TUCOM-NV vs LMU-DCOM vs WVSOM

[Master Deep]

Hey guys,

I have gotten accepted to several schools: TUNCOM, RVU, LMU, SOMA, and WVSOM. I also interviewed at KCOM, but was put on the waitlist. KCOM is my first choice.

I have read all the other similar threads.

But I'm having a hard time deciding on what my 2nd choice school will be in case I don't hear back from KCOM by spring. I narrowed it to Touro-NV, lincoln, and wvsom. I got good vibes at lincoln and wvsom. Touro I got a neutral vibe, but I would like to learn more about their program.

I want to go to a school with a majority of traditional System Based Learning. (I don't like PBL)

I would like to know more about the clinicals for the above 3 schools. Quality of clinicals? Size of hospitals? Do you rotate at teaching hospitals with residency programs in them? Or are they mostly small community hospitals?

COST IS NOT AN ISSUE. I don't want 10 posts about WVSOM's high OOS tuition.


Thanks for any help guys.

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[beckhunter116]

Here is the link to the clinical sites for DCOM. Some of sites have websites so you can research the size of the hospital and if there are any residencies affiliated with that hospital.

http://www.lmunet.edu/dcom/academics/sites.shtml

A good thing that I have found in my research on DCOM is that they allow you to schedule like half of your third year, so this would be the opportunity to go to big academic hospitals if that is what you want.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Here is the link to the clinical sites for DCOM. Some of sites have websites so you can research the size of the hospital and if there are any residencies affiliated with that hospital.

http://www.lmunet.edu/dcom/academics/sites.shtml

A good thing that I have found in my research on DCOM is that they allow you to schedule like half of your third year, so this would be the opportunity to go to big academic hospitals if that is what you want.

Give you the opportunity? For your core clinicals or for an elective rotation or two 3rd year? I've heard some unhappy people who had to schedule their own core rotations. Also, ask how many people can rotate per site, this is something that is usually overlooked - IE: they give you a big list of hospitals, but each one only has room for like 2 students per rotation or something ... not great. I'm not, by any means, accusing LMU of doing this, just something to be aware of.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Hey guys,

I have gotten accepted to several schools: TUNCOM, RVU, LMU, SOMA, and WVSOM. I also interviewed at KCOM, but was put on the waitlist. KCOM is my first choice.

I have read all the other similar threads.

But I'm having a hard time deciding on what my 2nd choice school will be in case I don't hear back from KCOM by spring. I narrowed it to Touro-NV, lincoln, and wvsom. I got good vibes at lincoln and wvsom. Touro I got a neutral vibe, but I would like to learn more about their program.

I want to go to a school with a majority of traditional System Based Learning. (I don't like PBL)

I would like to know more about the clinicals for the above 3 schools. Quality of clinicals? Size of hospitals? Do you rotate at teaching hospitals with residency programs in them? Or are they mostly small community hospitals?

COST IS NOT AN ISSUE. I don't want 10 posts about WVSOM's high OOS tuition.


Thanks for any help guys.

Sorry to hear about KCOM.

I can't comment too much because I only applied and interviewed with one school on that list (TUNV), but you're doing the right thing researching clinicals. The best thing you can do is get lists, like beck provided for LMU, and figure out how many people can rotate at those specific hospitals. Or, you can try to PM 3/4 years.

 

[beckhunter116]

Give you the opportunity? For your core clinicals or for an elective rotation or two 3rd year? I've heard some unhappy people who had to schedule their own core rotations. Also, ask how many people can rotate per site, this is something that is usually overlooked - IE: they give you a big list of hospitals, but each one only has room for like 2 students per rotation or something ... not great. I'm not, by any means, accusing LMU of doing this, just something to be aware of.

I believe at DCOM for the 3rd yr part of the time you scheduled was 2 electives. Not your core rotations. In the link I provided there is more information and I didn't want to type it all out.

For me the reason that I like that option of scheduling things esp as early in the 3rd yr is that you get the opportunity to go to bigger, academic institutes as I've looked over the list and most of those places don't have residencies there and I want that experience when I'm getting ready to apply for residency. I have heard that a lot of people at DCOM are happy with the sites as you learn an incredible amount and get to do a lot of procedures, but I want to experience as much of both worlds as I can.

Jagger, I just want to say congrats on KCOM...I had a pretty good feeling that was where you were going to go and I think it is a great school that will allow you to go far! Hopefully they will invite me for an interview next cycle.

 

[Knockout Mice]

Researching the school's rotation sites is really important since board scores and your 3rd/4th year clinical grades and letters of rec matter the most for residency. As for DCOM, here are the number of spots available at each site. The class of 2012 just did the lottery spin for rotation sites for next yr and majority of the class got what they wanted.

-24 spots at Indian Path Med Center (Kingsport, TN)
-24 spots at Morristown Hosp (Morristown, TN)
-24 spots at Cumberland Med Center (Crossville, TN)
-12 spots at Harlan Hosp (Harlan, KY)
-12 spots at Hazard ARH Hosp (Hazard, KY)
-24 spots at South West Virginia (free housing and food for all cores)
-24 spots at Methodist Health Care Hosp (Memphis, TN)
-4 spots at Norton Community Hosp (Norton, TN)
-6 spots at Alabama Med (Robertsdale, AL)
-12 spots at Takoma Regional (Takoma, TN)
-12 spots at Claiborne County (15 mins away from DCOM, most local)
-12 spots in Knoxville (rotate between fort sanders, east tn childrens hosp, blount memorial)
-12 spots at Sweet Water Hosp (Sweetwater, TN)

Hope that helps! I don't know if these sites will change within the next few years but I'm sure most of them will stay.

