General Advice on picking a school (ICOM, LUCOM, NSU KPCOM, VCOM (LA))

[Spotts.A]

Hello,

I am new to the site and this is my first time applying to medical school. I have been lucky enough to be accepted at multiple schools, but now I am running into the issue of choosing which school to attend. I've taken notes and done fairly extensive research on each school and I have come down to two favorites (LUCOM and VCOM), but am open to opinions on the other two (NSU KPCOM and ICOM). I had very fun and relaxed interviews with both VCOM and LUCOM, and I felt a little bit more at home during my VCOM interview. However, I am almost thirty and looking at where I may want to live for the rest of my life. I liked VCOM but I'm not sure if I want to spend my life in Lousiana or any of the neighboring states.
I liked LUCOM and I would love to live in Virginia, but I am not a devout Christian, and Fallwell has definitely cast a shadow over the school from everything I have seen and read in both the news and online forums. In my mind, I would think the school will likely try to "do better" in order to maintain the integrity of the institution, and I would think that the students and faculty are caring and want us to succeed and enjoy medical school, regardless of our religious background or sexual orientation. Also, I don't personally believe that at a graduate-level they have time to run around and catch people having a beer off campus after a big test, or having premarital sex (these aren't the biggest issues but I've seen them on Reddit forums that's my opinion. If I'm wrong, let me know).
ICOM is impressive, the students and faculty were nice, and it was in a good location, but they are new and don't have federal loans set up, the school has no gym (which helps me stay on task and keep up my mental health), and housing prices are steep. With them, I don't want to put myself in a bind where I am having issues finding rotation and residency sites and struggling to pay off my loans because I had to get them outside of the institution. (I have always planned to work in primary care, in a rural and underserved area because I grew up in one, they need physicians, and from what I have heard it is an effective way to have my loans paid off. If this doesn't apply to this school, that's a problem for me).
NSU KPCOM is impressive and possibly the most high tech school I have looked at, but like VCOM I am looking to get out of the heat and humidity, and I didn't feel very at home during the interview process, plus it's extremely expensive. With each of these schools I have a family base close by, so that is not an issue.
As I said, I would appreciate any advice from former, current, or prospective students of each of these schools. As it stands right now, I am torn between going to LUCOM (having a possible stigma held against me when I try to get a job due to the scandals there, not feeling as "at home" as I did with VCOM, risking ending up in a toxic or distant environment since I am not devout, but ultimately being someplace where I want to live.) and VCOM (possibly ending up living in Lousiana or a nearby hot and humid environment, dealing with the stressors of being only the second class in that branch to attend, but feeling a little bit more at home).

This is a long post and I apologize. Again I am new, but I would appreciate any advice or similar situations people have gone through to help me choose. Thank you.

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[Goro]

Oh hell, work on your GPAs and reapply to better schools.
If you put a gun to my head, I suggest VCOM.LA. At least they don't have the known deficits of the other three.

But be forewarned that brand new schools have their own issues

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I would go to NOVA. Can't go wrong with the most established one on the list. Although, they've had declining board pass rates in the past, so hopefully that's been fixed by now. Definitely avoid ICOM and LUCOM!

 

[cookiegrub]

dont know your stats but if you can, i would strongly recommend to take a year or 2 to get them up. I mean it, this is your life, don't go chasing the bone before knowing it is leading you off. Where you match and what you match into is heavily reliant on what medical school you get into. DO NOT take this nonchalantly. New MD (with hopefully full tuition scholarships for incoming class), go there. New DO (with hiked up tuition), I wouldn't put my children through it.

 

[Ho0v-man]

I’d go to vcom. I know some who went to lucom who hated the parent institution. It’s already miserable enough without all that crap.

Disagree that you should reapply. But you should go in fully prepared to succeed in spite of your school.

