TouroCOM-NY (Harlem) vs Albany Medical College

[AlakazaMD]

Hi all - I just got in off the alternate list at AMC and they gave me only 24 hours to make the decision! Any advice would be much appreciated.

I'm currently holding an acceptance at Touro. I'm hoping to do IM with a focus on pain management, and I have 2 years experience with a pain research lab. Although that might make Albany seem like the obvious choice, I'm passionate about holistic patient care (ie incorporating integrative therapies when appropriate, assessing the patient's social/psychological/behavioral status as well as their clinical presentation) and I think a DO program might suit that better.

What do you think? Any current students or alums who can weigh in on their experience?

TouroCOM-Harlem
Pros

1. Flipped classroom model (watch lecture first and then attend the class). I'm taking the summer anatomy course with them right now and I'm doing well with this teaching/learning style.
2. Good rotation sites around NY and the surrounding area
3. NYC (culturally diverse patients, lots to do)
4. DO/Holistic approach

Cons

1. NYC (was originally a pro, but with the pandemic my view on living in the middle of a bustling city has flipped. I do recognize their case incidence/prevalence is declining and of course the pandemic will end at some point)
2. They've decided to hold all classes virtually (Zoom) except for OMM lab and exams (on a computer) in person
3. High tuition and living expenses (~$103k total with $52k tuition and the rest COL, all in loans unfortunately)
4. Lower median GPA/MCAT
5. Exams every Monday (could be more than 1)

Albany Medical College
Pros

1. Much better research program - I'm especially interested in the MD with distinction in research track and a specific lab
2. Option to live in the suburbs and have a quieter, more spacious study environment
3. Higher median GPA/MCAT and historical - better overall reputation I think?
4. Lower cost of living (estimated by a payscale.com, bestplaces.net as around half as expensive as NYC, so I'll ballpark $25k/year)
5. Smaller class size, get to know other students better
6. Has its own hospital
7. Access to nature for running/hiking/mountainbiking

Cons

1. Potentially a more traditional/less holistic approach than Touro, although they do say they emphasize the psychosocial determinants of health
2. Slightly higher tuition (~$58k)
3. Real clinical exposure not immediate, though this is probably the case everywhere now anyways
4. Less culturally diverse
5. Would have the logistical difficulty of rescinding my loan package from Touro (and I've already put a "DO" in my SDN username )

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[PugsAndHugs]

Albany 100%. In your cons of Touro, you forgot to add have to take 2 sets of board exams (waste of a lot of money and time). DOs having “more holistic” patient care is really just a weak selling point. There are many MDs that take the extra time to know everything about the patient just like there are some DOs that don’t give a crap. Has nothing to do with the degree. The only reason to go to Touro is if you are truly passionate about OMM, even then I would advise to go MD and just find some OMM course on top of your classes.

 

[sealfriendo]

Albany, everyday of the week and twice on Sundays

 

[catnip12]

Albany

 

[PapaGuava]

To my sweet Gandalf OP,

Choose Albany . Also, if you ever want to change your SDN username, you can do that as well.

 

[threelittlepigs]

Albany Medical College by huge margin, unless you are specifically want to do OMM in your med carrier.

 

[Dunbacca]

Albany, and it's not even close.