Johns Hopkins vs. UCLA?

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cosmos540

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if you had a choice between the two, where would you rather go and why? does one school open more "doors" than the other in your opinion?
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I'd choose UCLA. 1) Weather, 2) people, 3) proximity to home (seattle), 4) pac-10 sports, 5) cost.

I feel as though both UCLA and Hopkins will give you great residency opportunities. Both will have amazing faculty and great curriculum and peers (although I'd be afraid of gunners at Hopkins, and I hate gunners).

Just pick the one that "feels" right.
 
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UCLA as I dont think id fit in with the elitists at hopkins, harvard etc lol. Seriously though it doesnt matter. Id take ucla just because its my number 1 and its close to home and where i want to stay. I had no desire to attend jhu, harvard, or any ivy really, and didnt apply to them.
 
Oh how I wish I had this choice!

UCLA, without reservation. I would base the decision on location alone. Location is huge for me. Would love to stay in Southern California!
 
Some day, please give me this "problem".

I guess it's theoretically possible since I still haven't been rejected post-secondary from Hopkins yet... :confused:
 
Elijah05 said:
UCLA as I dont think id fit in with the elitists at hopkins, harvard etc lol. Seriously though it doesnt matter. Id take ucla just because its my number 1 and its close to home and where i want to stay. I had no desire to attend jhu, harvard, or any ivy really, and didnt apply to them.
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+1

Not that they're necessarily bad people, I just really don't like gunner-ism or elitism.
 
brygguy1 said:
+1

Not that they're necessarily bad people, I just really don't like gunner-ism or elitism.
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It's a pretty sweeping generalization to say that Harvard/Hopkins will be full of gunners and elitists. I'm sure said people exist at every school. I wouldn't really think too much about it when deciding what school to attend - just pick the right people to hang out with when you're there. =P
 
I've actually heard that JHU kids are really nice... not elitist at all. Maybe the professors but not the students (at least not all of them).

UCLA I would choose because of everything brygguy1 mentioned except for home and Pac-1 sports. SEC football baby!! 4 straight national championships.
 
Haha, it looks like no one would go to Hopkins. Where's the poll?
 
FluffyRabbit said:
It's a pretty sweeping generalization to say that Harvard/Hopkins will be full of gunners and elitists. I'm sure said people exist at every school. I wouldn't really think too much about it when deciding what school to attend - just pick the right people to hang out with when you're there. =P
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true. I was j/k when i said that remark. Thats just my general perception of the ivies. I know these people exist everywhere i just get the feeling that they would exist more at these places. Im sure someone will say im wrong so fine im wrong:). Regardless id take UCLA over any school in the country hands down barring ucsf. Location is huge to me and one thing i think everyone will agree on. jhu is in a piece of **** area lol. Ill take beautiful ucla and southern cali over that any day. The perceived "prestige" or w/e difference between the 2 schools is none for me. honestly id take most UCs/USC over jhu :p
 
serenade said:
Thats here. If these ppl got a JHU acceptance they'd be walking to Baltimore. :laugh:.
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not if ucla gives me good news 1st:p. Even then with my current acceptances id pass on jhu lol
 
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i'll go ahead and throw in a vote for hopkins. great opportunities, great reputation, closer to home than cali, and positively teeming with gunners and elitists :rolleyes:
 
What a great problem it must be to have. Hopefully, I can have this problem when choosing residency.:oops:
 
I wish I would face the same question!

If I were you I would go to Hopkins in no time. Reputation of Hopkins>>>UCLA.
 
UCLA FOR SURE.

Reputation: Hopkins >>> UCLA.
Location: UCLA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hopkins
Cost: UCLA >>>>>>>>>> Hopkins (in-state for me)
Grading: UCLA (P/F all 4 years, no internal ranking) >>>>>>> Hopkins
 
randombetch said:
UCLA FOR SURE.

Reputation: Hopkins >>> UCLA.
Location: UCLA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hopkins
Cost: UCLA >>>>>>>>>> Hopkins (in-state for me)
Grading: UCLA (P/F all 4 years, no internal ranking) >>>>>>> Hopkins
Click to expand...

you are just a teeny bit too enthusiastic with the ">" key
 
Johns Hopkins

all about the epeen bonus
 
We need to have more School X vs School Y threads that don't involve either coast, or involve just 1 coast. These east v west choices are too polarizing.
 
randombetch said:
UCLA FOR SURE.

