Provisionally accredited schools

[HopefulDoc91]

I know these schools have provisional accreditation:

ACOM
ARCOM
BCOM
CUSOM
LUCOM
MUCOM
UIWSOM

Is there a disadvantage to attending these schools? Am I risking going to a school that won't be accredited when I graduate if I am accepted to one of these schools? Just trying to decide if they are too high risk to apply to. I have a 3.45 cGPA & 3.2 sGPA, and 508 MCAT. 2000+ clinical hours and 80 shadowing hours.

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[Cath Up]

I have browsed many a forum and cannot recall a school that had been granted provisional accreditation and did not achieve full accreditation with their first graduating class- though I would gamble that has occurred in the last 20 years, and is always a possibility with new schools. There does appear to be risk with this, and generally an accredited school should be selected over a non-accredited school if you have the choice.

By far, the main concern with newer schools is that they are still ironing out how their curriculum is structured/taught and perhaps more importantly the quality of their rotations and ability to produce students that obtain decent residencies. So you may have to tolerate some illogical rules that the school put in place since day 1 and doesn't realize should be removed yet; you may get an RN or NP as a preceptor for a rotation; may be working in undesirable, low acuity, and low interest areas. The risk that I associate with newer schools is quality of med school education overall may not be as decent as other DO schools and you may have a tough time matching to some residencies- though some of the newer schools have had decent match lists in the past few years. I hold the opinion that if you want to be a doctor and a new school is the only school you hold an acceptance to- attend without reservation.

With your stats, you stand a great chance at lower to mid tier DO schools, and probably some of the more established schools too.

 

[HopefulDoc91]

I have browsed many a forum and cannot recall a school that had been granted provisional accreditation and did not achieve full accreditation with their first graduating class- though I would gamble that has occurred in the last 20 years, and is always a possibility with new schools. There does appear to be risk with this, and generally an accredited school should be selected over a non-accredited school if you have the choice.

By far, the main concern with newer schools is that they are still ironing out how their curriculum is structured/taught and perhaps more importantly the quality of their rotations and ability to produce students that obtain decent residencies. So you may have to tolerate some illogical rules that the school put in place since day 1 and doesn't realize should be removed yet; you may get an RN or NP as a preceptor for a rotation; may be working in undesirable, low acuity, and low interest areas. The risk that I associate with newer schools is quality of med school education overall may not be as decent as other DO schools and you may have a tough time matching to some residencies- though some of the newer schools have had decent match lists in the past few years. I hold the opinion that if you want to be a doctor and a new school is the only school you hold an acceptance to- attend without reservation.

With your stats, you stand a great chance at lower to mid tier DO schools, and probably some of the more established schools too.

I've heard that if a school is provisionally accredited, you can't get federal student loans, and you have to go through other parties to get loans instead. Any truth to this?

 

[DO2015CA]

I've heard that if a school is provisionally accredited, you can't get federal student loans, and you have to go through other parties to get loans instead. Any truth to this?

Not true.

I know these schools have provisional accreditation:

ACOM
ARCOM
BCOM
CUSOM
LUCOM
MUCOM
UIWSOM

Is there a disadvantage to attending these schools? Am I risking going to a school that won't be accredited when I graduate if I am accepted to one of these schools? Just trying to decide if they are too high risk to apply to. I have a 3.45 cGPA & 3.2 sGPA, and 508 MCAT. 2000+ clinical hours and 80 shadowing hours.

ACOM is not provisionally accredited. It now has full accreditation

 

[Ho0v-man]

Acom/cusom/mucom are accredited. No school, md/do has ever failed to receive accreditation after matriculating students. The only only concern with new schools is just the growing pains of being new.

 

[RurouniKarly]

I've heard that if a school is provisionally accredited, you can't get federal student loans, and you have to go through other parties to get loans instead. Any truth to this?

This is true actually, but depending on circumstances the school can be eligible for federal student loans by the beginning of its third year. I'm in the inaugural class at BCOM, and right now we're all on private loans for the first two years with a good chance of being eligible for federal aid by the 2018 school year. I may just stay on the private loans though, even if we do become eligible. I got a very good interest rate from Sallie Mae, and with my plans to do loan forgiveness through my state I don't see the deferment or repayment options of the federal loans to be worth the increased interest.

 

[Goro]

I know that the term "provisional accreditation" is scary sounding to pre-meds, but really, don't worry about. CNU students might have more to worry about, actually, over in the MD world.
NO med school has ever had its accreditation revoked.

In the worst case scenario for DO school, the students would be divvied up to the other COMs.

I know these schools have provisional accreditation:

ACOM
ARCOM
BCOM
CUSOM
LUCOM
MUCOM
UIWSOM

Is there a disadvantage to attending these schools? Am I risking going to a school that won't be accredited when I graduate if I am accepted to one of these schools? Just trying to decide if they are too high risk to apply to. I have a 3.45 cGPA & 3.2 sGPA, and 508 MCAT. 2000+ clinical hours and 80 shadowing hours.

 

[trimethylpurine]

CNU students might have more to worry about, actually, over in the MD world.

What's your cause of concern regarding CNU? I understand that students are not qualified for federal loans, but outside that, are there other issues that raise your eyes?

 

[Goro]

What's your cause of concern regarding CNU? I understand that students are not qualified for federal loans, but outside that, are there other issues that raise your eyes?

Quoting the wise gyngyn:

1. Their method of selecting the inaugural class was slapdash. They didn't use AMCAS, just faxes and PayPal. This disregard for modern systematic processing makes one wonder if their profit motive was more important than thoughtful consideration. This class ended up with twice as many men as women. If their mission precludes thoughtful evaluation of candidates, one wonders what other important elements of education are being missed.

