NSU vs PCOM

[lykyamy00]

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Hey guys! So the only threads of this topic i could find were super old (5 years!).

Im accepted to NSU and interviewing at PCOM philly in like 10 days. I know both are big and reputable. i've seen nsu's match list and cannot find pcoms at all which concerns me. i live in NY so in state tuition to either doesnt apply to me.

Can you guys give me your opinions on which school is better/worse in regards to teachers, requirements, boards, rotation sites, match lists ( i know this is a crude way of saying that lol but i'm having a hard time finding any detailed information on PCOMs site) but i really would like to hear what people who have been to both think! THANKS!

 

[common man]

http://www.pcom.edu/student_life/student_affairs_main/match_2010_phl.html

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

Hey guys! So the only threads of this topic i could find were super old (5 years!).

Im accepted to NSU and interviewing at PCOM philly in like 10 days. I know both are big and reputable. i've seen nsu's match list and cannot find pcoms at all which concerns me. i live in NY so in state tuition to either doesnt apply to me.

Can you guys give me your opinions on which school is better/worse in regards to teachers, requirements, boards, rotation sites, match lists ( i know this is a crude way of saying that lol but i'm having a hard time finding any detailed information on PCOMs site) but i really would like to hear what people who have been to both think! THANKS!

google is your friend. i've found about 5 of PCOM's matchlists.

 

[willen101383]

^^ Yeah really OP. Like the last few years of PCOM MLs can be found very easily. But anyways...our website sucks IMO and it needs to be taken into the 21st century. It just doesnt look smooth and streamlined to me.

Anyways...there is no in state/ out of state tuition for PCOM anyway. Both are good schools. Depends what situation you like. I interviewed at NSU 2 years ago but ended up getting a WL...and then ended up at PCOM last year. Do you want a university setting with lots of undergrads running amok? PCOM only has graduate level students...which I personally really like. You are a NYer (like me formerly)...do you want to stay in the NE...or have to fly home? I grew up and went to undergrad in NY...and its only 3.75 hours from where I live just outside of Philly to Albany where I grew up. Not that i go more than once or twice a year..but its nice to be in striking distance should the need arise.

PCOM Phl has some good rotation sites too. Checkout NSUs and compare. Match lists dont really mean quite as much...because if zero people wanted a specialty...there would be zero matches...thus misleading the premed trying to interpret the info. Should you have any PCOM related questions dont hesitate to PM me or whatever.

 

[lykyamy00]

i would like to resurrect this thread! i have no been accepted to both and need to make a decision immediately. i know that both have early clinical exposure. nsu has preceptorships and a practicum and it seems that pcom has standardized patients and classes for h&p. it seems they both have a good ammout of clinical experience in the first two years. so i've heard that nova has better core clinical rotation sites and i've talked to a pcom student who said they have good ones but mostly rural... can anyone comment on the core sites at each school? i've been looking at hospital websites, but they hardly speak about the kind of teaching experiene they offer to medical students (at least from a student's perspective).

any info would def help my decision! thanks guys!!

 

[HH Holmes]

aaaaaaaaaa

 

[munchymanRX]

Hey guys! So the only threads of this topic i could find were super old (5 years!).

Im accepted to NSU and interviewing at PCOM philly in like 10 days. I know both are big and reputable. i've seen nsu's match list and cannot find pcoms at all which concerns me. i live in NY so in state tuition to either doesnt apply to me.

Can you guys give me your opinions on which school is better/worse in regards to teachers, requirements, boards, rotation sites, match lists ( i know this is a crude way of saying that lol but i'm having a hard time finding any detailed information on PCOMs site) but i really would like to hear what people who have been to both think! THANKS!

This is a tough call. Both schools have phenomenal rotations and great board scores. PCOM has a better match list, but NSU's ain't too shabby either.

One thing nova has going against it is the rural rotation requirement during your 4th year, which may or may not fall in the timeframe when you'll want to be doing audition rotations for residency programs. Far as I know PCOM doesn't have that.

I hear bad things about NSU's M1 faculty, but the M2 faculty is supposed to be out of this world. Ho hum.

If I were you I'd probably go PCOM. It's cold though... 🙄

 

[lykyamy00]

This is a tough call. Both schools have phenomenal rotations and great board scores. PCOM has a better match list, but NSU's ain't too shabby either.

One thing nova has going against it is the rural rotation requirement during your 4th year, which may or may not fall in the timeframe when you'll want to be doing audition rotations for residency programs. Far as I know PCOM doesn't have that.

I hear bad things about NSU's M1 faculty, but the M2 faculty is supposed to be out of this world. Ho hum.

If I were you I'd probably go PCOM. It's cold though... 🙄

and you chose nsucom why?? lol and i thought that one month of rurual could be done whenever where ever and the other 2 were during third year?

