LECOM Vs NYCOM....concern for debt....

[Doc2B-Finally]

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I was curious if anybody crunched some numbers.
At LECOM, tuition is 25Kx4 = 100K.
Living expense 12Kx4=48K
Total debt at LECOM is around 150K

At NYCOM, tuition is 33K+37K+40K+43K = 153K
Living expense is 12Kx4 = 48K (It is probably higher)
Total debt at NYCOM is around 200K.

** I am overlooking books, instruments, transportation for rotations and other misc. expenses for the sake of simplicity. **

Is this much debt manageable after DO degree, especially when you chose/forced to take primary care (IM, Psyc, FP or OB/GYN). I mean I would prefer LECOM based on these numbers alone.

Any comments, suggestions.....from existing LECOM/NYCOM students?

 

[mrm1682]

Is this much debt manageable after DO degree, especially when you chose/forced to take primary care (IM, Psyc, FP or OB/GYN).

*sigh* 🙄 i was hoping that we would beyond comments like this where we still think that DOs are lesser doctors and cannot do anything else but IMS, psyc, FP, or OB/GYN. if that's what you want to do then fine but don't say "especially when you choose/forced to take primary care." but i don't want to start a battle again so i won't reply to anymore posts regarding this issue in this thread.

now, to the main point of the thread....you will graduate from just about any med school with 100+k in debt. now, choosing a school should not just be based upon how much debt you will accrue over 4 years. yes, LECOM is cheaper than NYCOM but will you be satisfied with going to LECOM? i like the area and i like LECOM very much and because of that have chosen to go there. the debt issue isn't huge for me because i will be paying for years and years after graduating anyway, so saving 10k isn't a huge deal when you owe 100k.

 

[Doc2B-Finally]

*sigh* 🙄 i was hoping that we would beyond comments like this where we still think that DOs are lesser doctors and cannot do anything else but IMS, psyc, FP, or OB/GYN. if that's what you want to do then fine but don't say "especially when you choose/forced to take primary care." but i don't want to start a battle again so i won't reply to anymore posts regarding this issue in this thread.

now, to the main point of the thread....you will graduate from just about any med school with 100+k in debt. now, choosing a school should not just be based upon how much debt you will accrue over 4 years. yes, LECOM is cheaper than NYCOM but will you be satisfied with going to LECOM? i like the area and i like LECOM very much and because of that have chosen to go there. the debt issue isn't huge for me because i will be paying for years and years after graduating anyway, so saving 10k isn't a huge deal when you owe 100k.

JUST TO CLARIFY.....

When I said "especially when you choose/forced to take primary care.", I meant because of either personal inclination to these fields or having lower board scores, making in difficult to get in to other specialities. And you are reading it totally out of context. Could any of your personal expereinces have any bearing on your comments? Wow, you sure are very sensitive about this issue.

 

[mrm1682]

well, it's kinda hard to pick up "what you meant" by just reading your statement on an online forum. every word could have a different connotation for someone else so maybe i just read it differently than what you were thinking. i don't think i'm sensitive about this issue but if i were paraphrase what your original question was, i would say "is a DO able to pay back med school loans easily while practicing IM, FP, etc?" bottom line is that all doctors have over 100k in debt USUALLY when they graduate. this should be a given and you should be ready to accept this committment when you send in you enroll at a school. whether this is manageable or not depends on how you live your life after graduating and paying back loans.

 

[shan-bot 2000]

it's definitely important to consider the cost of the schools, but don't base your entire decision around it. if you have a gut feeling to go to the more expensive one, i say do it. yes, we will all have large debts to pay back, but we're gonna be doctors! we'll manage. even if we are primary care docs!

(i actually just decided a few days ago to go to my more expensive choice. its just the better fit for me. PCOM, here i come!)

 

[michelleDO]

I was curious if anybody crunched some numbers.
At LECOM, tuition is 25Kx4 = 100K.
Living expense 12Kx4=48K
Total debt at LECOM is around 150K

At NYCOM, tuition is 33K+37K+40K+43K = 153K
Living expense is 12Kx4 = 48K (It is probably higher)
Total debt at NYCOM is around 200K.

** I am overlooking books, instruments, transportation for rotations and other misc. expenses for the sake of simplicity. **

Is this much debt manageable after DO degree, especially when you chose/forced to take primary care (IM, Psyc, FP or OB/GYN). I mean I would prefer LECOM based on these numbers alone.

Any comments, suggestions.....from existing LECOM/NYCOM students?

Hey,

I think med school is what you make of it. So, I will just worry about debt. I can bear the location for a couple of years because all i will be doing is study anyways. The type of residency you'll get depends on your grades, LOR, board scores. In my opinion (agree if you want), I'll study hard at lecom and get amazing board scores.

I mean, think about it this way, if you go to NYCOM and do real bad then not only will you end up at a bad residency, but the added high debts too. And if you do bad at lecom, at least you dont have those high debts. So, its easy for me to choose (not for everyone). So, I'll say it again, med school is what you make of it.

Another way to make things easier is just ask regular people like your parents (my parents always want to minimize my loans).

chao

Michelle


Michelle

 

[sddoc]

Even if you do choose to go into a primary care specialty, there are ways around the debt. Many locations are willing to pay off your student loans entirely or partially for a committment of a few years service. It's going to be expensive no matter how you slice it. It does, however, provide motivation to stick with it even when school becomes difficult. I just got my student loan statement today. If I were to get frustrated and leave school now as an MSIII (not that I would ever consider it), I would owe almost $1300 a month for the next 15 years or so. If that isn't incentive to keep studying, I don't know what is!!! 😱

 

[FMGP8P]

I was curious if anybody crunched some numbers.
At LECOM, tuition is 25Kx4 = 100K.
Living expense 12Kx4=48K
Total debt at LECOM is around 150K

At NYCOM, tuition is 33K+37K+40K+43K = 153K
Living expense is 12Kx4 = 48K (It is probably higher)
Total debt at NYCOM is around 200K.

