Jefferson vs. PCOM

[Medic1895]

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I'd like to open a discussion. I've been accepted to PCOM and Jefferson and am having trouble deciding.

PCOM was an excellent school where everyone seemed happy. The facilities are wonderful - I was comfortable there. They graduate excellent physicians. I have no problem being a DO - I'm interested in emergency medicine where it really doesn't matter. I'm also older so the DO/MD debate is really uninteresting. I have better things to worry about.

Jefferson is also an excellent school with a great reputation. I've heard that it is quite hard, compared to other medical schools. There are more research opportunities here.

While being a DO doesn't bother me, I am concerned about getting a good residency in the Philly area. I am married and would like to stay here. There are 7 MD EM residencies, all at top notch facilities. But there are only 3 DO EM residencies, and only 1 (Einstein) is at a top notch facility. My only concern with going to PCOM would be what if I don't get a local residency or it is does not provide as good of an experience.

I know I could go to PCOM, do an internship and then go to one of the MD residencies, but would the MD residencies not favor someone with 1 year of PGY experience? Seems like a lot of uncertainties.

Comments welcomed, particularly from anyone with experience at either school.

 

[rowerman]

You've basically answered your own question. Go to Jefferson, you're opportunities would be better there for a career in EM. Don't worry about the difficulty, med-school is difficult regardless. I'm from Philly area as well; Jefferson would open more doors in EM.

 

[spunkydoc]

JEFFERSON--for sure..that school has made some amazingly smart hospital buys whereas pcom is just getting back on its feet and is finally enjoying a bit of stability..

wanna practice in philly? you gotta rotate there..pcom is farming out to erie, lancaster, bethlehem, etc..good rotations--but not in the city..

jefferson farms to delaware but takes care of its own it seems..if you got into jefferson, somebody liked ya and i would take it..

do/md debate aside, jefferson has 10x the resources of pcom and will overall open far more doors for you..take it..

best of luck and congratz

 

[DrTaylor]

I thought I would offer my two cents on this topic.

First of all, I am an emergency physcian, PGY-3, and I am a DO.

I was born in Pennsylvania, however I attended UHS-COM in Kansas City.

Your question of "Jeff versus PCOM" is one that cannot be answered by looking at allopathic versus osteopathic residencies. The reason is quite simple. Attending PCOM does not preclude you from entering into an allopathic residency.

Take me for example. As I mentioned, I attended UHS-COM in Kansas City. Having been raised in Pennsylvania, I did the majority of my clinicals in Pennsylvania.

When it came time for the match, I entered into the Allopathic match sans an internship. I interviewed at Christiana in Delaware, Jefferson, Temple, Penn, Geisinger, Johns Hopkins, Morristown, York, and Case Western. I matched to my number one choice, Penn two and-a-half years ago, and I am scheduled to graduate in June.

As EM residencies are becoming much more competitive because of the life style available to these physicians, more emphasis should be placed on where you will perform better, rather than available residency options.

FWIW, from my membership in EMRA, I can name at least three DO's who are EM Chiefs at allopathic residency programs in Pennsylvania.

 

[Medic1895]

I understand that I can do an allopathic residency, but I was under the impression that there are 5 states that a DO MUST do an osteopathic internship in order to be licensed, and that one of these is Pennsylvania. Thus I would have to do an internship first. Is this information incorrect?

 

[Paul's Boutique]

I think that the requirement is that you must do a DO internship (1st year after graduating med school) if you want to do a DO residency. I don't think it has anything to do with licensing...

Please take this cum grano salis, and check with someone else.

 

[DrTaylor]

It is true to be licensed in the state of Pennsylvania, a DO must complete an osteopathic internship.

However, you can cross the bridge and work in either Jersey or Deleware without doing so.

Allopathic residency programs do not have the slightest interest in you completing an osteopathic internship.

The problem lies in the strong lobby of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. They require the internship for unrestricted licensure, however they CAN NOT prevent you from completing an allopathic residency without the internship year.

Of course, there are ways around this mile of red tape and this is by applying for a waiver of internship year. This is done, and granted through the AOA offices in Chicago. Basically, for lack of a better analogy, they simply say your first year mirrored an osteopathic internship year, and was similar in content. Most PGY first years are mirror images of osteopathic internships.

Simply contact the AOA in Chicago for more information, or email me. Ironically, I took advantage of this waiver, then I went and signed a contract in beautiful San Diego

Oh well.....

DT

 

[turtleboard]

Paul,

"Cum grano salis" is a real Latin expression or are you merely translating?

Tim of New York City.

 

[Paul's Boutique]

Hey, I wouldn't do you like that, TONYC! cum grano salis is truly a latin phrase, which is where -we- derived "(taken)with (a) grain (of) salt". (ref: #1--my two years of Latin in high school (yecch!) #2--Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed., p. 1391 (2nd from bottom of left-hand column))

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-PB (Western Univ./COMP '04)

 

[turtleboard]

Nice!

I had no idea.


Tim of New York City.