Top 5-10 Do Schools?

[SOCHBING]

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What are the TOP DO SCHOOLS?

 

[MaximusD]

With my little bit of experiece, I would say roughly that the oldest are usually the best although it looks like ATSU didn't make this list. At any rate, there is no definitive ranking... I happen to think that the most established institutions near big cities are the best picks.. (PCOM, DMU, CCOM, NYCOM, UMDNJ, etc...) But I know next-to-nothing outside of my limited experience.

 

[UIC Killa]

A good SDN friend of mine supplied me with this ranking. These are not mine, but the input of someone who is more familiar with how the schools are viewed and respected...



Hope that helps 😉 Let the flames begin! To the person I am quoting, I will take this down if you PM me to do so.

I think DMU might be better than middle of the road...i will probably place it in the top tier...not biased or anything...👍

 

[MaximusD]

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[MaximusD]

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[Kuba]

lol, i think those rankings are all over the place. Sorry d-max, it's a solid effort, but there arguments to be made for every school on that list to be somewhere else. It's very ahrd to rank the osteo schools.

 

[MaximusD]

.

Sorry guys, I don't want to be banned for trolling. I am too addicted to SDN for that shizit.

 

[Kuba]

so change it around 😉 This could be a fun thread... until it gets closed for flaming. Ut-oh, hey wait I'm not a troll!

haha, i wont even try. eh, maybe I will. I think PCOM and MSUCOM are solidly in the top 5, but after that... eh, its too close to call for most schools.

 

[jtorres]

i agree with you about PCOM being up there, but TCOM at the lower end? dont know about that. us news and world report surely would'nt agree with you.

 

[MaximusD]

Here's a fun activity to do rather than to interject what someone else told me...

Everyone can move the schools around and add factors which could be important to a ranking system if one, in fact, existed.

In no particular order:

- PCOM
- PCOM-Ga
- NYCOM
- MSUCOM
- CCOM
- AZCOM
- OUCOM
- KCOM
- DMUCOM
- KCUMB
- OSUCOM
- UMDNJ
- LECOM
- UNECOM
- NOVA
- TCOM
- COMP
- WVSOM
- Touro - NV
- Touro - Harlem
- Touro - MI



Quote then remove the [/ quote] and [ quote ] tags.

 

[Kuba]

If we rank them by research: MSUCOM, UMDNJ, TCOM?. Sure of the first 2, not the 3rd. MSUCOM is only above UMDNJ because they count the allo faculty into their research number.

 

[MaximusD]

(The First) Fluid approximation of Rankings:

- PCOM
- NYCOM
- MSUCOM
- CCOM
- UMDNJ-SOM
- DMUCOM
- AZCOM
- UNECOM
- NOVA
- VCOM
- OUCOM
- PCOM-Ga
- KCOM
- KCUMB
- OSUCOM
- LECOM
- TCOM
- COMP
- WVSOM
- Touro - NV
- Touro - Harlem
- Touro - MI

1. Quote me.
2. Remove the quote tags, [ quote ] and [ / quote].

 

[MaximusD]

If we rank them by research: MSUCOM, UMDNJ, TCOM?. Sure of the first 2, not the 3rd. MSUCOM is only above UMDNJ because they count the allo faculty into their research number.

so maybe we should establish a few categories...

How about: location (as it pertains to medical rotations), research, COMLEX pass rates, etc... any ideas about how to quantify?

 

[SOCHBING]

that would be fantabulous.

 

[MaximusD]

blah, i think that the point is that trying to quantify much of what makes certain DO schools great is based on subjective qualities... go to the schools yourself to see what you like.

I personally value great clinical rotations, reputation for producing good physicians, and good COMLEX pass rates as good criteria.

Some people might want to be in a more rural setting, while others would like to be within a city.

Some may like an emphasis on OMM while others would like only a marginal introduction to it...

It all depends on what you like...

 

[Kuba]

blah, i think that the point is that trying to quantify much of what makes certain DO schools great is based on subjective qualities... go to the schools yourself to see what you like.