 

[Knockout Mice]

I believe at DCOM for the 3rd yr part of the time you scheduled was 2 electives. Not your core rotations. In the link I provided there is more information and I didn't want to type it all out.

Yeah, so how it works is, for 3rd yr you spend 6 months straight at your core rotation site (the sites I listed above). The other 6 months, you have 1 month of family med (family med has to be at your core site), 1 month of Medicine subspec, 1 month of Surgery subspec, 2 months of electives, 1 month of vacation. Therefore during these 5 months, you are free to go anywhere you want in the country or do an international one. Now I have heard it can be a pain to schedule these but after talking to the 3rd yrs, as long as you apply to the hosp you want to do the rotation at early (several months in advance), you won't have a problem getting it. Hope that helps.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Researching the school's rotation sites is really important since board scores and your 3rd/4th year clinical grades and letters of rec matter the most for residency. As for DCOM, here are the number of spots available at each site. The class of 2012 just did the lottery spin for rotation sites for next yr and majority of the class got what they wanted.

-24 spots at Indian Path Med Center (Kingsport, TN)
-24 spots at Morristown Hosp (Morristown, TN)
-24 spots at Cumberland Med Center (Crossville, TN)
-12 spots at Harlan Hosp (Harlan, KY)
-12 spots at Hazard ARH Hosp (Hazard, KY)
-24 spots at South West Virginia (free housing and food for all cores)
-24 spots at Methodist Health Care Hosp (Memphis, TN)
-4 spots at Norton Community Hosp (Norton, TN)
-6 spots at Alabama Med (Robertsdale, AL)
-12 spots at Takoma Regional (Takoma, TN)
-12 spots at Claiborne County (15 mins away from DCOM, most local)
-12 spots in Knoxville (rotate between fort sanders, east tn childrens hosp, blount memorial)
-12 spots at Sweet Water Hosp (Sweetwater, TN)

Hope that helps! I don't know if these sites will change within the next few years but I'm sure most of them will stay.

Wow, great research. Looks solid.

 

[Master Deep]

Thank you so much for all that information guys. DCOM's site doesn't list all the hospitals (simply saying Knoxville core site, etc.) and doesn't list the number of slots on each. This is a huge help.

I am leaning towards LMU-DCOM. To be honest, I've always been leaning towards lincoln. But after seeing other schools, I sometimes start questioning my decision. But as other schools fade away, lincoln still remains in my head.

So 5 months during the 3rd year you can go anywhere you want. That's great.

How many months of electives and away rotations do you have during the 4th year?

 

[NPEMTIV]

Yeah, so how it works is, for 3rd yr you spend 6 months straight at your core rotation site (the sites I listed above). The other 6 months, you have 1 month of family med (family med has to be at your core site), 1 month of Medicine subspec, 1 month of Surgery subspec, 2 months of electives, 1 month of vacation. Therefore during these 5 months, you are free to go anywhere you want in the country or do an international one. Now I have heard it can be a pain to schedule these but after talking to the 3rd yrs, as long as you apply to the hosp you want to do the rotation at early (several months in advance), you won't have a problem getting it. Hope that helps.

Some may have experienced a hard time scheduling these, but for me it's been incredibly easy. There's a massive amount of information available online and so all you really have to do is decide the specialty you want to rotate in, a general idea of where you want to go and then just pull up their information and write a few emails or make a few phone calls. Each rotation has taken me roughly ~2 hours to set up once I've made the decision of what hospital/clinic to go to. Figuring out what rotation I want and where I want takes more time and so I guess if you're indecisive or not good at looking up information it could be difficult....

I've found the massive leeway third year amazing...

Good luck no matter where you end up!

 

[NPEMTIV]

How many months of electives and away rotations do you have during the 4th year?

Eight months if I'm not mistaken. Some of those are internal medicine/surgery selectives, but you still get to pick what specialty within that category...you also get to pick where you go.

 

[Master Deep]

I'm having a hard time deciding between these schools still. I'm not sure how they rank amongst each other. I've read just about all the other threads and the pro/con thread. But I still can't make up my mind.

 

[nascardoc]

I'm having a hard time deciding between these schools still. I'm not sure how they rank amongst each other. I've read just about all the other threads and the pro/con thread. But I still can't make up my mind.

What is it you're nervous or unsure about?

 

[JaggerPlate]

I'm having a hard time deciding between these schools still. I'm not sure how they rank amongst each other. I've read just about all the other threads and the pro/con thread. But I still can't make up my mind.

Don't feel bad, it's not uncommon. I went on like 6 interviews and loved 4 of the schools to the point where I dreaded letting them know I wasn't attending and had a really difficult time choosing one because I could see myself going to all of them. Just try and weigh your options, and don't deny your gut feeling.

 

[nascardoc]

I agree.....gut feeling is the way to go. Sometimes its hard to strip everything away and listen to it, but its usually right. Now if only I could hone in on mine to figure out what specialty to do

 

[JaggerPlate]

I agree.....gut feeling is the way to go. Sometimes its hard to strip everything away and listen to it, but its usually right. Now if only I could hone in on mine to figure out what specialty to do

derm, obviously.

 

[Master Deep]

It's between lincoln and touro-nv. Time to research more.

 

[JaggerPlate]

It's between lincoln and touro-nv. Time to research more.

Research everything you can about 3/4 year clinicals, now that you have it down to two.