Disadvantages of attending a new school?

[SAK]

I have recently been accepted to Touro and Chicago College of Osteo. Med. I am having a very difficult time deciding where to attend, and think the deciding factor may be my opportunities post-graduation. Is there any difference in residency placement when considering an established school vs. a new school?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[edgar]

SAK,

I got an interview offer from Touro, but I declined it because I had already been accepted at my first choice school. TUCOM is only about 45 minutes from my house, but I deemed it riskier to attend that school because they are so new. So much of securing a residency spot is the perceived quality of a medical school deemed by the residency committee. It is certainly exciting attending a brand-spanking new school, but it will be difficult to allow residency directors to compare you against previous graduates because a new school has very few. Many people in the Bay Area don't even know there is an osteopathic medical school in their midst, and even some DOs in the Bay Area that I have met were surprised that the school in fact exists.

CCOM in contrast, has been around since 1900. They have an excellent reputation, and seem to have a very solid clinical cirriculum which is rare for an osteopathic institution. It seems like many high profile DOs are graduates of COMP.

Don't let me influence you just on perceived prestige or anything like that. The bottom line is that a choice of medical school should really depend on if you will be happy in that school's environment, and will enjoy attending that school for 4 years of your life. Good luck with your decision.

EDGAR

 

[edgar]

Sorry,

I meant to type in CCOM instead of COMP. By the way, I will be attending COMP this Fall and so I am biased to think that my medical school is the best around.

EDGAR

 

[UW]

Edgar,

I know you like COMP, the school you are going to, but please clarify what you mean when you say COMP or CCOM has a "very solid clinical curriculum which is rare for an osteopathic institution." Are you saying it is rare to have a clinical curriculum or are you referring to the perceived prestige of the school's program? If other osteopathic schools do not often provide a strong clinical curriculum what kinds of curriculums are offered? Thank you for clarifying.





[This message has been edited by UW (edited 02-04-99).]

 

[prefontaine]

From my observations and after many interviews for ACGME residencies, DMEs tend to lump osteopathic applicants into one pool and do not generally distinguish much of a difference between the schools. Considering the large # of DO students (from private schools) that train in the same hospitals, there is virtually little difference in the clinical years.

When it comes to prestige of DO schools, one is really splitting hairs. Even WVSOM has grads attaining residencies at Hopkins.

I would rather be in the Bay area than Downers Grove, IL 365 days of the year.

 

[Lynn]

Downers Grove is spitting distance to downtown Chicago, ya know?

 

[edgar]

UW,

What I meant to say is that CCOM has been around longer that TUCOM, so their hospital affiliations are much more stable. I didn't mean to say anything derogatory about any of the other osteopathic medical schools, the 18 other schools besides TUCOM have been around longer and hence have more established hospital affiliations. In fact, I don't consider the hospital affiliations that COMP has to be stable either since they keep trying to find new hospitals to train students. But I do think that COMP is unique because our school has a formal affiliation with San Bernadino County Medical Center.

EDGAR

 

[Henry]

A better established school OFTEN have better in academic education. Teachers have more experience and the program are more mature.

Many DOs, who are teaching in my school, are graudated from PCOM, and PCOM is a very well established school with a good reputation. Regarding residency, I am not sure because I am just a first year.

I was accepted to a very new school and NOVA. I chose NOVA because it is a better school and well established.

 

[DOGBOY]

First of all, it would have to be a tremendous spit to hit downtown Chicago from Downer's Grove. It is about 45-60 minutes by car. I was accepted at CCOM and TUCOM but am not attending either although I would have attended CCOM over TUCOM because of its reputation and the factn that it is an established school.

I don't mean to be derogatory in any way but I have heard so many positive comments about COMP. I thought if there was hell on earth, COMP was it. I decided that if that was the only school I was accepted at I would not have attended medical school and would have applied again next year.

