MSUCOM vs LMU-DCOM

[AspiringDO6]

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Its time to make the decision, and am trying to get some feedback from everyone. I want to specialize in primary care later on, so am looking for a school more focused on that, but from my research both of them are. LMU-DCOM was second in the matching category, just behind MSUCOM....I visited DCOM and loved it there, still have to visit MSUCOM though...Now, so far the only thing that seems like the difference factor is the money involved. MSU is more expensive. Is it worth the extra money to choose MSU over DCOM? HELPPP!!!!😱

 

[drgioiadds]

I actually cancelled my DCOM interview when I got accepted to MSU. MSU has been around for a lot longer and I think I 'd prefer living in Michigan than Tennessee. I don't get bent up about board scores and Matching because I think thats up to the student. Also a big factor for me is family. I can drive home in 4.5 - 5 hours from any of the MSU campuses and it would take me around 12 from DCOM.

I did like DCOM's philosophy or I wouldn't have applied, but I couldn't justify going to the interview when I knew I would pick MSU for the above mentioned reasons.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

And if you are OOS for MSU we are talking a ridiculous amount of money. There is no way the MSU tiution is worth so much more especially if you want primary care. This is a no brainer because LMU is a great school. I don't see how any OOS person could choose MSU if they had another acceptance.

 

[rafman]

How much is MSU OOS tuition for 2011-2012, I can't find any recent data?

 

[Dr Yiot]

And if you are OOS for MSU we are talking a ridiculous amount of money. There is no way the MSU tiution is worth so much more especially if you want primary care. This is a no brainer because LMU is a great school. I don't see how any OOS person could choose MSU if they had another acceptance.

If you are oos for msu, then dcom is the way to go. I also cancelled my dcom interview but was waitlisted last year. Dcom is an awsome school. If you live in michigan than I would go with msu. Much more established and the state has a lot of do residencies. But this is just me. Dcom is an awsome school. If you live in michigan its a tough decision. If not its a no brainer

 

[FrkyBgStok]

How much is MSU OOS tuition for 2011-2012, I can't find any recent data?

Maybe someone else can hook up recent data but an accurate estimate is $80k per year.

 

[drgioiadds]

Maybe someone else can hook up recent data but an accurate estimate is $80k per year.

If the OP is Canadian, the tuition is not 80K. Its around 53K which is comparable to AZCOM, CCOM, NOVA and Western.

 

[IDFsoldierboy]

Maybe someone else can hook up recent data but an accurate estimate is $80k per year.

I am an MSU undergrad alum and would have loved to go back to MSU for med school but the OOS tuition is ridiculous and not worth it when stacking it with other well established schools if you only wanna do primary care and are 100% sure about that I would pick the cheapest school you are accepted to
if you even think you might specialize then you would have to look at match lists etc

 

[GlimmerGlass]

If the OP is Canadian, the tuition is not 80K. Its around 53K which is comparable to AZCOM, CCOM, NOVA and Western.

Oh that is nice that they give Canadians a tuition break. Good for you guys!! I had no idea.

 

[drgioiadds]

Oh that is nice that they give Canadians a tuition break. Good for you guys!! I had no idea.

Right now there are about 16 DO's in Canada. MSU started a Canadian Initiative program to give 20 Canadians a tuition break per year for the next few years. If I would have known, I would have applied last year. Its a good deal for Canadians.

 

[doingit9]

Right now there are about 16 DO's in Canada. MSU started a Canadian Initiative program to give 20 Canadians a tuition break per year for the next few years. If I would have known, I would have applied last year. Its a good deal for Canadians.

I hate sounding like a dick (and maybe I am missing their motive) but why would a state school choose to give foreign students cheaper tuition than students from other states. Is there some reason they do not want to take care of fellow americans. Are they trying to recruit better talent (becasue there is few DO and MD schools in Canada) or do they think because Canadians are used to the cold there is a good chance they will stay in Michigan..?? A little confused of why they would do this? I mean I guess its a good idea to get osteopathy started in other countries but is it really in the best interests of citizens to have a state school do this? Sorry I'm a little biased being the one reason I did not apply to MSU was because of their OOS tuition.

