I have several friends at NYMC, most of whom like it, but the other share the same sentiments with the rest of the class and reportedly, that is most students there are there because they're "stuck" with NYMC and had no other choice. I'm not sure if that's an entirely accurate picture of NYMC, but it's a start and it seems to be shared by many NYMC people on the net.
NYMC was founded in New York City as the first women's medical college in this area. Years later NYMC was invited by the town of Valhalla to start a campus in Westchester County, which is fairly close to NYC. As with most institutions, public or private, NYMC eventually fell into financial trouble in the early to late 1970s. To avoid collapse, the Catholic Archdiocese of New York agreed to support NYMC in the hopes of establishing a real Catholic medical school. Today that affiliation with the Catholic church has produced the medical school's affiliation with St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York City (in Greenwich Village, Manhattan). Should NYMC remove itself from the Catholic church, they'll be a more financially independent institution, but more importantly, they'll be religious free. Currently NYMC students do not learn procedures involving the termination of a pregnancy. Unfortunately, I'd assume, if NYMC lost its Catholic affiliation, they'd also lose their affiliation with St. Vincent's, which is their best rotation in Manhattan (the other being at Metropolitan Hospital, which is a tiny, kinda dumpy hospital in Northern Manhattan).
On the whole, I think NYMC is a great school and they've trained many capable and very influential physicians in New York, but with the lack of quality rotations in a good hospital in Manhattan (i.e., St. Vincent's), you might be better off attending another school (if that is an option).
My friends at NYMC tell me about their board pass rate, which is if I remember correctly, 100% and how they actually get that. Apparently NYMC exams are in USMLE form. Some liken an NYMC medical education to a two-year long USMLE review course, but I think that trivializes it. They have the numbers to show their great education, and their residency match list isn't half bad.
Tim of New York City.
[This message has been edited by turtleboard (edited 02-17-2000).]