KCU-Kansas City vs. UIWSOM vs. ARCOM

[samurai5511]

I am having a really hard time choosing between these three schools but I am leaning towards KCU-Kansas City

KCU- Kansas City:
KCU- Kanssas City Pros:
- This school is very established and I feel like it will give me a lot of opportunities
- The Student outcomes seem to be very high for DO schools
KCU-Kansas City Cons:
- I do not have any experience with the Kansas City area and am really worried about relocating
- I am worried I will have an extreme culture shock when attending this program because I was born and raised in Texas. I came from the pretty diverse city in Texas but am still very worried about this.

UIWSOM:

UIWSOM:

UIWSOM Pros:

- It is in San Antonio which is very close to my family. This is also in Texas so, I will not have the culture shock of moving to Kansas City.
- The school is Catholic which is a HUGE thing for me. My faith is a big part of my life and I even want to eventually join the clergy as a deacon.

UIWSOM Cons:

- I have not heard much about student outcomes but I know the program is very new
- The tuition is higher than KCU-Kansas City

ARCOM:

ARCOM Pros:

- I loved the campus when I toured the school. It seems very convenient and there seems to be little to no commuting involved.
- The factuly seemed very helpful and welcoming when I went. I got the best "vibe" when I toured this school
- I loved the Fort Smith area. The small-town feel seems like it will be much less stressful than living in a city.
- ARCOM has a very cheap tuition

ARCOM Cons:

- It is a very new program


If anyone could link match and board score data for UIWSOM, it would be highly appreciated.

As of now, I think it would be a better idea to go to KCU-Kansas City because of how well established the school is. On the other hand, I am very apprehensive about relocating to Kansas City. I have not toured the school yet but I am also not sure about how I feel about the overall environment. When I interviewed, I did not really get a good feel for how attending the school would be.


In contrast, I feel much more comfortable at the thought of going to UIWSOM and ARCOM because they seem more similar to Texas where I grew up.

I am also generally a more laid-back person and would honestly prefer a school with a curriculum that is less demanding on the students. From talking to a lot of ARCOM students, they seem to say that the curriculum is very manageable.
On the other hand, I have heard that KCU has a very demanding curriculum.

Would it be worth stepping out of my comfort zone to attend a more established DO school or, should I go with the school I am more comfortable at?

IDK if this helps but I am also pretty set on doing PM and R as my specialty.


Any guidance would be highly appreciated.

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[PapaGuava]

Thread moved to the appropriate forum.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

KCU and it's not even close.

Edit: I'm an ARCOM student who went to undergrad in the KC area. Your con for KCU should have really been ARCOM's con lol. Kansas city is a very diverse decent sized city. I seriously doubt you would experience any significant culture shock there.

 

[samurai5511]

KCU and it's not even close.

Edit: I'm an ARCOM student who went to undergrad in the KC area. Your con for KCU should have really been ARCOM's con lol. Kansas city is a very diverse decent sized city. I seriously doubt you would experience any significant culture shock there.

Would you say it would be worth the extra cost of living and tuition to attend KCU? I am trying to go into PM and R so, I am not sure how much the school I go to matters.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Would you say it would be worth the extra cost of living and tuition to attend KCU? I am trying to go into PM and R so, I am not sure how much the school I go to matters.

Yes, it would be worth it. PM&R is a moderately competitive field, so you will need all the advantages you can get. KCU will leave more doors opened than any of the other 2 schools. PM&R match rate for DOs was roughly about 68% this year I believe.

 

[samurai5511]

Yes, it would be worth it. PM&R is a moderately competitive field, so you will need all the advantages you can get. KCU will leave more doors opened than any of the other 2 schools. PM&R match rate for DOs was roughly about 68% this year I believe.

Then I will for sure consider KCU.
Where did you get that info. on what percentage of DO students matched into a particular specialty?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Then I will for sure consider KCU.
Where did you get that info. on what percentage of DO students matched into a particular specialty?

SAP Crystal Reports - (kinstacdn.com)
Page 4-5 Table 1B

It's kinda hard to calculate the PM&R match rate because there are programs where people apply straight to PGY1 (categorical programs) and others that don't offer PGY1 year and you have to apply for the PGY2 year (advanced programs). So to get a rough estimate you have to add people that matched into PGY1 to those that matched PGY2 and divide by the total number that applied PGY2. That estimate assumes that all those that applied PGY1 also applied PGY2 as there are more advanced programs than categorical ones.

Also, I wanted to say that wherever you go, medical school will be difficult. ARCOM curriculum isn't super easy either, so don't let the rumors about KCU's curriculum deter you from attending. I would only be worried if the attrition rates at KCU were super high which would mean that they fail a lot of people or have them repeat 1-2 year(s).

 

[samurai5511]

SAP Crystal Reports - (kinstacdn.com)
Page 4-5 Table 1B

It's kinda hard to calculate the PM&R match rate because there are programs where people apply straight to PGY1 (categorical programs) and others that don't offer PGY1 year and you have to apply for the PGY2 year (advanced programs). So to get a rough estimate you have to add people that matched into PGY1 to those that matched PGY2 and divide by the total number that applied PGY2. That estimate assumes that all those that applied PGY1 also applied PGY2 as there are more advanced programs than categorical ones.

Also, I wanted to say that wherever you go, medical school will be difficult. ARCOM curriculum isn't super easy either, so don't let the rumors about KCU's curriculum deter you from attending. I would only be worried if the attrition rates at KCU were super high which would mean that they fail a lot of people or have them repeat 1-2 year(s).

What were the attrition rates at KCU? Are these rates published?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

What were the attrition rates at KCU? Are these rates published?

KCUMB Grad Rates by College & Program (agilitycms.com)

According this they consistently graduate 94 to 98% of their entering classes over the years.

 

[samurai5511]

KCUMB Grad Rates by College & Program (agilitycms.com)

According this they consistently graduate 94 to 98% of their entering classes over the years.

Nice, what about ARCOM?

 

[samurai5511]

Nice, what about ARCOM's graduation rates?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Nice, what about ARCOM?

I can't come up with that number as I would have to account for those that stayed behind a year or two and ARCOM would have to graduate more classes too for more accurate data. But the inaugural class is about to graduate 140 students this month (162 started).

Edit: That's a 86% 4 year graduation rate. KCU is consistently above 87% for their 4 year graduation rate with a larger class size too.

 

[samurai5511]

I can't come with that number as I would have to account for those that stayed behind a year or two and ARCOM would have to graduate more classes too for more accurate data. But the inaugural class is about to graduate 140 students this month (162 started).

Edit: That's a 86% 4 year graduation rate. KCU is consistently above 87% for their 4 year graduation rate with a larger class

Hmm, this is a pretty hard decision. I appreciate the guidance. Right now I am leaning towards KCU but I will see when I go.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Hmm, this is a pretty hard decision. I appreciate the guidance. Right now I am leaning towards KCU but I will see when I go.

Not really. I think it's a clear decision. KCU already has a reputation among residency programs and also has opened many residency programs of their own too over the years. 99-100% match/placement rate almost every year. Their match lists usually include some pretty competitive programs. High board pass rates. High retention rate. Big city with a diverse culture. Close proximity to research opportunities. More established.

 

[samurai5511]

Not really. I think it's a clear decision. KCU already has a reputation among residency programs and also has opened many residency programs of their own too over the years. 99-100% match/placement rate almost every year. Their match lists usually include some pretty competitive programs. High board pass rates. High retention rate. Big city with a diverse culture. Close proximity to research opportunities. More established.

I will keep all that in mind. KCU is starting to seem better and better when you put it that way, lol.