Wassup?! I just found out that I was matched with TCOM in the Texas Match. I really like TCOM but I also really like DMU. I already paid the initial $500 deposit to DMU and I have to decide on the 16th if I want to commit to TCOM. Can anyone help me by telling me the pros and cons of the two schools. I would especially like opinions from people that interviewed at both schools. Also, does TCOM's rank of 20th in primary care make it a better school than DMU? I would like to know what criteria are used to rank schools. Please help me because this is a tough decision.😕
DMU or TCOM? I can't decide
- Thread starter doc4sure
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First, if you are from Texas I would go to TCOM hands down. That 500 deposit you already made won't be jack squat when you pay 4 times as much per year for school. Just look at the numbers. I'm not sure how much DMU is, but probably around 24K, for 4 years that will put you at around 100K. Now, look at TCOM, it is around 7K per year, thats 28K. That is alot of difference. If you are not from TX, then you just have to weigh all the pros and cons. I interviewed both places, and I really did like TCOM alot better. Nothing against DMU, but I just liked Ft. Worth and Texas better than Des Moines and Iowa. You may like that midwestern flavor, not for me. I can tell you that I think TCOM is a great school with some really great profs and a pretty steady reputation. DMU students probably feel the same way about their school. You just have to decide what is important to you in a school. You are welcome to post some of your priorities and myself or another TCOMer can tell you what we think about those aspects.
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Agree with the above. Go to the cheaper school unless you have a very good reason to shell out the extra cash. The $500 you already put down is nothing compared to the amount of money you'd be paying to go to a private school over your own state school. I don't know much about TCOM, but it has a solid reputation (just like DMU 😉)
Oops, I forgot to mention that I will hopefully get an Air Force scholarship which will make the price of the school meaningless to me. So, I am trying to make my decision based on other factors not related to cost of tuition.
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I would choose TCOM. The weather is better, Dallas/Fort Worth is a better place to live, and I think the school has more to offer. TCOM is a true university, they do real research there, and have far more resources(plus people around doing stuff other than medicine to hang out with). If your long term goal is a competitive specialty having research experince under your belt will be very helpful, and for some residencies(ie derm, ent, uro, neurosurg)at MD programs it is basically a requirement. For the record, I don't attend either of these schools. Do your cojones a favor, keep em nice and warm in texas.
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Since money is not a problem pick the place you like best. DMU has a research dept, the there is active clinical and basic science going on campus. If they dont have the type of research you want to do the Dean of research will find it for you. For example I wanted to do surgical resarch, no one at my school was doing any when I asked so they hooked me up with the research dept at Methodist Medical Center.
Comgrats and best of luck to ya
PMG
Comgrats and best of luck to ya
PMG
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I graduated from TCOM and felt that I got an excellent medical education. I think that the 3-4 years are a little better organized at TCOM compared to DMU and its possible to stay in the DFW areas for all your rotations---plus access to other solid rotation experiences in Texas at Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.
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I am from Texas. Actually I am from Ft. Worth. So TCOM would have been great. That being said, I am at DMU.
0. First, before you read the rest - READ THIS. Unless you are gung ho military, always wanted to join etc. do not do the military scholarship if you are going to a school as cheap as TCOM. You will regret it as it is definitely not a monetary advantage. 60K in loan is nothing for a doctor. I am on an Army scholarship at DMU. While I agree you shouldn't take the scholarship for just the money (you would regret that, you definitely need to want to do it), you will hate yourself for commiting to the military for all that time to save what will amount to be very little if any. Check out the miltary forum about it, but please if you go to TCOM dont' take the scholarship, now if you go to DMU and you think the military is for you....may I suggest the Army who have many more scholarships, better residencies (especially for surgery), and many more residencies spots (it is best if a military person takes a military residency as it pays about 20K more a year).
1. TCOM in my opinion is probably the best academic DO school I have seen (although I haven't seen them all). They are also by far the most published (not sure if that is a big plus though, I would rather my professors teach than research).
2. DMU is still a quality school. They have the best OMM program for sure (if that is a big deciding factor), will have a brand new swanky building in about 18 months...maybe less. And Des Moines is a nice small town with not to many distractions, good parks, and the student body is the most welcoming I saw in any interview. I think living here has helped my studying as I know I wouldn't have been able to keep away all those distractions in the metroplex.
3. If you are a Texas resident, there is no question. TCOM will cost you much less and is a quality education. You could go to school with living expenses for four years for what it would cost you to go to DMU for only 2. DMU is 27K a year, TCOM is about that total for all four years. Plus you would be living in one of the best places on earth AND for your viewing pleasure you would be only 15 minutes from the excellence known as TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, good college sports and nice coeds to boot.