Reputation: Hopkins >>> UCLA.
Location: UCLA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hopkins
Cost: UCLA >>>>>>>>>> Hopkins (in-state for me)
Grading: UCLA (P/F all 4 years, no internal ranking) >>>>>>> Hopkins
Click to expand...

I agree with 2 and 3 but completely disagree with 4 and 1. I know right now to you premeds getting P/F all 4 years sounds awesome and no headache but it might hurt you in the wrong run. Although I would still probably go to UCLA, I would think long and hard over the potential impact of those P/F years on residency selections. For the first 2 years, P/F isn't that big of a deal but during your clinical years it really matters to residency directors how you graded out along the "pass" range. Also, having everything P/F detracts from the drive to learn. People just aim to "pass" which could potentially impact their Step 1 scores and their ability to really understand the physiology behind disease and subsequent pathophysiology explanation when the attendings pimp you in the wards. So, yeah in the short term it's nice to not worry about grades but would you risk looking like a fool in front of your attending one day?

Also, you should never confuse undergrad reputation vs med school reputation. This one is a little hard to explain, but suffice to say that just because you go to Yale or Harvard doesn't necessarily mean residency directors will fall over themselves to take you. Based on their past history with residents from those schools will determine how favorably they look at your application.
 
I would choose UCLA without hesitation. Unless you want to be an East Coast academic, which I don't, life would be much more pleasant at UCLA. If you want to be a doc in private practice, which I do, UCLA will give you everything you want without the misery of Baltimore.
 
Ischemic said:
I agree with 2 and 3 but completely disagree with 4 and 1. I know right now to you premeds getting P/F all 4 years sounds awesome and no headache but it might hurt you in the wrong run. Although I would still probably go to UCLA, I would think long and hard over the potential impact of those P/F years on residency selections. For the first 2 years, P/F isn't that big of a deal but during your clinical years it really matters to residency directors how you graded out along the "pass" range. Also, having everything P/F detracts from the drive to learn. People just aim to "pass" which could potentially impact their Step 1 scores and their ability to really understand the physiology behind disease and subsequent pathophysiology explanation when the attendings pimp you in the wards. So, yeah in the short term it's nice to not worry about grades but would you risk looking like a fool in front of your attending one day?

Also, you should never confuse undergrad reputation vs med school reputation. This one is a little hard to explain, but suffice to say that just because you go to Yale or Harvard doesn't necessarily mean residency directors will fall over themselves to take you. Based on their past history with residents from those schools will determine how favorably they look at your application.
Click to expand...

I'm planning on doing an IM residency at UCLA if I go to UCLA med school, so it shouldn't hurt me too much right? Probably going to do some fellowship afterwards.

I don't know how you can think JHU doesn't have a better reputation than UCLA... I'm a huge UCLA fanboy, but JHU seems to me as if it's in a league of it's own (or maybe with Harvard) in terms of med school reputation... Someone who was involved with the residency selection at his institution posted this list, breaking down the med schools' reputation in groups:

"Internal Medicine rankings would differ; Top 20 by groupings:

Hopkins
Harvard

UCSF
Duke
Penn

Wash U.
Michigan
Washington
UCLA
Baylor College

Yale
Stanford
UTSW
Columbia

Cornell Weil
Vanderbilt
Chicago Pritzker
Northwestern
Pitt
Emory"
 
This thread = thinly veiled attempt at West Coast vs. East Coast...
 
If you have this problem I hate you already.
 
randombetch said:
I'm planning on doing an IM residency at UCLA if I go to UCLA med school, so it shouldn't hurt me too much right? Probably going to do some fellowship afterwards.

