Pros and Cons of your DO School

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Just curious here, obviously I don't know what field I would like to go into yet but I want to know what happens if someone decides to pursue a specialty. What kind of resources are there for someone who decides they want to do a specialty? Like GS for example, are there mentorship opportunities? How open is the school to helping advise these students? If someone decides to pursue a specialty are they going to be doing it all on their own?
Acom, and I also believe most schools, require you to do a certain number of set core rotations such as Family Medicine general surgery excetera excetera the rest of your rotations you can do as selectives and electives which is what you choose to do based upon your interest. This allows you to get exposure into Fields where you have interest. You should be able to get exposure into any field you have interested in just about any of the rotation sites

Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Rotation sites range from Mobile Alabama to Tallahassee Florida all the way up to Huntsville and Birmingham Alabama most of the students to relocate as only a small percentage actually stay in the Dothan hospital. However, most students find the two years in Dothan is... Sufficient. Students get to rank and their programs and submit a list. The school has had good success in getting the most number of students to the spot they want.

Thanks! These next couple of questions are going to sound a little ignorant or left field but how can a rising third year pick their cores without really knowing what the hospital has to offer and whether it's actually a "good" rotation where it genuinely prepare you for your subs? Is it just recommendations from the upperclassman? For example, if I'm interested in say general surgery and I want to be best prepared for it, are there faculty mentors that can give me some advice as to how to go about it in terms of selecting my core site and electives? Then again, you said it's based on lottery...and the school is pretty new too so maybe they're still working out the kinks as time goes on?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Thanks! These next couple of questions are going to sound a little ignorant or left field but how can a rising third year pick their cores without really knowing what the hospital has to offer and whether it's actually a "good" rotation where it genuinely prepare you for your subs? Is it just recommendations from the upperclassman? For example, if I'm interested in say general surgery and I want to be best prepared for it, are there faculty mentors that can give me some advice as to how to go about it in terms of selecting my core site and electives? Then again, you said it's based on lottery...and the school is pretty new too so maybe they're still working out the kinks as time goes on?
You do not pick cores. Cores are mandatory. You can pick selectives/electives and help shape your knowledge base though. You can work with your site coordinator to choose what selectives would be helpful for you to get exposure to (i.e if you are thinking surgery, you'll probably add selectives like urology, OBGYN, vascular surgery, cardiology, etc).
The AMEC pipeline (ACOMs rotation sites) have been around for I believe since 2007 or earlier. Most of the hospitals are 200+ beds and IMO that is sufficient to give you a quality learning experience. Overall, ACOM has solid rotation sites with a high level of support from ACOM once you are there. ACOM does have kinks to work out but I don't see the 3/4th years as one of them.
You will be given ample information and opportunities to talk to current students, coordinators and physicians and even a tour of the hospital if you pursue it and will be able to make an informed decision I believe you will be satisfied with.
 
You do not pick cores. Cores are mandatory. You can pick selectives/electives and help shape your knowledge base though. You can work with your site coordinator to choose what selectives would be helpful for you to get exposure to (i.e if you are thinking surgery, you'll probably add selectives like urology, OBGYN, vascular surgery, cardiology, etc).
The AMEC pipeline (ACOMs rotation sites) have been around for I believe since 2007 or earlier. Most of the hospitals are 200+ beds and IMO that is sufficient to give you a quality learning experience. Overall, ACOM has solid rotation sites with a high level of support from ACOM once you are there. ACOM does have kinks to work out but I don't see the 3/4th years as one of them.
You will be given ample information and opportunities to talk to current students, coordinators and physicians and even a tour of the hospital if you pursue it and will be able to make an informed decision I believe you will be satisfied with.

Thank you! I meant to say pick core sites lol.
 
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
 
Third year here. I'm a 'glass half full' kinda guy so my opinion may not resemble others. WVSOM isn't perfect, but I doubt any school is.