0. First, before you read the rest - READ THIS. Unless you are gung ho military, always wanted to join etc. do not do the military scholarship if you are going to a school as cheap as TCOM. You will regret it as it is definitely not a monetary advantage. 60K in loan is nothing for a doctor. I am on an Army scholarship at DMU. While I agree you shouldn't take the scholarship for just the money (you would regret that, you definitely need to want to do it), you will hate yourself for commiting to the military for all that time to save what will amount to be very little if any. Check out the miltary forum about it, but please if you go to TCOM dont' take the scholarship, now if you go to DMU and you think the military is for you....may I suggest the Army who have many more scholarships, better residencies (especially for surgery), and many more residencies spots (it is best if a military person takes a military residency as it pays about 20K more a year).
1. TCOM in my opinion is probably the best academic DO school I have seen (although I haven't seen them all). They are also by far the most published (not sure if that is a big plus though, I would rather my professors teach than research).
2. DMU is still a quality school. They have the best OMM program for sure (if that is a big deciding factor), will have a brand new swanky building in about 18 months...maybe less. And Des Moines is a nice small town with not to many distractions, good parks, and the student body is the most welcoming I saw in any interview. I think living here has helped my studying as I know I wouldn't have been able to keep away all those distractions in the metroplex.
3. If you are a Texas resident, there is no question. TCOM will cost you much less and is a quality education. You could go to school with living expenses for four years for what it would cost you to go to DMU for only 2. DMU is 27K a year, TCOM is about that total for all four years. Plus you would be living in one of the best places on earth AND for your viewing pleasure you would be only 15 minutes from the excellence known as TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, good college sports and nice coeds to boot.
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good to see a fellow frog on the board. anyway, I think the masses have spoken. Great point about the military scholarship. If you look at the long run and how much more a civilian DO makes than one in the military, taking the military scholarship is not really a big savings for a low cost school like TCOM. Just my two cents: I would rather go to TCOM than almost any other school, it is really an excellent place to learn and live. Excellent profs for the most part, wireless internet (this is greatness, trust me), and a state of the art anatomy lab. But, like everybody else has said- do what you think fits you best.
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I don't know, I didn't know very many people at TCU (was married and worked 30 hrs a wk), and wasn't really into the premed stuff too much. I graduated in 2002 with a BS in bio. name is matt. Nevertheless, go frogs. I am lucky I am at TCOM cause I still get to go to the home games and occasionally study at the library.
I have relatives in the Midwest (South Dakota) and my parents both grew up there, so I don't mind living in Iowa. Questions for DMU students: Has DMU done a good job of improving clinical rotations for 3rd and 4th years? Do DMU students do well in Emergency Medicine? Is the student body at DMU really as unified as they appear at the interview? Thank you to everyone who has responded.👍
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DMU has done only an average job improving clinical rotations. The school is not honest with students when it comes to the lottery that decides who goes where. They say their is a lottery, but the schools is fooling the students. There is no such thing. The former head of clinical affairs had a supposed computer program that set up a lottery for students. An investigation took place and it was determined there was no such computer program and no such lotter. The school gives top choices to the students that they like, but screws the many rest of the students and students end up going to places they don't like. There were so many problems with selection of clinical rotations that the head of clinical affairs was asked to take a different role so that a new person would be in charge. Even though the new person has great ideas, it will take him several years before DMU's clinical rotations match that of other schools. This is another reason why the dean of our school was fired last year. He was brought in to fix up clinical affairs, but unfortunately made it worse. Please don't listen to others on this website that say nice things about this school and about clinical rotations. The rotations are not as great as what people say they are. People may say nice things just to help them to get applicants to attend their school, but their statements are not always true.
Please don't get fooled by the interview. The school is not as organized and nice as in the interview. DMU does an average job in placing students in emergency medicine as compared to other schools. Admissions and students affiliated with admissions say nice things to get students to attend the school. This happens at all schools, but their kindness is not always shown at the school.
Please don't get fooled by the interview. The school is not as organized and nice as in the interview. DMU does an average job in placing students in emergency medicine as compared to other schools. Admissions and students affiliated with admissions say nice things to get students to attend the school. This happens at all schools, but their kindness is not always shown at the school.
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I'd say the same about you. Anybody would be foolish to make a decision based on one person's opinion on an internet board.
And guess what, there is a computer matching program. The second years organized their own "pre-match" to get a feel for where they'd end up after the real thing. Or is this conspiracy theory of yours inclusive of the entire second year class?
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Now we see the real reason ripul is so jaded with DMU.....
Ripul, did you not get the spot you wanted?????Boo hoo you big baby!
