For the people that chose an out of state school...

[Buckeye(OH)]

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over an acceptance at a state school, a serious question.

I really liked CCOM, a ton better then I liked OU. However, now that it is time to send in the second half of the CCOM deposit, the thought of spending 20k a year extra is making me want to vomit.

It may sound shallow, but that is 80k towards the 911 Turbo I have always wanted.

Are there any of you that have gone out of state despite an acceptance at a state school? I thought I could look past the 80k extra because in the whole scheme of things its really NOT that huge of a deal, but right now when you only make 15$/hr, 80k seems like a tremendous chunk of change.

I really do have my heart set on the city of Chicago and Midwestern U, but I'm almost willing to go somewhere where I may not be happy to save 80k. Probably not a good idea...right?

Not really sure what I am asking here...I guess, just some reassurance, opinions etc.

Thanks

 

[me454555]

I went to an out of state school only b/c it was close to the same price as NYCOM. 80k is a lot of money and you will get great training at whatever DO school you go to. If I had gotten into a state school I would go there in a heartbeat. Why pay 30k/year for the same education you can get for 10?

 

[sophiejane]

I think you should go where you will be happy. Have you considered a military scholarship? That way, money would not be an issue. Of course, your a$$ will belong to Uncle Sam for a few years, but I've heard it's pretty a pretty cushy assignment usually

There are also loan repayment programs if you are willing to practice in an underserved area for a few years--IHS and National Service Corps come to mind first.

 

[Ypo.]

I cringe whenever I hear people say that an extra 80K or so won't make a difference in the grand scheme of things. Of course its going to make a difference. You can only take out $38,500 a year from the combined stafford loans, and the rest you will have to pay for with mostly high/variable interest loans. And doctors, although they live comfortably, don't make so much money that they can sneeze at this amount.

It all comes down to whether you could deal with attending a school you are less thrilled about in order to save 80K? I know I could.

Buckeye, if you have already made the decision, and lost acceptance to your state school, then its time to put these thoughts out of your mind and enjoy your med school experience. At least you will be comfortable knowing that from among your choices, you picked the best school for you.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I cringe whenever I hear people say that an extra 80K or so won't make a difference in the grand scheme of things. Of course its going to make a difference. You can only take out $38,500 a year from the combined stafford loans, and the rest you will have to pay for with mostly high/variable interest loans. And doctors, although they live comfortably, don't make so much money that they can sneeze at this amount.

It all comes down to whether you could deal with attending a school you are less thrilled about in order to save 80K? I know I could.

Buckeye, if you have already made the decision, and lost acceptance to your state school, then its time to put these thoughts out of your mind and enjoy your med school experience. At least you will be comfortable knowing that from among your choices, you picked the best school for you.

It isn't too late until I send the second deposit to CCOM on the 18th.

 

[Ypo.]

It isn't too late until I send the second deposit to CCOM on the 18th.

So you still have an acceptance offer at OUCOM?

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

So you still have an acceptance offer at OUCOM?

Yes.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

So you still have an acceptance offer at OUCOM?

And to toss in the mix, I am still waiting to hear from Penn State post interview.

 

[Ypo.]

And to toss in the mix, I am still waiting to hear from Penn State post interview.

Wow, well, good luck.

What so bad about OUCOM? If I thought I could get by without being miserable, I would definitely choose there over spending all that extra cash. ALthough the really good thing about CCOM is the awesome rotations. How are CCOMs affiliated residency programs?

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Wow, well, good luck.

What so bad about OUCOM? If I thought I could get by without being miserable, I would definitely choose there over spending all that extra cash. ALthough the really good thing about CCOM is the awesome rotations. How are CCOMs affiliated residency programs?

I get the feeling that CCOM is overall a stronger school. I used to date a girl at OU (during undergrad but its all the same campus). I don't know if you are familiar with Athens, Ohio, but its a reallllllly small spec on the dot in very rural Southeast Ohio. Personally, I'm not a fan of small towns, hence, the only two DO schools I applied to were CCOM (because it has a good reputation) and OU (because it was instate). I didnt bother with PCOM.