 

[p1acebo]

I hate sounding like a dick (and maybe I am missing their motive) but why would a state school choose to give foreign students cheaper tuition than students from other states. Is there some reason they do not want to take care of fellow americans. Are they trying to recruit better talent (becasue there is few DO and MD schools in Canada) or do they think because Canadians are used to the cold there is a good chance they will stay in Michigan..?? A little confused of why they would do this? I mean I guess its a good idea to get osteopathy started in other countries but is it really in the best interests of citizens to have a state school do this? Sorry I'm a little biased being the one reason I did not apply to MSU was because of their OOS tuition.

Are you kidding me? Recruiting Canadians because their weather is similar to ours? Well I really hope your kidding because to be honest that is a pretty dumb statement.

I don't necessarily agree with what our dean is doing, but yes it is to have more of an international foot print. Currently in my class we have other foreign students, and not just from Canada. However, these students are far and few between and I believe that MSUCOM would like to make it's presence more pronounced in another country. It is not about choosing a foreign candidate over an American one just because they are foreign. All of the Canadian students, as well as the other international students, are very qualified to be in medical school (And for the record the "tuition break" doesn't make their deal better than OOS students, it makes it more comparable).

 

[doingit9]

Are you kidding me? Recruiting Canadians because their weather is similar to ours? Well I really hope your kidding because to be honest that is a pretty dumb statement.

I don't necessarily agree with what our dean is doing, but yes it is to have more of an international foot print. Currently in my class we have other foreign students, and not just from Canada. However, these students are far and few between and I believe that MSUCOM would like to make it's presence more pronounced in another country. It is not about choosing a foreign candidate over an American one just because they are foreign. All of the Canadian students, as well as the other international students, are very qualified to be in medical school (And for the record the "tuition break" doesn't make their deal better than OOS students, it makes it more comparable).

Yes, the weather statement was sarcasm...good pick up.

I have no doubt that they are qualified for medical school. It just sucks because it seems they would rather have a foreign student than a domestic one (from a different state). It actually doesn't just seem that way, it is pretty clear that is their intention by the tuition difference and it is just frustrating because I think MSU is a great school and one that I would have been very interested in attending.

 

[p1acebo]

Yes, the weather statement was sarcasm...good pick up.

I have no doubt that they are qualified for medical school. It just sucks because it seems they would rather have a foreign student than a domestic one (from a different state). It actually doesn't just seem that way, it is pretty clear that is their intention by the tuition difference and it is just frustrating because I think MSU is a great school and one that I would have been very interested in attending.

Ya sometimes it is hard to tell what is sarcasm on these threads, what state are you from if you don't mind me asking? Are you from the midwest?

 

[doingit9]

Ya sometimes it is hard to tell what is sarcasm on these threads, what state are you from if you don't mind me asking? Are you from the midwest?

From Illinois, so we do have some good schools here and in the midwest. The one DO school in the state though doesn't help much with in-state tuition so that def. sucks.

 

[fiznat]

You can't compare until you've had the chance to see them both.

It was the interview experience that made up my mind where I was going to go. Give MSU their shot and then figure out what to do with all things considered. THEN make a thread on SDN! 😉

 

[UBCvan]

Yes, the weather statement was sarcasm...good pick up.

I have no doubt that they are qualified for medical school. It just sucks because it seems they would rather have a foreign student than a domestic one (from a different state). It actually doesn't just seem that way, it is pretty clear that is their intention by the tuition difference and it is just frustrating because I think MSU is a great school and one that I would have been very interested in attending.

your asking a valid question: why cheaper tuition for Canadians than Americans? well at first it doesn't make sense, but what MSU is doing is thinking outside the box. here's their logic: Accepting 20 more OOS Americans (and perhaps giving them good scholarships) VS. promoting osteopathic medicine in Canada. Latter sounds more promising for the future of osteopathic medicine in general. It won't be USA vs. the rest of the world, it will now be north america vs. the rest of the world.

