RVU-CO vs. UNECOM

[PreMedHeart]

I made a post like this pre-interview at UNECOM. Now that I've attended the interview, I am extremely torn between the two. I have been accepted at RVU-CO. I am writing this as an IF I get into UNECOM post-II as you have to let them know fairly quickly, so I want to be prepared with my preferences.

It's such a hard decision and I'd love some peoples feedback given these factors.

RVU-CO
Pros
-Attendance is mostly not mandatory (except some guest lectures).
-Enrichment tracks (competitive but great if you get in), ultrasound program integrated into curriculum
-Higher first time pass-rate for COMLEX for the past few years, 100% match rate for 4 years, USMLE-1 required for all students.
-Recorded lectures
-While you can rotate pretty much all over if you want, a majority of third year clinical rotations are supposedly within about an hour of campus, minimizing moving which is important for both me and my partner. I can't find an RVUCOM clinical sites list...just what they told us at the interview. They emphasized that they are constantly trying to increase rotation sites nearby to students.

CONS
-The campus is extremely small. A single 3 story building, so it seemed limited in study space and ability to be on campus and do things. No cafeteria, no gym or rec facilities etc.
-It's far from /most/ of my family. I am from a nearby state, however most of my family is back east and my parents are planning to move back east.
-Research exists...but it seems extremely limited and difficult to find. The campus has no actual labs, but they seem to help you find off campus opportunities.

UNECOM
Pros
-Interested in potential dual MPH.
-SIGNIFICANTLY better facilities. It's not even comparable. The campus is way nicer and has much more to offer in regards to facilities. Part of this is because it is also an undergrad campus. This is neither a pro nor con to me, but does contribute to the larger campus. COM students seem to have some of their own spaces and not mind the undergrads. Beautiful campus.
-It is still far-ish from family, but MUCH closer than Colorado. An easy train ride or 1 hour flight would do the trick, making it much easier to visit them and for them to visit me. I know some people who live in Portland and a friend in Boston etc. This is part of what has me really torn.
-Plenty of research opportunities which I imagine helps with residencies.
-Easier to make connections and residency interviews on the east coast. Most are concerned back east (for what I'm interested in- and with either school I hope to do residency back east)
-When comparing interview days, UNECOM's was much more involved and organized. Every UNECOM person I've spoken to both on here and in person loved their choice. The students seemed like genuine family.

Cons
-Mandatory attendance seems to be the case for a majority of classes- though I think this is also why the class seems to feel like a close family. They have to actually show up. Curriculum and learning involves a decent amount of both solo work and working in groups. The administration has been very willing to work with students on this- but right now the future of it is up in the air. They want students to show up to build better connections with lectures who work for Maine Medical in Portland it seems.
-The compromise for semi-mandatory attendance is only posting audio lectures, instead of video. Again, they're still amending the attendance policy and recording policy. They are doing a great job compromising with the students, but it's also not clear what situation I'll be entering.
-This is a big one for me, ALL of the third year rotation sites are far away from campus. The closest rotation site is about 1.5 hours from the campus. They literally have zero rotations in the Portland area despite there being multiple hospital sites in Portland. Tufts has taken all of them for the Maine track. They also said their clinical sites change every year...this seems concerning to me that they're consistently changing clinical sites instead of keeping them.

Ultimately, I'm mostly torn because I loved the UNECOM campus, students seemed so happy, and it's easier to visit family from there, yet RVU-CO seemingly has more pros. Help

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[workaholic181]

I made a post like this pre-interview at UNECOM. Now that I've attended the interview, I am extremely torn between the two. I have been accepted at RVU-CO. I am writing this as an IF I get into UNECOM post-II as you have to let them know fairly quickly, so I want to be prepared with my preferences.

It's such a hard decision and I'd love some peoples feedback given these factors.

RVU-CO
Pros
-Attendance is mostly not mandatory (except some guest lectures).
-Enrichment tracks (competitive but great if you get in), ultrasound program integrated into curriculum
-Higher first time pass-rate for COMLEX for the past few years, 100% match rate for 4 years, USMLE-1 required for all students.
-Recorded lectures
-While you can rotate pretty much all over if you want, a majority of third year clinical rotations are supposedly within about an hour of campus, minimizing moving which is important for both me and my partner. I can't find an RVUCOM clinical sites list...just what they told us at the interview. They emphasized that they are constantly trying to increase rotation sites nearby to students.

CONS
-The campus is extremely small. A single 3 story building, so it seemed limited in study space and ability to be on campus and do things. No cafeteria, no gym or rec facilities etc.
-It's far from /most/ of my family. I am from a nearby state, however most of my family is back east and my parents are planning to move back east.
-Research exists...but it seems extremely limited and difficult to find. The campus has no actual labs, but they seem to help you find off campus opportunities.

