Hey Folks,
I am a fourth-year student here at UNC. I know there's probably a number of questions floating about so I want to offer up my perspective on any concerns you might have. First, I should probably give you a little information, just so you know where I'm coming from.
When I first started the process, I was an in-state, non-traditional applicant, having spent five years working for the government. I was considering a number of top programs, but ultimately my decision came down to Duke and UNC. In the end, I chose UNC largely because of the huge difference in the cost of education. I also received a scholarship from UNC which essentially pays the vast majority of my tuition/fees. Having said that, I don't have any regrets about my decision. My education has been second-to-none. Originally, I started out in another class, but I took a leave of absence to pursue an MPH. I also went abroad after first year and will do so again later this year. Now, I am applying for a residency position in Internal Medicine. As you can tell, my priorities are largely primary care/public health oriented, but for those of you considering surgery or other specialties, I will do my best to answer your questions.
As for some general thoughts about UNC, I would list the following advantages/disadvantages:
Advantages:
- Cost of education (especially for IS, but OOS can claim residency)
- Emphasis on primary care and clinical education
- Very strong evidence-based curriculum including epidemiology
- Top-notch faculty
- Very collegial environment, especially for the East Coast
- Outstanding research, both in terms of total NIH dollars and student access
- One of the best schools of public health is right across the street
- Mission: UNC serves as the primary public safety net hospital for the region - ie we take care of those without resources
- We match very, very well. If you do well here (AOA), you can match just about anywhere. Our list may not look as impressive on the whole, but we send a good number of people into primary care in underserved areas. I'm not making excuses, just framing the issue.
- Students rotate through facilities across the state (Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Wilmington). Some see this as a disadvantage, but I think it adds a lot to your education, even though it can be inconvenient at times.
- New cancer hospital
- Lots to do in Chapel Hill (for a town of this size)
- Relatively affordable housing
Disadvantages:
- Opportunities are not served on a platter like you might find at some of the more well-endowed, private schools. You can do anything you want here, but you might have to put in the leg work
- Funding, including financial aid, does fluctuate with state budgets
- Administration is not quite as smooth as some top-tier schools. I'm sure you're seeing this with the application process (slow?). Things have, however, improved a great deal since I first started in 2006. It really is pretty good now.
- Non-UNC clinical sites: see above
- Less class diversity than you might find at other schools, but much of this comes from the requirement to accept so many IS students
- You really must have a car to survive here. The busline (free) is great for the first two years, but NC is really not a pedestrian friendly state
Ok, hopefully that's enough to get the wheels in motion. As I said, please feel free to ask your questions. I'll answer as honestly as I can without all of the rah-rah you might get on the interview tour. I am currently in clinical rotations, so I might not hit you back immediately, but I'll try to check back regularly. If you feel your question will benefit everyone, just post it, if not, feel free to PM me.
Good luck with application process and interviews. I don't envy you at this point, but it will get better.
Regards,
RM