 

[willthethrill]

I believe PCOM has a rural rotation requirement too. You have to rotate through one of their rural health care centers. I don't think it's as long as NSU's, but still I wouldn't base your decision off this because PCOM requires you to do a Rural medicine rotation too.


I think it comes down to weather and your choice of environement. Do you want busy philly...very urban, kind of old school, cheese steaks versus the modern busyness of metro mia/fll, close to beach, sunny. Both are pretty attractive, but turning down that Florida sun would be difficult...unfortunately Nova wasn't interested in me, if they had been, I'd be there!

 

[munchymanRX]

and you chose nsucom why?? lol and i thought that one month of rurual could be done whenever where ever and the other 2 were during third year?

The scheduling of rural during your 4th year is random. You have no say over when it occurs. If it happens in Sept-Oct of your 4th year, you're boned.

I chose nsu because I loved the school, the resources available, and the stellar rotation sites. It's all about where I'm happy and what makes me into the best physician.

I didn't even apply to PCOM. No interest in going there. I'm just saying that given the choices of the OP and the information given, that's what I would have done.

 

[Sinfest]

The scheduling of rural during your 4th year is random. You have no say over when it occurs. If it happens in Sept-Oct of your 4th year, you're boned.

I chose nsu because I loved the school, the resources available, and the stellar rotation sites. It's all about where I'm happy and what makes me into the best physician.

I didn't even apply to PCOM. No interest in going there. I'm just saying that given the choices of the OP and the information given, that's what I would have done.

Agree

NSU is an absolutely amazing school, so you can't go wrong with either. With that said the lack of 3rd year electives and mandatory 3-month rural med rotation (which could begin September or October of 4th year as Munchy said) are what swayed me from attending.

 

[DrMaximus]

The scheduling of rural during your 4th year is random. You have no say over when it occurs. If it happens in Sept-Oct of your 4th year, you're boned.

I chose nsu because I loved the school, the resources available, and the stellar rotation sites. It's all about where I'm happy and what makes me into the best physician.

I didn't even apply to PCOM. No interest in going there. I'm just saying that given the choices of the OP and the information given, that's what I would have done.

Just out of curiosity, why is this bad?

If this sounds stupid, I'm sorry but I really don't know...

I really want to go to NSU.

 

[Iswhatis]

How did you choose where to go to undergrad? Did Dad choose for you?

I find these school X vs. school Y threads ridiculous. You're going to be a doctor. It's time to make some difficult decisions on your own.

 

[Bacchus]

PCOM requires a rural rotation. You don't have an absolute say when it occurs either.

 

[Sinfest]

How did you choose where to go to undergrad? Did Dad choose for you?

I find these school X vs. school Y threads ridiculous. You're going to be a doctor. It's time to make some difficult decisions on your own.

It's nice to have some input from those with more experience 🙄

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Just out of curiosity, why is this bad?

If this sounds stupid, I'm sorry but I really don't know...

I really want to go to NSU.

4th year Sept-Oct is during the time you are scheduling away rotations in your desired specialty at possibly your desired residency location. I'm not sure, but I think those 2 or 3 audition rotations start july of 4th year and end around october, which is when you'd place your residency app. So if you have to do a rural around that time, you could be at a disadvantage.

However, I think I've read somewhere on these forums that one person from nsu used an EM rotation at cook county as their rural requirement. Not sure if I remember wrong or if it was an isolated case, but that'd be pretty cool.

 

[lykyamy00]

so it seems to me that curriculum wise the major major differences are

-nsu has a preceptorship that is required starting first year---> taking what we learn in class and getting to apply it to REAL patients immediately
-pcom has 2 months rural requirement, nsu has 3
-i think nsu is requiring spanish???
-maybe pcom has more elective time 3 and 4 year?? not too sure about this one, neither school has a great layout of the requirements for those years that i can find.
-i have heard that nsu com has better hospitals for core rotations, but i've also heard that pcom has better? i know pcom doesnt really rotate through the major university/center city hospitals. perhaps they are both good???

some nsu negatives - dress code (not a deal breaker), attendance policy (i'm a class goer anyway and if i cant stay i guess you can swipe and go? also not a big deal), few online resources (ie powerpoints, lecture videos)?
pcom neg - only 4 standardized patients first year no interaction with real patients? (a bigger deal to me than clothes and attendance since i plan to go to most classes anyway)

so i'm totally torn because my boyfriend lives in philly and goes to drexel med but i looooooved nsu when i visited. atmosphere is a huge thing for me and i just felt like i belonged there. plus there is sun and beach and everyone was so happy. did not get that feeling at pcom but i can get the education and see my bf even if i dislike philly and snow and perhaps the school's atmosphere? its not as if i didnt like pcom, i just didnt get the same 'i belong at this school' feeling that i did when i was at nsu.

sorry for the rambling! i know some of you think that asking others for advice is dumb but for me this is a terribly hard decision and i truly appreciate all the help i can get! i just want all of the facts before i make this decision because literally this is life altering!