WVSOM:

Pros:
Beautiful campus with multiple buildings (not all in one building like some schools).
Brand new student center.
Only a DO school (no nursing, PA school, etc.). As a result, we are the center of attention.
Faculty do a superb job of tailoring the curriculum to fit out ideas and concerns.
Faculty are intelligent and enjoy teaching.
Top notch OMT instruction.
Cost of living
Plenty of study time for USMLE/COMLEX. We ended classroom work end of March.


Cons:
Small town, not a ton to do. Roanoke, VA is 1.5 hours away
Rotations can be hit/miss (I think majority are good, but some you have to put in a lot of effort to make them good)
High tuition cost for OOS


WVSOM also may be going private, which will drive down tuition for OOS, but that's still TBD.

Happy to answer any questions anyone has about WVSOM, I've had a great experience there so far overall. I felt well prepared come boards time.

Could you elaborate on the rotations? Like do you have to wing it yourself to get a spot or do they help you set it up? I'm applying there, and this is a fear of mine is going DO and getting screwed out of decent rotations.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Could you elaborate on the rotations? Like do you have to wing it yourself to get a spot or do they help you set it up? I'm applying there, and this is a fear of mine is going DO and getting screwed out of decent rotations.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

If you are a self-motivating person, I wouldn't worry about rotations. If you are a lazy sloth who wants your hand held, then yes, I would be somewhat worried.

Here is how rotations work. There are 15 or so hospitals to choose from and you choose one as your "base site." This is where you will do a large majority of your rotations, but you will do a few rotations nearby (such as family medicine in a nearby clinic). Each hospital site has about 10 slots available. During your second year, they have a "site selection night." At site selection night, everyone in the class attends. In the front of the room there are 15 posters with the hospital name at the top of the poster. You are given a sticker with your name on it and you go up to the hospital you want and put your name under the hospital.

If more than 10 people want a particular hospital, the hospital site will go into a lottery and the dean will pull the first 10 names out of a hat. Those 10 people get the hospital site and you are left to choose another. If a site has 10 people or less, it doesn't go to lottery and you are guaranteed that site.

As you can see, you are definitely not guaranteed a particular hospital to rotate at (although a large majority get their first choice). To be honest though, most of the sites at WVSOM are good. Some are pretty rural, so you may not get as much exposure, so that's where there is some discrepancy. The positive side to those rotations are that you are the only medical student, so you are first assist for everything and often get to do a lot of the procedures.

The school sets up a "mock selection" a few weeks before the actual selection night so everyone can see what is going to be popular. Everyone does a good job of working with one another to make sure people get what they want.
 
If you are a self-motivating person, I wouldn't worry about rotations. If you are a lazy sloth who wants your hand held, then yes, I would be somewhat worried.

Here is how rotations work. There are 15 or so hospitals to choose from and you choose one as your "base site." This is where you will do a large majority of your rotations, but you will do a few rotations nearby (such as family medicine in a nearby clinic). Each hospital site has about 10 slots available. During your second year, they have a "site selection night." At site selection night, everyone in the class attends. In the front of the room there are 15 posters with the hospital name at the top of the poster. You are given a sticker with your name on it and you go up to the hospital you want and put your name under the hospital.

If more than 10 people want a particular hospital, the hospital site will go into a lottery and the dean will pull the first 10 names out of a hat. Those 10 people get the hospital site and you are left to choose another. If a site has 10 people or less, it doesn't go to lottery and you are guaranteed that site.

As you can see, you are definitely not guaranteed a particular hospital to rotate at (although a large majority get their first choice). To be honest though, most of the sites at WVSOM are good. Some are pretty rural, so you may not get as much exposure, so that's where there is some discrepancy. The positive side to those rotations are that you are the only medical student, so you are first assist for everything and often get to do a lot of the procedures.

The school sets up a "mock selection" a few weeks before the actual selection night so everyone can see what is going to be popular. Everyone does a good job of working with one another to make sure people get what they want.

