UPike KYCOM (DO) vs Marshall U JCESOM (MD)

[deleted1051873]

Torn between the two. I’m not a fan of the rural KY area, but Marshall U has very old facilities & campus is spread all over Huntington. Marshall is cheaper, but UPike covers cost of board exams, study materials, and virtual textbooks on the iPad Pro they provide.

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[sealfriendo]

you do you then m8

 

[med0426]

I don't know much about Marshall U. However, I also visited kycom and decided against it. They are very much still a new school. I don't think they are equipped with the best resources for helping students match successfully. Also kycom is heavily geared towards primary care so that is something that you want to consider. They are super friendly and student centered which is a plus. However, unfortunately I don't think the connections to help you network are quite there.

 

[bengalsix]

Take the MD and don't look back. Assuming you're a West Virginia resident, the cost-of-attendance at an in-state public school will be way lower than virtually any private school.

 

[deleted1051873]

I’m not worried about the cost of attendance. Unfortunately, WV doesn’t have residencies in the specialtys I’m interested in. Which pushes me to consider Pikeville for its connection to Lexington & Louisville. MD/DO isn’t really a factor for me.

 

[altblue]

I’m not worried about the cost of attendance. Unfortunately, WV doesn’t have residencies in the specialtys I’m interested in. Which pushes me to consider Pikeville for its connection to Lexington & Louisville. MD/DO isn’t really a factor for me.

MD/DO 100% matters for your ability to match and the overall quality of the program

Take a look at this thread for a more in-depth explanation:

MU-COM vs Wayne State vs????? (MD vs DO)

Hello, I have reached a really difficult point in the admissions cycle where I am at a cross roads. I received an acceptance from a DO school ( Marian University) in my state and I recently received an acceptance to an MD school out of state ( Wayne State). I am strongly leaning towards primary...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[deleted1051873]

I have never met a DO (even practicing surgical DOs) that has regretted their decision or felt limited by any means. I read the entire thread, & there is clearly unnecessary animosity towards DO’s from these kids. School, board exams, & extracurriculars are what you make of it; with board exams going pass/fail & the residencies combining, the playing field is about to level more. While I am still young, any surgical/top specialties have never interested me. My thoughts are towards anesthesia, radiology, or ED, & I feel there is nothing wrong with matching into rural medicine. I also see nothing wrong with working a little harder rather than relying on 2 initials to carve the path for me.

 

[altblue]

I have never met a DO (even practicing surgical DOs) that has regretted their decision or felt limited by any means. I read the entire thread, & there is clearly unnecessary animosity towards DO’s from these kids. School, board exams, & extracurriculars are what you make of it; with board exams going pass/fail & the residencies combining, the playing field is about to level more. While I am still young, any surgical/top specialties have never interested me. My thoughts are towards anesthesia, radiology, or ED, & I feel there is nothing wrong with matching into rural medicine. I also see nothing wrong with working a little harder rather than relying on 2 initials to carve the path for me.

Radiology is definitely possible but also not extraordinarily DO friendly.

I'm not sure you appreciate how difficult medical school is. This isn't undergrad, where a good chunk of the class is getting drunk the weekend prior to the exam. Medical students are smart and hardworking; it is very difficult to stand out by virtue of your intellect or work ethic or just "work harder". So it might be worth your while to take every reasonable advantage you can. What's unequivocally clear from that thread is that various obstacles exist for DOs in the match do not for MDs; put yourself in a good position. All of the specialties you mentioned will absolutely raise the bar for DOs and all have programs that will rarely or never interview DOs...

For the record, I'm interested in primary care and EM and still at an MD program and like knowing that if I change my mind, I won't be hindered in my career by the initials of my degree program. My primary care physician is a DO and there are some fantastic DO physicians in general but the objective, accepted career hurdles cannot be ignored.

 

[Wolvvs]

Marshall is cheaper, but UPike covers cost of board exams, study materials, and virtual textbooks on the iPad Pro they provide.

The difference in tuition is ~23,000 per year, or 23 iPad Pros per year. Even if this was MD vs MD, I would still tell you to go to the state school.

For the residencies you mentioned, not having a home program is approximately equivalent to the handicap you'll get from going DO. Neither will substantially affect your ability to match assuming you do well and apply strategically. But one's going to be a lot cheaper.

Also, with Step 1 going P/F, the playing field is not going to level as residencies will have to rely on either Step 2 or other less quantifiable aspects including prestige. When Step 1 had a number, students from lower ranked schools could use that number to stand out. If that number's gone, they will need to stand out in other ways.

Is there a reason you would prefer KYCOM? I'm not sure if you're just reacting to posters in this thread or if you really prefer it.

 

[ciestar]

@samac

 

[samac]

MARSHALL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PICK MARSHALL
- Your local recent KYCOM grad

Edited to say: I also rotated through Marshall for an AI. Great school. KYCOM DOES NOT have ties themselves to Lexington and Louisville, if a student matches there they made that connection themselves.