 

[munchymanRX]

so it seems to me that curriculum wise the major major differences are

-nsu has a preceptorship that is required starting first year---> taking what we learn in class and getting to apply it to REAL patients immediately
-pcom has 2 months rural requirement, nsu has 3
-i think nsu is requiring spanish???
-maybe pcom has more elective time 3 and 4 year?? not too sure about this one, neither school has a great layout of the requirements for those years that i can find.
-i have heard that nsu com has better hospitals for core rotations, but i've also heard that pcom has better? i know pcom doesnt really rotate through the major university/center city hospitals. perhaps they are both good???

some nsu negatives - dress code (not a deal breaker), attendance policy (i'm a class goer anyway and if i cant stay i guess you can swipe and go? also not a big deal), few online resources (ie powerpoints, lecture videos)?
pcom neg - only 4 standardized patients first year no interaction with real patients? (a bigger deal to me than clothes and attendance since i plan to go to most classes anyway)

so i'm totally torn because my boyfriend lives in philly and goes to drexel med but i looooooved nsu when i visited. atmosphere is a huge thing for me and i just felt like i belonged there. plus there is sun and beach and everyone was so happy. did not get that feeling at pcom but i can get the education and see my bf even if i dislike philly and snow and perhaps the school's atmosphere? its not as if i didnt like pcom, i just didnt get the same 'i belong at this school' feeling that i did when i was at nsu.

sorry for the rambling! i know some of you think that asking others for advice is dumb but for me this is a terribly hard decision and i truly appreciate all the help i can get! i just want all of the facts before i make this decision because literally this is life altering!

I'll answer these point by point:

-NSU does indeed have a preceptorship starting first year, and you're taking histories and performing physicals on real patients by the time you're in your second semester.

-NSU has 3 months rural rotation requirement, 2 set for you and 1 elective.

-Spanish varies between optional and required from year to year. For my class I believe it's optional. I don't consider it a bad thing though-the more patients I can communicate with, the better.

-Both PCOM and NSU have awesome hospitals for their core rotations. It's a matter of preference as to what setting you prefer. Keep in mind that the NSU rotation sites do tend to service a slightly older patient base. It is florida, after all.

-There are ways around the attendance policy and dress code. I hear it's only really enforced if you have crap grades, anyway.

 

[HH Holmes]

aaaaaaa

 

[Bacchus]

Thats a moot point bc the bodies arent saturated with students at PCOM. 5-6 students per body. Regardless, only so many people can look in a cranial vault at one time or the pelvic girdle among other things.

 

[munchymanRX]

It looks like you know a lot about the intricacies of NSU-COM... I was supposed to meet with an M2 during my BS/DO interview but he was not around. What is the dress code? Shirt and tie, or can you wear scrubs (aka the most comfortable things on earth)? Is the jacket required (I feel like I would get it very dirty)...

And yeah, the old person thing had me concerned but big hospitals like Broward General and Mt. Sinai have so many beds that I am sure there are plenty of youngin's to treat as well.

This is a serious question that I think people might misconstrue, but do more elderly people who are close to death mean more autopsies and possible cadavers for students? I mean, I know local bodies donated to science don't always stay local, but I've always wondered and haven't had the b*lls to say anything to anyone at NSU because they'd think I'm a total freak haha.

Dress code is business casual or scrubs. However, most people get away with scrub bottoms and a T-shirt. For preceptorship and meetings with the dean, you will of course have to dress in business attire with your consultation coat. They will throw you out of exams if you are not properly dressed. It's really not a big deal--I saw students walking around in flip flops. Wash your coat every week or two and it won't be an issue.

The way cadavers work at medical school is that each student is assigned a couple cadavers over the course of their preclinical years. The school gets a set amount each year. You don't get any more. More people dying in an area doesn't mean more cadavers for medical students. I think we get 2 at NSU, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[HH Holmes]

Dress code is business casual or scrubs. However, most people get away with scrub bottoms and a T-shirt. For preceptorship and meetings with the dean, you will of course have to dress in business attire with your consultation coat. They will throw you out of exams if you are not properly dressed. It's really not a big deal--I saw students walking around in flip flops. Wash your coat every week or two and it won't be an issue.

The way cadavers work at medical school is that each student is assigned a couple cadavers over the course of their preclinical years. The school gets a set amount each year. You don't get any more. More people dying in an area doesn't mean more cadavers for medical students. I think we get 2 at NSU, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

That's what I figured... Just a thought that popped into my head, though.

