Please help: NSU-COM Vs. KCUMB

[woodhorse22]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am deciding between NSU-COM and KCUMB and where I should deposit. I didn't like NSU-COM in terms of their attendance policy and all that. THe campus was very nice compared to that of KCUMB though. I need more information about both schools' residency match rates and their COMPLEX pass rates. Which one is higher? Any other opinions.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Everyone fails the COMPLEX

 

[EEL08]

I think this thread should be in honor of doinmybest. 😀

 

[doinmybest5840]

I think this thread should be in honor of doinmybest. 😀

Hahaha I'm so touched. 🙂 I just saw this and I was like, "HEY LOOK! A THREAD ABOUT NSU!"

 

[ThisIsYourLife]

i think the only thing that really turns me off about NSU is their attendance policy.. and how long their classes are.. so for me, if i got into somewhere i liked without an attendance policy.. id probably go there instead.. unless the weather or location really sucked at the other place.. then id choose NSU, nice and warm 😀 with palm trees everywhere (ive only seen a palm tree once before, so sad!)

 

[doinmybest5840]

i think the only thing that really turns me off about NSU is their attendance policy.. and how long their classes are.. so for me, if i got into somewhere i liked without an attendance policy.. id probably go there instead.. unless the weather or location really sucked at the other place.. then id choose NSU, nice and warm 😀 with palm trees everywhere (ive only seen a palm tree once before, so sad!)

I believe the attendance policy only requires you to attend 70 or 80% of classes, which is still a lot, but it's not every single course. Also, I've read in several threads that students can swipe their cards and then sit in the back and study on their own, or sometimes just swipe and leave, or have a friend do it. However, they did mention that sometimes the professors do some sort of check and if they find out you had someone else swipe for you, both people get in trouble. *shrug* I plan to go to class as much as possible, so I don't see a problem with it. That's just me, though.

 

[ThisIsYourLife]

^^ then that is probably good.. i mean ok, yes i would plan on attending most classes.. but i just hate HAVING to.. i guess thats just me.. because i know i should attend to get better grades, or something.. i just have a hard hard time paying attention to lectures - of any kind.

 

[Kuba]

I believe the attendance policy only requires you to attend 70 or 80% of classes, which is still a lot, but it's not every single course. Also, I've read in several threads that students can swipe their cards and then sit in the back and study on their own, or sometimes just swipe and leave, or have a friend do it. However, they did mention that sometimes the professors do some sort of check and if they find out you had someone else swipe for you, both people get in trouble. *shrug* I plan to go to class as much as possible, so I don't see a problem with it. That's just me, though.

yep, a lot of people swipe and go study in the library instead. During your second year you just have to swipe once for the entire day, and you can do that at any point.
As far as the manual checks go... I think it's a rumor, it hasn't happened to us yet. Another rumor is that no one even looks at the attendance record, that it's just there to raise attendance by fear factor, lol. I talked to a professor about this before that said that they personally have never even seen the list. Either way,the policy is not that bad, but annoying at the same time.

 

[MJB]

I'd have to go with KCUMB.

 

[Enginerds]

I'd have to go with KCUMB.

I just got done making this same decision. I choose KCUMB. When it came down to it I set aside location, which was the main thing holding me back from choosing KCUMB over Nova.

What I liked about Nova was:
1) Location
2) Campus (gym, library were great, but I never got to see any of the medical schools facilities)
3) Tuition is not too bad compared to other DO schools

What I liked about KCUMB:
1) The medical school facilities were great, the patient simulator, new auditorium, Library, anatomy lab, OMM lab etc.
2) 3rd and 4th year rotations (1 elective 3rd year and all electives 4th)
3) High percentage of graduates that specialize
4) Systems based curriculum
5) The people, I felt much more welcomed by the admissions staff, students, and interviewers at KCUMB than at Nova.
6) Kansas City actually surprised me, maybe my expectations were low, but the city itself seemed to be plenty modern and going through major revitalization. Only thing is the cold, which my SO is not a fan of.

I have not received decisions from about 20 MD schools so I will be in Kansas City next year unless I get accepted to an MD school I find to be a better fit.

 

[osli]

I interviewed at both. I don't want this to come off too prickish and hope I don't offend anyone, but my personal "gut feeling" was that NSU was in the business of producing graduate students and KCUMB was in the business of teaching medical students. Subtle difference, perhaps, maybe even semantics, but I got a very different impression of the primary mission of the two schools.

NSU's "facilities" are terrific, if you mean huge common library, big spread out (warm) campus, shiny marble in buildings, nice gym and other student amenities, etc. KCUMB's "facilities" are terrific if you mean lecture environment, labs setup and equipment, patient simulators and standardized patient rooms, curriculum, study facilities, etc.

It could be a tough decision though. Both schools have good to great reputations. Location might be a primary factor. Cost may be important. For me, it came down to who I thought was out to provide the absolute highest quality of education, and the decision then became pretty easy.

 

[Member 870]

NOVA!!!!!! The students/faculty are nice at KCUMB, but KC? Come on! Plus the laaaaaaadies-- Sexy bikini-clad Latinas vs Corn-fed, sweater-clad females. No. Contest. 😍

 

[Bells01]

There are a lot of things to consider when making your decision. I have read a lot on this discussion board about choosing Nova because of the weather, pretty buildings, facilities, etc. However, it seems that many of the people are not considering all of the important aspects of getting your medical education. It does not necessarily matter if the school is beautiful on the outside, but the types of facilities/accomodations for studying inside are important. For example, at Nova, all of the HPD library, separate study rooms, etc are shared amongst ALL of the HPD students (including meds, dentals, optometry, PA, Nursing, Audiology, and countless others). Thereby leaving little area for you to actually study on the HPD without having to fight for space sometimes. However if you are a person that likes to study at home it would obviously not be a concern.

Also, if studying late at night is important to you, it is hard to do at NSU bc HPD library closes at about 11-12ish. There is no security monitored space on campus to study past that time and local coffee shops also close beyond this time. Therefore, some students find themselves studying in the cafeteria at night if they want to study late - however there is not key-card security access to the building or cafeteria so it gets kinda scary at night especially if you are alone and a female. Other schools have specific study rooms that are open all night or open late, and have study rooms that are key-card enabled thereby allowing students to enter safely at night.

Also, it is important to get the current students' opinions about the classes, quality of education, etc. People have commented on the attendance policy a lot and how you should go to class - although in theory this is true, when you see how much information you are required to learn in addition to sitting in class all day long, it becomes more understandable why some people skip. Since people learn differently, going to class all day long is not the optimal studying opportunity for some. Also the people that skip class do not do it because they want to go have fun or slack off, it's just so they can go somewhere else and study.

It is also NOT just a rumor that your grades will docked if you miss class beyond the 70-80% - I have personally known people who encountered that situation.

I would encourage you to make your decision on the things that will be important as a medical student, bc trust me when you are within your semester and stressed and studying, how beautiful the school is on the outside and nice weather won't seem like such perks. You of course want to be in a comfortable environment, but with as much as you are studying, it ends up not being that big of a deal for most. There are good things about NSU as well, but it seems that whenever people comment on it, it is largely based upon its outward appearance. If you can find out what is important to you, and speak to current students to see if the school meets what you think you will want - that should help you make your decision.

Good luck with your decision, and I wish you the best whichever school you choose.