Most impressive DO schools you interviewed at

[rubisco88]

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Which DO schools did you interview at and which schools impressed you the most and why?

I'm not applying until June 2012, but I'm most interested in TCOM (I am a Texas resident), Western COM, AZCOM, and CCOM. Also considering applying to KCUMB, OSU, and Nova but I don't know that much about these schools.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

DMU!!!!!!!! really though. it kicks ass. KCUMB was kind of nice if you want the college feel. Didn't see any others.

 

[MilitaryMed]

I was really impressed with my interview at CCOM. The facilities are gorgeous, you met a ton of students, and the professors I met during the interview left a lasting impression me.

 

[TexasDocGibby]

Which DO schools did you interview at and which schools impressed you the most and why?

I'm not applying until June 2012, but I'm most interested in TCOM (I am a Texas resident), Western COM, AZCOM, and CCOM. Also considering applying to KCUMB, OSU, and Nova but I don't know that much about these schools.

TCOM is more than impressive with the new facilities, the prestigious history, and in-state tuition.

 

[dntke1518]

DMU!!!!!!!! really though. it kicks ass. KCUMB was kind of nice if you want the college feel. Didn't see any others.

👍

DMU is pretty awesome, no joke. KCOM is doing a lot of upgrading to their facilities, which are looking really nice, lots of sim lab stuff.

 

[jinobi]

Just as a friendly reminder when checking out your schools during interviews:

Facilities don't matter, with the possible exception of the simulation lab (and no, you're not going to be using that sweet new DaVinci simulator or the new high-fidelity dummy; the intubation dummy, Harvey, and standardized patient rooms are more important for your M1-M4 years).

I was really impressed by AZCOM at first, and I fell for it hard because it was pretty darn new. Same trap. However, you really want to look at their rotations - your clinical training is the most important part of your education. M1-M2 basic sciences only need a lecture hall, anatomy/histology lab, and a library. That's it. The teaching hospitals and community centers you can choose from will vary, so you want to go somewhere with well-established hospitals and not too much variance (i.e. you have way too many private physician offices/clinics, and not enough ward-based rotations. Community-based medicine is important, but it has it's place when you consider the training and environment you'll need to be accustomed to for the next 3+ years of your residency).

I've heard the state schools are pretty good in this respect.

 

[se20001984]

by far LMU-DCOM

(interviewed at Azcom and Touro-NY)

Was comparing all the schools to LMU during interviews so i said LMU it is

 

[Loudster]

I've visited PNWU, Touro-NV, ATSU-SOMA, AZCOM and Lecom-B.

The facilities at AZCOM were the best of this group. Beautiful campus with lots there. Touro-NV gets my vote for worst facilities of that bunch however (that said, they do make up for it in other ways).

As far as overall schools go, I was of course most impressed with Lecom-B (otherwise wouldn't be going there). The overall feel of the school was great. I thought the area was beautiful. Above all else though was that I was really impressed with the way the students acted/were. I felt like there was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement in them (though to be fair this was also an interview day, so they were probably putting on their best show for me). I also thought that they seemed more responsible than other students I had talked to, which I assume is partly a result/side effect of problem-based learning.

PNWU was a surprise, since previous to my visit (in this case, the interview) they were my number 1 choice school. The students were fine, but they didn't seem to be too overly enthused about the school nor Yakima. Absolutely beautiful cadaver lab though. By far the best cadaver lab out of any of the schools I've visited. However, since I went to the school after having mentally placed them on a pedestal, I will say that I was disappointed at the end of the day.

If you're applying to AZCOM, you should consider adding SOMA to your list as well. I went to SOMA a couple months after touring AZCOM and I was still impressed with SOMA overall.

 

[Whosis]

Schools that impressed me
1. DMU - My first choice and probably more impressive than the two MD interviews I attended. Just a top notch facillity, faculty, student body and impressive graduates.

2. AZCOM - Great facilities and pretty campus, weather can't be beat. Also had impressive board scores. The faculty I interviewed with seemed like really cool folks too.

