KCU vs. DMU

[enchantments]

Hey all,

As the cycle is winding down, I've been trying to finalize my options on the DO front. I've been fortunate to interview at a handful of MD schools, but I'm still awaiting an acceptance (6 II, 5 IA, 2WL, 3 decisions pending).

For the DO's, I've only held onto my DMU/KCU acceptances. Overall, I've found them to be very similar schools - well established DO programs, history of respectable USMLE/COMLEX pass rates and scores, and trends of good ACGME placement.

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KCU

Thoughts
- Closer to larger university MD programs (more opportunities for research and residency networking?)
- I heard often that they have a more intensive/time-consuming curriculum (more so than other DO/MD programs). Students there also complained frequently about this.
- Better/more climbing gyms in KC

DMU

Thoughts
- Not as many nearby opportunities for research?
- Heard they have a stronger emphasis/more required hours for OMM and required OMM rotation (do not like)
- Seemed like a chiller/safer area to have a young family.
- The entire city smelled like cow manure from the moment I got off my plane. Apparently this is a common occurrence in DSM(?) [1] [2]

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Some Considerations
- I'd be moving with my wife (we're both in our mid-twenties), and she works as a nurse. We're also planning to have a kid sometime in the first 3 years or so.
- While I haven't made up my mind, I'm very interested in specialties that have traditionally been within reach for motivated DO applicants - Rads/Anes/GS/Psych, etc. I'm not opposed to primary care, but would like to keep my options open as much as possible.
- With the previous point in mind, and with the looming Step 1 P/F transition, I'd like to hit the ground running from Day 1 and build up a competitive application. Would either school be more beneficial for this in regards to proximity of resources (nearby research opportunities, etc.)?
- KCU seems like it would have more opportunities for EC building within the city, but I hear lots of complaints about the intense curriculum hogging up valuable free time. DMU seems more chill curriculum-wise, but I felt I would have fewer opportunities while living in Des Moines.
- Des Moines seemed like a safer place to raise a kid, although I only really saw the downtown area of KC (I heard some students live outside the city?).

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In Summary
- I'm hoping to minimize my time spent on campus and class studying in order to build up a competitive application and prep for boards (mostly for Step 2 if c/o '24 falls victim to the transition)
- Des Moines seemed like a better place to raise a family.
- KCU seemed to have more amenities within the city and possibly more resources for research/networking.

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Thanks, and I'd love to hear any thoughts, especially from students that attend either school or have friends that do!

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[TheDataKing]

DMU is well established and will set you up for success while also having a chiller environment (which you'll likely grow to really appreciate as a medical student, especially one who is married is hoping to start a family). I've perused the DMU match list before, and they really seem to do well but both schools are older/known. I've heard horror stories as well about students at KCU getting pummeled with exams/quizzes but haven't heard the same about DMU. That said, I know much less about DO programs than MD ones. Personally, I'd go with DMU but both options will likely put you on a good trajectory!

 

[dohopeful13]

KCU definitely seems to take pride in how.....hard they make things sometimes, but the good news is that most of us get acclimated to the high pressure pretty quickly and I can say in my second semester now that it's pretty much second nature to me. It definitely got to me a few times in the earlier blocks though.

I will also give admin some credit. OMM load is manageable and they have improved upon some issues from last year. Ex: neuro was a buzzsaw for the M2's last year, so they re-organized the course and made it much more manageable, imo. There are still little things that annoy me, such as deflated test averages (we usually average mid 70s and they curve it up to an 85) and lately they become very big on having multiple quizzes per block, which most students fail and really throws off my study rhythm personally. The positives outweigh the negatives, though.

 

[94hdogs]

KCU definitely seems to take pride in how.....hard they make things sometimes, but the good news is that most of us get acclimated to the high pressure pretty quickly and I can say in my second semester now that it's pretty much second nature to me. It definitely got to me a few times in the earlier blocks though.

I will also give admin some credit. OMM load is manageable and they have improved upon some issues from last year. Ex: neuro was a buzzsaw for the M2's last year, so they re-organized the course and made it much more manageable, imo. There are still little things that annoy me, such as deflated test averages (we usually average mid 70s and they curve it up to an 85) and lately they become very big on having multiple quizzes per block, which most students fail and really throws off my study rhythm personally. The positives outweigh the negatives, though.

Can you explain exactly how KCU makes things harder? People keep saying they make things harder on SDN but then no one gets into the specifics.