Help with my decision: NSU, KCU, WesternCOMP, or TUNCOM (pros/cons lists included)

Hello SDN,

I am in the fortunate situation of having interviewed at multiple schools and would like the input of more experienced SDNers to make a decision. So far, I have been accepted at NSU and TUNCOM and am waiting to hear back from KCU and Western. Reason I am posting this now is because my deposit for NSU is due in a little over a week, and I'm hoping that I will hear back from KCU and Western before then to make a last minute decision.

A little bit about myself: Born and raised in California. I would like to be near my family and support system, but I also want to attend a school that will prepare me the best when it comes to boards and residency matching. I understand that how I do in medical school will ultimately depend on me, but I also want to know which school would do the best at setting me up for success. I am an avid gym-goer, so the gym is something I also took into account when making these lists. I am open to any current students that would like to chime in on my list. This is information I have gathered from the schools' websites, SDN and the interview day.

Nova Southeastern University

PROS:

• BEAUTIFUL facilities and campus
• Good reputation in the area
• Open door policy with faculty
• Good vibes at interview, felt like they really took care of interviewees
• Nice simulation center
• Rotations are scheduled for you (primarily in Florida)
• Shadow a primary care physician every 3 weeks for the first 2 years
• Spanish medical class
• Near BEACHES (not sure how much time I would spend here, but good to know)
  

CONS:

• Far from home
• Large class size (235)
  

• Mandatory dress code (scrubs or professional)
• an exam every week, as many as 2 every week (personally don’t like this)
• Grading policy is percentage-based
• Requirement of 80 hours of community service for 1st two years
  

Touro, Nevada

PROS:

• Largest medical school in Nevada
  

• cost of living is CHEAP
• somewhat near home
• core clinical rotations all done in Henderson/Vegas area
• Not much competition for rotation sites in the area (although UNLV and Roseman are opening medical schools in the next few years)
• faculty are very willing to help students, open door policy
• Many match in California
• They listen to students’ needs. As a result, have been expanding
• Campus is closed at 3PM on Fridays to observe the Sabbath
• exams are organized to replicate boards (multi-subject, multiple choice)
  

CONS:

• Campus is literally a warehouse and maze-like
• required to purchase Dell laptop from the school (I’m more of a macbook guy)
• No clinic for DO students
  

Kansas City University

PROS:

• very good reputation, been around for 100 years
• good match list (includes Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins)
• Dean really emphasized how they prepare you to be COMPETITIVE through a demanding curriculum that leads to improved performance on board exams
• tons of student resources (psychologists, tutors, learning specialists, etc.)
• All courses are curved to 85% (not sure if good or bad?)
• cost of living not too bad
• Tuition is ~$10,000 less than most med schools
  

CONS:

• far from home
• area around the campus is not the safest
• Gym is lacking, no indoor basketball court
• Extreme weather (either very hot or very cold)
  

WesternUCOMP

PROS:

• In California, only an hour flight away from home
• Has a good reputation in the area, and gives me a good chance to match and ultimately practice in California (41% matched in California in 2014)
• Produces some great physicians, my mentor is a Western alumnus
• Student body is made up of primarily California residents → very diverse, similar to my undergraduate
• Emphasize interprofessional education
• Strong clinical training through standardized patients, was told Western students have some of the highest COMLEX-2 scores in the country
• Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) provides longitudinal assistance to osteopathic medical students up to graduation
  

CONS

• Interview was pretty invasive
  
• Cost of living is expensive (California)
• Large class size (220)
• Anatomy course is separate, not tied together with organ-based curriculum
• Many lectures are recorded from the Lebanon campus, ask questions through discussion board or Skype
• No gym on campus, have to pay separately for LA fitness (although Western covers $100/year)

Thank you for your help!

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Help with my decision: NSU, KCU, WesternCOMP, or TUNCOM (pros/cons lists included)