LMU-DCOM vs PCSOM

[want2beadoc1]

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Hi, I have to make a decision between LMU-DCOM and PCSOM. I was wondering what are people's thoughts on which is a better school especially in terms of getting you better prepared for the boards and getting into a competitive residency (like ENT, ophthalmology, plastic, ortho...).

I visited both schools and here are my thoughts:

LMU-DCOM
- contains some professors that actually writes questions on the board
- well organized curriculum (system based)
- super modern facility (provides different ways of learning)
- i talked to some students that turned down some of the top DO schools for DCOM
- every students i talked to there said attending this school was the best decision they've made
- new school not established but will most likely have a great reputation soon
- you have to go to there affiliated hospitals for your core rotations which don't have any DO residencies yet (harder to make connections with good programs)
- 4 groups of 5 students per cadaver (kinda high)
- cheaper cost of living

PCSOM
- low student/faculty ratio (class contains about half the student)
- great relationships between faculty and students. They have an open door policy and are very helpful
- established
- has many affiliated teaching hospitals containing competitive DO residencies (great way to make relationships)
- old facility, not much technology
- mixed feelings from students, some love it, some wish they attended somewhere else
- there average GPA/MCAT for there students is one of the lowest of any DO schools (don’t know if that makes a difference)
- has block exams where you take an 8 hour exam containing all of your classes once a month (I guess it makes you get more used to the boards but I am wondering if you’re still able to absorb as much info)
- 1 group of 4 people per cadaver
- for some reason higher cost of living

Any of your thoughts at all would help. I appreciate everyone's help.
Thanks

 

[malisa]

In attempts to not be partial (I currently attend LMU-DCOM). Just a note to add all teachers here have an open door policy with student and they are the most friendly teachers I have ever known. The dean invited students to his home for thanksgiving (I went, so much fun), busy teachers remember personal details you tell them at the beginning of the semester and ask you about them months later so you know they care. Anyways just wanted to clear that up.

In answer to your question you should go to the school you liked the best and see yourself fitting in at the most. To get a competitive residency you have to be a good student and not be a butthole on your rotations. There are plenty of clubs you can join in order to go to conferences and network, you can set up elective rotations at hospitals that have the programs you want and make a good impression, etc etc etc. The school's connections are not the biggest factor in where you will end up. So if you go where you will be happy I would think you would be able to concentrate more on school and becoming a great doctor that residency directors would want.

If you have any questions about LMU-DCOM you can PM me good luck

 

[nascardoc]

I am a 2nd year at LMU-DCOM and, while I can't speak for PCSOM, I can tell you about DCOM. Pretty much everything you list is true. One thing I want to talk about is residency relationships. While there are no CORE hospital residencies, our faculty has come from all over the country and they have relationships from their past. You want to go to Michigan....done. Oklahoma.....done. New England.....done. Also, DCOM is actively creating residencies (i.e. Ortho) and we can rotate with that group. We also have a list of electives/selectives you can utilize that comprises of multiple specialties, plus you can go anywhere in the country to do your electives/selectives.

But more importantly, it is YOU who will give you the x-factors of landing your residency choice or not. The second best thing you can do is go to conferences within the specialty you are interested in and meet people and rotate at the program. I can't tell you how powerful networking is....it is exponentially more important than a relationship with your school. Not only do you get face time with the program at conferences, it shows you have leadership skills and are interested in the development of your specialty. By far and away, the BEST thing you can do is rotate at the program you really want to be at. All you have to do is setup an elective rotation and go there. If you can't rotate in your specialty of choice, rotate in something else at that hospital and spend a day or two with the residents of that program you really want.

But malisa is right in saying that our faculty has the same open-door policy....as long as they are here, you can ask any question - about school or just life in general. DCOM is a great school and I don't regret turning down a top program to come here. You will learn, be challenged, and have a great faculty to support you. I honestly can say (regardless of me being at DCOM) that we have one of the best sets of faculty in the country. We take the best profs and bring them here....and more importantly, the best WANT to come here. And that is not mjust my opinion, but comes from different faculty members as well. Also, DCOM has a very strong simulation program (and it is getting even better as time moves on) and is a very procedure based school. Not only do you get to learn about procedures in lecture, but you will get to actually perform them on each other or in simulations, depending on the procedure. We have mannequins we use for airways, central lines, lumbar puncture, IO, IV, chest tubes, etc. The simulation suite is always growing with new toys and I know clubs are looking into purchasing other mannequins the school doesn't have yet. So you will get a great education on all levels.

 

[tnig469]

Flip a quarter! Seriously though...If you have visited both schools which it sounds like you have, then somewhere in your mind you already made your decision. You probably are leaning more towards one than the other.

I chose PCSOM because well I am about 30 minutes away from Pikeville. My family is here and I knew people around the region. I think they have an excellent faculty and I have shadowed many of their graduates. LMU also has a great faculty so I have heard. The area will be more populated than Pikeville which you might like. Both are great schools.

Ultimately, it is up to you. You will have to try extremely hard no matter what you pick. You will more than receive the same education at either. I say work hard and you will succeed at either of the schools.

But just to throw it in there...I still like PCSOM!

 

[scdocusc]

I'm partial as well. But what I can tell you is that I turned down interviews at other schools once I got in here. It was the best decision that I made. PCSOM is a school that has really flown under the radar for a few years now. The professors at our school are really high quality in my opinion. We have MD, DO and PhDs teaching every class. Many of our professors do research in cooperation with UK and UC. PCSOM is an older school and while we don't have super high tech equipment for everything, the admin usually keep up with what is needed for us to learn. PCSOM has opted to invest in the students rather than equipment that isn't needed. PCSOM provides everything you need for school. Also, our school has a pretty good base for clinical rotations that a newer school might not have. In regards to the low MCAT stat. You might be looking at old data because our MCAT average was about the same as all other DO schools. Even at that, once you are in the MCAT is worthless. You need to look at the COMLEX pass rate of a school and attrition rate of a school. Our pass rate is one of the highest of DO schools >95%. We have really good clinical tools as well. Models and soon to be a few standardized patients I believe. Our school has an open clinic two days a week and you get to treat patients as a first year. I've already given physicals and done other procedures. In a small town like this you get to see real pathology and you are the one treating it. Also, we have probably one of the best OPP staffs out of all osteopathic schools. In addition, we have probably one of the largest mission trips for an osteopathic medical school. Over 25 people are going to the Dominican Republic for a medical mission clinic that we have set up there. PCSOM really gets little respect because it is a small school but I don't think I could have found a more perfect fit for me anywhere else. I think that it also does pay to have alumni out in the hospitals because connections do matter to some extent in landing a good residency or getting a rec. The only downside is that the town is a bit isolated but then again so is harrogate. Good luck on your decision

 

[want2beadoc1]

I appreciate everyone's help. Your feedbacks help me a lot