hate this but-HELP nsucom vs nycom

[mrbeantown]

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To keep this short, I am realizing we all need a little input from time to time no matter how much of our own research we do. Here is what I've got so far- objectively:
NSU has better facilities, housing (within the school or across the street) within walking distance, a great first two years and a very strange second two years with tons of rural medicine and geriatrics in place of general surgery and other fields like emergency medicine. I love the place, the library and all that but want a residency in new york after graduation. I think nsu would give me the first two years that i want and enable me to do well on the comlexI and usmleI (definitely taking both).

NYCOM has a pretty similar first two years (lecture based for me-i am traditional) but the second two clinical years are filled with more surgery and emergency medicine and things that i am interested in. I also hear it is much easier to get a residency in the state you graduate from. Things I hate are having an apartment in long island and dealing with a commute to school and a very shoddy library. Libraries are somewhat important to me because I do most of my studying there.
What do you guys think about the getting the residency in ny issue, the las two years focus at nsu, and any other little factors that I may be oblivious to?
ps. the size of both these schools sucks because they are both >250 but that is just something I have to deal with. Money is due 48 hours

 

[Saregamapadanis]

ps. the size of both these schools sucks because they are both >250 but that is just something I have to deal with. Money is due 48 hours

Are you talking about NSU due date? Because for NYCOM , the due date is by January 4th.

Now, I would pick nycom over nsu because I know that nycom has alot of affiliations in New York and it is easier to get a residency in new york if you graduate from this school.

EM and Surgery is very good too.

 

[mrbeantown]

Are you talking about NSU due date? Because for NYCOM , the due date is by January 4th.

Now, I would pick nycom over nsu because I know that nycom has alot of affiliations in New York and it is easier to get a residency in new york if you graduate from this school.

EM and Surgery is very good too.

ya nsu 48hrs- I agree with you on this. NSU is such a great place but the unknown scares me and not being able to come back to ny scares me too.
ps i know it is cutting it short but nsu, you can pay online so i could technically do it on friday
WHAt does anyone else in a similar predicament think about this plus my OP about substituting rural med for surg. and other experiences.

 

[EEL08]

Honestly it sounds like you're more interested in the surgery and emergency medicine rotations than spending 3(?) months in rural rotations. Plus the only negative you've really listed for NYCOM are the library and living/commuting. It seems like those aren't huge downsides. Plus you want to stay in/go back to NY and NYCOM would definitely give you a lot of opportunities to do so. I believe both schools have required attendance, not sure if one is more strict than the other. My reaction to your post is that it seems like you would rather go to NYCOM but I could be wrong. with your decision.

 

[mrbeantown]

Honestly it sounds like you're more interested in the surgery and emergency medicine rotations than spending 3(?) months in rural rotations. Plus the only negative you've really listed for NYCOM are the library and living/commuting. It seems like those aren't huge downsides. Plus you want to stay in/go back to NY and NYCOM would definitely give you a lot of opportunities to do so. I believe both schools have required attendance, not sure if one is more strict than the other. My reaction to your post is that it seems like you would rather go to NYCOM but I could be wrong. with your decision.

Thanks eel, lol i am actually very unsure. I liked nova and am the live walking distance to campus kind of guy (esp the first two years). It's totally the rural med/geriatrics stuff that throws me off. Why do they want to torture? Make it elective! lol
The free MPH (at nova) is also a nice bonus but not going to be a deal decider for me.
ps hope the LMU acceptance comes through for you- I, for one, believe that if you can accomplish what you did (while raising young children), it should tack on like .2-.5 on the gpa and 3-6 on the mcat as well. I did my stuff while working full time as an RN and paying a mortgage and such, so more power to us! 🙂

 

[abbycornish]

.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I would never be able to go to school where I'd have a long commute to get there. Time is precious in medical school, and wasting a couple hours in the car every day seems like it could be crippling.

 

[mrbeantown]

I would never be able to go to school where I'd have a long commute to get there. Time is precious in medical school, and wasting a couple hours in the car every day seems like it could be crippling.

Ya seriously, i would borrow the money and get an apt- that's what i will be doing if i go to nycom. You have to maximize study time and that is one of my issues with this topic.
Abby- I'm glad you bring up the social thing too though because it is somewhat important and a definite shiny spot for nsu.

Do alot of schools require this rural medicine thing? 3-6 months of it just seems extremely long to me.

