Name your top 5 DO Schools (Ignoring Cost)

[JaggerPlate]

Whenever I see these threads, KCOM is never mentioned. Has KCOM's reputation been overstated? Is that why it never appears in these type of threads?

No. It's the original, very well received/known, excellent resources, excellent reputation, etc, etc.

I think KCOM's location is its major downfall when lists such as these arise.

A lot of people feel this way ... but location makes so little difference when you spend 95% of your time staring at lecture packets in a ubiquitous library and the other 5% hanging out with your friends at an inconsequential locale.

I'm originally from a place where multiple 'glamorous' TV shows, movies, reality shows are based ... and don't notice K-Ville 90% of the time because I'm either in my office at home, a lecture hall, the anatomy lab, or the library.

Once you're stuck inside a 3 hour anatomy lab, it doesn't matter if you're in Kirksville, MO or Narnia ... it's still an anatomy lab.

Granted though ... I do think some people put a big emphasis on its locale, and I respect that. You've got to make choices that are right for you.

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[nfsonpowday]

I had a hard time deciding between these schools and at the beginning of the cycle the were all my top choices.

1. AZCOM (curriculum -decided yesterday this is where i am going)
2. WESTERNU-P(location and rep. but not liking the change in curriculum)
3. TOURO-CA (Location, small class size, ECE's)
4. PCOM (Obviously rep. but still haven't received interview -oh well)
5. TOURO-NV (born and raised in Vegas -living expenses = 0 )

I think this is kind of a fun thread -seeing what's important to other people and how they make their decisions is cool!

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

A lot of people feel this way ... but location makes so little difference when you spend 95% of your time staring at lecture packets in a ubiquitous library and the other 5% hanging out with your friends at an inconsequential locale.

I'm originally from a place where multiple 'glamorous' TV shows, movies, reality shows are based ... and don't notice K-Ville 90% of the time because I'm either in my office at home, a lecture hall, the anatomy lab, or the library.

Once you're stuck inside a 3 hour anatomy lab, it doesn't matter if you're in Kirksville, MO or Narnia ... it's still an anatomy lab.

Granted though ... I do think some people put a big emphasis on its locale, and I respect that. You've got to make choices that are right for you.

I would actually agree with you as I'm the type of guy that would be happy in an FP residency in Casper, WY.
My Wife threw down the big veto stamp with an exclamation of "I'm not living in a state named Misery".

Again, I was just pointing out why I don't think it is near the top in polls like these though it doesn't reflect my opinion.

 

[Longshanks]

I'll play along with this High Fidelity themed thread and here are my Top 5 All-Time Osteopathic Medical Schools (based on my humble opinion of rotation sites, location, reputation, where their graduates end up):
PCOM
NYCOM
CCOM
KCOM
TCOM
(for a bonus and honorable mention.. Western or MSU-COM)

 

[JaggerPlate]

Well, I mine as well throw in my .02 as well ...

My vote always goes out for the oldies and the state schools:

KCOM
CCOM
PCOM
DMU
MSU-COM
OSU-COM
TCOM

and any other ones who were either in before Flexnor or receive state funds.

 

[MightyMoose]

Well, I mine as well throw in my .02 as well ...

My vote always goes out for the oldies and the state schools:

KCOM
CCOM
PCOM
DMU
MSU-COM
OSU-COM
TCOM

and any other ones who were either in before Flexnor or receive state funds.

So, I guess KCUMB missed the cut by about 6 years...

I mean damn... Last year alone they matched people into competitive non-fam med specialties at JHU, Mayo, Baylor, University of CO, had ~12 people match Ortho (1 ACGME), 16 match surgery (more ACGME than AOA)... and on and on... But alas, it makes few lists. I don't understand why. Maybe it's because they match too many people into competitive non-fam med specialties...?

 

[megathunder]

So, I guess KCUMB missed the cut by about 6 years...

I mean damn... Last year alone they matched people into competitive non-fam med specialties at JHU, Mayo, Baylor, University of CO, had ~12 people match Ortho (1 ACGME), 16 match surgery (more ACGME than AOA)... and on and on... But alas, it makes few lists. I don't understand why. Maybe it's because they match too many people into competitive non-fam med specialties...?

Man, that's why I say threads like these are pointless. They continue to propagate the biggest problem with these forums - the blind sponsorship of a few schools as being the 'best' just because generations of posters have heard and continued to regurgitate this, most without any firsthand experience through interviews of the aforementioned schools. All hearsay.

I succumbed to the popularity contest bs early as well, but through the interview trail I formed my own opinion and found a lot of what was commonly believed about certain schools (both positive and negative) was straight wrong.