You asked why a state school? well I think a state school can only care about things like that and has the ability to think outside the box (or has the resources the do something like this).

PS. most of OOS students who get accepted to MSUCOM get the in-state scholarship which brings the tuition back to what in-state students pay. You can apply, get accepted, and see if you can get the scholarship.

 

[DrMediterranean]

your asking a valid question: why cheaper tuition for Canadians than Americans? well at first it doesn't make sense, but what MSU is doing is thinking outside the box. here's their logic: Accepting 20 more OOS Americans (and perhaps giving them good scholarships) VS. promoting osteopathic medicine in Canada. Latter sounds more promising for the future of osteopathic medicine in general. It won't be USA vs. the rest of the world, it will now be north america vs. the rest of the world.

You asked why a state school? well I think a state school can only care about things like that and has the ability to think outside the box (or has the resources the do something like this).

PS. most of OOS students who get accepted to MSUCOM get the in-state scholarship which brings the tuition back to what in-state students pay. You can apply, get accepted, and see if you can get the scholarship.

I agree with this completely. All the OOS students I know at MSUCOM received a scholarship that brought down their tuition down significantly, pretty much almost as much as in-state tuition. I bet you that these OOS students are paying as much or even less at MSUCOM then they are at private institutions like CCOM, NSUCOM, etc. So why not just apply, get accepted, and speak to the admissions people about the OOS scholarships available.

If anything, in-state students are hurt just as much as OOS students in the sense that less American (IS and OOS) students are matriculating into the school because of the Canadian initiative. You can look at it from this perspective and get upset, but really when you think about it MSUCOM is advancing osteopathic medicine by promoting it in other countries like Canada. MSUCOM is doing all DO's a favor. We should really support Canadian/International initiative and try to promote it at other COMs.

LMU is a great school, you really can't go wrong with either. But I personally like MSUCOM because Michigan has 1/3rd of all DO residencies in the country. You will be doing your clinical rotations at these sites. It will be much easier to rotate at specific sites because you will already be in Michigan and you won't have to travel to another state. Both are stellar schools, if you can get that OOS scholarship and make sure the tuition isn't higher than LMU, then you have a decision to make. But yeah, I agree with the above posters - if the tuition is significantly higher for you don't bother, pick the cheaper school.

 

[drgioiadds]

I hate sounding like a dick (and maybe I am missing their motive) but why would a state school choose to give foreign students cheaper tuition than students from other states. Is there some reason they do not want to take care of fellow americans. Are they trying to recruit better talent (becasue there is few DO and MD schools in Canada) or do they think because Canadians are used to the cold there is a good chance they will stay in Michigan..?? A little confused of why they would do this? I mean I guess its a good idea to get osteopathy started in other countries but is it really in the best interests of citizens to have a state school do this? Sorry I'm a little biased being the one reason I did not apply to MSU was because of their OOS tuition.

Wow. I don't see the problem with promoting DO internationally. It does nothing but promote the profession and increase opportunities for all DO's. I did a search on DO practice and there are a lot of countries that don't recognize DO as = to MD.

Secondly, As far as I know MI borders Ontario at 3 separate locations making it an ideal location for Canadian students who want to return to Canada.

As far as recruiting better talent -- I think thats BS. MSU looks at the entire applicant. I also think LMU DCOM does the same. The only reason I chose not to go to my LMU interview was because I couldn't take time off from a new job and being closer to family was a priority. Other than that I loved what LMU could offer -- especially the rural focus. If you google LMU you will see some good videos of Dr. Leo giving an anatomy lecture. He seems like a great lecturer!

Both LMU and MSU acknowledged my clinical experience as a dentist... a lot of others didn't. I even received an email from LMU with the title Dr. I don't really care about that, but it was nice to see, when other schools told me to retake my MCAT to try and get one point higher. (I'm not joking, one school told me if I had a 26 I'd be more competitive, and did not care that I had 10 years of experience in a clinical setting).

