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- Thread starter elftown
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both are great schools. If you think you will be homesick just stick to umdnj. I think both will provide you with great education and clinical experience. which school are you more leaning towards?
i d go with VCOM, my cousin goes there and she loves it. I m pretty sure she was deciding between UMDNJsom and VCOM too. She liked their campus better, and was happier with VCOMs avg COMLEX scores and match scores moreson that UMDNJ
yea i think was thinking about family, but i m moving out of my homestate. it really is going to be a distraction, and even with them close i m really not going to have time to hang out with them. and both VCOM and UMDNJ arent really that far away, only about 4 or 5 hours by car. so either way you wouldnt really be too far. VCOMs campus is something i would really like, just because u ll be studying there so much you might as well not just have to stare at buildings and although it isnt ghetto its mostly just strip malls. just a couple thoughts.
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Also, note that VCOM has a 3rd and 4th year core rotation site in Stratford, NJ.
http://www.vcom.vt.edu/clinical/hospitals.html
http://www.vcom.vt.edu/clinical/hospitals.html
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well if you go to vcom I might meet you there the following year if you go to umdnj probly not. So I would probly go with vcom but thats just me. I think you really have to go with your heart on this one buddy. Or flip a coin. Anyways HOLLLLLLLAAAAAAA
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It depends on what u want out of a school. Do u want a school that has been around a little longer. Is affiliated with a powerhouse name in the medical WORLD?or do you want access to by facilities top notch technology and living in a college town? The gap in tuition is also worth thinking about. I always wondered why Soms match lists weremtas impressive aspther schools but still have this t reputation. Also were do u like it better were did u etch that ohhh snap feel? Like this is awsome. And were can u see yourself and urn so living and possibly raising a family
ur SO would like the change in scenery in VCOM 
but yea i have hrd that as well about umdnj-soms match list not being too impressive compared to vcoms. i ve heard students complaining about the lack of follow up support for rotations. you might be able to find those posts with search function
but yea i have hrd that as well about umdnj-soms match list not being too impressive compared to vcoms. i ve heard students complaining about the lack of follow up support for rotations. you might be able to find those posts with search function
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you could probably get similar experiences at either school, it seems more a question of how stressful it will be to get yourself set up to get that experience. UMDNJ could turn out be very supportive and helpful to students trying to set up their rotations with an international/rural focus. but it might just be easier/less stressful to do it at a school where it's already set up.
as for your significant other, she'll probably be happy in either place. both areas have a lot of great things about them, and if you're together that seems like the most important thing. both Philly and VT have great opportunities for master's programs, although you raise a good point about having to move around for rotations. maybe you could try asking a current student about that.
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At VCOM you will not have to move for rotations unless you want to. There are many rotations available in the Blacksburg/Roanoke area.
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There are several things that you need to take into account when making your decision.
First and foremost is where do you want to go? Where do you seem to feel more comfortable? You are going to be spending more time on campus than you will at home so find a place where you can feel like it is your second home.
Next you want to sit with your SO and talk with her. If you are not married then the conversation will be a little easier for that simple fact. However, if you are married then there are other things that you need to think about if you are away from each other. I do know married couples that live apart while one is in medical school. It is very hard. Also look to the future. If during your time in medical school you guys decide to get married or have children, where is your support going to be? Will she be able to find a job after getting her Master's degree? Where is the best place for her to be while you are in school? She needs to have her own life because your life will be school. But you really should make time for her and for yourself, will you be able to do that in whatever school you are in? Will the surrounding area be able to accommodate your hobbies, interests, and/or social life and hers?
You should really take the tuition difference into account. Do not forget that you also need to take into account cost of living. As you are well aware of, NJ has one of the highest cost of living in the nation. And while it is cheaper, that extra money may not make a lick of difference if you take the living costs into account. Remember, you will be getting interest accumulated on whatever amount you borrow, so how much debt do you want to be in?
