SCO vs NECO

[DrFrankenzyme]

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Help me out please...
Regardless of living expenses...
Keep in mind i'm Canadian

SCO

Pro
Higher board exam pass rate
Lower tuition
Better reputation?

Cons
Crime rate in memphis
Less diverse student population
Need a car

NECO


Pro's
Boston would be a nicer place to live for 4 years
More diverse student population
Don't need a car
Feels safer, lots of good places to go out
Lots of Canadians here (keep in mind I'm from Canada)

Con's
Tuition is more
Less convenient to get around town

 

[chocol8]

I'm Canadian as well, so I'll give you my Canadian take on it 😀

It looks like you'll be happier in Boston, from the pros you listed. Do you think those pro's outweigh the extra money you'll have to pay? Personally, I'm really used to being in an environment that's diverse, so I'd probably really miss it if I didn't have it. Also the fact that there are fellow Canadians there as well is good. Do you want to come back to Canada after you obtain your OD?

I don't remember the specific details of either school's curriculum, clinics, or if its a semester or trimester system. If you haven't compared that yet take a look, maybe one will work better for you than the other.

But from what you've listed so far, it seems like you'll be happier at NECO. A happier student would probably do better in school, which might make it worth the extra money. Good luck with your decision.

 

[blysssful]

What would be the financial difference, including cost of living? I know that Boston is a pretty pricey area to live in and I've heard that Memphis isn't... so in addition to the difference in tuition, how much more would NECO be? Consider that difference ~tripled after interest.

As a sidenote, two of the ODs I shadowed went to SCO and were very hesitant about living in Memphis at first but both ended up absolutely loving it. I'm sure JMU07 could tell you more about it.

 

[JMU07]

Yeah, definitely send me a PM! I too was pretty hesitant about living in Memphis but it's not that bad. You just learn where the shady areas are and you stay away from them. Don't walk around by yourself at night, things like that.

We actually do have a fairly diverse student body, and because Memphis is a very poor city you get to see A LOT of disease and in clinic. The patient base is also very diverse, so you get to see a lot of things!

 

[cloud99]

JMU-
I know alot of students live on mud island. Is this area at all "shady" or is it considered safer. How about the location of the school itself? Is that area safe?

Every city has non-desirable areas, I just wouldn't want to live right in the middle of one.

 

[mvd]

I live on Mud Island and absolutly love it. Not "shady" at all. In other words, I would feel perfectly safe going for a walk in the park by the river even late in the evening. There are lots of other students, doctors, and families living in the area, and it has a nice community feel. On top of that, the location makes it very close to SCO.

SCO is located in more in mid-town, which has parts that are "shady" and parts that aren't. As for the school its-self, everything is pretty safe around there, and there's always security around the campus just to make sure that it stays that way. JMU07 is right, because of the location of SCO, it's able to bring in a much more diverse population which will really expose you to wider variety of eye conditions during your clinical rotations.

 

[mvd]

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[DrFrankenzyme]

The thing I like best about SCO is the facilities are top notch and so is the faculty. That's where I'm going.

 

[jymezg]

See ya in the fall.

***Cordova is a nice part of town as well, its a bit farther though.

 

[JMU07]

I live in Cordova, it's really amazing. Living downtown/midtown means you have to drive either to Arkansas or Cordova to go to Wal-Mart or any other non-shady grocery store. Everything you could ever want is in Cordova so it's never a far drive! 😀 There are a TON of nice apartments out here, too.

Mud Island is gorgeous, definitely not shady. HOWEVER, at least one person in my class that lives there has had someone break into their apartment and steal all of their equipment, while I have friends in Midtown that have never had an issue. So there is always the possibility of crime no matter where you live.