Did anyone choose an unranked school over a ranked school?

[liger]

Hi guys,
I am curious if anyone out there passed up the opportunity to go to a ranked school in favor of going to an unranked school. If so, do you regret your decision? I'm interested in clinical work- so just curious how much rankings really matter in the long run.

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[Psycho Doctor]

Hi guys,
I am curious if anyone out there passed up the opportunity to go to a ranked school in favor of going to an unranked school. If so, do you regret your decision? I'm interested in clinical work- so just curious how much rankings really matter in the long run.

go where YOU want to go, where you feel the most comfortable, not where someone says you should go, and certainly not where some book suggests you should go based on prestige.

 

[drguy22]

go where YOU want to go, where you feel the most comfortable, not where someone says you should go, and certainly not where some book suggests you should go based on prestige.

perfect answer.

 

[SocialistMD]

I did. Ended up matching at my number one choice. I attribute part of my success to the fact that I was happy in medical school. I don't know that it would have been the case at any other school. Go where you think you'll be happy.

 

[chaeymaey]

I think this is pretty common for TX applicants. It's hard to pass up the schools in our state.

 

[SocialistMD]

I think this is pretty common for TX applicants. It's hard to pass up the schools in our state.

Yes, but even in the state I passed on "better" schools.

 

[susan96]

I did...although my "ranked school" wasn't top 10 or anything, but I passed it up for an unranked school which I thought matched my personality better, and would gave me more clinical training. I hope it was the right choice!

 

[dobs737]

Hey all, I'm in a similar dilemma. I'm into a small school in ohio and NYMC, just north of NYC. While I feel the ohio school more closely matches my personality, I feel the new york school can help me w/ my career goals. I think I might be happier in Ohio rather than NY, and am afraid I might get really home sick (only child, having difficulty cutting the cord).

Should I think long term career goals here? Or happiness level in the next 4 years. I'm afraid that if I'm unhappy I won't do well in school....

 

[drguy22]

Hey all, I'm in a similar dilemma. I'm into a small school in ohio and NYMC, just north of NYC. While I feel the ohio school more closely matches my personality, I feel the new york school can help me w/ my career goals. I think I might be happier in Ohio rather than NY, and am afraid I might get really home sick (only child, having difficulty cutting the cord).

Should I think long term career goals here? Or happiness level in the next 4 years. I'm afraid that if I'm unhappy I won't do well in school....

go for the happiness....if ur happy ull make it....just dont doubt yourself and dont 2nd guess ur choice. good luck!

 

[exmike]

Hey all, I'm in a similar dilemma. I'm into a small school in ohio and NYMC, just north of NYC. While I feel the ohio school more closely matches my personality, I feel the new york school can help me w/ my career goals. I think I might be happier in Ohio rather than NY, and am afraid I might get really home sick (only child, having difficulty cutting the cord).

Should I think long term career goals here? Or happiness level in the next 4 years. I'm afraid that if I'm unhappy I won't do well in school....

nymc isnt ranked per se. i'm assuming you're either in at neoucom or mco. i'd say stay in ohio. if not only for tuition purposes. you wont be missing out by not going to NYMC.

 

[dobs737]

No, I got into Wright state. But I also got a 17k scholarship @ NYMC, so the tuition is about even.

I know I would really be happy at cincinnati, but I'm not off the waitlist yet...still waiting for the call

 

[kate88]

I'm sort of playing the devil's advocate here, but i passed up an acceptace my #1 choice school for a scholarship at my unranked homestate school. I have since had a lot of difficulty with my decision. I did it mostly to save money (the ranked school was way out of my price range) and to be closer to my family. For those reasons, I remain very happy. I'll graduate school under $60k in debt, and it has been great to go to med school with the support of my family.

on the other hand, i now regret making a decision so focused on $$. i sometimes worry that i have put myself at a professional disadvantage and will not be able to get the residency/location that i want when the time comes. don't get me wrong: i do like my med school, and i am happy here, i just wrestle with the decision a little bit.

sorry for the long post, i just wanted to show the other side a little bit. the moral of my story is that you have to consider all the factors, and if you choose a school based on $$ and not where you think is the best place for you, you will regret it.

 

[dobs737]

I'm sort of playing the devil's advocate here, but i passed up an acceptace my #1 choice school for a scholarship at my unranked homestate school. I have since had a lot of difficulty with my decision. I did it mostly to save money (the ranked school was way out of my price range) and to be closer to my family. For those reasons, I remain very happy. I'll graduate school under $60k in debt, and it has been great to go to med school with the support of my family.

on the other hand, i now regret making a decision so focused on $$. i sometimes worry that i have put myself at a professional disadvantage and will not be able to get the residency/location that i want when the time comes. don't get me wrong: i do like my med school, and i am happy here, i just wrestle with the decision a little bit.

sorry for the long post, i just wanted to show the other side a little bit. the moral of my story is that you have to consider all the factors, and if you choose a school based on $$ and not where you think is the best place for you, you will regret it.

Thanks Kate88, you advice helps. Now its just deciding what factors are most important to me to base by decision upon...

Both schools are unranked, but NYMC receives twice as much NIH funding. That is important to me wanting to go into academic medicine. For people who go to Wright state and choose to leave Ohio they match pretty well, I'm just going to have to take a look at all the stuff one more time and decide this wknd. I just wish UC would call TODAY. Life would be way simpler!