IUSM vs MUCOM

[scuba_cat]

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First of all, I know what you're thinking - "DO vs MD, this is a no brainer!" Maybe I just need a slap in the face, but I'm truly torn about this.

I was accepted to MUCOM back in November, and since it is only 1 hour from my SO of 5 years (she is contractually bound to a post-doctoral research position), I was pretty on board with them and recently signed a lease for a house in Indianapolis. Just last week, I was accepted off the waitlist at IUSM, but they placed me at a satellite campus 4 hours away from my SO. There is a chance that I can move to another satellite campus in the town where my SO is, but that would be after the first 1 or 2 years. At this point in time, I'm not interested in non-DO friendly specialties - right now I'm thinking ER, anesthesiology, or ob/gyn, which are all pretty DO friendly.

So, pros and cons.

MUCOM
Pros:

• There is something about the DO philosophy that really resonates with me. Though I know DOs and MDs clinical practice is like 99.9% the same, I think I would enjoy learning about osteopathy
• I really liked the campus environment and had already been in contact with a lab on campus researching something I'm truly interested in
• It's a newer school and I'd be able to spearhead some cool clubs (LGBTQ alliance, street med, wilderness medicine, etc.)
• Located in Indianapolis - a large city with lots of teaching hospitals, and it has good ties with them, so I'd learn a lot
• Much closer to my SO
• Small, tight-knit community

Cons:

• It's a newer school and not very well established yet
• Though it sucks, there is still some prejudice about DOs that may hold me back if I later decide I want to go into a specialty that is more competitive. How this will play out in the coming years after the merger, I'm not sure. I also don't like the idea of taking both STEP and COMLEX
• They're a graded system, not pass/fail
• COA is ~75k

IUSM
Pros:

• I was placed at a campus near Notre Dame, so research opportunities are abundant
• Pass/fail system
• COA is ~60k
• As an MD, it will be less of an uphill battle if I decide to do something competitive

Cons:

• 4 hours from my SO. She's said that she would drive to see me every weekend, but that doesn't seem very realistic, specially in winter months
• Though research opportunities are abundant, I spent most of yesterday looking through the labs on campus and none of them spark an interest like the one at Marian
• IUSM is huge - the biggest medical school in the country. I've heard a lot of people say that it is easy to get lost in the shuffle here.

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[deleted972488]

I really think you should go with IU. It's cheaper, more established, and has more opportunities for you.

The difference between 1 hour and 4 hours of driving will likely not affect how often you see your SO.

 

[nguyening2020]

What did you decided?