What were your major considerations for picking KCUMB?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Not necessarily in any order:
>The fact that when I interviewed, the community of students were very similar to me - more non-trads and adults (in comparison to some other schools).
>I felt truly at home hanging out and talking with the students, I cannot stress this enough. The people were truly amazing... I felt no elitism, no gunnerism, just normal people trying to become physicians.
>This is one of the top areas for my wife to find work (she is working on her masters in an obscure field). KC is definitely better than most areas with schools I applied to - MUCOM maybe being the only other school that is better in that regard.
>The cost is reasonable and the fact that they are the only school that I know of that is actively trying and succeeding in lowering their tuition. All other schools that I know of have, and plan on continuing to raise their tuition by roughly 2-4% every year.
>Historically their board scores are extremely high and they get people into some solid residencies (the only school off the top of my head that I know of that got someone into ACGME integrated plastics). So they clearly have the tools one needs to succeed, if one is so inclined to do very well.
>I legitimately do appreciate stuff like the score 1 (and possibly score 2) for health programs. It is surprising when you visit some other schools or talk to students and you ask about clinical opportunities and all they can bring up is SIM labs and shadowing... which seriously every med school has now.
>Their research, while not being off the charts good, is adequate for what I want to do. I could legitimately see myself being tempted by the fellowship year... we shall see. I actually appreciate that they actively say that they have research opportunities, but their primary goal is to make clinicians - thats pretty much my career motto. I have been working in research for years and I want to do other types of work honestly... but I dont necessarily want to stop doing research entirely. I just want it to a lesser extent than I want clinical work.
>Turns out my brother and sister in law live in KC. Having lived 900 miles away from the closest relative for the past year, thats actually pretty cool. I ended up staying with them for the interview.
> I actually really like the campus and facilities and it really reminds me of my undergrad. Again this added to the "home" feel of it and it just felt right.
Probably my biggest pros are just gut feel of meshing well with the students (this was DRAMATICALLY different than my other interview) and then opportunities for my wife.
My only cons at this point (which as you know is why I PM'd you) is to get a handle on their rotations and get a handle on why their program seems so much harder in comparison to where I work at (an MD school) and at other schools I have interviewed at and talked to students at.
Basically in a nutshell it really did just fit. Before the cycle started I never really understood the whole "fit" thing, and would have just been happy to get in anywhere. And while sure I can appreciate that if it meant being a doctor vs not being a doctor, I would go anywhere. But I am shocked by how much "fit" actually meant to me.
Its just like when you know, you know... I wouldnt say its like falling in love or something, because thats too flowery and emotional, but after visiting a couple schools there absolutely was a definitive feel to KCUMB that makes me feel pretty secure in that decision. Sure I still have some reservations about a couple things, but I will do some research, continue talking to current students, and will hopefully be able to do decent there.
Congrats!