 

[EmmaNemma]

Nova.

 

[ND10]

Pcom

 

[willen101383]

Warm climate and beaches and being at a large university with undergrads etc vs arguably one of the best medical cities in the country, with 4 other allo schools, with visiting professors from these other schools, and only graduate students in a smaller campus setting. PCOM is also highly regarded in Philly and with the other allo schools right next door that is really important in terms of networking/advancing the DO degree etc.

Which is more important to you?

 

[Dr Yiot]

this is a very difficult decision. me personally I would go with nova but it would be hard to do because pcom is incredible. man. good luck

 

[AMEHigh]

so it seems to me that curriculum wise the major major differences are

-nsu has a preceptorship that is required starting first year---> taking what we learn in class and getting to apply it to REAL patients immediately
-pcom has 2 months rural requirement, nsu has 3
-i think nsu is requiring spanish???
-maybe pcom has more elective time 3 and 4 year?? not too sure about this one, neither school has a great layout of the requirements for those years that i can find.
-i have heard that nsu com has better hospitals for core rotations, but i've also heard that pcom has better? i know pcom doesnt really rotate through the major university/center city hospitals. perhaps they are both good???

some nsu negatives - dress code (not a deal breaker), attendance policy (i'm a class goer anyway and if i cant stay i guess you can swipe and go? also not a big deal), few online resources (ie powerpoints, lecture videos)?
pcom neg - only 4 standardized patients first year no interaction with real patients? (a bigger deal to me than clothes and attendance since i plan to go to most classes anyway)

so i'm totally torn because my boyfriend lives in philly and goes to drexel med but i looooooved nsu when i visited. atmosphere is a huge thing for me and i just felt like i belonged there. plus there is sun and beach and everyone was so happy. did not get that feeling at pcom but i can get the education and see my bf even if i dislike philly and snow and perhaps the school's atmosphere? its not as if i didnt like pcom, i just didnt get the same 'i belong at this school' feeling that i did when i was at nsu.

sorry for the rambling! i know some of you think that asking others for advice is dumb but for me this is a terribly hard decision and i truly appreciate all the help i can get! i just want all of the facts before i make this decision because literally this is life altering!

At PCOM we have 2 electives 3rd year (IM selective and a general elective).

There are a wide variety of places to rotate through and some of them are major medical centers. Not necessarily the major university ones, but they aren't all community hospitals if that's what you were thinking. We rotate alongside students from the other med schools here (Penn, Jeff, Temple, Drexel). Also, there are electives in which you can rotate at the major university hospitals if you wanted. I think it's a great resource to have all of these med schools and great physicians in this city as a student.

In 4th year there are a million electives (sorry too lazy to go into my email and look at the exact number), so you will have the chance to get exposed to different areas. I know for a fact that I have 3 electives in the fall and several more in the spring.

Good luck!

 

[DarkHorizon]

so it seems to me that curriculum wise the major major differences are

-nsu has a preceptorship that is required starting first year---> taking what we learn in class and getting to apply it to REAL patients immediately
-pcom has 2 months rural requirement, nsu has 3
-i think nsu is requiring spanish???
-maybe pcom has more elective time 3 and 4 year?? not too sure about this one, neither school has a great layout of the requirements for those years that i can find.
-i have heard that nsu com has better hospitals for core rotations, but i've also heard that pcom has better? i know pcom doesnt really rotate through the major university/center city hospitals. perhaps they are both good???

some nsu negatives - dress code (not a deal breaker), attendance policy (i'm a class goer anyway and if i cant stay i guess you can swipe and go? also not a big deal), few online resources (ie powerpoints, lecture videos)?
pcom neg - only 4 standardized patients first year no interaction with real patients? (a bigger deal to me than clothes and attendance since i plan to go to most classes anyway)

so i'm totally torn because my boyfriend lives in philly and goes to drexel med but i looooooved nsu when i visited. atmosphere is a huge thing for me and i just felt like i belonged there. plus there is sun and beach and everyone was so happy. did not get that feeling at pcom but i can get the education and see my bf even if i dislike philly and snow and perhaps the school's atmosphere? its not as if i didnt like pcom, i just didnt get the same 'i belong at this school' feeling that i did when i was at nsu.

sorry for the rambling! i know some of you think that asking others for advice is dumb but for me this is a terribly hard decision and i truly appreciate all the help i can get! i just want all of the facts before i make this decision because literally this is life altering!

I am a soon to be M3 at NSU. Dress code is scrubs, which isn't really a dress code, I rather wear scrubs than jeans and a tshirt. My attendance over the past 2 years was probably just under 5%. Both the dress code and attendance policy are not enforced at all, I have shown up to mandatory sessions in shorts, I kid you not. You shouldn't worry about atteendace and dress code at all.