I would have been happy at either school, both were supportive of my application. Ultimately family was my deciding factor.

 

[AspiringDO6]

Thank you everyone for some great thoughts. I am OOS student, and currently on the waitlist for the scholarship, so I guess, that it will be a better bet just to go to the cheaper school. 🙂 I was just worried, that there might be some other significant factor that wasn't in my knowledge that might make me regret my decision 10 years from now. But I feel more comfortable now, and think I know which path to take! 🙂

 

[MTUAST3307]

I agree with the above people that the OOS scholarship seems to be given pretty generously.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that MSU "created" 20 new spots for Canadians...as in the Canadians compete for those 20-25 spots and then everyone else competes for the other 300 bringing the total to the 320 range instead of the usual 300. I could have misunderstood as I honestly wasn't paying too much attention.

 

[SavoirFaire]

MSU hands down. It has a much better reputation and has been around much longer. I interviewed at LMU-DCOM and was not all that impressed after seeing other schools. Besides Harrogate is in a dry county. That freaked me out by itself. What do people do out there for FUN?

 

[DrWily]

MSU hands down. It has a much better reputation and has been around much longer. I interviewed at LMU-DCOM and was not all that impressed after seeing other schools. Besides Harrogate is in a dry county. That freaked me out by itself. What do people do out there for FUN?

The other 2 out of the 3: Sex and Drugs.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Lots of fun stuff can happen without alcohol. Like.......well.......I can't think of anything but I am sure there are some things. Miniature golf? Movies? How rural of a place is it?

 

[ManBroDude]

I've always been fascinated by dry counties since I saw the PBS documentary Prohibition. I bet chew and tobacco are totally legal there, though, right? 🙄

 

[fiznat]

It isn't completely dry. I believe the locals refer to it as "moist." Basically you can get beer and wine without much problem, but for hard liquor you need to take a little drive (40 mins). DCOM is in a pretty rural location, true, but there is enough "entertainment" to get by. You may have heard already that medical school is pretty time-intensive as it is....

 

[Styria]

MSU hands down. It has a much better reputation and has been around much longer. I interviewed at LMU-DCOM and was not all that impressed after seeing other schools. Besides Harrogate is in a dry county. That freaked me out by itself. What do people do out there for FUN?

It's not a dry county. There are two bars within walking distance of the student apartments. The Oasis (pizza place) has beer too. Beer and wine are available 2 miles away in Virginia.

 

[poopyhead]

MSU hands down. It has a much better reputation and has been around much longer.

+1 👍

 

[Dr Yiot]

Gotta stick up for lmu even though I turned them down. Area is rural but beautifu?. There is plenty to do still if your into outdoor activities. Great up and coming school. That said I was waitlisted last year and my interviewer was a complete d bag. Just thought he made his decision even before he interviewed me. If I was in the OP position I would choose MSU if I had the oos scholarship. Just bc of it bieng in michigan and a very established school with connections and alumni etc. Lmu is a great school and will be an elite DO school very soon. Don't mock the area till your there. That was the most difficult thing for me to say no to the school about was facilities and area.

 

[DO1987]

Gotta stick up for lmu even though I turned them down. Area is rural but beautifu?. There is plenty to do still if your into outdoor activities. Great up and coming school. That said I was waitlisted last year and my interviewer was a complete d bag. Just thought he made his decision even before he interviewed me. If I was in the OP position I would choose MSU if I had the oos scholarship. Just bc of it bieng in michigan and a very established school with connections and alumni etc. Lmu is a great school and will be an elite DO school very soon. Don't mock the area till your there. That was the most difficult thing for me to say no to the school about was facilities and area.

What were your stats if you dont mind me asking?

 

[manubrium]

Gotta stick up for lmu even though I turned them down. Area is rural but beautifu?. There is plenty to do still if your into outdoor activities.

agree w/ you about the natural beauty. i used to spend summers in tenn. eastern tenn beats michigan anyday in my book.