That doesn't sound bad at all. I heard it was much worse at DO schools because there is no dedicated teaching hospital. I've read stuff like one 3rd year served as a glorified SOAP note secretary for an IM group for the majority of his rotation and another guy was basically hung out to dry for all of his rotations and had to set up everything on the fly.

Are there any rotation spots in TN or are the all centralized in WV?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
That doesn't sound bad at all. I heard it was much worse at DO schools because there is no dedicated teaching hospital. I've read stuff like one 3rd year served as a glorified SOAP note secretary for an IM group for the majority of his rotation and another guy was basically hung out to dry for all of his rotations and had to set up everything on the fly.

Are there any rotation spots in TN or are the all centralized in WV?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Third year you rotate at a "statewide campus" site. They are hospitals affiliated with WVSOM. Most of them are located in WV, there are a few just outside of the state (one in Ohio, one in New York, one in Ashland, KY). There are no sites in TN for third year.

However, 4th year you can either continue at a statewide campus site or you can go wherever the heck you want.
 
Third year you rotate at a "statewide campus" site. They are hospitals affiliated with WVSOM. Most of them are located in WV, there are a few just outside of the state (one in Ohio, one in New York, one in Ashland, KY). There are no sites in TN for third year.

However, 4th year you can either continue at a statewide campus site or you can go wherever the heck you want.

Nice! Thanks for explaining it!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
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

Will you get dismissed if you don't pass the NBOME with certain amount of try?
 
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


Current UNECOM upperclassman - I agree with probably 98% of this. Good summary!

The only things I want to contradict/comment further on are the following - rent in Biddeford isn't quite that high, in my experience. I lived very close to campus with a roommate, renting a beach house, and paid probably $700/month for all room and board expenses. If you want an objectively nicer place, though, (and there are some quite nice places to be found,) you're looking closer to 1k.

Study areas - yes, it was rough while we were there. However, they just started construction on a new building (I think to be used as a kind of student center, with some space for med students only), so more study space should be opening up soon. Also, if you're willing to drive to/park in portland, the UNE Portland campus (home of all other graduate health profession programs offered by UNE, for some reason) has more available study space and is a nice change of scenery.

Overall - boards prep and second year curriculum wise - we have a brand new course director who I think is going to move the curriculum in a direction that will prepare a bit better for COMLEX. The clinical focus is cool, but even the ultimate anti-gunner (me, one of the more slacker-y med students who's ever lived) got frustrated with it when we got within a few months of boards time.

Ultimately, I'm very glad I went here. Feel free to PM with questions!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Also his medical degree is in question. So called Dr. Patel has his BACHELORS degree in medicine and surgery not a doctorate degree, and then starts medical school in india for which college is not a prerequisite for. The only thing is that he was licensed in the states but he killed two people so a PHYSICIAN he is NOT!!!!!!

Woah easy there tiger. The MBBS degree is the foreign equivalent of the MD. Also lots of US docs have killed patients too so I’m not sure how that makes anyone less of a doctor....

