GA-PCOM vs. KCUMB

[missmarymac8]

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I hope no one finds these posts annoying....but I know I enjoy them, and now I'm looking to benefit from one. I have an acceptance from KCUMB and am needing to put in that 2K pretty soon to hold my seat, but I just got offered an interview from GA-PCOM. It has been so difficult finding info on Georgia that I need help in comparing the two. Help please!

 

[TexasTriathlete]

KCUMB is huge. They take like 270 students in a class. GA-PCOM takes about 86. I sat in on a lecture at KCUMB, and I decided then that GA-PCOM would be my top choice. My acceptance was in the mailbox when I got home from that trip.

 

[PokerDoc]

the kcumb class size is 250 not 270.. but nevertheless.. i chose KCUMB out of the 4 DO schools I got accepted to because I felt they provided one of the best medical school educations out there. The patient simulators are brand new, a lot of the facilities are very new as well and their match lists are also outstanding. I also like kcumb's wide selection of rotation sites so I can basically go anywhere in the country I want for rotations. Some people dont like that, but to me that was a plus.

 

[MossPoh]

Geez there tex, I expected a much more excited and pro pcom-ga post than that. Other things to do today? 😛

 

[court555]

I just got an interview invitation from GA-PCOM today too, but I sent in my $2000 to KCUMB last week. I would have like to check out the school but I loved KCUMB and am happy with my decision.

 

[MossPoh]

Another thing to consider is tshirts and sweatshirts. If you are large chested, or have an oversized hoodie then one school can spell some rather unsavory things (I assume it is unsavory....some of you may disagree). PCOM-GA is pretty safe in that area.

 

[spicedmanna]

My class has 251 students. Anyway, while the overall class is large, it is broken down into four groups. It isn't an issue for me and from the looks of things, I don't think it presents a significant issue for most. The access to resources isn't at all diminished by the overall class size; there's plenty of stuff to go around.

You are dealing with two different schools here. One, an original osteopathic institution, the other, relatively new in comparison. They also have different missions. PCOM-GA is more focused on preparing it's students for being primary physicians in rural/underserved areas, while KCUMB has a very high specialization rate (around 60%, or more, will specialize in non-primary care specialties). KCUMB has a very high first-choice match rate. I believe it is around 90+ %.

At KCUMB, you have the option to enroll in two different dual degree program, a DO/MBA and a DO/MA in Bioethics. I don't know what PCOM-GA offers. We have a brand new clinical competency center and a relatively new clinical research center. There is research being conducted at KCUMB and there are research fellowships available, along with an OMT and Anatomy fellowships. KCUMB is well known in the area and has a solid reputation for producing hard working, intelligent physicians.

Obviously they are located in different geographic areas and have different rotation affiliations. Other than that, you'll just have to feel it out. There's no right answer. I'm sure you'll fair well, no matter where you choose to go. Pick the one that fits you best. You'll know more after you interview and talk to more current students.

 

[UNCLori07]

I hope no one finds these posts annoying....but I know I enjoy them, and now I'm looking to benefit from one. I have an acceptance from KCUMB and am needing to put in that 2K pretty soon to hold my seat, but I just got offered an interview from GA-PCOM. It has been so difficult finding info on Georgia that I need help in comparing the two. Help please!

As many other poeple have posted, I think your best bet is to feel out what is right for you. I am currently at GA-PCOM and absolutely love the school. Before interviewing there, I had actually already sent in my 1500 deposit to another school. However, after interviewing at the campus and talking to current students there, I opted to lose my deposit and go to GA-PCOM instead. It's not the right school for everyone and it certainly doesn't have some of the options of KCUMB - fellowships and research - at this point at the school, but what is nice about our school is that the faculty really listen to the students since we are sooo new. Plus, since we're new, you can start clubs and other things on campus that haven't been started before and really impact your education. We also have simulated patients - STAN and we recently bought NOEL. Many people have heard of STAN, but NOEL is the OB equivalent so that we can simulate deliveries! Both NOEL and the baby have monitoring. She's really awesome. And although the mission of GA-PCOM is to train primary care docs that want to practice in GA, no one is going to stop you from going into a specialty. In my second year class, I'd say at least half of my class is not considering going into primary care. 🙂 OH, and for everyone who's wondering about our first year pass rate - we had somewhere around the national average. I think it was somewhere between 90-92% last time I heard. Which is really good for a first year school.

