LECOM-SH vs KCOM

[eberge3]

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Hey Guys,

I am currently trying to decide between LECOM- Seton Hill location vs KCOM. I am a current college senior at the University of Illinois and am from Chicago. I would really love some input from people who have any experience with either school.

LECOM -SH:
Pro's:
Cheap tuition (32k yr)
Close to a big city (Pittsburg)
Match list (has notable Chicago hospitals on their match list every year)
High Board Scores
PBL Curriculum (Freedom to study on your own)
Con's:
I have never visited the campus (interviewed at LECOM Erie)
Complaints all over the internet about the school's administration
PBL Curriculum (Could be harder than the "average" med school curriculum, not sure how I will fare teaching the concepts to myself but it seems cool)


I do not really care about the mandatory dress code or no food & drink.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KCOM:
Pro's:
Established "original" DO school
Curriculum (Lecture based, non-mandatory lectures, can watch them recorded online)
I interviewed there and liked the school itself, students, facilities.
Only have to be in Kirksville for 2 years
Con's:
80,000 more expensive than LECOM
In the middle of nowhere!
Will have to take Orgo Chem 2 in my final semester of college to complete their requirements
No notable Chicago hospitals on their match list
More emphasis on OMM (4 hrs vs LECOM 2.5)

In the end, I view these med schools to be about the same in terms of getting me to where I want to be. I do not truly see any big positives or negatives that would sway the decision for me. Probably the deal breaker for me would be the opportunities I get via their rotations which I know little about, as far as I know, DO schools do not have the best rotation connections etc.

I want to go to the school that will best help me to be successful while not being miserable at the same time!

Thanks

 

[Cath Up]

Hey Guys,

I am currently trying to decide between LECOM- Seton Hill location vs KCOM. I am a current college senior at the University of Illinois and am from Chicago. I would really love some input from people who have any experience with either school.

LECOM -SH:
Pro's:
Cheap tuition (32k yr)
Close to a big city (Pittsburg)
Match list (has notable Chicago hospitals on their match list every year)
High Board Scores
PBL Curriculum (Freedom to study on your own)
Con's:
I have never visited the campus (interviewed at LECOM Erie)
Complaints all over the internet about the school's administration
PBL Curriculum (Could be harder than the "average" med school curriculum, not sure how I will fare teaching the concepts to myself but it seems cool)


I do not really care about the mandatory dress code or no food & drink.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KCOM:
Pro's:
Established "original" DO school
Curriculum (Lecture based, non-mandatory lectures, can watch them recorded online)
I interviewed there and liked the school itself, students, facilities.
Only have to be in Kirksville for 2 years
Con's:
80,000 more expensive than LECOM
In the middle of nowhere!
Will have to take Orgo Chem 2 in my final semester of college to complete their requirements
No notable Chicago hospitals on their match list
More emphasis on OMM (4 hrs vs LECOM 2.5)

In the end, I view these med schools to be about the same in terms of getting me to where I want to be. I do not truly see any big positives or negatives that would sway the decision for me. Probably the deal breaker for me would be the opportunities I get via their rotations which I know little about, as far as I know, DO schools do not have the best rotation connections etc.

I want to go to the school that will best help me to be successful while not being miserable at the same time!

Thanks

Tough choice. I am in a similar boat with LECOM-SH vs other and identify with the bolded criteria in my position, for what it's worth.

I did interview at SH and enjoyed the small-medium sized campus- old university-style buildings and an academic feel. LECOM students have a few reserved spaces for their instruction and studying, and have access to most of the rest of the university.. Greensburg is pretty suburban so I doubt that will draw you in a positive way, but it seems pretty tolerable. It will be cold, however!

I don't know much about KCOM but if it is indeed one of the original 5 then I believe traditional advice is to attend that program because it is very well established and better connected compared to other DO programs. However, given rampant tuition increase and the ever-present uncertainty in future physician compensation and DO-specialization, the prospect of a ~50k/year program is daunting. LECOM will likely shave 2+ years off any debt payments you'll be obligated to make. As far as I can tell, LECOM-SH has solid rotations where you do actually get exposure to the resident hierarchy as well as some preceptorships without residents. They also don't try to push you into primary care. They also give you a ton of autonomy in how, when and what you study which is probably really helpful for boards. Their outcomes are consistently above and sometimes at Nat'l averages, and have solid diversification in residency placements for a DO program.

I can't speak much about KCOM, but am guessing it also has pretty solid rotations given it is an older program. I thiiiiiink I have heard it has decent research opportunities? A really tough choice. Honestly it seems like both programs have a decent pedigree amongst PDs (relative to other DO programs) to set you up relatively well. Would be good to see someone weigh in more about KCOM though.

 

[Trollest]

wait, is the tuition at KCOM really 80k?

 

[eberge3]

no no ! sorry might of not been clear enough. It is 80k more over 4 years. (53K vs 32K)

 

[Trollest]

O

no no ! sorry might of not been clear enough. It is 80k more over 4 years. (53K vs 32K)

Ok, you scared me a bit there pal. 80k more expensive.

 

[jwilliams1993]

Hey there! I saw you were worried about KCOM not having Chicago rotations available - we did just secure 5 spots at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center in Hinsdale starting this summer, if that helps. Our administration is always on the lookout for more rotation spots! Unfortunately, it's hard to get spots available in Chicago because many of the hospitals have affiliations with the Chicago schools.

Let me know if you have more KCOM questions!