GW, Drexel, or Temple, Which is the best?

Temple.

Six of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. Ya' got three schools that are all about the same in terms of geography and reputation.
Where would you rather live - DC or Philly? And where do you think you'd be happiest over the next four years? Are you a PA resident? Do you get a tuition break at Temple?

And you better make your decision rather quick-like, seeing as how May 15 is right around the corner and there are plenty of SDNers (myself included) who would like to see the waitlists start moving.

/*SF tries to wink but can't- too much time spent in waitlist purgatory*/

Really quick, Temple's accreditation with the LCME is on probation, Drexel is a great school that had to be taken over by Drexel University in order to avoid very serious financial problems, and GW IMO probably has a slight edge over the other 2 in terms of national reputation, has better facilities and excellent clinical opportunites. Temple and Drexel have good clinical opportunites as well though, GW with the slight edge as well.

If cost is a concern, go to the cheapest school for you, but only if its were you know you will be happy, only you know from your gut feeling after visiting the 3 schools.

Make your decision soon to avoid being harassed by the schools.

First of all, congratulations on 3 acceptances! That is really great.

I go to Temple, so I just want to stick up for my school. Temple is on probation for its facilities, class size and student debt burden. While these issues are not minor, they do not affect the education at temple. The LCME was actually complementary about temple's students and faculty. There should be a re-review of the school in the fall.

But Bodla, you should go to the school where you feel most comfortable, not because someone on SDN said it had a better reputation. PM me if you have specific questions about Temple or living in Philly. Good luck with your decision!

I'm graduating from Temple this year and would HIGHLY recommend it. What kcrd said about the accredidation is true, and the feeling is that it will be resolved by the fall (and off probation). Temple is known for having excellent clinical teaching, and is highly regarded for Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Surgery, to name a few. Yes, I'm biased, but I think its a great school and the probation issue will probably end up benefitting (sp?) the school. They needed a swift kick in the butt about the facilities and its serving to get the new med school built.

As others have said, you should definitely go where you will be happy above all else. All 3 are great schools. Philly is a fantastic city (and I moved here from Manhattan), with tons of stuff to do, the option of living in the city or in the burbs. If you have any questions about Philly or Temple, feel free to PM me. Good Luck!!!

Bump.
and can we throw SUNY Stonybrook and SUNY Downstate
into the comparison?

It was about Temple vs. Tufts but scroll down for my post anyway, hopefully it can help. The last match list's included.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68032

I chose Temple over Drexel last year because of its clinical education rep and the RAR department, plus the students I met seemed somewhat happier. Also take into account the curriculum differences - Temple is pretty traditional while Drexel is organ system based and has a PBL option. I personally felt safer taking the more traditional route (especially since board scores were reportedly higher at Temple), but that might not be for you. Finally, you need to decide how important "nice" facilities are to you. I really liked the med school at Drexel and the high tech aspect was a bonus, but in the end it wasn't enough to push me over. As you can tell from my post above, I don't have regrets on that account. And lectures are only for two years anyway.

btw, I should warn that the one core rotation that could be "weakest" at Temple is peds (which we don't yet have a residency program for), especially if GW students rotate at Children's National Hospital. And we don't have a dermatology program either. But note that this didn't prevent a number of matches at CHOP (for instance) and three in derm anyway from the 2003 class. IM seems to be quite strong and a popular choice for Temple grads...lots stay for residency, which would suggest a good experience on rotation.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the detailed response Lara!!

Temple seems really strong in both prime areas for me (clinical training and location)