 

[kristysmiles]

You're going to get really bad advice here on which school to go to. SDN has a lot of hate for LUCOM and then there's the usual bias against DOs (thanks CNN). LUCOM's medical school is loosely affiliated with the undergrad and operates with completely separate administration. It's a great school as you are able to capitalize on the opportunities and activities that the undergrad campus has (most private DO schools don't have these opportunities). There are a lot of non-Christians at the medical school and it's definitely not a requirement for students. Jerry Fallwell Jr. has resigned, so you don't have to worry about that. There's pros and cons to every school so look at what's important to you. LUCOM couples matched a derm/ortho couple last year and had a 99% match rate. Medical school reputation isn't a high consideration for residency programs (you can look at NRMP match data to see what residency programs look at). The MD and DO match is combined now, so we go to all the same residency programs. I personally would take a sure thing this year, then to work towards a more prestigious school when you'll end up practicing medicine either way. You can succeed in any medical school if you put in the work.

 

[cookiegrub]

You're going to get really bad advice here on which school to go to. SDN has a lot of hate for LUCOM and then there's the usual bias against DOs (thanks CNN). LUCOM's medical school is loosely affiliated with the undergrad and operates with completely separate administration. It's a great school as you are able to capitalize on the opportunities and activities that the undergrad campus has (most private DO schools don't have these opportunities). There are a lot of non-Christians at the medical school and it's definitely not a requirement for students. Jerry Fallwell Jr. has resigned, so you don't have to worry about that. There's pros and cons to every school so look at what's important to you. LUCOM couples matched a derm/ortho couple last year and had a 99% match rate. Medical school reputation isn't a high consideration for residency programs (you can look at NRMP match data to see what residency programs look at). The MD and DO match is combined now, so we go to all the same residency programs. I personally would take a sure thing this year, then to work towards a more prestigious school when you'll end up practicing medicine either way. You can succeed in any medical school if you put in the work.

2 people's success does not equate to anything, it only speaks to how hard they fought or were endorsed by their school. Are you saying that OP will be treated the same? You have to look at where these people are going. You will be a doctor in the end but what kind and quality will depend on your work ethic, however, know that having all resources to succeed makes an average candidate become a superstar. I will gaurantee you that if tomorrow you a so-so candidate and you wanted to apply into a hot-shot specialty, be warned that going to a new school will put you miles behind those coming from established facilities. CNN has nothing to do with the argument. I support good and established DO schools but I cannot recommend the ones with just a couple recent matches or not even a graduated class. I am putting myself in your shoes. If you are going to heed advice towards going anyways, pick the school where your family is. Heat and humidity won't matter if you have a strong foundation surrounding you. Also inquire how the schedules are for each school and see what fits your learning style. Some are very strict and will prevent you from doing needful auditions your fourth year where you need to get your foot in the door. Others will have good policies to help you succeed. Do your homework before going with "your feelings".

 

[Spotts.A]

Oh hell, work on your GPAs and reapply to better schools.
If you put a gun to my head, I suggest VCOM.LA. At least they don't have the known deficits of the other three.

But be forewarned that brand new schools have their own issues

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Spotts.A]

I would go to NOVA. Can't go wrong with the most established one on the list. Although, they've had declining board pass rates in the past, so hopefully that's been fixed by now. Definitely avoid ICOM and LUCOM!

That was a concern of mine with NOVA, but thank you for the advice!

 

[Spotts.A]

dont know your stats but if you can, i would strongly recommend to take a year or 2 to get them up. I mean it, this is your life, don't go chasing the bone before knowing it is leading you off. Where you match and what you match into is heavily reliant on what medical school you get into. DO NOT take this nonchalantly. New MD (with hopefully full tuition scholarships for incoming class), go there. New DO (with hiked up tuition), I wouldn't put my children through it.

I would like to stick with D.O. since it is in line with my own philosophy. But I do appreciate your advice on picking a school. Thank you.

 

[Spotts.A]

I’d go to vcom. I know some who went to lucom who hated the parent institution. It’s already miserable enough without all that crap.

Disagree that you should reapply. But you should go in fully prepared to succeed in spite of your school.

Thank you for your advice. I had heard about the institution but I wasn't sure if it was more of a presence at the undergrad institution. I have other interviews, and hopefully more good news so I don't plan on reapplying. I plan to go in with that attitude to work hard and succeed, thank you.