I would however worry about scheduling of rural rotations and a significant tuition rise that just happened. OOS tuition for next year will almost be 45k. When I started, just a couple of years ago, it was 39k. Also, your BF is in philly and if it's serious, I would definitely go to PCOM. Long distance relationships in med school are extremely stressful and most likely end in break ups.

Edit: Online resources are ample, almost every lecture was recorded outside of cardiophys druing M1 year. Almost every lecture was recorded in M2 year. You will have access to all the powerpoints, either in hardcopy or softcopy. Exams will only cover material that is in the lecture notes, any factoid mentioned by the lecturer outside the classnotes is FYI.

Edit #2: I can't judge the quality of rotations yet at NSU, however we're affliated with a huge county hospital, Broward General Medical center. Rotation sites are assigned based on lottery. To give you more of an idea, my class has around 234 people+last year's research and OPP fellows. That brought our class to around 244 or so. 10 students were then picked for OPP fellowship and research fellowship, so it brought the number again to 234. Around 20 out of 234 took OOS rotation sites (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and New York). These 20 were taken out of the lottery, also last year's fellows got the first dibs on rotation sites so they picked which ever site they wanted. Therefore, only 204 students went into the lottery. There were 8 South Florida hospitals (this includes Dade/Broward/Palm beach county). By far the most popular choice was Memorial Hospital supposedly because it pretty cush. Also popular was Mt. Sinai in Miami Beach, where you will train with University of Miami students. However, Broward General Hospital had the most spots and didn't fill until 194/204. So if you wanted to train at a large tertiary urban county hospital, you had a greater than 95% chance of getting that rotation site.

 

[lykyamy00]

a helpful almost nsu alum said i could share the information he shared with me! i hope other people can benefit from this too!

1. No electives in 3rd year at NSU. 3rd year is meant to teach you clinical basics of common diseases in all disciplines. There really isn't a need for an elective in the 3rd year. The only reason it would be nice to have is if you were thinking of pursuing a random field like ophtho and wanted to see what its like before taking the leap. This is the same reason you don't need a huge academic teaching hospital with "tons of pathology" your 3rd year. You need to learn the basics of DM, HTN, etc.

2. 5-6 electives in 4th year, depending on whether you take a board study month + vacation or just vacation. Thats plenty of elective time. Rurals - 2(assigned months + location - no say by you) + 1(elective rural). the elective rural is really just an elective. I did Surgery in NYC as mine, almost anything gets approved. The 2 assigned months can make your life stressful if you get Sept/Oct because those are prime audition months. However, although it was big deal initially, all the students that had that ended up matching just fine and still had time for auditions. They just had to get more creative. Mine fell Nov/Dec which was awesome because it was during interview season and I didn't have to worry leaving my important electives for interviews.

3. Preceptorship.. Did you have Pre-med clinical experience? If no, then yes, invaluable. It's also hit or miss, and mostly dependent on how much effort you want to put into it. Some people just showed up to get the credit and it was pretty worthless, others had an incredible experience applying the knowledge as they gained it.

4. Boards - Yes, although this is a lot more independent learning then based on school/curriculum. I did VERY well on my boards.

5. Research - Yes, I have published 3 papers, 2 posters, and 1 oral presentation at a conference during my time here. Most people couldn't care less about doing research, but if you are interested there are opportunities. If you have any interest in surgery and end up at NSU then PM me again and I'll try to hook you up with a great mentor at Broward General MC.

6. Yes, I recommend NSU to anyone who asks. Are there similar/better schools? Maybe. I'm not sure. I know a bunch that I deem much inferior. In the end you'll end up a great doc anywhere if you work hard enough. I loved coming to NSU and I intend to stay a part of the NSU community. I even hope to come back as a surgery attending at Broward General.

Hope this helped and good luck. Remember take every opinion as an opinion. Everyone's perspective is a bit different.

 

[gatorfann14]

Philly>>>>>Davie/Plantation

 

[Kuba]

Philly>>>>>Davie/Plantation

apples to apples, dear. It's either Wynnefield Heights vs Davie, or Philly vs. Fort Lauderdale. And personally, Davie>Wynnefield Heights, FLL>PHL.

 

[fluffy0]

apples to apples, dear. It's either Wynnefield Heights vs Davie, or Philly vs. Fort Lauderdale. And personally, Davie>Wynnefield Heights, FLL>PHL.

