DO school ranking

[me2]

Hey guys,
I am sure this thread was here before, but I was wondering what is the ranking of DO schools. I got accepted to NYCOM and UMDNJ, and am having a hard time making up my mind where to go. I really liked both schools and just wanted some additional info before I make my final decosion.
Thanks

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[jhug]

I too would love to see a ranking among DO schools if it is available. Throughout my interviews i would hear different schools claim stuff like-- we have the highest MCAT scores among DO schools/board pass rates/ect-- when i asked where i could find that information one guy played stupid and said it didn't exist Where did HE get it from??!!

 

[grkbuckeye]

I have "The Best Medical Schools" by Princeton Review. While they don't give a numerical ranking for all the schools, they do give you the average GPA and MCAT scores from last years entering class. According to the book, CCOM has the highest averages. GPA=3.5 and MCAT=28 (9,9,10)

 

[jhug]

All due respect to PR but that book is in no way accurate!!! Some of the stats in that thing are WAY OFF!!!! Even the schools admit to that!

 

[Boomer]

From what I was told a couple of years ago, the way those rankings work is like this (I'll use CCOM as an example, since it was mentioned before, but I hear this is true for most schools--MD or DO):

CCOM's class size is, say, 150 (I don't know the exact number--work with me). When CCOM reports numbers to these publications, they use the top 150 they've accepted, even though they may have already accepted 200 students for the upcoming class (knowing that many students will withdraw to go elsewhere). Essentially, if you're a top student numberswise, with multiple acceptances, your stats may be factored into any school at which you were accepted--not just the school you choose.

I claim to be no expert on this, but again, this is what I heard from some admissions folks a few years ago. Take it as you may...

 

[laavp]

I am from NJ and am doing a masters in public health at UMDNJ. I will be taking my MCATs in April and will be applying to UMDNJ-SOM next year.
I feel that this school has some advantages over NYCOM. It has one of the smallest entering class sizes (75) among DO schools, the student to faculty ratio is 3:1, and an incredibly warm and supportive student body and administration. I talked to the admissions office this past week and I was so impressed by their warmth and receptiveness. I also LOVE Dean Wallace!

 

[SawBones]

I don't think you'll ever see a ranking of DO schools. And personally, I too hope it never happens. The osteopathic family has only 19 schools and the profession, in the academic circles, is pretty close. Nobody is anxious to publish a ranking that would inevitably put one of the beloved institutions at the bottom and subsequently get the reputation as being "the worst DO school."

MD schools, on the other hand, are overly-anxious to rate themselves using any conceivable criteria. MDs tend to be much more competitive with each other -- perhaps due to the competition for research funding.

So anyway... don't expect to find a ranking of DO schools. And, like I said in one of my previous posts, don't fall into the trap of looking at GPAs and MCATs and thinking it has anything to do with the quality of the program.

By the way... aren't premedical students supposedly scientists by now? If so, then do your own research... develop your own criteria... and make your own EDUCATED decision. Don't rely on other people (Princeton Review, USN&WR) to influence your decision. And most importantly, BE CRITICAL OF RANKINGS.

Besides... NSU-COM is ranked number one of all medical schools anyways. That is, according to the SawBones criteria in which 98% of the ranking is determined by the amount of marble attached to the exterior of the building and the remaining 2% is determined by the institution's proximity to a major body of water.

 

[jhug]

Sawbones-- i totally agree with you! I have done a ton of research on my own- but you can only find out so much. Schools seem to be very selective as to what they let you know. I would love to see maybe the top 5 DO schools ranked- (based on board pass rates/first choice matching- things that very few schools will let you know, yet are an intregral part of my decision making process) that way there is no worst DO school, just the best-- maybe this would help those that don't make the top 5 make adjustments/improvements to be better.

 

[SawBones]

One other thing I should mention is to take the "match" information with a grain of salt. You don't really know how many people tried to land competitive residencies and failed. Since DO classes generally have a much higher average age, you'll probably find more people that want to do family medicine or stay in the area around the school (e.g., because they can't leave their family). Make sense? So even match data isn't very reliable.

I say: 1) Talk to students, 2) Choose schools with their own residency opportunities (e.g., they have solid OPTIs), and 3) Go somewhere where you think you'll enjoy living.

 

[ychromosome]

I'm a first year a NYOM and also got into UMDNJ last year. I chose NYCOM because they have second to none rotations throughout NY and NJ and I honestly didnt want a class of 75 people. Too small. I came from a big undergraduate university and got used to not having my hand held through classes. The NYCOM class is big, but the faculty is readily available and very approachable. For example, in anatomy lab, there was 1 PhD, DO, or MD assigned to every 4-6 tables, as well as 4-5 anatomy fellows floating and a bunch of TAs. I never had to wait on a question. After interviewing at all 3 UMDNJ schools, I felt like UMDNJSOM was the little brother to the other 2. NYCOM stands on its own and fits the bill for me. My only complaint is that it's a bit expensive. The area is nice and the student body is overly-helpful, relaxed, and very succesful after graduation from what I see.

Just my $0.02