Top DO schools...

[christina30]

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This. Nobody knows where his/her favorite physician went to school. We all get the same job when we're out.



Spoken like a true pre-med: based solely on MACT scores and undergrad GPAs without the slightest thought about the practical side. A better way of deciding would be to ask the rotation sites affiliated with that school and get a feel for its reputation. Also, consider asking some alumni and current students what they think. Oh yeah, step 1 pass rate/scores. 😉



I'm throwing the flag on this one. I've heard nothing about nightmare stories about this from current and past students. My own mother threatened to push me down the stairs to keep me out of that school. No joke. I interviewed, saw it was a dump in the middle of the *hood*, and straight bailed. Do some serious investigation before you go there, homey.

Based on my LECOM-B experience: It is cheap and we have a good pass rate. On the downside, we have a few extremely unpleasant administrators and faculty members. Any estimation of whether we have more or less toolbags on the payroll would be purely speculative.

THAT is an ignorant statement. The neighborhood the school is located in is pretty irrelevant to judge it on. And if you're talking about medicine, underserved and especially inner-city type communities are probably the best places to learn medicine. (Obviously assuming that the rotations would be in a similar area to the school)

Even besides, I did my undergrad in the South Bronx, at a top 100 university. So shut your face.

 

[Rollo]

..The neighborhood the school is located in is pretty irrelevant to judge it on...

I disagree. Somebody who is not a city/urban person is not going to like a school that's based in an urban area. In contrast, somebody who doesn't like "middle of nowhere" country area are not going to like a school that's surrounded by nothing but farms. People need some sort of social life in med school to keep their sanity and a big component of social life is the location you will live in.

As for this thread, I think somebody mentioned it earlier, but I'll add it again. You should look at the residency programs that the school hosts.

I realize that vast majority of pre-meds are going to either have no clue what they want to do or are going to change their minds about a specialty later in med school.

I'm saying to look at the diversity of residency programs hosted by the school. This way, you have access to your own program and residents to network with, shadow, research with, etc. You will have more opportunities to learn about different fields in your first two years alone simply because you have access to your home programs.

 

[westphi]

I forgot to add one thing,

Those 7 schools I listed was my list before I attended school. However, while studying for Step I, I used Goljan (Pathology professor at OSU) A LOT as does every medical student in the country.

All I can say is WOW, that guy is amazing. If he teaches everyday like he does on those tapes, then I would attend OSU over any school in the country MD or DO. I cannot over estimate how much I learned from his tapes/ book in the 8 weeks before boards studying.


Also, more about TCOM posted from a School Admin recently, reaffirms why I think they are the #1 DO school in the country...cut & pasted as follows:

Hey, did everyone see this? Wow!

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Student Doctors,

Please join me in congratulating the current third year class (Class of 2011) on their exemplary COMLEX I performance. All students have taken the examination from our new third year class, and here is the data that I have just finished receiving, and collated:

154 students took the exam.
The Pass rate is 99.4%
The high score was 785, with four students scoring over 700+
27 students scored between 600 - and 699
81 students scored between 500 and 599
41 students scored between 400 and 499
1 student scored below 400.

The current mean is Mean=544

This is an impressive mean to say the least. For comparison, last year's mean was 536 with 99.3% pass rate. Last year we were number one in both pass rate and mean score.

As you know, we have been number one in the country on the COMLEX I examination for the past four years. Although I will not be able to confirm this until next summer, I am relatively certain this will now be the fifth year in a row where TCOM students are number one on this exam.

All I can say is I am extremely proud of our faculty for their dedication, and extremely proud of our students for their hard work. TCOM students Rock!!

Congratulations.

Dr. Bruce Dubin
Interim Dean
UNTHSC-TCOM

With all the people Rocky Vista has stolen from TCOM...I'd keep my eye on RVU in the next couple years 😎

 

[christina30]

I disagree. Somebody who is not a city/urban person is not going to like a school that's based in an urban area. In contrast, somebody who doesn't like "middle of nowhere" country area are not going to like a school that's surrounded by nothing but farms. People need some sort of social life in med school to keep their sanity and a big component of social life is the location you will live in.

As for this thread, I think somebody mentioned it earlier, but I'll add it again. You should look at the residency programs that the school hosts.

I realize that vast majority of pre-meds are going to either have no clue what they want to do or are going to change their minds about a specialty later in med school.

I'm saying to look at the diversity of residency programs hosted by the school. This way, you have access to your own program and residents to network with, shadow, research with, etc. You will have more opportunities to learn about different fields in your first two years alone simply because you have access to your home programs.