3. LMU-DCOM - Brand new top nothch facilities, beautiful campus and the folks that are running the place and faculty seem to want to turn DCOM into a top teir DO school rather than crank out DO's. Downside is, I'm more of a city dweller.

School that didn't impress but didn't dissapoint
1. Nova - Great school, great Dean who is passionate about medicine, Nice facilities. Downside just didn't fell like the school had any "soul" (Not the James BRown kind). Just didn't feel like it had the intangibles for me.

School that dissappointed me
1. LECOM - No one seemed happy, lots of petty rules, and the facilites worried me a little bit (Anatomy Lab). Really sad because I had grown to like the city of Erie before the interview and we have some friends there, but most of the students at LECOM put the vibe that it was their last resort. (know I am generalizing, but it was my gut.)

 

[Mbeas]

School that dissappointed me
1. LECOM - No one seemed happy, lots of petty rules, and the facilites worried me a little bit (Anatomy Lab). Really sad because I had grown to like the city of Erie before the interview and we have some friends there, but most of the students at LECOM put the vibe that it was their last resort. (know I am generalizing, but it was my gut.)

Agree with this. And the "lunch" provided on interview day was laughable.

However, I did get a much better feel from the Bradenton campus. Not to mention, its close to Tampa and St. Petersburg which are awesome cities to visit.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[Mbeas]

👍

KCOM is doing a lot of upgrading to their facilities, which are looking really nice, lots of sim lab stuff.

👍

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[ManBroDude]

I was actually really impressed with Touro-NYC after my interview earlier today. They treat education very seriously around here!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Just as a friendly reminder when checking out your schools during interviews:

Facilities don't matter, with the possible exception of the simulation lab (and no, you're not going to be using that sweet new DaVinci simulator or the new high-fidelity dummy; the intubation dummy, Harvey, and standardized patient rooms are more important for your M1-M4 years).

I kind of disagree. When I was at KCUMB, the students were awesome, the genesis curriculum seemed amazing, the lecture halls were nice, the faculty were all awesome, and they really seemed to set the entire campus up for the success of their students. It just didn't feel right for me and I could feel it in the campus. Maybe it was me. I don't know.

 

[Iliketoytles]

I kind of disagree. When I was at KCUMB, the students were awesome, the genesis curriculum seemed amazing, the lecture halls were nice, the faculty were all awesome, and they really seemed to set the entire campus up for the success of their students. It just didn't feel right for me and I could feel it in the campus. Maybe it was me. I don't know.

I felt the exact same way about KCUMB. I absolutely loved it... yet at the same time, there was something about the feel of it that ultimately made me decide DMU. Ever since interviewing there, I've always praised how great KCUMB is... I just felt a more "private university" feel from DMU... and that's what I want. Great teachers with open-door policies, a great student body, and great campus. You can't force that stuff.

Not saying KCUMB doesn't have any of those... I just think DMU had more of it (in my opinion).

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Not saying KCUMB doesn't have any of those... I just think DMU had more of it (in my opinion).

Or at least it felt like they did.

 

[jinobi]

I kind of disagree. When I was at KCUMB, the students were awesome, the genesis curriculum seemed amazing, the lecture halls were nice, the faculty were all awesome, and they really seemed to set the entire campus up for the success of their students. It just didn't feel right for me and I could feel it in the campus. Maybe it was me. I don't know.

I'm just referring to how people like shiny new things. It's not a bad thing, but I wanted to point out how you can't let that cloud your judgment too much. I'm not disputing that there are other factors that weigh on which school feels "right" for you (location, M1-M2 curriculum, feel of the campus and its people), but I would place a lot of importance on how the clinical rotations are set up at your school.

All of what you said is true, though the last two years are going to set you up for your success in residency. That should be what's on your mind when asking questions on tours.

 

[rubisco88]

Anyone visit UMDJ's osteopathic school? How was it? Do they accept a good number of OOStaters?

