WesternU-COMP vs UNTHSC-TCOM

[Allium cepa]

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I've been lucky enough to have been admitted into both programs. This is currently a very hard decision for me. But here are the pros and cons I have come up with for each school. I am originally from Southern CA and live 15 mins from the WesternU campus. It would great to go to med school close to my home and community. Having the support of my immediate family is a big plus. However, the cost of attendance is high (even after factoring the fact that I will be living at home if attending WesternU, TCOM will still be at least 50k cheaper....). Rotation sites are also not as strong at WesternU. I've heard about students having problems with the school in arranging their rotations. Additionally, WesternU also lacks strong research and focus on Public Health.

Overall, TCOM in my perspective offers a better quality of education. They have great research and focus on Public Health. TCOM receives great recognition in TX and graduates have no problems matching into competitive specialties within the state. The cost is much cheaper than WesternU (could be much lower if I qualify for in-state tuition-Does anyone know how this works?). The rotation sites are splendid and the school does a great job of organizing this for students. The only factor holding me back is location and being far from my immediate family. However, I still have a big support network in Ft. Worth (many aunts, uncles, and cousins from my mom's family).

What do y'all think?! Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[67552931811]

All I read was the title: TCOM.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

All I read was the title: TCOM.

Should of kept on reading. From south ca. Western

 

[67552931811]

Should of kept on reading. From south ca. Western

I was being facetious. Given the dilemma-- TCOM. Every. Single. Time.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

I was being facetious. Given the dilemma-- TCOM. Every. Single. Time.

Yea in general I would say tcom but if you're from south ca then western. Its not necessary to travel so far for medical school.

 

[DoctorKrieger]

So many factors are way, way in TCOM's favor and the only one in Western's favor is that it's near your immediate family. You even have extended family near TCOM, so......Monday-Saturday: TCOM. Sunday: TCOMx2.

Plus, you know, TX>>Cali.

This is a no brainer: TCOM

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

So many factors are way, way in TCOM's favor and the only one in Western's favor is that it's near your immediate family. You even have extended family near TCOM, so......Monday-Saturday: TCOM. Sunday: TCOMx2.

Plus, you know, TX>>Cali.

This is a no brainer: TCOM

Extended family isnt the same. And Cali >tx duhhh.

 

[Jnasty08]

(even after factoring the fact that I will be living at home if attending WesternU, TCOM will still be at least 50k cheaper....)

There is your answer right there. If you graduate medical school with less than 100 grand in debt then I think it's a no brainer.

 

[AlteredScale]

If family is truly a huge deciding factor for you then go to western.

But TCOM has better research, better clinical rotations (it has it's OWN hospital system), and better curriculum (TCOM has been a top scoring DO program in both the comPlex and USMLE).

Also: match list --> I'm seeing UMass, UCSD, SUNY, UCF, Baylor matches on here .

TCOM all the way. As you've said, you'll still have support from your outside family.

 

[Harker Heights]

If you need the physical presence of your immediate family nearby, then you should stay in Calif. I interviewed at both schools and spent time on theTCOM campus, and there is no question in my mind that they have very different operating environments. What truly concerns me is that Western is being pushed out of the two hospitals by UC Riverside and the new private MD school.

 

[Allium cepa]

Which 2 hospitals are you referring to? Also, there is a new private MD school in SoCal?

If you need the physical presence of your immediate family nearby, then you should stay in Calif. I interviewed at both schools and spent time on theTCOM campus, and there is no question in my mind that they have very different operating environments. What truly concerns me is that Western is being pushed out of the two hospitals by UC Riverside and the new private MD school.

 

[LaughingMan]

This shouldn't even be a question.

TCOM WITHOUT A DOUBT is a better school then Western.

I'm at COMP-NW, and I can even see the flaws in the system as our school shares some lectures/other things with them.

 

[AlteredScale]

Which 2 hospitals are you referring to? Also, there is a new private MD school in SoCal?

I think the hospitals they are talking about are Chino and Riverside Regional. And this is the new school: http://medicine.cnsu.edu/

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

This shouldn't even be a question.

TCOM WITHOUT A DOUBT is a better school then Western.

I'm at COMP-NW, and I can even see the flaws in the system as our school shares some lectures/other things with them.

Both schools will probably land OP in the same place. There is no need to go so far. Unless money of the schools is a huge issue (don't understand how tcom is cheaper since op is out of state). If OP was in state or lived closer to Texas then Cali the choice would be TCOM obviously. This isnt the case though.