Regarding rural rotations, in your 4th year you can go anywhere you want. And yes, the school does provide support in setting up those rotations. If you want to be in a rural area only 1 hour away from campus, the area is filled with Blueberry farms and you would not even think that you are in NJ. In addition, you are a couple of hours away from Lancaster, PA which is also very rural. We do have several VCOM students in our rotations during 3rd year. These rotations are already set up for you with the exception of radiology and all you need to do is pick the right schedule for you and this is done during your second year.
As for the match list, you also need to take into account the make up of the class that year. In some years more people go into primary care and in other years more people want to subspecialize. In addition, because we have a residency program, as a UMDNJ graduate you are given priority for spots.
Just because the school is in Stratford, does not mean that you have to live there. There are some nice places only 10-20 minutes away. I cannot speak for Virginia because I never lived there.
In the end, it was already said, you are the only one that can make this decision.
Good Luck.
First and foremost is where do you want to go? Where do you seem to feel more comfortable? You are going to be spending more time on campus than you will at home so find a place where you can feel like it is your second home.
Next you want to sit with your SO and talk with her. If you are not married then the conversation will be a little easier for that simple fact. However, if you are married then there are other things that you need to think about if you are away from each other. I do know married couples that live apart while one is in medical school. It is very hard. Also look to the future. If during your time in medical school you guys decide to get married or have children, where is your support going to be? Will she be able to find a job after getting her Master's degree? Where is the best place for her to be while you are in school? She needs to have her own life because your life will be school. But you really should make time for her and for yourself, will you be able to do that in whatever school you are in? Will the surrounding area be able to accommodate your hobbies, interests, and/or social life and hers?
You should really take the tuition difference into account. Do not forget that you also need to take into account cost of living. As you are well aware of, NJ has one of the highest cost of living in the nation. And while it is cheaper, that extra money may not make a lick of difference if you take the living costs into account. Remember, you will be getting interest accumulated on whatever amount you borrow, so how much debt do you want to be in?
Regarding rural rotations, in your 4th year you can go anywhere you want. And yes, the school does provide support in setting up those rotations. If you want to be in a rural area only 1 hour away from campus, the area is filled with Blueberry farms and you would not even think that you are in NJ. In addition, you are a couple of hours away from Lancaster, PA which is also very rural. We do have several VCOM students in our rotations during 3rd year. These rotations are already set up for you with the exception of radiology and all you need to do is pick the right schedule for you and this is done during your second year.
As for the match list, you also need to take into account the make up of the class that year. In some years more people go into primary care and in other years more people want to subspecialize. In addition, because we have a residency program, as a UMDNJ graduate you are given priority for spots.
Just because the school is in Stratford, does not mean that you have to live there. There are some nice places only 10-20 minutes away. I cannot speak for Virginia because I never lived there.
In the end, it was already said, you are the only one that can make this decision.
Good Luck.
Im not really familiar with the blacksburg area but can anyone who has experience answer this? What are the job prospects in the Blacksburg area for like an admin assistant/secretary/front office type position? I will be applying there, hoping my SO could find some employment or something should I get in/chose to attend.
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Finding this sort of work should not be a problem. There are many small businesses and VT.
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go ahead, PM away....
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It really depends if you are looking for a house or an apartment. There is a ring of small towns within a 30 minute drive. You have towns lick Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Collingswood, Haddonfield, etc. If you are looking for a house well this is a buyer's market so you have the power. A typical 2 br apartment can run you about $1200, which for NJ is not that bad.
In cherry hill, you need to look more to the West side of town for the more affordable areas.
This is not like North Jersey where there are people everywhere. You can find a nice town without the hustle and bustle just about anywhere. Of course, the closer to Atlantic City you go on Rt. 30 (east of campus) the more rural you will get. But you need to factor in time.
Collingswood is a very nice town with a wonderful downtown and you are right near the train that takes you to campus if you do not want to drive. Haddonfield is another nice town, but is more upscale than Collingswood and it also has its very nice down town.
What you can probably do is just Mapquest Stratford and then increase the radius to look at what towns are nearby and find out more about them. If you come to Admitted Students Day in March there will be people from the apartment complexes and they can tell you more about the apartments that they represent.
