DMU vs. Touro-CA

[Kingofthebar]

Hello,

I have fortunate enough to be blessed with acceptances from both Touro-CA and DMU, and I am struggling to choose which one to go to. I am from Florida, and have attended undergraduate in the Midwest.

DMU:
pro:
- better family medicine program and reputation overall
- one of the most established DO schools
- great alumni connections
- relatively cheaper to live in Des Moines, IA than CA
- better opportunities to subspecialize in IM and do non-primary care specialities?? ( I currently would love to do FM or IM but am open to other doors)
- stronger research

con:
- the cold winter ( Especially being from Florida, and I have never even driven in snow)
- Des Moines sounds very family friendly and family oriented ( I do not have any SOs or kids)
- Not sure if I want to practice eventually in IA, would like to return to FL eventually
- letter grade option

Touro-CA:
pro:
- better weather (mild compared to Des Moines)
- closer to San Francisco and more entertainment options
- strong focus on OMM ( something I am greatly interested also)
- great dual degree DO/MPH 4 year program
- P/F with internal ranking option

con:
-campus pretty old
- expensive to live in CA
- relatively more primary care focused


These are all the pros and cons I can think of right now and there are definitely more out there, I really would appreciate any advice and input, thank you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[VeggieMed]

Did you not apply to any other DO schools? But I would choose Touro over DMU any day of the week.

 

[Kingofthebar]

Did you not apply to any other DO schools? But I would choose Touro over DMU any day of the week.

I did apply to other DO schools but Touro and DMU are the only acceptances I have. May I ask why you pick Touro > DMU?

 

[VeggieMed]

I did apply to other DO schools but Touro and DMU are the only acceptances I have. May I ask why you pick Touro > DMU?

Mainly location. I would hate to live in Iowa for 4 years.

 

[Kingofthebar]

Mainly location. I would hate to live in Iowa for 4 years.

That indeed was one of the cons, It is very cold especially for me.

 

[Balanced_Tension]

The reality is that either school will get you where you want to go if you do your job as a medical student correctly. The big thing for you to consider is cost and location. I always recommend people go to the cheapest option so long as they would be happy there. Touro-CA definitely matches people to FM in Florida if that is your goal.

Some things that I think are important to think about with Touro-CA:

*You get 3 months to do whatever you want during 3rd year. You have the opportunity to do elective rotations, Medical Spanish, early audition rotations, study for boards, do research, or whatever else you want to help you build your residency application.
*Touro is starting new residency programs at St. Joes in Stockton. So far, there is a FM, IM, EM, and a transitional year program up and running, and we are pending accreditation for Ortho, OBGYN and Anesthesia. In a world without Step 1 scores, having home programs to rotate thru 3rd year will be a big deal.
*Minimum of 4 weeks of board study time for step 1/level 1.
*Mix of rotation sites from high intensity to mega chill.
*3rd year honors is based on your preceptor checking a box and also honoring the shelf exam. It’s a very objective way to do it compared to other schools.
*Touro provides a 3rd year core site for you based on a lottery process, but 4th year rotations are on you to figure out. Most 4th year students have encountered difficulty finding 4th year rotations due to COVID. If DMU can provide you with 4th year rotations, (rotations for the year at 1 hospital, aside from your audition rotations) that is a MAJOR plus in my book. I’d also try to learn how DMU has handled their rotations for their 3rd and 4th year students.
*Touro gives you 5.5 months of elective/audition time during 4th year. Some DO schools only give you 3 months, and then force you to do a bunch of rural medicine rotations that may not be relevant to your future career. I’m not sure what DMU does, but you should look into that, as it makes a big difference should you choose to go into a competitive specialty.
*Touro is one of the few DO schools that has NIH grants. Bench research is definitely available on campus if you want it and have time for it.
*More than 50% of Touro-CA students stay in California for residency.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

[Kingofthebar]

The reality is that either school will get you where you want to go if you do your job as a medical student correctly. The big thing for you to consider is cost and location. I always recommend people go to the cheapest option so long as they would be happy there. Touro-CA definitely matches people to FM in Florida if that is your goal.

Some things that I think are important to think about with Touro-CA:

*You get 3 months to do whatever you want during 3rd year. You have the opportunity to do elective rotations, Medical Spanish, early audition rotations, study for boards, do research, or whatever else you want to help you build your residency application.
*Touro is starting new residency programs at St. Joes in Stockton. So far, there is a FM, IM, EM, and a transitional year program up and running, and we are pending accreditation for Ortho, OBGYN and Anesthesia. In a world without Step 1 scores, having home programs to rotate thru 3rd year will be a big deal.
*Minimum of 4 weeks of board study time for step 1/level 1.
*Mix of rotation sites from high intensity to mega chill.
*3rd year honors is based on your preceptor checking a box and also honoring the shelf exam. It’s a very objective way to do it compared to other schools.
*Touro provides a 3rd year core site for you based on a lottery process, but 4th year rotations are on you to figure out. Most 4th year students have encountered difficulty finding 4th year rotations due to COVID. If DMU can provide you with 4th year rotations, (rotations for the year at 1 hospital, aside from your audition rotations) that is a MAJOR plus in my book. I’d also try to learn how DMU has handled their rotations for their 3rd and 4th year students.
*Touro gives you 5.5 months of elective/audition time during 4th year. Some DO schools only give you 3 months, and then force you to do a bunch of rural medicine rotations that may not be relevant to your future career. I’m not sure what DMU does, but you should look into that, as it makes a big difference should you choose to go into a competitive specialty.
*Touro is one of the few DO schools that has NIH grants. Bench research is definitely available on campus if you want it and have time for it.
*More than 50% of Touro-CA students stay in California for residency.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Thank you so much for this!!! I really appreciate it

 

[DOctor2be95]

I’m a first year at DMU! Feel free to message me with any questions