 

[dbizzy]

My rundown:

TUNCOM - The campus was literally a warehouse in the middle of an auto plaza, with the one saving grace being the indoor basketball court. The vibe that the students gave off was slightly better than neutral. Need to blow off some steam? It's 10 minutes from the strip. Proximity to Vegas also means some good medical opportunities.

KCUMB - The campus was beautiful and spacious, with mostly modern facilities. The students and staff were the most professional I've encountered at an interview. However, the area wasn't nearly as attractive. I received positive vibes overall.

ATSU-SOMA - While the campus was new and fairly modern, it was also small and overall unimpressive. No dissections, only prossections. The staff and students were neutral at best, and the CHC-based curriculum was definitely not for me. Not located in the liveliest setting. Overall I received mediocre vibes from the school.

TOUROCOM - The campus was basically two floors in a multi-level building, not particularly new and not very impressive. Little things like having to pay for sim-man usage irked me. The students were generally nice and the staff was friendly, though a bit disorganized. Kicker #1: They're still experimenting with the curriculum, so you're a guinea pig. Kicker #2: It's in NYC.

AZCOM - The campus was very spacious, high-tech, and the most impressive of all the schools I've interviewed at. Definitely gives you the college feel since there are so many different schools on campus, with students playing volleyball in the middle of the day (not med students). Positive vibes, but the surrounding area was pretty dead and depressing.

PCOM - The campus was middle-of-the-road (albeit excellent rec center), with fairly new facilities located mostly in one building. The students were, for the most part, friendly and professional, and the staff was very kind. Located in a good part of town for medicine. I got mixed vibes overall, but probably because there was so much dead time that day.

Western COMP - Coming soon

Impressive is a fairly open-ended term.
- Most impressive facilities: AZCOM
- Most impressive curriculum: KCUMB/PCOM
- Most impressive looking students: AZCOM
- Most impressive nightlife: TUNCOM/TOUROCOM

 

[SLC]

My rundown:...
ATSU-SOMA - While the campus was new and fairly modern, it was also small and overall unimpressive. No dissections, only prossections. The staff and students were neutral at best, and the CHC-based curriculum was definitely not for me. Not located in the liveliest setting. Overall I received mediocre vibes from the school.

Care to expand on this a little?

You do know that we dissect, just not for credit right? Our cadavers don't dissect themselves you know.

I'm most interested in knowing what you mean by the staff and students being neutral at best? Our class is very enthusiastic overall, and we're a close knit bunch. I'm surprised you didn't sense that.

And the CHC's are not part of the curriculum per-se, clinical presentation is the curriculum (which is very similar to KCUMB's genesis curriculum BTW) CHC's are the clinical training grounds.

Anyway, I'm sorry you didn't have the best experience at SOMA. Its' not for everyone, but it's an incredible school for those who can jive with the curriculum and the mission. I can foresee SOMA taking a leading position in the next decade or so, very cutting edge.

 

[dbizzy]

Care to expand on this a little?

You do know that we dissect, just not for credit right? Our cadavers don't dissect themselves you know.

I'm most interested in knowing what you mean by the staff and students being neutral at best? Our class is very enthusiastic overall, and we're a close knit bunch. I'm surprised you didn't sense that.

And the CHC's are not part of the curriculum per-se, clinical presentation is the curriculum (which is very similar to KCUMB's genesis curriculum BTW) CHC's are the clinical training grounds.

Anyway, I'm sorry you didn't have the best experience at SOMA. Its' not for everyone, but it's an incredible school for those who can jive with the curriculum and the mission. I can foresee SOMA taking a leading position in the next decade or so, very cutting edge.

No knock on SOMA at all. I think the CHC training can be a polarizing thing, it's great for some, not so much for others. Obviously, I fall into the latter. I just preferred a more traditional approach.

I actually did get a sense that the students that we talked to were pretty close, but ironically, that's the part that gets me. One year of class bonding and it's off you go to Hawaii, Appalachians, NY, or wherever it is that you end up. I felt sad listening to the students talk about how sad they were going to be, but I can be a bit of a sap.

