Which D.O. Schools to Stay Away From?

[Osteoblasts]

I was browsing this forum and found that PCOM has a high rate of rejection due to the many posts by frustrated students. So, i will stay away from it. Which other schools would you recommend not to apply to? I don't want to waste money and energy on a school.

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[luckystar]

Osteoblasts,

It's a little unfair to make this decision based on what people post here. Do you really think that these forums provide an accurate view of the schools? Each school is unique in its academics, its student body, and most certainly its location. You should look at the schools' websites, the AACOMAS website, etc. to get a feel of what each one has to offer. And yes, listening to what others have to say about a school is also important, but it shouldn't be the greatest influence on your decisions. There's not going to be one school that everybody agrees for you to avoid, nor is there going to be one that everybody agrees is the best one for you. The money, time, and energy that you should spend on this process is all part of the package that came with your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Instead of asking what schools to stay away from, you should come up with things that you look for in a school, and the things that what you don't want, so that we can try to direct our responses towards that.

Best of luck!

 

[tkim]

Originally posted by Osteoblasts
I was browsing this forum and found that PCOM has a high rate of rejection due to the many posts by frustrated students. So, i will stay away from it. Which other schools would you recommend not to apply to? I don't want to waste money and energy on a school.

When you say 'high rate of rejection', do you mean that a high number of people are rejected? If so, then wouldn't that mean that PCOM is just more selective? Isn't this a good thing to have high admissions standards?

I will say that PCOM's admissions process seems disorganized. Some people have their credentials scrutinized, while others who have the same credentials have no problem using them. I applied very early in the cycle, and haven't heard one thing from them.

Once you get in, though, I hear the school is awesome.

- Tae

 

[Osteoblasts]

Originally posted by luckystar
Osteoblasts,

It's a little unfair to make this decision based on what people post here. Do you really think that these forums provide an accurate view of the schools? Each school is unique in its academics, its student body, and most certainly its location. You should look at the schools' websites, the AACOMAS website, etc. to get a feel of what each one has to offer. And yes, listening to what others have to say about a school is also important, but it shouldn't be the greatest influence on your decisions. There's not going to be one school that everybody agrees for you to avoid, nor is there going to be one that everybody agrees is the best one for you. The money, time, and energy that you should spend on this process is all part of the package that came with your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Instead of asking what schools to stay away from, you should come up with things that you look for in a school, and the things that what you don't want, so that we can try to direct our responses towards that.

Best of luck!

Okay, My initial question sounds terrible and you are right. I thought i could eliminate(application process) by others who have been through it.

 

[luckystar]

Osteoblasts,

Everybody has different experiences. This forum is a great place for people to share their's, just don't take it too seriously. You'll find a school (or schools) that is just right for you eventually.

Have a nice day!

 

[group_theory]

It's hard to believe, but SDN members applying to med schools are a small minority - a vast majority of med school applicants never heard of SDN - so what you read here is not representative of the entire population.

That said, PCOM receives a lot of applications. In fact, for 1999-2000 and 2000-2001, it received the most applications of any osteopathic schools (4280 and 3855 respectively). PCOM only interview around 670 applicants (give or take) for a final class size of 250. 670/4280 = 15.65% chance of an interview.

Granted - PCOM should send out rejection letters after a decent waiting period instead of keeping people hanging - but that could be said about a lot of schools as well.

Basically, don't decide not to apply to PCOM because a lot of people get rejected (some w/ amazing stats). Other factors should also be used - such as location, tuition, student body, reputation, happiness/crankiness of students, facilities, etc.

Good luck this year =)

 

[Albah]

Osteoblast,
Everyone has different experiences at each school. So it is hard to say which schools to stay away from. When I was deciding which schools to apply to, I faced the decision of applying to PCOM or MSUCOM. I ended up applying to PCOM and good thing I did...I personally have had a good experience with them. PCOM has one of the bigger class sizes, so it is natural that more people apply there and that a good amount of people are rejected.
My recommendation to you is to look at each school and see where you think you would fit in. Do you like the location, the curriculum, the tuition, etc... That is the best way to decide which schools to apply to, and not based on what others have experienced...because you never know if you will be accepted or not unless you try. That is the luck aspect of this process.

