NYCOM interview...need help!

[DoctorMom78]

OK, so I just got accepted to LMU-DCOM two days ago (one of my top picks) and I got a letter today that I was invited to interview at NYCOM. I live in upstate NY, but I don't want to live near NYC. Also, I heard some of the rotations are in Brooklyn. I really liked DCOM and want to go there, but I am concerned that something will happen and the school won't start. I am not concerned with it being new, just with something happening. I don't want to ruin my chances with another school if something goes wrong. So, should I go for the interview at NYCOM even though there are a lot of things about it that don't appeal to me or should I just have faith in DCOM and follow my heart? Help please! Input greatly appreciated!!!

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[n0chi]

cant hurt to interview...

 

[munchkin910]

cant hurt to interview...

I would interview.

 

[Hexanol]

if you got nothing else to do that day, go interview!

if you get accepted, then you can always have a back up just in case something does happen.

but either way, interviewing can't hurt you.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Interview then decide. I'm pretty sure there are many strict requirements to prevent a school from saying they will open and then everything falls through. Maybe you need to talk to someone at DCOM about your concerns.

congrats on the acceptance and Good luck!

 

[DoctorMom78]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the input. I went ahead and scheduled the interview for 11/30. I could have done it on 11/15, but this way I have more time to decide. I think I will call someone at DCOM and discuss my concerns. Thanks again and good luck to everyone!!!

 

[musiclink213]

Just FYI, NYCOM really isn't that close to NYC. It's a while away by LIRR or driving. It's a pretty suburban neighborhood, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't htink they'll require you to do Brooklyn rotations, you can go to any of their affiliated hospitals. And besides, there is nothing wrong with Brooklyn! It's my home. Although I don't take offense, so no worries.

 

[DoctorMom78]

Just FYI, NYCOM really isn't that close to NYC. It's a while away by LIRR or driving. It's a pretty suburban neighborhood, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't htink they'll require you to do Brooklyn rotations, you can go to any of their affiliated hospitals. And besides, there is nothing wrong with Brooklyn! It's my home. Although I don't take offense, so no worries.

Sorry, didn't mean to put down Brooklyn or the City. There is no part of it I like. All those people stress me out! Just not my thing...I really am a country girl at heart. I am torn about the interview because I really want to go into rural family medicine and DCOM is a much better match for me than NYCOM. I also have four children and a husband and I need to factor that into my decision, i.e., cost of living, employment opportunities, area where I am raising my family. Suburban + Long Island= EXPENSIVE!!! My Dad grew up in Amityville and I can't believe how expensive the houses are there. I did schedule my interview, but I am not sure if I should go. I think it is wrong to waste the school's time and take an interview spot if I really have no intention of going. There is of course the cost of traveling there as well. I am only coming from Albany so it not too far, but it is still money and time. Although, I suppose I could go and love it. I looked on their site and all the rotations are in "the New York metropolitan area," which I took to mean Brooklyn or anything other part of the City and surrounding areas. If there is anyone who can tell me the pros and cons of NYCOM I would appreciate it. As always, thanks everyone for the comments!

 

[musiclink213]

Sorry, didn't mean to put down Brooklyn or the City. There is no part of it I like. All those people stress me out! Just not my thing...I really am a country girl at heart. I am torn about the interview because I really want to go into rural family medicine and DCOM is a much better match for me than NYCOM. I also have four children and a husband and I need to factor that into my decision, i.e., cost of living, employment opportunities, area where I am raising my family. Suburban + Long Island= EXPENSIVE!!! My Dad grew up in Amityville and I can't believe how expensive the houses are there. I did schedule my interview, but I am not sure if I should go. I think it is wrong to waste the school's time and take an interview spot if I really have no intention of going. There is of course the cost of traveling there as well. I am only coming from Albany so it not too far, but it is still money and time. Although, I suppose I could go and love it. I looked on their site and all the rotations are in "the New York metropolitan area," which I took to mean Brooklyn or anything other part of the City and surrounding areas. If there is anyone who can tell me the pros and cons of NYCOM I would appreciate it. As always, thanks everyone for the comments!

I told you, I take no offense. Brooklyn isn't for everyone, although it is not a bad place to raise kids if that's what you're concerned about. Although if you want to do rural medicine, city rotations aren't the best, I'll agree with you on that. I didn't know that you have a family to consider as well, and LI is really expensive. I assume with 4 kids, you need a lot of space. I went to undergrad in the area, and I know poeple were able to rent apartments, but they're single so it's a bit easier.

Also, if I remember correctly from when I visited the school a couple years ago, they have something like 30 hospitals that you can do rotations at. Some are in the city, but some are in the more country areas of LI, more out east if I remember correctly. So it would be possible for you to do your rotations in that type of environment.