For years three and four at OUCOM, you may or may not be at the same place for the whole time and you could be dispersed throughout the state. Naturally, I'd want to come back to Columbus, however, it is a lottery system and there are no guarantees. At least with CCOM, you know that your clerkship years will be in the Chicagoland area....no questions asked.

I dont know why all of a sudden I am getting choked up about the decision, I guess I have never had to make a decision like this before. I chose my undergrad institution based on scholarship money....no such luck here I'm sure.

PS. Id rather owe a bank money then Uncle Sam my time, although, that was certainly a route I had considered.

 

[Ypo.]

Well, I totally understand your decision. What I don't understand is when people pay all that extra money to attend a 'private' medical school out in the hicks, with the near certainty that they will have to move for years three and four (cough-not mentioning any school names 🙄 ).


I kind of wished I had applied to CCOM, until I looked at the tuition. How much is it per year? I think its one of the more expensive schools (for out of state).

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Well, I totally understand your decision. What I don't understand is when people pay all that extra money to attend a 'private' medical school out in the hicks, with the near certainty that they will have to move for years three and four (cough-not mentioning any school names 🙄 ).


I kind of wished I had applied to CCOM, until I looked at the tuition. How much is it per year? I think its one of the more expensive schools (for out of state).

35391 versus 22xxx

Tough call isn't it 🙁

 

[Robz]

One of my MAJOR factors in choosing my school was 22K versus 32K a year. Over 4 years that was around 40K of decision I was making. It was one of the reasons I turned down CCOM. Great school, good rotations, I hated the weather and the cost. 🙂

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

One of my MAJOR factors in choosing my school was 22K versus 32K a year. Over 4 years that was around 40K of decision I was making. It was one of the reasons I turned down CCOM. Great school, good rotations, I hated the weather and the cost. 🙂

Anyone else....come on people!

 

[Future Doc B]

Anyone else....come on people!

I'm going through the exact same thing as you with the Texas schools and CCOM. There are a couple TX schools that I didn't really care for when I interviewed, but I've decided that the financial difference is too much (10K vs 35K) to go out of state even if I'm not completely sold on an in-state school. I'll pay the 2nd deposit to CCOM as insurance that I will never have to do the whole application thing again!

My advice to you is to decide whether the extra money is going to influence your happiness and cause you anxiety. The way I reasoned my way through it was to consider my personality. I hate spending more money on something than I need to (in this case medical school) when I get the same product in the end (a medical degree DO or MD).

From your posts, I would say the main question for you to ask would be whether it is worth the extra 13K/year (not including any differences in living expenses) to live in Chicago? Also, are clinical years worth the extra $$$ (moving around vs. same city)?

If all else fails, make a list of the pros/cons of each and see if that helps. If that doesn't help, just trust your instincts and you'll make the right decision.

I hope I helped in some way, good luck on your decision! 😎

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I'm going through the exact same thing as you with the Texas schools and CCOM. There are a couple TX schools that I didn't really care for when I interviewed, but I've decided that the financial difference is too much (10K vs 35K) to go out of state even if I'm not completely sold on an in-state school. I'll pay the 2nd deposit to CCOM as insurance that I will never have to do the whole application thing again!

My advice to you is to decide whether the extra money is going to influence your happiness and cause you anxiety. The way I reasoned my way through it was to consider my personality. I hate spending more money on something than I need to (in this case medical school) when I get the same product in the end (a medical degree DO or MD).

From your posts, I would say the main question for you to ask would be whether it is worth the extra 13K/year (not including any differences in living expenses) to live in Chicago? Also, are clinical years worth the extra $$$ (moving around vs. same city)?

If all else fails, make a list of the pros/cons of each and see if that helps. If that doesn't help, just trust your instincts and you'll make the right decision.