I don't know how you can think JHU doesn't have a better reputation than UCLA... I'm a huge UCLA fanboy, but JHU seems to me as if it's in a league of it's own (or maybe with Harvard) in terms of med school reputation... Someone who was involved with the residency selection at his institution posted this list, breaking down the med schools' reputation in groups:

"Internal Medicine rankings would differ; Top 20 by groupings:

Hopkins
Harvard

UCSF
Duke
Penn

Wash U.
Michigan
Washington
UCLA
Baylor College

Yale
Stanford
UTSW
Columbia

Cornell Weil
Vanderbilt
Chicago Pritzker
Northwestern
Pitt
Emory"
Click to expand...

Hey, how about that ... I'm also thinking about doing IM in UCLA and then a cardio fellowship. I'm just so sick and tired of this cold weather man. I want to be in a nice warm place for a change (I did my ugrad in Chicago).

Hmm... I apologize for not being clear but I do not think that Hopkins' reputation is less than UCLA or vice versa. To the general public yes, JHU does seem like this amazing place, but my point is that med school reputation is in the eye of the beholder, specifically the eye of the residency directors. It also depends on what specialty you want (IM, ortho, gen surg, derm, etc) because each specialty directors are looking for certain things they like which varies with each school and even within each school's specialty board. I only know of the information given by my school's IM, gen surg directors so obviously it could be different from other peoples'. You know, just saying.
 
I feel a bit amused by the idea that JHU is filled with "gunner kids". I just wonder how gunners think about other gunners， and how they get along with one another? Will they fall in love with other gunners? Mine oh mine...

Ischemic said:
I've actually heard that JHU kids are really nice... not elitist at all. Maybe the professors but not the students (at least not all of them).

UCLA I would choose because of everything brygguy1 mentioned except for home and Pac-1 sports. SEC football baby!! 4 straight national championships.
Click to expand...
 
randombetch said:
UCLA FOR SURE.

Reputation: Hopkins >>> UCLA.
Location: UCLA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hopkins
Cost: UCLA >>>>>>>>>> Hopkins (in-state for me)
Grading: UCLA (P/F all 4 years, no internal ranking) >>>>>>> Hopkins
Click to expand...

This is a little misleading, since UCLA does have "letters of distinction" for the top people in each course/clerkship and they also have AOA.

So yes, while you're technically not competing for grades, you're still competing for things that are basically used in the same way that grades would be by residency directors.
 
searun said:
I would choose UCLA without hesitation. Unless you want to be an East Coast academic, which I don't, life would be much more pleasant at UCLA. If you want to be a doc in private practice, which I do, UCLA will give you everything you want without the misery of Baltimore.
Click to expand...

+1! Didn't apply to JHU... couldn't stand the thought of living in Baltimore for 4 years (maybe 8?!). UCLA would be amazing in terms of lifestyle. It has some really top residencies too with its state of the art hospital facilities.
 
Last edited:
randombetch said:
UCLA FOR SURE.

Reputation: Hopkins >>> UCLA.
Location: UCLA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hopkins
Cost: UCLA >>>>>>>>>> Hopkins (in-state for me)
Grading: UCLA (P/F all 4 years, no internal ranking) >>>>>>> Hopkins
Click to expand...

If you're so pro-Cali, why exactly did you choose Princeton over say UCLA, Berkeley or Stanford for undergrad? Haha, sorry, I'm just curious.
 
whoa, so at his school, yale stanford and columbia were in the same group as UTSW and below mich, washington, baylor and ucla? if i chose a school just based on reputation (which i wont) i woulda for sure picked columbia, yale or stanford over those four, anyone else have any thoughts? not that it matters haha

randombetch said:
I'm planning on doing an IM residency at UCLA if I go to UCLA med school, so it shouldn't hurt me too much right? Probably going to do some fellowship afterwards.