The issues with the MD school opening are very valid but a lot of your arguments are essentially emotional sensationalism
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I am a current student here at nova and have been doing some digging, the info i have was shared between two long standing professors at NSUCOM that i was able to get ahold of. First off, the new MD School is pulling talented faculty away from the DO school and are leaving the DO school with trash faculty. Second, NSU is desperately hurting for money, enrollment numbers are down across the board and Hanbury is a dumb** who can't manage money let alone manage a Health college center. So they created the MD school in order to boost those numbers and the cost for opening up the school was next to none since they are MOVING the DO kids to the tampa location paid for by the Patels. Perfect segway into my third point. Kiran C. Patel isn't even a doctor!!! His ability to practice medicine was revoked because he killed two patients in 2015 with extreme negligence on his part. MONEY TALKS. Also his medical degree is in question. So called Dr. Patel has his BACHELORS degree in medicine and surgery not a doctorate degree, and then starts medical school in india for which college is not a prerequisite for. The only thing is that he was licensed in the states but he killed two people so a PHYSICIAN he is NOT!!!!!! So our beloved school is named after a fraud with a lot of money. And since the school is hurting for money they make US the students take a stupid tobacco cessation course or wellness course or other bs that takes up all of our time when we could be studying for biochem, or physio. Fourth, The school was forced to build a new teaching hospital because none of the surrounding hospitals wanted to support a MD school which had to be affiliated with the campus. So the school decided to build its own and thus this pissed off the surrounding hospitals and so they are done accepting DO kids for rotations. Fifth, the new dean is absolutely trasshhhhhhhh its either her way or the high way. And her changing the curriculum is part of the failure for this school. All in all this school is TRASHHHHHHHH I SEE THIS PLACE FOR WHAT IT IS AND IT IS TRASHHHHHHH ALL I CAN DO IS STUDY FOR BOARDS AND HOPE TO GOD IM NOT THE POOR SOUL WHO DIDNT SEE THIS PLACE FOR WHAT IT IS. I have concrete evidence of all these things and I will release my info and i hope to bury this school and hope to see not one more kid enroll into this trash program until the power is placed back into the students hands!!!!!!
lol. We got it man. No need to post the same exact post in 3 different sections. You're justly or unjustly disgruntled. CHECK
 
they are MOVING the DO kids to the tampa location paid for by the Patels.

Wait wait wait. I thought the Tampa campus was an additional location of the DO program. You're saying that the DO program is entirely being moved across the state? Can anyone confirm this? If this is true, this is a massive problem on multiple levels. This has never been done before.
 
Wait wait wait. I thought the Tampa campus was an additional location of the DO program. You're saying that the DO program is entirely being moved across the state? Can anyone confirm this? If this is true, this is a massive problem on multiple levels. This has never been done before.

You’re right clearwater is an additional campus, I met with the regional dean at a Christmas party and he said the class size is going to be 150 in addition to the main campus in ft Lauderdale.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, an MBBS holder from India is not a fraud for calling themselves a physician in the US. Based on the stories I've heard from Indian colleagues in medicine, I'd say the intensity of med school in India would make a lot of spoiled American med students want to run away crying. India produces excellent physicians.

Sent from my SM-G930V using SDN mobile
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 users
Pros: It's PCOM
Cons: The lecture seats creak
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Cons:
- majority of students are crybabies and brats that don't know their place and are really really fake.
- OPP is an absolute waste of time.
- Curriculum timeline and how they space out courses is absolutely garbage.

Pros:
- Online lectures available to cram the weekend before exams.


That's pretty much it.

I'm hoping to get my degree and move on so I can never be affiliated with my DO school ever again.

I hope they bring a law where we can pay to convert our degrees to MD initials since we take the same classes, learn more, and take both board exams just so I can forego any memories of the time sink that OPP is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Cons:
- majority of students are crybabies and brats that don't know their place and are really really fake.
- OPP is an absolute waste of time.
- Curriculum timeline and how they space out courses is absolutely garbage.

Pros:
- Online lectures available to cram the weekend before exams.


That's pretty much it.

I'm hoping to get my degree and move on so I can never be affiliated with my DO school ever again.

I hope they bring a law where we can pay to convert our degrees to MD initials since we take the same classes, learn more, and take both board exams just so I can forego any memories of the time sink that OPP is.
What school?

Also in comparing this post to your posts on the last page of this thread from 2016, I would like to express how impressed I am by how jaded one can become in a couple years :)
 
What school?

Also in comparing this post to your posts on the last page of this thread from 2016, I would like to express how impressed I am by how jaded one can become in a couple years :)

This account is shared between 3 people. My boyfriend and my brother. It's most likely my boyfriend who goes off on the accounts. And yes.... he's prettttyyyy stressed out rn as he prepares for boards.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
What school?