As far as the staff, I didn't get the best vibes from all of the staff. Certain ones, like the admissions assistant and Tina were great, but others, not quite so much. Again, personal experience.

But you are absolutely right, I think that SOMA can be a great school for those who can handle curriculum layout. Either way, I'm glad you're enjoying your time there and wish you the best.

 

[SLC]

No knock on SOMA at all. I think the CHC training can be a polarizing thing, it's great for some, not so much for others. Obviously, I fall into the latter. I just preferred a more traditional approach.

I actually did get a sense that the students that we talked to were pretty close, but ironically, that's the part that gets me. One year of class bonding and it's off you go to Hawaii, Appalachians, NY, or wherever it is that you end up. I felt sad listening to the students talk about how sad they were going to be, but I can be a bit of a sap.

As far as the staff, I didn't get the best vibes from all of the staff. Certain ones, like the admissions assistant and Tina were great, but others, not quite so much. Again, personal experience.

But you are absolutely right, I think that SOMA can be a great school for those who can handle curriculum layout. Either way, I'm glad you're enjoying your time there and wish you the best.

Good reasons all, again I'm sorry you didn't have as positive experience as one would hope. Best of luck wherever you settle, medical school is difficult, but it's awesome too.

 

[sylvanthus]

Care to expand on this a little?

You do know that we dissect, just not for credit right? Our cadavers don't dissect themselves you know.

I'm most interested in knowing what you mean by the staff and students being neutral at best? Our class is very enthusiastic overall, and we're a close knit bunch. I'm surprised you didn't sense that.

And the CHC's are not part of the curriculum per-se, clinical presentation is the curriculum (which is very similar to KCUMB's genesis curriculum BTW) CHC's are the clinical training grounds.

Anyway, I'm sorry you didn't have the best experience at SOMA. Its' not for everyone, but it's an incredible school for those who can jive with the curriculum and the mission. I can foresee SOMA taking a leading position in the next decade or so, very cutting edge.

I always find it highly amusing when 1st years feel like they can comment on the school's overall curriculum. When you have gone through board studying and clinical rotations, THEN you can comment on the overall quality of your education.

 

[SLC]

I always find it highly amusing when 1st years feel like they can comment on the school's overall curriculum. When you have gone through board studying and clinical rotations, THEN you can comment on the overall quality of your education.

Can I comment based on board scores and the impressions given by my upperclassmen (who have taken the boards and been through the rotations) or is that off limits? Because both strongly indicate that the curriculum here is a strongpoint. And for the rotations, our students are rotating regularly through some of the best hospitals in the area (St. Joe's in PHX, the Barrow Neurological Institute etc.). Not sure why you're so uptight about this?

I'm also enjoying it immensely, so can't you even just take my comments in the context that this is a 1st year's opinion? Where are these rules stored that dictate what opinions are able to be shared and by whom?

I'm sorry you are hating life at your school, but you don't have to take a dump all over the forum because of it.

 

[sylvanthus]

You made a pretty bold statement when you said "I can foresee SOMA taking a leading position in the next decade or so, very cutting edge."

You discounted another person's opinion with little experience to back up your reasoning. Excuse me if I think you should have more experience than 1/2 a year at a program before stating such a high opinion of the curriculum. Also, no, stories from upperclassmen should not be interpreted as fact.

 

[SLC]

You made a pretty bold statement when you said "I can foresee SOMA taking a leading position in the next decade or so, very cutting edge."

You discounted another person's opinion with little experience to back up your reasoning. Excuse me if I think you should have more experience than 1/2 a year at a program before stating such a high opinion of the curriculum. Also, no, stories from upperclassmen should not be interpreted as fact.

Fair enough, you have your opinion I have mine. I can't/won't share yours so where does that leave us? People are free to either accept my opinion or discard it (as you've done). Not sure why that gets up your back so much.

