LECOM Bradenton vs TouroCOM Middletown? Urgent! Deadline Tomorrow

[Dockt0rOktopusz]

Hey everybody,

I've been an long time on/off lurker here but I need your help and wasn't sure who else to turn to, this late in the game! I've been accepted at TouroCOM Middletown (I was part of their master's/postbacc program) and even put in the deposit. However, I just got off the wait list for LECOM Bradenton Florida. I have to let LECOM Bradenton know of my decision by tomorrow morning, and send in the deposit by this upcoming Monday!

So here's my list of pros/cons which I hope someone out there can help me with!

Touro Middletown, NY

Pros
- close to home (1 hour drive away - I'm from NJ)
- I'm already familiar with their 'flipped classroom' curriculum 'cause I took most of the OMS1 classes via the MS(postbacc) program. Basically, I can kinda coast through the courses themselves, while focusing on board prep this year.
- Plenty of rotation sites in the NY/NJ area (a couple of 30 min from home)

Cons
- expensive, 52k
- just graduated their first class, so there's little data to compare but, since TouroCOM Harlem uses the same curriculum/exams, it appears that Touro does fine on COMLEX1, but fails at COMLEX2/3. The Match rate is fine though.
(Outcomes)​

LECOM- Bradenton FL

Pros
- half off!! 33k tuition vs 52k at Touro
- been around longer, but only by a few years. THeir match rates have been consistently good though: COM Comlex Pass and Graduation Match Rates - LECOM Education System


Cons
- I'll need to get used a new way of learning with PBL/curriculum, which means I'll lose some momentum when compared to staying at Touro. Otherwise I think PBL is an interesting concept - probably won't know if it's a good fit until I actually use it.
- rotations? See below
- I don't like the area at all. The closest good Asian food place is an hour away. It just doesn't really click for me.
- facilities are not 24 hours, although they are much nicer than Touro Middletown's abandoned hospital. Also the dress code, but that's not really a big deal.​

Factors I'm not sure about:

- How rotations are handled ... really at either location but I'm particularly confused about LECOM. It sounds like we just ask around ourselves, and LECOM approves it?

​

To be perfectly honest, despite the price and academics (two extremely solid reasons) I am very much biased against LECOM Bradenton because (1) I much prefer to stay in the north east (2) I really don't like Bradenton FL, and (3) I'm also not convinced TouroCOM is that much different academically given it's quoted "100% match rate for 2014, 2015, and 2016," and pretty good COMLEX 1s.

Looking through the boards here on SDN there seems to be people who are vehemently biased against either LECOM or Touro for shady dealings as such, and I'm not sure what the reasons are based on my experience (tho I know for a fact Touro certainly does some shady cost saving measures / intermittent breakdown of bureucracy).

Please help!

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[watermelon master]

I would choose Touro. Seems like you'd be much happier there and can focus more on studying for boards. If you would be miserable at LECOM than it isn't worth it even if it's cheaper. Also, **** going all over the place for your rotations, it seems like it will be a much easier experience overall going to Touro.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

Based off of your list, your cons for Touro seem to be much less significant than your cons for LECOM. It's not worth the cheaper tuition if you're going to miserable, in my opinion.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I'm not a Touro fan but am even less of a fan of LECOM-B (only the Bradenton campus though, PA is legit) with the way they screw the crap out of their students when it comes to clinical rotations. At least at Touro you will actually have rotations instead of the school basically saying, "Good Luck" as they push you out the door.

 

[westbill]

Hey everybody,

I've been an long time on/off lurker here but I need your help and wasn't sure who else to turn to, this late in the game! I've been accepted at TouroCOM Middletown (I was part of their master's/postbacc program) and even put in the deposit. However, I just got off the wait list for LECOM Bradenton Florida. I have to let LECOM Bradenton know of my decision by tomorrow morning, and send in the deposit by this upcoming Monday!

So here's my list of pros/cons which I hope someone out there can help me with!

Touro Middletown, NY

Pros
- close to home (1 hour drive away - I'm from NJ)
- I'm already familiar with their 'flipped classroom' curriculum 'cause I took most of the OMS1 classes via the MS(postbacc) program. Basically, I can kinda coast through the courses themselves, while focusing on board prep this year.
- Plenty of rotation sites in the NY/NJ area (a couple of 30 min from home)

Cons
- expensive, 52k
- just graduated their first class, so there's little data to compare but, since TouroCOM Harlem uses the same curriculum/exams, it appears that Touro does fine on COMLEX1, but fails at COMLEX2/3. The Match rate is fine though.
(Outcomes)​

LECOM- Bradenton FL

Pros
- half off!! 33k tuition vs 52k at Touro
- been around longer, but only by a few years. THeir match rates have been consistently good though: COM Comlex Pass and Graduation Match Rates - LECOM Education System


Cons
- I'll need to get used a new way of learning with PBL/curriculum, which means I'll lose some momentum when compared to staying at Touro. Otherwise I think PBL is an interesting concept - probably won't know if it's a good fit until I actually use it.
- rotations? See below
- I don't like the area at all. The closest good Asian food place is an hour away. It just doesn't really click for me.
- facilities are not 24 hours, although they are much nicer than Touro Middletown's abandoned hospital. Also the dress code, but that's not really a big deal.​

Factors I'm not sure about:

- How rotations are handled ... really at either location but I'm particularly confused about LECOM. It sounds like we just ask around ourselves, and LECOM approves it?

​

To be perfectly honest, despite the price and academics (two extremely solid reasons) I am very much biased against LECOM Bradenton because (1) I much prefer to stay in the north east (2) I really don't like Bradenton FL, and (3) I'm also not convinced TouroCOM is that much different academically given it's quoted "100% match rate for 2014, 2015, and 2016," and pretty good COMLEX 1s.

Looking through the boards here on SDN there seems to be people who are vehemently biased against either LECOM or Touro for shady dealings as such, and I'm not sure what the reasons are based on my experience (tho I know for a fact Touro certainly does some shady cost saving measures / intermittent breakdown of bureucracy).

Please help!

First, congratulations on your acceptance somewhere! I'm a year away from MCAT, so I'm in a different place, but...I posed this question to my dad, who is a practicing physician. His response was as follows: Post residency opportunities frequently encompass tuition reimbursement, and while it may not be full, it will be very substantial. Also, depending on what field/sub-specialty you choose, your match possibilities will vary accordingly anyway, so his basic advice was choose the program that you feel will best prepare you foundationally to have a productive career. From where I sit, it sounds like you would be more existentially happy and productive close to home, but that's just me. Good luck either way!