LECOM-B vs. ATSU-KCOM

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bumbo

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Just got accepted to two DO programs (LECOM Bradenton and AT Still Kirksville) and have ~3 weeks to make a decision. It's hard since I have not been able to visit either campus so I feel a little blind in this decision.

I am a strong student with high stats for DO. I know I'll do well at either school so I am looking mostly for advice in which program will prepare me better for residency. Any advice is helpful, but I'd especially like to hear any thoughts of students from either school.

LECOM-B
Pros
  • Very high board scores. They really focused on this during the interview. Both pass rates and median scores are on par with mid/low-tier MD programs.
  • PBL. I learn best through discussion and independent reading.
  • Tuition (~$40-45k)
  • Location
Cons
  • Doctor factory vibes. The interview was asynchronous and the whole process was impersonal.
  • Rotations. Seems like you have to set them up yourself - but I heard this is improving?
  • Admin comes off as a strict and rule oriented.
  • Reputation?

ATSU-KCOM
Pros
  • Really personal school and interview experience. Lots of resources available.
  • Mission driven. I appreciate the commitment to rural medicine and social issues in healthcare.
  • Lots of diverse rotations.
  • Admin seems supportive.

Cons
  • Tuition ($60-65k)
  • Location. Pretty much in the middle of nowhere Northeast Missouri.
  • Class is ranked, classes are not pass/fail, final exams(!) - I had enough of all of this at this point. Seems like this just introduces unnecessary competition.
  • Limited exposure to early clinical experience and I would imagine the rural environment makes it harder to see diverse patients and conditions.

Summary: Just looking to get different perspectives in order to make a more educated decision. Any advice or knowledge is appreciated. Thanks!

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Hello! Current KCOM student and I can confirm that it is an excellent school. Your cons list is accurate and I struggled with much of the same things in making my decision. But! These cons are minuscule in the long run of things. KCOM prepares you incredibly well for your career and that's all that matters. Feel free to PM me if you have additional questions.
 
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Also a current KCOM student, feel free to reach out to me as well. As doc2be stated, it is a great school that will certainly train you for a career. We have rotation sites across the country and I can say at least from what I have experienced that there isn't much competition between any of my peers. Many of the cons (grades, location, etc) won't matter in the long run, and talking to some of my former undergrad classmates at other schools say they wish their curriculum was built like ours is (ofc some of it is due to the pandemic, but there are other aspects that have been the way they are for the longest).
 
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ATSU-KCOM is one of the best, if not the best, DO schools out there, meanwhile LECOM-B is newer and less reputable.

If you have no ties to either area, I would go with AT Still.

On the other hand, if you have family in FL and would like to stay near them, then you could justify LECOM-B since the tuition difference is very significant too.
 
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ATSU-KCOM is one of the best, if not the best, DO schools out there, meanwhile LECOM-B is newer, less reputable, and is on the @Goro naughty list.

If you have no ties to either area, I would go with AT Still.

On the other hand, if you have family in FL and would like to stay near them, then you could justify LECOM-B since the tuition difference is very significant too.
LECOM.B is NOT on my bad boy list and kindly edit your post to correct this error
 
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Hello! Current KCOM student and I can confirm that it is an excellent school. Your cons list is accurate and I struggled with much of the same things in making my decision. But! These cons are minuscule in the long run of things. KCOM prepares you incredibly well for your career and that's all that matters. Feel free to PM me if you have additional questions.
Hey! sorry to highjack the thread. I am also strongly considering KCOM as well and I was wondering if I could PM you as well?
 
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