I personally value great clinical rotations, reputation for producing good physicians, and good COMLEX pass rates as good criteria.

Some people might want to be in a more rural setting, while others would like to be within a city.

Some may like an emphasis on OMM while others would like only a marginal introduction to it...

It all depends on what you like...

that is true. It seems there are two groups of schools. It isn't too tough to create the top and bottom tier, but it is very difficult to distinguish between the groups. It is all very subjective.

 

[MaximusD]

that is true. It seems there are two groups of schools. It isn't too tough to create the top and bottom tier, but it is very difficult to distinguish between the groups. It is all very subjective.

Some people might want to be in a more rural setting, while others would like to be within a city.

It all depends on what you like...

Some would rather go to a snowy, windy and flat city as compared to others which would rather go where they make orange juice in the tropical sun where the female students walk around in bikinis and bring you coronas...

 

[mshheaddoc]

(The First) Fluid approximation of Rankings:

- PCOM
- NYCOM
- MSUCOM
- CCOM
- UMDNJ-SOM
- DMUCOM
- AZCOM
- UNECOM
- NOVA
- VCOM
- OUCOM
- PCOM-Ga
- KCOM
- KCUMB
- OSUCOM
- LECOM
- TCOM
- COMP
- WVSOM
- Touro - NV
- Touro - Harlem
- Touro - MI

1. Quote me.
2. Remove the quote tags, [ quote ] and [ / quote].

OSU-COM is way too far down on your list for having exceptional pass rate, clinical rotations, small class size, awesome staff (well - almost awesome) and come on GOLJAN! 😛

I know they don't accept many OOS but still .. They'd be in my top 5 and CCOM would be bumped out well or maybe NYCOM. Probably NYCOM be out of my top 10. I could list pros and cons for each school based on my opinion,

Location does matter for some, curriculum matters more to others ... value could be a huge thing too. Since not everyone knows someone who's gone to all these schools, sometimes you have look and visit all the schools yourself.



SO here's the skinny. There are no rankings 😎

 

[kcumbDO]

MSUCOM
TCOM
PCOM (Philadelphia)
OSUCOM
UMDNJ-COM
OUCOM
DMU-COM
KCUMB-COM
Midwestern University (CCOM, AZCOM)
UNECOM

 

[kcumbDO]

forgot to add KCOM, so make it top 11 do schools

 

[MaximusD]

forgot to add KCOM, so make it top 11 do schools

OUCOM gets bumped out to make room bc I hate them for their 5-year contract. Sounds like a communist country with their 5-year plan

 

[Shinken]

OUCOM gets bumped out to make room bc I hate them for their 5-year contract. Sounds like a communist country with their 5-year plan

For an out-of-state applicant that's the price you pay for affordable tuition (in-staters don't have to sign the contract).

If you ask me, the contract is negligible compared to the quality of clinical education you get (have you seen the affiliated hospitals? Insane! 😱 )

That's my unbiased opinion. 😉

 

[DPS319]

OUCOM gets bumped out to make room bc I hate them for their 5-year contract. Sounds like a communist country with their 5-year plan

read their charter and mission statement and you'll understand the 5-year Ohio commitment. the school was established to provide a balance in primary care docs in ohio.

 

[Packamylase]

MSUCOM
TCOM
PCOM (Philadelphia)
OSUCOM
UMDNJ-COM
OUCOM
DMU-COM
KCUMB-COM
Midwestern University (CCOM, AZCOM)
UNECOM

Hey there, Congrats on your interviews! Good Luck!

By the way, KCUMB is clearly the best osteopathic medical school in the galaxy. There might be a better one OUT THERE, but not in this galaxy.

 

[MaximusD]

Hey there, Congrats on your interviews! Good Luck!

By the way, KCUMB is clearly the best osteopathic medical school in the galaxy. There might be a better one OUT THERE, but not in this galaxy.

 

[MaximusD]

For an out-of-state applicant that's the price you pay for affordable tuition (in-staters don't have to sign the contract).

