What criteria do you base your decision on

[jzeidenb]

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In no particular order, im going to rank the schools on


Curriculum
Facilities
Student Life
Location
Research
Match List
Where rotations are done
Early clinical exposure
Distance from home
SDN opinions

thats what I have so far. Once i decide how important each of these criteria are to me, I will give them multipliers accordingly... put them all in a spreadsheet, and rank them 1 through 10, and see which school comes out with the highest score.

I think its a nice objective way to rank the schools accordingly. Once i have a ranking i will look a little more closely at the little things that may put the schools over the top of one another. and maybe eliminate altogether schools that rank really low (I.E. missing too much of what im looking for).


anyone else have other criteria they consider?

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Am I the only one who doesn't care about match lists?

Its impressive to see a match list full of competitive specialties, but those students made their own way, and probably would have done so at any school. And just because you see a match list full of less-competitive residencies doesn't say anything about what the students wanted to go into.

I will go to the place I feel will give me the best chance to learn, and I will make the most of it.

 

[jzeidenb]

oh i agree, it prob wont get a multiplier in my spreadsheet lol

 

[DocInProgress]

3 main factors for me: Reputation, Tuition, and the Environment

 

[nlax30]

My main factor was location and then probably tuition.

Figured that I'm going to be getting pretty much the same education no matter where I go, and even then most of that is going to depend on how much effort I put into it, so if I had the choice then I wanted to spending the next years in an area where I can be close to friends/family.

 

[jzeidenb]

My main factor was location and then probably tuition.

Figured that I'm going to be getting pretty much the same education no matter where I go, and even then most of that is going to depend on how much effort I put into it, so if I had the choice then I wanted to spending the next years in an area where I can be close to friends/family.

i think some of the curriculum's are pretty different, for example, nova and kcumb had pretty drastic differences in how they broke the classes down

 

[PT2MD]

1. Reputation: From local physicians, Admission standards, etc...

2. Location: Anywhere in the south 😀

3. Tuition: Run the numbers - they can get scary quickly.

4. Curriculum: I know it could be higher on the list. I don't care how you cook it, I'll eat it.

Based on these factors for osteopathic schools, my list would look like this
1. TCOM (way out in front)
2. LECOM-B
3. Nova
4. PCOM Georgia

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I honestly feel like I'm going to kill the boards (having seen the kinds of questions on the exams, it is the kind of thing I'm good at), and I think I will do well in rotations. If I'm smart about it, I will put myself in a good position to walk right into the residency that I want (general surgery at a site that will prepare me for trauma surgery). I don't feel that any of this has to do with what school I go to.

My criteria:

1. Elective rotations. Do I get enough to make inroads at the sites where I might want to do my residency? UT-Houston, Baylor, UT-Southwestern, and Temple are on my early short list. Yes, I know these are hard to get. But like I said... if I take care of business...

2. Curriculum. PBL > Other clinical-based integrated curriculum >>>>> traditional lecture-based curriculum. What is the best preparation for me for the clinical years and the boards? I think PBL wins this one in a landslide.

3. Tuition.

4. Reputation. I don't really care, but if PCOM comes calling, I will at least listen to what they have to say, even if I've already got a deposit down somewhere. Same reason I'm going to take a look at KCOM, KCUMB, and DMU even if I get accepted to LECOM-B. In most cases, reputation is a result of the opportunities that are available to the students. I will examine every school thoroughly.

5. Location. Not really a big deal, but some places would be more convenient than others.

Reputation: don't care. I am leaning heavily towards LECOM-B, assuming I am accepted when the adcom meets tomorrow, and they've been around like 3 years, and don't really have a reputation yet.

MD vs. DO: don't care. There are lots of places I'd go to over Texas Tech, and that's saying something, considering that they're in-state and cheap for me. I hate their curriculum more than you can possibly know. It is the definition of antiquated. I will do well on the USMLE boards regardless of where I go to school, and I don't give a flying **** about the letters anymore. If I go into trauma surgery, most of my patients will be in no position to complain that they've got a DO wizard-healer working on them.

Match list: don't care. The only match list I will ever care about will have only one person's name on it: mine.

 

[sexyman]

hey man gooduck with LECOM-B tomorrow! It seems like your really excited about it which is great.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I love PBL, and they seem like they've got a really solid operation going on there. If I don't at least have them as an option when I make my decision, I'll be disappointed.

 

[jzeidenb]

I love PBL, and they seem like they've got a really solid operation going on there. If I don't at least have them as an option when I make my decision, I'll be disappointed.

best of luck to you, im glad you have such a clear view of what youre looking for, i hope i can get there.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

A little bit about where I'm coming from:

I interviewed at Drexel two years ago, and they "introduced" PBL to me. At first, I was pretty unsure about it, but then I read their packet, and I really thought about it. After a while, I really thought it was a good idea.

I volunteer at a hospital that has a lot of residents and rotating med students from UTMB-Galveston, who also uses PBL. I talk to these guys a lot, and they love it.

When I saw a whole session last week at LECOM-B, I was sold. It was second-year med students talking like they've got a ton of clinical experience under their belts already. You think that will make the transition to the clinical years easier? How about board study?

The prosection anatomy lab is just the icing on the cake. One thing about these new DO schools that are popping up is that they aren't bound by tradition. With LECOM-B, it looks like they tried to trim away all the unnecessary bull**** and really get to work on training students to be doctors from day one. No more wasted time in anatomy lab. No more semi-useless lectures (a lot of med students who go to school in a lecture-based curriculum don't even go to lectures anyway). They've got everything set up for their students to be as efficient as possible.

I'm not saying I'm a 100% lock to go there if I get in, but I think it would take a lot for another school to change my mind.

 

[Playmakur42]

.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

hmmmmm.... that's not a bad idea.

EDIT: they are miles apart, but I have friends in Dallas and Houston that I could stay with for a day or two if I needed to. Maybe I could shadow on the weekends? Trauma surgeons are always working.

 

[Nasem]

#1 ~ kinda tough.... I'd say both Tuition and clinical exposure are most important for me.

#2 ~ which ever one gives me my first acceptance 🙂

 

[Pegasus1731]

1. Where I am accepted to

2. .... don't really have one

 

[sexyman]

Im in the same boat. I have been accepted to VCOM and suddenly it became my very first choice. So strange... haha

 

[AKN]

1. If my husband can continue his education there or nearby (he just started this fall).
2. Not having to move for 3rd & 4th year (school-aged kids).
3. Quality of elementary/middle/high schools in the area
4. Good neighborhoods for family.
5. Cost of school and cost-of-living.
6. Warm (I HATE cold).
7. Quality/reputation of school (yes, it's really that low on my list)
8. Beach nearby 😎

 

[Doc11Hopeful]

1) Intuition - Whenever I have gone against my instincts it has never turned out well. Interviewing at schools has really shown me that what is appealing on paper may not be the same in real life. I feel like all the schools I have applied to would give me a solid education as a future doctor so I'm going to go with the place I feel would be a nice fit for me.

2) Location - I would like for the man who has decided to follow me to be able to find a job or go back to school. I don't want him to regret following me. Or whine about it.🙂 Being somewhat close to the fam is another factor. Plus, I have gotten a taste of city life and I like it!

3) Facilities - Ideally I would like a nice campus with a good anatomy and OMM lab. All of the schools I have seen are pretty similar but it may tip the scale one way or another in the end.

As for reputation, match list, and all that.........don't care don't care. Again, all of the schools I have applied to seem great.

 

[Doc11Hopeful]

I LOVE this thread by the way! Everyone is so different and I love reading how people value different things in making their decision. Keep it coming guys!