I am sure that MSUCOM is an excellent school, but I was seriously not feeling that I belonged there. To all of those who absolutely loved it there, congratulations and I wish you the best. Here is just a quick and dirty list as to why I did not like MSUCOM:
1. The student ambassadors were very uneducated about the type of programs at other medical schools, in particular osteopathic schools.
Uneducated and uniformed tour guides could not fill me in on the advantages of going to MSUCOM. Ranking number 4 is great, but I don't just care about a school for its ranking....you better give me a reason as to why your school is great. I tried to compare all schools based on a number of criteria. They did not fill me in on this information even though I asked.
2. When we were given a tour of East Fee Hall (the main builing), we LITERALLY only walked up and down the hallways. I felt extremely deprived that all that I was shown were a few hallways. No offesne, but I could have walked around on my won without a student. All the other schools showes students the classrooms and labs. This school LOCKS up everything, the student tour guides did not have unlimited access to resources such as their OMM lab and anatomy lab like the students at other schools. I can't believe they don't trust their future doctors enough to give them a reasonable amount of access to these resources. Most schools were very open about allowing students access to all types of rooms and resources.
The fact that the school doesn't allow unlimited access to resources such as the OMM and anatomy lab like other schools.
3. When given a tour and encountering their fellow classmates, the people did not even crack a smile or a friendly hello to their classmates or even to the interviewees. At all of the interviews I had been to so far, the students were very friendly to the interviewees even if they did not know the person giving the tour guide. Example: I interviewed at UHS, and while in line at the cafeteria, a student struck up a conversation with me about the school and actually sat down with my interview group DESPITE the fact that he did NOT KNOW my tour guide. Friendliness and a sense of fellowship is what I look for in students. Mainly atmosphere is very important to me. I want to work with people who are excited to be in school and who show that they care about people, and watching students interactions with one another tells me alot obout their own personal philosophy.
Essentially to sum up point three as I ramble on, the atmosphere and the students were very cold and unwelcoming. Basically, everyone here looked like they absolutely HATED life.
4. I was attacked for being from California. I believe all states are equal, and I truly believe it is the different life experiences that makes everyone unique and fascinating. All the people I have encountered from various states (talking to random people at the airport, at dinners, lunches, in shuttles....etc.), have been rather friendly and welcoming. Michigan people were helpful and nice. Just to deviate for a second....I got lost on the way to my hotel from the airport, and I stopped at what looked like a police precinct, but lo and behold....there was a crime scene that I stopped at. Go figure, I interrupted the middle of an arrest as I get out of my car (Just on my defense, there were no flashing lights). The cops were really nice to me despite the fact that I was at a crime scene and gave me great directions.
Summing up point four: I love to ask questions and when I asked the students questions, they pretty much made a few low blows and sarcastic remarks about the fact that I was from California. I did NOT appreciate this at all. I never attacked them for being from Michigan. This was a big turnoff.
5. Opportunities for their rotations are limited, especially if you're like me and want to try out or at least have the option of going through different hospital settings.
Rotations can only be done at the exact same Michigan hospital for two years and goes mostly by lottery.
6. The only people I truly loved when I got there was the great admissions staff, and the professor himself. I know I would have to get along with students, not just the staff in order to succeed. This would be the only advantage to this school. It seems that they have a great staff.
Lack of comraderie among the students is a definite minus.
7. THE TUITION!!!😱 😱 😱 It's almost 70k a YEAR!!! Geez, I'd be paying off this loan up until the day I die. Maybe generations after me would still be working to pay off this kind of debt.
Tuition for out of state is expensive!
I apologize for the long post. For those of you not accustomed to ramblings, I have (for your convenience) inserted a summmary of each point.
Kudos to those who felt that they belonged here, but I felt like a complete outcast, and I do believe as other people have stated before, that you need to go to a school where you feel you fit in. This was obviously not the school for me. This is not meant to insult anyone who goes here or loved the school....like I said, I just did not have a positive experience here and I wasn't feeling the love 🙁