Pro's and Con's of your school

[mochief2000]

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we all get subjective answers to all the questions on here, but I want to know the pro's and con's(of course this is relative and subjective also) of your school. Its just to help, since I am applying this year.It would be good to concise my list. Plus I want a little inside scoop not found on your school's website. if you can answer like this
Pros
1
2
etc
Cons
1
2
etc
it would be helpful.

P.s. Do not write about the con's of another persons school unless you go there. I do not want to start a flame war.

 

[MikeyLu2010]

I'll bite: school NSUCOM

Pros:
1. Excellent clinical ed, stable clinical years (dont have to schedule your own stuff)
2. Location (ft. lauderdale, 30 min north of miami)
3. State of the art campus, facilities (note the word campus which includes all sorts of different schools, pharm, Dental, Opt, nurse, undergrad, business, law, etc)
4. Harvey (robot patient that makes cardio sounds etc)
5. Dress Code (scrubs) - some may view this as a con..but scrubs are comfy
6. Good Matchlists
7. Free kaplan comlex review
8. has 2 main libraries, 1 of which is the biggest library in FL...

Cons:
1. Location: hurricanes
2. attendance mandatory (70% attendance with no penalty)
3. Lots of class time usually 8-4ish
4. expensive: tuition: 32000-33K + cost of living of South FL
5. Crappy admissions dept. (friend of mine had to send app twice..and pay the secondary app fee twice since they lost his stuff) Nothing happened with me though And the fin aid dept seems to lose stuff too (word of mouth) nothing has yet to happen to me

 

[Dr JPH]

PCOM

Pros:
- Facilities are top notch (large computer lab, nice lecture halls, excellent recreation facilities)
- Located in a large city (pro for me, con for others I imagine)
- Strong reputation
- Close proximity to many medical centers and hospitals
- Excellent match list
- Several school-based residency programs
- Large class size (again, pro for me....maybe a con for others)

Cons:
- Expensive...not unique to medical schools, unfortunately
- Small library
- Curriculum changes yearly, albeit to the benefit of the student body (maybe a pro?)

 

[Packamylase]

Thanks for those assessments. I hope this continues.

 

[n0chi]

good post! (bump)

 

[HunterGatherer]

NYCOM

Pros
1. clinical affiliations
2. STAN, web streamed lectures, class notes from professors, and also pre-doctoral fellowships.
3. match list
4. It's in NYC!!!
5. Large class size and diversity.
6. exam schedule (about every 4-6 weeks)
7. clinical grading policy (based on exam and evaluation)
8. should be offering scholarships soon now they have school-as-lender status.
9. Free Kaplan Review in recent years.

Cons
1. Cost of tuition and located in expensive city
2. Large class size (not a con for me)
3. Medical Insurance is very high.
4. Seems like incoming class gets less information/contact with Admissions than other schools.
5. small library - I don't study in libraries though.

 

[vmgopal]

Anyone from DMU, AZCOM, CCOM, KCUMB, LECOM??? willing to add to the list. This is really helpful to a lot of us as first time applicants. 🙂 Thanks

 

[Kuba]

Im surprised this thread is working! Keep it going!

 

[Smackey]

OSU-COM

Pros:
Goljan
Teaching Hospital
Very student oriented students/faculty/staff
Cheap cost of living
Small class size
Class not mandatory
www.osudo.com
Goljan

Cons:
Not at a large University(Main campus is an hour away)
Small Class size
Small School size(I like it, some don't)
I am sure there are more, but i don't know of any

 

[vmgopal]

This Thread Is Really Impt For Those Of Us Applying Now--thanks!!!

 

[MikeyLu2010]

keep in mind...the search function is there for a reason...you can find all the pros/cons of all the schools if you search for it...

 

[lpressley130]

OSU-COM

Pros:
Goljan
Teaching Hospital
Very student oriented students/faculty/staff
Cheap cost of living
Small class size
Class not mandatory
www.osudo.com
Goljan

Cons:
Not at a large University(Main campus is an hour away)
Small Class size
Small School size(I like it, some don't)
I am sure there are more, but i don't know of any

Are there residency requirements for OSU?

 

[lpressley130]

Are there residency requirements for OSU?

Thanks - found the answer.

 

[kev1n]

make sure to add how the recreational facilities are too!

 

[Smackey]

Are there residency requirements for OSU?

Not really that I know of. However, the vast majority of our class is from Oklahoma or the surrounding states. If i were to guess I would say 10% of the class each year is an out-of-state resident. It is more difficult to get in from out of state and tuition is higher(although still cheaper than lots of private schools).

Hope this helps.

 

[carn311]

BUMP...

Hoping someone from UNECOM will respond. 😀

 

[Truth_seeker]

Anybody have something to report on VCOM or PCOM-GA?

