LMU-DCOM vs WVSOM

[premedDO1213]

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I'm in a tough position right now. I really like both schools and do not know which one to go with. I am out of state for both. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know!

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I'd stay away from LMU

More info? Read this thread: LMU-DCOM heightened monitoring

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Not really that tough a decision IMO.

 

[premedDO1213]

Not really that tough a decision IMO.

what does accreditation with heightened monitoring mean?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

what does accreditation with heightened monitoring mean?

It means they didn't meet some of the standards for accreditation. Which is understandable considering how many of their students are complaining in that thread. Some of the stuff they are complaining about are shocking

 

[premedDO1213]

Here’s a pros and cons list I came up with to show why it’s been a tough decisions for me. Thanks for the feedback!


WVSOM
Pros
Great school/curriculum

Great rotations

4th year could be close to home

Omm free clinic (can treat patients as a student?)

Everyone is nice

Nice Sim lab

Free iPad

Non mandatory attendance

No dress code to class

Nutrition elective

Been around for 50ish years

Decent summer break



Cons
4.5 hours away from brother

8 hours from home

Very very rural

Barely any restaurants

No direct flights from Michigan but airport 10 mins away (bad for fam)

Don’t have a place to live or roommate

School promotes rural primary care to students



LMU-DCOM
Pros

2.5 hours away from brother

Has a lot of food nearby and sams club, Trader Joe’s by airport

Direct flight to Knoxville

Easier to drive to Harrogate

Nice location (very pretty)

Good board exams

Great connection with other students

4th year close to home MAYBE?

Non mandatory attendance

Long summer break

Already have an apartment and roommate

Doesn’t promote primary care to students

Put deposit down already



Cons

8 hours away from Home

Airport 1.5 hours away

Partial dress code to class

Messy rotations (people don’t recommend the school bc of this reason)

Have OMM but not that as intense there?

Accreditation warning?

Only been around for 13 years

 

[Zen Arcade]

Here’s a pros and cons list I came up with to show why it’s been a tough decisions for me. Thanks for the feedback!


WVSOM
Pros
Great school/curriculum

Great rotations

4th year could be close to home

Omm free clinic (can treat patients as a student?)

Everyone is nice

Nice Sim lab

Free iPad

Non mandatory attendance

No dress code to class

Nutrition elective

Been around for 50ish years

Decent summer break



Cons
4.5 hours away from brother

8 hours from home

Very very rural

Barely any restaurants

No direct flights from Michigan but airport 10 mins away (bad for fam)

Don’t have a place to live or roommate

School promotes rural primary care to students



LMU-DCOM
Pros

2.5 hours away from brother

Has a lot of food nearby and sams club, Trader Joe’s by airport

Direct flight to Knoxville

Easier to drive to Harrogate

Nice location (very pretty)

Good board exams

Great connection with other students

4th year close to home MAYBE?

Non mandatory attendance

Long summer break

Already have an apartment and roommate

Doesn’t promote primary care to students

Put deposit down already



Cons

8 hours away from Home

Airport 1.5 hours away

Partial dress code to class

Messy rotations (people don’t recommend the school bc of this reason)

Have OMM but not that as intense there?

Accreditation warning?

Only been around for 13 years

Accreditation issues are, in my opinion, the biggest con of all when considering schools. You will be there for four years, if the situation gets worse you may run into difficulties such as securing rotations (depending on what the deficiencies are - which to my knowledge are not always explicitly stated). It's better to not have to worry about this and go to WVSOM. Yeah, it might be further away from family, more rural, but these things don't matter as much if you know you will be getting a quality education. Don't go to a school with a bunch of red flags if you don't have to.

 

[Goro]

I'm in a tough position right now. I really like both schools and do not know which one to go with. I am out of state for both. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know!

I can't recommend LMU; here's why:
LMU: granted continuing Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring. “Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring: This indicates that fewer than three standards are non-compliant and ongoing monitoring will occur via progress reporting. For schools with this status, accreditation will be granted for four years.”

This is only one of two COMs that has this level of accreditation status right now.

Accreditation decisions for colleges of osteopathic medicine - American Osteopathic Association

Chicago, September 24, 2018–The American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) today announced accreditation decisions made at its Aug. 24-26, 2018 meeting. Comprehensive site visits occur at the end of an accreditation cycle. The following...

osteopathic.org

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I can't recommend LMU; here's why:
LMU: granted continuing Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring. “Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring: This indicates that fewer than three standards are non-compliant and ongoing monitoring will occur via progress reporting. For schools with this status, accreditation will be granted for four years.”

This is only one of two COMs that has this level of accreditation status right now.

Accreditation decisions for colleges of osteopathic medicine - American Osteopathic Association

Chicago, September 24, 2018–The American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) today announced accreditation decisions made at its Aug. 24-26, 2018 meeting. Comprehensive site visits occur at the end of an accreditation cycle. The following...

osteopathic.org

3 COMs now:
LMU
MSU
BCOM

 

[Goro]

3 COMs now:
LMU
MSU
BCOM

Hmmm...I missed that in COCA accreditation PDF!

 

[premedDO1213]

Accreditation issues are, in my opinion, the biggest con of all when considering schools. You will be there for four years, if the situation gets worse you may run into difficulties such as securing rotations (depending on what the deficiencies are - which to my knowledge are not always explicitly stated). It's better to not have to worry about this and go to WVSOM. Yeah, it might be further away from family, more rural, but these things don't matter as much if you know you will be getting a quality education. Don't go to a school with a bunch of red flags if you don't have to.

Okay thank you! Some people have been saying that the Accreditation warning was just from opening up the Knoxville location. But like you said they don't really say exactly why

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Okay thank you! Some people have been saying that the Accreditation warning was just from opening up the Knoxville location. But like you said they don't really say exactly why

No, that wasn't why. They had accreditation warnings before they open that new campus. Accreditation warnings has to do with 1 or several academic standard(s) not being met to the minimum of what COCA wants. It has nothing to do with the new campus. Although, that will contribute to make it even harder to meet and keep academic standards for both places.

 

[openstage]

WVSON

 

[premedDO1213]

WVSON

I ended up going with WVSOM, but why do you say so?

 

[openstage]

I heard some nice things about the faculty being supportive. Nice environment

 

[deleted1051873]

Not WV

 

[premedDO1213]

Not WV

Why’s that?

 

[deleted1051873]

Why’s that?

As a 22 yr WV resident, the area is terrible with little opportunity. I finally got accepted to med school out of WV & am beyond excited to leave the state!

 

[Zen Arcade]

As a 22 yr WV resident, the area is terrible with little opportunity. I finally got accepted to med school out of WV & am beyond excited to leave the state!

Given their options, I dont think location preference should be at the top of their priorities. Med schools is 4 years - OP will get through it. Going to a poor DO school for a better location and having bad rotations has more severe implications.

 

[premedDO1213]

Given their options, I dont think location preference should be at the top of their priorities. Med schools is 4 years - OP will get through it. Going to a poor DO school for a better location and having bad rotations has more severe implications.

I agree to this, I decided to go with WVSOM instead of LMU-DCOM even though the location would have been much more convenient, such as to visit family and other aspects. I ultimately chose WVSOM because of their great program!

 

[jenzeppelin]

I agree to this, I decided to go with WVSOM instead of LMU-DCOM even though the location would have been much more convenient, such as to visit family and other aspects. I ultimately chose WVSOM because of their great program!

I'm trying to decide between these two schools now. Would you still recommend WVSOM over LMU-DCOM after your experience?