Also in comparing this post to your posts on the last page of this thread from 2016, I would like to express how impressed I am by how jaded one can become in a couple years :)

I'm impressed at how jaded I am in the last couple years in school!:eek:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
I’m only 1 semester in and I’m cynical as hell these days

I still remember being able to study for 8 hours straight with the usual 10 minute breaks per hour with zero distractions. Now? I find myself watching youtube clips every 20 minutes of studying. When you are studying long hours without efficiency, this is pretty much what happens.

edit made
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
LECOM B

Pros- Problem based learning
Small amount of in class time
Location
Rotation scheduling freedom in 4th year
Cost
Board scores
A month of Step 2 dedicated time if you want it.

Cons- Not enough rotation sites. Large #of class takes leftover Erie and SH spots.
Constant faculty turnover.
Mandatory lectures.
Time spent outside reading
Little step 1 dedicated time.
 
Can someone do a MUCOM update? The last one I saw was back in 2015 and it said there was a faculty overhaul
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Maybe 10days or so between when we ended classes and had to be to our first rotation site. My site was in Ohio so I had to move up there.

WOW!!! We got ~25 days and we thought it was short. 10 days is INSANE, imo. Why doesn't SGA petition to change the calendar for a longer dedicated?
 
Can anyone do Western Pomona? :)
I don't have time to write a detailed response, so if you have any specific question, PM me.

Pre-clinical years:
I felt the education was solid although it didn't feel like it during that time. However, after taking boards, I felt that the classroom education I received, combined with my studying for boards, was excellent. You will have some professors here and there that will make you pull out your hair, but for the most part, I felt the professors at WesternU were very good teachers.

I wasn't a fan of small groups. I did the bare minimum. I felt they were inefficient and waste of time. Many of my classmates agree with me.

Clinical years:
WesternU has, at least at this time, enough affiliations that you don't need to travel outside a 50 mile radius from school for any rotation. Most of my third year core rotations were inpatient-based. Very few were outpatient/preceptor based. First half of 4th year will be spent on studying for boards, auditioning, and vacation. Second half can be spent at chill local outpatient rotation sites. However, you always have the option to return to places like Arrowhead or PIH for rotations during 4th year.

Overall, I'm very content with my choice to go to WesternU. I felt I received a competent classroom education and had the option to either utilize the school affiliated sites for rotations or schedule my own (VSAS).

Word of advice. Always communicate with the school your plans in advance. This will save you a lot of headache and the school is willing to help. Don't procrastinate or expect the school to solve your issues on a last minute notice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
I'm surprised we never had one on Rowan. I know there's one in this topic but that is over 10 years old now. Boy have things changed A LOT and do I have A LOT to say about this school that's eye opening for me even though I didn't graduate yet. Things I wish I found out earlier and might be of use to people wanting to know how the school works.
 
Last edited:
I'm surprised we never had one on Rowan. I know there's one in this topic but that is over 10 years old now. Boy have things changed A LOT and do I have A LOT to say about this school that's eye opening for me even though I didn't graduate yet. Things I wish I found out earlier and might be of use to people wanting to know how the school works.
do tell :corny:
 

Too busy studying atm. But when I have time I will give a more detailed explanation of my experiences at the school.

I'm only a second year so I can't give a complete picture but I feel like what I know so far is extremely important to bring up.

But the summary is: The school has traditional curriculum and PBL. I'm from traditional, and here is my take: It's a shell of its former UMDNJ-SOM self. The preclinical education so far here is very VERY subpar, and the school does NOT prepare you for boards, COMLEX or USMLE, for the most part, and many of us are very frustrated because of this. In fact, one of the administrators openly admitted to the class that it doesn't prepare you for USMLE and that you are on your own if you take it (and this was probably the only time they were honest to students about something), but somehow believes that it's adequately preparing us for COMLEX. This doesn't mean our school has a low pass rate for COMLEX. Rather, it's actually quite the opposite, but I'll go into more detail as for why that's the case when I write a more in-depth review.

I'm not even describing the tip of the iceberg with this comment, btw.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Too busy studying atm. But when I have time I will give a more detailed explanation of my experiences at the school.

