Which is best option (SGU vs LMUDCOM)

[drcardi]

Ok I know it may seem crazy to decide between a DO school and Caribbean school. However, I was accepted to SGU and fully planned on going after speaking with people who I know recently graduated from there . I am weary about attending both a lmu and SGU so I am wondering which might be the best option. I would like to stay in the states but my family think attending SGU is my best option given the uncertainty of DO.

Some of the pros to SGU I’ll be around family , chance to do rotations in the East cost ( CT, NY and NJ). Cons is obviously that it’s a Caribbean school and the stigma , high attrition , and it being for profit worry me.

Pros for LMU would be that I’d be able to stay in US and I really liked the campus and the faculty . Cons would be having to take two sets of boards, lmu’s very rural location, accreditation warning ( what of the school looses accredation while I’m in the program ?) and very weak rotations.

Any help is appreciated !

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[Gaucho97]

LMU DCOM and its not even close. An accreditation warning does not mean they will lose it. There have been schools that lost their accreditation and gained it back in no time. That shouldn't worry you.

Secondly, your family's reasoning is completely off. Coming from the Caribbean will ensure you that you need to be an absolute beast of an applicant to even have a chance at residencies in anesthesia, EM, etc. Competitive specialties will almost for sure be off of the table. There is no uncertainty with being a DO.

I wouldn't worry about DCOM's location, you said the campus was nice and you'll be busy studying. Moving to a third world country will present to you serious lifestyle hurdles that one is not accustomed to in the States.

Please go to DCOM for the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

 

[Isoval]

Ok I know it may seem crazy to decide between a DO school and Caribbean school. However, I was accepted to SGU and fully planned on going after speaking with people who I know recently graduated from there . I am weary about attending both a lmu and SGU so I am wondering which might be the best option. I would like to stay in the states but my family think attending SGU is my best option given the uncertainty of DO.

Some of the pros to SGU I’ll be around family , chance to do rotations in the East cost ( CT, NY and NJ). Cons is obviously that it’s a Caribbean school and the stigma , high attrition , and it being for profit worry me.

Pros for LMU would be that I’d be able to stay in US and I really liked the campus and the faculty . Cons would be having to take two sets of boards, lmu’s very rural location, accreditation warning ( what of the school looses accredation while I’m in the program ?) and very weak rotations.

Any help is appreciated !

The bolded is dumb. DO is overwhelmingly better than any Caribbean.

If they think DO is "uncertain", they should really, really look at the whopping 55% of people who go to SGU and don't end up as a practicing physician.

 

[sammaydaymalone]

This is the only argument one should need to choose DO over Caribbean

 

[happydo1]

As others have mentioned you should absolutely attend LMU. You have an acceptance to a US school which many applicants do not have. Yes LMU has many issues as do other DO schools. But guess what... Going to this school gives an at least 90% chance in matching vs a 55 % chance. DO NOT throw away your acceptance for a caribbean school. Ignore your family and take your DO acceptance and run.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

As much as I would like people to stay away from LMU, it's still a better option than the Caribbean. The DO degree will offer you more than the Caribbean MD PERIOD. The accreditation warning looks bad, but it shouldn't worry you. MSU which is a great DO school also have accreditation warning as well, and all it means is that they didn't meet some of the standards dictated by COCA, and they have to fix it by the time they have another COCA visit which is usually another 4-6 years. In a worst case scenario where the school loses it's accreditation (which basically never happens to any DO school ever), COCA would relocate every single student to other DO schools around the country to finish their degree.

 

[Isoval]

As others have mentioned you should absolutely attend LMU. You have an acceptance to a US school which many applicants do not have. Yes LMU has many issues as do other DO schools. But guess what... Going to this school gives an at least 90% chance in matching vs a 55 % chance. DO NOT throw away your acceptance for a caribbean school. Ignore your family and take your DO acceptance and run.

To echo this, LMU is not a great school. In fact, it's generally accepted to be damn near the bottom of the barrel of the DO schools. But the whole damn barrel is a whole neck and shoulders above the Caribbean. It doesn't make any sense to throw away an LMUDCOM acceptance in favor of "the best Caribbean". All of the Caribbean schools are on a completely different, lower level.

One could make the argument that the DO and MD schools are at least in the same ballpark as each other. The Caribbean schools aren't even in the same zipcode.

 

[drcardi]

Thank you for the responses . It makes sense that LMU is a safer choice. My family’s opinions just got the best of me I guess. I will give up that SGU acceptance .

 

[LukeCage]

Thank you for the responses . It makes sense that LMU is a safer choice. My family’s opinions just got the best of me I guess. I will give up that SGU acceptance .

almost got played

 

[BeKind]

Thank you for the responses . It makes sense that LMU is a safer choice. My family’s opinions just got the best of me I guess. I will give up that SGU acceptance .

Current SGU student here.... good call.

