UMDNJ-SOM or NSU-COM???

[Chots]

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I was accepted into both programs for next fall, but I am having trouble deciding which school to go to. I live in NJ and my brother goes to UMDNJ-SOM, but I have friends that go to NSU and I love warm weather. Personally, I think UMDNJ-SOM is a better academic institution (according to board scores and residency matches), but I'm still torn. Can anyone offer some advice???

Thank you!!! 😀

 

[Nate]

Well, I had to make the same choice this year and as you can see by my signature I have chosen SOM. Here are the reasons I chose SOM but remember when it comes down to it the choice is a personal one so some of my factors important to me may not be important to you while other factors that are important to you I could care less about. For instance, I love the changing seasons and HATE Florida weather. To me it is absurd to choose a school based on weather. But besides for that here you go:

1) Tuition. NSU out of state is close to 30k next year, UMDNJ is just over 20k. 10k difference x 4 years is a nice chunk of change besides for the fact SOM has a lot of grant money to give out.
2) Both had nice anatomy programs and labs (this is more important if you are interested in surgery) but at NSU it was two groups of 5 = 10 people per cadaver alternating dissections while at UMDNJ it is 4 or 5 people per cadaver doing all the dissections.
3) Curriculum types: NSU is traditional curriculum, yes they have Harvey but more than one NSU student has pointed out to me that they used Harvey maybe twice their whole time there and that it is so expensive you cant even breathe on it. SOM is transitioning into a more dynamic curriculum that will incorporate small group/ case-based learning into the traditional curriculum. I found that appealing since sitting in huge lecture halls is not my favorite way to learn. Especially if attendance is mandatory (to the point of fort Knox with the card swiping) at NSU.
4) Both schools have excellent clinical programs with best of both world’s major city and suburban areas all around. SOM has a teaching hospital right on campus.
5) NSU has double the class size of SOM. For me this is a big deal coming out of Rutgers where I was just a number or more like a spec of dirt to the school and sat in lecture halls with hundreds of students. I hated every minute of it. I love the small class size of SOM.
6) I like SOM’s block exam method. You get a week off of regular classes to take exams and study every few weeks.
7) Atmosphere: SOM has no dress code, limited mandatory attendance, and a quiet air of confidence and individuality. I really liked the atmosphere compared to the high school “ish” feel of NSU.
8) Weather: NSU is hot and sticky all year. I can deal with hot but sticky is so… ick. NJ is not the most beautiful state but I am always looking forward to the next season after a few months.
9) Mentoring: NSU has clubs which pass down notes which is nice but SOM does it better. You get a second year “big brother/sister” to hand stuff down to you and guide you. Look at the SOM thread in Osteopathic forum and you will see the multitude of current students ALREADY looking out for us.

I put a lot of research time and consideration into my choice and there are other factors I am not mentioning that are personal to me. For you it may be the opposite. NSU is a great school and you need to sit down and weight each factor that is important to YOU and make a choice. Either way you can't loose. Good Luck.

 

[Fin-Nor]

one thing i hate about nsu... attendance. it use to be ok, now it's ******ed. booooooooooooo

 

[iliacus]

Of course it's a personal choice, but since you're soliciting opinions I'll give you mine.

NSU is the best choice I could have possibly made. I was accepted to AZCOM, Western, and PCOM and I'm very relieved I picked my school. Medical school is interesting...you'll get out what you put into it. No matter where you go your classmates will complain about something. It drives me nuts (no offense fin-nor) when my classmates bitch about the attendance policy. They knew full well that NSU had one because they signed a paper stating they'll abide by it!!! Learning is an individual thing..I swipe in and sneak out of the back and study in the library. It's great because it helps me get out of bed and going in the morning after a long night of studying. The school hasn't hassled a single person as far as I know about attendance. A lot of it has to do with your attitude. Do you want to learn and take full advantage of the opportunities in front of you or be negative and whine about stupid things...Also, if you're single it's a great place to be. There's a law, dental, optometry, pharm, nursing..lots of different programs so you don't have to inbreed with your own classmates. Can get ugly 🙄

Dress code...you'll be wearing scrubs. nuff said.

You can't pick a school on weather...but man, it's great here. I lived all over the country and NOTHING beats South Florida. The lifestyle down here suits me very well. You can do your rotations on Miami Beach, Tampa, Orlando...or stay in Fort Lauderdale if you want.

study packets...Dude, no study packet in the world is going to help you if you don't study the material handed out to you. Sure won't help you on the boards.

New Jersey....I'm sure it's a great place. All I've seen of it is what's shown on the sopranos....But I feel confident that if you pick NSU you won't regret it.

 

[iliacus]

I forgot to add one really crappy thing about NSU....


they scheduled a Neuroananatomy test the day after the SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😡 😡 😡 👎 👎 👎

 

[Tischy]

I think you should go to where you'll be the happiest! I know you'll do great at either school. Good luck 🙂