I hope I helped in some way, good luck on your decision! 😎

I'm also sending the second deposit. I also don't like to spend money unnecessarily. On top of that, the 60k is exactly 1/2 the price of my coveted 911 turbo.

 

[Sunsun]

Buckeye,
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I've already sent my second deposit to CCOM just in case but I'm still having trouble deciding between CCOM and DMU. Although, if I went to CCOM I wouldn't have to worry about rent, which helps a lot. Decisions, decisions! I think my advice would be to go with 1) The place you feel more comfortable and 2) the school that you feel has a stronger program. Good luck with everything, let us know what you choose to do!

 

[Stripes]

I am having second thoughts too about CCOM. I was all about the school before and now I have only 3 days to decide if I want to also put a deposit down at DMU. I have already put down the 1st deposit at CCOM, but the idea of being in class all day at CCOM scares me. Does anyone know about the class schedule at DMU? I do have to say that CCOM has great clinical rotations and having to not worry about moving around is great 3rd and 4th year. Out of state tuition is killer. Anyone have thoughts between the two schools? (DMU vs CCOM)?

 

[Sunsun]

I am having second thoughts too about CCOM. I was all about the school before and now I have only 3 days to decide if I want to also put a deposit down at DMU. I have already put down the 1st deposit at CCOM, but the idea of being in class all day at CCOM scares me. Does anyone know about the class schedule at DMU? I do have to say that CCOM has great clinical rotations and having to not worry about moving around is great 3rd and 4th year. Out of state tuition is killer. Anyone have thoughts between the two schools? (DMU vs CCOM)?

Hey Stripes,
If you learn anything helpful, please fill me in! I must say I'm leaning more towards CCOM but I'm still not completely sure. Thanks

 

[mfrederi]

If someone told you they would pay you 110,000 (don't forget, its 80k + interest) to live in Oklahoma for 3 years (your 4th rotation sites are pretty much up to you) would you do it? I would immediatly head for the store, buy an OU hat and start humming
"OOOOklahoma, where the wind sweeps gently on the plains...." You should do whatever you want, but it will greatly affect your postgraduate plans if you have significantly more debt. For example, lets say you fall in love with FP, but you might consider doing something else because an extra 80k of debt takes a while to pay off on an FP's salary. It is a huge amount of money when you consider you will already be in crushing debt anyway.

 

[LukeWhite]

If someone told you they would pay you 110,000 (don't forget, its 80k + interest) to live in Oklahoma for 3 years (your 4th rotation sites are pretty much up to you) would you do it? I would immediatly head for the store, buy an OU hat and start humming
"OOOOklahoma, where the wind sweeps gently on the plains...." You should do whatever you want, but it will greatly affect your postgraduate plans if you have significantly more debt. For example, lets say you fall in love with FP, but you might consider doing something else because an extra 80k of debt takes a while to pay off on an FP's salary. It is a huge amount of money when you consider you will already be in crushing debt anyway.

it's a little disheartening to see classmates and others leaning away from FP solely because of financial concerns. The average salary of an FP in 2000 was about $144k, meaning it's probably pushing $150k now. By the time a student just entering med school now graduates, that will increase by about $25k if salaries keep pace for inflation.

That $25k *alone* will be enough to pay off the debts of most people, even if they're attending some of the more expensive private schools. Moreover, if one buys a first house and mortgages cleverly, the loan repayment will essentially be tax deductible, shaving around 35%-40% off the actual "cost" of the money being repaid.

And that, of course, doesn't take into account the fact that over the ten years of repayment, salary will continue to increase so that while the amount one pays per month remains more or less the same, the amount being made at the tail end of repayment will be far more than what the salary looks like now.

It's certainly well worth anyone's time to plug the numbers into a simple loan calculator, but even with the most pessimistic financial projections, FP and other primary care docs still do quite well for themselves.