** I am overlooking books, instruments, transportation for rotations and other misc. expenses for the sake of simplicity. **

Is this much debt manageable after DO degree, especially when you chose/forced to take primary care (IM, Psyc, FP or OB/GYN). I mean I would prefer LECOM based on these numbers alone.

Any comments, suggestions.....from existing LECOM/NYCOM students?

Do med students really come out with loans amounting to around 150K? That seems to be the cost of attending but don't med students earn money during the summer and receive grants and scholarships as part of financial aid? Just curious because it sure would be nice to not have to take out that much in loans.

 

[group_theory]

While money and debt should be factored in, don't let it be the only factor.

Med school is tough ... and long. If you end up at a place where you hate, it will drain on you physically and mentally. Overtime, your overall mental and physical health will deteriorate and your grades/board scores will suffer from it. On the other hand, if you end up at a place that you absolutely enjoy ... it lessens the impact. So the question is: how much do you like one school and how much do you dislike the other school ... and is the price differential significant enough for you to go to one over another?

Also points to consider
NYCOM is part of a larger institution - NYIT. LECOM is free standing. Do you have a preference for one or another?

NYCOM has been around longer than LECOM. Probably has a larger alumni network, and offers more connections than LECOM (time to allow its graduates to move up the ranks)

With those two factors above, will scholarship opportunities be more available at NYCOM than LECOM?

Are the school administrator open to the students? Do they answer the students questions/concerns? (every school and every class will have its conflicts, the question is how open/receptive the school admin will be to resolving them)

Weather - while both in the Northeast, one school has significantly more snow than the other. Will that be a problem?


In the end, money isn't everything. Sure, it takes the sting out of being poor. I'm not saying money isn't important, just don't let it be the sole deciding factor.


Group_theory
PCOM 2007
"Live like a student while a student, live like a doctor when you're a doctor. Live like a doctor while a student, and you'll live like a student when you're a doctor."

 

[DORoe]

Do med students really come out with loans amounting to around 150K? That seems to be the cost of attending but don't med students earn money during the summer and receive grants and scholarships as part of financial aid? Just curious because it sure would be nice to not have to take out that much in loans.

Yes med student really come out with loans around 150k in some cases. There are no federal grants given that I am aware of for graduate school and you have to be pretty special to get a medical school scholarship (I mean the best in a class of the best). I am lucky because I go to a state school where my student loan debt for medical school will only total 154k. At some of the other institutions where you have to take out loan money for the living expenses as well you are looking at a much higher number. As far as working during the summer, you can at OUCOM but you only have one summer break between MS1 and MS2. I figure that it is the same everywhere else.

 

[jjmcentee@hotma]

Doc,

Your right on the liv. expense, expect it to be closer to 18-20k per year on Long Island.

Maybe you want to spend the money and put down a deposit on both, apply for scholarships, see how your wife plans work out with her job search, then decided.

I hate to promote putting a decision off, but sometimes it's best. NY has a few scholarships that can apply to NY medical schools, check out the dept of labor web site if interested.

Then there is the National Health care scholarship corp. that I mentioned earlier, I think you'd know about that, if you applied, by may.

Kids_ I think Erie would be easier for kids. But just my opinion.
How close it is to your roots, family.
Also check out all the complaints on the SDN about NYCOM, I am not sure if they are justified, but check em out.

good luck Doc, I know this decision has been difficult for ya.
jim

 

[sfrduder]

doc2b,

did you deceide? I'm in the same spot as you and was wondering how you chose one over the other?

LECOM seems to have great rotation sites, and class size is a bit smaller, but the residency placement info is not available. NYCOM seems to have very good residency placements, but third year rotation info is not available.


thanks.

 

[Doc2B-Finally]

doc2b,

did you deceide? I'm in the same spot as you and was wondering how you chose one over the other?

LECOM seems to have great rotation sites, and class size is a bit smaller, but the residency placement info is not available. NYCOM seems to have very good residency placements, but third year rotation info is not available.


thanks.

Hey sfrduder,
I put my deposit on NYCOM. I turned down LECOM and UNECOM. Sent my letters of decline few days ago. Lots of thinking went in to the decision, but in the long run, NYCOM is the right choice for me. I like the flexibility of rotating in either city or sububurban settings, and I like the fact that they are very open about their residency match info. LECOM on the other hand refuses to provide any information about residency info. Go figure.
Good luck. Hope to see at NYCOM.

 

[sfrduder]

Hey sfrduder,
I put my deposit on NYCOM. I turned down LECOM and UNECOM. Sent my letters of decline few days ago. Lots of thinking went in to the decision, but in the long run, NYCOM is the right choice for me. I like the flexibility of rotating in either city or sububurban settings, and I like the fact that they are very open about their residency match info. LECOM on the other hand refuses to provide any information about residency info. Go figure.
Good luck. Hope to see at NYCOM.

Yeah, i know what you mean. The fact that LECOM doesnt make there residency info available scares me but i really liked there clinical rotation sites. And NYCOM's residency list looks great, but (honestly) the stories ive been hearing about problems with there administration has been scaring me.

What a dilemma! But i will have the answer hopfully in a couple of days.