 

[Spotts.A]

You're going to get really bad advice here on which school to go to. SDN has a lot of hate for LUCOM and then there's the usual bias against DOs (thanks CNN). LUCOM's medical school is loosely affiliated with the undergrad and operates with completely separate administration. It's a great school as you are able to capitalize on the opportunities and activities that the undergrad campus has (most private DO schools don't have these opportunities). There are a lot of non-Christians at the medical school and it's definitely not a requirement for students. Jerry Fallwell Jr. has resigned, so you don't have to worry about that. There's pros and cons to every school so look at what's important to you. LUCOM couples matched a derm/ortho couple last year and had a 99% match rate. Medical school reputation isn't a high consideration for residency programs (you can look at NRMP match data to see what residency programs look at). The MD and DO match is combined now, so we go to all the same residency programs. I personally would take a sure thing this year, then to work towards a more prestigious school when you'll end up practicing medicine either way. You can succeed in any medical school if you put in the work.

I appreciate your advice. I do not want to rule any schools out just yet and I appreciate you giving me a broader perspective in regards to LUCOM. Thank you.

 

[Spotts.A]

2 people's success does not equate to anything, it only speaks to how hard they fought or were endorsed by their school. Are you saying that OP will be treated the same? You have to look at where these people are going. You will be a doctor in the end but what kind and quality will depend on your work ethic, however, know that having all resources to succeed makes an average candidate become a superstar. I will gaurantee you that if tomorrow you a so-so candidate and you wanted to apply into a hot-shot specialty, be warned that going to a new school will put you miles behind those coming from established facilities. CNN has nothing to do with the argument. I support good and established DO schools but I cannot recommend the ones with just a couple recent matches or not even a graduated class. I am putting myself in your shoes. If you are going to heed advice towards going anyways, pick the school where your family is. Heat and humidity won't matter if you have a strong foundation surrounding you. Also inquire how the schedules are for each school and see what fits your learning style. Some are very strict and will prevent you from doing needful auditions your fourth year where you need to get your foot in the door. Others will have good policies to help you succeed. Do your homework before going with "your feelings".

Thank you for your advice. I do have concerns about what comes after, so I will do some more research on which school will put me in the best position to succeed as that is the most important thing. I am lucky enough that I have family all over so that won't be an issue. Thank you!

 

[calivianya]

As a Nova student, pick VCOM.

If you think you’re going to have better rotation sites at school with arrangements with multiple 600+ bed teaching facilities with multiple residency programs, think again. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed. Nearly everybody ranks the same large institutions highly in the rotation site lottery, so it’s essentially up to a random number generator whether you get to go to those large teaching facilities or not because in addition to the beautiful, shiny multiple residency program facilities, there are sites that only have one or two residency programs, and sites that don’t have any residency programs at all, and it’s based on luck whether you have a shot at the good stuff or not.

If you get your list pulled at the lower end of the class, you’re going to end up in the kind of rural, no or few residency options that you’d expect from a school in a more rural area. Oh, and you’ll pay $15k less per year in tuition and take out a fraction of the grad plus loans for living expenses that you’d need in SoFlo if you go to VCOM, so you won’t be paying more for the exact same experience.

VCOM students are at my rotation site LOL. So it’s not an exaggeration to say I’ve taken out an astronomical amount of extra loans (probably $100k+) for the same experience I would have gotten at VCOM.

 

[Spotts.A]

As a Nova student, pick VCOM.

If you think you’re going to have better rotation sites at school with arrangements with multiple 600+ bed teaching facilities with multiple residency programs, think again. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed. Nearly everybody ranks the same large institutions highly in the rotation site lottery, so it’s essentially up to a random number generator whether you get to go to those large teaching facilities or not because in addition to the beautiful, shiny multiple residency program facilities, there are sites that only have one or two residency programs, and sites that don’t have any residency programs at all, and it’s based on luck whether you have a shot at the good stuff or not.

