Abany vs Creighton

[newbegin2013]

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I am a CA resident hoping to do residency back in CA, so both schools are far from home for me, tuition and cost of living, vibe and rating nearly the same.
Albany
pros:
-close to Boston and NY, Monreal, National Parks and sking
-The hospital is attached to the college. Also it is the largest hospital in the area.
cons:
-grading system Excellent, Good, Marginal and Unsatisfactory

Creighton
pros:
-option of going to Phoenix for clinical years, only 2 years of Omaha
-grading system Honors (SH), Satisfactory (SA), or Unsatisfactory (UN)
-nice people
cons:
-catholic school ?
-not sure if the best hospital in Omaha

 

[teddy bear doc]

Albany is in a great area, lots to do, very family-friendly, close to major cities. And you're right about the hospital being really the only one in the region.

You're right that Creighton isn't the best hospital in Omaha. You will have dissenters on this issue, but most people in Omaha recognize UNMC as the "better" hospital. That doesn't mean Creighton is bad though, objectively speaking. As for the Catholic part, I've heard that it isn't really a big deal in medical school, though it is for the undergrads. Cost of living in Omaha is a good deal cheaper than in Albany, and there is a surprising variety of things to do there. The people are very very nice as well, as you pointed out.

With all this in mind, it's really just a gut decision you need to make. Which school felt more like home and/or felt more like you would fit in? Both places have a large number of CA transplants... As a CA native, with undergrad in Omaha, and now 2 years deep into med school in NC, I've come to the conclusion you will find "your people" no matter where you go. And the grading system differences matter so much less than you might think. Pretty much as long as you pass (and you aren't gunning for derm), no one cares about your pre-clinical grades anyway. This is SUPER hard to get through our ambitious little pre-med brains, but it's true. So don't make your decision just on that. Go with your gut.

Good luck and congrats on the acceptances!

 

[newbegin2013]

Thanks for response!!! Would like to hear from current students as well, who came from CA.