returning back to the east coast after attending midwest school

[Applejuiceandpretzels]

I was accepted to Joplin and really liked what they got going on with the nonmandatory attendance and the local rotations. However, I am 90% sure I want to return to the east coast. I saw their match list and only saw 1 match in NY for EM and Gas this past year. I have a couple of east coast interviews and am also waiting on a few results, such as UNECOM, Middletown, and CUSOM. Is there a barrier to returning to the east coast if I attend a midwest school? or does growing up on the east coast give the residency programs a reason to consider my application(assuming everything else is on par)? specifically NY and NJ.

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[chilly_md]

Yes, growing up in the region/state helps. It is likely that many of the students attending KCU Joplin are from the Midwest and hence decided to stay in the Midwest.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

DO schools have regional.reputations. look at the number of DO schools out east. Established schools usually have a stronger match list for their grads.

 

[Applejuiceandpretzels]

Thank you @chilly_md @Angus Avagadro

@Angus Avagadro Is it safe to assume schools like CUSOM and UNECOM give me a higher chance of matching to an east coast residency over KCU?

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Unecom has been open for almost 5 decades and is known on the east coast. A KCU affiliate branch might not be as well known. The biggest determinant will be your academic performance, your app and networking. It will be more about you than the school in the end. Established schools have their curriculum up to speed and regional reputations. I'd give Unecom the edge in preparing you if you get the choice. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[chilly_md]

I agree with the above regarding UNE. Campbell is more associated with NC, VA, GA and the South. It is also a good school even if it is newer.

 

[PapaGuava]

Wherever your permanent address is makes a difference when setting up your residency applications. So if you tailor your application towards the East coast and also grew up there, it should be fine to return. I wouldn’t worry about this aspect too much right now, but UNECOM would make more sense if your absolutely sure about returning.

However, if you attend a school in the Midwest or South, it won’t necessarily stop you from returning. In having just finished this process, I can tell you that I attended a southern school and most my interviews were clustered in the Midwest and East coast which is what I had wanted.

 

[Applejuiceandpretzels]

thank you for the advice everyone

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Gas becoming very competitive and therefore would likely be tough to match certain areas on the east coast as a do but em isn’t competitive anymore due to the job market

 

[Applejuiceandpretzels]

So the biggest thing for me is being near the water. Surfing has changed my life in more ways than I can recall. I don't mind waking up at 3/4 am to drive 2 hours one way for the big swells once or twice a semester(or even during my downtime)

After learning about CUSOM curriculum, it's the more attractive aspect compared to other schools... the non-mandatory attendance, focus on boards for lectures exams/true learning questions in the curriculum/comsae/ Free from Fri-Sun/lab in the PM. The student's genuine opinion during Q&A showed me that they are treated well by the administration.

How much of a loss am I taking if I choose to go with school prestige over potential fit?(such as Joplin and UNECOM versus CUSOM)
- or does the "original 5" not really matter that much?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

CUSOM is a great school, go there and don't look back. There is no prestige or ranking in DO schools. There's just established vs Newer DO schools and good vs bad ones. CUSOM is one of the good ones. At the end of the day all DO schools look the same in the eyes of residency program directors.

 

[Applejuiceandpretzels]

That's reassuring to hear, thanks!

 

[chilly_md]

So the biggest thing for me is being near the water. Surfing has changed my life in more ways than I can recall. I don't mind waking up at 3/4 am to drive 2 hours one way for the big swells once or twice a semester(or even during my downtime)

After learning about CUSOM curriculum, it's the more attractive aspect compared to other schools... the non-mandatory attendance, focus on boards for lectures exams/true learning questions in the curriculum/comsae/ Free from Fri-Sun/lab in the PM. The student's genuine opinion during Q&A showed me that they are treated well by the administration.

How much of a loss am I taking if I choose to go with school prestige over potential fit?(such as Joplin and UNECOM versus CUSOM)
- or does the "original 5" not really matter that much?

I have merged your threads where you were comparing these 3 schools.

Campbell won’t hold you back, and going somewhere that works with who you are is important. I imagine being somewhere with more mild winters would be nice too.

 

[Applejuiceandpretzels]

This hit the nail for me, hope it helps others. Thanks everyone!

 

[butidontwantto]

Wherever your permanent address is makes a difference when setting up your residency applications. So if you tailor your application towards the East coast and also grew up there, it should be fine to return. I wouldn’t worry about this aspect too much right now, but UNECOM would make more sense if your absolutely sure about returning.

However, if you attend a school in the Midwest or South, it won’t necessarily stop you from returning. In having just finished this process, I can tell you that I attended a southern school and most my interviews were clustered in the Midwest and East coast which is what I had wanted.

Any tips you can share for making the switch? In the process of figuring out 4th year, currently at an older midwestern school and hoping to match back up east.

 

[PapaGuava]

Any tips you can share for making the switch? In the process of figuring out 4th year, currently at an older midwestern school and hoping to match back up east.

Yeah absolutely! One thing I thought that really helped was emailing some of the programs I was really interested in before the application cycle began and I would inquire more about their program and ask to speak with one of their residents. Typically, the programs would get me in contact with one of their residents so I could ask about their program in more detail. And to be honest, majority of the programs I had reached out to were places I later received interviews at. Whatever you can do to show initiative helps as they look through names, especially if you meet their requirements with your board scores grades, LORs, etc.

What field are you looking at? I applied/matched in OB/GYN so obviously different specifics are required for each field.

 

[butidontwantto]

Yeah absolutely! One thing I thought that really helped was emailing some of the programs I was really interested in before the application cycle began and I would inquire more about their program and ask to speak with one of their residents. Typically, the programs would get me in contact with one of their residents so I could ask about their program in more detail. And to be honest, majority of the programs I had reached out to were places I later received interviews at. Whatever you can do to show initiative helps as they look through names, especially if you meet their requirements with your board scores grades, LORs, etc.

What field are you looking at? I applied/matched in OB/GYN so obviously different specifics are required for each field.

Thank you!! I'm looking to match psychiatry. Everyone keeps telling me I'll be fine but then you meet a perfectly reasonable intern with decent enough board scores who had to soap into another specialty because they didn't match psych.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Thank you!! I'm looking to match psychiatry. Everyone keeps telling me I'll be fine but then you meet a perfectly reasonable intern with decent enough board scores who had to soap into another specialty because they didn't match psych.

That’s because psych programs usually don’t care about board scores. People with low step 1 and 2 still match psych at a decent rate (check the latest charting outcome). So it should tell you that your personality and background as it is portrayed on your residency application matter a lot more.