nsucom vs pcom

[kimi]

Hi!

I got accepted to both nsucom and pcom for aug 2004, and I'm having a tough time deciding where to go!! Does anyone out there have any opinions that would help me decide??
Thanks!!!!

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[Dr JPH]

PCOM has a strong reputation and is in a very DO-knowledgable city.

NSUCOM is a good school, but I don't think it is in the same league as schools like PCOM and KCOM. Not yet, anyway.

 

[jmv10]

go to PCOM and leave me a spot at NSU-COM! (does that sound awful?) i'm only being half serious... good luck with your decision!

 

[kimi]

Thanks for the advice...and jmv10-i'll let you know what i decide. I think i'm leaning towards nova because i'm from ft lauderdale but still not sure...

 

[jmv10]

Thanks Kimi! I hope to see you at NSU in August!

 

[DoctorDoogie4]

Dear Kimi,


I also had the desicion to choose from NSUCOM and PCOM. Since you are from Ft Lauderdale, having a cheaper tuition for Florida residents plus the proximtiy of being close to home should have its advantages. I chose NSUCOM because of its great clinical rotations and the weather/location is phenomenal.

JPHazelton is semi right in that PCOM and KCOM and (my addtion) DMU are powerhouses. I, in my opinion, attribute it to their long history. Give NSUCOM some time and we'll be up there. We've only been around for 25 years. This school seems to be progressing in the right direction....

 

[U4iA]

Really? You'd put DMU in the same category as PCOM and KCOM? I don't think they are on the same level, they have different objectives. I would say NYCOM and CCOM are more similar to PCOM and KCOM.

 

[RockandRolldoc]

I was in a similar predicament and I chose NSU over PCOM. Just got a better vibe... and I think reputation is overrated.... let's face it we're not talking harvard or yale here....

 

[Ca$h MaNi]

I was in a similar situation as well...I had been accepted to all the DO schools(the top for me was CCOM) and an MD school..but I eventually chose NSUCOM because I knew it had an awesome reputation and the clinical rotations are REAL STRONG! And ofcourse its one of the few med schools to have HARVEY and its got wireless internet on campus(good for trading stocks, playing games, and talking on AIM...in the back of class while getting boring lectures on epidemiology)....ofcourse u got the attendance policy...but people still skip and there hasnt been any repercussions yet...so as long as most of the people in class show up...I think this will mostly be just an "intimidation factor"...people who skip still do just as well and better than those who go to class so there really isn't a correlation in all that...but I dont wanna get started on that crap. Anyways..who can argue with the weather...I havent gotten sick yet and dont worry about my car not starting or scraping ice or snow off my car. I get to relax and study by the pool, beach, or hot tub in january....thats the shiznit!!!!!!!

Ca$h Mani

 

[DoctorInSpace]

Stay in Florida. Why go through the hassle of moving, when you can stay here, enjoy the weather, and pay less tuition?

I didn't apply to PCOM, but had other offers from the other 2 DO schools I applied to (KCOM and NYCOM) and even though the reputation of KCOM is great.....i just didn't want to move. That to me was really important. Plus, the facilities at NSU are amazing.

Stay here. and I'll see you in August!!

 

[group_theory]

Hmmm ... students from their respective schools suggesting that you go to their respective schools ... NAH, no bias there

on this board, you will find people who turn down pcom for nsucom, and people who turn down nsucom for pcom. it's not an easy choice - and there are many factors involved

what are you looking for in your ideal medical school?
What do you dislike about both schools?
Do you want to stay in Florida for the next 4 years?
Do you want to experience the Northeast (rural and urban setting)?
Constant temperature and humidity OR 4 seasons, watching the beauty of fresh snow covered trees, or the blossoming of flowers/trees of spring, or the beautiful color changes of fall?
Is your family in Florida? Will you be homesick?

In the end, go with your gut feeling. I don't want you to look back next year, or 10 years from now, and have in the back of your mind "what if I went there instead of here"

Best of luck in a tough decision (but isn't it great to have a choice)

Group_theory

P.S. For the record, go to PCOM

 

[DoctorInSpace]

Group therapy

Yep, we all suggest the school that we are at, don't we? I guess that is just a sign that we like our respective schools and would recommend them. It is nice that we haven't seen anyone from PCOM or NSUCOM say that they hate it so much they would recommend AGAINST going there, right?