UNECOM
Pros
-Interested in potential dual MPH.
-SIGNIFICANTLY better facilities. It's not even comparable. The campus is way nicer and has much more to offer in regards to facilities. Part of this is because it is also an undergrad campus. This is neither a pro nor con to me, but does contribute to the larger campus. COM students seem to have some of their own spaces and not mind the undergrads. Beautiful campus.
-It is still far-ish from family, but MUCH closer than Colorado. An easy train ride or 1 hour flight would do the trick, making it much easier to visit them and for them to visit me. I know some people who live in Portland and a friend in Boston etc. This is part of what has me really torn.
-Plenty of research opportunities which I imagine helps with residencies.
-Easier to make connections and residency interviews on the east coast. Most are concerned back east (for what I'm interested in- and with either school I hope to do residency back east)
-When comparing interview days, UNECOM's was much more involved and organized. Every UNECOM person I've spoken to both on here and in person loved their choice. The students seemed like genuine family.

Cons
-Mandatory attendance seems to be the case for a majority of classes- though I think this is also why the class seems to feel like a close family. They have to actually show up. Curriculum and learning involves a decent amount of both solo work and working in groups. The administration has been very willing to work with students on this- but right now the future of it is up in the air. They want students to show up to build better connections with lectures who work for Maine Medical in Portland it seems.
-The compromise for semi-mandatory attendance is only posting audio lectures, instead of video. Again, they're still amending the attendance policy and recording policy. They are doing a great job compromising with the students, but it's also not clear what situation I'll be entering.
-This is a big one for me, ALL of the third year rotation sites are far away from campus. The closest rotation site is about 1.5 hours from the campus. They literally have zero rotations in the Portland area despite there being multiple hospital sites in Portland. Tufts has taken all of them for the Maine track. They also said their clinical sites change every year...this seems concerning to me that they're consistently changing clinical sites instead of keeping them.

Ultimately, I'm mostly torn because I loved the UNECOM campus, students seemed so happy, and it's easier to visit family from there, yet RVU-CO seemingly has more pros. Help

It seems like your gut is telling you UNECOM, at least that's how your post reads. I think going to a school that has a vibe, campus feel, and is near to family matters a lot. If I were you, I'd pick UNECOM. But bother are great programs OP. Can't go too far wrong.

 

[Mad Jack]

I made a post like this pre-interview at UNECOM. Now that I've attended the interview, I am extremely torn between the two. I have been accepted at RVU-CO. I am writing this as an IF I get into UNECOM post-II as you have to let them know fairly quickly, so I want to be prepared with my preferences.

It's such a hard decision and I'd love some peoples feedback given these factors.

RVU-CO
Pros
-Attendance is mostly not mandatory (except some guest lectures).
-Enrichment tracks (competitive but great if you get in), ultrasound program integrated into curriculum
-Higher first time pass-rate for COMLEX for the past few years, 100% match rate for 4 years, USMLE-1 required for all students.
-Recorded lectures
-While you can rotate pretty much all over if you want, a majority of third year clinical rotations are supposedly within about an hour of campus, minimizing moving which is important for both me and my partner. I can't find an RVUCOM clinical sites list...just what they told us at the interview. They emphasized that they are constantly trying to increase rotation sites nearby to students.

CONS
-The campus is extremely small. A single 3 story building, so it seemed limited in study space and ability to be on campus and do things. No cafeteria, no gym or rec facilities etc.
-It's far from /most/ of my family. I am from a nearby state, however most of my family is back east and my parents are planning to move back east.
-Research exists...but it seems extremely limited and difficult to find. The campus has no actual labs, but they seem to help you find off campus opportunities.

UNECOM
Pros
-Interested in potential dual MPH.
-SIGNIFICANTLY better facilities. It's not even comparable. The campus is way nicer and has much more to offer in regards to facilities. Part of this is because it is also an undergrad campus. This is neither a pro nor con to me, but does contribute to the larger campus. COM students seem to have some of their own spaces and not mind the undergrads. Beautiful campus.
-It is still far-ish from family, but MUCH closer than Colorado. An easy train ride or 1 hour flight would do the trick, making it much easier to visit them and for them to visit me. I know some people who live in Portland and a friend in Boston etc. This is part of what has me really torn.
-Plenty of research opportunities which I imagine helps with residencies.
-Easier to make connections and residency interviews on the east coast. Most are concerned back east (for what I'm interested in- and with either school I hope to do residency back east)
-When comparing interview days, UNECOM's was much more involved and organized. Every UNECOM person I've spoken to both on here and in person loved their choice. The students seemed like genuine family.

Cons
-Mandatory attendance seems to be the case for a majority of classes- though I think this is also why the class seems to feel like a close family. They have to actually show up. Curriculum and learning involves a decent amount of both solo work and working in groups. The administration has been very willing to work with students on this- but right now the future of it is up in the air. They want students to show up to build better connections with lectures who work for Maine Medical in Portland it seems.
-The compromise for semi-mandatory attendance is only posting audio lectures, instead of video. Again, they're still amending the attendance policy and recording policy. They are doing a great job compromising with the students, but it's also not clear what situation I'll be entering.
-This is a big one for me, ALL of the third year rotation sites are far away from campus. The closest rotation site is about 1.5 hours from the campus. They literally have zero rotations in the Portland area despite there being multiple hospital sites in Portland. Tufts has taken all of them for the Maine track. They also said their clinical sites change every year...this seems concerning to me that they're consistently changing clinical sites instead of keeping them.

