PLEASE HELP: TUCOM-NV or Western U / COMP ???

[LADO]

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I need your help! I truly hate these kind of threads and until now, never understood why people ask strangers about which school to go to... but when you're stuck in the situation, it's just too hard to think clearly.

I was completely sold on TUCOM-NV and absolutely loved the school. Recently I got off the wait list at Western / COMP which was my top choice while I was in undergrad - due to proximity to home.

Now that I have to decide between the two, I am completely stuck!

Please tell me if I'm weighing these options in a sensible manner. I may be emphasizing non-important issues - or missing something important.

Your help is appreciated!

My views on COMP:
Pros: Just an hour from family and friends; established curriculum; ties with california hospitals for rotation and residency; class time cut in half
Cons: Professors makes things more difficult then they should (just word of mouth from several) - "not pro-student"; Rotations limited to 2 per specialty will hurt auditioning in your specialty of choice to show yourself (new rule); Rotations office not very helpful in setting up rotations; new rule that students choose a rotation based on 1 aspect (location, specialty, etc.); high attrition; student happiness not comparable to other programs I interviewed at; majority of feedback I received from grads and current students were negative; 220+ class size.

TUCOM-NV:
Pros: Very helpful and caring administration; great faculty for the most part; no unfairness reported from current students; new school resulting in flexibility; administration working very hard to build a good name; 1st year students generally very happy; forging relationships with many hospitals in the area; rotations can be preceptor or hospital based; very pro-student faculty and administration; 5 electives in any specialty; apparently a less stressful and competitive first 3 years; small class size
Cons: No grads to give feedback on rotations or residency placement; glitches to deal with in the program; 4 hours from home (spoiled?); new preceptors for rotations; curriculum not completely set or proven, although based on TUCOM-CA curriculum.

So that's all I can think of right now. Maybe some of the things I've mentioned aren't worth mentioning - or maybe I missed more important things. Please fill me in.

What to do???????????? 😕 😕 😕

Thank you

 

[Biodude]

It sounds to me like you'd be happier at TUCOM-NV. Based on the pros and cons you've listed, you have more pros listed for TUCOM, and more cons listed for COMP.

 

[box29]

I need your help! I truly hate these kind of threads and until now, never understood why people ask strangers about which school to go to... but when you're stuck in the situation, it's just too hard to think clearly.

I was completely sold on TUCOM-NV and absolutely loved the school. Recently I got off the wait list at Western / COMP which was my top choice while I was in undergrad - due to proximity to home.

Now that I have to decide between the two, I am completely stuck!

Please tell me if I'm weighing these options in a sensible manner. I may be emphasizing non-important issues - or missing something important.

Your help is appreciated!

My views on COMP:
Pros: Just an hour from family and friends; established curriculum; ties with california hospitals for rotation and residency; class time cut in half
Cons: Professors makes things more difficult then they should (just word of mouth from several) - "not pro-student"; Rotations limited to 2 per specialty will hurt auditioning in your specialty of choice to show yourself (new rule); Rotations office not very helpful in setting up rotations; new rule that students choose a rotation based on 1 aspect (location, specialty, etc.); high attrition; student happiness not comparable to other programs I interviewed at; majority of feedback I received from grads and current students were negative; 220+ class size.

TUCOM-NV:
Pros: Very helpful and caring administration; great faculty for the most part; no unfairness reported from current students; new school resulting in flexibility; administration working very hard to build a good name; 1st year students generally very happy; forging relationships with many hospitals in the area; rotations can be preceptor or hospital based; very pro-student faculty and administration; 5 electives in any specialty; apparently a less stressful and competitive first 3 years; small class size
Cons: No grads to give feedback on rotations or residency placement; glitches to deal with in the program; 4 hours from home (spoiled?); new preceptors for rotations; curriculum not completely set or proven, although based on TUCOM-CA curriculum.

So that's all I can think of right now. Maybe some of the things I've mentioned aren't worth mentioning - or maybe I missed more important things. Please fill me in.