If you ask me, the contract is negligible compared to the quality of clinical education you get (have you seen the affiliated hospitals? Insane! 😱 )

That's my unbiased opinion. 😉

No but I've seen the clinical rotation sites for PCOM, NYCOM, and CCOM and they do not have a 5-year contract 😉

 

[Dr JPH]

If we rank them by research: MSUCOM, UMDNJ, TCOM?. Sure of the first 2, not the 3rd. MSUCOM is only above UMDNJ because they count the allo faculty into their research number.

Wait until after new years for this list. Some big things happening at PCOM and NYCOM that are set to be announced by early spring.

 

[Dr JPH]

When I look at a school here is what I look at:

- Curriculum (what classes do they NOT have?)
- Clinical Rotations (what core rotations, how many electives, affiliated hospitals)
- Facilities (library, online resources, patient simulating robots, surgical simulation equipment, laboratories, classrooms)
- Pre-Clinical Patient Experience (real patients or simulated)
- Non Academic Facilities (gym, lounges, cafeteria, study lounges)
- Residencies (what do they offer, what are they affiliated with)
- Location (what is around me both professionally and recreationally)

What I DONT look for:

- Research money (unless you are involved in the research it doesnt affect you)
- Class size (doesnt matter in the long run, big or small)

TOP 5 (no particular order)
PCOM, NYCOM, MSUCOM, CCOM, OUCOM

TOP 10 (no particular order)
OSUCOM, UMDNJSOM, TCOM, KCUMB, NOVA

TOP 20 (no particular order)
DMUCOM, LECOM, AZCOM, PSCOM, WVSOM, UNECOM, COMP, TOURO, KCOM

Newbie Schools Down Here (for now)

Now, I dont want PMs yacking about why I didnt put your school in the top, blah blah blah.

This list is based on what I know of these schools, what I know from speaking to students, what I know from visiting and rotating there, what I know from meeting their residents, what I know from collaborative research.

This is also taking into considertation the acceptance rate to matriculation rate.

If a school accepts 800 to fill a class of 200, that says something different than a school that accepts 450 to fill a class of 250. Which school are more people chosing as their "top school?" But again...this is only one piece of the puzzle.

Also, I am not grading the residency programs, simply the availability of programs.

 

[mshheaddoc]

I have to agree with JP on quite a bit of what he said. My top 10 is slightly different from my perspectives of friends at various schools as well as location for me. But overall he's got the perspective that most students really should have. There is more to schools than curriculum, clinical rotations, and the like. I think alot of people I know in schools that they are unhappy (when they've had choices to make on what schools) are looking at the wrong criteria when they choose. Just from what I've seen talking with students who are unhappy at various schools such as CCOM, NYCOM, PCOM, UMDNJCOM, OSUCOM, KCUMB ...

Moral of the story, everyone's top 10 willb e different as well all have different experiences 😉

 

[Nate]

oh ffs

 

[CatsandCradles]

What are the TOP DO SCHOOLS?

If you are a research cat, then go to an allopathic school. All the research money DO schools spend combined does not equal the 200th grant that NIH gives.

Depends a lot on the person.

If you want to go to a cheap school, go to LECOM because they have low tuition, however I encorage you to research this school carefully But the public in state schools also have low tution. Texas is one of them and a fine school.

If you are into state schools: then Ohio, MSU, and UMDNJ, Texas

If you are into clinical rotations, then go to PCOM, Ohio, MSU, UMDNJ, NSU, NYCOM - pretty much any of the older establised city schools.

If you are into residencies directly under the control of the school, then no one beats MSU and Ohio. However PCOM and NSU have some pretty insane list as well.

If you want to go to a school that is aggressively expanding with high quality, then I think it's NSU. They keep trying to open their own hospitals, but all the other hospitals around them are politically preventing NSU from doing so cause those hospitals are scared **** that NSU will eat them.

If you want a school with a good hospital attached to it, then Kirksville has a busy tertiary care center. Des Moins also has a large hospital as well. UMDNJ has Kennedy and Our Lady of Lordes.

