NYCOM vs LECOM - Erie

[aptennis1]

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Hey guys,

I got accepted to both, and I'm just tryin to decide where to go. I know NYCOM is basically 20 thousand more when you factor in living costs. I'm intending on going into primary care probably but I wanted to definitely look into opthamology. What the pros and cons of both and where would you go?

 

[Orthodoc40]

You can specialize in anything wherever you go so don't feel like it limits you by deciding on one school over the other.

Do you care where you live?
Did you love one place more than the other?
Can you revisit both?

If you didn't love one over the other, and don't care about where you live too much, go with the cheapest school you can get into.

 

[aptennis1]

I liked both schools but i think i preferred NYCOM because I felt like they had a better matching for residencies. Its basically 20k more a year though than LECOM.

 

[metalmd06]

What you posted surprises me about LECOM. I thought they had great match rates. Anyway, there are pros and cons to both schools. LECOM has it's own osteopathic hospital, which is a big plus. NYCOM, however, is nearer to the big NY metro hospitals. Overall I think NYCOM is a better school, but they're both great options. It's a great problem to have! Also, a note about environment. I live on Long Island, so I know how drab it can be. I don't know about Eerie, but I can't imagine it's much better. The one thing about LI and especially NYCOM is its proximity to NYC. In Eerie you're in farm country. My vote is for NYCOM in a close race. Good luck!

 

[metalmd06]

One more thing: If you decide to go to NYCOM, save a seat for me!

Crossin my fingers, knocking on wood, interview 4/16/08.

 

[a817]

I interviewed at both places

DO schools are not really ranked. So dont worry about the match list. More people in erie are from rural areas and want to do primary care, while many nycom students want to do specialties (being from NY, i know many New York want the big money, and NYCOM tuition dose not help lol) . If your from erie and ranked better, better board scores etc, you are more competitive then the NYCOM grad, because you wont be looked at differently. You can do rotations in NY form Erie and then you are on the same boat pretty much, and have to interview well, get good recs, impress people for residency spot etc. Basically they are many factors that g into a match list that has nothing to do with the school you go to when regarding DO schools.

NYCOM has the benefit of being in NYC, so thats why i liked it more. If you want to practice in NY, nycom might be better. If you want to practice in the midwest then Erie is better. Your first reason for picking a school should be your happiness. They both have their pro's and cons. If you loved nycom more then go there, vis versa. I personally felt erie was not the school for me when i interviewed there, it might be for someone else.

Hope it helps.

 

[Vee]

I interviewed at both places

DO schools are not really ranked. So dont worry about the match list. More people in erie are from rural areas and want to do primary care, while many nycom students want to do specialties (being from NY, i know many New York want the big money, and NYCOM tuition dose not help lol) . If your from erie and ranked better, better board scores etc, you are more competitive then the NYCOM grad, because you wont be looked at differently. You can do rotations in NY form Erie and then you are on the same boat pretty much, and have to interview well, get good recs, impress people for residency spot etc. Basically they are many factors that g into a match list that has nothing to do with the school you go to when regarding DO schools.

NYCOM has the benefit of being in NYC, so thats why i liked it more. If you want to practice in NY, nycom might be better. If you want to practice in the midwest then Erie is better. Your first reason for picking a school should be your happiness. They both have their pro's and cons. If you loved nycom more then go there, vis versa. I personally felt erie was not the school for me when i interviewed there, it might be for someone else.

Hope it helps.

NYCOM is on long island, a hike from NYC if you're driving or especially taking the train. If you want to be in NYC, Touro is probably the osteopathic way to go.

 

[spazzz]

nycom for sure, older school, better connections

 

[a817]

NYCOM is on long island, a hike from NYC if you're driving or especially taking the train. If you want to be in NYC, Touro is probably the osteopathic way to go.

haha i am actually from queens, yea nycom is in long island but alot of the 3rd and 4th year rotations are in NYC, so thats why i said that.