Ultimately, I'm mostly torn because I loved the UNECOM campus, students seemed so happy, and it's easier to visit family from there, yet RVU-CO seemingly has more pros. Help

Are classes mandatory? I was asking a first year and he said the majority weren't, I don't know what to believe anymore.

You'll never notice the undergrads at UNE for the most part. For your needs, it sounds like UNE is a great fit. Most clinical sites at UNE are stable, and to be honest there isn't a thing I wish I had from Biddeford right now aside from the gym and counseling services. I also wish I were closer so that I could help with the first and second years every now and then, but there isn't much time for it anyway.

 

[PreMedHeart]

It seems like your gut is telling you UNECOM, at least that's how your post reads. I think going to a school that has a vibe, campus feel, and is near to family matters a lot. If I were you, I'd pick UNECOM. But bother are great programs OP. Can't go too far wrong.

I feel my gut may be leaning towards UNECOM, but think objectively RVU could be the better choice. They’re both great schools which I guess is why I’m so torn!!

 

[PreMedHeart]

Are classes mandatory? I was asking a first year and he said the majority weren't, I don't know what to believe anymore.

You'll never notice the undergrads at UNE for the most part. For your needs, it sounds like UNE is a great fit. Most clinical sites at UNE are stable, and to be honest there isn't a thing I wish I had from Biddeford right now aside from the gym and counseling services. I also wish I were closer so that I could help with the first and second years every now and then, but there isn't much time for it anyway.

Yeah it is very confusing. They seem to have gone to a semi mandatory system where it’s up to the lecturer if it’s required or not. The weird thing is the schools compromise for doing this was to post audio- only lectures. A second year told me that they’re meeting with faculty next week to come to a further compromise and are hoping to do 50% mandatory 50% not, so if a class is Monday/ Wednesday half the class has to show up Monday and half Wednesday. It’s odd, but essentially up in the air. I don’t know what I’ll be going into on that front haha.

I am worried about far away rotation sites, has that been okay for you?

 

[Mad Jack]

Yeah it is very confusing. They seem to have gone to a semi mandatory system where it’s up to the lecturer if it’s required or not. The weird thing is the schools compromise for doing this was to post audio- only lectures. A second year told me that they’re meeting with faculty next week to come to a further compromise and are hoping to do 50% mandatory 50% not, so if a class is Monday/ Wednesday half the class has to show up Monday and half Wednesday. It’s odd, but essentially up in the air. I don’t know what I’ll be going into on that front haha.

I am worried about far away rotation sites, has that been okay for you?

Oh I love my site. It's been excellent and the local staff is so good you'll need to talk to Biddeford only once or twice a year.

 

[PreMedHeart]

Oh I love my site. It's been excellent and the local staff is so good you'll need to talk to Biddeford only once or twice a year.

That’s awesome to hear. I am hoping I’d be able to stay in Maine for rotations

 

[Mad Jack]

That’s awesome to hear. I am hoping I’d be able to stay in Maine for rotations

I hear the Maine sites are pretty good, but I'm literally as close as a few Maine sites even though I'm out of state. New England is small, but Maine is huge.

 

[PreMedHeart]

I hear the Maine sites are pretty good, but I'm literally as close as a few Maine sites even though I'm out of state. New England is small, but Maine is huge.

You are always super helpful on here, thank you! I noticed some of the out of state sites are closer than staying in Maine. Mostly, my partner is moving with me and Maine is definitely the harder move for him, so I'm hesitant to go where I have to be out of state and rotate 1.5-2ish hours away from wherever we live the first two years. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll build closer rotation sites haha.

 

[Mad Jack]

You are always super helpful on here, thank you! I noticed some of the out of state sites are closer than staying in Maine. Mostly, my partner is moving with me and Maine is definitely the harder move for him, so I'm hesitant to go where I have to be out of state and rotate 1.5-2ish hours away from wherever we live the first two years. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll build closer rotation sites haha.

Thanks

And Lewiston is probably your best bet, but there's a few others. Good luck!

 

[fldoctorgirl]

You seem to be more excited about UNECOM. It doesn't matter if you feel that RVU is "objectively better" if it's not the place that you will be happy attending.

Mandatory attendance does suck sometimes, but it also depends on the type of learner you are. Also, it does seem like they've been working on changing this based on SDN posts.

Go to the school that is a better fit for your needs. Based on reading your pro/con lists for both, I think UNECOM seems to fit you better.

Good luck!

 

[PreMedHeart]

You seem to be more excited about UNECOM. It doesn't matter if you feel that RVU is "objectively better" if it's not the place that you will be happy attending.

Mandatory attendance does suck sometimes, but it also depends on the type of learner you are. Also, it does seem like they've been working on changing this based on SDN posts.

Go to the school that is a better fit for your needs. Based on reading your pro/con lists for both, I think UNECOM seems to fit you better.

Good luck!

I ended up talking to an RVU student extensively and now I feel better about RVU! Lol. I’m gonna be going back and forth on this one for a little bit it seems.