rotations are brought up, it gets pretty quiet. They suffer just like all the DO schools, although KC does have some good ones if you're lucky enough to stay there.

Take the 100k saving to be honest. Being close to your family is a plus as well.

I think there is a strong sense of respect for KCU on this forum, which to some extent is deserved.

But honestly, it's not 100k better and I say this as someone who would have choosen KCU over LECOM in a heart beat. The atmospheres and the locations are worlds apart.
 
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I chose LECOM over a school similar to KCU and don't regret my decision one bit
 
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If you're an Erie native it's a no-brainer... stay man. You'll get more chances to rotate at local hospitals in your area where I'm guessing you'd like to do residency.
 
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Current 2nd year at KCU and love it here. But would go with LECOM without a second thought in your situation.
 
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I highly doubt KCU is 100k better than LECOM. I don't understand the LECOM hate and the KCU bias on SDN but whatever. You already accumulated some loans from the post-bacc, save the 100k and spend it on a luxury car once you got out of residency (with accrued interest, it would be more like 150k by that time). 150k is A LOT of money.
The only person who can really comment on the education quality between KCU and LECOM is one that had gone to both schools. I doubt such person exists so don't spend 100+ grants on other people's speculations.
 
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I really appreciate all of the answers. It's nice to get some input from those who are in it! I can barely decide where to go out to eat so you can imagine the havoc this decision has been causing in my brain.

Anyway, thanks again!

Cheers.
 
What's so great about KCU? I'd go with the 100k less option.

How good could a school in Kansas be anyway.
 
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What's so great about KCU? I'd go with the 100k less option.

How good could a school in Kansas be anyway.
It's just the completely solid reputation the school has. Students from here are seen on equal ground when competing with MD students from KU and UMKC for residency spots in the KC area (or about as equal as we can get currently). Outside of KC, it's one of the most reputable schools in the country (it's one of 5 DO schools where students are allowed to do a rotation at U of Mich hospital). Tie that into the fact that our new curriculum has quite the track record of students killing the boards and also to the fact that it's in a pretty cool area (KC - even though it's in the hood), and you've got a pretty kick-ass school. Not to mention it's pretty lax in terms of rules and most of the students love it here. Also, while the price is hefty, it's definitely under the average and by far the cheapest of the "top tier" DO schools (excluding public schools)

Ranking DO schools is honestly a pretty silly idea, and in my opinion, the only thing that should really matter when ranking is cost, and whether or not the DO school has it's own teaching hospital (I think any DO school with a teaching hospital is automatically tier 1). But because we use all the other metrics I listed previously to "rank" DO schools, I'd put KCU right up there at the top with about 8-9 other DO schools.
 
I am currently in LECOM's post bacc program and doing very well, so chances are I will have a spot there for me (though I'm not sure what pathway) when I finish the program. I have been fortunate enough to receive other acceptances, however, my favorite being KCU. So far, LECOM is ok. I don't think it's deserving of the hate it receives, but as a current student, I'm not impressed either.

As an Erie native, I would save both on tuition and living expenses (generous parents letting me live with them) if I attended LECOM. The difference over four years would probably add up to at least $75,000 maybe more like 100,000, depending on how much living expenses are estimated and where I ended up doing years 3&4. To me, that's a huge number. I'll be 25 when I start my first year and nearly thirty when I get my first paycheck, a resident's paycheck, mind you. I'm certain I'd be fine at either school, but having ~100 grand less to pay off sounds pretty good to me.


TL;DR At this point in your career, looking back, would you choose to save ~100 grand or go to your top choice school? (if there are any current residents out there please weigh in!)

LECOM is a great choice if you are worried about debt and loans, its probably the cheapest private DO school, the downside of DO schools is that they tend to be very expensive with the exception of state schools.

A friend of mine chose LECOM Erie over AZCOM because of the cost.
 
LECOM is a great choice if you are worried about debt and loans, its probably the cheapest private DO school, the downside of DO schools is that they tend to be very expensive with the exception of state schools.

A friend of mine chose LECOM Erie over AZCOM because of the cost.
there was a debt poll here for the class of '15. It isn't a scientific poll or anything, but over half reported debt over $300k. For comparison, private MD students reported a median of $200k debt.

https://www.aamc.org/download/447254/data/debtfactcard.pdf
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/dos-what-total-debt-are-you-graduating-in-2015-with.1147320/
 
there was a debt poll here for the class of '15. It isn't a scientific poll or anything, but over half reported debt over $300k. For comparison, private MD students reported a median of $200k debt.

https://www.aamc.org/download/447254/data/debtfactcard.pdf
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/dos-what-total-debt-are-you-graduating-in-2015-with.1147320/

Most AZCOM grads are nearly 400k in debt by the time graduate. And that does not include their debt from previous studies.
 
