How important is "the feeling?"

No school is worth $130,000 more. If you insist on spending the $130,000, spend it on six months in Paris, sitting in a luxury apartment eating filet mignon and drinking Bollinger. Have some perspective. Jesus.

 

Seriously, if you want to burn money, go to your next favorite school, max out your loans, and spend your vacations traveling the world.

 

I think we'd like specifics. What school give the $130K difference? Me...yes, I'd personally pay out the extra cash for the school that is tops on my lists compared to the bottom. But second? I don't know....you can do a whole lot with $130K. Is that money worth you regretting the decision for the rest of your life though?

 

Wow, that's nuts!! I really don't envy your position. However, if I were you, I'd spend the next ___ months until the final deposit was due trying to gather as much intel as possible about the second choice school. Maybe they have some perks that you're not aware of. Don't try to convince yourself it's something it isn't, though. You'd know you were lying and would kick yourself, later. Instead, see if the difference between the two may be overblown in your head.

After that, I'd probably send in my deposit to the cheap school and plan two weeks in Europe with my wife during each year of med school and residency!

 

Is that $130,000 more for just tuition and living expenses or is that $130,000 plus the additional interest you would have to pay from borrowing that much more?

 

Sorry, cross-post. I think you should go where you do have the "feeling." Don't go to LECOM just to save money. And remember, the PBL track at LECOM is not going to have cadavers to dissect starting with the next class. So factor that in as you are "dissecting" your choices. But that is a heck of a financial differential...

 

I loved WVSOM. Infact, I was all set to go there (despite all my other acceptances, and had even paid my deposit) until I interviewed at NSU and fell in love.

In my opinion, the "feeling" is really important. Mostly because i'm the type that would have spent my next 4 years wondering. I'm really freakin tired right now, or I'd ellaborate more...maybe tomorrow

 

Ouch, thats a tough situation. Luckily, the school I got "the feelng" at happens to be the cheapest. Now they just need to give me an acceptance... *sigh*

Good luck with your decision! I say if you feel you can be happy at LECOM then its not even a contest. The difference between 180K and 45K is friken ridiculous.

 

This is my vote. Not sure what your 'feeling' was at PCOM but its a great program, not as expensive, and close to your home! Just my take. Im not convinced that PBL gives you enough of an advantage to be worth it! (ex: is +$90,000 worth it - HELL no!). Im going to be making similar tough decisions in about two weeks so I know how you feel...the price tags unfortunately tend to make a school a little less appealing (ie CCOM...sigh)

good luck, let us know which program you choose!

 

I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I've started fighting for

 

Wait, what school are you going to next year?

I would love to live in NZ! I'm trying to get there this summer. I have no idea what i'll do or where ill stay, or how ill live. But my dream is just to spend that last summer before school in NZ or some other rugby infested country .

Yes, I do love me some all blacks. I'm especially obsessed with watching Rokocoko and Jonah Lomu highlights.

 

I too am deciding between PCOM and LECOM. PCOM is pretty loved here on sdn, but too make things hard I already live 2 min away from LECOM. Bacchus, you have some work to do!

 

Every school will be fine. A 130k is a LOT of money though. That is a hefty chunk of a nice house somewhere. I've heard of quite a few people being wowed by wvsom and then being let down later on. It is a great school with a good reputation, but I have a hard time seeing how it is so great to justify that kind of cash. If we were talking 50k more then sure...go with your fave. I also haven't heard as great of things about WVSOM's PBL versus LECOM. LECOM seems to have PBL down to a science now where it still gives off that experiment vibe at WVSOM.

 

You'll lose that mystical, magical feeling when you start pounding out 168 drugs for a test. I'd save your $130,000 and go somewhere else. Any medical school in the country will give you a quality education. That said, any medical school in the country will also have whiners and complainers about administration, the curriculum, etc. You have to make the best of where ever you are.