Oh, the weather......yes, Florida might be hot, and the humidity in the summer is sometimes a drag, but being able to drive to and from school in the morning with the top down on my car in January---now what can be better than that??? I 'll take Florida's humidity over the Northeast's snow and ice any day I'm originally from NY, so I remember what winter is like. But I also remember the beauty of changing seasons......I miss that, but not enough to leave florida.

But Kimi, GroupTherapy brings up some good questions that you should really think about. Best of luck, and let us know what you decide.

 

[kimi]

wow everyone thanks for the opinions! i didn't check the site for a day and was pleasantly surprised. I'm still going back and forth. I've been hearing that pcom is having trouble placing their students in rotations...is that true? I really appreciate all of your thoughts!!!!

 

[group_theory]

Originally posted by kimi
I've been hearing that pcom is having trouble placing their students in rotations...is that true? I really appreciate all of your thoughts!!!!

That's news to me. Ask Josh or another 2nd or 3rd year student about it.

Remember in general, take rumors with a grain of salt. You don't want to base a decision on a rumor that turns out to be completely false (hmmm, where have I heard that argument before ...)


oh, for the record, my handle is "group_theory". There is another SDNer named group therapy, who is a Emergency Medicine doc. Just want to clarify it.

 

[adelarin]

Hi Kimi,

Don't know if you've made up u're mind yet about where to go but I too got into both PCOM and NSU (and DMU) but unlike you I had to decide between DMU and NSU. PCOM just didn't feel right to me. It really wasn't a tough decision really because NSU just felt right to me. It also had everything I wanted out from a school. Curriculum, rotations, environment, etc. My point is, go with your gut feeling because you know what you want out of a school and you can tell which u felt more comfortable in. If possible, try visiting again and see if something might cement your decision. Also what is more important to you? Location or money, stuff like that.

Good Luck.

 

[DrQuinn]

In regards to these apparent "DO school powerhouses" that DMU, PCOM, and KCOM are "supposed" to be, let me give my 0.02.

As an eight month old intern, and having graduated from NSUCOM, I can give a little more insight. I was part of the decision making process for the applicants at my residency program, an MD EM residency at the Univ of South FLorida. At no point did the school that the DO student went to make any difference in the residency decision. And the whole "reputation" that the pre-DOs often give to the schools that they are matriculating to didn't seem to have that big an impact.

I have also spoken to my fellow colleagues in respective General Surgery and Internal Medicine programs... it appears that the DO school one goes to have little, if any, impact on the residency decision.

So, base YOUR decision on what is important to you. To me, tuition and location were important.

Q, DO

 

[turkdlit]

Hmmm...found the NSU PCOM thread! DOesn't day too much about PCOM rotations though...

SCHUMPITY-BUMP

 

[1max2nv]

besides rotations..what about daily lifestyle? how are exams geared at pcom compared to nsu...all in all which school can you really have a life at and still do good on your exams

 

[Billy33]

the decision process is awesome and it sucks at the same time. i had a hard time deciding between dmu and pcom (i did decline my interview at nsu). i loved dmu, it was an amazing school, and des moines was a lot nicer than i had pictured. but here's what made me choose pcom. the school's facilities are unbelievable. not sure about the "problems placing 3rd and 4th year students" that someone brought up but i'm assuming that since the school is over 100 years old, they'll be able to fix any placement problem or they wouldn't have made it this far. the curriculum is very strong, and from what i've heard, so are the rotations. aside from the actual school, philadelphia is very well-known as being a great place for a medical education. tuition is high, but so is nsu's. not sure what in-state tuiton in florida is though. just look at the number of strong med schools in the city. i know several people who graduated from pcom and they never had anything bad to say about the school. i'm sure nsu is a very good school too, but you can't go wrong going to school in philadelphia.

 

[turkdlit]

Billy33, thanks for the response! Do you know anything about where rotations are done at PCOM? Are any of the core rotations outside Philly, in places like Beaver, PA or Lehigh or something? I'm from Pittsburgh and enjoy city life...the thought of spending rotations in suburban areas gives me the heebe-jeebeez

I am aware of the great reputation PCOM has, and I loved the school. I'm just worried about having to move all around rural PA for 2 years! Homey ain't down with that, you know? Does PCOM have any rotations available in NYC or DC? They just didn't tell us anything at the interview so I have no idea...