I agree. Location is nothing but a personal preference. To make blanket statements saying one is better than the other is dumb. All large cities are similar in their foundations...large amounts of people living in a concentrated area with varied backgrounds/lifestyles/economics etc. The differences between these two cities is climate....obviously...age...phily=old and historic with modern twists while FLL is mostly modern, on the beach, close to Miami. So I wouldn't call one city better than the other. Both schools are outside the city center with PCOM on City Ave and Nova in Davie. Both will provide the opportunity to do well and become competent physicians. Nova is a big school, the 6th largest private university in the country...so with that comes alot of benefits associated with a large school...but at the same time there are drawbacks. PCOM is a small school and strictly graduate level...pros are special attention of being a med student and a professional atmosphere....drawbacks, little campus, not many perks of an undergraduate campus.

So basically I would say it is a draw. Being a North-easterner...I would go to Nova in a heartbeat...the winters get old up here, and while Philly typically has a fairly mild winter compared to the rest of the NE, the last few years have been pretty bad. Both schools provide great rotations that will give you access to a variety of patients. So basically it is a draw! Both of these schools are top tier DO colleges, so basically it comes down to where you can see yourself and personal preferences as there is no jarring difference between the schools that would make me pick one over the other...besides the Florida sun and proximity to a gorgeous beach!

 

[willen101383]

I agree. Location is nothing but a personal preference. To make blanket statements saying one is better than the other is dumb. All large cities are similar in their foundations...large amounts of people living in a concentrated area with varied backgrounds/lifestyles/economics etc. The differences between these two cities is climate....obviously...age...phily=old and historic with modern twists while FLL is mostly modern, on the beach, close to Miami. So I wouldn't call one city better than the other. Both schools are outside the city center with PCOM on City Ave and Nova in Davie. Both will provide the opportunity to do well and become competent physicians. Nova is a big school, the 6th largest private university in the country...so with that comes alot of benefits associated with a large school...but at the same time there are drawbacks. PCOM is a small school and strictly graduate level...pros are special attention of being a med student and a professional atmosphere....drawbacks, little campus, not many perks of an undergraduate campus.

So basically I would say it is a draw. Being a North-easterner...I would go to Nova in a heartbeat...the winters get old up here, and while Philly typically has a fairly mild winter compared to the rest of the NE, the last few years have been pretty bad. Both schools provide great rotations that will give you access to a variety of patients. So basically it is a draw! Both of these schools are top tier DO colleges, so basically it comes down to where you can see yourself and personal preferences as there is no jarring difference between the schools that would make me pick one over the other...besides the Florida sun and proximity to a gorgeous beach!

Most of us "real" northeasterners would laugh that you just called the last few philly winters real! (grew up in albany ny and moved down here to philly 4 years ago). I think the winters in Philly are quite balmy...infact I routinely wear shorts and no coat...but then again I am a crackhead

 

[fluffy0]

Most of us "real" northeasterners would laugh that you just called the last few philly winters real! (grew up in albany ny and moved down here to philly 4 years ago). I think the winters in Philly are quite balmy...infact I routinely wear shorts and no coat...but then again I am a crackhead

I'm from Northern New England...so I know winter...spent the last 4 years in NYC for undergrad and am now at NYCOM...Compared to my years at college, this winter was pretty rough, even here in LI. The good thing about NY though is the snow melts quick, it doesn't stay around for months like at home. I agree though, NY and PA winters don't compared to what I am used to....but still, I'd take FL winters over PA winters anytime!

 

[willen101383]

I'm from Northern New England...so I know winter...spent the last 4 years in NYC for undergrad and am now at NYCOM...Compared to my years at college, this winter was pretty rough, even here in LI. The good thing about NY though is the snow melts quick, it doesn't stay around for months like at home. I agree though, NY and PA winters don't compared to what I am used to....but still, I'd take FL winters over PA winters anytime!

Agreed! The difference between NYCOM and Philly is definitely noticeable too. Its weird how like 100ish miles can have a pretty large impact on weather. I interviewed at NSU I think dec 08ish and it was beautiful! (but I still vote for PCOM although I am mega biased lol)

 

[TallScrubs]

PCOM. I personally think 4 seasons >>> 2 or whatever you have down there that isn't 4.

 

[willen101383]

PCOM. I personally think 4 seasons >>> 2 or whatever you have down there that isn't 4.

You are also biased!!! 😀

 

[donkeykong1]

Pcom. since it has a larger post graduate network in terms of residencies and internships=more internal opportunities/options after you get your D.O

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

There's a lot of love for NSU on this board. I guess it's great for that school but honestly, no doctors (MD or DO) that I know had even heard of NSU when I was applying around. I know doctors that went to UPitt, Jefferson and Penn State that said they also applied to PCOM because of it's great rep in Pennsylvania and in the medical community at large. I don't know what makes NSU so great, but I've at least heard of PCOM and know people that know of it. I wouldn't know what NSU was if it weren't for this board. Not really telling you which school to go to, listen to the others in this thread. But just felt like commenting on my experiences here.