And I didn't discount anyone's opinion, just offered some clarification where I could and asked for some in return. Not because I discounted the opinion, but because I wanted to know the thought process behind it. I care about my school, that probably doesn't compute for you but I do. Nothing more, nothing less.

Not everyone is as defensive as you seem to be, and from the looks of his/her response I don't think dbizzy took my post any way other than the way it was intended. It must be hard living with such a chip on your shoulder?

Either way we're done here.

 

[WDeagle]

In my opinion as a 4th these are the most important things about your future school's facilities:

1. How nice is the gym
2. Places to study
3. Distance from where you study to coffee
4. Distance from where you study to bathroom after you coffee
5. Distance from where you study to OMT table for nap after coffee wears off
6. Distance from where you study to bars after you wake up

 

[Iliketoytles]

In my opinion as a 4th these are the most important things about your future school's facilities:

1. How nice is the gym
2. Places to study
3. Distance from where you study to coffee
4. Distance from where you study to bathroom after you coffee
5. Distance from where you study to OMT table for nap after coffee wears off
6. Distance from where you study to bars after you wake up

Ahah... brilliant.

 

[ravupadh]

I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned UMDNJ SOM yet! That school's facilities are simply remarkable. It isn't just the architecture but the facilities seem like they are very well-maintained. There's a gym with a track loop and a weight room. There are so many rooms for students to study in if they want to be isolated and not disturbed. Every lecture hall has seats with a nearby outlet since everyone basically brings a laptop these days to class. And the library and library staff look friendly and inviting. Compare this to the prison-esque look of RWJ and the old and withered look of NJMS without any of the athletic facilities. I can definitely see why someone would want to go to SOM just because of the school itself alone. The school even lets you do your clerkships in north or central Jersey if your not from the area.

 

[jso89]

School that didn't impress but didn't dissapoint
1. Nova - Great school, great Dean who is passionate about medicine, Nice facilities. Downside just didn't fell like the school had any "soul" (Not the James BRown kind). Just didn't feel like it had the intangibles for me.

I had the exact same thought when I interviewed at Nova. The facilities are great, I thought the Dean clearly cared a lot about medicine and about the students, but for some reason that I just can't put my finger on it did seem a little more impersonal than other places I interviewed. Maybe it's because it's on a big campus and shares the building with so many other students (nursing, pharm, physical therapy). And the other places I visited tended to be smaller which made the community seem more tight knit, and that was a big factor for me. On the other hand if you are someone who would prefer a big school atmosphere then Nova might be a great fit for you so it's all about your preferences.

The admissions counselor at one school put it well when he said that medical schools are about 85% the same and most of the remaining 15% is mostly about personal preference.

 

[DocEspana]

I was actually really impressed with Touro-NYC after my interview earlier today. They treat education very seriously around here!

damn straight.

 

[corpsman33]

I agree with iliketoytles....brilliant, absolutely hillarious

 

[Postal]

In my opinion as a 4th these are the most important things about your future school's facilities:

1. How nice is the gym
2. Places to study
3. Distance from where you study to coffee
4. Distance from where you study to bathroom after you coffee
5. Distance from where you study to OMT table for nap after coffee wears off
6. Distance from where you study to bars after you wake up

Hahahaha....yeesssssss. Spot on

 

[Postal]

I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned UMDNJ SOM yet! That school's facilities are simply remarkable. It isn't just the architecture but the facilities seem like they are very well-maintained. There's a gym with a track loop and a weight room. There are so many rooms for students to study in if they want to be isolated and not disturbed. Every lecture hall has seats with a nearby outlet since everyone basically brings a laptop these days to class. And the library and library staff look friendly and inviting. Compare this to the prison-esque look of RWJ and the old and withered look of NJMS without any of the athletic facilities. I can definitely see why someone would want to go to SOM just because of the school itself alone. The school even lets you do your clerkships in north or central Jersey if your not from the area.

yup!😀

 

[FutureDoctorrrr]

👍👍

I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned UMDNJ SOM yet! That school's facilities are simply remarkable. It isn't just the architecture but the facilities seem like they are very well-maintained. There's a gym with a track loop and a weight room. There are so many rooms for students to study in if they want to be isolated and not disturbed. Every lecture hall has seats with a nearby outlet since everyone basically brings a laptop these days to class. And the library and library staff look friendly and inviting. Compare this to the prison-esque look of RWJ and the old and withered look of NJMS without any of the athletic facilities. I can definitely see why someone would want to go to SOM just because of the school itself alone. The school even lets you do your clerkships in north or central Jersey if your not from the area.

