what would you do

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docmayer

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I need external opinions on my current situation. I am having trouble weighing the pros and cons of attending LMU or MSU. Yes, it is ultimately my decision and I will have to decide for myself, so if that is all you have to say, don't post.

MSU

Pros: good reputation, great base hospitals for rotations (they also have residency programs), I am close to home and all of my family, I want to practice/complete residency in Michigan
Cons: it is expensive, since I will be living at home I will have to commute across the border to class (25 minutes), it won't having the 'university' atmosphere because I would be at a tiny branch of the main campus, may become neurotic from studying by myself

LMU

Pros: better facilities than what I will be offered at MSU, will be around many other med students, less distraction and will probably have a better pre-clinical education, cheaper
Cons: do not know how the area will affect me, I will be away from my family, rotations are at smaller places generally, reputation is not on par with MSU, may hinder my ability to get a residency I want in MI

-Note that I am Canadian and require a visa, so I am really concerned with being able to maximize my chances in any way at a residency I may want in MI.
-I calculated my finances, either way I will be paying between 35 and 45 K a year to pay off my medical and undergraduate debt (assuming 15 year repayment plan). Finances may also not be a concern in the long run (I won't elaborate on this...).

Thank you

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I'm surprised that LMU has better facilities than MSU. Perhaps the buildings are newer and prettier but does that necessitate better? Also from what I've heard, preclinical is what you make of it.

How much more per year will MSU cost?
Also why doesn't anyone use the school specific forum?

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I'm surprised that LMU has better facilities than MSU. Perhaps the buildings are newer and prettier but does that necessitate better? Also from what I've heard, preclinical is what you make of it.

How much more per year will MSU cost?
Also why doesn't anyone use the school specific forum?

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I did not mean in general LMU has better facilities. I can only comment on the facilities I will have access to at the smaller satellite campus of MSU.
 
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I did not mean in general LMU has better facilities. I can only comment on the facilities I will have access to at the smaller satellite campus of MSU.

I'm not familiar with the facilities at either. Would you mind outlining a few specific areas that LMU is superior?

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MSU.

If you plan to practice in MI, their alumni network is a no brainer. Hell, I'm from the gulf south and personally know 4 DO's that went to MSU.
 
The only thing that really matters is the clinical sites. Everything else is probably the same quality. You don't need to go to a big hospital to have good clinical cases. You just need a hospital that lets you see patients, write notes, present cases, present a treatment plan, allows you to do some procedures, and they have daily didactics.
 
I'm not familiar with the facilities at either. Would you mind outlining a few specific areas that LMU is superior?

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It will have classrooms with real professors lecturing you, open office hours for support and questions, the anatomy lab 30-40 cadavers I can have access too all the time, many study rooms that each have blackboards and a 40" or something TV, nice huge OMM lab, many resources....

At MSU I will be at the DMC campus, it has one classroom that is streamed from the main campus, I am not completely familiar with the anatomy lab other than what I have gathered/seen online, but it looks smaller and they have prosections, there is one student lounge...not really the feel I am looking for... if I am wrong on anything I have stated I would appreciate for something to correct me.
 
The only thing that really matters is the clinical sites. Everything else is probably the same quality. You don't need to go to a big hospital to have good clinical cases. You just need a hospital that lets you see patients, write notes, present cases, present a treatment plan, allows you to do some procedures, and they have daily didactics.

So you are saying the clinical sites will pretty much not matter. How about for residency? Do you think doing my clinicals in years 3 and 4 at a base hospital that has residency programs associated with it a big advantage for residency in MI?
 
It will have classrooms with real professors lecturing you, open office hours for support and questions, the anatomy lab 30-40 cadavers I can have access too all the time, many study rooms that each have blackboards and a 40" or something TV, nice huge OMM lab, many resources....

At MSU I will be at the DMC campus, it has one classroom that is streamed from the main campus, I am not completely familiar with the anatomy lab other than what I have gathered/seen online, but it looks smaller and they have prosections, there is one student lounge...not really the feel I am looking for... if I am wrong on anything I have stated I would appreciate for something to correct me.

Oh I see. I personally don't plan on going to class, so having streamed lectures is just fine for me. I think you (and anyone) can adjust to a different teaching style though and imo it's a minor adjustment that we (as premeds) shouldn't use as a major deciding factor.

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not really the feel I am looking for...

I think you answered your own question. Go to the place you will be comfortable and therefore will likely do better at.

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I think you answered your own question. Go to the place you will be comfortable and therefore will likely do better at.

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That is in terms of pre-clinicals. Rotations and residency are another thing to look at. Hence my frustration in weighing the pros/cons :mad:
 
That is in terms of pre-clinicals. Rotations and residency are another thing to look at. Hence my frustration in weighing the pros/cons :mad:

Well I think residency is largely dependent on board scores, do you feel one school will prepare you significantly better than the other? Rotations at msu I think are better, I have no idea about lmu, but if they are in a decent sized teaching hospital that works. Also see if you will have to move around for lmu rotations...

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Exact same dilemma I've been thinking about. Thanks for posting this.

I usually hear med students only saying the good things about their school. Can anyone (from MSU and LMU) give honest opinions on things that they don't like about? I understand it's all preferential, but still, it would be nice to know.

p.s. sorry for hijacking the thread ;)
 

He said the only thing that matters are clinical sites. Then he said as long as you see patients and write notes, it is fine - implying clinicals anywhere you go will be fine. Anyways, back to the real topic...
 
So you are saying the clinical sites will pretty much not matter. How about for residency? Do you think doing my clinicals in years 3 and 4 at a base hospital that has residency programs associated with it a big advantage for residency in MI?

Sorry for the confusion. I was just trying to make the point that going to a small hospital does not necessarly mean you'll get a bad clinical experience.

Yes, doing core rotations in the city you want to do your residency will help you. I would just go to MSU. It has a pretty good reputation. It has lots of residencies. It is in the city you want.
 
He said the only thing that matters are clinical sites. Then he said as long as you see patients and write notes, it is fine - implying clinicals anywhere you go will be fine. Anyways, back to the real topic...

Clinicals anywhere you go will not necessarily be fine. I would guess that MSU has better rotation sites than LMU simply because it is older and pretty well known to be one of the best DO schools in the country. You don't get a reputation as being the best because you have good pre-clinicals. You get a reputation as being the best because your students become solid physicians and students become solid physicians in large part (in my opinion) because of the quality of their rotations.
 
I can't imagine crossing the border twice a day wouldn't grate my nerves
 
I can't imagine crossing the border twice a day wouldn't grate my nerves

It is a satellite campus, so I would only be required to go to labs, which are a couple times a week (OMM and anatomy) during specific parts of the year.
 
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