 

[agiraffe999]

First day of Residency … Wishing it was my last

Struggled through my first day of internship today. Managed my patients within the expectations of what a first day intern should. But comparing my performance to my co-interns : well it made me wa…

milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com

Read this first. It’s from an SGU grad

 

[LivGirl10]

Ok I know it may seem crazy to decide between a DO school and Caribbean school. However, I was accepted to SGU and fully planned on going after speaking with people who I know recently graduated from there . I am weary about attending both a lmu and SGU so I am wondering which might be the best option. I would like to stay in the states but my family think attending SGU is my best option given the uncertainty of DO.

Some of the pros to SGU I’ll be around family , chance to do rotations in the East cost ( CT, NY and NJ). Cons is obviously that it’s a Caribbean school and the stigma , high attrition , and it being for profit worry me.

Pros for LMU would be that I’d be able to stay in US and I really liked the campus and the faculty . Cons would be having to take two sets of boards, lmu’s very rural location, accreditation warning ( what of the school looses accredation while I’m in the program ?) and very weak rotations.

Any help is appreciated !

If it were me, I'd def go to SGU. If you want to be an MD, or want to practice outside the country, pick SGU. You can match if you work hard (maybe a little harder than if you went to the DO School), but if your heart is set on it you can do it!

 

[DrStephenStrange]

If it were me, I'd def go to SGU. If you want to be an MD, or want to practice outside the country, pick SGU. You can match if you work hard (maybe a little harder than if you went to the DO School), but if your heart is set on it you can do it!

I don't know if you are a troll or not, but first of all, DOs can practice outside of the US check the list of countries here:

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Second, I'd rather 99% chance of getting a residency program over 60% of getting one any day of the week. YoU cAn MaTcH iF yOu WoRk hArD, but how much harder do people have to make things for themselves with an already hard process in order to get a chance?

Third, with a tremendous increase in DO and USMD grads in the next few years plus USMLE Step 1 going pass/fail, you can expect things to get even harder for IMGs.

 

[Isoval]

If it were me, I'd def go to SGU. If you want to be an MD, or want to practice outside the country, pick SGU. You can match if you work hard (maybe a little harder than if you went to the DO School), but if your heart is set on it you can do it!

If you want to practice outside of the US, I actually really don't disagree with this.

If you want to practice inside of the US, you've got a better chance of pulling a residency out of a cereal box.

 

[Morc]

I’d literally choose another career than go to SGU

 

[Goro]

Ok I know it may seem crazy to decide between a DO school and Caribbean school. However, I was accepted to SGU and fully planned on going after speaking with people who I know recently graduated from there . I am weary about attending both a lmu and SGU so I am wondering which might be the best option. I would like to stay in the states but my family think attending SGU is my best option given the uncertainty of DO.

Some of the pros to SGU I’ll be around family , chance to do rotations in the East cost ( CT, NY and NJ). Cons is obviously that it’s a Caribbean school and the stigma , high attrition , and it being for profit worry me.

Pros for LMU would be that I’d be able to stay in US and I really liked the campus and the faculty . Cons would be having to take two sets of boards, lmu’s very rural location, accreditation warning ( what of the school looses accredation while I’m in the program ?) and very weak rotations.

Any help is appreciated !

As much as I am leery of LMU, your chances of ever becoming a doctor are much greater there than at SGU.

Remember, SGU's business model is to fail out at least 50% of their students. And EVERY one of them who matriculated thought that they were that they were the chose ones would would survive that threshing machine.

Taking two sets of Boards is the tax you're going to pay for not having an app that would get you into an MD school. But y9ou can get into residencies if you only take COMLEX.

 

[LivGirl10]

I don't know if you are a troll or not, but first of all, DOs can practice outside of the US check the list of countries here:

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Second, I'd rather 99% chance of getting a residency program over 60% of getting one any day of the week. YoU cAn MaTcH iF yOu WoRk hArD, but how much harder do people have to make things for themselves with an already hard process in order to get a chance?

Third, with a tremendous increase in DO and USMD grads in the next few years plus USMLE Step 1 going pass/fail, you can expect things to get even harder for IMGs.

I'm not a troll, haha. That was just my two cents but I wasn't aware DO's could practice out of the country. Do you have a site or link that shows SGU has a 60% match rate? The stats I've seen and that I've been personally told by Admissions Counselor's was around 94% if I remember correctly and somewhere around that number is on their website. If you do have research or a viable source that backs up the 60% claim like a lot of other people say, I'd love to see it just to see where and how people are getting those numbers from.

 

[ciestar]

I'm not a troll, haha. That was just my two cents but I wasn't aware DO's could practice out of the country. Do you have a site or link that shows SGU has a 60% match rate? The stats I've seen and that I've been personally told by Admissions Counselor's was around 94% if I remember correctly and somewhere around that number is on their website. If you do have research or a viable source that backs up the 60% claim like a lot of other people say, I'd love to see it just to see where and how people are getting those numbers from.

They lie.