 

[Saregamapadanis]

I would never be able to go to school where I'd have a long commute to get there. Time is precious in medical school, and wasting a couple hours in the car every day seems like it could be crippling.

commuting time to nycom campus from Hicksville or farmingdale or nearby areas is around 10-20 mins.

 

[NFiasco]

To keep this short, I am realizing we all need a little input from time to time no matter how much of our own research we do. Here is what I've got so far- objectively:
NSU has better facilities, housing (within the school or across the street) within walking distance, a great first two years and a very strange second two years with tons of rural medicine and geriatrics in place of general surgery and other fields like emergency medicine. I love the place, the library and all that but want a residency in new york after graduation. I think nsu would give me the first two years that i want and enable me to do well on the comlexI and usmleI (definitely taking both).

NYCOM has a pretty similar first two years (lecture based for me-i am traditional) but the second two clinical years are filled with more surgery and emergency medicine and things that i am interested in. I also hear it is much easier to get a residency in the state you graduate from. Things I hate are having an apartment in long island and dealing with a commute to school and a very shoddy library. Libraries are somewhat important to me because I do most of my studying there.
What do you guys think about the getting the residency in ny issue, the las two years focus at nsu, and any other little factors that I may be oblivious to?
ps. the size of both these schools sucks because they are both >250 but that is just something I have to deal with. Money is due 48 hours

Seems like you would be a better fit for NYCOM since you want a NY residency and it's close to home for you. For NSU, I don't think the rural and geriatric medicine is really a huge pain since they are both only 0.5 credit hours while every other class is around 3-4credits. Plus, the material may come in handy later on.

 

[jp104]

I was in this situation last year and I chose NYCOM. Forget all of the other stuff like campus, social scene, library, etc. Where did you feel comfortable? Where do you want to live? Those are (to me at least) the most important criteria to choosing a school. I loved loved LOVED Ft. Lauderdale and NSU, but at the end of the day, I couldn't see myself living in florida for the next 4-? years.

Good luck with this choice!

 

[mrbeantown]

Seems like you would be a better fit for NYCOM since you want a NY residency and it's close to home for you. For NSU, I don't think the rural and geriatric medicine is really a huge pain since they are both only 0.5 credit hours while every other class is around 3-4credits. Plus, the material may come in handy later on.

The rural med is 3 months (24semester hours i think but def more than 0.5) but I just found something else that kinda helped me. I was looking at the first website which is missing all the 4th year electives so i was led to think those 4 lame things (in the first link) was all we had to choose from. The second link shows there are almost too many choices.
http://medicine.nova.edu/comsas/forms/curriculum.pdf
http://hpd.nova.edu/catalog/forms/college_of_osteopathic_medicine_catalog.pdf

JL, thank you for your making it simple. Still have to envision the two very different lives though, i guess it comes down to: many of us would be happy and function well in more than one place. I guess we all have to think about jobs in the end (that is what we are there for) and still my main fear is not being able to come back to ny for residency. Does anybody have their MATch List or any info on where the nova grads go?
-Also i know I am beating it to a a bloody death because I am responsible (as we all are) for achieving my own goals, but i like to follow the trends and if not many people are coming from that school to ny residencies, I don't want to have to be captain america in order to break the barrier.

 

[NFiasco]

The rural med is 3 months (24semester hours i think but def more than 0.5) but I just found something else that kinda helped me. I was looking at the first website which is missing all the 4th year electives so i was led to think those 4 lame things (in the first link) was all we had to choose from. The second link shows there are almost too many choices.
http://medicine.nova.edu/comsas/forms/curriculum.pdf
http://hpd.nova.edu/catalog/forms/college_of_osteopathic_medicine_catalog.pdf

JL, thank you for your making it simple. Still have to envision the two very different lives though, i guess it comes down to: many of us would be happy and function well in more than one place. I guess we all have to think about jobs in the end (that is what we are there for) and still my main fear is not being able to come back to ny for residency. Does anybody have their MATch List or any info on where the nova grads go?
-Also i know I am beating it to a a bloody death because I am responsible (as we all are) for achieving my own goals, but i like to follow the trends and if not many people are coming from that school to ny residencies, I don't want to have to be captain america in order to break the barrier.

Oh..I thought you were referring to the rural/geriatric credit hrs for 2nd year. But yes, clinicals have alot of rural...i wonder where they are??