If you value small class size, then UMDNJ hands down.






My take is this:

The best osteopathic school in the country is UMDNJ

1. Small class size.
2. Excellent Rotations
3. Low tutition for instaters and they work to get OOS instate tuition
4. Seems to be a smart group of people (29 MCATs)
5. You never see anyone complaining about UMDNJ on SDN
6. After floating around on SDN for almost two years, it seems the students
there are pretty happy about it.
7. It's a STATE medical school
8. It's close to downtown Philadelphia
9. New Jersey has a lot of osteopathic physicians and isn't one of the 5 mean states
10. Great COMLEX and USMLE scores

The drawbacks with UMDNJ are its somewhat small AOA residency list when compared to MSU or Ohio or PCOM.

So my list is:

1. UMDNJ
2. Ohio
3. MSU
4. PCOM
5. NSU

Let's be honest folks, these schools are good hands down. The only reason I didn't put MSU or Ohio ontop was because Ohio has a communist 5 year program and MSU has $51,000 tutition in a city.

All 5 of these schools would put a lot of allopathic schools to shame. However I wouldn't dare compare PCOM to the allopathic school in Ritten House Square (Jefferson) even though I think PCOM is a great place.








As for me...well I go to some wild place ...out in the rocky... desolate...rural...backwards...lacking of everything...farmer boy...unpaved dirt roads...lacking even common sewage and plumbing - heck we use out houses here...lack of electricity...everyone thinks we are inbred...everyone thinks we are a Confederate state - even though we broke away from the Confederacy....premeds send me PM asking all sorts of weird streotypes about our state...they says we talk funny... and an SDNer PMed me and said that this state "is an uncivilized place and backwards conservative religious state"

Did I fail to mention that we also use horse buggy and walk 2 miles to school each day? And live in log cabins?

(I am being sarcastic)

 

[Orthodoc40]

I'm really surprised so many people are placing TCOM so low on their list!
Don't they rival many allopathic programs in terms of USMLE scores, pass rates, and residency placements??

 

[Orthodoc40]

When I look at a school here is what I look at:

- Curriculum (what classes do they NOT have?)

Sorry if it's a dumb question, but what does "what classes do they NOT have?" mean? Is that like, some school doesn't give you biochem or something?

 

[CatsandCradles]

OUCOM gets bumped out to make room bc I hate them for their 5-year contract. Sounds like a communist country with their 5-year plan

I see that you too smell commie medicine lurking around the corner...

 

[Packamylase]

Sorry if it's a dumb question, but what does "what classes do they NOT have?" mean? Is that like, some school doesn't give you biochem or something?

I think he's saying that curriculums are pretty much the same across the board, so he looks at what makes one curriculum different from another.

 

[scpod]

I'm really surprised so many people are placing TCOM so low on their list!

Because it's damned near impossible for anybody from outside of Texas to get in. They don't even use AACOMAS, so a lot of people aren't willing to spend the extra bucks and effort (although it isn't really costly monetarily) to fill out TMDSAS too. Also, unlike states like NJ that make it easy for you to become a state resident, TX has one of the most stringent tests of all to pass for residency. To make a long story short-- TX doesn't want you if you aren't from there. They like being in their own little world. Why should you include them on your list?

 

[koshka]

If you are a research cat, then go to an allopathic school. All the research money DO schools spend combined does not equal the 200th grant that NIH gives.

Depends a lot on the person.

If you want to go to a cheap school, go to LECOM because they have low tuition, however I encorage you to research this school carefully But the public in state schools also have low tution. Texas is one of them and a fine school.

If you are into state schools: then Ohio, MSU, and UMDNJ, Texas

If you are into clinical rotations, then go to PCOM, Ohio, MSU, UMDNJ, NSU, NYCOM - pretty much any of the older establised city schools.

If you are into residencies directly under the control of the school, then no one beats MSU and Ohio. However PCOM and NSU have some pretty insane list as well.