I'm pretty sure that 90% or so got either their first or second choice last year and the rest got their 3rd choice. But not to worry...the lottery only dictates where you will be for 6 months....after that, all you have to do is tell the faculty where you would like to go and what you would like to do(elective-wise) and they set everything up for you.......A HUGE improvement to years past.
Ripul.....how's the perianal rash coming? Any relief yet?
G-G-G-G-Unit
Ripul, did you not get the spot you wanted?????Boo hoo you big baby!
I'm pretty sure that 90% or so got either their first or second choice last year and the rest got their 3rd choice. But not to worry...the lottery only dictates where you will be for 6 months....after that, all you have to do is tell the faculty where you would like to go and what you would like to do(elective-wise) and they set everything up for you.......A HUGE improvement to years past.
Ripul.....how's the perianal rash coming? Any relief yet?
G-G-G-G-Unit
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Originally posted by luckystar
Dicky, er...G-G-G-G-Unit...is the bestest 😀
AWWWWW....SHUCKS>>>>>>>Now I'm blushing....
Lucky, you knows you my ho! (I mean that in the most respectful way of course)
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Doc4Sure.
Ignore Ripul.
First here is how clinical rotations has changed. A couple new support staff have been added. The old advisor was canned and one of the most respected instructors and the director of the OMM department was named the head of Clincal Affairs. He has completely revamped the program. Not only did he meet with all of us in small groups of about 10 students before the match to answer any questions or concerns, but he also setup some question and answer periods with a few 3rd and 4th years. Furthermore he is meeting with each student individually this semester to help guide them as to what rotations would be best for their interests and if you want he will even suggest places to take them at.
There is indeed a computer program, I have seen it. We did a test run on it just to see how things would come out and get a feel for what everyone was thinking about. Infact all of choices (you list hearts desire, location, region etc....) are done online and the data is directly fed into a computer program (there is no conspiracy, you can go to the institutional computing department and look at it if you really wanted to). Not to mention over 90% went to their first choice this year. Furthermore the rotation match only decideds 30% of your total rotations anyways.
The school definitely does not give prefernce to a student they like or dislike. Their is now a committee (a couple students and a couple professors I believe) that deals with any issues like this. About the only way to get around the computer program is to have extenuating circumstances. You pretty much have to be married with children (wishing to stay in Iowa or go to Ohio for the whole year) or have significant family circumstances (one student was granted one of three locations because of a family member with a terminal illness). Finally if you are married, engaged, or in a serious relationship with a fellow student you are guaranteed to be assigned together, but the committee does not guarantee you a location only that you will be both able to go somewhere together.
I have no doubt that Ripul had a bad experience, but frankly he is commenting about a system that is no longer in place and he is making false claims at that. Their was never in investigation and the current comptuer program has been used for at least the last 2 years for sure. (although it wasn't online last year).
Finally, Ripul is dead wrong about the Dean. Dr. Tittlebaum being let go had absolutely nothing to do with clinical affairs.
Ignore Ripul.
First here is how clinical rotations has changed. A couple new support staff have been added. The old advisor was canned and one of the most respected instructors and the director of the OMM department was named the head of Clincal Affairs. He has completely revamped the program. Not only did he meet with all of us in small groups of about 10 students before the match to answer any questions or concerns, but he also setup some question and answer periods with a few 3rd and 4th years. Furthermore he is meeting with each student individually this semester to help guide them as to what rotations would be best for their interests and if you want he will even suggest places to take them at.
There is indeed a computer program, I have seen it. We did a test run on it just to see how things would come out and get a feel for what everyone was thinking about. Infact all of choices (you list hearts desire, location, region etc....) are done online and the data is directly fed into a computer program (there is no conspiracy, you can go to the institutional computing department and look at it if you really wanted to). Not to mention over 90% went to their first choice this year. Furthermore the rotation match only decideds 30% of your total rotations anyways.
The school definitely does not give prefernce to a student they like or dislike. Their is now a committee (a couple students and a couple professors I believe) that deals with any issues like this. About the only way to get around the computer program is to have extenuating circumstances. You pretty much have to be married with children (wishing to stay in Iowa or go to Ohio for the whole year) or have significant family circumstances (one student was granted one of three locations because of a family member with a terminal illness). Finally if you are married, engaged, or in a serious relationship with a fellow student you are guaranteed to be assigned together, but the committee does not guarantee you a location only that you will be both able to go somewhere together.
I have no doubt that Ripul had a bad experience, but frankly he is commenting about a system that is no longer in place and he is making false claims at that. Their was never in investigation and the current comptuer program has been used for at least the last 2 years for sure. (although it wasn't online last year).
Finally, Ripul is dead wrong about the Dean. Dr. Tittlebaum being let go had absolutely nothing to do with clinical affairs.