Also, the thing I would be worried about with DCOM is that it will be in it's first year. I would just be nervous about being in the first class because you will essentially be guniea pigs. They haven't had the time to work out the finer details of what will allow the students to learn most effectively. Also, you won't have any alum to help you out. To some degree, the way the alumni have performed in the past plays a role in residency director's opinion of how well the education is, and how good their training is. Being the first graduating class, you're basically stepping in the unknown, and I would just be nervous about that. Of course, some people aren';t, and you sound like someone who isn't worried about that, so more props to you. I don't think anything will go wrong wtih DCOM because that will leave a lot of people with nowhere to go. They wouldn't just leave you hanging like that.

 

[HunterGatherer]

The number of spots available for the rural rotations is limited. I have no idea what the level of interest is in doing rotations in these locations. Since doing your 3rd year clerkships is on a lotto system it is possible that you could do some rotations in locations you do not find desireable. This is a topic you could bring up if you decide to interview at NYCOM.

If you are interested in rural medicine there are other established DO schools you could look into and you won't have the uncertainty associated with DCOM.

You should complete your UNECOM 2ndry now.

 

[DoctorMom78]

The number of spots available for the rural rotations is limited. I have no idea what the level of interest is in doing rotations in these locations. Since doing your 3rd year clerkships is on a lotto system it is possible that you could do some rotations in locations you do not find desireable. This is a topic you could bring up if you decide to interview at NYCOM.

If you are interested in rural medicine there are other established DO schools you could look into and you won't have the uncertainty associated with DCOM.

You should complete your UNECOM 2ndry now.

I am also looking into the other rural schools. I hadn't taken organic chemistry prior to taking the MCATs and so I am just now taking orgo 1 and will be taking orgo 2 in the spring. UNECOM won't even give me a secondary until they get my grade from organic 1 at the end of December. I checked again recently and they told me that was their policy. So, that means I will be complete and reviewed in January sometime. Plus, I will out the deposit of $2000 at DCOM by that point. I am "decision deferred" at WVSOM, complete and waiting at PCSOM (they have a huge in-state and regional preference), and probably will not end up completing the secondary for VCOM because I got an email from them saying that they had my file and if they liked me then I would be invited to submit a secondary. The whole concept of a lottery system kind of freaks me out and I know UNECOM does that too. Of course, at UNECOM I would probably remain in a rural area even though it would mean moving. I didn't know that NYCOM even had rural rotations. I will probably go to the interview anyway, just to check it out. THANKS!!!

 

[DoctorMom78]

I told you, I take no offense. Brooklyn isn't for everyone, although it is not a bad place to raise kids if that's what you're concerned about. Although if you want to do rural medicine, city rotations aren't the best, I'll agree with you on that. I didn't know that you have a family to consider as well, and LI is really expensive. I assume with 4 kids, you need a lot of space. I went to undergrad in the area, and I know poeple were able to rent apartments, but they're single so it's a bit easier.

Also, if I remember correctly from when I visited the school a couple years ago, they have something like 30 hospitals that you can do rotations at. Some are in the city, but some are in the more country areas of LI, more out east if I remember correctly. So it would be possible for you to do your rotations in that type of environment.

Also, the thing I would be worried about with DCOM is that it will be in it's first year. I would just be nervous about being in the first class because you will essentially be guniea pigs. They haven't had the time to work out the finer details of what will allow the students to learn most effectively. Also, you won't have any alum to help you out. To some degree, the way the alumni have performed in the past plays a role in residency director's opinion of how well the education is, and how good their training is. Being the first graduating class, you're basically stepping in the unknown, and I would just be nervous about that. Of course, some people aren';t, and you sound like someone who isn't worried about that, so more props to you. I don't think anything will go wrong wtih DCOM because that will leave a lot of people with nowhere to go. They wouldn't just leave you hanging like that.

I am not too concerned with the whole "guniea pig" thing. I am only worried that something will happen and they won't start. I am sure you are correct that it wouldn't happen. They are very organized, have hired all this faculty, and are building a brand-new 25 million dollar building for the school. So, I guess with everything they have invested, they will do everything right to make it happen. I didn't think about the residency issue, but I am sure that it will be fine. I want to do rural family medicine, so I should be okay. I keep hearing things about primary care residencies on SDN that imply that I will have no trouble getting one. I checked out the median house value in Old Westbury and it was like a million dollars. So, I went to realtor.com to look at houses and they STARTED at 1.8 million!!! In my entire lifetime I will not make enough money to buy a house like that and I wouldn't want to. Besides, I don't think I can pay the mortgage in chickens and bull meat! (Reference to my rural medicine thread and all those helpful comments). Anyway, thanks for the input!