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[deleted1103863]

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[JohnJacobJingleheimer]

You said it yourself; it’s crazy to think about the idea of turning down Hopkins. Personally, it’s such a major accomplishment, that I don’t think I would be able to say no it. Howeverrr, you truly are worried about your happiness and safety, that’s something that’s extremely important to consider. You’d be opting for a very nice plan B, and I’d also be thrilled to go to Vandy med. It’s just not Hopkins.

I grew up in Baltimore earlier on in my childhood and my family that is still there makes comments about how bad downtown has gotten. My grandparents have both said they would rather me not go to Hopkins if I got in bc they think it’s dangerous. However, as a young male, I don’t feel at all concerned when I’m downtown. I can totally understand this being a bigger concern for a petite female or someone who didn’t grow up exposed to higher crime areas and what not.

I think you should definitely try and get some more opinions from current students at Hopkins. Only they can give you an accurate assessment of if they feel safe on campus and supported by their peers. Perhaps, they will provide you the peace of mind for you to be able to have an easy choice in Hopkins.

Best of luck to you and a huge congrats!

 

[obiwan]

The prestige thing should really be thrown out the window when you're comparing schools like Hopkins and Vanderbilt. You'll be able to match in any specialty at any place coming from Vanderbilt (just look at their match list). Research won't be an issue too since Vanderbilt is top 15 in NIH funding. Not trying to convince you to go to Vanderbilt but that these are truly both top tier academic medical centers and that any perception that you are at any disadvantage by going to Vanderbilt is misplaced. Ultimately, would you rather live in B-more or Nashville and which place do you see yourself succeeding in ?

 

[Watson343]

I went to Hopkins (also a woman) and honestly loved Baltimore, the area you'd be in is just as unsafe as areas in other major cities I've lived in (I can't speak for Nashville though). The area of the med campus is not the best area of baltimore but it's definitely not the worse. If the city is the only thing really holding you back I'd say don't let it, when it comes to safety at least. I've never been to Nashville but from what I've heard it's def got more of a young social scene than Baltimore. There's always DC when it comes to downtown and doing things though! From my experience the going out scene in Bmore def seems college student dominated (if that's even your thing). There are a lot of cool restaurants and coffee shops.

Basically: IMO I don't see safety as the big difference b/t Bmore and Nashville, I see nightlife/social scenes as being different.

Also, in terms of the atmosphere, anyone I knew at hop was so nice and people were very collaborative, just my experience.

 

[deleted1065184]

The perceived gap in prestige isn't what you think it is. In the South and much of the Midwest, Vandy and Duke are viewed every bit as favorably as Hopkins. Nationally, Hopkins def has a historically colossal name, but not enough to give you a meaningful difference in matching compared to another top school like Vandy. At this level, whether or not you are a competitive residency applicant is 100% dependent on how much work you put in.

Based on what you've described you're easily going to prefer Nashville. There is a major difference in violent crime in both the cities (generally) and around the school campuses. Hopkins is in an area of Baltimore with highly neglected populations. Nashville is not. In general, Nashville residents of all demographics are doing better financially than Baltimore residents. This is partially why Nashville's population grew 15% in the past decade while Baltimore's population decreased 6%.

 

[crimson-cat]

You should really think about what your specific career goals are and what atmosphere will make you happy. I personally felt both students had cool and motivated students, but Hopkins students were a little more ambitious and motivating to be around, whereas Vandy's crew was more fun and relaxed. Name-brand Hopkins is synonymous with medicine, so it will obviously open a few more doors, though if you primarily want a clinical career, they are honestly pretty equivalent at the medical school level. At the end of the day you'll be most successful where you'll be happy and have the motivation to succeed.

My vote is if you are feeling burned out, go Vandy. Hopkins is a bigger name and will open some unconventional doors, but has a reputation for being pretty intense during the clinical years, which P/F rotations helps negate.

 

[Spiceupyourlife]

As a person who currently lives in Nashville (8 mins from Vandy) and lived right outside Baltimore, violence is everywhere, especially in dense area like a city. I literally get multiple alerts daily about someone getting shot or mug nor some other really wild occurrence in Nashville.

Food wise, Baltimore reigns supreme and public transportation is 1000x times better.

If you like the whole city with a small town vibe, then Nashville is for you (make sure you have a car). If you like country music (i hate it) then Nashville is for you. If you like the proximately of not only Baltimore but also having DC nearby (DC BRUNCH is a sport) and also being ~2 from Philly, 4 hours from NYC then Baltimore is better.