That's not what his posting was about and you know it. His problem was that, due to the school being located in "the hood," the school was thusly a dump and couldn't possibly offer a decent education, and anyone who would attend is nuts and needs to reconsider.

 

[Rollo]

That's not what his posting was about and you know it. His problem was that, due to the school being located in "the hood," the school was thusly a dump and couldn't possibly offer a decent education, and anyone who would attend is nuts and needs to reconsider.

Ohh ok I missed that reference. My bad.

Well maybe he is a white suburban kid whose darkest friend was his white best friend who got a tan during the summer? I kid, I kid...

Some people just have personal preferences for the type of community they are willing to get themselves involved in. I see no problem with that so long as that personal preference doesn't translate to discrimination and judgmental bias, you know..

 

[manny99]

AZCOM had a COMLEX mean of 543(99.6% pass rate) and a USMLE mean of 211. No one has mentioned them and TCOM has been getting alot of love for their numbers...just throwing that out there

 

[MossPoh]

i ThiNk StEwaRt UnIversity : NEw SCotland InTernaTionAL ScHool of Medicine is dA best fo ShO.


That may be an inside joke that is a little too far removed for many on SDN...

 

[JaggerPlate]

i ThiNk StEwaRt UnIversity : NEw SCotland InTernaTionAL ScHool of Medicine is dA best fo ShO.


That may be an inside joke that is a little too far removed for many on SDN...

The Stewart University period was one of the funnier times on SDN. My favorite were the youtube videos from that one guy talking about how hard classes were and holding up texts for the camera. Someone looked one of them up at it was printed in 1983. WHEWWW ...

Stewart University ... #1 in US medical school education.

 

[MegaSpectacular]

Why does PCOM force you to have a committee letter. That is so strange.

I have like 4 letters (sciences profs / doctor) but I don't have a stupid committee. So weird.

 

[rezin385]

+1 for AZCOM. Their board scores are always near the top.

 

[MegaSpectacular]

You don't need one.

"Applicants are required to submit a letter of recommendation from the premedical committee or premedical advisor of the undergraduate college that grants or will grant a bachelor's degree, regardless of your academic major, course of study or graduation. If that is not possible, a letter from your academic advisor or Dean of the same institution may substitute. Another letter of recommendation, preferably from an osteopathic physician, is strongly suggested but is not required."
http://www.pcom.edu/Admissions/adm_app_process/adm_DO/adm_do.html

Yeah, my advisor or dean...

My advisor gave me horrible advice a few times which I learned afterwards by searching on SDN for quite a while. Hence I do not believe my advisors is any good, nor would I ask for a letter from that type of person. My dean doesn't even know who the heck I am. I'm one of thousands...

This letter business is confusing. I get 3 professors and a doctor to give me letters and that isn't enough? wow. Guess I have to cross off a school I wanted to apply to.

 

[Tizoc]

Did you try contacting PCOM to see if they could help you out in this matter? You don't know, sometimes schools are willing to show leniency.

 

[Caretta]

I didn't say anything about whether the rotations were quality or not but that all schools are required to have a clinical rotation sites which means they have connections to clinical sites. There are only a few schools that are new and haven't had students rotate yet and then maybe an additional two schools with sappy rotations. Touro-NY & Touro-CA are the main ones that I have heard to have problems with their clinical department.

can you be more specific about the problems with clinical rotations at TUCOM-CA? I'd like to know more.

 

[Rollo]

Why does PCOM force you to have a committee letter. That is so strange.

I have like 4 letters (sciences profs / doctor) but I don't have a stupid committee. So weird.

If I remember correctly, a letter from your dean stating that you attended your undergraduate and are in good academic standing satisfies this requirement.

Contact your dean's office and tell them you need this type of letter and the secretary or whoever will type it for you, get it signed by the dean, and you'll be good to go.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

can you be more specific about the problems with clinical rotations at TUCOM-CA? I'd like to know more.

Check out the Pros and Cons thread and/or do a search for each school individually. If you are you interested in that Touro-CA, I would definitely contact current 3rd and 4th years for their opinions on rotation sites.

 

[Grey Wind]

Why does PCOM force you to have a committee letter. That is so strange.

I have like 4 letters (sciences profs / doctor) but I don't have a stupid committee. So weird.

yep, i didnt use my school's committee and i was accepted to pcom-ga. i just had a letter from my advisor (who was a general sciences advisor).

