RVU vs. KCUMB

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Digging this up from awhile ago but facing this same decision curious what @chris89 chose? For me location is the only big difference RVU has over KCU for me. RVU is much closer to family. Having a family I think this would be a big benefit especially for my wife. Anyone have experience with this?
 
chris89 said:
Hello all,
Having a really difficult time making a decision between these two schools and hoping someone will be able to add some pros or cons I may be leaving out.
Both schools have a modified systems-based curriculum set up by the same dean. Both have strong board scores and match lists. I believe I've heard that both schools have pretty strong rotations. KCUMB has a very established reputation while RVU has done great but still is relatively new. RVU seems to be known for the close knit community environment which I definitely experienced on interview day. The location factor goes to RVU without a doubt.
I know I will receive a great education at either school. At the end of the day my main concern is landing a solid residency. Will KCUMB's established reputation make a huge difference when applying?
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I would go with KCUMB, its way more established and less controversial, RVU had a lot of controversy in the DO community because of its for profit status and the fact the school's founder was previously the owner of a Caribbean medical school.
 
Seth Joo said:
I would go with KCUMB, its way more established and less controversial, RVU had a lot of controversy in the DO community because of its for profit status and the fact the school's founder was previously the owner of a Caribbean medical school.
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I think the hype has been way over blown and the controversy is nothing compared to Cal Northstate... The school has proved through its board scores and match lists that it is probably among the better DO schools.

I personally know some RVU students who said that boards are a big deal at the school and that they not only had oneof the top two pass rates but also one of the top two average scores for all DO schools in the past 2 years. And they are pushed to take the USMLE as well. The school seems like it really has its stuff together. KCUMB also has its stuff together though so being honest it probably comes down to where you want to live. Both will probably set you up to do well on boards and be a successful physician.
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
I think the hype has been way over blown and the controversy is nothing compared to Cal Northstate... The school has proved through its board scores and match lists that it is probably among the better DO schools.

I personally know some RVU students who said that boards are a big deal at the school and that they not only had oneof the top two pass rates but also one of the top two average scores for all DO schools in the past 2 years. And they are pushed to take the USMLE as well. The school seems like it really has its stuff together. KCUMB also has its stuff together though so being honest it probably comes down to where you want to live. Both will probably set you up to do well on boards and be a successful physician.
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Well that is good to hear, but I generally believe in applying to the most established school and going there, this is particularly the case for DO schools. My school AZCOM is one of the newer programs but its parent is CCOM which is one of the best DO schools, and its leadership has been instrumental in AZCOM's success as a school.
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
I think the hype has been way over blown and the controversy is nothing compared to Cal Northstate... The school has proved through its board scores and match lists that it is probably among the better DO schools.

I personally know some RVU students who said that boards are a big deal at the school and that they not only had oneof the top two pass rates but also one of the top two average scores for all DO schools in the past 2 years. And they are pushed to take the USMLE as well. The school seems like it really has its stuff together. KCUMB also has its stuff together though so being honest it probably comes down to where you want to live. Both will probably set you up to do well on boards and be a successful physician.
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Not only are we encouraged to take the USMLE, we are required to do so and prepared accordingly. 🙂
 
ortnakas said:
Just out of curiosity-- is this new? And do you know how the provided exam prep is different from schools that focus more on COMLEX?
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New for the class of 2018, yes. And we get a full month of Kaplan board prep built in before we get a month of our own self study.
 
Haxx said:
Not only are we encouraged to take the USMLE, we are required to do so and prepared accordingly. 🙂
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That's what I thought! I just didn't want to say so in case it wasn't true because I wasn't completely sure. And I have been very impressed by this school and have been told by multiple MDs that if you go to a DO school this school should be at the top of the list
 
Haxx said:
New for the class of 2018, yes. And we get a full month of Kaplan board prep built in before we get a month of our own self study.
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KCU gets the same now. We're not required to take the USMLE, but it's highly encouraged.

@Mti43 If family is important to you and your wife and you have a strong support system within an hour of RVU, I'd probably go there if you think it'll help you. I think KCU has a better reputation and is more established, but I don't think your education will be lacking in any way at RVU.
 
Stagg737 said:
KCU gets the same now. We're not required to take the USMLE, but it's highly encouraged.

@Mti43 If family is important to you and your wife and you have a strong support system within an hour of RVU, I'd probably go there if you think it'll help you. I think KCU has a better reputation and is more established, but I don't think your education will be lacking in any way at RVU.
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Thank you @Stagg737! I appreciate your input it's definitely going to be a tough choice. I think I'll take my wife out to KCU and RVU and see how we feel.
 
there are for profit MD schools now also...ponce changed it status and a new for profit MD school in california is accepting applications now, its called cal north or something like that....this doesn't matter....if its approved by accrediting body its good to go
 
Also in the same situation, got acceptances at KCUMB, RVU, Campbell, and Midwestern (CCOM). Here's why I'm going with RVU: The board scores and match list are top notch, I love the curriculum (though KCUMB now uses it), and the location is amazing. But most importantly I found that out of all the schools I have interviewed at, the students at RVU seem to have the best school/life balance (despite having such a long school year). I got the impression that the students at RVU are really well supported by the faculty/staff, and they just seemed less stressed compared to the students at the other schools I visited.