Just ignore them, the feeble-minded will come and take what these people say as gospel and the smart ones will skip and do their own research in real life.

 

[JaggerPlate]

To the above posters ... I didn't purposely leave KCUMB off the list. Like I said 'all others that fall into the categories which I forgot to mention;' even with the recent dean replacement, dual MD/DO controversies, it's hard to argue that KCUMB isn't a solid program. No offense intended.

 

[theone1979]

Man, that's why I say threads like these are pointless. They continue to propagate the biggest problem with these forums - the blind sponsorship of a few schools as being the 'best' just because generations of posters have heard and continued to regurgitate this, most without any firsthand experience through interviews of the aforementioned schools. All hearsay.

I succumbed to the popularity contest bs early as well, but through the interview trail I formed my own opinion and found a lot of what was commonly believed about certain schools (both positive and negative) was straight wrong.

Just ignore them, the feeble-minded will come and take what these people say as gospel and the smart ones will skip and do their own research in real life.

What an absurd post, and arrogant as well!!

What makes you think that the rest of us are unable to perform our due diligence when researching schools?

The majority of us who have responded in this thread have gone through the application and interview process. Do you really think that you are the only one who has thoroughly researched schools and made an informed decision?

If you read through the thread, it is NOT simply filled with the typical PCOM, CCOM, etc.. lists. There is a vast spectrum of answers including those schools which are not traditionally considered "competitive".

As an above poster mentioned, it's interesting to see what schools others have chosen, and their reasons.

 

[MightyMoose]

What an absurd post, and arrogant as well!!

What makes you think that the rest of us are unable to perform our due diligence when researching schools?

The majority of us who have responded in this thread have gone through the application and interview process. Do you really think that you are the only one who has thoroughly researched schools and made an informed decision?

If you read through the thread, it is NOT simply filled with the typical PCOM, CCOM, etc.. lists. There is a vast spectrum of answers including those schools which are not traditionally considered "competitive".

As an above poster mentioned, it's interesting to see what schools others have chosen, and their reasons.

I don't really want to get into it, but Mega is right. SDN is like a big game of telephone, you tell someone something one day and they are stating it as fact the next. I can think of countless examples of this ranging from what practice material to use for the MCAT, how to study for said MCAT, what DO schools are good/bad, requirements for said schools, what to do in your gap year, what not to do... etc. etc...

I have no beef with the thread, but it does propagate common SDNisms.

Just wait until the MCAT and application season really gets going, you'll see exactly what he is talking about. People clueless one day, then the next they know everything, but it's an echo from a post/thread a week before.

 

[theone1979]

I don't really want to get into it, but Mega is right. SDN is like a big game of telephone, you tell someone something one day and they are stating it as fact the next. I can think of countless examples of this ranging from what practice material to use for the MCAT, how to study for said MCAT, what DO schools are good/bad, requirements for said schools, what to do in your gap year, what not to do... etc. etc...

I have no beef with the thread, but it does propagate common SDNisms.

Just wait until the MCAT and application season really gets going, you'll see exactly what he is talking about. People clueless one day, then the next they know everything, but it's an echo from a post/thread a week before.

I would agree with what you are saying if the people posting here had no experience with these schools and were merely rattling off things they have heard second-hand, but that isn't the case for the majority of us.

Most of us here have just gone through the application and interview process and thus have researched and visited many of the schools we are listing.

My list of schools isn't based on reputation or what I have heard others say about the school. I researched the schools, and visited/interviewed at many of them. This is what led me to form my opinions about the schools, not the reputations.

I just dont get why Mega thinks he is the only one who was able to make an informed decision on this subject.

 

[megathunder]

I would agree with what you are saying if the people posting here had no experience with these schools and were merely rattling off things they have heard second-hand, but that isn't the case for the majority of us.

Most of us here have just gone through the application and interview process and thus have researched and visited many of the schools we are listing.

My list of schools isn't based on reputation or what I have heard others say about the school. I researched the schools, and visited/interviewed at many of them. This is what led me to form my opinions about the schools, not the reputations.

I just dont get why Mega thinks he is the only one who was able to make an informed decision on this subject.

Look, I get your sentiment and it's fine. The problem is it's not what ends up transpiring in this thread. You asked for people's 'top 5'. Now first of all the majority of people don't go to more than 5 interviews, so how would they be able to make a distinction of 5 best DO schools when they've only seen 5 or less? What's their reference for the quality of the others? In that case if they just list the 5 they visited what help is that to anyone? What if they didn't like some of those? Then what? Say they only liked 3 that they felt they could put in their top 5, now the remaining 2 are going to be from just what they've heard, right? There continues the cycle.

