Hi guys! Even though my dreams of going to Case are about to be put to rest, they will never be forgotten and I can say the same for those of you I met at SLW. Keep in touch on facebook
😛
I just wanted to chime in briefly regarding the Case vs state school issue, and say it's been discussed in a separate thread in Pre-Allo (
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=622735).
It's going to be different for everyone, that's for sure. I mean, Cheasus's state school is one he's been at for undergrad! So he might not be thrilled about staying in Iowa City for another 4 years. But on the other hand, Iowa isn't even close to being a step down from Case, so it would represent better value. What I suggest as a consideration is: if you feel that you will be close to being as happy at the other school as you would be at Case, then it's going to be hard to justify the extra expense. But if you feel like you NEED to get out of Iowa City or dislike Carver, then it may justifiable to spend the extra $ to go to a place you know you'll be happier at.
Or, maybe you have family or SO at one place. That can be a big consideration as well. As an example, let's say cheasus has a SO heading to Cleveland too or is already there, for something else. Money will be earned in the future, and the debt paid off eventually. But 4 years together with your SO is something you can't get back. You know what I'm saying? At that point, you could justify the extra cost because it means that much to you.
Either way, as long as you're at a place where you're happy, you should be more productive and successful. The SDN dogma is that Step 1 scores and the residency you match in is largely a product of your own efforts, not the school you go to. I also hear this in real life from my PI and other attendings/residents/fellows that I come into contact with at work. Either way, "happiness", however you define that, is paramount. I'm lucky enough to have a cheaper alternative to Case that I liked just as much (though I still give Case a slight edge in the gut feeling department, I blame you guys for that!
😛) so that's why I went the way I did. It'll be different for everybody, but either way things have a funny way of working out in the end!
, are you given time to make a decision - i.e., once you are given a financial aid package? I know the deadline for holding multiple acceptances is May 15, but how does that apply in the case of waitlisted applicants who are offered a spot? Must they immediately give up their spot at the other school? Barefoot - were you given a timeline to make a decision?
