LLU vs. Jefferson

[alexcafe]

Hi everyone! I already am leaning towards one choice over another but am looking for additional input to help me make my decision.

Not sure about quality of education, and costs end up being the same, so these are my deciding factors.

Loma Linda
Pros

• Close to home — this is pretty important for my family, who I’m pretty close to. I also have a couple of good friends in the area who will be there for my first year
• In-state — Wondering how important this is for residency. I’m 90% sure I want to come back to CA

Cons

• Neighborhood/city — Nothing much to do in the area.
• Lifestyle agreement — self explanatory, I’m not a big drinker but I would like to just be able to go to parties and bars without worrying
• In general, the vibes I got during interview day/meet and greet weren’t stellar. The students seemed low energy and stressed, but it could have just been a bad week.

SKMC (Jefferson)
Pros

• Curriculum/research opportunities — I really enjoy public health/humanities based stuff and there are a lot of options there. Plus they have a Medical Spanish program that I am interested in doing
• City location — I love being in a place where there is lots to do
• Student vibes — Everyone was so welcoming and seemed really genuinely happy

Cons

• Out of state, which is a big deal for many reasons. I don’t have much of a support system on the East Coast and I’ve never lived there before. Also, I’m hoping to match into a CA residency.
• Large student body — I’ve heard this is a pro and a con but I’m afraid this will interfere with opportunities and clinical rotations

Summary: Basically this is like vibes vs in-state. I want to have fun but I don’t want to screw myself over in the future!

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[SquidLab]

If you want to stay in CA for residency, go to LLU. Your support system is there and there's plenty to do on the weekends within a 2 hour radius. That's where I would go at least!

 

[KnightDoc]

If you want to stay in CA for residency, go to LLU. Your support system is there and there's plenty to do on the weekends within a 2 hour radius. That's where I would go at least!

This^^^. I am unfamiliar with LLU's match list, but assume it would be heavily weighted towards CA, which is where you want to be.

By far the biggest negative about LLU is the lifestyle agreement. If you can deal with that (which presumably you can if you applied in the first place), why would even you consider moving 3,000 miles away from your support system to attend a mid tier with a comparable COA?

This would only make sense if you could bring your support system with you AND you wanted to permanently relocate to the east coast, or if you were talking about a Hopkins/Penn tier school that would offer opportunities neither of your choices can. I honestly think vibes are highly over rated, and that anyone can make their own vibes by finding the right people to hang with.

 

[alexcafe]

By far the biggest negative about LLU is the lifestyle agreement. If you can deal with that (which presumably you can if you applied in the first place), why would even you consider moving 3,000 miles away from your support system to attend a mid tier with a comparable COA?

This is true. I guess I’m just grappling with the actual ramifications of the lifestyle agreement & the religious affiliation of the school—I’m currently going to a big university in a big city—and am apprehensive about the atmosphere & all that. It’s not that I can’t deal with it, I’m just wondering if I’ll have a better experience living in a city I’ve always wanted to live in (Philly) with people that I feel more likely to get along with.

 

[KnightDoc]

This is true. I guess I’m just grappling with the actual ramifications of the lifestyle agreement & the religious affiliation of the school—I’m currently going to a big university in a big city—and am apprehensive about the atmosphere & all that. It’s not that I can’t deal with it, I’m just wondering if I’ll have a better experience living in a city I’ve always wanted to live in (Philly) with people that I feel more likely to get along with.

I see. My assumption was that you applied to LLU with your eyes wide open, and were okay with it and all that it represents. I'd certainly never be!

I'd prefer Philly 1,000,000%. But, then again, my support system is not in CA and I have no interest in living or practicing there. These are two very different opportunities, and only you know what is most important to you. I was really just feeding off what was in your OP.

The only advice I really have to offer is what I said before -- don't over value vibe because that will be largely in your control when you find your tribe wherever you go. If the strict religious thing is a big turn-off, you never should have applied to LLU, and now you have an out, so that should be an easy decision. OTOH, if it's something you can tolerate, you'll be comfortable in CA and will have a much easier time matching back to CA. Good luck!!

 

[cornoffthecob]

I'd choose LLU for the reasons mentioned above, especially if prices are similar. I hear LLU students match well into CA residencies as it's pretty well known in SoCal. Have you connected with other classmates/upperclassmen for opinions? You could find a group there that you vibe with/ can go out with!