Unless you've seen all the schools you simply can't pass judgment on what the top ones are, even if it's in your own opinion.

What ends up happening is people don't hear about the lesser talked about ones (like KCUMB) and subconsciously pass judgment on them not being as good or whatnot. That's what happened to me. I never knew KCUMB was going to be as freaking awesome as it was simply because no one here ever talked about it when I was applying and all I got was the rah rah rah about PCOM, CCOM, etc which definitely influenced MY opinion. That's all it is that I don't like. I ended up choosing KCUMB over other schools which showed up more on these lists and I just feel like they're unwarranted and misguiding.

[Edit]Don't get it twisted, I love peoples opinions and insights into schools, just not the whole infatuation behind ranking them and labeling 'bests'. For that a fair consideration of ALL schools is necessary (ie. USNews for MD's, etc).

 

[nfsonpowday]

I don't really want to get into it, but Mega is right. SDN is like a big game of telephone, you tell someone something one day and they are stating it as fact the next. I can think of countless examples of this ranging from what practice material to use for the MCAT, how to study for said MCAT, what DO schools are good/bad, requirements for said schools, what to do in your gap year, what not to do... etc. etc...

I have no beef with the thread, but it does propagate common SDNisms.

Just wait until the MCAT and application season really gets going, you'll see exactly what he is talking about. People clueless one day, then the next they know everything, but it's an echo from a post/thread a week before.

If you don't trust anything anyone else has to say on these threads or you think that people should not rely on things they've heard then what is the point of being a part of SDN?

This is a place for people to share their opinions and experiences. If some people want to take certain statements (like on the MCAT threads) for fact then why not let them -it is ultimately up to the person using another's statement as fact to look it up for themselves. People should be able to share their opionions and experiences and other's reading about them should be adult enough to understand that they are merely other's opinions and experiences.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

If you don't trust anything anyone else has to say on these threads or you think that people should not rely on things they've heard then what is the point of being a part of SDN?

This is a place for people to share their opinions and experiences. If some people want to take certain statements (like on the MCAT threads) for fact then why not let them -it is ultimately up to the person using another's statement as fact to look it up for themselves. People should be able to share their opionions and experiences and other's reading about them should be adult enough to understand that they are merely other's opinions and experiences.

This.

 

[MightyMoose]

If you don't trust anything anyone else has to say on these threads or you think that people should not rely on things they've heard then what is the point of being a part of SDN?

This is a place for people to share their opinions and experiences. If some people want to take certain statements (like on the MCAT threads) for fact then why not let them -it is ultimately up to the person using another's statement as fact to look it up for themselves. People should be able to share their opionions and experiences and other's reading about them should be adult enough to understand that they are merely other's opinions and experiences.

I'm not even sure that you read my post... Who said I don't trust anyone? I merely shared my take about what happens on this forum... Isn't that exactly what you said we should be doing here...

 

[panasonic52]

Basically both things happen:
1) some people only had a couple interviews and filled in the other spots with what they've heard on here. They might have never done the research but are going with the popular vote.
2) some people did a lot of research to pick out which schools they would most like to go to. Although they did the research, it doesn't mean they got interviews to all of their top 5 schools. Even though they didn't get the chance to tour the campus, they might still consider the school a top choice based on their research.

There...all of you guys are right.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Basically both things happen:
1) some people only had a couple interviews and filled in the other spots with what they've heard on here. They might have never done the research but are going with the popular vote.
2) some people did a lot of research to pick out which schools they would most like to go to. Although they did the research, it doesn't mean they got interviews to all of their top 5 schools. Even though they didn't get the chance to tour the campus, they might still consider the school a top choice based on their research.

There...all of you guys are right.

You have a point, if I filled out one of these TCOM would be on the list even though I didn't apply/interview there.

All in all these lists are incredibly subjective, and however people came up with their answers (whether location/tuition/SDN perception) they are only opinions and everyone is entitled to their own.

I've noticed most of these threads always provide the same info, answers across the board coupled with the random peeing contests.

 

[aspiringOSTEO]

1

 

[panasonic52]

You have a point, if I filled out one of these TCOM would be on the list even though I didn't apply/interview there.

All in all these lists are incredibly subjective, and however people came up with their answers (whether location/tuition/SDN perception) they are only opinions and everyone is entitled to their own.

I've noticed most of these threads always provide the same info, answers across the board coupled with the random peeing contests.

Very true. These are just opinions and can't be taken as facts.

 

[Kgizzle]

Very true. These are just opinions and can't be taken as facts.

So its agreed TCOM is the best DO school in the country?

 

[panasonic52]

So its agreed TCOM is the best DO school in the country?

it's the best for me That way I don't have to move