 

[Kubed]

I'm sure others have differing opinions. This is just my $.02

Touro-Nevada

Pros:
1) Brand new facilities (anatomy lab has more features than you can imagine, including tablet pc's at every cadaver)
2) World class faculty (with open door policy)
3) Virtual library that is accessible from off campus.
4) No required lecture attendance (however, lab attendance is required).
5) Located in Las Vegas (both a great place to live and community is very receptive)
6) Small class size
7) Family like atmosphere with faculty and students
8) MERIN (medical education research institute of Nevada) part of the school
9) No dress code (with the exception of OMM and Gross lab's)
10) Incredible admissions department

Cons:
1) Cost! $34K a year for tuition.
2) New school, so still unproven
3) Lots of class time (8-5 most days)
4) Limited GME options in Nevada
5) Still issues with the curriculum that are being hammered out
6) Missing some "school" things like a large library and cafeteria.

Not pro or con:
1) It's a Jewish school, so some things have weird hours and there are various holidays that the school is closed.

A lot of the Con's are being addressed right now (the class of 2010 will have their class hours cut by 15% or something like that, and the school is in the process of opening tons of new residencies.) However these are things that are being worked on and are not yet implemented. The curriculum is still new and is being molded into the "touro brand." They are trying things, seeing how they work and then acting accordingly.

 

[nrut88]

Zny TCOM pros and cons out there? thanks.

 

[n0chi]

BUMP...

Hoping someone from UNECOM will respond. 😀

ditto! 😍

 

[DropkickMurphy]

including tablet pc’s at every cadaver

There's a sentence fragment that I'm sure has never been written before in the history of the English language.

 

[tkim]

COMP:

Advantage: It's in California

Disadvantage: It's in California.

 

[Huntr]

I will be starting at DMU this fall so I don't have much experience with the education yet, however I moved to Des Moines a little over 1 month ago and can give some pros and cons of the area and the school.

pros:
1. Excellent facilities, state-of-the-art and brand new.
2. Wonderful faculty (so far).
3. Well known institution in the community, very well established and respected. This was one of the problems I had at other schools I interviewed at, nobody had heard of the school in the surrounding community.
4. Many nearby medical institutions for rotations (i.e. Iowa Methodist, Mercy, Blank Children's, VA Hospital, etc.)
5. Many practicing D.O.'s in the area.
6. Excellent community to raise a family.
7. Cost of living is relatively low.
8. New laptops and PDA's included in tuition.
9. Nice recreation center for students and their families.
10. Excellent boards passing rate and residency placement.

cons:
1. Possibility of leaving for 3rd and 4th year clerkships (not a con for some).
2. All I have found so far. ~As you can tell I am really pleased with my decision to come here!

 

[erleichda]

bump

 

[OSUdoc08]

OSU-COM

Pros:
Goljan
Teaching Hospital
Very student oriented students/faculty/staff
Cheap cost of living
Small class size
Class not mandatory
www.osudo.com
Goljan

Cons:
Not at a large University(Main campus is an hour away)
Small Class size
Small School size(I like it, some don't)
I am sure there are more, but i don't know of any

Those "cons" are pros in my opinion.

I would add that OSU-COM has a large number of residency programs and its own university hospital, as well as affiliated hospitals in areas other than Tulsa (i.e. Oklahoma City.)

 

[AngryBaby]

Those "cons" are pros in my opinion.

I would add that OSU-COM has a large number of residency programs and its own university hospital, as well as affiliated hospitals in areas other than Tulsa (i.e. Oklahoma City.)

I would also add that OSUdoc08's cowboy lovin' self goes to school there and thus fellow students must certainly put up with the "Yeeeeehawww!!"s and "How bout dem Cowboys?!?!?" that randomly and spontaneously fly out of the mouths of such individuals.

 

[Futuredoctr]

Anyone from DMU, AZCOM, CCOM, KCUMB, LECOM??? willing to add to the list. This is really helpful to a lot of us as first time applicants. 🙂 Thanks

BUMP specifically interested in AZCOM

 

[MikeyLu2010]

BUMP, the app cycle is starting to kick it into gear...so all u apps can now compare/contrast between schools...Remember the search function is your friend 🙂 gluck all

 

[czanetti]

pros vs con for TCOM, LECOM-Brandenton, UMDNJ-COM

 

[vmgopal]

CCOM please anyone?