 

[Kuba]

There's a lot of love for NSU on this board. I guess it's great for that school but honestly, no doctors (MD or DO) that I know had even heard of NSU when I was applying around. I know doctors that went to UPitt, Jefferson and Penn State that said they also applied to PCOM because of it's great rep in Pennsylvania and in the medical community at large. I don't know what makes NSU so great, but I've at least heard of PCOM and know people that know of it. I wouldn't know what NSU was if it weren't for this board. Not really telling you which school to go to, listen to the others in this thread. But just felt like commenting on my experiences here.

No interest in arguing about this, I think both schools are probably pretty equal, and quite honestly, we should be supporting every school as an osteopathic community. However, I just chucked when I read you mention UPitt, JEfferson, and Penn St hearing about PCOM and not NSU.. I bet if you asked UMiami, USF, FIU, FAU, etc they would have heard of NSU and not PCOM.

 

[willen101383]

No interest in arguing about this, I think both schools are probably pretty equal, and quite honestly, we should be supporting every school as an osteopathic community. However, I just chucked when I read you mention UPitt, JEfferson, and Penn St hearing about PCOM and not NSU.. I bet if you asked UMiami, USF, FIU, FAU, etc they would have heard of NSU and not PCOM.

Like.

I was just about to make this exact post.

yeah PCOM has a great rep in the NE and Philly...but that very well could be a regional thing.

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

What I meant to say is those doctors who went to those schools and applied there are in addition to those who have heard about PCOM and have no affiliation with PA, sorry. Other physicians here (in an ED/trauma dept in Arizona) have heard of PCOM and told me they have great residencies to apply to if I don't match ACGME, although they suggested anything is possible if you work hard enough, which is the case no matter if you're MD or DO. But no, they haven't heard of NSU. You're probably right though, I'm sure PA people know about PCOM well just like FL people know about NSU. I'm not knocking NSU guys, relax. Go to NSU OP! See the love?

 

[NeuroJ]

Both are very out of state friendly, right?

Just curious, but do a lot of the DO schools require rural clerkships?

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

Both are very out of state friendly, right?

Just curious, but do a lot of the DO schools require rural clerkships?

I think they're both pretty OOS friendly from what I've seen here. And I know AZCOM has a rural clerkship component to it. But I discussed that with an ER doctor and he said that he did an elective away rotation at an ER because that's what he wanted to do, but it was really out there and it counted as a rural clerkship at the same time!

 

[fluffy0]

PCOM claims to be OOS friendly...but they definitely have a bias towards people from that area...at least that's who they give the early interviews to. They slowly expand outward from PA until the class fills up later in the season...So PCOM is OOS friendly...but not very friendly...NSU, however, seems to be very OOS friendly. Getting a PCOM interview seems to be pure luck...if two people were to apply with near identical applications, one might get an interview while another doesn't...they're admissions office is kind of mysterious...but their program speaks for itself. NSU is equally as good. In terms of admissions, I know NOVA seems to make a lot of decisions based on numbers, at least initially, while PCOM seems to be a little more forgiving for a lacking MCAT or GPA...but then again, they seem to have a regional bias, so that's a hurdle you have to clear too...some people who work there will admit the regional thing, while others deny it, but as a past applicant, I think it exists.

 

[phillysdoc]

PCOM MS3.......I was accepted to both but chose PCOM based on what I perceived to be a better reputation. Anecdotally, I know two NOVA students that couldn't get into PCOM, but still love where they are. The importance of the number of students per cadaver/dress code/attendance is ridiculous. Both schools will prepare you well. Boards is for the most part an independent issue based upon your work effort and intelligence. I would say the most important issue is where you want to go for residency and eventually practice. I was surprised on rotations this year how many students from all the other DO schools, NOVA included were at the Philly hospitals. Philly, and PCOM specifically, have a ton of great residencies in practically all fields. I don't know as much about NOVA's rotations. Start looking at hospitals in the areas you want to live someday and which schools their residents attended. Also, everyone is making a huge deal about the weather and beaches - it's med. school people. There aren't beach parties and cook outs everynight - a library looks pretty similar at all schools.

 

[willen101383]

PCOM claims to be OOS friendly...but they definitely have a bias towards people from that area...at least that's who they give the early interviews to. They slowly expand outward from PA until the class fills up later in the season...So PCOM is OOS friendly...but not very friendly...NSU, however, seems to be very OOS friendly. Getting a PCOM interview seems to be pure luck...if two people were to apply with near identical applications, one might get an interview while another doesn't...they're admissions office is kind of mysterious...but their program speaks for itself. NSU is equally as good. In terms of admissions, I know NOVA seems to make a lot of decisions based on numbers, at least initially, while PCOM seems to be a little more forgiving for a lacking MCAT or GPA...but then again, they seem to have a regional bias, so that's a hurdle you have to clear too...some people who work there will admit the regional thing, while others deny it, but as a past applicant, I think it exists.