So what it comes down to for me: If I can go to a school with a curriculum that I think is amazing, be less stressed, live near mountains, and crush the boards, why would I not? Who cares about for profit! From everything I have seen, I'm confident that RVU is an amazing school and the board scores/match list really bear this out.
 
I'm having the same situation, I know I would be happier at RVU. The students were all really nice and in good spirits and the overall atmosphere was laid back and friendly. The location is perfect being outside of Denver but close to anything you need and how can you not love Colorado! I could definitely see myself living there after all my schooling is said and done.

It just seems like everyone always says to go KCU in this situation and I get it they are more established and don't have the controversial for profit status but I wonder how much does it make a difference in long run run? Both of these schools seem to be evenly matched for years 1 and 2 and doing well on boards. Would you be setting yourself up better by going to KCU to match at a competitive speciality if one decided on pursuing that? Would going to RVU help your chances of landing a residency in Colorado if that is where someone wanted to stay?

I keep going back and forth with these two schools one day I'm leaning KCU next day RVU.
 
just_SAIYAN said:
I'm having the same situation, I know I would be happier at RVU. The students were all really nice and in good spirits and the overall atmosphere was laid back and friendly. The location is perfect being outside of Denver but close to anything you need and how can you not love Colorado! I could definitely see myself living there after all my schooling is said and done.

It just seems like everyone always says to go KCU in this situation and I get it they are more established and don't have the controversial for profit status but I wonder how much does it make a difference in long run run? Both of these schools seem to be evenly matched for years 1 and 2 and doing well on boards. Would you be setting yourself up better by going to KCU to match at a competitive speciality if one decided on pursuing that? Would going to RVU help your chances of landing a residency in Colorado if that is where someone wanted to stay?

I keep going back and forth with these two schools one day I'm leaning KCU next day RVU.
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I know how it is! I've been going back and forth. I really think either way your absolutely fine. If you know you will be happier at RVU I would go to RVU. If Colorado is where you'd like to stay it makes it that much easier. If you look at RVU's match list it's comparable to KCU. My wife and I visited Colorado last week and will visit KC in a few and make the decision then. I'm leaving more towards KCU just because it felt more "right" per se at the interview. But I definitely understand your dilemma haha
 
Think about it like this, the only "weakness" RVU has is perception among some random people on message boards (not with actual physicians or PDs-check their match list)

That alone shows how strong/amazing the program is.

And stop comparing schools based on tax status.

Should we compare UCR MD to Stanford MD and assume them to be the same since both have the same tax status?

So stop comparing trash Cal Northstate to RVU
Goodness gracious guys, sometimes I can't believe what I read here
 
. . . but I wonder how much does it make a difference in long run run?
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Absolutely none. It really doesn't affect our learning negatively AT ALL.

Both of these schools seem to be evenly matched for years 1 and 2 and doing well on boards. Would you be setting yourself up better by going to KCU to match at a competitive speciality if one decided on pursuing that?
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The fact is, it really doesn't matter what averages are if you are trying to pursue something ultra-competitive. It's up to you, individually, to kick Step 1's butt. I tend to think that the place you feel more comfortable gives you the better chance of doing that.

Would going to RVU help your chances of landing a residency in Colorado if that is where someone wanted to stay?
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Definitely. Proximity, name recognition on an app, possibly doing one of your rotations with the program you're applying to? All of those will help. I'm not saying that you can't get into a residency or practice in CO if you attend KCU, but it will definitely take more leg work on your part.

I keep going back and forth with these two schools one day I'm leaning KCU next day RVU.
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Good luck on the decision! Let me know if you have any questions you'd like me to answer as an OMS-II at RVU! 🙂
 
Haxx said:
Absolutely none. It really doesn't affect our learning negatively AT ALL.


The fact is, it really doesn't matter what averages are if you are trying to pursue something ultra-competitive. It's up to you, individually, to kick Step 1's butt. I tend to think that the place you feel more comfortable gives you the better chance of doing that.


Definitely. Proximity, name recognition on an app, possibly doing one of your rotations with the program you're applying to? All of those will help. I'm not saying that you can't get into a residency or practice in CO if you attend KCU, but it will definitely take more leg work on your part.


Good luck on the decision! Let me know if you have any questions you'd like me to answer as an OMS-II at RVU! 🙂
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Thank you for your response! I appreciate it!
 
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