A Post from Andy, for Once

Hello!

Since the blog is entitled “Adventures of Our Own”, I (with Sarah’s encouragement) decided to write a post for myself.  The subject: the search for a medical school and how I decided on the University of Pikeville.

For those who don’t know, I began applying to medical schools over the summer.  In the fall, interview offers began to roll in and I made three trips out of town.  The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg seemed nice, a good way to start off.  The Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, at the University of Pikeville, was an appealing follow up, apart from the infamous cheese-less Pizza Hut incident (see below).  However, the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee was also a great option.  Once my acceptances came in, I knew it was going to be a tough choice between those three.  All were in similar locations: small towns in rural Appalachia.  All had similar emphases: primary care medicine in rural areas.  Each school seemed to provide a high quality of education.  How could I choose?  What would I do?

Well, in the first paragraph you learned which school I chose.  There were a few factors that tipped the scales in Pikeville’s favor.  First: Tuition at KYCOM is much lower than the other schools.  Not only that, it also included textbooks, equipment, board fees, an alpaca, and several other things.  A great deal, right?  Second: Pikeville is more built-up, almost a small city rather than a town.  We figured this meant more job opportunities for Sarah.  Thirdly: third and fourth-year rotations at UPike are done in the same area.  That means, rather than move to a new town every few weeks for two years, we would be able to stay in one area and I would rotate through several doctors in the same region.

Now that the decision is made, we’re on Easy Street.  Nothing to figure out anymore!  Just kidding.  We’ve been looking at housing options.  Sarah has been checking out employment opportunities.  And, of course, there is the small matter of actually getting through med school.  It will be exciting.  We’re looking forward to the next “adventure of our own”!

Andy