UMass SOM vs Icahn SOM at Mount Sinai

[VintagePigskin]

Hey, guys!

I'm having a difficult time deciding between these two schools. In truth, I can see myself at either one; both have supportive faculty, awesome student bodies, and state-of-the-art resources. I am fortunate to have UMass as my state school. It has a reputation as being 'inexpensive', and it also offers a quality education. I do not know, however, if its brand is at all limiting.

On the other hand, I love Mount Sinai. Sinai is a powerhouse in medicine, and my gut feeling is that it will open more doors for me down the road than UMass might. I think both schools have interesting curricula, and truly all that matters to me is that both schools are P/F for their first two years. I do appreciate Sinai's take-home exams, though. I do not know yet about financial aid from these two schools, but in all likelihood Sinai would cost me more. By how much, I don't know.

I don't know what kind of medicine I might like to pursue, but I will likely specialize to some extent. While UMass has a strong emphasis on primary care, I'm not sure if this matters all that much.

It is also interesting to me that Sinai's Step 1 average last year was 235 and UMass' average was 230. I don't know how significant this difference is, but it is a rather significant difference.

How should I go about creating a rational decision here? Will Sinai indeed provide me with opportunities that UMass will not? Alternatively, will UMass? What might these opportunities be? To what extent does cost matter in this situation?

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[Slack3r]

Cost is important.

However, in cases where you're deciding between a decidedly mid tier school (UMass) vs. A top 20 with a solid reputation like Mt. Sinai, I'd go with the better school, assuming the cost differential isn't exorbitant.

 

[tenniseagle92]

Hey Vintage,

As a MA resident who also got into Sinai, I have some opinions here. I think the biggest differences between the two are: location, primary care focus, and cost.

For location, I personally am not a fan of all at Worcester. It has nothing on Boston, nevermind NYC. That said, NYC is not for everyone, and some people prefer cities where you'd have a car vs. cities where you'd use the subway, etc. That's a personal choice for you to make.

The primary care focus will have the biggest impact on your education. UMass is definitely a great school for the price, but it is heavily focused on primary care. It will not hold you back from specializing, but Sinai would probably make it easier for you get into harder specialty residencies (but again, as with any school, you could do anything at UMass).

Lastly, UMass will obviously be a lot cheaper. Cost of living in Worcester is much less than in NYC, and as a public school it has a lower tuition.

My ultimate advice: wait for Sinai's financial aid package and see what the difference is. I think the rank differential makes Sinai worth a greater cost, but there is a limit to how much more it's worth.

 

[breakintheroof]

Congratulations on these great choices, @VintagePigskin. (Nice username/avatar, too.) I won't comment on the specific schools since I didn't apply to UMass and I think @tenniseagle92 has given you a useful perspective. One thing I'd like to mention, though:

It is also interesting to me that Sinai's Step 1 average last year was 235 and UMass' average was 230. I don't know how significant this difference is, but it is a rather significant difference.

Step 1 is of immense importance an individual level in matching at into competitive specialties or programs. Yet the consensus of our wise elders here is that it is useless at a group level, i.e., in comparing medical schools. Here's a thread discussing why. The gist:

1) The effect of a school's curriculum is dwarfed by the test-taker's own ability and motivation.
2) Student bodies do not have equivalent test-taking ability, confounding the effect of the school on its students' scores.
3) Scores vary from year-to-year, and in any case, five points is not a significant difference.
4) Data are self-reported, perhaps inaccurately or selectively.

So, don't worry about Step 1 until it's time to start studying for it.

 

[phunky]

That's a tough decision. I am currently considering UMass and waiting to hear back from some private schools, and I've tried to decide just how much reputation it would take to be worth the extra cost.

Disregarding financial aid, Sinai's cost of attendance is about $75,000 vs about $55,000 at UMass. Over the course of 4 years that's a difference of $80,000. If you're taking out loans, you can expect to pay about double that with interest, so it's a difference of around $150,000.

You'll have to decide whether Sinai is worth $150k more than Umass.

I wouldn't worry too much about the impact on residency placement. Despite it's primary care focus, UMass sends plenty of students into competitive specialties. I was actually shocked to see that 7 students matched Derm in 2013 out of a class of 125.

 

[VintagePigskin]

Wow, thank you all so much! I sincerely appreciate your thoughtful replies. I'll keep you all posted!

 

[Greenberg702]

I would suggest that you wait and see what the cost difference is. Sinai gives out amazing aid. In regards to residency placement (if this is a consideration), your school would most likely influence your ability to match at a type of program within a particular specialty, rather than the specialty itself. Students at any MD school can match any specialty they want if they work hard enough. Pedigree begins to make a difference at the top academic programs within that specialty. Sinai's derm matches last year were Yale, U Miami, UNC, and Sinai - all top tier programs.