Please help me pick: TouroNY vs. MU-COM vs. KCUMB

[rdk322]

Hi,
I've been fortunate to be accepted at all three schools, and I'm having a tough time making up my mind. I do have a few weeks until the deadline (earliest being Dec 21), but I figured I'd ask in advance. Here are my thoughts/impressions/what I know about each school. Please do correct me if I'm misinformed and tell me any other pros/cons that I'm not aware of. (I've read the pros and cons thread for NY and KCUMB).

(Although it's TOO far down the road, in case it matters, I'm Canadian so I'm looking into the ACGME route for residency. I want to work in an urban setting, preferably Chicago to join my aunt's family for residency/work).

TouroNY
pros:
- NYC!
- great public transportation system (matters quite a bit since I don't have a license)
- rotation sites are close enough so I won't have to move
- possibility of establishing city networks (does this really happen?/is this really important?)

cons:
- I didn't feel at home in the school environment
- I liked the facility and the interaction with the school population the least (I'm sure they are very friendly people. It just wasn't to the same extent as those I met in KC or Indianapolis)
- tuition is more expensive than the other two (47k)
- past rotation site problems (I don't think this is the case anymore, but I heard many do rotations in NJ, which I'm not sure is better/worse than the rotation sites via MUCOM or KCUMB).

MU-COM
pros:
- brand new and high tech facility!
- the faculty AND the community seem very eager to make you feel at home and succeed (i.e. phone calls from current students, very quick email exchanges, etc making sure that they answer every question). I like this feeling of being taken care of..
- my family will be able to drive down to visit me (~5-6 from Toronto)
- I was told that since Indiana has only IU as the other med school, the MD community is highly receptive towards the new DO population. I'm thinking I might be able to interact with both MD & DO's at their rotation sites?(http://www2.marian.edu/osteopathic-medical-school/academics/Pages/ClinicalPartnerships.aspx)
- felt at home during the interview
- innovative curriculum design

cons:
- new school - no track record... (how much does this really matter?)
- inefficient public transportation system
- smaller city

KCUMB
pros:
- great facility and campus
- impressive academic track record for years!
- felt at home during the interview
- systems-based education that has worked nicely for years.
cons:
- the area around the school is not the safest (I tend to walk around at night for library, etc)
- absence of core rotation sites (is this true?) so having to move to different states (how are these other hospitals in comparison?)
- smaller city

P.S. tuition is 42k at both KCUMB and Marian.
As it stands, I like the design of 1&2 years at KCUMB and 3&4 years at Marian...

Thanks so much!

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[ToKingdomCome]

I

Hi,
I've been fortunate to be accepted at all three schools, and I'm having a tough time making up my mind. I do have a few weeks until the deadline (earliest being Dec 21), but I figured I'd ask in advance. Here are my thoughts/impressions/what I know about each school. Please do correct me if I'm misinformed and tell me any other pros/cons that I'm not aware of. (I've read the pros and cons thread for NY and KCUMB).

(Although it's TOO far down the road, in case it matters, I'm Canadian so I'm looking into the ACGME route for residency. I want to work in an urban setting, preferably Chicago to join my aunt's family for residency/work).

TouroNY
pros:
- NYC!
- great public transportation system (matters quite a bit since I don't have a license)
- rotation sites are close enough so I won't have to move
- possibility of establishing city networks (does this really happen?/is this really important?)

cons:
- I didn't feel at home in the school environment
- I liked the facility and the interaction with the school population the least (I'm sure they are very friendly people. It just wasn't to the same extent as those I met in KC or Indianapolis)
- tuition is more expensive than the other two (47k)
- past rotation site problems (I don't think this is the case anymore, but I heard many do rotations in NJ, which I'm not sure is better/worse than the rotation sites via MUCOM or KCUMB).

