UNE COM vs KCU COM

[Armoboy21]

Hi all,

With the deposit coming up this Friday I have been back and forth on what school I want to attend for my medical education. I was incredibly impressed with both schools, but UNE COM is only an hour and a half drive compared to an hour and a half plane ride. Now location isn’t everything but I grew up in an insanely close family, so it would probably be better for my own comfort. Both schools have wonderful reputations and offered community feels. However, I’ve read a lot of concerning information about UNE COM that has made me question whether I want to attend. They have an attendance policy that seems to waste the time of students and make them work twice as hard (twice as long too) just to maintain solid grades. While at KCU the students seemed much more relaxed because classes weren’t mandatory and they could just watch the lectures in the comfort of their homes. I didn’t want mandatory lectures to be a dealbreaker but realizing the my time in medical school needs to be used effectively, I’m having second thoughts about UNE. In addition UNE is about 15k more than KCU. Being a new englander makes me want to attend UNE just to be in the hospitals around the area, but it’s hard to choose. It is an absolute honor to have been accepted to both schools, but I’m nervous as hell on making the right choice. Can a student from either school comment on their thoughts.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

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[fldoctorgirl]

I turned down a school a 10 minute drive from my home to go to KCU. At first, I second-guessed myself constantly, and when I first moved out here-- my family is very close too-- it was a hard adjustment. However, I don't regret my decision. I got used to being away and I love my school (most of the time). You have to pick the school that is going to meet your educational needs. I have been able to go home even though it's a plane ride because of our non-mandatory attendance policy-- I can just sit on the plane and watch the recordings. Being a 1.5 hour drive away is useless if you can never make that drive because everything is required. Also, money adds up, especially when you start factoring in interest.

Not going to tell you which school is right for you, because I don't know, but just wanted to add these comments so you had a different perspective.

 

[toedrag]

Also in the same exact situation- wow

 

[PorkChopsOG]

Non mandatory attendance at KCU has definitely contributed to my success. An hour and a half flight is nothing, and like fldoctorgirl said, you can definitely find time to go home since attendance isn't mandatory.

 

[DO2015CA]

If there is a chance to not have mandatory attendance then choose that option. I wish I would’ve listened to this advice.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

KCU.

 

[Armoboy21]

Thank you all, I feel my decision is becoming more and more clear as I talk through this dilemma I’m in. I need to focus on what is going to tend to my educational needs not convenience. If others want to continue to add to this please do.

 

[toedrag]

This is a really tough decision and I feel like I still need more time. I'll probably end up putting down both deposits and sit on it for a few more months. Luckily, UNE's 2nd deposit is refundable. I wish other DO schools were like that

 

[Isoval]

Literally any school with non-mandatory attendance >>> Literally any school with mandatory attendance

(disclaimer: I'm not serious, but you get the point)

 

[jizetete]

While I agree that nonmandatory > mandatory, I would not recommend the latter school.

 

[workaholic181]

Can't go wrong. I dont know much about UNE outside of what I've read here but I got into KCU last year and was impressed with what they have going on there. I think most people on here would tell you that's the better school and it's 15k a year less, hard to pass up. I do remember being somewhat dissapointed in KCUs rotations; lots of preceptor sites out of state, a lot of people dont get to stay in KC. If UNE has better rotations, I'd prob go with them TBH. Mandatory attendance would be a pain but rotations are a way bigger component of med school than most matriculating students realize.

With that said I have the privilege of going to school close to home and it is so nice (for me anyway) to be able to see my family when I have time or to get home easily for holidays. So again if UNE has good rotations, I'd prob pick them to stay close to home and have an easier time matching back to that region. Good luck either way. Again, you cant go wrong.

EDIT: I'd add that when you figure you'll prob spend a few grand a year on moving to KC, flights back home for the holidays, the 15k seems less daunting. Another thing to consider is the cost of doing aways. Again, this is considering you want to match in New England. If that's the case you may end up needing to do away rotations from a school like KCU, which are also really expensive. And New England is not exactly the most DO friendly place in the world. UNE at least is a known quantity there. I'd go to UNE.

 

[Armoboy21]

Can't go wrong. I dont know much about UNE outside of what I've read here but I got into KCU last year and was impressed with what they have going on there. I think most people on here would tell you that's the better school and it's 15k a year less, hard to pass up. I do remember being somewhat dissapointed in KCUs rotations; lots of preceptor sites out of state, a lot of people dont get to stay in KC. If UNE has better rotations, I'd prob go with them TBH. Mandatory attendance would be a pain but rotations are a way bigger component of med school than most matriculating students realize.

