Western Vs Nova

[khasha7]

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I have acceptances to both these schools. The deposit for Nova is due this friday. I have no idea which one I should pick. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help will be really appreciated. This is what I have come up with so far. If anyonce can add, Id appreciate it.


Pros for Nova:
* tuition is $7000 cheaper a year
* Night life
* possibility of doing an MBA

Cons for Nova:
*Rural rotations
* attendance and dress code enforced
* tests every monday
* seems like they have disorganized admin but im not sure

Pros for Western:
* rotations all in southern california hospitals
* i feel like western has a better curriculum
* seems like they are more selective


Cons for Western:
* $7000 more expensive per year.
* cant do an MBA

 

[NFiasco]

i went through hell deciding this. i finally opted for Nova although I did like Western's curriculum better. But to be honest, I liked Nova mainly because it was more modern and felt like a University instead of a small College. Didn't really feel like paying $7000/year more for the same education either. Living expense in either places are probably equal though. Hopefully, I've made the right decision.

 

[A18Devil]

I live 20 min from Western and i think Western has a rep of being selective because California has too many med school applicants. Its damn hard to get into a UC and thus you have many many people in state applying to western trying to stay Cali.

And about the tests every monday at nova....i'm for it. If i had a bunch of tests every 6-8 weeks i would procrastinate and then have to cram all that crap in the week before. AZCOM does the every monday test thing and thats where I'm going!

 

[cyclohexanol]

For what it's worth, we have tests at least every 2 weeks here at COMP. There are a couple attenuated systems where we have a test every week, but for the most part 1 test/2 weeks.

 

[Red Beard]

Another pro for western is our affiliated residencies. Our director of GME recently told us that on top of what we already have, we have more new residencies in all specialties in the pipeline than any other osteopathic school in the country.

Also, the weather is AWESOME.

Lastly, I can't imagine having a test every Monday...no weekends to relax? As stated before, we have roughly 1 test every two weeks at COMP, which means there is always at least one or two "free" weekends every month. Without those, I would probably be completely insane at this point rather than just partially so.

Good luck with your choice!

 

[MikeyLu2010]

Another pro for western is our affiliated residencies. Our director of GME recently told us that on top of what we already have, we have more new residencies in all specialties in the pipeline than any other osteopathic school in the country.

Also, the weather is AWESOME.

Lastly, I can't imagine having a test every Monday...no weekends to relax? As stated before, we have roughly 1 test every two weeks at COMP, which means there is always at least one or two "free" weekends every month. Without those, I would probably be completely insane at this point rather than just partially so.

Good luck with your choice!

thats why we have beaches to go to on mondays and tuesdays...we have weekends..just not the conventional ones..our weekends start on monday 🙂

 

[cyclohexanol]

Another pro for western is our affiliated residencies. Our director of GME recently told us that on top of what we already have, we have more new residencies in all specialties in the pipeline than any other osteopathic school in the country.

I'm not sure how much stock I'd put into what has been said so far. Don't get me wrong I'd love to see these promised residencies come to fruition, but until I see them with my own eyes, I will remain skeptical.

 

[novado]

I would strongly consider Western. I rotated all over the country as a fourth year, and I met many people at Western. They have the NBME shelf exams during your third year, which strongly prepared their students for the USMLE. Yes, it is $7,000 more expensive, but the housing nearby was similar in price to living near Nova (from what our comparisons showed). Nova has mostly primary care residencies affiliated with it. The derm programs have filled many years out already to where you are not guaranteed anything, even with the best scores. There are a few surgery and one anesthesia program. They were filled mostly with people who had to stay in the area due to family reasons, not the best programs. In comparing Western with Nova while on away rotations, they clinical coordinators and staff were so much more helpful to their students. Many of them did last second schedule changes, and their coordinators helped them out on these aways. Our school staff would never have allowed such last second changes. Their students were strongly encouraged to take the USMLE, and their school gave them the tools to do well on that with the shelf exams. Our shelf exams are a joke, memorizing questions from the back of some out of date books (with often incorrect answers). Even their students with low board scores/class ranking were encouraged to succeed and often did because of the help their school gave them. I know that the many of the students I rotated with had below average COMLEX/USMLE scores and were still able to match into competitive residencies. The same was not true for my school, unless family connections were involved.

At the same time, that $7k a year does add up. However, when are you ever going to enjoy the California lifestyle again in your life?

By the way, none of us at Nova did the MBA program. It is outrageous in it's cost. If you wanted an MBA, most of them went off campus or did not even bother. That should not even factor in your decision. Sorry for the late response. I hope that you made the right decision for yourself though. Find the place where you will have the strongest support, whether it is family in FL or the strong support of the Western staff.

 

[jzeidenb]

i was interviewed and accepted at both these schools (although i chose kcumb over them) and i felt that Western had a better idea of how to set their students up as best as possible. Nova seemed to really push the rural/undeserved DO kind of idea, which is fine dont get me wrong, but I feel DOs are more than doctors who are committed to serving undeserved communities these days and I think western's curriculum was also stronger.

Given the choice of these two schools i would have picked western. $7000 a year is significant, but I dont believe it is significant enough to influence your choice.. at least it shouldnt be.