 

[doinmybest5840]

The rural med is 3 months (24semester hours i think but def more than 0.5) but I just found something else that kinda helped me. I was looking at the first website which is missing all the 4th year electives so i was led to think those 4 lame things (in the first link) was all we had to choose from. The second link shows there are almost too many choices.
http://medicine.nova.edu/comsas/forms/curriculum.pdf
http://hpd.nova.edu/catalog/forms/college_of_osteopathic_medicine_catalog.pdf

JL, thank you for your making it simple. Still have to envision the two very different lives though, i guess it comes down to: many of us would be happy and function well in more than one place. I guess we all have to think about jobs in the end (that is what we are there for) and still my main fear is not being able to come back to ny for residency. Does anybody have their MATch List or any info on where the nova grads go?
-Also i know I am beating it to a a bloody death because I am responsible (as we all are) for achieving my own goals, but i like to follow the trends and if not many people are coming from that school to ny residencies, I don't want to have to be captain america in order to break the barrier.

Does anybody know how many credits you can take in your 4th year at NSU?

 

[pamolive]

I'm a new yorker as well, and here is what I've heard about NYCOM so far. Everyone has steered me away from the school because they say that they don't have very great hospital affiliations, so its more difficult than at other DO schools for the students to make the connections they need for their residencies. I've heard great things about NSU, and I really don't think it will be a problem getting a residency in NY as long as you do really well in school and on the comlex and usmle. Just pick a school where you know you will be able to make great hospital contacts, and where you feel comfortable. Honestly, either school will be just fine in the long run. I'm a little weary of NYCOM though just from what I've heard from DOs. One was actually a NYCOM grad.

 

[mitawa]

commuting time to nycom campus from Hicksville or farmingdale or nearby areas is around 10-20 mins.

Yes but the OP said Eastern Suffolk which more than likely means commuting on the LIE or NSP which is a nightmare during rush hour.

 

[mrbeantown]

Yes but the OP said Eastern Suffolk which more than likely means commuting on the LIE or NSP which is a nightmare during rush hour.

LIE= long, slow death in a metal coffin...i think nycom has decent contact opportunities and that stuff is kind of up to the student anyway- st barnabas, good sam, and north shore lij are solid places for er and the latter two for surg

 

[AUdacious]

Does anybody have their MATch List or any info on where the nova grads go?

http://medicine.nova.edu/academics/clinical/forms/intern_sites07.pdf
Remember that this is the list for where the graduates were accepted for their first year of training. I know there were at least two other rads and one other anes that are listed under transitional/traditional.

http://medicine.nova.edu/academics/clinical/index.html

 

[mrbeantown]

http://medicine.nova.edu/academics/clinical/forms/intern_sites07.pdf
Remember that this is the list for where the graduates were accepted for their first year of training. I know there were at least two other rads and one other anes that are listed under transitional/traditional.

http://medicine.nova.edu/academics/clinical/index.html

Thank you, not sure how I didn't come across it myself. From that list, I think I better take my ass to nycom if i intend to have a smooth sailing back to new york for residency.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Why is a residency in new york so important to you? There are a lot of opportunities there, but there are plenty of places with opportunities.

 

[mrbeantown]

Why is a residency in new york so important to you? There are a lot of opportunities there, but there are plenty of places with opportunities.

I dunno, just don't want to be stuck in florida for too too long (ie. 4undergrad plus 2res- 6 years). Umm, I'm pretty open to be in ny, mass or any decent place. Also florida is one of the infamous five and i am scared of that crap. Whenever I hear about stuff like that, I just avoid the drama and keep it movin (I'm sure you understand- we nontrads like to avoid the nonsense).

 

[Kuba]

It sounds like NYCOM may be a better fir for you, but I just wanted to clear a couple of things up. We do 3 months surgery during our 3rd year(which is standard almost anywhere) plus elective surgical rotations if you want your 4th year. Also, our EM is during the 4th year and it is 2 months I believe. The rural rotations are actually underserved area rotations and it is possible to do them in inner cities or to do one of the months in a state prison (Nova fought hard for this program and is the only DO school that got selected for it.) My last comment is that the Nova match list is only an internship match list. So things like Derm, etc will not be on there because those start at PGY-2. Also, many Nova grads do a rotating internship first anyway since they want to stay in FL. So if you do not want to stay in FL, then it doesn't matter. But naturally, a lot(about half) of the class is from FL, so they want to stay in FL. It's not like going to NSU makes it harder to leave the state, many just prefer to stay.