👍👍


^^This^^

 

[help2]

I was most impressed with Western. Obviously, I'm biased about this, but my interview experience was the best- the Dean was friendly and present the entire day, and did his best to talk to each interviewee there. This was the one school where I felt they really wanted me to succeed. On top of that, they had the widest variety of student groups I've seen anywhere. It didn't hurt that they just built a new facility for the DO program, but this was just icing on the cake.

 

[Disimpact22]

VCOM was truly wonderful. I've interviewed at LECOM-B and Western in Pomona.

LECOM-B was far below Western and VCOM. I met students who loved the school and they have an impressive COMLEX rate but there was no fire there for me. Plus the school seemed....hollow. Again just my opinion.

WESTERN: PROS: In California-which is one of the most beautiful and diverse states in the USA; Strong reputation in the Southwest; OMM Fellowship program, rotations and residencies at great urban medical centers.
CONS: Rotations and residencies at urban medical centers-- I'm not a city boy; incredibly expensive especially if you factor living expenses; Dean seemed like a politician (maybe they all are).

Rotations/residencies are ultimately up to you: Getting great board scores, your LOR's, and a number of other intangibles can only come from working your ass off in an environment that inspires you, supports your personal and professional goals and has a mission/philosphy that resonates with your aspirations as a physician.

VCOM: I've been dying to return to California since graduating from Pitzer in Claremont back in 2005 but Western did not resonate or "touch" me the way VCOM did. Western felt hurried, impersonal and generic compared to the intimate feel of VCOM. I wish I loved Western because I love California. In the end VCOM won me over with it's strong focus on rural/underserved/international medicine, the awesome facilities and student support, the truly excited and interested faculty that I met there, the peaceful, natural location, it's integration with the VTech campus and programs, and a host of other things that made me feel enthused and energized for days after the interview.

I KNOW how awesome Western is. I truly do. I prayed (and I don't pray) to get an interview there so I could finally return to Cali. The sites you rotate at are KILLER; the residency placements are top shelf, the support staff at the school is great and there really aren't too many bad things to say about the place except that it's expensive as heck. The rest are subjective complaints: urban, large, has 25%+ of it's lectures piped in from Lebanon, you share some of your lectures with all the other students from all the other colleges (felt crowded).

As much as I wanted to love Western I found myself comparing the school and interview day experiences to VCOM. Western--for me-- felt lacking in substance, mission, focus, and it didn't elicit a positive, energizing "gut" reaction. I have no way to quantify or qualify these feelings except to say that I wouldn't consider Western if it wasn't in California. Board scores/prep, residency and clinical sites are really the only concrete metrics I can think of to measure schools by. If those are similar then you only have your heart to guide you.
At the end of the day I'm probably just another starry eyed pre-OMS who will have the idealism stamped out of him after the first month of classes. Still, I loved VCOM and hope my instincts about the place are right.



PS: There is NO way to go wrong with Western. It will get u the best Osteopathic residencies in the Western United States. Hands down. That's something that I'm still weighing before making any final decisions. If anyone cares to chime in about my post please feel free. IF you are a Western student please don't think I'm trolling.

 

[MrBird]

Western was probably the most impressive for me. Though everyone says PCOM is the best DO school.

 

[cliquesh]

I interviewed at kcumb, azcom, ccom, dmu, pcom and vcom. I thought ccom was the nicest.

