How to pick a DO school?

[gate]

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I was hoping that some current students and other candidates could help me out in deciding how to determine which schools I should apply to? I've tried doing tedious research reading up on the schools until my head spins and feel overwhelmed...I'm hoping there is a simpler way to evaluate the schools. Thanks.

SM

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

It's called research. DO IT YOURSELF.

 

[Amy B]

Unfortunetly there is no way around it... it is going to take a lot of time reading the school's web pages, using the search feature on SDN, reading over preivous interview experiances, etc.........

All we can do is offer our personal opinions which may not be the same as yours. I love VCOM, but that is only based on my experiance. I did lots of hours of research on the web. Good luck. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to post them.🙂

XCANDIANRAGWEED, come on, go a bit easy on this poster. It is their first post. We don't want them to feel uneasy about posting, do we. That is why we all come to SDN. 😎 😉 😛

 

[jbing]

Originally posted by XCanadianRagwee
It's called research. DO IT YOURSELF.

good

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

Originally posted by jbing
XCanadianDickweed is good at doing things himself. he does it every night.

Bring it on newbie...

If you can't handle the sarcasm, get out of Allo, or Osteo, or The Lounge, whereever I may roam.

 

[jbing]

dude

 

[DOtobe]

You could also try talking to other students...A lot of people from all the different schools post on SDN, and look out for their opinions on some posts. But I honestly think I applied to the schools I did based on their location and MCAT/GPA ranges, and then formed my own opinions after the interview and seeing the school, the students, etc.

 

[gate]

Thanks Amy and DOtobe for your advice. I do have a specific question that came to mind, how do I find out the ratio of in state to out of state students accepted at the different schools. I've tried reading the web pages but have a hard time finding this info unless it's directly on the aacomas page, which I noticed that two schools gave percentages/approx. #s of students taken from out of state and in state each year. Thanks.

 

[jmarra03]

Hi !
How I decided on an osteopathic school was researching alot! and from there I ended up visiting ones that offered me an interview and one's that were in my area. Honestly I felt like alot of the osteopathic schools had the same good things to offer but it's just the way I felt while on the campus.

Good luck and feel free to write me anytime.
I will be entering in the class of July 2004 at the University of New England IN Biddeford Maine.

 

[jmarra03]

as to the in state out of state. I found that most of the schools didn't weight to heavily on it. SOme do however like UHS in Texas wghich can only allow 10 percenty out of state by law. Most of the rest might give favor to an in state or an in region canidate if they are equal in all respects to an out of state/region canidate but otherwise will take the best canidate.

 

[bigmuny]

Pick the school that is CHEAPEST, it should be that simple a decision. If you are a resident of a state with a state DO(or MD) school, than that is where you should be trying to go. If you can't get into your state school than go for a location you will be happy with. It can make your experience a lot better if you are living someplace where you are comfortable(i.e. if you are from NYC you are likely to be miserable at KCOM). First and foremost though, always go with the money. The 180K in loans that it will cost you to attend a private school will at a minimum double with interest by the time it is paid off.

 

[RockandRolldoc]

Forget money, forget what other people say about their schools, go take a visit, get a feel for things, and base your decision on where you'll be the happiest. Remember, enjoying your life is a good thing. There's no reason you should have to suffer more than you have to. GO where you're going to enjoy your life whether that be in Kirksville, MO, Biddeford, ME, or down here in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

 

[SM-UCLA tech]

RockandRolldoc makes an excellent point.

The money is really secondary. I got into a school 45 minutes from where I live. But I did not like it at all. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit some schools around the country that I was interested in. That visit was invaluable. All of the sudden there were schools that I had originally thought of as "back-up" schools that moved up to top choice on my list.

I am from l.a. and I could not be happier as a med student in Chicago now. If I was at home, I would be miserable. Plus, being here as opposed to home is actually more conducive to studying. I am away from family and friends, which does make it hard at times, but those same distractions aren't there to keep me from studying.

And it is a priceless experience to live in another area for four years.

Another key point to identify is also what the school has to offer you as a student. It might not seem like a big deal now because most people have the goal of just getting in somewhere. But once you are in, and once you are settled in as a student, little things that the school has for you can make a huge difference.
Those little things could be on-campus housing, meal plans, intramural sports, all the up to clinical rotation sites and number of electives.

The saying that says "in the end, you're still a doctor" is true, but the journey along the way can be quite dynamic. So try to have questions for the school that will answer your own personal needs and/or desires.

 

[NDESTRUKT]

the above posting is echoed by my own thoughts.