UNECOM
i recently had an encounter with a pre-med who wants to attend unecom because he heard they have a high board pass rate and they support you well through both comlex and usmle. as someone who just passed comlex (didn't take usmle) this idea gave me a little bit of pause. it seems that the reviews for unecom on SDN seem to be "well aged" and maybe there is room for a recent review. hopefully other students can chime in and contradict me because this is not a glowing review but rather what i wish someone had told me about before i accepted
Curriculum: integrated curriculum. they do a good job overall, but there are big gaps. does not meet minimum standards for accreditation, and you will be on your own for finding the missing pieces and filling them in for boards and beyond. curriculum is divided into two courses, medical knowledge and manual medicine. each course feels like a different school, they are run so differently. grading is a real problem for many students, as it is confusing, inconsistent, and often takes several weeks to be posted
Location: I actually like the area, but it is quiet and things close early. the campus itself is beautiful.
Cost: what can i say, its well over $50k now, and the student loan allowance for room and board is barely enough to cover living expenses. rent went up but the loan allowance ... not so much
Faculty: serious problems with faculty retention. there are continuing vehement discussion about mandatory classes, which doesn't help retention or morale. some faculty complain fairly openly about being paid so little, which is odd considering the high price tag for the school. most faculty, both visiting and staff, are not heavy on "osteopathic principles." some of you will like this, some of you will not. if you want traditional osteopathy, you will definitely want to find a different school, you will not learn cranial at this school, and chapman's are laughed at (...literally)
Reputation: in my opinion, this school's reputation is based on pre-2010 curricula and staff.
Clinical rotations: worsening problems placing students in Portland. this year, the site was closed altogether as a rotation site, although some students with significant needs (i.e. local family) were allowed to piecemeal rotations in the portland area. instead, a series of 2-seat sites were opened up at a variety of small hospitals in new england. i can't comment on whether this will work out since it is all new. with that said, unecom has traditionally placed strong emphasis on clinical skills and this seems to hold true through the present day as rotating students seem to be very well regarded. many of the sites seem to be quite good, and everyone does get a seat although allocating them is a bit rough. the biggest site Bangor and most students do not want to go further into the snowy north.
Housing: none on campus for graduate students, biddeford rent has gone up quite a bit in recent years. expect $1k for 1-2 bedroom apartments.
Study areas: major conflicts with une undergrads. there is not even remotely enough study space. the campus itself closes when the undergrads are not present. this means dining services and library hours are severely restricted for the first and last months of the year, and around winter break. you will be on your own for food during board prep time!
Social scene: you'll need to drive to Portland for a social scene. class itself is clique-y, although supportive and not cutthroat.
Local hospitals: medical care overall is good in the local area, with Portland a short distance away.
Preparation for boards: the school buys you kaplan, including live lectures. that's it. you are expected to pass an NBOME practice exam with a minimum score of 500 in order to sit for the comlex. how you get there is up to you. the curricula focuses on clinical skills, not boards. the pass rate is high because you don't sit for the boards if you don't pass a practice exam. as far as i can tell, the school does not publish the number of people who are held back due to failing practice exams.
Chances for students to attend residencies outside of primary care: seems to be good. the school published a chart showing placement for the class of 2015, and there were many, many placements outside of primary care. don't know how many of these were first-choice, but placement seems good.
Other thoughts: the school recently appointed a new dean, and has hired on some very capable faculty to help run some of the coursework. many of the problems i mentioned may idsappear as these people are able to bring some new ideas and new life to the curricula. nevertheless, if i could do it all over again, i would def choose a different school. with that said, maybe some of the other unecom students on sdn can chime in.
also, the student clubs are fantastic. if you go to unecom, get involved with the clubs right away. the official curricula has some issues but the clubs clean it up quite a bit. the anatomy program and the student clubs are easily the best aspects of the school in my opinion