 

[aslan]

I interviewed at:
LECOM-E: nice gym, I liked the PBL idea, but the feeling I got from the (non-teacher) faculty was that they really don't care about the students there. The guy that stayed with us throughout the day gave off a "why do I have to do this stupid tour thing again" vibe. Also- those dumb rules seem really annoying. That having been said, LECOM was actually my #1 choice until I got the acceptance call from LMU-DCOM. Everything else about LECOM just seemed to outweigh the negatives.

LECOM-B: Basically the same but without the gym or the bad admin vibe. I connected pretty well with the teachers at both LECOMs. Also LECOM-B is in FL. On the side that doesn't get hit by hurricanes. And within an hour of landing at the airport I was swimming in the ocean with a wild dolphin. That's a heck of a first impression.

ATSU-SOMA: definitely great faculty who seem dedicated to their students, nice facilities, I like the schemes approach (I'm big on innovative curriculum), and the idea of how much hands on training you can get with the CHC thing. What I don't like is how little exposure you get through CHC's. This school can be great for those who are totally on board with the mission- primary care. I don't know where I want to end up and I want to have options open, so that ruled out SOMA for me.

TUNCOM: yes it's in a warehouse in between some car dealerships, but I got a good vibe from the students. I liked the atmosphere, especially their "rich basketball tradition" and all the Jewish holidays, what I don't like is what I've heard about rotations/ residencies in Vegas. My friend's brother is having a bad experience- hopefully that's just him, and not indicative of the community, but I didn't want to risk it.

AZCOM: I liked AZCOM a lot. Beautiful campus, nice tech, very personable staff (teachers and admin), super cool students (the pres of the military club sat with me for almost an hour talking about the pros and cons of HPSP the night before the interview), great cafeteria, and a fantastic feel to the school. The final point that talked me out of it was the price. All said and done I'd be looking at 400k in debt. That's not cool if I decide on primary care.

LMU-DCOM: this is my school.It is perfect for me. It's in a small town in the mountains and by FAR has the most beautiful campus of any school I've ever been to. The faculty (actually everyone I met there including Bob the bus driver) was so nice I almost checked for cameras a few times. During my interview day the dean was meeting with the board of directors of Tennova (a major hospital chain in the South) and there were only 6 of us interviewing due to several people having to cancel and Dean Stowers still stopped in and chatted with us. For 20 minutes. And he brought the Tennova board along with him. They have great facilities, amazing connections throughout the South and ok connections outside of the South for rotations and residencies (inaugural class placed 8 into ortho, 3 of which were created because of DCOM), and the vibe I got was not only a college type but a family feel. Down side is that it is really new. Only one graduated class doesn't show trends. But I feel like this school will become a top tier school quickly. They are invested in their students out there. Also I'm excited to try living in the South. I've done the Southwest, the Northwest, New England (go Pats this Sunday!), and now I want to try something new. So this school is for me.

I hope these comments help.

 

[aslan]

Oh yeah, I also got an interview invite to RVU but I turned them down after I learned they're a for profit school. I don't want to fight 2 negative stereotypes while looking for residencies.

 

[Dr or Bust dr]

I've interviewed at GA-PCOM and DMU. DMU blew GA-PCOM out of the water and about 1,000 miles inland in my opinion. DMU facilities are better than the 2 in-state MD schools I interviewed at (UNC and ECU) and the atmosphere and people seemed spot-on. I fell in love with DMU.

I have an interview scheduled at AZCOM. Anyone care to compare DMU and AZCOM specifically, if you've visited both? I have read other posts that make them both sound great but I was looking for maybe a more direct and in-depth comparison. 10 pages, double spaced, please.

 

[toxicwombat]

You discounted another person's opinion.

Uh, no he didn't.

Now, should you weigh a fourth year's views more heavily than a first year's? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean the first year should refrain from commenting on his/her school in the first place. On the contrary, such insights are very helpful.

 

[Cooperd0g]

CONS: Rotations and residencies at urban medical centers-- I'm not a city boy

Dude, you should have applied to the Northwest campus then. I bet you would have loved it. Not too far from Cali up in Oregon.