 

[vikingsking82]

Is Western $52,000 a year? Usually for Texas medical schools, the school will give out of state matriculants a $1000 scholarship/year, which qualifies them for in state tuition (definitely make sure they're continuing to do this), which would put TCOM at ~$16,000 a year.

Western = $208,000
TCOM = $64,000

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Is Western $52,000 a year? Usually for Texas medical schools, the school will give out of state matriculants a $1000 scholarship/year, which qualifies them for in state tuition (definitely make sure they're continuing to do this), which would put TCOM at ~$16,000 a year.

Western = $208,000
TCOM = $64,000

Im not so sure this is true. If it is obviously TCOM is the choice but this doesn't make sense to me.

 

[vikingsking82]

Im not so sure this is true. If it is obviously TCOM is the choice but this doesn't make sense to me.

I'm from TX so every school thread theres always OOS applicants asking and this is the answer given to them every time. OP you should definitely check with TCOM! Actually if you're one of the few OOS applicants that ends up at a TX school, you will probably end up paying less than TX residents with the $1000 scholarship/year after in-state tuition.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

I'm from TX so every school thread theres always OOS applicants asking and this is the answer given to them every time. OP you should definitely check with TCOM! Actually if you're one of the few OOS applicants that ends up at a TX school, you will probably end up paying less than TX residents with the $1000 scholarship/year after in-state tuition.

If that's true then this is an easy decision.

 

[hallowmann]

TCOM. COMP is a good school, but TCOM is arguably better. Also, tuition, even if you had to pay OOS is STILL much cheaper.

OOS Tuition is <$30k/yr.

http://web.unthsc.edu/hscsites/UNTHSCTuitionandFees/

 

[ToKingdomCome]

Tcom. Look at last years match list. It's seriously one of
The best DO match lists I've seen

 

[radkat101]

It's EXTREMELY difficult for OOS applicants to get into TCOM. You managed to do it. Take this as a sign and go!

 

[67552931811]

TCOM. COMP is a good school, but TCOM is arguably better. Also, tuition, even if you had to pay OOS is STILL much cheaper.

OOS Tuition is <$20k/yr. Heck the entire COA is <$30k.

http://web.unthsc.edu/hscsites/UNTHSCTuitionandFees/

The OOS tuition is ~29K. Still, that makes it 23K cheaper, yearly, than COMP by tuition alone.

http://web.unthsc.edu/download/downloads/id/5705/14-15_meds_coa

 

[hallowmann]

The OOS tuition is ~29K. Still, that makes it 23K cheaper, yearly, than COMP by tuition alone.

http://web.unthsc.edu/download/downloads/id/5705/14-15_meds_coa

My mistake. I misunderstood what they meant by "board" tuition in the link below. Fixed.

http://web.unthsc.edu/download/downloads/id/2248/2013-2014_tuition_rates

Even with that it's one of the cheapest tuitions I've seen (rivaling LECOM), and especially the cheapest for OOS.

 

[Harker Heights]

It's EXTREMELY difficult for OOS applicants to get into TCOM. You managed to do it. Take this as a sign and go!

I don't know if this is true or not, but I have heard that most of the OOS spots go to students from Brigham Young and the military academies.

 

[Allium cepa]

I don't know if this is true or not, but I have heard that most of the OOS spots go to students from Brigham Young and the military academies.

Why is that? I did notice one student from Utah on my interview day. However, I am not from BYU or a military academy and got accepted.

 

[radkat101]

I don't know if this is true or not, but I have heard that most of the OOS spots go to students from Brigham Young and the military academies.

It is true because Texas is required to accept 90% IS by law. There are many BYU and several military academy students in the class, but I don't know if they are residents or not.

 

[AlgernonMed]

I'm from TX so every school thread theres always OOS applicants asking and this is the answer given to them every time. OP you should definitely check with TCOM! Actually if you're one of the few OOS applicants that ends up at a TX school, you will probably end up paying less than TX residents with the $1000 scholarship/year after in-state tuition.

^^Truth. Nearly every OOS student I know who received an early acceptance (Not off the waitlist) received this scholarship. TCOM is great.

 

[EMedMel]

^^Truth. Nearly every OOS student I know who received an early acceptance (Not off the waitlist) received this scholarship. TCOM is great.

When did they find out if they qualified for a scholarship? When the school first accepted them or was it some time after?

 

[AlgernonMed]

When did they find out if they qualified for a scholarship? When the school first accepted them or was it some time after?

I found out in February that I had received the scholarship. Just make sure you turn in the general scholarship application as soon as you get the link. Have they emailed you the link with the instructions on how to submit it? If not, send me a private message and I'll help you out!