 

[DOitright]

My opinion on the school vs. money situation:

I wasn't going to let money get in the way of my decision! I wanted to go to school where I was going to be happy, and I that I felt I would be best prepared for the future! You are going to medical school, don't cut yourself short! If you aren't going to be happy knowing you are paying more for your education, that's something you have to take into consideration! But I didn't let the difference in tuition decide for me...unless of course I didn't feel I was getting more for the money!

Had to play devil's advocate!

G'luck with your choice!

J

 

[kaikai128]

I know that a lot of people think I am absolutly nuts--but I chose to apply to only out of state DO schools rather than to my in state MD school. Whereas many who become DOs do it as somewhat of a backup--I simply am that dedicated to the "idea" of the way it should work. My lack of interest in the local MD school is multi-faceted...but after working there, I know I couldn't be happy with being a student there (and thus probably wouldn't succeed).

The money for me wasn't so much of an issue. My plan since stime in undergrad was to apply for the AF HPSP scholarship (regardless of what tuition costed), so in the end I simply chose the school that I felt I would be happiest at.

 

[PublicEnemy]

something to think about.

your life doesn't begin post medical school or post-residency or after you get a 911 turbo. this is your life. you are living it right now. medical school will be part of your life. all the talk about what it will be like with or without debt, its difficult to asess. go where you feel you will be most happy, the place that feels right for you. 4 years is a long time, and you have to live those years, you don't want to have to just get through it.

also, lets not forget, pretty much anyone thats going out of state for school is paying that higher amount. you have the luxury of choosing a more inexpensive option, but thats not to say having to pay 15k-20k a year isn't doable. so many people have no choice but to do that, and they do just fine, and thats because debt is manageable for physicians. if you're on 10-15 year loan repayment plans, i don't know how it works, but wouldn't the extra amount only add up to an extra 10-12thousand dollars per year in repayments?

i think the bottomline is you can't make any blanket statement like the cheapest alternative is the best. go where you want to go, consider finances as a factor, but definitely not the only one.

 

[shan-bot 2000]

hey there

i just made the decision to go to PCOM over UMDNJ...a decision that WON'T save me ~ 48k over the next 4 years.

it was a really, REALLY hard decision for me. i posted on here, i called up docs that went to either school...i was freaking out about it. but, in the end, i figured it all out and i chose the school that was just a better fit for me. consider your future goals, compare residency match lists and see what fits. i know i'll be really happy with my choice to go to PCOM. i understand your pain deciding between your two schools, but in the end, go with your gut instinct. if you know you will be REALLY happy at CCOM, go for it! money a'int everythang.

<3
s*

 

[mocheese]

I am in the exact same situation as you are, as I am on Ohio resident and have been accepted to OU and CCOM as well. I have decided to choose CCOM over OU. I love chicago and like you said, athens tiny little town. there is really nothing in it but bars populated by all the undergrads. During our first 2 years at CCOM we have oppurtunities to volunteer in the clinics in the inner city AND get paid for it (we get paid for ANY kind of volunteering under work-study as long as we fill out a FAFSA). These kinds of oppurtunities dont seem to exist at OU. The biggest reason, however, is the clinical rotations are sweet. we rotate in alot of the same hospitals used by other chicago med schools, including the famed cook county hospital. CCOM has been around for 100 years so everybody in chicago knows about it and it carries a good reputation. If you browse through any major chi hospital resident and attending list, you will find midwestern graduates there, including a radiology resident at the university of chi. I feel the oppurtunities are greater in chicago then any of OU sites (columbus, dayton, cleveland,) and you dont have to move around (which is nice). if you land a better residency, you will make more money, and that extra 60-80 grand will be well worth it. Also, right now 80 grand seems like a sh#t load of money (and it is), but even if you go into FM, you are still going to be pulling down some good scratch (unless you try to set up an independent practice in out in BFE) and that extra couple of hundred dollars a month in loan payment wont seem like that big of a sacrifice to be exactly where you wanted to be.

 

[Old_Mil]

over an acceptance at a state school, a serious question.

I really liked CCOM, a ton better then I liked OU.