 

[edgar]

DOGBOY,

Don't you think you are a little harsh calling COMP "hell on earth."? Many people seemed to be turned off by the location, but I think the campus itself is okay. Sure, it is a little startling at first to see the school is in the inner city, but you will find that many good medical schools are in low-income areas.

By visiting Graham Redgrave's Med School Interview Page I find a lot of people are freaked out by COMP's location and have even called it a "cesspool." I think some of these people need to get out more, most doctors will do their residencies in even more unattractive or dangerous environments.

EDGAR

 

[DOGBOY]

Has it ever occurred to people that maybe I was making an exclamatory remark to make a point! I am not saying COMP is a bad school, I was just stating my opinion. Persoanlly I think it is hell on earth and wouldn't be caught dead in that area. Since when is it against the law to state ones opinion. I am sure many people like where it is and that is great. I am sure many excellent physicians come from COMP. It just isn't me and I wish most people on this board wouldn't take things so personally and be so damn defensive about every comment that doesn't agree with everything they feel.

 

[Gregory Gulick]

Everyone IS entitled to their opinion. But professional courtesy dictates that one should use tact in expressing that opinion. When posting an opinion, one should ask him/herself if this is something he/she would say in a public forum among colleagues. If not, it might be better for everyone if that opinion is not expressed.

Expressing one's dissatisfaction with a school's facilities, location, etc. is perfectly acceptable. Initially referring to another student's institution as "hell on earth" with no qualifying remarks is unprofessional and NOT acceptable.

Remember, there is no true free speech here. The moderators of the Interactive Medical Student Lounge will not permit personal attacks or blatantly unprofessional content to be posted in these discussion groups.

Gregory Gulick


[This message has been edited by Gregory Gulick (edited 03-07-99).]

 

[DOGBOY]

Greg,

You have done a great job with this board and should be proud of yourself, however I did qualify my remarks by saying it was my opinion and I then stated I was overstating to make a point. This is in know way unacceptable and if you have the power to take me off this board so be it. I understand there are moderators but how can yoou ever say there is no such thing as truly free speech on this board! Do you know how tyrannical and dictatorial you sound. How dare yo say it was a blatant attack on another school. I stated my opinion and said it is a good school that produces many excellent physicians and many people like its location, which is why I made the comment in the first place. If I am not entitled to state my opinion the way I wish than please revoke my ability to use this board. I would never use language that is crude or vulgar, but if I wish to make a remark and spice it up to drive home my opinion I AM entitled. If this is a place where the only comments to be made are those that will offend nobody than you should state this and be ashamed of yourself.

 

[Deb]

Gregory,

Thank you! I would also like to add the following request.
There are some (who shall remain nameless) that continue to
post uninformed, often negative comments on various subjects.
If you have an informed opinion (positive or negative), feel
free to share it. However, if you are uninformed about a
subject, PLEASE do some research and stop posting heresay.

 

[NickCVM]

Hello, hello..
DogBoy, I do understand your "feelings", about COMP's loccation - it is not after all on "Hollywood drive" - and YES you are intitled to your opinons but my friend, there are plenty of good areas to live around WesternU - you don't have to live in Ghetto town, you know - As to the security around campus - it seemed to me that it was one of the best I've seen (I was an officer for 2 years so I know what I'm talking about).

Let me say this dough: Most med schools are in "scarry" places - don't ask me why, that is just the way things are - I don't think you have really been "in hell on earth" yet so you probably don't have a any idea what you are talking about (so I do forgive you for bashing my school). I have been in "hell on earth" before my friend and I can tell you that COMP is far, FAR form being it.
--Nicolas--
WeasternU'03

 

[Henry]

Dogboy
Stating a point in a calm and polite way may be more efficient. Just stay calm. I agree to Greg that as we are going toward a respectable profession, words that come out can and will affects our future in many ways.
Expressing your opinion is your right, but if the opinion may offense others, the right of others is being violated too. Just be considerate.

Thanks Deb for reminding me that I should think twice when making a posting. I have made errors but I learned from them