With that said I have the privilege of going to school close to home and it is so nice (for me anyway) to be able to see my family when I have time or to get home easily for holidays. So again if UNE has good rotations, I'd prob pick them to stay close to home and have an easier time matching back to that region. Good luck either way. Again, you cant go wrong.

EDIT: I'd add that when you figure you'll prob spend a few grand a year on moving to KC, flights back home for the holidays, the 15k seems less daunting. Another thing to consider is the cost of doing aways. Again, this is considering you want to match in New England. If that's the case you may end up needing to do away rotations from a school like KCU, which are also really expensive. And New England is not exactly the most DO friendly place in the world. UNE at least is a known quantity there. I'd go to UNE.

Thank you for the information. Could you explain further about the last part of your post. For instance, if I did my fourth year auditions in the New England area wouldn’t I still be able to have a chance to get into a residency there. I didn’t realize there was a correlation between the location of the school you attend and residency placement. Can you speak further about this please?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I didn’t realize there was a correlation between the location of the school you attend and residency placement. Can you speak further about this please?

Programs in the geographical region of your school will be more familiar with its grads than programs across the country. Every school has a geographical effect.

 

[PapaGuava]

Thread moved to the Help Me Decide: School X vs Y subsection.

 

[workaholic181]

Thank you for the information. Could you explain further about the last part of your post. For instance, if I did my fourth year auditions in the New England area wouldn’t I still be able to have a chance to get into a residency there. I didn’t realize there was a correlation between the location of the school you attend and residency placement. Can you speak further about this please?

Here's some info on aways: What you need to know about away electives and Match | American Medical Association

Point is, they're not cheap, and as AnatomyGrey said, it's probably more straight forward for you to match in New England from UNE since a ton of their grads are in the area. When I was thinking of going to KCU, I talked to a few KCU grads who are residents in my area (not the midwest) and they all stressed that aways were absolutely critical to their matching other parts of the country due to the fact that, while a great school, KCU doesn't carry a lot of weight outside of the midwest.

So if you're really hoping to do residency and practice in New England, I think UNE will give you somewhat of an advantage. How much? Tough to say. But it's probably worth the mandatory attendance.

 

[Armoboy21]

When I was thinking of going to KCU, I talked to a few KCU grads who are residents in my area (not the midwest) and they all stressed that aways were absolutely critical to their matching other parts of the country due to the fact that, while a great school, KCU doesn't carry a lot of weight outside of the midwest.

In your opinion, if I did all my away rotations in MA for my fourth year, would I have a good chance of getting a residency there. Or was your point above that hospitals wouldn’t know about KCU and therfore not extend an invitation to audition no matter my merit. In terms of expense, my family lives close enough to the hospitals there so expenses wouldn’t be astronomical. I would just have to deal with Boston traffic, which can be so bad you just laugh the whole way home. Also, yes, I realize my third year of rotation might be counterproductive being in the Midwest region, but who knows maybe I decide I want to do a residency there in the end. Thanks for being so helpful.

 

[workaholic181]

In your opinion, if I did all my away rotations in MA for my fourth year, would I have a good chance of getting a residency there. Or was your point above that hospitals wouldn’t know about KCU and therfore not extend an invitation to audition no matter my merit. In terms of expense, my family lives close enough to the hospitals there so expenses wouldn’t be astronomical. I would just have to deal with Boston traffic, which can be so bad you just laugh the whole way home. Also, yes, I realize my third year of rotation might be counterproductive being in the Midwest region, but who knows maybe I decide I want to do a residency there in the end. Thanks for being so helpful.

I'm not a DO student, so hopefully someone like AnatomyGrey can weigh in. As I understand it talking to upperclassmen DOs I know and from my past discussions with those residents, aways at "DO friendly" places (where there are currently DOs) aren't hard to get. By expenses, I meant the fact that you literally have to pay these hospitals for you to come do a rotation with them. But as AnatomyGrey pointed out, you may have to do aways even in you were in NE to begin with. So no, going to KCU would not prevent you from being able to do aways at hospitals that take DOs in MA or the region at large.

MA is probably one of the toughest places in the country to match into as a DO. But yes, if you go to KCU and do well and are motivated to come back, you'll have a chance.

Last advice I'd give is to compare the match lists. Where do UNE grads go? How about KCU?

Good luck with whatever you decide and honestly at the end of the day just go with your gut.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

In your opinion, if I did all my away rotations in MA for my fourth year, would I have a good chance of getting a residency there.

Not really. MA isn't known for their DO friendliness. If you are a great candidate then yeah sure but anyone starting medical school should go into it assuming they are going to be average and if they are better than that then it is a nice surprise.

MA is probably one of the toughest places in the country to match into as a DO

This. It's just a very desirable location period, which naturally drives up the competitiveness, which in turn makes it less likely for a DO to match there.