Another versus...includes Rochester, Jefferson, UVM, UMASS

[DressageDoc]

For better or worse, here's another one for the community. I'm thrilled to have options, but without a research powerhouse to make the choice easy I've gone back and forth so many times based on mentor opinions, student perspectives, location, money, curriculum, etc etc etc that I think I'm going to shut down my thinker for a few hours and see if others (hopefully current students and above) have any major considerations or insider perspectives I may not have thought of? I'll omit my current preference for the sake of unbiasing, and let's assume that while in-state MA is obviously the best price point, when all's said and done money likely won't be a deciding factor.

For reference, my major bio bullet points:

• Solid stats and rounded portfolio but pitifully late app - absolutely canNOT complain since by all rights I should be a re-app, but the perspectives of my current Ivy-heavy biomedical environment and my own academic medicine aspirations are starting to make me a little nervous for post-grad options
• Specialty-wise I'm entirely open-minded, but will likely end up in a more mental than physical specialty - IM, peds, perhaps other more competitive; likely not surgery, urology, OB/GYN
• Research would probably be my "stand-out" quality for the future thanks to my history and desire to continue involvement during school and far beyond. Year-out is a very real option, as is MPH.
• Prefer cities, but do enjoy outdoorsy things. Snow is not an issue, and I doubt I'd be miserable anywhere.

Again, not looking to start a war on rankings...just trying to get some additional and hopefully more down-to-earth opinions since y'all have given some really great perspectives in the past. Appreciate it!

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[Narmerguy]

Moving to SSD.

 

[cookiemonsters]

Either Rochester or UMass... I know you said to ignore price, but UMass is one of the best values in all of medicine. People say Jefferson is an ortho powerhouse, if you're very interested in that.

 

[medschool2016]

Can't beat that in-state tuition

 

[alpinism]

UMass.

 

[Ja3ger]

Not Rochester because, IIRC, they don't record lectures and class/PBL runs 9-5 almost every day.

As much as I love UVM, I think you should go to UMass for the price.

 

[Selladore235]

OP stated price will more than likely not be a deciding factor, so not sure why everyone keeps bringing it up.

I know next to nothing about the other three schools but Rochester has the Academic Research Track (ART) if you're considering a year out for research. If you don't remember much about it from interview day, here's a link to more info http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/education/md/admissions/academic-research-track.cfm. Seems like a solid option for someone interested in research and academic medicine. Not sure of the significance of this, but Rochester and UMass are among the top-40 NIH-funded programs. Both Jefferson and UVM are a bit lower (~30 spots) on the list.

 

[DressageDoc]

Thanks everyone, appreciate the info! I was trying to avoid the financial front, but a little context:

I do agree that in-state tuition is nothing to ignore and I'm lucky to have the option, but while tuition is tiny the fees and other expenses given my apparently insane expected parental contribution (don't even get me started on that one...) make the package non-trivial - essentially a difference of about $10-15k/year between UMASS and the next cheapest, Rochester. There still is the distinction that while tuition is fixed, I could temper additional costs by "living like a student" and potentially make Worcester even less expensive, but get the sense it might be easier to get future scholarships from a private institution, and am starting debt-free, so am trying to choose first on program, then on money.

That said, the research considerations and elective availability / academic center match potential are huge, and while these are most important QoL is starting to carry more weight since I'm non-trad by way of research - i.e. mid-twenties, single, with four years of my life already spent in Worcester for undergrad. Again, probably would be too busy to be miserable anywhere, but my current city and visits to Philly have made me seriously hesitant to go back to Worcester.

Hopefully that clarifies some of the conversation around money, and really appreciate the input again!

 

[Selladore235]

so what'd you decide?