I'm only a second year so I can't give a complete picture but I feel like what I know so far is extremely important to bring up.

But the summary is: The school has traditional curriculum and PBL. I'm from traditional, and here is my take: It's a shell of its former UMDNJ-SOM self. The preclinical education so far here is very VERY subpar, and the school does NOT prepare you for boards, COMLEX or USMLE, for the most part, and many of us are very frustrated because of this. In fact, the one of the administrators openly admitted to the class that it doesn't prepare you for USMLE and that you are on your own if you take it, but but somehow believes that it's adequately preparing us for COMLEX. This doesn't mean our school has a low pass rate for COMLEX. In fact, it's actually quite the opposite, but I'll go into more detail as for why that's the case when I write a more in-depth review.

Most DO schools are full of faculty that have absolutely zero (yes, not even a tiny bit) knowledge of boards and residency or anything of that type of information. Sucks that we have to go through that.
 
Too busy studying atm. But when I have time I will give a more detailed explanation of my experiences at the school.

I'm only a second year so I can't give a complete picture but I feel like what I know so far is extremely important to bring up.

But the summary is: The school has traditional curriculum and PBL. I'm from traditional, and here is my take: It's a shell of its former UMDNJ-SOM self. The preclinical education so far here is very VERY subpar, and the school does NOT prepare you for boards, COMLEX or USMLE, for the most part, and many of us are very frustrated because of this. In fact, the one of the administrators openly admitted to the class that it doesn't prepare you for USMLE and that you are on your own if you take it, but but somehow believes that it's adequately preparing us for COMLEX. This doesn't mean our school has a low pass rate for COMLEX. In fact, it's actually quite the opposite, but I'll go into more detail as for why that's the case when I write a more in-depth review.
i feel your second year pains my friend
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Most DO schools are full of faculty that have absolutely zero (yes, not even a tiny bit) knowledge of boards and residency or anything of that type of information. Sucks that we have to go through that.

But if you look at the EMT2ER Doc's post about how this school used to be, you can tell that this school used to not be like most DO schools. UMDNJ-SOM used to prepare their students extremely well for both the USMLE and COMLEX to the point where it was touted as better than handful of MD schools. They used to have everything. Now, with the new set of administration and rules, it's a shell of its former self and boy did the quality of the school shot down fast.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
But you see. That's the thing. If you look at the EMT2ER Doc's post about how this school used to be, you can tell that this school used to not be like most DO schools. UMDNJ-SOM used to prepare their students extremely well for both the USMLE and COMLEX to the point where it was touted as better than handful of MD schools. They used to have everything. Now, with the new set of administration and rules, it's a shell of its former self.

Reality is the expansion of schools in NY, NJ, and PA have diluted quality faculty and clinical sites.
 
Reality is the expansion of schools in NY, NJ, and PA have diluted quality faculty and clinical sites.

Yep you're right. We suspiciously lost a lot of faculty members around the same time Cooper Med school formed, which explains the sudden drop in quality.

It's just that I have heard way too many good things about this med school that after being a student here and witnessing so many misgivings, I feel like I was lied to.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
TouroNY Harlem
Pro - it is in NYC so you can kinda explore.
cons - Not enough clinical rotations for students. Touro is letting clinical connections slide due to the carribean schools out paying us.
 
TouroNY Harlem
Pro - it is in NYC so you can kinda explore.
cons - Not enough clinical rotations for students. Touro is letting clinical connections slide due to the carribean schools out paying us.

Not enough clinical rotation sites? Are you sure? Do you even go to Touro anymore?

Major violation if what your saying is accurate, which I highly doubt since COCA is always on top of this and you have reputation of repeating the same statements over and over again.

FYI, Caribbean schools have always outbided American med school for clerkship spots, especially in NY. Take a look at NYITCOM too...
 
Here is my evaluation of Rowan. I have A LOT to bring up about this school so I won't be able to say it all in one breath but this post will be about the pros of Rowan, and I'll detail out the cons in a separate post some time in the future when I have time.