 

[Sparda29]

Ehh, NYCOM is not that far from NYC if you know your way around the roads.

The good thing for LECOM is that since it is out in the country, you won't have a problem trying to get to class because the roads would not be congested.

During rush hour in the morning, you're going to find traffic on nearly all of the roads on Long Island.

Sure, LECOM is 20K cheaper than NYCOM, but NYC/Long Island have the best diversity, culture, meaning a lot better food. If I go to LECOM, I would have to go vegetarian since I'm Muslim, because of a lack of Muslim restaurants.

 

[countthestars]

oy, I HATE long island. It is the most boring, lame, un-fun place in the world. If you think you will have time to go frolic around the city while at NYCOM, I hope you are a super genius, cause it takes about 40 min to an hour to get into the city one way by car. Not to mention you will have tests on Monday or Tuesdays, so going out to the city Friday and Saturday nights will be hard. Also, the LIRR isn't close to the school and service stops at like 1am (not conducive for going out Friday and Sat nights) I donno, I'm from queens, right by a subway that gets me to the city in 20min. But anything more than that, and I would have no idea how to manage my time, study and still be able to go into the city for some fun.

 

[Orthodoc40]

I liked both schools but i think i preferred NYCOM because I felt like they had a better matching for residencies. Its basically 20k more a year though than LECOM.

I am talking about liking a school in terms of your feeling being there. Would you fit in well there. Not whether you think they have a better match list. That doesn't tell you ANYthing, honestly. Pre meds do not know enough about all the different programs and the reasons people choose where they choose to rate match lists, honestly. Forget it. You will be able to specialize in whatever you want where ever you go. If you're happy where you go, you'll do better.

 

[spazzz]

the whole fit in thing is overrated. go to the best school, your years are all in books anyway

 

[MossPoh]

You'll get a chance to do audition rotations in NYC if you ever want to end up there. You can rank as many new york programs as you like. Keep in mind that many nyc residencies (particularly surgery) SUCK and are loaded with scut and very little freedom. I know people here will probably take offense to that, but I've heard from more than a couple sources about it. There is even a thread in general surgery about it now. I'd venture to say that it ends up being more than a 20k a year difference once you fact in all the costs of living. LECOM had a very diverse matchlist. I don't want to say it was "good" because heck if I know what is a "good" residency versus a "bad" one there. I wasn't horrible impressed with NYCOM. It seemed like all the others. The school is also supposed to have a pretty big tuition hike I believe? Another thing to factor in is that Erie is not that horrible far from NYC. I know it seems like it, but you can get there really fast if for whatever reason you have a spare weekend and have the need to do cheesy nyc stuff.

Western PA is not a bad spot. You have a ton of strong med schools with a large network of hospitals (and residencies). There are plenty of fun little restaurants there that you can go to with the spare time. Nature a plenty if that is your thing. It does get cold and lots of snow. I've lived in cities and I have lived in rural areas. I personally tend to do much of the same crap either way. The people that are always most hardcore about NYC are the people from the area, OR the occasional kid that grew up in the myth. I have had the same amount if not much more fun in nearly every other big city I have been to. It is really a matter of where you will be happiest with. Med school isn't a 4 year sentence to social isolation, but you aren't going to have the time to take the train into NYC every weekend and party it up or whatever else one does for fun.

 

[docem]

NYCOM is on long island, a hike from NYC if you're driving or especially taking the train. If you want to be in NYC, Touro is probably the osteopathic way to go.

I go to NYCOM and live in Brooklyn and spend plenty of time in the city - so that is not 100% accurate. I love living in the city. The commute isn't too bad - the only time it really sucked was during fundamentals.

 

[Vee]

I go to NYCOM and live in Brooklyn and spend plenty of time in the city - so that is not 100% accurate. I love living in the city. The commute isn't too bad - the only time it really sucked was during fundamentals.

yup, i live in queens and my commute is easy. 20 mins. it's perfect for my fiance to be able to work in the city and for me to get to nycom.

