Good schools vs. bad schools?

[Deepa100]

Hi,
I am just starting the process and wondering if certain DO schools are rated better than some others. Any pointers will help me greatly.
Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Hi,
I am just starting the process and wondering if certain DO schools are rated better than some others. Any pointers will help me greatly.
Thanks!

The first pointer would be to use the search function on the forums. You've started two threads now on subjects that have been covered mannny times. Please do searches before creating new threads. Now, since this one is OPEN for the time being ...

-DO schools, for whatever reason, usually choose not to be ranked by US news or whoever the hell does those 'best grad school' rankings. Some are, such as WVCOM, and rank top in the nation in primary care. This shouldn't be something that concerns you. Some people believe that older, more established schools are generally 'better' than newer schools, and once again this is basically conjecture and really not that important to you at the moment. For now, worry about getting into medical school, where you'd like to apply, etc ... THEN worry about these issues.

 

[Terpskins99]

Hi,
I am just starting the process and wondering if certain DO schools are rated better than some others. Any pointers will help me greatly.
Thanks!

There are no official lists comparing one program to the next. Partly because schools are not required to list their average MCAT/GPA or even their board-passing rates (though I have seen some lists in osteopathic journal articles).

Your best bet (but by no means perfect) would be to obtain the match-list from a given institution and see if those equivalent match-profiles is something you'd be comfortable with. Most schools make this available somewhere on their homepage. You can also try contacting them and asking them to send you a list.

Subjectively, everyone is going to give you a different opinion about any given school. Personally, I don't think it makes much difference which school you attend. Some osteopathic schools (e.g. PCOM, UMDNJ, MSU) also have affiliated residencies, and that can provide you an edge in matching for residency in the future. Obviously, that is assuming you would want to stay there for residency. I would try to stay closer to home (in-state if possible) or look for a program with lower tuition. You will rack up a ton of debt, so any steps you can make to alleviate that would be wise.

 

[DaveinDallas]

Hi,
I am just starting the process and wondering if certain DO schools are rated better than some others. Any pointers will help me greatly.
Thanks!

Can't speak for other schools but I can say that UNTHSC/TCOM has THE highest pass rate on COMLEX Level I and is almost a full standard deviation above the rest of the osteopathic schools in this area. It's a great school that, so far, really prepares you for doing the job. Sure, every school has areas to improve, but in terms of getting you ready early, giving you a solid foundation during the first two years, teaching you how to think and really caring about the students, you can't do much better. The associate dean is a master educator. You have to experience how much you learn from his Clinical Integration Lectures to believe it (he teaches Respiratory 2).

I was also thinking about Kirksville and the admissions department really went out of their way (so did the one TCOM) to work with me on my application. They really counseled me through the process and gave me time to make some crucial decisions. Good people at both places.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Can't speak for other schools but I can say that UNTHSC/TCOM has THE highest pass rate on COMLEX Level I and is almost a full standard deviation above the rest of the osteopathic schools in this area. It's a great school that, so far, really prepares you for doing the job. Sure, every school has areas to improve, but in terms of getting you ready early, giving you a solid foundation during the first two years, teaching you how to think and really caring about the students, you can't do much better. The associate dean is a master educator. You have to experience how much you learn from his Clinical Integration Lectures to believe it (he teaches Respiratory 2).

I was also thinking about Kirksville and the admissions department really went out of their way (so did the one TCOM) to work with me on my application. They really counseled me through the process and gave me time to make some crucial decisions. Good people at both places.

Both excellent schools with stellar reputations.

 

[slim78]

First time pass rate at AZCOM according to their website:

COMLEX Part I Board Scores (1998-2007):
98 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers, exceeding national average by 7+ percent; AZCOM scored 100% for five of these years

COMLEX Part II Board Scores (1998-2007):
99 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers, nearly 9 percent above national average; AZCOM scored 100% for seven of these years

http://www.midwestern.edu/azcom/ Then click on fact sheet/outcomes

 

[Bacchus]

Good and Bad is subjective. It always seems as if the grass is greener on the other side. When ranking schools people look at too many different factors to make a clear consensus: location, age, faculty, labs, technology, fitness centers, curriculum, rotations, matchlists, etc. If you're happy where you are then its a good school to you and that is all that matters.

 

[MossPoh]

School you go to and are happy at = good

all others = crap.

There ya go

 

[Concubine]

Hi,
I am just starting the process and wondering if certain DO schools are rated better than some others. Any pointers will help me greatly.
Thanks!

If you are looking for reputation, then yes, some are "better known" than others. I would probably say that in general, the older the school, the better known. As far as ratings go? With a few exceptions of DO schools making the US news rankings, etc., they are unrated.

 

[Anton Chigurh]

Personally, I think that schools that don't have any official hospital affiliations, and where you're forced to move around for your rotations during clinical years are the bad ones. Don't have a list of them though.

 

[Terpskins99]

Personally, I think that schools that don't have any official hospital affiliations, and where you're forced to move around for your rotations during clinical years are the bad ones. Don't have a list of them though.

Like I was saying, its subjective.

PCOM-PA doesn't have their own hospital. But you'd be hard pressed to find many that consider PCOM one of the "bad ones".

 

[Senor Hound]

When I asked a question similar to this, I was told that medical schools, especially those that are osteopathic, are pretty much neck to neck. Its not like law school, where the school you get in to determines how much you'll make when you get out. In the medical world, its all about your test scores. And disregarding MCATs and GPAs, you should go to the school you feel will give you the best learning environment. What is that? I don't know. Maybe you'd like to go to a place with pretty weather. Maybe you'd like to go to a rural school to eliminate distraction and noise. Maybe you're more apt to learn better in a problem-based environment. These questions are so personal that really only some soul-searching can fix it.

And even if you got into the "worst" med school (which is totally subjective), you'd still be in a good school. You might have to teach yourself some more, but as long as your COMLEX scores are high, you'll be set.

Also, don't let other people tell you not to post something that has already been posted. Part of posting is interacting with others, which searching doesn't let you do. And furthermore, you can search AND ask this question, and get more perspectives. On such a subjective answer, its impossible to have too many people reply to your question.

Good luck, and best wishes to you in your future endeavors.

 

[Lokhtar]

Hi,
I am just starting the process and wondering if certain DO schools are rated better than some others. Any pointers will help me greatly.
Thanks!

Check the school's third and fourth years, and please do yourself a favor and talk to the students who've been through the third and fourth years of those schools.

The first two years are completely standard, with very little difference. Not only within the DO world, but between MD and DO as well. As for the rotations - they are most certainly not all equal. Some have excellent sites where you can get great training, and others you'll be kicking yourself in the ass for having to move around and not getting the type of training you should, and paying them $40k tuition on top of that. I've talked to osteopathic students from certain schools who've told me the 3rd and 4th year training they get is very inferior to some of the other DO schools, and most MD schools. And some osteopathic schools have the best type of training possible. You won't know until you talk to people who've done it.

Talk to the students who've done rotations at the various schools.