If you want to go to a school that is aggressively expanding with high quality, then I think it's NSU. They keep trying to open their own hospitals, but all the other hospitals around them are politically preventing NSU from doing so cause those hospitals are scared **** that NSU will eat them.

If you want a school with a good hospital attached to it, then Kirksville has a busy tertiary care center. Des Moins also has a large hospital as well. UMDNJ has Kennedy and Our Lady of Lordes.

If you value small class size, then UMDNJ hands down.






My take is this:

The best osteopathic school in the country is UMDNJ

1. Small class size.
2. Excellent Rotations
3. Low tutition for instaters and they work to get OOS instate tuition
4. Seems to be a smart group of people (29 MCATs)
5. You never see anyone complaining about UMDNJ on SDN
6. After floating around on SDN for almost two years, it seems the students
there are pretty happy about it.
7. It's a STATE medical school
8. It's close to downtown Philadelphia
9. New Jersey has a lot of osteopathic physicians and isn't one of the 5 mean states
10. Great COMLEX and USMLE scores

The drawbacks with UMDNJ are its somewhat small AOA residency list when compared to MSU or Ohio or PCOM.

So my list is:

1. UMDNJ
2. Ohio
3. MSU
4. PCOM
5. NSU

Let's be honest folks, these schools are good hands down. The only reason I didn't put MSU or Ohio ontop was because Ohio has a communist 5 year program and MSU has $51,000 tutition in a city.

All 5 of these schools would put a lot of allopathic schools to shame. However I wouldn't dare compare PCOM to the allopathic school in Ritten House Square (Jefferson) even though I think PCOM is a great place.








As for me...well I go to some wild place ...out in the rocky... desolate...rural...backwards...lacking of everything...farmer boy...unpaved dirt roads...lacking even common sewage and plumbing - heck we use out houses here...lack of electricity...everyone thinks we are inbred...everyone thinks we are a Confederate state - even though we broke away from the Confederacy....premeds send me PM asking all sorts of weird streotypes about our state...they says we talk funny... and an SDNer PMed me and said that this state "is an uncivilized place and backwards conservative religious state"

Did I fail to mention that we also use horse buggy and walk 2 miles to school each day? And live in log cabins?

(I am being sarcastic)

Agree with a lot if it...However going through the list of umdnj faculty I found that a large number of them are PCOM grads...(I am making this comment as someone who will be joining umdnj, so this is not a negative comment in any way)🙂

 

[imari]

Why do I never see COMP listed near the top of these lists? I know it hasn't been around as long as some of the others, (since 1977) but it's the oldest on the west coast, as far as I know.

(not asking to get people angry, just curious)

 

[MaximusD]

Why do I never see COMP listed near the top of these lists? I know it hasn't been around as long as some of the others, (since 1977) but it's the oldest on the west coast, as far as I know.

(not asking to get people angry, just curious)

bc most people on here are from the east coast/plain states 😉

 

[Doctor Bagel]

blah, i think that the point is that trying to quantify much of what makes certain DO schools great is based on subjective qualities... go to the schools yourself to see what you like.

I personally value great clinical rotations, reputation for producing good physicians, and good COMLEX pass rates as good criteria.

Some people might want to be in a more rural setting, while others would like to be within a city.

Some may like an emphasis on OMM while others would like only a marginal introduction to it...

It all depends on what you like...

Scratching my head about why you would put schools like OSU and TCOM so low then. Both around 100% comlex passage rate, good rotations and an excellent reputation. You just confirmed my theory that everyone ranks osteopathic schools based on regional biases more than anything else.

 

[Jack Daniel]

To make a long story short-- TX doesn't want you if you aren't from there. They like being in their own little world. Why should you include them on your list?

They have to be like that. Otherwise, everyone would want in. I mean, Texas is cool. What other US state can say they've been a part of Spain, France, & Mexico....Kicked 'em all out and became their own country....gave that up to join the Union...only to leave....and join again and go on like nothing ever happened.