 

I'd say go with PCOM or CCOM. Both those schools have an excellent reputation and will be beneficial in terms of residency options. PBL may seem great on the surface but there's definitely a drawback to having to spend hours flipping through books on your own trying to decide what is important and what isn't. Lectures may be boring to sit through, but at least you are presented with a comprehesive set of materials. I would avoid schools that had mandatory attendance, however, if you're not an auditory learner.

Saving 6 figures of debt is important in the long run since there is at least a 50-60% chance you will end up in primary care. I'm not too familar with WVSOM, but I think you would be better off blowing the money on a top tier school such as PCOM or CCOM.

 

I can't fight PCOM's feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I've started fighting for

 

This sounds like a very difficult decision. I'm sure you've already considered this, but I think the clinical years are very important. See which school will offer you the best clinical opportunities.

 

Just thought I would let you know about the National Health Service Corps if you don't know about it. They offer scholarships for while you are in school or loan repayment programs. You have to work in underserved areas after residency. These can be in rural or urban areas. That could help money be less of a decision factor for you.

 

I am trying to make the same difficult decision between UNECOM and LECOM-Erie. I just can't get the price differential out of my head, but still I am probably going to choose UNECOM over LECOM for a few reasons.

1. I am New England born and raised, most of my family and friends are in the area, so I like the idea of being 2 hrs from Boston, and 4 hrs from home (my parents live in CT).

2. I know for sure that I'd have a better chance of getting residencies in the Northeast if I went to UNECOM over LECOM.

3. I got that "good feeling" from UNECOM that I really didn't get from LECOM (didn't have much of an interaction with students, so didn't get a good sense of what the student body is like). Also UNECOM has more of a campus, learning environment feel to it, where as LECOM with its 1 building didn't.

This may not make any sense, and I'd love to have people debate it for me. I feel like the difference in price, LECOM at $110,000 over four yrs. and UNECOM $170,000 over four yrs., shouldn't be the deciding factor in picking my school. Please SDN people, you are welcome to call me nuts and discuss/share your thoughts. Choosing which medical school to attend isn't a bad decision to have to make, but it certaintly isn't easy.

 

tditty..I feel your pain. I'm deciding between LECOM and PCOM too and it is driving me insane. (I am from Erie and live 3 min from the school) I'm doing LDP either way..but for you I think you need to maybe think about how strongly you want PBL. If it is the main factor for you, then obviously PCOM wouldn't be an option. For me clinical rotations is the most important factor, which doesn't make my decision any easier either haha.

 

Try to find something more substantial than the "feeling" or number of hours from home. When you interviewed, I'm sure they provided you with enough information to help you decide. Search deeper, it might come to you...LOL

 

If I was looking at that much in $$$... I'd take the cheaper on in a heartbeat. You won't hardly notice how much you liked the other school better - you'll be too darn busy.

 

this really isn't a decision. PCOM over LECOM any day of the week. PBL is overrated and just because you may like the idea of it now doesn't mean you'll love it when you get there. didactics are didactics whereever you go, you still need to be prepared for the boards, residency, opportunities, etc. PCOM will always have an edge over LECOM, even if it is because it's so old.

 

I didn't even bother going to my interview at WVSOM after I got my acceptance to LECOM-erie (LDP track though, PBL scares me). I couldn't justify the huge added expense in just tuition alone no matter how much I'd like the school.

 

engineeredout, did you decide between Lecom and NYCOM?

 

I wasn't accepted to NYCOM... yet

But to answer your question, I'm not going to NYCOM even if I did get in. Three main reasons:

#1) Hella expensive, as bad as WVSOM when you factor in their tuition increases
#2) Lived on LI my whole life and went to college here, I WANT TO GET OUT.
#3) Living expenses on LI =
#3.5) I did really like LECOM

Don't get me wrong, NYCOM was great. They have great facilities and there was nothing about the school that made me go "oh HELL NO ", I'd just rather go to LECOM and get out of long island.