MU-COM
pros:
- brand new and high tech facility!
- the faculty AND the community seem very eager to make you feel at home and succeed (i.e. phone calls from current students, very quick email exchanges, etc making sure that they answer every question). I like this feeling of being taken care of..
- my family will be able to drive down to visit me (~5-6 from Toronto)
- I was told that since Indiana has only IU as the other med school, the MD community is highly receptive towards the new DO population. I'm thinking I might be able to interact with both MD & DO's at their rotation sites?(http://www2.marian.edu/osteopathic-medical-school/academics/Pages/ClinicalPartnerships.aspx)
- felt at home during the interview
- innovative curriculum design

cons:
- new school - no track record... (how much does this really matter?)
- inefficient public transportation system
- smaller city

KCUMB
pros:
- great facility and campus
- impressive academic track record for years!
- felt at home during the interview
- systems-based education that has worked nicely for years.
cons:
- the area around the school is not the safest (I tend to walk around at night for library, etc)
- absence of core rotation sites (is this true?) so having to move to different states (how are these other hospitals in comparison?)
- smaller city

P.S. tuition is 42k at both KCUMB and Marian.
As it stands, I like the design of 1&2 years at KCUMB and 3&4 years at Marian...

Thanks so much!

id personally go kcumb

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I

id personally go kcumb

KCUMB is probably the place to go tbh. It was in my opinion one of the best DO schools I have seen.

 

[deleted562324]

The tuition at Touro-NY is ~$44k/year if I remember correctly. That paired with the relatively high cost of living in NYC can be an important factor, but the tuition is not that much higher than the other 2 schools.
If I had to pick, I would choose between KCUMB or Touro-NY. Brand new schools are a risk that I personally don't want to take.

Good luck!

 

[Jnet389]

Since when is Indianapolis or KC a "smaller city"? Do you mean compared to the Big Apple? Lol

 

[touchpause13]

I'd go to KCUMB

 

[lalongo]

keep in mind there are quite a few Canadians going to Touro NY who you can seek advice from, not sure if thats the case for KCUMB.

Where in Canada are you located? Unless you are coming from Toronto or Montreal, Indianapolis and KC have bigger or equal populations than where you are from.

edit: regarding residencies. as a canadian you will need a program to sponsor you with a h1b visa for the duration of your training. The northeast region of the united states are much more receptive to international students and you are more likely to be able to get a match there. not saying the midwest is opposed to sponsoring the h1b but the chances are less likely.

 

[stlrams22]

easy....KCUMB

 

[rdk322]

The tuition at Touro-NY is ~$44k/year if I remember correctly.

Oops, I might be mistaken.

Since when is Indianapolis or KC a "smaller city"? Do you mean compared to the Big Apple? Lol

Yup, vs. the Big Apple

keep in mind there are quite a few Canadians going to Touro NY who you can seek advice from, not sure if thats the case for KCUMB.

Where in Canada are you located? Unless you are coming from Toronto or Montreal, Indianapolis and KC have bigger or equal populations than where you are from.

edit: regarding residencies. as a canadian you will need a program to sponsor you with a h1b visa for the duration of your training. The northeast region of the united states are much more receptive to international students and you are more likely to be able to get a match there. not saying the midwest is opposed to sponsoring the h1b but the chances are less likely.

My family's in Toronto and I go to school in Montreal. I really do like KCUMB's first two years, but I agree that H1B may be a problem. What if I were to set up all my electives in Chicago/Northeast area?

 

[deleted562324]

You didn't ask about this, but I thought it may be helpful: I personally value the quality of the clinical years much more than the preclinical years. If you look, most schools have high enough and similar enough pass rates for the boards that it doesn't seem to matter whether you're in systems-based, PBL, or any other type of preclinical curriculum. From what I understand, your performance on the boards are dependent more on how much time/effort you dedicate to studying, not which school you went to. Of course, you're welcome to have a different opinion, but I would base the decision more on which schools offer the best overall education and opportunities: preclincal AND clinical education, research , volunteering, whatever aligns with your future career goals.

At the end of the day, you'll have to live with your choice. If perceived fit of a school's culture to your personality is the most important factor for you, then base your decision on that. It seems to me like you are playing favorites based on some of the more superficial aspects of the interview day. I'm not sure that the friendliness of a school's population can be effectively gauged on an interview day, when you will probably interact with 20 people, at most, from the school's population.

I know nothing about KCUMB, and I'm not trying to convince you either way about any particular school. But I do think that these are things worth thinking about when you make your decision.