 

[jillibean]

I have interviewed at TCOM so I can comment only on what I saw/heard that day:

Pros:
1. Cheap tuition (~9k instate, 25K OOS) and cheap cost of living
2. Nice location within Fort Worth
3. Nice facilities (although I think they are comparable to the other TX schools).
4. Strong dedication to OMM and they do a significant amount of OMM-related research. They have a brand new seven story building dedicated to research.
5. Lots of innovative curriculum options. MPH can be integrated into curriculum to finish both in 4 years. Rural track program will let you pick a rural community to be involved with over 4 years (do preceptorships with the local doc, spend a couple of weekends in the nearest ER and do a community project during the summer). They were also the first school in TX with a simulation lab.
6. Seems like they have strong match lists. The boast that the current chief resident of IM at Johns Hopkins is a TCOM grad. Also, it seems like there is a strong network of TCOM alum.
7. They are ranked in top 25 for primary care by US news (therefore they are recognized, even outside of DO circles, as being a top notch school).
8. Largish class size ~150, but still smaller than many DO schools.

Cons:
1. I left the interview a little unsure about where we would do our clinical rotations since there is only a primary care out-patient clinic attached to the school.
2. We only met two students on interview day and one of the two seemed pretty immature (younger average age than many DO schools if that is a concern for you).

Neither pro or con:
1. 90% of the class MUST be from TX, so admission for OOS students is tight. Also, I think it could mean that many of the students could be there by default because they didn't get in anywhere else in TX (I think they try to prevent this by asking LOTS of why DO questions though.)

 

[czanetti]

we need so more schools on this post!!! This post is kicking ass we need to continue please some current students at the schools answer Pros cons. We need honesty

VCOM
LECOM-Brand
UMDNJ-COM

 

[Orthodoc40]

How about UNECOM? We've read stuff elsewhere, but any more is great!

 

[Cali2006]

TUCOM- California?

 

[nvshelat]

NYCOM

Pros
1. clinical affiliations
2. STAN, web streamed lectures, class notes from professors, and also pre-doctoral fellowships.
3. match list
4. It's in NYC!!!
5. Large class size and diversity.
6. exam schedule (about every 4-6 weeks)
7. clinical grading policy (based on exam and evaluation)
8. should be offering scholarships soon now they have school-as-lender status.
9. Free Kaplan Review in recent years.


Cons
1. Cost of tuition and located in expensive city
2. Large class size (not a con for me)
3. Medical Insurance is very high.
4. Seems like incoming class gets less information/contact with Admissions than other schools.
5. small library - I don't study in libraries though.

Pro 10. DPC (NYCOM's Problem based learning curriculum)
Con 6. Systems based lecture (don't like it, although some others do)

 

[redwings54]

When I was applying I asked a similar question. Here is a link to what people responded with to me and specifically what some people said about UNECOM. I chose UNECOM and will be matriculating there next fall. If you have any questions about UNECOM specifically, please dont hesitate to contact me.
-Rob

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=2336032#post2336032

UNECOM:
1. small class size..approx 115
2. Location: By the ocean=beautiful; serene setting. It's def a small town but I love it. It's all nice and suburban and I have access to one of my favorite cities--Boston.
3. EVERYONE is friendly and happy. I loved the atmosphere and could see myself here.
4. Interview was awesome.
5. Teaching is phenomenal.
6. Facilities are outstanding
7. UNECOM is booming. A biomedical research facility is currently in the works.
8. Rotations in New England area--big plus. I plan on practicing in NE.

you're right about the anatomy at UNECOM, it was a great experience. Also, the people there are great...all the faculty, and my classmates are all great friends.
Keep in mind, Maine is COLD!!!! This is a good thing to consider. Location really is a big factor. Also, Biddeford doesn't have much going on AT ALL. So if this is something that you're considering, remember that.
UNECOM MSIII

 

[hyperbaric]

I have interviewed at TCOM so I can comment only on what I saw/heard that day:

Pros:
1. Cheap tuition (~9k instate, 25K OOS) and cheap cost of living
2. Nice location within Fort Worth
3. Nice facilities (although I think they are comparable to the other TX schools).
4. Strong dedication to OMM and they do a significant amount of OMM-related research. They have a brand new seven story building dedicated to research.
5. Lots of innovative curriculum options. MPH can be integrated into curriculum to finish both in 4 years. Rural track program will let you pick a rural community to be involved with over 4 years (do preceptorships with the local doc, spend a couple of weekends in the nearest ER and do a community project during the summer). They were also the first school in TX with a simulation lab.
6. Seems like they have strong match lists. The boast that the current chief resident of IM at Johns Hopkins is a TCOM grad. Also, it seems like there is a strong network of TCOM alum.
7. They are ranked in top 25 for primary care by US news (therefore they are recognized, even outside of DO circles, as being a top notch school).
8. Largish class size ~150, but still smaller than many DO schools.

