Western COMP vs ACOM

[dr_asdrubal]

Hey everyone, I have been fortunate enough to receive a few acceptances and I am trying to make a decision between schools.

Western COMP
Pros

• Closer to family/friends; not a huge change in terms of having to uproot my life
• Most people match back into CA which is another plus for me
• Established school with a good track record
• In a bigger city so potentially more opportunities for research from surrounding universities

Cons

• Clinical rotation sites have been getting taken over by other schools or dropped entirely d/t pandemic (?)

ACOM
Pros

• School is only composed of medical school so faculty can give full attention to us
• Sold themselves very well during the interview day and seems like a strong program as well
• Seems to have well-established clinical rotations that will prepare you well for residency and beyond

Cons

• Would have to uproot my life to a small town in AL where I'd be much further away from friends/family
• Not as established as COMP

Overall, both schools seem to have strong programs but I am still leaning heavily towards Western COMP as it wouldn't be much of a change for me and it's a well-known school in CA that will set me up well for matching into residency. I am however greatly concerned with the quality of clinical rotations as I've been hearing that the school has lost sites to other schools or dropped them entirely. I am interested in some kind of surgical specialty at the moment, so I would like to set myself up for success as best I can.

Would love to hear input from 3rd and 4th year students especially! Thank you for your time!

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