 

[MaximusD]

Scratching my head about why you would put schools like OSU and TCOM so low then. Both around 100% comlex passage rate, good rotations and an excellent reputation. You just confirmed my theory that everyone ranks osteopathic schools based on regional biases more than anything else.

the whole "blah" premise to that was kind of me throwing up my hands after looking back over my initial rankings.

The post which you quoted was a realization that they couldn't really be rated objectively..

 

[czanetti]

Hey I'm not from Texas and I got accepted. Texas seemed pretty damm cool when I went down there. I'm from New York. I think the numbers are an intimidation factor so people don't apply. Yes 90% have to be in state but there is still a chance for you to apply 165 students= 17 out of staters and because most don't apply bcs they don't think they will get it how many do you think actually apply.

By the way TCOM had a 100% pass rate this past year and a 99.9% the year before all the other years have been around this range. Great reputation, placed people in great residency programs. PLUS cheap tuition. The only school that had it beat would be UMDNJ becuase you can get in state residency, I wanted to go some place warm, plus the crime rate at TCOM is 0%. (UMDNJ is 8 miles from Cambden NJ has had the highest crime rate in the US for almost a decade)

And one more thing, yeah I spent 100 dollars to send my app to TCOM but you know how much money they asked for to hold your seat .....$0.00

 

[snowkhat]

TCOM is way up there since they are ranked by US News in Primary Care #27 (out of over 200 medical schools in the country). MSU-COM is #4.

TCOM also has the research center for Osteopathy.

Texas does like "in-staters" because of legislation that requires that their classes have 90% or above residents. Texas has a physician shortage.

 

[laboholic]

Wait until after new years for this list. Some big things happening at PCOM and NYCOM that are set to be announced by early spring.

please tell me this insider information now. I have 2 shares of stock in PCOM

 

[JonnyG]

please tell me this insider information now. I have 2 shares of stock in PCOM

This has peaked my interests almost as much as the next rumor of the next branch campus location..........

 

[scpod]

Hey I'm not from Texas and I got accepted.

And that puts you into a category of like 8 to 10 OOS'ers who get accepted there. Considering 8,000 to 10,000 people are applying to osteopathic schools, then you are part of the minority. How does that feel?

 

[Dr JPH]

If you are a research cat, then go to an allopathic school. All the research money DO schools spend combined does not equal the 200th grant that NIH gives.

Not true. There are a handful of DO schools with millions in research grants from NIH, DoD and private donors. Right now PCOM has 6 ongoing NIH projects and one Department of Defense project. Plus about 2 dozen other projects with other funding. ( Christopher Reeve Foundation, Arthritis Foundation, Alzheimers Foundation, PA Department of Health)

All 5 of these schools would put a lot of allopathic schools to shame. However I wouldn't dare compare PCOM to the allopathic school in Ritten House Square (Jefferson) even though I think PCOM is a great place.

How many Jefferson students have you rotated with? How many lectures have you given at Jefferson? How many Jefferson residents have you worked with?

 

[Dr JPH]

oh ffs

This is an example of the kind of PMs I have been getting since I first posted.

You dont like my list then dont bitch to me.

I gave my opinions based on 5 years of seeing, hearing and doing.

Everyone needs to get over their own securities and spend more time studying Netter.

Everyone thinks there school is the best and everyone will stand up for their school to the end. Fine.

But until you have been around, worked at other schools & their hospitals & with their students, worked with their residents and extensively researched what they have to offer what you say is just your opinion...and in the end that means nothing.

Sure, my feelings above are just my opinion but at least they are backed up with information.

Where do the grads go for residency?
What is the quality of the hospitals they rotate through?
Where do their residency programs rank?

You can sit here all day and yap about research money and tuition, but in the end that doesnt get you the top residency.

 

[Dr JPH]

TCOM is way up there since they are ranked by US News in Primary Care #27 (out of over 200 medical schools in the country). MSU-COM is #4.

So you train good family docs. Thats what that means.

When you've worked with attendings who graduated from every DO school out there you get a pretty clear idea of who THEY think are the best.