 

[CheckMate2013]

I'm in the same boat as you and I'm trying to decide between KCUMB and NYIT-COM. I'm from the NYC area but would have no problem moving to Kansas City. Both programs seem fantastic, but as you mentioned: I prefer years 1-2 at KCUMB and years 3-4 at NYIT-COM. What makes the decision difficult for me is that as far as I can tell, the residency placements in both institutions are diverse for every graduating class that I've looked at. While staying in NY would also guarantee both student and patient diversity, NYIT-COM would be more than $15k expensive per year due to tuition costs when compared with KCUMB (with an additional $3-5k that must be factored in for Glen Cove, NY's high cost of living). Both institutions are regarded highly in the DO circles but NYIT-COM seems to be very well known in the northeast by practicing MDs/DOs alike, more so than KCUMB (which might come in to play when applying for residencies in the northeast). I highly doubt that I'd like to stay in the tri-state (NY, NJ, PA) area in the future when starting a family so going to NYIT-COM simply to have a residency in the northeast is not such a big deal to me. I have approximately 4 weeks to make up my mind about this, but am clueless as to what to do. What do you guys think?

 

[Melomare17]

go with KCUMB

 

[ChineseKid]

I thought that all Do schools are more or less equivalent, and that it's your exam marks that determines your residency competitiveness?
I remember someone told me to pick a school that you see yourself living in for the next 4 years.

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[deleted562324]

I thought that all Do schools are more or less equivalent, and that it's your exam marks that determines your residency competitiveness?
I remember someone told me to pick a school that you see yourself living in for the next 4 years.

Sent from my SGH-T889V using Tapatalk

Board scores, letters of recommendation, grades/class rank, reputation of the school, having an audition rotation at the site, and research in the specialty all contribute to your residency competitiveness.

The second statement is somewhat misleading. Chances are, you're not going to be spending much (if any) time at any given school during your 3rd and 4th years. For example, at LECOM-Bradenton, you spend your first 2 years in Bradenton, but you are moving around in your 3rd and 4th years every month and in various states. At Touro-NY, your first 2 years are in Harlem (or Middletown), and your clinical years are somewhere in the Northeast (NYC, New Jersey, Philly, etc.). However, at Touro-NY you're not constantly moving every month, but you aren't spending much time at the school either.

 

[Elevencents]

I thought that all Do schools are more or less equivalent, and that it's your exam marks that determines your residency competitiveness?
I remember someone told me to pick a school that you see yourself living in for the next 4 years.

Sent from my SGH-T889V using Tapatalk

Eh not all are created equal. And most you are only there for two years, in the general area for three.

To OP, go KCUMB.

 

[rdk322]

Wow, unanimous response. I did like KCUMB a lot.
I still have a few questions:
1) I got 1 feedback from a 4th year KCUMB student on clinical rotations, and I was told to get more input since there's been mixed reviews. Can any KCUMB student comment on the quality of 3/4th year rotations?
2) Not as important as the previous question, but would KCUMB still be a good choice if I'm thinking of applying to residency in Chicago/NE states area? How difficult is it to set up electives there?

Thanks so much

 

[Elevencents]

Wow, unanimous response. I did like KCUMB a lot.
I still have a few questions:
1) I got 1 feedback from a 4th year KCUMB student on clinical rotations, and I was told to get more input since there's been mixed reviews. Can any KCUMB student comment on the quality of 3/4th year rotations?
2) Not as important as the previous question, but would KCUMB still be a good choice if I'm thinking of applying to residency in Chicago/NE states area? How difficult is it to set up electives there?

Thanks so much

I'll let a current student handle the first part but as far as doing residency in a certain area you can do aways wherever you want regardless which school you end up attending so that's not a factor.

 

[CheckMate2013]

I'll let a current student handle the first part but as far as doing residency in a certain area you can do aways wherever you want regardless which school you end up attending so that's not a factor.

This is my biggest fear. I really liked KCUMB but am not sure how I'd feel about staying in the midwest. Being from the northeast, I'd prefer to stay up here for residency, work, etc. Without doing any audition rotations in specific hospitals in the northeast, how likely is one to be able to succesfully match into a program in their preferred location? Aside from great numbers and LOR, what else is there that sets you apart?