Btw, sorry that isn't very eloquently stated, but I am studying(or not) for my last final.

 

[mrbeantown]

It sounds like NYCOM may be a better fir for you, but I just wanted to clear a couple of things up. We do 3 months surgery during our 3rd year(which is standard almost anywhere) plus elective surgical rotations if you want your 4th year. Also, our EM is during the 4th year and it is 2 months I believe. The rural rotations are actually underserved area rotations and it is possible to do them in inner cities or to do one of the months in a state prison (Nova fought hard for this program and is the only DO school that got selected for it.) My last comment is that the Nova match list is only an internship match list. So things like Derm, etc will not be on there because those start at PGY-2. Also, many Nova grads do a rotating internship first anyway since they want to stay in FL. So if you do not want to stay in FL, then it doesn't matter. But naturally, a lot(about half) of the class is from FL, so they want to stay in FL. It's not like going to NSU makes it harder to leave the state, many just prefer to stay.

Btw, sorry that isn't very eloquently stated, but I am studying(or not) for my last final.

very well put actually- i've read your nova posts before and you obviously know your school. Thank you for the input- good luck with the final

 

[EEL08]

So today's the day you have to make your decision right mrbean? Have you picked your school yet?

 

[KateGia]

i just had to make this decision too, mailed in my declination to nsu yesterday
im from eastern suffolk and am looking at OVER an hour commute each way on the LIE not including traffic so i can live at home and save some $
i loved every little thing about nsu except for the bs with the 2nd years, but the way i see it, med school is a job and a means to an ends, and you go where you will be set up best
i must admit tho i was a women's d1 athlete in undergrad and am real social (sometimes too much for my own good) and the decision to live at home, commute, and go to nycom over nsu which is just so shiny and seems so fun was really really really hard
maybe i'll see ya there 🙂

You REALLY should think about this. I am a 2nd year at NYCOM and every friend i have from suffolk that started out living at home has since moved into an apartment closer to school, with the exception of one. The commute won't seem bad at first, but eventually it gets tiring. If you think about it now, you have the opportunity to make sure you have the loans you need, and to look for an apartment when you have free time. Moving mid-year is a pain, plus then your lease is off (you want to start a lease in july, not december). Just somethings to think about. Obviously it's your decision.

 

[JasonUD]

You REALLY should think about this. I am a 2nd year at NYCOM and every friend i have from suffolk that started out living at home has since moved into an apartment closer to school, with the exception of one. The commute won't seem bad at first, but eventually it gets tiring. If you think about it now, you have the opportunity to make sure you have the loans you need, and to look for an apartment when you have free time. Moving mid-year is a pain, plus then your lease is off (you want to start a lease in july, not december). Just somethings to think about. Obviously it's your decision.

Hmmmm...I wonder who that one is...hehe


(its me)

 

[mrbeantown]

So today's the day you have to make your decision right mrbean? Have you picked your school yet?

O man, it was literally a last minute decision where i called Nova at 3pm and gave them my credit card info over the phone
I chose nova because I think i can do well there. I like having housing right there and i am not a complete stranger to ft lauderdale- i lived there till i was 8 yrs old and have some family and friends there. I also think it will be good for me to get away for awhile. Plus there are 15 flights/day, every day going back and forth to ny so it's not hard for me to come home randomly. I will miss ny just like i miss boston (my last hometown where i lived till 18) but without risk, there is no reward. Good luck to everyone else!!!! Still pending at a few ny schools and uvm so who knows!

 

[EEL08]

O man, it was literally a last minute decision where i called Nova at 3pm and gave them my credit card info over the phone
I chose nova because I think i can do well there. I like having housing right there and i am not a complete stranger to ft lauderdale- i lived there till i was 8 yrs old and have some family and friends there. I also think it will be good for me to get away for awhile. Plus there are 15 flights/day, every day going back and forth to ny so it's not hard for me to come home randomly. I will miss ny just like i miss boston (my last hometown where i lived till 18) but without risk, there is no reward. Good luck to everyone else!!!! Still pending at a few ny schools and uvm so who knows!

Wow! That really is last minute! 😱 I'm happy for you that you came to a decision that you feel good about. You can always get back to NY if/when you want. Congrats!! 😀

 

[AUdacious]

Congrats on your decision.

