Simply being CA matches doesn't mean anything. There are lots of crappy PC residencies in CA and Western puts a lot of people into CA PC residencies. Similar to board scores your matching potential is based a lot on what you want as an applicant. RVU puts you in a better position overall.
It does mean something... but from reading a bunch of your posts on this site you clearly have your beliefs (about what's better, superior, inferior, etc.) and they won't be changed, so there's no point in me arguing about these points. Just want to note that what you seem to cite as fact ("RVU puts you in a better position overall") is just an opinion you hold and one that could be easily argued against at that.
True, but the RVU curriculum puts you ahead in your step studying. You don't consistently have one of the highest board averages for DO schools without doing something right.
Great, I maintain my original point that choosing schools based on a few or even several points difference in board score would be unwise because
at this level an individual's board performance will be much, much more affected by their own efforts (not to mention their fit and happiness at the school) versus school curriculum.
would love to see the a full Western list. I doubt you actually have it unless you are a student there.
Incomplete list, but already shared with the OP. Will PM you.
Western has a lot of cons: Their curriculum is garbage, they are very OMM heavy, and they are losing Arrowhead as a rotation site due to CUSM. These things matter. The curriculum can significantly impact how much time you have to be able to study for boards on your own, same with lots of OMM. With new MD schools opening in CA Western will be even more affected with regards to their rotation sites. If OP can match back to CA at Western they can easily do it from RVU.
For the incoming class, they're supposedly revamping the curriculum (to include less classroom/group hours) and reducing the weekly OMM hours from 4 to 2, all of which seems like a step in the right direction. But even with the curriculum as is, the Step 1 average has been cited by others on this site to be in the low to mid 220s, which I would imagine is in the top half for DO schools (please correct me if I'm mistaken).
Regarding losing Arrowhead, have heard numerous times (from WesternU students) the place is malignant and not a good rotation site, and I would imagine WesternU students will still match there regardless, though agree that CUSM in the area is not a positive for WesternU.
The only other LCME candidate/applicant program (new MD school) planned to open in CA is Kaiser (aiming for 2019), and they'd be using their own hospitals as site, which wouldn't really affect WesternU. So as an applicant now or even in the next couple of years, there won't be other (that is, other than CUSM) new CA MD schools affecting WesternU rotation sites, contrary to what you state.