PCOM is very instate friendly. I think my class is something like 65 percent in state. Admissions has no qualms about telling you that either.

 

[willen101383]

PCOM MS3.......I was accepted to both but chose PCOM based on what I perceived to be a better reputation. Anecdotally, I know two NOVA students that couldn't get into PCOM, but still love where they are. The importance of the number of students per cadaver/dress code/attendance is ridiculous. Both schools will prepare you well. Boards is for the most part an independent issue based upon your work effort and intelligence. I would say the most important issue is where you want to go for residency and eventually practice. I was surprised on rotations this year how many students from all the other DO schools, NOVA included were at the Philly hospitals. Philly, and PCOM specifically, have a ton of great residencies in practically all fields. I don't know as much about NOVA's rotations. Start looking at hospitals in the areas you want to live someday and which schools their residents attended. Also, everyone is making a huge deal about the weather and beaches - it's med. school people. There aren't beach parties and cook outs everynight - a library looks pretty similar at all schools.

I can count the times on one hand that I was in the lib this year

To reverse anecdote you, I was waitlisted and rejected at nova....but interviewed at PCOM on the first day of interviews and accepted. So who knows whats going on!

 

[lykyamy00]

so i've made a decision! i choose nova!!!! i am happy with my choice 🙂 heres why i picked it.

after what felt like ages of intense internal battles (close to family and my bf attending a school i didnt really feel like i belonged at vs far away from fam and bf at a school i absolutely loved) and talking at length to students at both schools, my family, friends, and bf, it came down to which school i loved when i visited. after a lot of researching the schools, it is my opinion that nsu and pcom are of fairly equal caliber educaiton and opportunity wise. i would be able to go to a school i didnt love if it was so far ahead of the one i loved education wise i would be stupid not to attend (think harvard vs mexico). but these were just too close to make a decision on. so with my family and my boyfriend's blessing, i choose nsu because i loved it when i went there. the faculty was amazing warm and welcoming, the students were amazing, i just felt like the atmosphere of the school was exactly what i was looking for. i could see myself there for 4 years. my interview at pcom was supposed to be in jan, it snowed, and the earliest they could reschedule for was march. understandable but annoying. then at my interview, one of my interviewers was less than charming (it was a horrendous interview and i'm surprised i got in actually) and i was totally put off by him. everyone else i met that day was nice and clearly loved pcom, but i just couldnt see myself there for the rest of the interview day let alone 4 years.

so to anyone else reading this thread, go with your heart! pick the school that is best for you! i truly believe that both of these schools are excellent 😀 but for each individual, one stands above the rest!

thanks everyone for all of your help!!!

 

[willen101383]

so i've made a decision! i choose nova!!!! i am happy with my choice 🙂 heres why i picked it.

after what felt like ages of intense internal battles (close to family and my bf attending a school i didnt really feel like i belonged at vs far away from fam and bf at a school i absolutely loved) and talking at length to students at both schools, my family, friends, and bf, it came down to which school i loved when i visited. after a lot of researching the schools, it is my opinion that nsu and pcom are of fairly equal caliber educaiton and opportunity wise. i would be able to go to a school i didnt love if it was so far ahead of the one i loved education wise i would be stupid not to attend (think harvard vs mexico). but these were just too close to make a decision on. so with my family and my boyfriend's blessing, i choose nsu because i loved it when i went there. the faculty was amazing warm and welcoming, the students were amazing, i just felt like the atmosphere of the school was exactly what i was looking for. i could see myself there for 4 years. my interview at pcom was supposed to be in jan, it snowed, and the earliest they could reschedule for was march. understandable but annoying. then at my interview, one of my interviewers was less than charming (it was a horrendous interview and i'm surprised i got in actually) and i was totally put off by him. everyone else i met that day was nice and clearly loved pcom, but i just couldnt see myself there for the rest of the interview day let alone 4 years.

so to anyone else reading this thread, go with your heart! pick the school that is best for you! i truly believe that both of these schools are excellent 😀 but for each individual, one stands above the rest!

thanks everyone for all of your help!!!

Good work! I am sure you will love it there. IIRC they have a bar in the student center? Nuff said!

I think too many premeds ignore their HEARTS when it comes to med school. Names and opportunities trump where they would truly be happy. Happiness is part of the answer to doing well in med school. Sorry one of our faculty put you off so much that it pretty much killed PCOM for you! That is really unfortunate. Much luck at NSU in the fall!