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Most AZCOM grads are nearly 400k in debt by the time graduate. And that does not include their debt from previous studies.

AZCOM & CCOM probably need to either open up grants or something to reduce their prices a bit. I mean no one should be forced to make specific career choices to pay off their loans like this, especially since they're reducing the programs that wipe away debt these days.
 
AZCOM & CCOM probably need to either open up grants or something to reduce their prices a bit. I mean no one should be forced to make specific career choices to pay off their loans like this, especially since they're reducing the programs that wipe away debt these days.
I would love to see what would happen to all of these atrociously priced schools if title 4 (fed student loan) funding was terminated...
 
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I would love to see what would happen to all of these atrociously priced schools if title 4 (fed student loan) funding was terminated...

Actually Title IV student loan funding is the reason why tuition at medical school and at colleges and universities in general have increased at a rate much faster than inflation.
 
Most AZCOM grads are nearly 400k in debt by the time graduate. And that does not include their debt from previous studies.

I seriously cannot imagine. I was accepted to wvsom as well, I'm not considering it (though I'll admit I liked it more than I thought I would) but out of state is 50,000, in-state is 20,000. How nice would that be?
 
Don't let debt averages fool you. Do the math.

There's a pretty significant disparity in how medical education is paid for. The biggest being, students are either paying zero or paying ~75k a year to go to school with very few in between that may receive a yearly/semester allotment from family. I know a couple who get 20k/semester and the rest is up to them, but those are few and far between. The extremes of having school paid for significantly brings down the average debt.
 
100k can easily turn into 200k over the life of a loan
 
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100k can easily turn into 200k over the life of a loan

But, what about increased odds at higher paying specialties with a better school/education?

Also, 100k can turn into 200k and have 150k of it forgiven by PSLF or any number of loan forgiveness programs.
You get what you pay for!
 
But, what about increased odds at higher paying specialties with a better school/education?

Also, 100k can turn into 200k and have 150k of it forgiven by PSLF or any number of loan forgiveness programs.
You get what you pay for!

That's a lot of hypotheticals, for me personally, although I'm pretty conservative financially. There's always a chance that you'll go to Harvard and still end up doing family med. loan forgiveness is also an option, but they often have strings attached that OP may be unwilling to deal with.

If the choice was Lecom and Harvard, I'd say go Harvard. But it's a choice between two DO schools.

As a fellow DO graduate, my feeling is that at any of the DO schools, you will get out what you put in.
 
But, what about increased odds at higher paying specialties with a better school/education?

Also, 100k can turn into 200k and have 150k of it forgiven by PSLF or any number of loan forgiveness programs.
You get what you pay for!

I wouldn't make decisions based on programs that might not exist in four years. Most predictions state that some of these loan forgiveness programs will end once the real medical education debt burden hits over the next four years.
 
Before I started school I would have gone to the cheaper one. Now that I'm in the ecosystem, I would choose the school that has the "best fit" and that you can see yourself doing best in.

I actually got rejected from LECOM, and it was a complete blessing in disguise because I would have gone there. Having met some students at conference, I cannot be more glad that I'm not a student there.
 
I just want to reiterate my point: 150-200k is a LOT of money. Best-fit, snez-fit, that stuff is for the rich kids who have their education financed by their parents or the fools who are not financially-minded. I am just glad I am paying 20k less every year for the same DO degree. You will learn to fit in wherever you go for medical school.

Ask any medical student how much they enjoy the 'correspondence' email they got from Nelnet every few months.

With all the 'gloom and doom' forecasted, the right thing to do right now is trying to minimize your debt load so (1) you will have an easier time picking the specialty that you love, even if it's a low-paying one (2) if all specialties *knock on wood* suddenly become low-paying, you will be glad that you picked the most financially-sensible medical school

All that being said, you pick what feels right for you. I am just trying to give my 2 cents to balance out the 'best fit' advice giver. Money is very important.
 
I wonder how we can have so many people talking about how the field of medicine is done for and salaries are going to hit the floor and then have so many more say, spend the extra $100k you MIGHT want to be a astrodermatologicalsurgeon. Which lets be honest, when we decided to the initials DO after our name we shut a lot of doors. Sure KCU will get a fair-ish shake in the KC area, but they have like what three of four MD schools in a two hour drive of the city? Plus all the locals who went away for Med school wanting to return for residency. It seems a pretty genius basket to be holding your $100k eggs in to me.

Tl;dr KCU is 100 times the school LECOM is but it isn't $100k times the school. Save your money and enjoy the home cooked meals.
 