 

[Total180]

agree w/ you about the natural beauty. i used to spend summers in tenn. eastern tenn beats michigan anyday in my book.

Agreed, sometimes when we have to go into school really early, and the sun is just coming up over the mountains, and the fog is still settled into the lower parts of the town I seriously feel like it is too beautiful to be real...like it's a backdrop or something, and it just gives me this really wonderful serene-like feeling.

Dr. Yiot, I am so sorry you had a bad experience with your interviewer....it is such a shame that some interviewers put on their "mean" faces for interviews. That was how my interview for KCUMB was, and it just totally put a bad taste in my mouth about the whole school. I am curious about who it was though...because all the professors I have had so far are amazing, and I couldn't see any of them making a decision without giving an applicant a fair chance. I wish you had had a better experience, because I know you were looking forward to it, but I am glad you got in somewhere you like this year!

 

[musikmonk]

MSUCOM has a better reputation, especially if you venture out into the allopathic world later for residency/fellowship.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

Man, it's pretty cool to see people on here already defending DCOM as a "great school" when it only just graduated its first class last May. It makes me confident that I made the right decision to pursue being accepted here. I truly believe that in the next 10-20 years, this will be THE school to fight for. If you are interested in family med, this truly is an excellent place for you. I have nothing against MSU, but being in a rural focused program will get you all the exposure to family med, community hospitals etc that you could ever dream of honestly.

Wow. I don't see the problem with promoting DO internationally. It does nothing but promote the profession and increase opportunities for all DO's. I did a search on DO practice and there are a lot of countries that don't recognize DO as = to MD.

Secondly, As far as I know MI borders Ontario at 3 separate locations making it an ideal location for Canadian students who want to return to Canada.

As far as recruiting better talent -- I think thats BS. MSU looks at the entire applicant. I also think LMU DCOM does the same. The only reason I chose not to go to my LMU interview was because I couldn't take time off from a new job and being closer to family was a priority. Other than that I loved what LMU could offer -- especially the rural focus. If you google LMU you will see some good videos of Dr. Leo giving an anatomy lecture. He seems like a great lecturer!

Both LMU and MSU acknowledged my clinical experience as a dentist... a lot of others didn't. I even received an email from LMU with the title Dr. I don't really care about that, but it was nice to see, when other schools told me to retake my MCAT to try and get one point higher. (I'm not joking, one school told me if I had a 26 I'd be more competitive, and did not care that I had 10 years of experience in a clinical setting).

I would have been happy at either school, both were supportive of my application. Ultimately family was my deciding factor.

Dr. Leo IS a great lecturer! We have a solid faculty with few exceptions.

MSU hands down. It has a much better reputation and has been around much longer. I interviewed at LMU-DCOM and was not all that impressed after seeing other schools. Besides Harrogate is in a dry county. That freaked me out by itself. What do people do out there for FUN?

Lots of fun stuff can happen without alcohol. Like.......well.......I can't think of anything but I am sure there are some things. Miniature golf? Movies? How rural of a place is it?

There is a small movie theater...they only have 4 movies or so at a time, but they are recent releases and it's like 3 bucks to see one. If that's not a perk for poor med students, I don't know what is.

There's a bowling alley if you're into that.

Shopping is very limited, but you have a JCP and Belk if you need basics.

There is always something going on at school too....we have lots and lots of clubs with lots and lots of activities. There's always a volunteer opportunity or community activity to get involved in. Trust me, there are days I wonder how I've possibly gotten myself committed to so many things.

To be honest...students DO get stir crazy here. However, it's just really not an issue for most. Post exam there's nearly always a party at someone's house or a big group of students down at the local bar. If not, Knoxville is only an hour away (many students, myself included, choose to just live there). When I hear people get hung up on things to do, I have to laugh just a little. Even though living in a city would be nice for LMU students, there's just really not enough time to enjoy it.