What to do???????????? 😕 😕 😕

Thank you

School wise and curriculum wise, you will be in the driver's seat. Biochem at COMP is biochem at Touro is anatomy is phys, etc. What you put into studying is what you will get out of it in terms of grades. As for boards, you will be taking the boards, not the school, profs, nor the upperclassmen who had already taken it. If you prepare yourself well, you should do fine.

My suggestions would be to look back and see where you felt the most comfortable. Where will you be most happy? Go where you think you fit in and where you think you'll be most happy.

PS. I agree with the above poster.

 

[DrB]

You know that I am bias "LADO" (aka ... 🙄 ) and we have talked about this in the past.

A wise man once said "all the answers to all the questions you will ever have are already inside you and all we have to do is listen". You know where your heart lies.

I think it was very smart to list your pros and cons for each school. Maybe you should sleep on it... look for signs... the answer will come to you if you let it.

-Good luck on your tough decision... don't forget our deadline!

P.S. you will feel much better once you come to a decision; make it and move on.

 

[Jinyaoysiu]

I'm an OMSI at COMP and I think you sound like you are someone who will be happier at TUCOM-NV. Not that I agree with everything you said, but it seems like you already have a preconceived notion about both schools and it's likely that you'll feel that way regardless of how both schools turn out to be. I think you'll be missing out a lot by not going to COMP and could change your future forever, but I guess it's just like I don't know what I'm missing by not being at TUCOM-NV right now.

So, as a COMP student, I am not making a biased advice and I'm telling you to go to TUCOM-NV. Good luck.

 

[LADO]

You know that I am bias "LADO" (aka ... 🙄 ) and we have talked about this in the past.

Thank you all for your feedback. Going back and reading my post, it does seem like I may be happier at Touro. I am just wondering if what I'm weighing as important ARE really important. Some of these things might go away once you start school... and some might be very important factors to consider hmmm. Oh Dr. B re: what I quoted - you're a smart one 😉

 

[cardiotonic]

I need your help! I truly hate these kind of threads and until now, never understood why people ask strangers about which school to go to... but when you're stuck in the situation, it's just too hard to think clearly.

I was completely sold on TUCOM-NV and absolutely loved the school. Recently I got off the wait list at Western / COMP which was my top choice while I was in undergrad - due to proximity to home.

Now that I have to decide between the two, I am completely stuck!

Please tell me if I'm weighing these options in a sensible manner. I may be emphasizing non-important issues - or missing something important.

Your help is appreciated!

My views on COMP:
Pros: Just an hour from family and friends; established curriculum; ties with california hospitals for rotation and residency; class time cut in half
Cons: Professors makes things more difficult then they should (just word of mouth from several) - "not pro-student"; Rotations limited to 2 per specialty will hurt auditioning in your specialty of choice to show yourself (new rule); Rotations office not very helpful in setting up rotations; new rule that students choose a rotation based on 1 aspect (location, specialty, etc.); high attrition; student happiness not comparable to other programs I interviewed at; majority of feedback I received from grads and current students were negative; 220+ class size.

TUCOM-NV:
Pros: Very helpful and caring administration; great faculty for the most part; no unfairness reported from current students; new school resulting in flexibility; administration working very hard to build a good name; 1st year students generally very happy; forging relationships with many hospitals in the area; rotations can be preceptor or hospital based; very pro-student faculty and administration; 5 electives in any specialty; apparently a less stressful and competitive first 3 years; small class size
Cons: No grads to give feedback on rotations or residency placement; glitches to deal with in the program; 4 hours from home (spoiled?); new preceptors for rotations; curriculum not completely set or proven, although based on TUCOM-CA curriculum.

So that's all I can think of right now. Maybe some of the things I've mentioned aren't worth mentioning - or maybe I missed more important things. Please fill me in.