I don't know how you can think JHU doesn't have a better reputation than UCLA... I'm a huge UCLA fanboy, but JHU seems to me as if it's in a league of it's own (or maybe with Harvard) in terms of med school reputation... Someone who was involved with the residency selection at his institution posted this list, breaking down the med schools' reputation in groups:

"Internal Medicine rankings would differ; Top 20 by groupings:

Hopkins
Harvard

UCSF
Duke
Penn

Wash U.
Michigan
Washington
UCLA
Baylor College

Yale
Stanford
UTSW
Columbia

Cornell Weil
Vanderbilt
Chicago Pritzker
Northwestern
Pitt
Emory"
Click to expand...
 
questions99 said:
whoa, so at his school, yale stanford and columbia were in the same group as UTSW and below mich, washington, baylor and ucla? if i chose a school just based on reputation (which i wont) i woulda for sure picked columbia, yale or stanford over those four, anyone else have any thoughts? not that it matters haha
Click to expand...

not sure, but im thinking those are based on the clinical training you get. at least what people on the outside view it as. perhaps you're letting that research ranking creep into this?

anyways, its pointless cuz you'll get great training at all those schools and many others so no worries
 
I know a few people who go to JHU and none of them are even close to being gunners or elitists. I'd still pick UCLA though for the pass/fail system they have and the location/weather. I didn't know that they didn't have internal rankings either, which makes it even cooler to go there. The only school I thought that did that was Yale (i.e. p/f AND no internal ranking).
 
phospho said:
I know a few people who go to JHU and none of them are even close to being gunners or elitists. I'd still pick UCLA though for the pass/fail system they have and the location/weather. I didn't know that they didn't have internal rankings either, which makes it even cooler to go there. The only school I thought that did that was Yale (i.e. p/f AND no internal ranking).
Click to expand...

mich has no internal ranking
 
ApoK said:
But, they have clinical grades (I think).
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i dont know of any school that doesnt. ucla's P/F extends thru all 4 years?
 
JasonE said:
i dont know of any school that doesnt. ucla's P/F extends thru all 4 years?
Click to expand...

Yeah but like I mentioned earlier in the thread, they still have things called "Letters of Distinction" which go to top students in rotations and can be mentioned in your dean's letter. I'm totally speculating here, but I'd imagine if you're a residency director and you see a bunch of applicants from UCLA with all passes, the letters of distinction serve as a way to separate the applicants
 
bobsmith said:
Yeah but like I mentioned earlier in the thread, they still have things called "Letters of Distinction" which go to top students in rotations. I'm totally speculating here, but I'd imagine if you're a residency director and you see a bunch of applicants from UCLA with all passes, the letters of distinction serve as a way to separate the applicants
Click to expand...


ya thats pretty much equivalent. best you can hope for is 1st two years P/F with no rank.
 
ApoK said:
If you're so pro-Cali, why exactly did you choose Princeton over say UCLA, Berkeley or Stanford for undergrad? Haha, sorry, I'm just curious.
Click to expand...

Stanford was my #1! Sadly, I got turned down. UCLA and Berkeley were too expensive haha (Princeton's Fin Aid is pretty unbeatable).
 
bobsmith said:
Yeah but like I mentioned earlier in the thread, they still have things called "Letters of Distinction" which go to top students in rotations and can be mentioned in your dean's letter. I'm totally speculating here, but I'd imagine if you're a residency director and you see a bunch of applicants from UCLA with all passes, the letters of distinction serve as a way to separate the applicants
Click to expand...

Yeahhh, I have heard of that. Kind of disappointing, but oh well. Better than H/P/F and with rankings.
 
phospho said:
I know a few people who go to JHU and none of them are even close to being gunners or elitists. I'd still pick UCLA though for the pass/fail system they have and the location/weather. I didn't know that they didn't have internal rankings either, which makes it even cooler to go there. The only school I thought that did that was Yale (i.e. p/f AND no internal ranking).
Click to expand...

Currently, Yale is p/f for the first two years and then has grades for the clinical years.

But I was talking with a professor who used to be a residency director at one of the Harvard hospitals (or was involved with the residency process in some way, I can't remember) and he was telling me that even when Yale had all P/F and "no internal rankings," they (the residency programs) still had ways of finding out who the "real top" students were. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call or a certain wording in the dean's letter.

So to me, this idea that you can go into your residency applications on equal footing with all of your classmates because "hey, we all got passes" is a little silly.

Ultimately, residency directors are going to want to know "ok, but really, which of these students from this school is the best?" and they're going to find out somehow -- whether it's by looking at your transcript that shows all Hs or by looking at your dean's letter that says "___ is hands down our brightest student," you're still going to be compared in some ways to other applicants from your school
 
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