I can't believe I am just now hearing about this site! For those of you who are trying to decide between ut and etsu, I was hoping to give an unbiased perspective. Luckily I got into my top choice, but if I hadn't it would have probably come down to etsu or ut. Both are very good schools, and having interviewed at both last year and having multiple friends at each, I would say that etsu has a slight edge over ut. Simply because I get the general feel that etsu has a nicer campus, much nicer city, and the students seemed more friendly overall. Also for those who think they may end up wanting to do surgery it really doesn't matter what school you go to. As long as you ace your classes and boards you can match into surgery from anywhere. Again you really can't go wrong with either but I would give etsu a slight edge just from my personal and friends' experience.
I loved ETSU, but would disagree and say that you do indeed have an edge at UT for surgery and emergency medicine due to its suturing program, intensive and autonomous rotations, high throughput ER, and variety of cases. The trauma bays are so busy that med students are frequently charged with inserting chest tubes, catheters, and suturing, et cetera, out of pure necessity. The more you learn, the more you're trusted to do. Med students at UT are notorious for entering residency with well above average clinical skills and clinical knowledge. Many IM Chief Residents at Vandy came from UT.
While it's true you can match anywhere with good grades, a good step score, and good recommendations, it will make your transition into residency as an intern much easier if you hit the ground running and have a wider array of experience doing the basics. I'd say UT clearly offers more exposure to trauma. And for those interested in anything academic or any subspecialties, UT will provide you with more exposure to the Zebras (exotic cases) germane to academia and inner/large city care.
That said, while ETSU is CLEARLY the winner for any type of primary care (e.g., Family Med, OBGYN) or rural care, you can still match anywhere with those good scores/recs. An ETSU student matched to FSU's Neurosurgery program just two years ago. So if you feel more comfortable at ETSU, there's your edge. Plus, ETSU also gives its students great autonomy during rotations compared to larger schools at academic medical centers (i.e., Vandy students here and UCLA students in Cali complain that they often get scut work and babysit rather than substantively contribute to care while residents and attendings do ALL the work). So you're still going to be above average entering residency from ETSU.
Feel free to PM me any questions if you're torn between the two. I've already given my opinions to several students accepted to both schools and don't mind elaborating for anyone else seeking advice.
Good luck to all those on the WL. I was there last year and know how it feels. Hang in there.