What to do???????????? 😕 😕 😕

Thank you

Hey LADO, nice to meet you! 😉

When I was trying to decide between schools, location was a big factor, as it was close to my family, and I am very much a family orientated person. However, I realized that medical school is going to take up a lot of my time so I would not have much time to spend with my family anyway. Medical school is a big commitment. As far as your issues with the school regarding reputation, my personal opinion is that your school will be as good or as bad as what you put into it. Although one of the key selling points of Touro-NV (my school) and any other school in general, was the people associated with the university. We will be spending a lot of time with these people. This is just my .02. However, I agree with DrB, ultimately the answer lies within yourself. Just follow your heart and you can do no wrong.

 

[cardiotonic]

one more thing... Touro-NV has block exams and COMP does not. I know I would not have much time to relax if I had a test every week. Hope this helps.

 

[Elysium]

I had the chance to go to COMP and decided to go to TUNCOM instead. There are definetly pros and cons to both, though they may not even be what you think. The first two years of school anywhere are a pain in the ass, no matter how you slice it. If you think we've got the market cornered on "fair" faculty, I would think again. Some are great, some are a total nightmare, some are from UNLV and you'll see them like 4 times and then never again. I will say that the administration does try and be accomadating and listen to what we have to say. They genuinely want the place to be top notch and to be a seperate school from Mare Island. The cons, obviously, is that there are glitches to work out at a first/second year school and that's just the way it is. If you want a library, go to COMP. If you want tons of study spaces, go to COMP, if you want a brand new top notch ortho facility (very, very cool) come to TUNCOM. Good things are going to happen at TUNCOM, but it isn't going to happen overnight. So, you're going to need to be patient. THere's not a lot of clubs, no student health services, no tutoring services (yet), but that will also change over time too.

The most important thing, though, in your medical school selection is where you do clinical rotations. I've said this to other people before, if you really want to stay in Southern Cali (for residency), your best bet is to go to COMP. If you might want to stay in Vegas or possibly N. Cali, then TUNCOM might be a better fit. Our rotations are not "established" per se right now, but that will get better in the coming years too. Right now, most of the rotations are preceptor based, but, again, that will probably change too.

So, you have to be flexible and you need to be willing to gamble a bit. If you're cool with going to a new school and trying to forge ahead with something new, then I think you'll be a good fit for TUNCOM.

Good luck either way.

And Box: good luck on finals, brother!

 

[DrB]

Good luck Box29 and Elysium on your finals!!!!!! Thanks for taking the time out for us! Have a nice summer and see you in the Fall!

 

[LADO]

Elysium, thanks for your helpful response. It is appreciated. 👍 Good luck on your finals coming up!

 

[Dr. Don]

Las Vegas....too much partying for me, can you study in an environment that is designed to just let yourself loose? I couldn't so I didn't even apply to TUCOM-NV...good luck in whatever you decide!

 

[Biodude]

While this thread is still up and going, do any current TUCOM-NV students know a fella named Jon Strotkamp? He's a friend of mine and let me know that he was the AMSA president over there 😀

 

[ez073323]

While this thread is still up and going, do any current TUCOM-NV students know a fella named Jon Strotkamp? He's a friend of mine and let me know that he was the AMSA president over there 😀

affirm Biodude, JP is the president of AMSA as well as class president!

Brian Enriquez
[email protected]

 

[Elysium]

While this thread is still up and going, do any current TUCOM-NV students know a fella named Jon Strotkamp? He's a friend of mine and let me know that he was the AMSA president over there 😀

That's awesome! JPS is one of my closest friends. I had dinner with him tonight, mtter of fact. He just came back from LA to chat up our school to the UCLA folks. He's a wonderful person and he's going to be a great doctor! Tell him Tiff says she loves him!

😍

 

[Biodude]

That's awesome! JPS is one of my closest friends. I had dinner with him tonight, mtter of fact. He just came back from LA to chat up our school to the UCLA folks. He's a wonderful person and he's going to be a great doctor! Tell him Tiff says she loves him!

😍

Actually, he was at Cal State Fullerton first. The UCLA folks came in as well, mostly to tell us current pre-meds what it's like to be in medical school, what schools they chose, their study habits, etc. Old classmates, friends, and all 🙂

I sure miss 'em all 🙁