Good luck!

 

[ramsestiger]

I wish I had all of this information when I was in the process of applying. I think these stats are about 2 years old, so feel free if anyone wants to post updates for any of the schools. Good luck with your quest!

Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 3,000
# Interviewed: 350
Class Size: 125
Out of State: 65%
Tuition: $25,000
Student Fees: $1,620
GPA: 3.45
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.3 Physical ? 8.3 Biological ? 9.1


Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
# Applications: 2,910
# Interviewed: 436
Class Size: 180
Out of State: 22%
Tuition: $24,720
Student Fees: $665
GPA: 3.4
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.0 Physical ? 9.0 Biological ? 9.0


Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 1,298
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 96
Out of State: NA
Tuition: $25,000
Student Fees: $2,000
GPA: 3.5.
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.0 Physical ? 9.0 Biological ? 10.0


Nova Southeastern University Health Professional Division College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 2,850
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 180
Out of State: 42%
Tuition: Resident - $19,340 Non - $22,720
Student Fees: $100
GPA: 3.45
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.0 Physical ? 8.0 Biological ? 8.0

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Midwestern
# Applications: 3,486
# Interviewed: 350
Class Size: 160
Out of State: 50%
Tuition: Resident - $21,938 Non - $26,645
Student Fees: $280
GPA: 3.5
MCAT: Verbal ? 9.0 Physical ? 9.0 Biological ? 10.0

Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery
# Applications: 2,600
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 205
Out of State: 76%
Tuition: $23,900
Student Fees: $75
GPA: 3.45
MCAT: Verbal ? 7.9 Physical ? 7.6 Biological ? 9.0


Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 1,798
# Interviewed: 120
Class Size: 62
Out of State: 52%
Tuition: $23,100
Student Fees: $0
GPA: 3.33
MCAT: Verbal ? 7.5 Physical ? 7.1 Biological ? 7.7

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 849
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 115
Out of State: 51%
Tuition: $26,220
Student Fees: $260
GPA: 3.38
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.5 Physical ? 7.8 Biological ? 8.7


Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 3,080
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 123
Out of State: 10%
Tuition: Resident - $15, 432 Non - $32,829
Student Fees: $900
GPA: 3.3
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.6 Physical ? 8.7 Biological ? 8.8


Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 4,577
# Interviewed: 458
Class Size: 145
Out of State: 90%
Tuition: $24,400
Student Fees: NR
GPA: 3.41
MCAT: Verbal ? 9.0 Physical ? 9.0 Biological ? 9.5


University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 3,060
# Interviewed: 430
Class Size: 220
Out of State: 83%
Tuition: $27,775
Student Fees: $50
GPA: 3.5
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.4 Physical ? 8.1 Biological ? 8.8


University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 2,112
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 75
Out of State: 20%
Tuition: Resident - $14,492 Non - $22,679
Student Fees: $1,550
GPA: 3.5
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.6 Physical ? 8.4 Biological ? 8.8


New York College of Osteopathic Medicine New York Institute of Technology
# Applications: 3,161
# Interviewed: 540
Class Size: 250
Out of State: 17%
Tuition: $24,000
Student Fees: $726
GPA: 3.45
MCAT: Verbal ? 7.4 Physical ? 8.4 Biological ? 8.7


Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 2,467
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 100
Out of State: 8%
Tuition: Resident - $10,929 Non - $10,929
Student Fees: Resident - $1,065 Non - $5,000
GPA: 3.5
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.2 Physical ? 8.1 Biological ? 8.7


Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 1,342
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 88
Out of State: 14%
Tuition: Resident - $9,552 Non - $24,244
Student Fees: $836
GPA: 3.53
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.9 Physical ? 8.1 Biological ? 8.3


Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 3,350
# Interviewed: 600
Class Size: 144
Out of State: 36%
Tuition: Resident - $21,760 Non - $22,760
Student Fees: $1,000
GPA: 3.3
MCAT: Verbal ? 7.9 Physical ? 7.6 Biological ?8.1


Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 4,280
# Interviewed: 690
Class Size: 256
Out of State: 35%
Tuition: $23,500
Student Fees: $225
GPA: 3.33
MCAT: Verbal ? 8.1 Physical ? 8.0 Biological ? 8.5


University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
# Applications: 1,485
# Interviewed: 300
Class Size: 115
Out of State: 10%
Tuition: Resident - $6,550 Non - $2,110
Student Fees: $780
GPA: 3.6
MCAT: Verbal ? 7.4 Physical ? 8.7 Biological ? 9.3


West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
# Applications: 1,630
# Interviewed: NA
Class Size: 75
Out of State: 33%
Tuition: Resident - $11,490 Non - $28,990
Student Fees: $1660
GPA: 3.4
MCAT: Verbal ? 7.9 Physical ? 6.9 Biological ? 7.3

 

[group_theory]

Where did you get those stats?

The following is from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) annual report

http://www.aacom.org/data/annualreport/index.html

School name:
# of Applicants for 1999-2000
# of Applicants for 2000-2001

AZCOM
2669
2438

CCOM
3486
3105

DMU-COMS
2689
2519

KCOM
3054
2724

LECOM
2864
2487

MSUCOM
2243
1923

NSUCOM
2815
2430

OSUCOM
1361
1162

OUCOM
2407
2246

PCOM
4280
3855

PCSOM
1782
1583

TUCOM
2595
2384

UHSCOM
3063
2639

UMDNJ-SOM
2113
1977

UNECOM
2125
2143

UNTHSC/TCOM
1485
1261

Western/COMP
2912
2539

WVSOM
1493
1553

To ramsestiger ...
While some of your numbers are close (COMP, UMDNJ-SOM, PCOM), others are way off (KCOM, MSUCOM, UNECOM). I wonder what could account for such numerical discrepency?

 

[ramsestiger]

I got them from a website linked from this SDN forum. I could look for it if you really want me to, but that would be a big waste of time, generally. The website had stats for most allopathic schools, also.

Any discrepancy is likely due to the numbers being from a year other that the listed one. If you do some research, I'm sure you could match up the proper year - I'm certainly not in the mood to do that. Overall, they are fairly reflective of the school averages, IMHO. For instance, if KCOM took 90% from out-of-state one year, they're not going to go to 20% the following year, so someone looking at that chart may decide to apply to KCOM. If the average at CCOM was 28 MCAT one year, it won't be 22 a couple years down the road - a factor that might be useful is that they take a fair amount from outside the state, unlike MSUCOM. In any case, the numbers are certainly helpful as a general guide, if nothing else.

 

[sddoc]

Just a quick update... LECOM's Class of 2006 had 226 students in it. It sounds like your website might need some updating!

 

[jhug]

an interesting site for those that may really be into stats is www.mdapplicants.com. It has all medical schools and stats of those rejected, interviewed, and accepted. just fyi!

 

[luckystar]

That's a fun site to poke around in, and it really is for the stats-oriented! It's got extraordinarily small sample sizes though.

 

[H0mersimps0n]

Wow if that second set of stats is accurate, nearly ever school saw a drop in applications 2000-2001 cycle.

Not to get tangled in another worthless debate but I have a feeling application rates were even lower this year...

Medicine is losing a lot of students with excellent potential simply because medicine no longer has the image of being "lucrative". Think about it, who wants to put them selves through 6-8 more years of hell and torture only to have to fight with HMO's just to get enough money for services to pay the bills, or yet imagine going out of business like so many physicians and physician groups do...

only psycho's like us.... only psycho's like us
LECOM HERE I COME!