 

[Proverbs31]

I disagree with this; although it's impossible to read a match list as a pre-med, I think that where you go to school does play a factor in residency. If a particular residency program has experience with the graduates that is positive, if a program knows that XCOM students tend to be very solid clinically, etc., then that's an advantage. Also, there are a lot of new DO schools popping up, some of whom haven't even graduated a class. Given the opportunity, I would tend to avoid these schools and favor schools with a solid reputation.

Im a 4th yr. While you are entitled to your opinion, you are incorrect. In as much so as some folks have had horrible experience with schools longstanding and disregard their students as worth anything. When you become a 3rd/4th yr, as all you will, you will all realize how much more it is dependednt on the individual him/herself who decides their matching future/potential. Not the school whatsoever. Its your grades, boards, work ethic, amicability, and how you "fit" in the program and your LORs. Like I said, Wait till yal are 4th yrs and matched and then all these posts like this will just p*ss you off because it will drive you nuts trying to explain to people to quit looking at anywhere they come from or anything they did as a disadvantage and instead quit using it as an excuse for why they didnt match somewhere or get picked for something or worse yet as an excuse for them to be lazy and half-a** work. Use your god given talents and make the future you want. It is possible to any of you. I dont have the time or patience to go back and rattle facts of new schools that matched people at UPENN or Hopkins, etc...Seriously - like I said you'll see in due time as a 4th yr. But it is majorly dependant on the student as to where they match. Not the school. Ok I'm done.

 

[Proverbs31]

They haven't taken a DO in their program for as long back as the website alumni record goes. It is a great program, well regarded by the doctors I've talked to. I'm going to do everything I can when the time comes for me to apply to help break that barrier for DOs

AWESOME ATTITUDE!!! A+++++ There's always a first!! Im the first DO URO at the MD spot Im at!! 🙂
GOOD LUCK!! Again...need more folks like you!! PROPS MY MAN!

 

[MSmentor018]

I disagree with this; although it's impossible to read a match list as a pre-med, I think that where you go to school does play a factor in residency. If a particular residency program has experience with the graduates that is positive, if a program knows that XCOM students tend to be very solid clinically, etc., then that's an advantage. Also, there are a lot of new DO schools popping up, some of whom haven't even graduated a class. Given the opportunity, I would tend to avoid these schools and favor schools with a solid reputation.

Im a 4th yr. While you are entitled to your opinion, you are incorrect. In as much so as some folks have had horrible experience with schools longstanding and disregard their students as worth anything. When you become a 3rd/4th yr, as all you will, you will all realize how much more it is dependednt on the individual him/herself who decides their matching future/potential. Not the school whatsoever. Its your grades, boards, work ethic, amicability, and how you "fit" in the program and your LORs. Like I said, Wait till yal are 4th yrs and matched and then all these posts like this will just p*ss you off because it will drive you nuts trying to explain to people to quit looking at anywhere they come from or anything they did as a disadvantage and instead quit using it as an excuse for why they didnt match somewhere or get picked for something or worse yet as an excuse for them to be lazy and half-a** work. Use your god given talents and make the future you want. It is possible to any of you. I dont have the time or patience to go back and rattle facts of new schools that matched people at UPENN or Hopkins, etc...Seriously - like I said you'll see in due time as a 4th yr. But it is majorly dependant on the student as to where they match. Not the school. Ok I'm done.

yep....that's the same advice I gave when I taught and continue so today. congrats on graduation!

 

[Proverbs31]

I disagree with this; although it's impossible to read a match list as a pre-med, I think that where you go to school does play a factor in residency. If a particular residency program has experience with the graduates that is positive, if a program knows that XCOM students tend to be very solid clinically, etc., then that's an advantage. Also, there are a lot of new DO schools popping up, some of whom haven't even graduated a class. Given the opportunity, I would tend to avoid these schools and favor schools with a solid reputation.
yep....that's the same advice I gave when I taught and continue so today. congrats on graduation!

Thanks!! I somehow copied and pasted it wrong so it says Silas said what i said and vice versa... Another thing I forgot to mention is that for the "go-getter" student, or the students that " make what they want happen", attending a "NEW" school allows for so many opportunities to start up your own things, be it clubs, functions, dances, benefits, fundraisers, run for election offices, etc...All of which you can show on your resume/CV and when applying to programs. Theres always pros and cons. You make them work for you by what you put into it. In any case, THANKS AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU GUYS!

 

[HeelHookin]

Mine B==========D~~~~

Yours B=====D


I believe this finalizes the matter. 😉

Well put my friend!!

It finally makes sense now!