Cons:
1. I left the interview a little unsure about where we would do our clinical rotations since there is only a primary care out-patient clinic attached to the school.
2. We only met two students on interview day and one of the two seemed pretty immature (younger average age than many DO schools if that is a concern for you).

Neither pro or con:
1. 90% of the class MUST be from TX, so admission for OOS students is tight. Also, I think it could mean that many of the students could be there by default because they didn't get in anywhere else in TX (I think they try to prevent this by asking LOTS of why DO questions though.)

Mostly agree, but a few points of clarification from an actual student:

That "seven story building" isn't all OMM. The grad school (among other things) is in there too.

Clinical rotations: JPS, Plaza, Harris, the newly established satellite campus in Corpus Christi (for those that want to move) and a few other random places

The second year students usually tour the interview groups, but if thay have a test then the admissions staff takes over.

Without repeating any of the above -
Pro:
TWO sim labs
Kaplan review included in year 2 tuition
excellent rapport with faculty
no attendance policy (with the exception of clinical integration and labs)
safe campus (one reason is that hospitals are 3-4 miles away)
no dress code (with exception of labs)

Con:
under-utilized sim labs
antiquated fitness facility, but better than nothing
hospitals 3-4 miles away (resulting in a safer campus)

Hope this helps. Good luck with the applications and interviews!

 

[ShyRem]

More on UNECOM:
if you like big city, it's 20 min. to Portland.
CHEAP CHEAP seafood (lobsters are currently less than $7/lb and mussels are $1.80/lb live)
it's really not THAT cold if you stay near the coast (w/i 5 miles or so)
Anatomy lab is AWESOME
Profs are really fabulous and VERY accessible - today (yes, Sunday) our anatomy prof was in the lab for anyone who needed him. A fellow was there too.
Profs are very willing to schedule extra classroom time if enough folks want them to go over stuff in more detail.
WONDERFUL speakers. Last week there was a guy from Mayo Clinic for a lunchtime symposium.
Lots of opportunities for involvement, ECs, and fun
The campus is really really pretty, lots of green open spaces, etc.
No dress code except in labs
wireless pretty much everywhere
SimMan - you know, that simulated robitic patient. Way cool.

Hmm. Cons. Um...
Occassionally you get a power outage. We had one the day before an anatomy exam for 3 hours. Can't go into the lab if the ventilators aren't recirculating the air. What do you expect when you're on the coast?

I also found housing more expensive than where I came from. However, many folks from Mass. and NH have found housing MUCH cheaper.

Ok. I'm about 120 pages behind in my reading for tomorrow. More later if I can. Ask. I'll try to answer.

 

[czanetti]

we need to keep this one going

 

[crieka]

Will any MSUCOM student post the pros and cons here please? I would really appreciate it.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Is there mandatory attendance at UNECOM? If you're 120 pages behind, how many pages is required reading each night per subject? Was the 120 pages just in one subject or altogether?

 

[lilzelda]

When u apply to a school find out about there examination schedule and how it works, and think about whether you want to take test every couple of weeks for a class or just one big test at the end.

 

[CanAmPremed]

Not pro or con:
1) It's a Jewish school, so some things have weird hours and there are various holidays that the school is closed.

LOL

I know what you mean...I goto a province funded public university in Ontario Canada..yes PUBLIC and secular like every university in Canada yet we have tommorow off because of Yom Kippur ... I'm not even jewish and I'm pretty cool with that. The more days off of Orgo the better

 

[Punchap]

Just curious what people have to say about OUCOM as far as pros and cons go. Thanks.

 

[Kuba]

Just curious what people have to say about OUCOM as far as pros and cons go. Thanks.

pros:
1. Affiliated Hospital
2. great comlex pass rates
cons:
1. OSUdoc08



im just kidding, i didnt mind osudoc at all

 

[bkpa2med]

lol I like Osudoc's comments! Keep them up brother.

BTW, this thread is very good, keep it going.

 

[It'sElectric]

lol I like Osudoc's comments! Keep them up brother.

BTW, this thread is very good, keep it going.

It's funny everyone is mentioning him right now, because come to think of it, I haven't seen a post from him in quite some time.

Am I wrong? Very strange, considering how many posts he had under his belt.

 

[scpod]

It's funny everyone is mentioning him right now, because come to think of it, I haven't seen a post from him in quite some time.

Am I wrong? Very strange, considering how many posts he had under his belt.

Ummm...he's on rotations right now. No more time to sit in the bar all day, drink, and post on SDN 🙂

 

[medhacker]

Ummm...he's on rotations right now. No more time to sit in the bar all day, drink, and post on SDN 🙂

Wasn't he banned from SDN too?

 

[Kuba]

Wasn't he banned from SDN too?

yep, twice, second time for good. Sorry I hijacked hte thread by mentioning the name