Just to claify, it is two months of surgery and one month of emergency med.

Third year:
Three months in Internal Medicine
Two months in Pediatrics
Two months in Surgery
One month in Psychiatry
One month in Obstetrics/Gynecology
One month in Geriatrics
Two months in Family Medicine

The following rotations are generally scheduled to be completed during the M4 year (July through April): order in which rotations are scheduled will vary.

Two months at a rural/medically underserved affiliated site
One month of rural/medically underserved selective
One month in Emergency Medicine
Five months of electives or four months of electives and one board prep month
*One month of vacation
*An additional two weeks vacation is given prior to senior seminar week.

Souce: http://medicine.nova.edu/academics/clinical/forms/clinmanual.pdf
page 14

 

[mrbeantown]

Congrats on your decision.

Just to claify, it is two months of surgery and one month of emergency med.

Third year:
Three months in Internal Medicine
Two months in Pediatrics
Two months in Surgery
One month in Psychiatry
One month in Obstetrics/Gynecology
One month in Geriatrics
Two months in Family Medicine

The following rotations are generally scheduled to be completed during the M4 year (July through April): order in which rotations are scheduled will vary.

Two months at a rural/medically underserved affiliated site
One month of rural/medically underserved selective
One month in Emergency Medicine
Five months of electives or four months of electives and one board prep month
*One month of vacation
*An additional two weeks vacation is given prior to senior seminar week.

Souce: http://medicine.nova.edu/academics/clinical/forms/clinmanual.pdf
page 14

Ya thank you, I knew it was two months of surgery during year 3 and not three months. That other guy added a month in there somehow. Pretty cool anyway, I'm psyched. As they say, it's what you make of it and I am pretty excited to make the most of it.

 

[J1515]

Everyone has steered me away from the school because they say that they don't have very great hospital affiliations, so its more difficult than at other DO schools for the students to make the connections they need for their residencies. ...........I'm a little weary of NYCOM though just from what I've heard from DOs. One was actually a NYCOM grad.

Not sure who you're getting your information from, but people go to NYCOM specifically BECAUSE of their clinical affiliations in years 3 and 4. You can do rotations in some pretty bad neighborhoods where you'll see everything under the sun, or you can do rotations on long island where things are a little quieter at some hospitals. All in all, NYCOMs rotations as well as their matchlist is outstanding and is one of the major reasons I chose the school

 

[NFiasco]

Not sure who you're getting your information from, but people go to NYCOM specifically BECAUSE of their clinical affiliations in years 3 and 4. You can do rotations in some pretty bad neighborhoods where you'll see everything under the sun, or you can do rotations on long island where things are a little quieter at some hospitals. All in all, NYCOMs rotations as well as their matchlist is outstanding and is one of the major reasons I chose the school

Misinformation seems to be rampant on these forums because people tend to give information from individuals that have differing views on what is good and bad (very subjective!). The only way to find this out is to attend every school at the same time 👍

 

[abbycornish]

.

 

[Saregamapadanis]

Not sure who you're getting your information from, but people go to NYCOM specifically BECAUSE of their clinical affiliations in years 3 and 4. You can do rotations in some pretty bad neighborhoods where you'll see everything under the sun, or you can do rotations on long island where things are a little quieter at some hospitals. All in all, NYCOMs rotations as well as their matchlist is outstanding and is one of the major reasons I chose the school

I Agree, I heard from quite a number of people that nycom is a good school.

I have been told that the new york city area hospitals have alot of patient load, this leaves less time for residents to concentrate on students, but then again I have been also told that you will have more chance to see more stuff in these areas and you learn more because of it. The opinions differ, thats all I can say.

 

[MossPoh]

I think that the clinical experiences are fine at both nycom and nsucom. You'll get to see some crazy stuff in south florida. It is obvious that New York will have a lot of patients with a wide variety, but it isn't like Ft. Lauderdale/Miami are 20 person towns or something. I think the rural medicine thing has a lot of stigma, but I have talked to a ton of people that actually enjoy it quite a bit more than they anticipate. It is almost always seen as a worthwhile and fulfilling experience. Many of the people said they were were given more personal attention and felt they had more responsibility. So, bottom line...nothing to regret. Enjoy Nova. 😉

Either school can get you where you want to go. You just picked the one with warmer weather. 😛