2. Their choice to deny their students access to federal loans and payback mechanisms while charging $53,402 tuition shows a disregard for the financial burden of their students. Compare this to another new school (UNLV) that covered the bridge to federal loans by offering free tuition.

3. A review of faculty credentials reveals a significant lack of scholarship.

4. In a state that is at least 30% Mexican Americans, they only had a single representative from this group.

5. Because of these and other points too numerous to mention, the PD's I know are reluctant to consider this school in a favorable light.

 

[Ho0v-man]

This is true actually, but depending on circumstances the school can be eligible for federal student loans by the beginning of its third year. I'm in the inaugural class at BCOM, and right now we're all on private loans for the first two years with a good chance of being eligible for federal aid by the 2018 school year. I may just stay on the private loans though, even if we do become eligible. I got a very good interest rate from Sallie Mae, and with my plans to do loan forgiveness through my state I don't see the deferment or repayment options of the federal loans to be worth the increased interest.

Glad to see it's going well for you. I almost joined you in that class.

If I'm not mistaken, the ineligibility for federal loans is not necessarily due to being new but due to its for-profit status. Most new schools are eligible for federal loans right away.

 

[gyngyn]

If I'm not mistaken, the ineligibility for federal loans is not necessarily due to being new but due to its for-profit status. Most new schools are eligible for federal loans right away.

The fact that they had a pre-existing Pharmacy School made their inaugural medical school class eligible for federally insured loans and payback mechanisms. Northstate chose not to allow their students access to this benefit. It had nothing to do with for-profit status.
New schools are not eligible for Federally insured loans for two years (except in situations like the one described above).
Other schools have accommodated this disadvantage by offering free tuition (see UNLV and the soon to open school in N Texas).

 

[Ho0v-man]

The fact that they had a pre-existing Pharmacy School made their inaugural medical school class eligible for federally insured loans and payback mechanisms. Northstate chose not to allow their students access to this benefit. It had nothing to do with for-profit status.
New schools are not eligible for Federally insured loans for two years (except in situations like the one described above).
Other schools have accommodated this disadvantage by offering free tuition (see UNLV and the soon to open school in N Texas).

I was referring to bcom. I thought the ineligibility was due to for profit status. Other new schools like the ones I reference in my first post were eligible for federal loans for their first classes.

I'm not familiar with the specifics of each, but I know at least one was a stand alone start up with no affiliation to a pre-existing school that would qualify them. How were they eligible? What am I missing?

 

[gyngyn]

I was referring to bcom. I thought the ineligibility was due to for profit status. Other new schools like the ones I reference in my first post were eligible for federal loans for their first classes.

I'm not familiar with the specifics of each, but I know at least one was a stand alone start up with no affiliation to a pre-existing school that would qualify them. How were they eligible? What am I missing?

For-profit status does not preclude eligibility. Even the Caribbean schools allow students access to federally insured loans.
New schools are eligible immediately if they are an extension of a previously existing school.

 

[Ho0v-man]

For-profit status does not preclude eligibility. Even the Caribbean schools allow students access to federally insured loans.
New schools are eligible immediately if they are an extension of a previously existing school.

Excellent point. I was led to believe this was the case by the faculty at bcom during my interview as they explicitly stated that was the reason. They said they become eligible after two years. This is also how it worked at rvu (another for profit).

On the other hand, acom does not now nor has it ever had any affiliation to any other school. They, like most other new osteopathic schools were eligible for federal aid immediately. This is a fact.

 

[showtimeDO]

Excellent point. I was led to believe this was the case by the faculty at bcom during my interview as they explicitly stated that was the reason. They said they become eligible after two years. This is also how it worked at rvu (another for profit).

On the other hand, acom does not now nor has it ever had any affiliation to any other school. They, like most other new osteopathic schools were eligible for federal aid immediately. This is a fact.

ARCOM the is having its first Inaugural class and they are getting fed loans immediately to my understanding and are not for profit.

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[Ho0v-man]

ARCOM the is having its first Inaugural class and they are getting fed loans immediately to my understanding and are not for profit.

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Not familiar with that one (schools are opening up like Starbucks ). Are they part of a pre existing school?

 

[showtimeDO]

Not familiar with that one (schools are opening up like Starbucks ). Are they part of a pre existing school?

They are not part of a pre existing school.

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[RurouniKarly]

Glad to see it's going well for you. I almost joined you in that class.

If I'm not mistaken, the ineligibility for federal loans is not necessarily due to being new but due to its for-profit status. Most new schools are eligible for federal loans right away.

I've never heard anything about the for-profit status being the reason we have to wait 2 years for federal loans. Everything I have ever heard, or experienced, or been told by lenders, is that the provisional accreditation status is what's holding us back, and the fact that we don't have a parent institution to piggyback on for eligibility. We can't get federal loans until we submit the federal application to participate in Title IV loans, and we won't be eligible to do that until 2018. My understanding is that our inability to submit the application now has to do with our provisionally accredited status.

 

[Ho0v-man]

I've never heard anything about the for-profit status being the reason we have to wait 2 years for federal loans. Everything I have ever heard, or experienced, or been told by lenders, is that the provisional accreditation status is what's holding us back, and the fact that we don't have a parent institution to piggyback on for eligibility. We can't get federal loans until we submit the federal application to participate in Title IV loans, and we won't be eligible to do that until 2018. My understanding is that our inability to submit the application now has to do with our provisionally accredited status.

I must have gotten confused. Since CNU apparently qualified right away but chose not to accept federal loans, it must not be the for profit status. It also has nothing to do with being new though as evidenced by the multiple stand alone programs that qualify.

I wonder what it is...