Out of curiousity, why did you like CCOM a lot better than OU? Was it something about the school itself or just the fact that it's in Chicago and you like the city of Chicago? If it's the latter, I'd say it's a no brainer - go to OU and save the $80k. If there's something specific about the medical school itself, then that might be another matter.

But on the whole, yeah, save the 80k!

 

[adennis]

This is a really tough decision to make.. as everybody's said... I've got an interview still at my in state MD school... after being accepted at both VCOM and LECOM-B. (I declined VCOM and am looking forward to LECOM-B)... To be honest, I was disappointed to get the invite from my in state MD program.. mainly because it meant that I would pretty much have to go there... the tuition difference is about $20K a year... for a total of $80K... now, this is a lot of money.. yes I'll be used to living on a pauper's income.. and so it might be easier to pay back those student loans... (that is IF the situation should even arise)... BUT, I'm very excited about LECOM-B and would be upset to give up that opportunity.. However.. if the situation arises, money may (unfortunately) win out. My in state MD school would possibly allow me to pay my own way throughout med school or pay back quickly during my first year of residency. Big difference..

However, the decision may be made for me... and so.. I wait... After all, at least in my case, this decision doesn't just affect me.. but the rest of my family as well.

 

[kahoo99]

Hey Buckeye,
We met at the oucom interview day. I was the one from California. And though not the same I'm still considering OU over some other schools depending on if my wife gets in to a masters program there. Money is important and it's true that it really only comes down to about 15k/ year while you're paying it back that's a really phat vacation you could take every year. The school i liked the most was UNECOM but no job opportunities or real scholastic opportunities for my wife; it was 33k/year and i think had i been a single man with no other obligations i would have gone there and dealt with it. As it stands now, I'm down to three schools. COMP 30+k, DMU +partial scholarship, and OUCOM. And I'm really not sure what we'll do. COMP means my wife gets to keep her job-the others mean a real life adventure for us left coasters...I don't know what you'll decide but good luck...and as to what another posted this is our life now too, at the very least. I don't know about anybody else but starting at 150k seems like we're playing with the house's money anyway.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Hey Buckeye,
We met at the oucom interview day. I was the one from California. And though not the same I'm still considering OU over some other schools depending on if my wife gets in to a masters program there. Money is important and it's true that it really only comes down to about 15k/ year while you're paying it back that's a really phat vacation you could take every year. The school i liked the most was UNECOM but no job opportunities or real scholastic opportunities for my wife; it was 33k/year and i think had i been a single man with no other obligations i would have gone there and dealt with it. As it stands now, I'm down to three schools. COMP 30+k, DMU +partial scholarship, and OUCOM. And I'm really not sure what we'll do. COMP means my wife gets to keep her job-the others mean a real life adventure for us left coasters...I don't know what you'll decide but good luck...and as to what another posted this is our life now too, at the very least. I don't know about anybody else but starting at 150k seems like we're playing with the house's money anyway.

Don't worry, I remember you. Mr. Religious-Studies-Who-Always-Held-the-Door-for-Everyone.

That is you, isnt it? 🙂

 

[kahoo99]

guilty

 

[DoctorDoogie4]

😎 Dear Buckeye,

I was in a similar position when choosing Des Moines, Philadelphia, Nova and Ohio U. All are great schools. I chose an out of state school over Ohio U because I wanted to explore another area outside of Ohio. Knowing what I know now, I would have stuck with Ohio University COM. OUCOM is cheaper and their CORE system is filled with great osteopathic residencies. NSUCOM has a rotation system filled with great hospitals but very few residency programs affiliated with it. I have heard from my older friends that is much easier to rotate through a hospital with residency programs that you want hopefully at the end of your medical career.

Go to the school that makes you feel comfortable and go to the school that will help you advance your career. Look into CCOM's postgraduate program, their board passing rate and preparation plan, and their rotation schedule and hospitals where rotations are held. Go with the school that gives you the opportunity to shine the brightest.


By the way....GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Doogie