Disclaimer: This is just my opinion, and it's always a good idea to get multiple viewpoints to get the most accurate picture. So if you happen to disagree with my post, that's perfectly fine, and if you want me to defend my position, I'll do it if given the chance.

I'm gonna be brief with all the other facets because either they're common knowledge by now from its UMDNJ SOM days and not much has changed from EMT2ER doc's post in that regard. Plus these shouldn't exactly be the biggest factor when choosing a medical school.

The location is alright. There is not really that much to do in the location of the school itself. There's few decent places to eat, and there's even a bowling alley nearby, but that's about it. However, you are an hour away from AC, few hours away from DC, half hour away from Philly on a good day and Cherry hill, and an hour and a half from NYC. The town itself is relatively safe to live in and the rent is alright for the location.

The tuition cost is what you make of it. This shouldn't necessarily be the biggest factor, but it's an important factor nonetheless, and if we didn't take quality of the school into account, the price is alright for in-state and you'll be shelling out more as an out-of-state student.

The campus itself is easy to navigate around and not too shabby. Unless you're PBL, we basically navigate through two buildings: Academic Center and the Rowan Medicine Building (formerly called UDP from it's UMDNJ-SOM days). The academic center is really nice with a lot of facilities, from the library, auditorium, cafeteria, and gym in the first floor to the giant classroom, computer lab, administration's office and bunch of study spaces in the second floor. Third floor is where you will find your anatomy lab and a giant classroom where we sometimes have histology lab in. Some of the rooms in the building are also undergoing massive renovations to make the area more tenable for studying or hosting meetings, etc.

The Rowan Medicine building is a place where you can find offices for different specialties. This is the building we go to learn OMM and On Doctoring. But there are other things too. There's a store, there's a primary clinic, as well as Neuromusculoskeletal institute and rehabilitation center, as well as geriatrics clinic all in one building. Good place to make connection and shadow doctors if you are interested in a certain specialty hosted under the roof of this building.

And you also have a hospital on the other side of where Rowan Medicine building is. Formerly called Kennedy Health, it was recently bought by Jefferson Health, and if you rotate here during your third year, I don't know what that means in terms of the name carrying with it. Again. Good place to make connections especially if you're interested in a certain specialty.

The class environment is very friendly. In fact, this was one of the biggest selling points of Rowan compared to other medical schools besides its UMDNJ-SOM reputation. I heard that in other med schools, students can be cuthroat at times and not help you out. In this school, the upperclassmen, faculty members, and your own classmates are more than happy to help each other out, at least from my experience. If you need extra notes for particular lecture, you got it! You want some tips on how to do well on the exam! Upperclassmen are more than happy to help. In fact, the school even has a tutoring program where upperclassmen who did really well on a course can tutor other students and get paid for it, and the tutors are usually better than professors at teaching (but I'll go into more detail about this later on.) I'd also like to point out that some of the faculty members are very nice and happy to help out, including among those from the administrations (if only these people were the ones in power, though…).

We also have couple of active clubs here on campus and some new emerging ones or revived ones. Clubs like EM and Surgery are very active in their events, inviting guest speakers and hosts from relevant specialties to talk about their jobs and allow you to make connections. And because of how active clubs are and how open they are to everyone, it's also a good opportunity to get free food! In fact, while we are on the topic of clubs and events, I want to point out that our school takes great pride in diversity, which is why we host a lot of cultural events that are really entertaining and fun to attend. Whether it's the cultural week where you taste various food from various cultures, to Jewish Hanukkah's event, or Tree Lighting in December, to the Indian dance presentation in January, to black history month in February, there is a lot of diverse events here at Rowan. Diversity is alive and well here at Rowan through its student body and events.

Now the one thing that's left to talk about is the curriculum. THIS is the bread and butter for why RowanSOM does not give you the bang for your buck despite all the positive traits I've mentioned up until now. This one has so much to talk about that I might as well make a separate post about this.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Top