 

[bkpa2med]

I'm from Brooklyn and had to make this decision last year. Cost was a number one issue for me too. It shouldn't matter if your going into PC or specializing, $100k over 4 years was a big difference. I can't really say anything about how they teach at NYCOM, but LECOM-Erie does a good job. I feel prepared for everything I'm doing here.

Don't get all caught up with "doing" things because most likely you probably won't have much time, although there are things to do in Erie but not compared to back home. I'd also like to say that it's actually a plus because it's easier to focus. Every administration has it problems but the educators are excellent at LECOM. Matchlist is always representative of the class, being that there are many students from the boonies who want to return and are looking for primary care regardless.

In that sense, LECOM does have a decent matchlist but you shouldn't get too caught up with that because it really relies on the individual. I do find and make time to make trips back home though which is always a nice break. It's only 6 hrs lol.

To end, I've heard NYCOM has a board pass rate of 70% or so ( I could be wrong, maybe a NYCOMer can correct) but LECOM is in the 90s. They really emphasize the boards. Don't underestimate the age of the school because LECOM is coming up in the osteopathic world. From my sense, it seems as if they have something to prove lol but they're doing a good job at it.

Dress code is fine with me because it does give me a sense of professionalism. Attendance is only an issue if your a LDPer who is not doing well. I've missed and miss plenty of classes that I don't get much out of the lecturer. To be honest, I've made modified ISP lol. I won't continue blabbing so if you have any other questions just shoot me a PM.

Good luck on your decision! I'm happy with mine!

 

[jp104]

I'm from Brooklyn and had to make this decision last year. Cost was a number one issue for me too. It shouldn't matter if your going into PC or specializing, $100k over 4 years was a big difference. I can't really say anything about how they teach at NYCOM, but LECOM-Erie does a good job. I feel prepared for everything I'm doing here.

Don't get all caught up with "doing" things because most likely you probably won't have much time, although there are things to do in Erie but not compared to back home. I'd also like to say that it's actually a plus because it's easier to focus. Every administration has it problems but the educators are excellent at LECOM. Matchlist is always representative of the class, being that there are many students from the boonies who want to return and are looking for primary care regardless.

In that sense, LECOM does have a decent matchlist but you shouldn't get too caught up with that because it really relies on the individual. I do find and make time to make trips back home though which is always a nice break. It's only 6 hrs lol.

To end, I've heard NYCOM has a board pass rate of 70% or so ( I could be wrong, maybe a NYCOMer can correct) but LECOM is in the 90s. They really emphasize the boards. Don't underestimate the age of the school because LECOM is coming up in the osteopathic world. From my sense, it seems as if they have something to prove lol but they're doing a good job at it.

Dress code is fine with me because it does give me a sense of professionalism. Attendance is only an issue if your a LDPer who is not doing well. I've missed and miss plenty of classes that I don't get much out of the lecturer. To be honest, I've made modified ISP lol. I won't continue blabbing so if you have any other questions just shoot me a PM.

Good luck on your decision! I'm happy with mine!

We've never been given a definative answer on NYCOM's board pass rate. Take that for what it's worth 😉

As a NYCOM student, to the OP, I'd say this...don't underestimate how important it may be to get a good medical education for less money. You'll hear many physicians tell you that if they had to go through it all again, they'd pick the cheapest school possible.

With that said, go with whichever school you felt best fits your goals whether it be to practice in NY or whichever environment you liked. Good luck with your choice!

 

[bkpa2med]

We've never been given a definative answer on NYCOM's board pass rate. Take that for what it's worth 😉

As a NYCOM student, to the OP, I'd say this...don't underestimate how important it may be to get a good medical education for less money. You'll hear many physicians tell you that if they had to go through it all again, they'd pick the cheapest school possible.

