OU-HCOM Cleveland Campus vs DMU

[Fishwithadeagle]

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Both are top ranked programs, and I am having a hard time deciding, but are there any major reasons why I shouldn't go to OU-HCOm Cleveland?

OU-HCOM Cleveland:

Pros:
-I am a Cleveland native with my family still there.
-Much cheaper at 32k a year
-Possibility for scholarships since I have stayed in Ohio for all of my schooling.
-School literally built into a Cleveland Clinic hospital
-All rotation sites at Cleveland Clinic locations
-Pass/fail
-Brand new school
-Public
-Am able to continue research with physician mentors and service projects I have been previously involved in.

Cons:
-Brand new branch campus with one graduated class.
-Doesn't allow me to travel a bit during school.
-Mandatory attendance and flipped classroom model
-Doesn't have resources of main campus
-Stuck in Ohio (sarcasm but also not)

DMU:

Pros:
-Well established program
-Consistent track record
-Graded ( possible step up with step going pass fail)
-Great match lists (for a do school)
-Incredibly friendly staff and students
-In general I can't find anyone who has egregious complaints with the school.

Cons:
-55k a year w/ no benefit of being in state
-Private
-Graded and all the stress that comes with it ontop of learning the content (I don't expect to be top 10%, so grades may not help help me tremendously)
-Moving further into the Midwest without being in Chicago.
-No guarantee of where clinical rotation sites take place (hotspots in Wisconsin, Des Moines, Chicago, Texas are all preferred, rural are not preferred)
-No guarantee of year long sites (40/220 are not)

Life goals:
Some form of internal medicine physician. Looking into cardiology currently, would love to move to Chicago permanately. Interests in urban medicine.

Overall Evaluation:
I am leaning towards OU-HCOM Cleveland for the rotation sites and cost. My main concerns though are with the new nature of the school and not getting to move to a different part of the country during med school and the non-main campus nature of it.

Is my evaluation correct? What do you guys think?

Website links:

Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences

Rewarding health care careers start at DMU — a premier medical school with 10 health science programs, expert faculty, small classes and hands-on opportunities.

www.dmu.edu

Cleveland | Ohio University

www.ohio.edu

 

[Fishwithadeagle]

Also, I do understand the "go to the cheapest school" mantra, but if we were to negate cost, would it change your decision?

 

[medgal98]

OU-HCOM because it is cheaper and pass/fail. Not only will you not be as stressed out as a student since you won’t have to keep up straight As but you also have the opportunity to graduate with a lower debt burden.

 

[medgal98]

Medical school is only a few years. Residency is just a few more. You have the rest of your life to pack up and move wherever you want to, and as a physician it will much easier to do that.

 

[enchantments]

If I were in your shoes I would happily go to OUHCOM. As you said, built within the Cleveland Clinic (I.e. access to well-known mentors, research, excellent clinical exposure), P/F, cheaper, more things to do in Cleveland etc.

DMU is a great DO school, but state-funded DO schools with their own residencies in various specialties are a league above.