PCOM vs. UMDNJ-SOM

[kinipeli]

I am trying to decide between PCOM and UMDNJ-SOM. I've read a lot of input on this site about PCOM, but haven't heard much on UMNDJ-SOM... Could anyone offer additional info on either? A word on the clinical experiences/opportunities would be helpful.. also how successful graduates are in getting their top matches.. I'm also interested in finding out about housing options/costs around PCOM. and what students do primarily for transportation at either school?

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[WishUponAStar]

Hiya,

All great questions.

PCOM has around 35 hospital affiliations. They have them inner city, suburban, and I believe even underserved.

UMDNJSOM has 3 affiliations. Kennedy, Our Lady of Lourdes, Christ Hospital, and maybe one other that I'm not entirely sure about.

PCOM has a very spacious and well equipped recreation center. UMDNJSOM has a little weight room (capable) and a "multipurpose" room that serves as both the OMT lab and the basketball court. With UMDNJ you are given access to the YMCA that is somewhere local to the school.

What school is better? Beats the heck out of me. I just thought I'd toss some basic facts I learned into the mix for you. I think...

"The best school is the school that is best for you."

You can quote me on that one. ;-)

W.U.A.S.

 

[JoyW]

Hi WishUponAStar,
I have seen posts from you in the past and if I am not mistaken, I think you were deciding between UMDNJ and some other schools some time ago. I was just wondering which school did you decide to attend? As for me, I am seriously considering UMDNJ.

 

[WishUponAStar]

Joy,

Have you applied to both of these schools and are accepted and deciding between them or are you just preparing yourself for what is to come?

Anyway, I would say the two schools are very much "apples" and "oranges" They're both fruit, but one is crisp and tart and they other is soft and juicy!

UMDNJSOM is located in a quaint rural/suburban setting about 15 miles or so from Cooper Medical Center and the city of Camden. Their core affiliate teaching hospital is Kennedy Memmorial and all of your 3rd and 4th year rotations can be done within the system. There are a couple of Kennedy locations, one right on campus and one in Washington Twsp. NJ. There could be another I'm not entirely sure. Rotating through these hospitals isn't going to see trauma day in and day out, gunshot wounds, and other 'gritty' cases like you'd get in larger city hospitals. My understanding though, is that the training is still thorough. UMDNJSOM is focused on family medicine first and foremost. Many of the clinical electives are taken away and filled with family medicine rotations. All in all they go through 24 weeks of family medicine. All of their other rotations at 'least' meet the minimum requirements for graduation and ultimately certification and licensure.

PCOM is a larger school located on the western edge of south Philadelphia. It is in one of the nicest areas in the city. It boarders Manayunk and BalaCynwood (sp?) BTW, The only people who can spell that are the people who live there. As I was saying, their program is excellent. Their facilities are top notch. Their recreation center is beautiful, the area is clean and even though it is urban, it is extremely close to being suburban. They aren't primarily focused on family medicine and they don't have the same sort of strict policy towards taking large amounts of family medicine in your clinical years. They have a dedicated OMT lab that has enough tables for everyone. UMDNJ has a multipurpose room that they perform OMT lab in. Sometimes it is OMT lab, sometimes it is a dining area for open houses, and other times it is a basketball court for pickup games on the weekends. Talk about multipurpose huh?

So as I was saying, they have two different areas of focus with different atmospheres. I know UMDNJ is nonranked as far as grading, and I think PCOM may be ranked. Don't hold me to that because I'm not positive about PCOM's grading system. I know PCOM is on a trimester system whereas UMDNJSOM is on a semester system.

I think it is really a matter of personal preference, level of comfort, and expectations. Do you want to be a trauma surgeon? You might do better at PCOM. Do you want to be a family doctor in suburbia? You might be content at UMDNJSOM. As far as residencies and matching goes... I know a large majority of UMDNJSOM students go on to family medicine residencies. I am sure a large part go into primary care from PCOM too, but somewhere I remember hearing the percentage not being quite as big. (Again I am trying to think back)

Questions are great! Now about me. I'm still not accepted to any medical school. ;-/
But I sure have had my share of interviews and information sessions!

I hope I've helped.

W.U.A.S.

P.S. I did interview at both of these schools and this year in fact.

Update: Since it was clarified, PCOM does rank their students. I know for a fact UMDNJSOM does not, and UMDNJSOM does have block testing. First year it is every 6 weeks and second year it is after every module. (systems based learning)



[This message has been edited by WishUponAStar (edited 03-12-2001).]

 

[PJMCD]

As far as grading PCOM does rank their students, and I am not sure about UMDMJ. I know that UMDMJ does block testing, meaning that you would have a huge finals week every month and a half or so. PCOM, I believe, has there test more spaced out.

 

[pirulo]

ok, i didn't have time to read the entire message above, but i can tell you that i was faced, abeit briefly, with your decision, a year ago, and i decided pcom wasn't even worth an interview after being accepted at umdnj. pcom is a big school, but for me that's not a good thing, the classes are huge. umdnj's facilities are great, especially when you consider that there's only about 160 students in first and second years together, at one time. you won't find a school with a better faculty student ratio anywhere, and you definitely won't find a do school with more research going on per faculty member. In terms of the clinical affiliations, it doesnt take much for a school to get a hospital affiliation, it's not a big bragging point for pcom to say it's got 50 hospital affiliations, however, umdnjsom has it's own university hospital, and that has many implications into the training you receive there. like for example there being faculty there that are paid to teach you. and lastly, our core teaching affiliate our lady of lourdes in camden is quite big, and i'm sure you'll see enough action there. if you're into trauma, do an elective at cooper. all in all, i've been a student a umdnj-som for a year, and it has excceeded every expectation, it's in my biased opinion, without a doubt, the best do school.
pirulo
umdnj-som
2004

 

[kinipeli]

Thanks so much for all of your replies and input! After much reading and talking and thinking etc; I have finally decided to go to PCOM. Just thought you guys might like to know! It's been a long decision process; but I feel much more relieved and settled now. I know that wherever I go to med school its up to me to get the best education, and in the end i *think* that PCOM fits best with my personality and what I'm looking for in a school... but anyhows, best of luck to all of you in whichever stage of life you're at- who knows, maybe we'll bump into each other one day!
take care =)