With that said, go with whichever school you felt best fits your goals whether it be to practice in NY or whichever environment you liked. Good luck with your choice!

Nicely put! 👍

 

[Miggs86]

oy, I HATE long island. It is the most boring, lame, un-fun place in the world. If you think you will have time to go frolic around the city while at NYCOM, I hope you are a super genius, cause it takes about 40 min to an hour to get into the city one way by car. Not to mention you will have tests on Monday or Tuesdays, so going out to the city Friday and Saturday nights will be hard. Also, the LIRR isn't close to the school and service stops at like 1am (not conducive for going out Friday and Sat nights) I donno, I'm from queens, right by a subway that gets me to the city in 20min. But anything more than that, and I would have no idea how to manage my time, study and still be able to go into the city for some fun.

where in queens

yup, i live in queens and my commute is easy. 20 mins. it's perfect for my fiance to be able to work in the city and for me to get to nycom.

where in queens lol

 

[Milamber]

where in queens



where in queens lol

Yeah where in queens? From where I'm at in Bayside, Queens (right off the LIE) it would take me 30 min to get to NYCOM.

 

[bkpa2med]

Try BQE to LIE in the morning coming from Bay Ridge Brooklyn 😆

 

[countthestars]

I'm from Forest Hills, apparently alot of ppl from NYCOM live here and commute to the school maybe because you can get both the LIE and GCP. I love FH, its probably one of the safest areas in queens with the LIRR, the E, F, V, and R trains all stopping here.

and sorry for this tread hijack...

 

[meggielou]

LECOM and NYCOM are both great, and I've interviewed at both, so I can honestly say nothing stood out academically as inferior at one school or the other. That being said, I know this sounds silly, but I think I'd pick NYCOM over LECOM just because of the weather. I'm originally from Buffalo (fairly close to Erie), and one reason I ruled out LECOM was it rains CONSTANTLY, that is, when it's not snowing. They don't call it dreary Erie for nothin ! Living with that kind of weather day after day definitely made me feel depressed. Just my 0.02.

 

[jp104]

I'm from Forest Hills, apparently alot of ppl from NYCOM live here and commute to the school maybe because you can get both the LIE and GCP. I love FH, its probably one of the safest areas in queens with the LIRR, the E, F, V, and R trains all stopping here.

and sorry for this tread hijack...

FH rocks! Takes me 30-35mins in the morning to get to school (as long as I leave by 7:15am) 🙂

 

[Vee]

Yeah where in queens? From where I'm at in Bayside, Queens (right off the LIE) it would take me 30 min to get to NYCOM.

bayside. 20 mins to get to nycom with no traffic, half hour if it's traffic. we're commuting against the really bad traffic (into nyc in the am and out of nyc in the pm) so that helps too.

 

[Orthodoc40]

the whole fit in thing is overrated.

No it isn't. If you go somewhere you're comfortable & happy you will perform better in your coursework, on the boards, etc. What's overrated is the idea of "the best school".

 

[tms2]

What you posted surprises me about LECOM. I thought they had great match rates. Anyway, there are pros and cons to both schools. LECOM has it's own osteopathic hospital, which is a big plus. NYCOM, however, is nearer to the big NY metro hospitals. Overall I think NYCOM is a better school, but they're both great options. It's a great problem to have! Also, a note about environment. I live on Long Island, so I know how drab it can be. I don't know about Eerie, but I can't imagine it's much better. The one thing about LI and especially NYCOM is its proximity to NYC. In Eerie you're in farm country. My vote is for NYCOM in a close race. Good luck!

To the best of my knowledge, LECOM E does not have its own hospital. It is affiliated with a few in surrounding area, but it does not pay them for the program. Schools that do not own their own hospitals sometimes pay nearby hospitals for the rotations students do during 3rd and 4th years. LECOM doesn't, which might increase the chance of cancelled rotations.