If you get your list pulled at the lower end of the class, you’re going to end up in the kind of rural, no or few residency options that you’d expect from a school in a more rural area. Oh, and you’ll pay $15k less per year in tuition and take out a fraction of the grad plus loans for living expenses that you’d need in SoFlo if you go to VCOM, so you won’t be paying more for the exact same experience.

VCOM students are at my rotation site LOL. So it’s not an exaggeration to say I’ve taken out an astronomical amount of extra loans (probably $100k+) for the same experience I would have gotten at VCOM.

Thank you for your advice. That is definitely a lot to think about and I appreciate the perspective coming from a NOVA student. The tuition definitely had me worried along with the price of living, especially if I am going to receive the same experience. Thank you again.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

As a Nova student, pick VCOM.

If you think you’re going to have better rotation sites at school with arrangements with multiple 600+ bed teaching facilities with multiple residency programs, think again. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed. Nearly everybody ranks the same large institutions highly in the rotation site lottery, so it’s essentially up to a random number generator whether you get to go to those large teaching facilities or not because in addition to the beautiful, shiny multiple residency program facilities, there are sites that only have one or two residency programs, and sites that don’t have any residency programs at all, and it’s based on luck whether you have a shot at the good stuff or not.

If you get your list pulled at the lower end of the class, you’re going to end up in the kind of rural, no or few residency options that you’d expect from a school in a more rural area. Oh, and you’ll pay $15k less per year in tuition and take out a fraction of the grad plus loans for living expenses that you’d need in SoFlo if you go to VCOM, so you won’t be paying more for the exact same experience.

VCOM students are at my rotation site LOL. So it’s not an exaggeration to say I’ve taken out an astronomical amount of extra loans (probably $100k+) for the same experience I would have gotten at VCOM.

I get your frustration, but at least Nova has rotation sites with residency programs. VCOM(LA) will probably have none, and on top of that VCOM(LA) being a brand new campus with no track record. I'm imagining in the next few years residency placement is gonna favor schools that have graduates with known quality especially with the explosion in DO graduates coming in 2024.

 

[calivianya]

I get your frustration, but at least Nova has rotation sites with residency programs. VCOM(LA) will probably have none, and on top of that VCOM(LA) being a brand new campus with no track record. I'm imagining in the next few years residency placement is gonna favor schools that have graduates with known quality especially with the explosion in DO graduates coming in 2024.

I do think the preclinical education I received was great, to be fair. I feel well-prepared for rotations and Nova grads do match pretty well overall. But with the rotation sites, you have to be lucky or have a lot of extra cash to get into a desirable site, and it's not just a couple sites that don't have any residency programs or only have one. It still blows my mind that an established school like Nova ever puts students at sites with no residency programs. I wish I'd known about the quality of the sites when making my decision (I was in a position similar to OP's and it just wasn't something I thought to ask).

At least you can buy a good spot here if you're well-off - one of my classmates dropped $20,000 to switch with a student for a spot at a rotation site with a residency program she wanted, so you're not stuck in the worst sites if you're wealthy. I had just assumed we'd all have pretty much equal opportunities when we matriculated to medical school, I suppose, so I also never thought to ask if I'd need to have large sums of money on hand to bribe people for a better educational experience when I was deciding.

 

[cbc86]

What the hell is NSU KPCOM???

 

[TabbyTuxy]

What the hell is NSU KPCOM???

Nova Southeastern University Kiran Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine.

 

[TabbyTuxy]

Hey OP, I don't know much about these schools and others have already provided some valuable advice. I just wanted to say congrats on your multiple acceptances -- you're going to be a physician! Hopefully more good news is on the way and you have even better options to consider, too.

 

[EliasS]

That was a concern of mine with NOVA, but thank you for the advice!

Board exams are on the students.

 

[Dr Meow]

Pick one and go with it. Med school is only getting more competitive year after year. I don't think reapplying is good.
Unless you want to surgery/radiology DO is fine for IM.

I vote VCOM or NSU. Probably leaning VCOM