All opinions aside, here is some information that is more objective. I'm not sure if you've seen this yet or not - but if you haven't, here's the like to our virtual campus. You can see and get some information about our specific campus.

http://www.pcom.edu/vtour/ga_welcome.html

I'm talking to the school as we speak about moving this website to a more useful location on the PCOM homepage so that students interested in GA-PCOM can see what our campus is all about. Good luck in your decision. My best advice is to go where you like the people. You can get a good education anywhere. But you need to like where you are and who's around you to not go completely crazy. I can't imagine med school without the friends I've made here. 🙂

 

[missmarymac8]

thanks for advice....I loved-loved-loved KCUMB when visting....had no idea that midwesterners were as friendly as we southerners are. Here are my questions about GA, specifically:

-PCOM has pretty awesome residencies - would they give preference to PCOM-GA students, or are AOA residencies less-known for favoring students of their own schools? How close of a connection is there really between the two campuses? They share an admissions office, so they can't be too far from each other in collaborative efforts.

-When they say that they are aimed at providing primary care physicians for the Georgia area, does that mean that they simply recommend it a lot, or that their lesson plans and stuff are centered around teaching primary care physicians in rural areas?

I have always seen myself in a certain residency....I wanted to be a ____ before I even realized that they were doctors. And although GA-PCOM is so close to my home, I would go to school in Alaska if it gave me a better chance at becoming a ____. It was nice to see the pass rate so high for GA, though. I'm going to the interview to learn more, but I don't want the viscinity to Chatt-town muddy my vision.

 

[tlvuong4]

thanks for advice....I loved-loved-loved KCUMB when visting....had no idea that midwesterners were as friendly as we southerners are. Here are my questions about GA, specifically:

-PCOM has pretty awesome residencies - would they give preference to PCOM-GA students, or are AOA residencies less-known for favoring students of their own schools? How close of a connection is there really between the two campuses? They share an admissions office, so they can't be too far from each other in collaborative efforts.

-When they say that they are aimed at providing primary care physicians for the Georgia area, does that mean that they simply recommend it a lot, or that their lesson plans and stuff are centered around teaching primary care physicians in rural areas?

I have always seen myself in a certain residency....I wanted to be a ____ before I even realized that they were doctors. And although GA-PCOM is so close to my home, I would go to school in Alaska if it gave me a better chance at becoming a ____. It was nice to see the pass rate so high for GA, though. I'm going to the interview to learn more, but I don't want the viscinity to Chatt-town muddy my vision.

Most osteopathic schools will say they are primary care oriented and they'll include that in their mission statement. Beyond that, they can't stop you from specializing in ______ or force you to work in the boonies. Their goal is the prepare you for the boards which students nationwide must take. So if PCOM-GA wanted the recognition and awards they would have to prepare you well for the exam and also expose you to all different environments. Also if you check out PCOM's rotations, they give you 4 weeks of electives in the third year and about 20 weeks of electives in the fourth year. That is more than most schools, so you will definitely have an opportunity to get the connections you need to get a residency in the ______ specialty.

Right now the one school that I feel caters to primary care is ATSU-SOMA. You only spend one year in mesa, az at the campus and years 2-4 you spend at a Community Health Center. But again, their job is to prepare you for the boards like everybody else so they still have to teach you everything. And for years 3 and 4 you still get to do selectives and electives. Beyond that it is up to you what you want to specialize in.

 

[WDeagle]

Go to KCUMB so i wont be the only southerner there. Seriously though, i wouldnt risk losing a place at KCUMB and not getting to GA-PCOM. Also, think about Atlanta traffic.

 

[missmarymac8]

Thanks again to all those advice givers!

and to WDeagle.....I know right? It seemed like everyone at my interview was from the mid-west or FAR west! But that's cool, I can hide my accent when I need to.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Why would you want to hide the accent?

 

[t-funk]

That's what I'm saying. You gotta' love the Southern drawl. I like the Midwest twang though too.

 

[missmarymac8]

The accent has its appropriate places.....but I generally like turning it off when I'm around really smart people who don't have one. Some poeple think it's cute, I guess. 😀