Regarding comparisons, I interviewed at 11 schools this year - a mix of in-state, private, and OOS. The 'nicest' ones could not easily be bucketed into any one of those categories - the private schools were no nicer than the state schools, with the exception of perhaps landscaping, which at OHSU is a non-issue courtesy of the pacific NW climate.
Beyond that, the big thing I looked for was not 'newness of the facilities', as this really doesn't matter....instead, I looked for student body composition, the 'feeling' I got from the places, whether I could be happy/healthy there, etc. Were the people I met people with whom I could see myself learning medicine? That was the big question. I found affirmative answers at OHSU, Case, and Tulane, and to a much lesser extent at Pritzker. These schools ALL attracted an older, experienced crowd - a group that had a lot of life experience, commitment, and perspective to accompany their intelligence.
Regarding price, we're talking about medical school. While you can't ignore the money, you shouldn't be in this for money. That doesn't mean you should go take out $400K in loans and make rash decisions aimlessly, but rather, one should remember that all medical schools (unless you're lucky enough to be in-state in a place like California) will cost +/- $35-50K/yr. OHSU for that matter is $44K/52K IS/OOS. In the long run, and again unless you're lucky enough to be from a place where IS is substantially cheaper, I can't see choosing on price if we're talking about a $15K/yr difference. $15K/yr will be a total of $60K difference at the end of it all, which will, after compound interest, amount to about 2 more years worth of payments. For me, I'm not even sure a $20K difference would change my mind. I'd rather go somewhere I like, and be happy, than go somewhere cheaper just to save what is (IMHO) an insignificant amount of cash in the grand scheme of things. Finally, if you're concerned about the money, HPSP is open to pretty much anyone. 4 years of service post-residency will knock it out in one fell swoop.
My two cents. My top three (OHSU, Case, Tulane) will each cost me about $50K/yr. Cost of living as a student in those three towns is about the same too. Reputation is comparable with Case possibly edging out the other two. Beyond that, it all comes down to the students and the town. While I haven't made my final decision yet, Portland/OHSU seems to be the clear winner.