Family reasons aside, absolutely go to the cheapest school you get accepted to be it md or do.

You may not realize it now but what type of doc you become is on ypu and every accredited school will give you what you need to become an excellent doc if you work hard.
 
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I just want to reiterate my point: 150-200k is a LOT of money. Best-fit, snez-fit, that stuff is for the rich kids who have their education financed by their parents or the fools who are not financially-minded. I am just glad I am paying 20k less every year for the same DO degree. You will learn to fit in wherever you go for medical school.


I disagree, 100%.

Going where you have the best chance of succeeding is more important than money. I have very good grades where I'm at now, and I'm certain that if I would have gone to one of the other schools I was accepted to I would have struggled dearly. That school was a little bit cheaper than DCOM, but the policies were awful. Mandatory attendance being one of them. One of my good friends from undergrad, who is a MUCH better student than I ever will be really struggled there. I knew my strengths and weaknesses pretty well in regards to learning coming into school, perhaps others don't feel that way.

And as I said above, I spoke at length with LECOM students about their experiences there. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn't attend that school even if offered a full ride. Some seriously malignant stuff going on over there, and the administration is corrupt and nuts. I'm not sure of any DO school that is 200k more than the other school, unless it's like instate TCOM vs out of state MSUCOM.
 
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I was in a somewhat Similar situation. Was choosing between KCOM, MUCOM, and CUSOM. Ultimately I picked the cheapest one that was also luckily was close to family, and Ive been incredibly happy with my decision. Less Debt is cool. Med school is what you make it.
 
I disagree, 100%.

Going where you have the best chance of succeeding is more important than money. I have very good grades where I'm at now, and I'm certain that if I would have gone to one of the other schools I was accepted to I would have struggled dearly. That school was a little bit cheaper than DCOM, but the policies were awful. Mandatory attendance being one of them. One of my good friends from undergrad, who is a MUCH better student than I ever will be really struggled there. I knew my strengths and weaknesses pretty well in regards to learning coming into school, perhaps others don't feel that way.

And as I said above, I spoke at length with LECOM students about their experiences there. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn't attend that school even if offered a full ride. Some seriously malignant stuff going on over there, and the administration is corrupt and nuts. I'm not sure of any DO school that is 200k more than the other school, unless it's like instate TCOM vs out of state MSUCOM.

Its honestly not that bad. I've met plenty of students from other DO schools, and they all have some major things they complain about. Does LECOM have some, absolutely, but doing it all again I'd still go here over any other DO school, because PBL, it's close to my home, and I'm going to come out with a sufficiently low debt level that I'm comfortably considering some of the lowest paying fields without internal stress and turmoil. I unfortunately can't say that about other people.

I know plenty of people from different schools that wanted FM and have dropped it due to fear of their $300k-$500k debt. As sad as it sounds, debt is a huge factor people are taking into account when deciding what residencies to apply to. Again, I'm glad it's a minimal one for me. That said, everything is relative. I knew I'd be ok going to LECOM. If you know you'd be miserable there, maybe it is worth the extra debt.
 
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FWIW, and I know it's not really important, but the branch I was talking about above isn't the one you attend.
 
Choose the cheapest school and/or the one that is close to family... We are not talking about DO vs. MD here. Every med school has its own share of BS... I met a few LECOM-B residents who had nothing bad to say about LECOM-B, and they were also content that student loan won't eat a big chunk in their paycheck when they become attendings... I wonder why LECOM got such a bad rap in the SDN community... These LECOM-B grads told me school was not too stressful for them because of the PBL nature of their curriculum. There was one IM resident who even said she had more time in med school to do stuff than she had in undegrad... Are there any LECOM-B students here who can chime on that?
 
Choose the cheapest school and/or the one that is close to family... We are not talking about DO vs. MD here. Every med school has its own share of BS... I met a few LECOM-B residents who had nothing bad to say about LECOM-B, and they were also content that student loan won't eat a big chunk in their paycheck when they become attendings... I wonder why LECOM got such a bad rap in the SDN community... These LECOM-B grads told me school was not too stressful for them because of the PBL nature of their curriculum. There was one IM resident who even said she had more time in med school to do stuff than she had in undegrad... Are there any LECOM-B students here who can chime on that?

Not LECOM-B, but I'll address the SDN rep. LECOM's general attitude is a bit abrasive. Their policies are built upon using punitive action and threats to get students to do things. They like things done a very specific way and that's the only way it can been done to them. Now to be honest their expectations of us are essentially what you would expect from most med students, but its the way it's presented that makes it so hated. When you come down to it, if you can block out how its presented and just do what you're supposed to do, you'll be fine, get a solid education (there are some amazing faculty members at LECOM), and a good residency.
 
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