It comes down to how many people they matriculate every year and then you look at how many people match each year. Hint: that number isnt near 94%

Overall: the IMG match rate is around ~50% and everyone that goes there thinks they’ll be the exception. In reality, most end up in terrible, malignant programs across the country. Some end up doing a prelim year and fail to match after that.

not worth it

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I'm not a troll, haha. That was just my two cents but I wasn't aware DO's could practice out of the country. Do you have a site or link that shows SGU has a 60% match rate? The stats I've seen and that I've been personally told by Admissions Counselor's was around 94% if I remember correctly and somewhere around that number is on their website. If you do have research or a viable source that backs up the 60% claim like a lot of other people say, I'd love to see it just to see where and how people are getting those numbers from.

They admit about 1800 students per year, and they match about 950. Some of these 950 apply 2, 3, 4... times before they get a residency spot (or never get a spot). They claim 20% attrition rate and 94% match rate. Any high school student can tell you those percentages make no sense. It's either they have a higher attrition rate, or they have a lower match rate. Whichever one it is, it's still a bad deal. I got my number directly from the yearly match data release by the NRMP which clearly states a 60% match rate for IMGs this year.

 

[drcardi]

If it were me, I'd def go to SGU. If you want to be an MD, or want to practice outside the country, pick SGU. You can match if you work hard (maybe a little harder than if you went to the DO School), but if your heart is set on it you can do it!

Thanks for the advice , but I already started at LMU for about a month now lol.

 

[Dr. Brandon Green]

Congrats. Best of luck at LMU. Your future as a physician is up to you regardless of school. However staying stateside is a easier road to becoming the attending you want to be. Trust an attending here, I’ve never ran into anyone in residency or practice who discussed MD v DO. It’s simply who can get the job done.

 

[Goro]

Congrats. Best of luck at LMU. Your future as a physician is up to you regardless of school. However staying stateside is a easier road to becoming the attending you want to be. Trust an attending here, I’ve never ran into anyone in residency or practice who discussed MD v DO. It’s simply who can get the job done.

Welcome aboard, Dr Green!!!

 

[Hematochezia666]

Welcome aboard, Dr Green!!!

did you get reported for your cat photo? sorry about the probationary status. :/

 

[Goro]

did you get reported for your cat photo? sorry about the probationary status. :/

It will pass. The cat is fine, just resting

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

If it were me, I'd def go to SGU. If you want to be an MD, or want to practice outside the country, pick SGU. You can match if you work hard (maybe a little harder than if you went to the DO School), but if your heart is set on it you can do it!

LOL actually not to burst your bubble or anything but a greater number of countries actually recognize the US DO degree, than do the Carribean MD degree from these no named islands.....

 

[DrStephenStrange]

B

Bringing this thread back to life! Hey! I am currently in the exact same boat you were in and having the exact same thoughts/dilemma. How are you liking DCOM? Any complaints or issues?

Follow OP and make the right choice, which is LMU.

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

Any DO school is 1000x times better than the Carib even if it's a brand new DO school.

 

[drcardi]

Thanks guys. Just out of curiosity, when stating their rotation sites are subpar or bad, is that due to the quality of the rotation itself, locations, etc? Thanks I’m advance !

So I’m now a second year at LMU harrogate .. honestly my experience so far has not been bad . I don’t regret my decision whatsoever. With rotations .. if you are attending a school like Dcom that is a rural DO school you have to lower your expectations . I came here knowing there’s a good chance I’ll be rotating in a rural community hospital . LMU does not hide the fact that they are rural focused . With that being said the rotation sites are not terrible . They are just ok and will provide you the adequate training you need. We have about 34 different rotation locations. Most of the locations are rural but a lot of the sites you do get to work with your preceptor one on one , you get to be hands on with experiences with major procedures etc . My third year friends are currently enjoying their rotations and I haven’t really heard anything negative so far.
Overall Dcom is not a terrible school and you should definitely choose this school over the Caribbean . A lot of the negative comments I’ve seen are either blown out of porportion or does not tell the whole story or there are comments made by bitter students who were not able to do well in school and blames the school for their inadequate performance. You will be okay at DCOM . Your goal is to match and become a doctor … DCOM will get you there.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Thanks guys. Just out of curiosity, when stating their rotation sites are subpar or bad, is that due to the quality of the rotation itself, locations, etc? Thanks I’m advance !

It may be a number of things: Location, preceptor not wanting to teach, not getting along with preceptors, no residents on the rotation, or too many residents and not getting to do anything, etc... But to be honest, I realized pretty early on that no one rotation site will be perfect (from a DO school standpoint), some may be better than others in one aspect or another, but all of them will have their negatives and positives, and it's going to be on you to find out what you are looking for in your clinical education based on what specialty you are interested in.
Also, SGU rotation sites are not any better than the DO school ones.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Thank you both! Sorry for all the questions, but promise this is the last.

When is LMU-DCOM’s white coat ceremony? I looked at this last year’s academic schedule and I saw they had it spring of first year for the class of 2020-2021 but it was not listed for 2021-2022.

Dude, you will find out once you are there. You should not be worried about the white coat ceremony. You will get your white coat one way or another. This is literally the least important thing about med school.