UMDNJ, PCOM, NYCOM or LECOM

[smedly]

I thought I would know where I would go once accepted...now I am having doubts. It's hard to find reliable statistics about DO schools. Which is the most difficult osteopathic school to get into (out of lecom, pcom, umdnj or nycom)????? What are the board pass rates? Average GPA and MCAT? Match results? It seems that every time I research these topics the information changes depending on the source. I've been accepted at umd-som, pcom, and lecom. I am about to turn down an interview invitation from nycom (due to the $60 secondary fee, I'm broke), but I don't want to regret my decision. I have only put down a deposit at UMDNJ so far ..lecom has called waining a response. Can anyone help me to make a decision?????

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[Dr JPH]

UMDNJ-SOM is a great school, especially if you are a New Jersey resident.

PCOM is another fantastic school.

I have heard both positive and negative about LECOM.

NYCOM has amazing clinical affiliations, but many of the students are questionable as far as their content with their education.

I was accepted to both NYCOM and PCOM, and I chose PCOM.

I know a great deal of people who chose PCOM over both NYCOM and LECOM.

UMDNJ-SOM boasts a very high pass rate (near 100%), and from what I heard PCOM is way up there as well.

Either of these schools can offer you a chance to work in great hospitals. Philadelphia is a very DO friendly city.

UMDNJ-SOM is considerably smaller than PCOM (about 1/3 the size) which some people like, others don't.

UMDNJ-SOM is also a great bargain for New Jersey residents as far as tuition costs.

PCOM has been my first choice for nearly 4 years and I am very excited to be going there.

NYCOM and LECOM were on my list as well, but soon fell off once I interview and was accepted at PCOM.

I think both PCOM and UMDNJ-SOM are highly respected, have a great education, and place their students in top quality residencies.

At this point, you need to be asking yourself "Which school is better for ME", rather than 'which school is better?'.

Good luck with your decision.

Maybe I will see you in August!

JPH

 

[bobo]

I would avoid LECOM like the pneumonic plague. Reasons - they have an idiotic dress code. Class attendance is mandatory. That alone would flunk me out. I skip class months at a time because I don't learn anything in there. I think they "share" cadavers in gross - groups alternate in lab working on different limbs and such.

I have heard, but am not sure if it is true - that LECOM may not give a spring break (sounds minor but believe me "recharging" is an important part of med school). Also I don't think they get much time off to study for boards. Seems like I heard a long while ago that their board pass rate was low, around 82%.

Also, if you think NYCOM may be where you want to go, spend the cash to go there. 60 bucks is a squirt of piss compared to what you will owe in the future. Best to keep all your options ope.

NJ isn't discussed much on this board, but as far as I know it is pretty good. I wouldn't worry too much about GPA/MCAT. You'll learn what you need to at all of the schools. I would heavily weigh where you might want to do residency in your decision. ie PCOM has affiliations w/ Lehigh Valley which has a good rep.

 

[DOtobe]

I am a student at LECOM, so let me address the previous poster. First off, our dress code is not "idiotic." You can easily be in the dress code if you are wearing khakis and a sweater. (That goes for both men and women!) Attendance is mandatory, but neither that nor the dress code are strictly enforced (at least not as far as I have seen). About gross lab, we do share cadavers, but we are split into three groups with 3-4 people at the cadaver at a time. Each group takes turns dissecting, and you are responsible for seeing what the other two groups have dissected. So it's not exactly crowded. And no, we do not have a spring break this year (although previous years have) so the second years will have more time to study for the boards. They will have almost a month to study after classes are over. And even though we don't have a spring break, LECOM gives us several "study days" where we have the whole day off and we get out of class early often, so that is our time to "recharge." I don't know how those other schools compare to LECOM, but I would not "avoid it like the pneumonic plague."

 

[WishUponAStar]

Cliche time.

Every school will make you a doctor. Pick the one that calls out to you.

I have seen all the schools. I have friends at some. LECOM falls short on my impressed scale when compared to the others on your list. No disrespect to LECOM students... You'll all be great doctors. Heck, if LECOM was to be your only acceptance... You'd go in a heartbeat and you'd wind up at exactly the same endpoint.

Now between the other 3... NYCOM seems isolated to me. It is tucked away on Long Island, and our student tour guide actually seemed bummed out about being there. I think he was the class president too!

PCOM... PCOM just seems special. PCOM has beautiful facilities and it has a wonderful reputation among the Philadelphia medschools. I can't think of any drawbacks.

UMDNJSOM... Nice school. Small. Nice facilities... Lacking in OMM... Lacking in reputation a little bit. You can say to people in Philadelphia... "I am going to PCOM"... And they will say... Ohhhhhh yeah... Good school. You can mention UMDNJSOM and they will say... You mean Robert Wood Johnson? "No." You mean that one up in Newark? "No, It's across the river." Oh really??? I never knew that.

I only say that because I work in the health professions in Philadelphia and that has been my experience.

Remember... The best school is the one for you. That is how they appear to me, and that is completely biased and subjective based on my expectations and life experiences.