Any further help is appreciated, thanks for the responses peeps...

 

[AshDO]

Sorry, I know I am COMPLETELY biased..but...I would choose PCOM hands-down Anyway,I think everything about it is wonderful and that none of the other schools I saw compared to it. Granted, I did decline my interview at Nova, so I can't truly compare PCOM to it. On the other hand, I also had to choose between two of my top choice schools, and it was one of the hardest decisions I had to make..especially when one school offered me a nice sum of money. In the end, however, I believe that you should pick a school based on how you feel there and if it fits everything you are looking for. While the grant I was offered was extremely tempting, there was something missing from that school that I felt PCOM had for me. I told myself that I was not going to choose a school based solely on tuition because I did not want to be at a school where I did not feel completely comfortable just to owe less money in the end. Saying that, I would say go wherever your first instinct tells you to go because that is where you belong..and try your hardest not to let other, less important factors get in the way of your gut feeling..Good luck and let us know where you decide!

 

[raptor5]

Do you know anything about where rotations are done at PCOM? Are any of the core rotations outside Philly, in places like Beaver, PA or Lehigh or something? I'm from Pittsburgh and enjoy city life...the thought of spending rotations in suburban areas gives me the heebe-jeebeez

List of affiliations.There are some that have been added and some that are not listed.

Abington Memorial Hospital
Altoona Hospital
Arnold, Wayne, D.O.
Bedford Wellness Center
Bensalem Health Center
Buckingham Pediatrics
Bustleton Health Center
Cambria Street Healthcare Center - North Center
Center City Health Center
Chestnut Hill Hospital
Christiana Care Health Services
City Avenue Health Care Center
City Line Pediatrics
Clarion Osteopathic Hospital
Clay, Anthony, D.O.
Community Hospital of Lancaster
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
Cooler, Stuart, M.D.
Crozer - Keystone Health System
Di Marco, Anthony, D.O.
Doylestown Hospital
EastCentral Areal Health Education Center
Easton Hospital
Einstein Medical Center
Eugenia Hospital
Fairmount Healthcare Center
Frankford Health System
Family Physicians of Middletown
Fury, Anthony, D.O.
Geisinger Medical Center
Germantown Community Health
Germantown Pediatrics
Good Samaritan Hospital
Graduate Hospital
Harborview Pediatrics
Kantor/Curley Pediatrics
Kornberg, Bruce, D.O.
Kent General Hospital
Lancaster Avenue Healthcare Center - West Philadelphia
Lansdale Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Laurel Pediatric Center
Lee Regional Care Center
Lehigh Valley/Muhlenberg Hospital
Lewis, Ronald, D.O.
Lewistown Hospital
Lincow, Arnold, D.O.
Lower Bucks Hospital
McKeesport Hospital
Meadville Medical Center
Medical Center of Beaver
Mercy Catholic Health System
Mercy Suburban Hospital
Northcentral Area Health Education Center
Northeastern Hospital - Temple East
Osteopathic Institute of the South
Papa, Louis, D.O.
Pearson, Gregg, D.O.
Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Pinnacle - Community General Osteopathic Hospital
Pinnacle Health System (Harrisburg Hopspital)
Reading Hospital
Reading Urban Center
Roxborough Healthcare Center
Sacred Heart Hospital
Saint Agnes Medical Center
Saint Barnabas Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital
Saint John?s Episcopal Hospital
Saint Joseph's Hospital/North Philadelphia Health System
Saint Joseph Medical Center
Saint Luke's Hospital-Allentown
Saint Luke?s Hospital - Bethlehem
Schwartzman, Mitchell, D.O.
Seretis, George, D.O.
Sheppard-Pratt Hospital
Simmers/Lerch Pediatrics
Southern Chester County Medical Center
Sullivan County Medical Center
Temple University Hospital-Episcopal Campus
Tenet-Roxborough Hospital
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital
Trinitas Hospital
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey/School of Osteopathic Medicine
UPMC - Horison Health System
Wallach, Marvin, D.O.
Widerman Pediatric Office
Williamsport Hospital
Warren Hospital Family Practice and Residency Program
Wyoming Valley Cardiology Group
Wyoming Valley Family Practice/Wilkes-Barre Hospital

Or you can see them at:
http://www.pcom.edu/Clinical_Education/Affiliate_Lists_/affiliate_lists_.html